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I do not own Glee or the characters, neither do I own Grayson's Vow.
MERCEDES
God, that dragon ran hot and cold. As reptiles tended to do, I supposed. I almost preferred the fire he shot at me to the icy act he put on when he was finished with a certain topic of conversation.
Or when he looked at me with frigid disdain.
I wasn't precisely sure how I knew the iciness was an act, but I did. Deep down, he was all dragon, with barely contained heat...and probably passion, too.
I shivered...
I would not think of Sam Evans in those terms. I would only get burned. He had spelled it out for me himself. I was not his type... Whatever the hell that might be.
I took a deep breath, my eyes lingering on the words carved ornately into the stone above the doorway... In Vino Veritas.
I'd have to look that up...
I went back to the kitchen where I found Alice still wiping down the counters. She looked up and offered me a smile. A much warmer greeting than she'd given me earlier tonight.
"Would you like some coffee?"
"Sure," I smiled. "But only if you'll join me."
Alice hesitated, but nodded. So I sat down on a bar stool at the counter while she poured two cups and then placed one in front of me with cream and sugar.
Next, she put a pie dish and two plates with utensils beside her and sat down with her own mug.
"Sam went out," I said, taking a sip of coffee.
Her lips came together in a straight line...
"Yes, so I heard. Salted caramel pie?" she asked, cutting a huge piece and plopping it on a plate.
"Oh, um, okay." I hesitated as she slid the plate in front of me, the delicious smells of caramel and sweet cream wafting to my nose. "I know this situation probably seems..."
I shook my head, at a loss for a word other than ridiculous, inadvisable or disastrous.
Immoral, that would work...
"Unusual," was the word I finally uttered to Alice.
"Yes, it does," she smiled, cutting her own slice of pie. Despite her agreement, she said, "I had hoped for more for Sammy. No offense to you. You seem like a spirited girl. I just... Well, I'd hoped he'd marry for love."
"Of course." I agreed, because I hope to marry for love someday, too. "You care for him very much, obviously."
I took a bite of pie, the sweet and salty flavors bursting across my tongue, and I tried not to let my eyes roll to the back of my head.
She nodded...
"I've been working here since he was first dropped off..." She seemed to catch herself. "That is, since he came to live here."
I wanted to pry... to ask Alice what she'd meant by dropped off, but I didn't. This was the first time I was having a conversation with the woman and I didn't want to seem like a busybody.
"But of course," she continued. "I understand why your offer seems appealing to Sammy. He..." She shook her head again, looking very sad. "He will stop at nothing to bring this vineyard back to what it once was."
"It's his family legacy," I said. "I can't blame him."
She nodded, her eyes meeting mine again, her thoughts seeming to return from somewhere far away.
"And what about you? Are there no other options than this?"
"This seems like my best option at the moment," I said quietly, for some reason, feeling shameful in front of this sweet-faced, older woman with the lilting English accent and the kind eyes. "Did Sam not tell you my situation?"
"He gave me the CliffsNotes." She looked at me for a moment, her stare assessing. "All I can say is this situation may have more ramifications than you're considering. I implore you to think this through before you do something you can't undo."
"I do understand what you're saying, Alice. And I appreciate the advice, but..."
"You've made up your mind."
"Yes, I've made up my mind. I hope you can try to understand."
"Well," she said. "Then that's that."
I looked down at the piece of mostly eaten pie on my plate, not knowing why it mattered to me that I was disappointing this woman.
She continued before I could say anything...
"And perhaps you'll be good for him. I admit I haven't seen any fire in his eyes for... Well, for far too long."
"Hmm..." I hummed, taking another sip of coffee.
I didn't know if that was a good or bad thing. It probably indicated we brought out the worst in each other already... And I've only known him for a few hours.
I finished off the last couple bites of my pie.
"Oh hey, Alice, can I bother you for some linens? I need some blankets and a pillow to take to the gardener's shed where I'm staying."
She looked at me blankly...
"The gardener's shed? That's only been used for storage for decades. You can't stay in it. Surely, Sammy was only joking when he put you there."
"Maybe," I took the last sip of my coffee. "But I like it. And it's a space of my own. I won't bother anyone that way."
"I can't abide by that," Alice said, shaking her head. "I don't like this idea of you and Sam getting married, but I won't see you living in a dirty, spider-dwelling shack."
I laughed...
"Remember when I mentioned Africa? I lived there for a year. I just got back less than a week ago, actually. The spiders here would be shamed by the insects there. I can handle a daddy longlegs or two. And with a bed and some clean linens, it's a step above the mat on the dirt floor I've become accustomed to sleeping on."
"And why were you in Africa?"
Hiding... Escaping... Being banished...
"To help a friend build a sort of hospital." I smiled, the first one that felt really genuine since I'd arrived back in San Francisco. "It will help so many women and children. I'll tell you all about it sometime."
Alice patted my hand, that wary look in her eye seeming to have turned down several notches...
"I would like that."
An hour later I had swept the bedroom of the cottage with the broom Alice had given me, thoroughly cleaned the metal bedframe, and made it up with the mattress Harrold had brought over.
The bathroom was another job...one which I would tackle in the morning...
When Alice brought the blankets, she looked around in horror, asked me again to come back with her, then left as quickly as possible.
Comical, to say the least.
I used the frigid water from the tap to wash my face and brush my teeth. While there, I peeked behind the musty curtain over the shower and cringed when I saw the rusty fixtures, dirt-caked floor and the thick cobwebs covering the ceiling.
Blech...
Definitely a job for another day.
Being late summer, the evenings were getting just a bit chillier, but I opened the windows wide anyway.
The cool breeze wafted inside, carrying the very faint scent of roses and the wisteria covering the cottage, dispelling the smell of dust and oil.
Although it wasn't much to look at, the bed was comfortable, so I climbed under the covers with my phone, sending a quick text to Melodie.
I hadn't filled her in completely on what was going on, because I wanted to wait until after we'd met with Mr. Garner, the executor of the trust Gram had left me.
I was planning on springing this on her once everything was official, and no sooner. She would try to talk me out of it and she could be very persuasive.
And it was more than likely, she'd have me doubting everything I'd already come to terms with. I just couldn't afford that.
Literally.
I had four messages...
I took a deep breath and hit play on the first one from my father...
Mercedes, I know you were inside when I was banging on your door. And I know you heard me. I sent Jerry to your apartment with a key, and he said it looked like you had moved out. Call me immediately and tell me what you think you're up to. We need to sit down with Chris and make sure we're all on the same page. Dammit, Mercedes! You knew enough not to disappear. I need you at my disposal. Has nothing changed since you left the country? I had hoped... Just call me.
Click.
Hot tears filled my eyes...
I need you at my disposal.
Of course you do, daddy. Because that's what I am to you...disposable.
The next two messages were from my father's number, too. And I deleted them without listening.
Thankfully, I'd thought to turn off the tracking on my phone so he couldn't find my location.
It was how he had to have known I was at my apartment packing my suitcases... Unless he had spies in the building reporting in to him, which was just as likely.
The final message was from Chris. I hit play tentatively, biting my lip until I tasted blood.
However, I forced my body to relax.
Hey, Mercedes...Pause... Damn, I had hoped I'd come up with something to say once I heard the beep. Deep sigh... Your father told me you were back. Mercedes, we need to talk. We need to... Listen, I had hoped you'd answer my call. You never answered any of my letters or emails. Please call me. I miss you so much.
Click.
You miss me?
You bastard!
Tears poured down my cheeks and I turned my face into my pillow, thinking back to that terrible day... The soul-stealing betrayal, the shock, the humiliation, and finally, only pain.
I eventually fell into a restless sleep, only waking once when I heard a vehicle on the gravel driveway outside the open window of my cottage.
I turned over groggily and opened my eyes, but there was too much foliage outside the window to see the driveway beyond.
Then I heard footsteps as the person I assumed to be Sam, got out of their truck and walked directly to the main house.
After that, my heavy lids fell closed and I was back to sleep in moments.
Morning sun shone through the open window, scattering lemony light and causing my dreams to fade like mist.
I sat up and stretched... A new day...
After washing quickly in the frigid water of the bathroom sink and knotting my hair on top of my head, I pulled on a pair of jean shorts and a navy-blue tank top.
Today was the day to tackle the shower, then clean myself up before mine and Sam's appointment this afternoon.
The gravel crunched underfoot as I trekked to the main house and knocked at the door.
Harold answered with the same remote look on his face he seemed to favor.
"Mr. Evans is in the kitchen eating breakfast," he said formally.
"Thanks, Harrold."
I smiled and headed towards the kitchen.
Sam was sitting at the same spot he'd sat at dinner, with a wine magazine of some sort in front of him.
I took the seat I'd occupied the night before as well...at the other end.
"Good morning!" Alice sing-songed.
"Morning," I said, nodding at Sam.
There were plates of eggs, bacon, toast and hash browns, so I loaded the plate in front of me...
After several bites, I looked up to see Sam watching me eat. When I caught his eye, he seemed momentarily surprised and looked away.
"I have a lot of work to do today. What are your plans?" he asked.
I finished chewing the bite of toast I'd just taken before answering...
"I'm going to do some more cleaning at the cottage first and then I thought I might take a walk around your property if you don't have any objections."
He froze...
"The cottage? You can't mean to actually stay there. That was a joke, Mercedes."
I shrugged...
"I don't mind. It's a place of my own...away from you...out of your hair. It'll be like I'm not even here."
I offered him a big smile, which he didn't return.
He eyed me for a second, but then casually picked up the magazine and said,
"Suit yourself."
A few minutes later, Sam the dragon excused himself...seeming just a tad less frosty...and went off to work, stating he'd meet me in front of the house at three o'clock that afternoon.
So I finished my breakfast and offered to help Alice clean up.
When she refused, I asked if I could borrow some cleaning supplies and then returned to my cottage fully armed...
I spent the next four hours cleaning decades of dirt and grime from the small bathroom...most likely a relic from the seventies...scrubbing windows, floors and even the walls in the bedroom.
And I only took a break to walk to the house and eat a quick lunch, which Alice had said would be waiting for me.
There was nothing much I could do about the front room given it was filled with gardening equipment, so I simply created a path through the mess and cleared out the worst of the cobwebs.
I could close the door to that space and simply live in the two cleaned rooms.
When I was finished with the cottage, every muscle in my body ached, but I felt accomplished as I stared around the new spic-and-span rooms.
This was my home for the next couple months. It was far from elegant, although luxury had never brought me true happiness anyway.
No, I liked this place because it was my own little space. And it was where I had landed...
Where the path I'd chosen to take had led me.
It had been a warm day, but the cottage was completely shaded by trees, and the temperature had dropped now that it was late afternoon.
I squealed when I stepped under the cold water of the shower and danced in place with discomfort as I speed-washed my hair and body with the toiletries I'd brought with me.
I had forgotten to ask Alice for towels... Maybe I'd go buy a few to have as my own.
In the meantime, I dried off with a T-shirt and pulled on clean clothes. Thankfully, the blow-dryer warmed me as I used it to dry my hair.
After a while, I couldn't bother to put my long hair up, so I combed it out and left it hanging down my back.
Outside, the sky was a peaceful baby blue with a scattering of white, gauzy clouds. And I stood admiring the rolling hills of grapevines again.
I didn't know much about the winemaking process, but I hoped to learn. Not that I'd be here very long, but it was interesting to me in general...an age-old practice holding so much tradition.
I strolled behind the house, just meaning to get an up-close look at the maze... And when I was standing in front of the huge natural structure, I saw that the entrance wasn't closed off in any way so I ventured inside, walking cautiously, only intending on turning a corner or two.
It was terribly overgrown, the pathways far more narrow than they should've been and the ground patchy with weeds and grass.
But it was magnificent. And it was at least fifteen degrees cooler in there.
If I was sure I could find my way out, I would stroll through it endlessly.
I wondered if there was anything in the center...
Why ever would Sam want to tear something so special down?
It was a travesty.
I hope he would change his mind once he had the funds to maintain it.
Turning around before I became hopelessly lost, I began walking down the small hill towards a large stone structure I assumed was where the wine was made and stored.
There were several tractors and trucks parked in front of it, and I could hear equipment operating inside.
As I got closer, I noticed a couple men standing next to a tractor close to the building and a pair of muscular thighs on the ground under it.
One of the men called a greeting and I waved back. Then the man underneath the tractor scooted out and stood.
Sam...
My heart stalled... He was shirtless.
Then he came to his full height and waited for me to walk the short distance to them.
I had already noticed he was powerfully built in perfect male proportions, but the sight of his wide shoulders, rippling chest muscles and flat, ridged stomach made my breath catch and my face heat.
God, he was beautiful everywhere. Broad but lean, his smooth skin glistening under the sun.
He was a study in masculinity and I couldn't help the way my body instinctively responded to him, the muscles in my stomach flipping and clenching.
Damn dragon!
Sam took off the baseball cap he was wearing, smoothed his hair back, then replaced it that way men do.
And I made a conscious effort to shake off his effect and smiled brightly.
He introduced the two men with him, a Hispanic man with a small mustache who wasn't much taller than me named Carlos, and a giant of a man with a shy smile named Willie.
I greeted them both and nodded to Sam who nodded back.
"Tractor broken?" I asked.
"No," he answered. "But it's one of the only things that isn't. I was just giving it a tune-up, ensuring it's ready for the harvest."
"Well, you do it all, don't you?" I smiled. "No wonder you work from sunup to sundown."
"Have to. As you can see, my staff is pretty limited."
He nodded to Carlos and Willie.
The man named Willie, who I suspected was mentally delayed, stepped forward...
"I'm real happy to meet you, ma'am. Mr. Sam says he might be marrying you, and I think that's real fine. He says he can't figure whether you're a spoiled princess or a little witch, but I think if you are a witch, it's the good kind 'cuz you sure are pretty."
Willie blushed and looked down, while I bristled at his words and smiled tightly at Sam, who had the grace to look just a tad embarrassed.
Carlos coughed slightly, obviously trying to hold back a laugh...
"Is that so? What else does Mr. Sam say, Willie?" I asked.
Sam laughed tightly...
"Well, I think that's enough chatter," he said. "We should be..."
"He says the reason he likes you is 'cuz you have a whole bunch of money," Willie continued cluelessly. "I'm gonna have a whole bunch of money someday so people like me, too." His brow wrinkled up in thought... "'Course, my mama says it's not what a person has, but how he treats others, so I don't know..."
He scratched the back of his neck, looking confused.
Carlos rocked back on his heels, a quiet smile of amusement on his face. He was enjoying this.
"Well, Willie, if I was you, I'd listen more to your mama than to Mr. Sam," I said.
I shot Sam a dirty look. What was he thinking flapping his jaw in front of this innocent man?
Plus, he'd let more people in on our business arrangement. Hadn't he heard a word I'd said about my father?
My consternation had nothing to do with what he'd said about me. None at all. It was information I knew already.
He didn't have to like me. And he could think I was a witch if he liked. What did I care about the regard of a dragon?
Sam took the T-shirt that must've been hanging from his back pocket, removed his cap and pulled the shirt over his head.
I let out a silent sigh of relief... Naked reptiles disturbed me.
"Gentlemen," he said, nodding to Carlos and Willie. "See you in the morning."
Then he took me by my elbow and led me away as I smiled and waved to the two men watching us.
After a few moments, I looked disinterestedly up at him...
I would not let on that I cared in the least about his assessment of my character. I needed him for one thing and one thing only.
He suddenly chuckled...
"Come on, I'll drive you back to the house. Then we'll go find out if we're getting hitched or not."
Stay safe!