Cherished by Helen Hardt

Author:Helen Hardt [HARDT, HELEN]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Waterhouse Press

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Dale

I make it into the office by eight, after showering at home and feeding Penny. She picked at her full bowl. Ashley must have fed her.

She was gone when I got home.

Not that I expected her to be there.

She’s not in the office, either, and I did expect her to be there. Maybe she went home and went back to bed.

That doesn’t sound like Ashley, though. I get up and walk down the hall to Uncle Ryan’s office. I peek inside the open door. “Hey.”

“Hey, yourself,” he says.

“You seen Ashley this morning?”

He nods. “She came in and said she’d prefer to work in the vineyards today, so I sent her off.”

I inhale. “Okay. That’s surprising.”

“Did you have something else in mind for her today?”

“Well…we’ve got the lunch and tasting today. I’ve been working with her on the wines.”

“Hmm, she didn’t mention that. I can send someone out to the vineyards to tell her to come back.”

“No, it’s okay. I can handle things.”

“I wasn’t planning to be at the tasting today,” he says, “but if you need a hand, let me know.”

“Will do.”

Anger creeps along my spine. But is it anger? I mean, what did I expect after I left her alone at my place last night?

This isn’t like Ashley, though. She wouldn’t walk out on a tasting. Would she?

Perhaps she just forgot.

In which case, it’s my job, as her boss, to remind her of her obligation.

I head out to the parking lot and get into my truck. To the vineyards I drive. Most of our harvesters are working on the southern vines today. The Merlot and Cabernet Franc. I pull into a spot and walk toward the workers.

“Hey, George,” I say to the foreman.

“Hey, Dale. What can I do for you?”

“I’m looking for my intern. Ashley. She was working out here yesterday.”

“Yeah, yeah. She does good work for a beginner.”

“Glad to hear that.” Of course I expect nothing less from Ashley. “I’ll just go find her.”

“Wait. She’s not here today.”

I lift my eyebrows. “She’s not? Ryan said she was working the harvest.”

“Not here,” George says. “She never checked in with me.”

“That’s puzzling.”

Except it’s not, really. Already I know where I’ll find her.

“Thanks, George,” I say. “See you around.”

“You too. Have a good day.”

I walk back to my truck and drive to the northern vineyards, specifically to the area where I can access the Syrah. Autopilot. I’m pretty sure my truck could find its way here by itself, I come here so often.

I left here only a couple of hours earlier.

I pull into the gravel parking area and stop abruptly, skidding a little.

Yeah, I’m angry, but I have no reason to be. Ashley has reason to be angry. I do not.

I walk into the vineyards, my feet instinctively taking me to my own special place.

And there she stands.

Ashley.

My Ashley.

Not my Ashley.

She doesn’t turn toward me, but in her sweet voice, she says, “I figured you’d come.”

I don’t respond.

Still not looking at me, she continues, “It’s beautiful. Paradise, even. I understand why you’re drawn here.

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