To say that she was sore the next morning was an understatement. Piper flexed her fingers, but she couldn't bend them without severe pain from having pushed the wheel barrow for four hours straight the day before. She sat up in bed and had difficulty flinging her legs over the edge. She ran her hands over her face and wondered how she could possibly be that sore—after all, she jogged and practiced yoga regularly and was generally physically fit. She'd pressed snooze on her alarm twice, but now she needed to get out of bed, pain be damned, if she wanted to see the sunrise with Alex. And she really did.
Piper quickly brushed her hair and her teeth and pulled on the last pair of clean jeans she'd packed. Every movement of her arms hurt, and when she bent down to tie her shoes, her thighs burned. She buttoned her blue & white striped Oxford shirt, and then quietly walked downstairs.
It was still dark outside, but there was a hint of sunlight in the East. It was colder that morning than it had been the night before, and she was glad that she'd brought her jacket and a scarf. Piper zipped the jacket as she made her way towards the wine barn. As she got closer, she heard music coming from inside and saw that the East-facing barn doors were open, dim light peeking out.
"Knock, knock," Piper said, figuring if she literally knocked there was no way anyone would hear it over the music. She walked inside, looking around for Alex, but she wasn't in the main equipment room. "Alex?"
Just then, the winemaker peeked her head around the corner. "Over here."
Piper made her way into the other room, taking in a big whiff of charred barrels and wine. "Good morning."
"Morning." Alex smiled as she pulled the pot from the coffeemaker. "Are you a coffee drinker?"
She folded her arms against the chill inside. "God, yes. I don't know how people wake up without it."
"It's also warm on a cold morning," Alex added, pouring each of them a cup.
Piper glanced around the room—there were six fermentation vessels lining one wall and two smaller metal containers that appeared to be full of wine. "You don't have to keep the temperature regulated?"
"Not in here. The tanks are temperature controlled on the inside." She handed Piper a mug. "Help yourself to sugar and cream—sorry, it's the powdered kind." She poured some into her own mug, and then stirred it with a plastic stirrer, dipping it into her mouth when she was done. "You look cold."
"I am, but the coffee should warm me right up." She added one sweetener and a dash of creamer to her cup. "It feels colder today than yesterday."
"I'll grab a blanket." Alex walked into a closet a few feet away. "You can get situated over there while I do a little work. The sun won't rise for another 20 minutes."
She sipped the hot liquid. "I can help if you want."
"I got it." Alex grabbed her hand, tugging her towards the open doors. "Wait here."
Piper watched her move around the room with long, confident steps. She pictured Alex as a little girl, running around the wine making facility, helping where she could, but possibly getting in the way of the more sophisticated equipment. She would've wanted to know Alex as a girl, and the unrealistic possibility brought a sad smile to her face.
Alex pushed an old, yellow sofa to the opening far enough inside to not be seen by anyone at the inn, but close enough to the edge to get a perfect view of the vineyard and eventual sunrise. "Here."
"Where did that thing come from?" Piper chuckled.
"My office," she replied. "I've slept on this thing more times than I'll admit, but I've never dragged it out to watch the sunrise."
"I'm honored you pulled it out for me."
"I'll be back in ten minutes." Alex smiled, handing her a thick, plaid blanket. "Help yourself to more coffee if you want."
Part of her wished that Alex would've asked for her assistance with the wine making stuff, but another part was content to sip her coffee while appreciating the stunning view. She tried to recall the last time she'd seen a sunrise. It wasn't in her adult life—maybe in college after pulling an all-nighter, but that wasn't the same as this. As far back as she could remember, there was never a time when she intentionally watched the sunrise.
Ten minutes later, Alex returned, plopping down next to her. "Ok, I'm ready." She let out a long breath as if now she could finally enjoy the view.
"Who's playing?" Piper handed her part of the blanket, and Alex scooted closer so that both were fully covered.
"The music?"
"Yeah." She felt Alex's leg against hers and didn't dare move an inch.
"Alexi Murdoch." She took a big sip of coffee.
"I haven't heard this one before." Piper closed her eyes and listened to the words of At Your Door. "Did you know he was discovered by a DJ in L.A., and everyone in the music industry wanted to sign him? He ignored all the chatter about being the next great singer-songwriter and turned down major record labels so that he could release his music independently."
"I did not know that."
She opened her eyes to find Alex grinning down at her.
"Now you do." She smiled, feeling perfectly content and relaxed, sipping coffee and waiting for the sun to make an appearance.
"He reminds me of Nick Drake." Alex shifted her leg a bit, melding their thighs together. "I loved him when I was a teenager."
Piper lifted her head off the back of the sofa. "I didn't know who Nick Drake was until like five years ago."
"I was an odd child," Alex said with a slight snicker. "I thought I was Mexican until second grade."
"Mexican?"
"That's who I was surrounded by in the vineyard in my younger years," she admitted. "I didn't know any of the white people who did the more sophisticated stuff at the winery back then—only my mom."
Piper toyed with the edge of the blanket. "I bet you were a cute kid."
"Like I said, I was odd...maybe a little precocious." She grinned. "My friends were migrant field workers, and instead of braiding a Barbie dolls' hair, I braided grapevines. There are still a few on the edge of the property that are still producing fruit."
She blinked up at her. "I don't think that's odd; I think it's fascinating."
Alex stared at her as if she was trying to read her thoughts. Her intense gaze almost made Piper uncomfortable. Finally, she looked away, and they were silent for a couple of minutes while the music played and the sun began to peek above the eastern hills.
Alex took the last sip of coffee, and then set her mug on the ground. "When was the last time you watched the sunrise?"
"I was just thinking about that—I don't think I've ever watched one intentionally." She continued to enjoy her coffee. "You?"
"Almost every day," she breathed. "But it's been a long time since I sat still to watch it."
The song changed to Towards the Sun, which Piper recognized. "How appropriate."
"I didn't plan that; I swear." She let out a soft laugh. "I just felt like listening to mellow music this morning, and this was the first album that popped up."
"There it is!" Piper announced, pointing at the sun, showing about a quarter of herself to the world. "It rises so fast."
"It does," she agreed. "Reminds me that sometimes I need to slow down, especially at this time of year."
"Wow, look at that," Piper whispered with awe, leaning a little closer as she watched the sun come up.
"You have this sense of wonder about you," Alex commented, rubbing a piece of blonde hair between her thumb and forefinger.
She looked up. "How could anyone not marvel at this?"
"It's not just the sunrise," she explained, releasing Piper's hair and placing her hands in her lap. "It's your interest in wine making, too. And I know we just met yesterday, but you seem to feel things differently than most people."
Piper shrugged. "I never really thought about it."
They kept their eyes trained on each other for a few more seconds, until Alex turned to watch the sunrise.
"Look at that." Piper couldn't seem to take all of it in at once—the sun, the vines, the golden colors stretching over the valley like a patchwork quilt, and the woman next to her. She feared if she blinked, it would be gone, so she kept her eyes open until it stung too much to do so.
Alex reached for her hand under the blanket and linked their fingers together. Piper's heart lurched, but she kept her eyes trained on the sunrise. It had been years since she'd held hands with anyone, and it was exhilarating.
"I wish I had a camera—a good one, not the one on my phone," Alex said.
"Pictures of nature never turn out the way you want them to anyway." Piper glanced at her, but Alex's attention was focused on the eastern sky. "It's hard to capture a moment, you know?"
"Not of the sunrise—of us." She squeezed Piper's hand and gave her the most tranquil smile.
Piper was rendered speechless. If she'd have pictured what the trip to Red Mountain was going to look like, this was certainly not it. She knew the vineyards would be beautiful and the wine would be spectacular, but not in her wildest dreams did she imagine she'd find someone to share it with—someone she was quickly appreciating on every level.
"But in about ten minutes, everything will change—workers will stumble in, the grapes will be ready to harvest, volunteers will show up, and I'll be pulled in 20 different directions."
She nuzzled into Alex's side. "Then let's enjoy these last nine minutes."
Alex threw one arm over Piper's shoulders and pulled out her phone, snapping a quick photo of the two of them. "This will have to do for now."
The birds began chirping louder and the sound of trucks rolling on gravel meant the world was awake.
"Alex?" a man called from the other room.
"I guess that's my cue," she whispered, squeezing Piper against her before standing, shins touching Piper's knees. "This was nice."
"It was." She sat up straight, wondering if she should walk out of the open doors and back to the inn as if she was never there.
"Have a good day, Piper. I'll see you around." Alex turned her attention to the man in the other room. "Hola, Miguel."
She gazed at the sun once more, marveling at its beauty, before folding the blanket and stepping outside. As she journeyed back to the inn, Piper's heart was full. She'd never met anyone like Alex, and she didn't want to wait another minute before getting to know her better. Her fingers still burned at Alex's touch, and instinctively, she brought both hands to her chest and let out a contented sigh. How could all of this be happening with her friends so nearby? Polly hadn't a clue that she'd spent time with Alex, and she didn't know if she should tell her about their budding relationship or keep it to herself.
As she passed through the lobby, she was shocked to see her friend walking down the hallway towards her.
"What are you doing up so early?" Polly asked.
"I could ask you the same thing." She hoped her cheeks looked more like a slight sunburn than the blush that was forming on them.
Polly stretched. "I think I slept for 12 hours straight. I feel like a new woman."
"Want to get breakfast?"
"Sure." Polly locked arms with her as they made their way to the patio. "Why are you awake at this hour?"
"It's not like it's super early," she tried. "The sun is up."
"There's something else…" Polly eyed her. "I can't quite put my finger on it…What are you up to, Piper Chapman?"
They sat at a table and watched one of the workers set up the breakfast buffet.
She scratched her head and averted her eyes. "I just watched the sunrise."
"By yourself?" Polly raised her eyebrows.
"No, with the winemaker."
Polly leaned forward. "The old man with a limp?"
"No, asshole!" Piper realized that she'd yelled, so she looked around to make sure they were alone. "The female one, Alex."
She rolled her eyes. "Oh, Piper…come on!"
"We had lunch yesterday and hung out last night. She's awesome, Polly." She could hear herself swooning, and she knew her roommate was going to give her shit.
"We didn't come all this way for you to fall for some woman who happens to work at a winery," Polly stated.
"I had no idea she was replacing Felix! I read about it the other day in a magazine that I found right over there, and then I saw her and…" she swallowed hard. "She's really…"
"Hot?" Polly lifted her brows again.
"Fuck, yeah," she breathed out.
Her roommate swatted at her and smiled. "You're such a little slut!"
She held Polly's hand. "I promise, I won't let our relationship get in the way of the fun we're having."
"Relationship?!"
"I don't know what else to call it," Piper admitted. "Friendship, interest in each other…"
"Fuck buddies?" she tried.
"Shh!" She let go of Polly's hand. "We haven't had sex; we haven't even kissed."
Polly leaned back. "Yet."
She glanced towards the wine barn. "I don't know if it's headed that way."
"But you'd like it to?"
Piper returned her attention to her friend. "Yeah, I would."
"You ladies beat us down," Camila announced, Layla not far behind. "Hooray for no more hangover!"
All four of them enjoyed a continental breakfast and discussed the plans for the day. They decided to help with the harvest at Harlan Hurst that morning and go on a hot air balloon ride that afternoon. That night, there was a winemaker's dinner at Obelisco Estate that cost $150 per person, but they agreed it would be worth it. Although she doubted Alex would go to the dinner, Piper held out hope.
The women dressed in their most casual clothes, heeding the warning that things were going to get messy at harvest. Piper had told them about her experience the day before, and she even wore that same outfit to prove it (and so as not to soil yet another outfit.) Layla was second guessing if she wanted to participate in the event, but when she learned Colton would be there, she opted in.
There were so many volunteers that morning that the folks at Harlan Hurst had to create shifts so that each person felt like she contributed. Piper and her crew got the 10 a.m. to noon shift, picking grapes. She'd hoped to have had a role inside the wine barn, but Colton oversaw duties, not Alex. She did see Alex three or four times during her shift, and the two made eyes at each other enough for Polly to notice. Polly had filled in Layla and Camila over breakfast about Piper's fascination with the winemaker, and they were mostly supportive, much to Polly's chagrin.
When their shift ended, all the women complained about sore backs and how dirty they were. They agreed to take showers and rest for a bit before going in the hot air balloon. That gave Piper enough time to say hello to Alex.
"Busy in here?" Piper asked from behind.
The mellow music that had been playing earlier was gone, and instead, the grinding sound of machinery and the jibber-jabber of volunteers was all that she could hear.
"You could say that." Alex clipped a pen to the neck of her t-shirt and faced her. "I didn't think you could get any dirtier than yesterday."
"I guess you were wrong." Piper stretched her shirt out and looked at it. "I never thought I'd say this, but I can't wait to do laundry."
She smiled.
"You wouldn't happen to be going to the winemakers' dinner at Obelisco tonight?" she chanced.
"Fuck." Alex tossed her head back, exposing her neck, and Piper's eyes were drawn to her milky skin. Her mouth was also drawn to the long, pale column, but she sucked in her lips to keep them from latching on to the spot just below Alex's jawline that she was sure would taste like salty earth. "I forgot about that."
Piper tried to hide her grin. "I'll take that as a yes?"
"Why are you smiling? This fucking sucks," she sighed.
Piper creased her brow. "Why?"
"I've been working 14-hour days for the past two weeks, and the only time I have to myself is late at night and at the crack of dawn," Alex grumbled. "Now, I'm going to have to leave my crew here tonight while I go play dress up and schmooze with high-rolling guests."
"Sorry." Piper took a step closer and peered up at her. "I'll be at the dinner, so there's that."
Alex's face warmed. "You think that would make me more excited about going?"
"I hope so," she replied in a low voice.
Alex clenched her jaw and placed her hand on Piper's hip, pulling her closer. She opened her mouth to speak, but before the words came out, a woman frantically tugged on Alex's arm.
"You have to help me," the woman in a string of pearls pleaded. "My daughter is stuck in a barrel!"
"What the fuck is she doing in a barrel?" Alex pinched the bridge of her nose and turned to Piper. "I have to go deal with this." She squeezed her hip before releasing it. "Save a seat for me."
Piper took a step back. "You won't have to sit at a table with the other winemakers?"
"Fuck 'em. I'd rather sit with you." She walked backwards until bumping into one of the workers. "Sorry," she said to the older man and lifted her hand in a wave.
While the hot air balloon ride was exciting, Piper's thoughts were filled with Alex. She couldn't wrap her mind around how Alex had gotten under her skin so quickly, but there was no denying the mutual attraction. If there was a way she could get out of spending time with her best friend and future bridesmaids, she would have done it, but it wasn't like Alex was sitting at home, twiddling her thumbs. Alex had informed her that morning that she worked 14-hour days—Piper couldn't expect them to spend uninterrupted time together during her busiest season.
As she showered and got ready for their evening at Obelisco, Piper played the one Alexi Murdoch album she owned. There were so many questions she had for Alex, not only about her taste in music, but also about how she and Colton had gotten along as children. Were Alex and her mom like part of the Hurst family or was there animosity there? How and when did her mom die? Did she graduate from high school? Go to college? The more questions Piper came up with, the more antsy she became about when she'd find out answers, and time was not on her side during her brief vacation.
At five o'clock, she met her friends in the lobby, and they drove two miles to Obelisco Estate. There were three huge party tents set up on a field, and like at Harlan Hurst, the backdrop was of rolling hills, covered with grapevines whose leaves were the deep colors of Fall. They checked-in and were told about the four wines that were being passed around prior to dinner service, at which time, another four distinguished wines would be paired with food. There was a small jazz band in the far corner, and the women commented that this event was worlds apart from the barbeque they'd attended the first night in Red Mountain.
They put their purses and jackets on chairs at a table on an end row with a magnificent view of the vineyard. Polly picked up one of the menus and read it silently until she got to the main course. "Looks like your girlfriend's wine is paired with the flank steak."
Piper peered over her shoulder. "It just says Harlan Hurst Cabernet Sauvignon—nothing about Alex…and she's not my girlfriend."
"Will she be here?" Layla enquired.
Piper folded her arms. "Who? My not girlfriend?"
"Give her a break," Camila said. "So she's crushing on the winemaker? It's not like Layla and I aren't doing the same about Colton."
"True," Layla admitted, tapping a finger against her chin.
"I'm just giving her a hard time." Polly flung her arm around her roommate. "If you think she's sexy…"
"And you want her body," Camila finished with a little dance move.
"Thank you, Rod Stewart." Piper rolled her eyes, but she couldn't stop herself from smiling. "…And, yes, to both of those things."
The women laughed until their party was broken up by a server who invited them to try the first of four pre-dinner wines. "This is a Chenin Blanc from Red Mountain Vintners. It's not a commonly grown grape in Washington state, but I think you'll find that it's a perfect beginning to the evening."
"Mmm, that's really good," Polly commented.
"I don't like fruity whites," Camila replied.
Layla giggled. "I'll drink anything they put in front of me."
Piper didn't comment. She found the wine a little too young and the acid off-putting, but she didn't want to speak in those terms to her friends, so she remained silent.
"When is Colton getting here?" Camila asked.
"He told me he had to wrap up at the winery, so he probably wouldn't arrive until just before dinner." Layla took another sip.
Camila and Layla had a conversation about the merits of Colton, and Polly chimed in every so often. Piper wasn't even the least bit interested in the conversation, so she looked around the outdoor space for other more exciting things to occupy her time before Alex's arrival.
It was a fancy dinner to be sure—men were in blazers and women in dresses. Piper was glad that she'd brought her grey, wool dress; not only was it appropriate for the event, but it was also warm.
They drank the second and third pre-dinner wines, each getting a little better than the one before. Piper enjoyed the Roussanne and had never tasted that varietal before. The space began getting more crowded by the minute, and Piper could see some fanfare happening in the opposite corner of the event space. She wondered if the winemakers had arrived or if there was a VIP among them. After the fourth wine (they were all half-pours) the band announced it was time for everyone to take their seats. Piper reserved the seat next to her for Alex with full support from Camila and Layla and an eye roll from Polly, and there was a seat between Camila and Layla for Colton, who showed up as the first course was being served, looking dapper in a coat and tie.
The butter leaf salad was served with an Obelisco Riesling, and Colton talked about the virtues of the white wine. Her friends hung on his every word, and she was glad that Colton could be a distraction as her thoughts were almost exclusively focused on Alex, who was still nowhere to be found. Under the guise of going to the restroom, Piper excused herself when she was finished with the salad to search for her. They hadn't exchanged phone numbers, so she had no way to get in touch with her. As she walked back to the table, convinced that Alex was going to be a no-show, she felt a hand on her lower back.
"Hey."
Piper glanced to the side to find Alex in a one-piece black pant suit that was cinched at the waist. Her hair was wavy, and she had on eyeshadow and lipstick. Piper stopped in her tracks, mouth agape. She knew Alex was beautiful, but she had no idea how well she'd clean up.
"What's wrong?" Alex asked, seemingly alarmed at Piper's expression.
"Nothing, I…" She closed her mouth and tried to swallow, but her mouth was dry. "I haven't seen you in anything other than jeans and a t-shirt."
She returned her hand to Piper's lower back. "We've known each other for a grand total of 72 hours—there's a lot you haven't seen."
Jesus Lord, Piper thought, show me everything.
Alex escorted her to the side of the tent so that they weren't in the servers' way. "Were you able to save me a seat?"
She smelled like wine and grass and everything that a hot, female winemaker should smell like.
"Yes, right over here." Piper's fingertips skimmed down Alex's arm until they reached her hand and led her to their table. "Everyone, this is Alex Vause, the winemaker at Harlan Hurst."
Alex smiled. "Thank you for volunteering this morning."
"It was fun, but messy," Layla said, shaking Alex's hand.
"Well, we couldn't have done it without you, so thanks for sacrificing your clothing for wine's sake."
"Ma'am, would you like the first course?" a server asked.
"It looks like everyone is finished, so I'll just have whatever's next." She put a napkin on her lap. "Which one of you is the bride to be?"
That's all Alex needed to ask to have at least two of the women eating out of her hand. Piper wondered if Alex realized how charming she could be. There was no question that the winemaker was rough around the edges, but she had a way about her that could coax anyone into her web if she simply tried.
As they ate the second course and drank a buttery Chardonnay, Alex's hand found its way to Piper's thigh. Although the initial touch was a surprise, it felt ordinary—like they'd been a couple for years, and that's just what couples do. Alex glanced at her after a few seconds, seemingly to see if she had a problem with the touch, but Piper reassured her by placing her hand on top of Alex's.
A woman stepped onto the stage and did a quick microphone check before introducing herself. "Good evening, everyone, and thank you for coming. My name is Erin McAllister, and my family has owned and operated Five Vines Winery since 1982."
Alex removed her hand and cleared her throat. Piper looked at her, fork mid-air, and noticed she wasn't paying attention to the woman on stage. She glanced at Colton, who had a concerned expression on his face as he stared at Alex.
"This Chardonnay was aged in new, American oak and was bottled last year," the woman continued. "It won the gold medal in the Washington Wine Association competition just last month. Please enjoy."
Piper set her fork down. "Are you ok?"
"Yeah," she tried, taking a sip of water.
"What am I missing here?" Piper kept her voice down to ensure the conversation was exclusively between the two of them.
Alex scratched the back of her head and took a deep breath. "Erin is my ex-girlfriend."
"Oh." She lifted her eyebrows. "Ok." Piper didn't know what to say—should she change the subject? Ask about when and why they broke up? Join in her friends' conversation? She sipped the Chardonnay, which happened to be delicious, and waited for Alex to break the awkward silence.
"We broke up on New Year's Eve," she offered a minute later.
Piper set her glass down. "Sorry to hear that."
"It was a shitty, public spectacle," she sighed. "If you see a few eyes on me, that's probably why."
That piqued Piper's curiosity, but she didn't think that was the time nor the place to dig deeper. "The only eyes on you right now are mine."
Alex finally looked at her as a slow smile spread across her face. "Good to know."
They returned to their meals, Layla asking Alex a question about barrel aging, and things returned to normal. Piper wanted to whisk Alex away and hear more about her personal life and this Erin McAllister, but the conversation was flowing nicely, and she didn't want to ruin that.
"Excuse me, Alex." A man with a bad toupee tapped her on the shoulder. "You're up next."
She wiped her mouth with a napkin, then stood. "Be back in a few."
Piper watched her walk to the stage where Erin had been 20 minutes earlier and announce the next food/wine pairing. When Alex talked about wine, she did so with extreme eloquence and poise. Piper noticed a few guests talking about her while she was on stage, and she heard words like stunning and gorgeous and what a shame all around her.
She spotted Erin in the crowd, whose eyes seemed glued to Alex. The woman sitting next to her said something in her ear, and her head flew back with obnoxious laughter. Alex didn't seem to notice or care—she just explained the wine and left the stage, taking the long way back to her seat, most likely to avoid the center of the room where Erin was seated.
"She is hot," Layla whispered to Piper.
She nearly choked on her wine. "I don't think 'thank you' is the appropriate response, so…"
Layla shrugged. "I'm just saying, I'd hit that if I were into women."
Polly leaned forward. "Don't egg her on."
There was no doubt Piper would gladly hit that, but as outlandish as it seemed for such a short amount of time, it was more than that. She was attracted to more than just Alex's physical appearance, though she had to admit that she looked particularly striking that night. And that black pants suit would give Piper months of pleasure when she closed her eyes, touched herself and needed a sexual release.
"You really do know your stuff," Camila said as Alex sat back down.
"Thanks, I hope you enjoy the wine." She smiled at Piper before taking a sip. "This is a year older than the first one you drank in New York."
She swirled the wine, and then sniffed it before taking a sip. "Wow."
"You're just saying that." Alex grinned.
"No, seriously…this is the wine I fell in love with six months ago." She took another long sip. "It's delicious, Alex."
"I agree." Polly said, swirling her glass. "Then again, I'm a sucker for Cabs."
Piper raised her glass. "Here's to a fascinating, young winemaker who we're lucky enough to know."
"Cheers!" The women tapped their glasses against each other.
Alex's hand once again found its way to her lap, and Piper entwined their fingers. It made it impossible to dig in to the entrée, but she didn't care about eating in that moment. Alex's hand felt perfect in hers—like she was trying on hand-stitched, leather gloves made exclusively for her.
"This is extraordinary," a man said out of nowhere, extending a bottle of the Cab towards Alex. "Will you sign our bottle?"
"Sure." She took the proffered marker and signed it. "Thank you."
That simple act opened the doors to other guests, approaching Alex about her wine. "I'm going to have to tend to this," she whispered as she leaned towards Piper. "Meet me at my place later?"
Her eyes shot open wide. "Your place as in your house?"
"Hello, everyone," a woman announced on the microphone. "Ms. Vause will join the other winemakers at a signing table near the entrance after dessert. You can buy any of the wines served tonight under the awning to the right."
Alex stood, one hand on the back of Piper's chair, and bent over. "I think you know where it is."
Piper nodded, pretty sure she knew what she was agreeing to, which sent an exhilarating thrill through her body. "See you soon."
She had a difficult time waiting until the evening was done to make her way to Alex's house. She fidgeted in her seat, walked around the event space, and browsed the wines for sale. Her friends talked about having a nightcap at the only bar in town, and Colton agreed to drive them.
"I think I'll just head back," Piper said, shrugging into her jacket as they headed into the parking lot.
She'd tried to find Alex to tell her she was leaving, but there was a crowd around the winemaker's table. Her thoughts drifted to Erin McAllister and if she'd try to steal a bit of Alex's time, but from what she'd witnessed earlier, Alex wanted nothing to do with the other woman.
"Suit yourself," Camila said, hooking her arm through Polly's. "See you in the morning."
"I hope you get some," Layla whispered in her ear before running to catch up with Colton.
A blush crept over Piper's face at hearing those words, but truth be told, she hoped the same thing.
Author's Notes: First, thank you so much for the reviews! They actually have motivated me to finish the story, and while I was 80% finished when I began posting, I'm proud to say I'm now about 90% done. Second, this is likely going to be the last chapter that I post for the next four or five days as I'll be traveling without my laptop. At least this was the longest chapter yet! Third, yes, I like a slow burn, and I'm sorry it's torturing you. Fourth, for those of you who like to see photos of places I describe in my stories on Tumblr, I got a new laptop and lost all of my saved pictures. I'll see what I can dig up online, but I hope my descriptions allow you to conjure up your own images. Finally, except for Harlan Hurst, all of the wineries and places listed in this story are real. If you have access to Obelisco wines, BUY SOME and enjoy a glass while reading this story.
Thanks again for reading!