“We can’t have anyone out there until seven,” the dispatcher told her.
Brynna looked at her watch, dismayed that was nearly an hour from now. “That’s the best you can do?”
“Sorry. It’s Friday. I can try to get someone out there sooner, but I doubt it will be before six thirty.”
“Thank you.” She gave the address of the vineyard and, not wanting to chance a taxi pulling up to the big house, told the woman she’d be out on the road by the driveway.
During the next thirty minutes Brynna nervously paced back and forth on the little front porch. She didn’t allow herself to look out over the vineyard but kept her gaze fixed to the floor planks. When it was almost six thirty, she gathered up her things and headed for the road. Her plan was to walk toward the main highway and hopefully meet the taxi far enough out that no one in the big house would notice her. But she was barely on her way when she heard him calling. She knew it was Leroy.
Brynna set her duffel next to the guesthouse and went over to where he was standing on the grassy mound that stretched between his house and the cottage. For a moment she thought perhaps she’d misjudged him. Maybe he wasn’t angry at her for deceiving him like this. But as she got closer to him, she saw the steely look in his eyes, the hardened expression on his face. His hands were shoved into his jeans pockets, and his lips were tightly pursed, as if to contain his rage.
“Leroy,” she began in a trembling voice. “I know you’re upset, and I’d like to—”
“I don’t know what your game is, but I’m not playing.” His tone was terse.
“I’m not playing a game, I just—”
“You’re not playing a game?” he shouted. “You come here and trick my daughter into hiring you? You pretend to be someone you’re not? You deceive all of us? For what? Your own personal pleasure?”
“No, that’s not how it is.” She grappled for words. “I know it looks bad, but it’s not what—”
He cut her off again. “What kind of a person does something like this?”
“I didn’t want to hurt anyone.”
“Wanting and doing are two different things.” He pulled off his hat and ran his fingers through his hair. “I do not understand you, Brynna. I guess I never did. But I never, in all my days, expected you to pull a crazy stunt like this.” He shook his head. “Do you get pleasure out of hurting people?”
“It’s not like that.” She felt tears coming now. “I’m sorry, Leroy. I was just getting ready to go. I assume that will make you happy.”
“Happy?” He glared at her. “Happy?”
Just then someone called out his name from the back deck. Brynna turned to see that it was all set for another family dinner. Gina and her friends were standing up there, waving down to them and, like amused spectators, watching the show taking place down below. Judith left the others, coming down the slope toward them with a wide smile on her face.
“We’ve been looking for you, Leroy,” Judith called out as she approached. She came over to stand next to him. “I made you something very special tonight, but it won’t be any good if we serve it cold.”
Leroy was still scowling.
“Come on, darling,” Judith urged. “I know you must be starved.”
He looked at Brynna with a slightly torn expression. “What about—”
“Don’t worry about me,” Brynna said. “I’m leaving.” Then, without looking back, she turned away, grabbed her bag, and to her relief, spotted a small car rumbling down the road toward her. The taxi looked like a yellow blur as she hurried toward it, but it wasn’t until she got inside that the tears poured freely. Fortunately, the taxi driver didn’t seem to notice. She waited to speak until they reached the end of the long driveway.
“Having a hard day?” the woman asked in a kind tone.
“You could say that,” Brynna mumbled.
“So, where can I take you?”
“I honestly don’t know.”
The woman turned around to look at her. “I see.”
“I’d like to go to Yosemite.”
The driver laughed. “That’d be quite a fare. I wouldn’t mind, but I’d probably get canned.”
“Just take me to the nearest town.”
