"I did," he said with a forced smile."I went to school with most of the guys."
She chuckled."Reaves's dad said that you two have known each other since kindergarten.I bet you were a pair of cuties when you were small."
He relaxed a little."What do you mean, when we were small?We're still cute now, aren't we?"
She rolled her eyes at him and slapped his arm."You know what I mean.When you were little kids."
"Yeah, we've been best friends since the day we met.He's a good guy."
A rush of warmth filled his chest when she said, "Seems to me that you are, too."
Then the warmth turned to ice when he wondered if she'd still feel that way about him when he told her the truth.
"What about the wine people?Do you mean you went to school with Jacob and Bentley as well?"
"I did.And the rest of them.Xander and Slade.And of course, the girls — Willow and Tori and Hannah."He paused."And I was trying to keep it to the people you know.But you've met the others as well, haven't you?The Hamiltons — Chelsea and Cameron.And their older brother, Smoke.And the DiGiovannis, Marcos and Antonio.And Marcos's wife, Molly.She grew up here."
"What about Antonio's wife, Mary Ellen?I liked her."
"No, Mary Ellen came here for a job a few years ago.She works for Cameron Hamilton.Well, she works with him.She's his assistant.But even Cam says she's as responsible for the success of Hamilton Groves as he is."
"Oh.I would have guessed that she was from a wine family."
He made a face at her."Then you'd be wrong.She's from suburban Ohio.So, take that, Kansas farm girl."
He was glad to see her laugh."Fair enough."
"They're not so different, you know," he ventured."The wine families, I mean."
She shrugged."I can see that.I don't mind admitting that I was wrong about them.They're really good people, aren't they?"
"They are."
"But I still feel out of place with them."
His heart sank.He'd been hoping to worm his way around to explaining his own background.
"Aren't we all different in our own ways?Doesn't how we get along as people matter more than where we come from?"he asked.
She turned to look at him."Yeah, I guess you're right.Oh, wow.Look at that."
His jaw clenched when she pointed to the gates at the entrance to the estate.
"Whoever lives there might just be regular people in their own way.But I can't see myself ever fitting in with them.Can you?"
He let out a sigh as a heavy weight settled in his chest."I'd like to think that you could."
As he said it, he drove right on by the gates.
It was hardly the right time to explain.Instead, he took the next left turn and drove up past Rosa and Luigi's cottage, all the way to the far end of the property, where he finally parked.They could still walk the vines from here, but he wouldn't have to explain the house or himself.
And hopefully, they wouldn't run into his caretakers.
Chapter Three
"Just look at this place."Callie turned in a circle, taking in the beautiful views.Rows of what seemed like miles and miles of vines stretched before them over the rolling countryside."It's so freaking beautiful."
Ollie turned to her with a smile."Isn't it?I'm glad you like it."
