Only one had a name on the back.Ellen.
“Ellen who, though?” I mumbled.
“Good question.” Saffron wiped sweat from her temple.
“Yeah.” I was acutely aware of her proximity, the way her shirt was starting to stick to her skin, the damp tendrils of hair curling at her neck. “We can take a break if you want.”
“No, let’s keep going. We’re running out of daylight.”
We searched for another thirty minutes but found nothing that looked like wine formulas or technical notes. Just photographs, letters, and other personal effects. Rather than cooling off, the heat was becoming unbearable.
“I need some air,” Saffron said, fanning herself.
“Same. Let’s go downstairs.”
I climbed down the ladder first, then waited at the bottom to help her. She was midway when her foot slipped on the dusty rung.
“Careful!” I grabbed her waist to steady her, then turned her in my arms.
She gripped my shoulders, and we froze like that, our faces a couple of inches apart, my hands on her waist, and her body pressed against mine.
“Thanks,” she whispered.
“Anytime.” I should’ve let go, but couldn’t bring myself to.
Her eyes dropped to my mouth, then her gaze returned to mine. All I had to do was close that small distance, and?—
“What are you doing up there? Dinner’s almost ready!” Ma hollered from the kitchen.
Saffron jerked away and practically jumped the rest of the way down the ladder.
“We should…” She gestured toward the stairs.
“Yeah.”
We found Ma in the kitchen, checking something in the oven. She took one look at us—both flushed and disheveled—and her knowing smile made me want to sink into the floor.
“Find anything interesting?” she asked, wriggling her eyebrows.
“Just some photos,” I managed.
“Well, you’re welcome to keep looking. But first, eat.” She pushed a basket containing warm rolls in our direction.
Saffron took one and bit into it. “Oh my God, these are amazing.”
“Have as many as you want,mija. You need meat on your bones.”
I grabbed three myself and rested against the counter, watching Saffron eat. She had a smudge of dirt on her cheek from the attic, and her hair was falling out of its ponytail, but she still looked so beautiful that she took my breath away.
“You have something…” I reached out and wiped the smudge away with my thumb.
She went very still. “Thanks.”
“Anytime.” I let my thumb linger maybe a second too long before lowering my hand.
Ma watched this exchange with barely concealed delight. “You know, there are more places to look for those formulas. The old winery building. The caves.”
“That’s right. The caves have a records room,” I said. “We could check there.”
