She had no idea why he looked so pleased about that, but at least she felt like she'd finally said something right.
"I like it here, too," he said eventually."Do you think you could put your finger on what it is that feels good to you?"
She thought about it as they walked on in silence, the dogs running ahead and circling back to check on them every so often.
"Maybe it's because I'm here with these things."She pointed to the vines."I mean, I know I've been surrounded by them ever since I arrived in Napa, but this feels different.Being right here with them, seeing them as something growing from the ground instead of just as a scenic background, you know?"She worried at her bottom lip."Does that make sense to you, or does it sound stupid?"
"It makes all the sense in the world to me.This is the part of Napa that I like."
She gave him a puzzled look.
"I don't mean the place," he added hurriedly."I mean the fact that it's...even though so much gets laid over the top — the businesses, the money" — he made a face — "the wealth, the glitz and glamour, if you like — these..."He reached out to touch the leaves of one of the vines."These are what it's all about.Something natural.Something the earth provides."He gave her a rueful smile."That must sound pretty dumb, huh?"
"Maybe to some folks around here, but not to me," she assured him."Not to anyone who grew up on a farm."
She turned in a circle again as it suddenly hit her.When she faced him again, Ollie was smiling, and when he spoke, she realized that it had hit him too.
"Go on.You can say it," she told him.
He chuckled."You don't want to admit it yourself?"
She shook her head.
"Then okay, I will say it, because you need to hear it.Napa isn't so different from what you're used to.These guys are farmers too.Grape farmers.And if you want to look at it that way, you might find yourself feeling a bit more comfortable around here."
She chuckled."You're right.I'm not even going to argue about the scale of it, or any of that stuff.I'm just going to let you have the win."
"I'm not keeping score," he said hurriedly.
She waved a hand."I know, it's just an expression.But the point is, you're right.If I can look at it that way, this place, these people, all feel a lot more relatable.They're just farmers with different..."She searched for the word."Trappings, if that's the right word."
"It'll do for starters," Ollie said with a smile."Hey, guys, get back here!"
She followed his gaze just in time to see Peanut's tail disappearing between the vines as they dashed off into the next row.
"Peanut!Butter!"His voice was much sharper as he called again.But that didn't stop Callie from laughing at the ridiculousness of a grown man standing in the middle of a row of vines, shouting "Peanut!Butter!"to get his huge Dobermans to come back to him.
He laughed with her."I know.I should have thought it out better before I named them."
~ ~ ~
Ollie watched the spot where the dogs had disappeared before calling again."Peanut!Butter!Get back here now!"
He and Callie both watched expectantly, but after a few moments, when neither of the dogs reappeared, he frowned.It hit him that they might have just decided to go home.He hadn't been paying attention as they walked, but the whole time they'd been getting closer and closer to the house.
He squeezed his eyes tight shut.This was the last thing he needed.Maybe they could catch up with them.
"Feel like a run?"he asked Callie.
"Oh no!"she exclaimed."I thought they were okay here.Do you think—" She was already taking off, and he ran after her.
"It's okay.There's nothing to worry about.They are fine here.It's just..."It wasn't as though he could explain what he was worried about."They'll be fine," he said again as they cut through the rows of vines."Peanut!Butter!Get back here!"
This time she didn’t laugh; she looked over at him as they jogged."You don't sound like it's fine.You sound worried."
"It'll be okay," he assured her.One way or another, it'd have to be.
Maybe the dogs were doing him a favor.Maybe they'd lead them on a chase all the way to the house, and when they got there, he'd just have to come clean about why Peanut and Butter were sitting by the back door waiting for him to let them in.
