“Later,” he said as Addison yelled for them to watch his cartwheel. They both clapped as he made a sloppy attempt, followed by Lucy’s much better one. Soon Garth was there and both childrenhappily mobbed him. He let out a dramatic yelp and tumbled into the grass, pretending like they’d successfully tackled him. Suddenly the three of them were yelling and rolling and laughing.
“Garth,” Sophie called out over their racket. “I need to talk to Dad. Your dinner’s on the stove.”
“Huh?” He looked up with a confused expression.
“Dad’s taking me for a ride,” she said as she tugged Leroy toward his Jeep. “We’ll be back soon. Okay?”
“Yeah, sure.” Garth nodded. “Everything okay?”
“Just need some daddy time with my daughter. No big deal,” Leroy reassured him as he helped Sophie into the Jeep. “We’ll be back soon.”
“Feel free to get the kids ready for bed,” Sophie called out.
After they were on the vineyard road, Leroy took in a deep breath, trying to think of a way to begin this conversation. “Sophie, how much do you really know about Brynna—I mean, Bree?”
She grabbed his arm in a viselike grip. “What’s wrong? Did she do something bad?”
Leroy pulled the Jeep over on top of the hill and turned off the motor. “Not exactly.”
“Not exactly?” Sophie released his arm. “What did she do, Dad? Please tell me she didn’t embezzle or something.”
“No, no, it’s nothing like that.” He shifted in his seat so he faced her. “Did she tell you anything about me?”
“What do you mean?”
“Did she ever mention that she knew me? I mean . . . before.”
“Beforewhat?”
He pulled off his hat, then tossed it in back. “It was a long time ago. Did she tell you that she and I were, uh, involved? Back before I married your mother?”
Sophie’s eyes grew huge. “Are you kidding?”
“I’m dead serious. Did you know about it?”
“No way. She never said a word.”
He ran his fingers through his hair. “I just don’t understand why she did it.”
“Did what?”
“Came here. Started to work for us. Why?”
“I don’t know...” Sophie looked even more confused than he felt, so he explained about the long-ago romance and how Brynna Meyers broke his heart.
“Bree Philips is Brynna Meyers,” she said slowly. “And she’s been here all this time—and you didn’t even know it?”
“I never really met her. Until today, I only saw her from a distance. She reminded me of Brynna, but I never would’ve guessed. Not in a million years.”
“You met her today?” she asked. “What happened?”
He told her about the awkward tasting room debacle. “I was totally blindsided.”
“That’s how I feel now.Blindsided.” She shook her head. “I really liked Bree—I mean Brynna. I trusted her completely. I thought she was the real deal. I can’t believe she’d do this to us, Dad. Whywouldshe?”
“I don’t know, but the more I think about it, the more it seems very cold and calculated to me. Like she planned it all out. As if she thought she had something to gain by it. Something like this doesn’t happen by accident. It’s not a coincidence. She knew who she was, and she knew who I was, but she kept it from us. She tricked you, Sophie. She manipulated you.”
“I get that. But she never seemed conniving to me. She worked so hard. She seemed so sincere.” Sophie was crying now. “I thought—I thought she really liked me.”
