“Well, I admire you for that. That’s really brave.”
Jan grinned as she pulled a faded Dodgers ball cap over her short, graying hair. “Braver than teaching a bunch of whiny fifth-grade girls PE all year long? Hopefully our budget will cover a real PE teacher next year so I can get back to my real job.”
Brynna laughed. “Yeah, I sometimes overhear the girls’ complaints. They make it sound like they’ve been through boot camp.” She wouldn’t go into the details with Jan, but she had given the disrespectful girls more than a couple of stern warnings. Not that it ever helped.
“They hate the circuit-training unit and endurance test, but I rather like it.” Jan turned to go back inside the school with a gleeful cackle, as if torturing fifth-grade girls made up for the additional work placed on her.
Brynna chuckled to herself as she followed Jan into the building. Well, if anyone could get students to toe the line, it was Sergeant Bart. Not that Brynna approved of that moniker for her colleague.Of course, no one said it to Jan’s face. Not only was the six-foot-tall woman a force to be reckoned with but as second in command, she wielded a lot of power. Most of the staff shied away from unnecessary encounters, and even Principal Parker backed down around her. But Jan seemed to appreciate the distance. She didn’t appear to need friends.
Yet, for some reason Jan treated Brynna a little better. Probably because Brynna had always tried to be respectful. Not that it was easy. Especially if Jan was in a bullying mode. But to be fair, her victims usually asked for it. Like earlier in the week when Mr. Reynolds punished Ty Lampton for stealing Drake Stein’s basketball shoes. As it turned out, Jan had been spot-on. Ty had been innocent. Drake had staged the whole crime himself to get Ty into trouble. And Mr. Reynolds still hadn’t heard the end of it.
As Brynna returned to her empty classroom, she cringed to imagine Jan camping out there in the wilderness—all by herself—in that flimsy little trailer. It seemed a little crazy, not to mention scary. What if some wild animal or, even worse, some crazy person decided to attack in the middle of the night? Out in the middle of nowhere? Then again, if anyone could fend off an assailant, it was probably Jan. And more power to her for it! As she tossed old papers into the trash, Brynna actually longed for that sort of courage.
She used to think of herself as fairly strong and gutsy. She’d survived the loss of her parents in college. Yet she’d continued with her schooling, getting her degree and a good job afterward. She’d even supported Dirk while he finished his master’s degree. She might be slight of stature, but she’d always considered herself a confident woman.
But after being beaten down by Dirk’s betrayal three years ago, she hadn’t quite been herself since. Sure, Dirk had moved on and remarried, but Brynna sometimes felt stuck. Maybe she just needed to accept that she’d never be that same strong, gutsy person again and that this was a different era for her. But that didn’t mean she had to roll over and die—did it?
Chapter 2
Sonoma County, California
Leroy Sorrentino slowly stood, letting the clumped soil in his hand trickle through his fingers down to the vineyard floor. “Needs loosening for better drainage.” He gazed out over the rolling vineyard hills in an effort to avoid his daughter’s eyes. “You want to be a vintner so badly, Gina. Well, then, grab a rake and get to work.”
Gina tapped his chest. “Listento me, Dad. I’m trying to tell—”
“I did listen to you. Doesn’t mean I have to agree with you.”
“It’smylife. If I want to quit college, it’smychoice. Not yours.”
He locked eyes with her, wishing he could make his impetuous daughter see reason. After only two years of college, she was determined to never go back. Nothing he said seemed to get through. Now they were having a stare down on the north hill of the family vineyard. Still, he couldn’t help but feel amused to look into her stubborn, blue eyes. Despite the fact that both her parents had dark brown eyes, Gina’s were a deep ocean blue, and far more intense than usual today.
“I know it’s your life ... and your choice,” he said more gently. “And I understand and appreciate your love of the vineyard. But if you really want to help out here, you should stay in school. Finish your business degree and—”
“We’ve been over this,” she snapped. “I know kids with business degrees who can’t even get a job at Starbucks, Dad. I grew up here. I understand the industry. I know how to do this. I don’t need college.”
Leroy wanted to tell her she was too young to know what she didn’t need. But he knew just where that would get him. The grape didn’t fall far from the vine where he and his youngest daughter were concerned. He leaned down to pat his dog’s head. Babe was a faithful old yellow lab, who still loved to chase her ball now and then. Other than slowing down in her old age, she never gave her owner a bit of grief.
“Come on, Dad.” Gina’s pleading voice brought him back to the moment. “Just listen to me. Give me a chance.”
“I was giving you a chance—a chance to get more education.” He scowled at her. At twenty, she wasn’t even old enough to legally taste wine—and yet she thought she could run a vineyard? Why couldn’t she see the value of a college degree? And besides all that, where’d she get the idea he was too old to run this place on his own? Good grief, he wasn’t quite fifty.
“Well, you know Sophie’s expecting again,” she continued, “and she’s already got enough going on with Lucy and Addison. How’s she going to manage the office and keep books with three little rug rats underfoot?”
“I already put out word that I’m hiring for—”
“Don’t you get it, Dad? I’m here. I can help.”
“Gina, I’ve told you before about how I had to give up school to run the vineyard when my father got sick—”
“I know, I know ... you’ve told me your tale of woe before ... and you were even younger than I am. That’s just my point. You’ve done just fine without college. I will too.”
He removed his straw cowboy hat, then ran his fingers through his shaggy hair. He knew he was overdue for a haircut, but time was precious right now. Besides, he liked it long.
“How aboutthis?” Gina placed her hand on his arm, peeringappealingly up at him—just like she’d been doing since she was old enough to manipulate him. “Let me takeone yearoff from school. And during that year, let me take on more responsibilities here. Just see how it goes.”
He considered this as he picked up Babe’s ball and gave it a good chuck down the road to the house, watching as the elderly dog took off after it with surprising speed. The truth was, he really could use more help around here. Not only in the office but out in the fields as well. The section that got scorched by last fall’s wildfire was in dire need. In fact, he should be working on it right now. Of course, he’d already arranged for seasonal workers. They would show up as soon as school was out. But he’d never find anyone as trustworthy and dedicated as Gina. She loved the vineyard. Still, he hated to see her give up her education and get trapped into the family business.
“What do you think? Couldn’t you at least give me a chance? Let me take on more managerial tasks? Let me show you what I can do?”
