“Oh, that’s okay. It was only a minute or so.” I gestured toward the parking lot with a mittened hand. “I was out taking a walk and saw your truck. I thought I’d come in and say hi. See how things are going.”

“Things are going well, thanks.”

“Did the grapes have a good year?”

“Yeah,” he said, nodding. “I think it’s going to be a nice vintage.”

After a somewhat awkward pause, I glanced toward the cellar. “Working late, huh?”

He shrugged. “I’m kind of a night owl these days.”

“Me too.” That is, if you could call lying awake panicking about your hot mess of a life being a night owl.

“Did you just get in?” he asked, crossing his arms over his chest. He wore jeans, work boots, and a thick gray henley with the sleeves pushed up, revealing muscular forearms and solid wrists. His henley had a hole on the chest, and a white undershirt peeked through.

“We got in earlier tonight. I don’t know if you heard, but the kids and I are moving here.” There was another awkward moment of silence before I added, “Brett and I split up.”

He nodded, looking a little uncomfortable. “I did hear that, from April, but I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to know or not. So I didn’t want to say anything.”

I looked at the floor and shuffled my feet before peeking up at him. “Um, is it weird if I say the same thing? That I know about your divorce too, but I’m not sure if I’m supposed to?”

“It’s fine.” Then he surprised me with a smile, his green eyes crinkling at the corners. “But clearly, if we ever have a real secret, we should not tell April.”

I smiled too. “Clearly.”

We stood there grinning at each other for a moment, and my body warmed as I suddenly found myself wondering what kind of secret the ruggedly handsome Henry DeSantis and I might have.

It awakened something small and fluttery inside me.

4. Henry

Four

Henry

I’d forgotten how beautiful she was.

I hadn’t spent any extended time with Sylvia, the oldest Sawyer daughter, since she’d lived in California as long as I’d worked here, but I’d met and chatted with her a dozen times over the years. She had always struck me as elegant and kind, maybe a little reserved—friendly, but not as outgoing as April, Chloe, or Frannie, whom I knew much better because they lived or worked here. So it surprised me that she’d wandered in here tonight to say hi.