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“Oh, definitely.”

“Alana,” he grumbled. He reached for the grapes. “Look at this cluster, the grapes are⁠—”

One of the grapes in his hand burst, the juice splattering across his white tee.

She covered her mouth. “Uh-oh, looks like someone needs to take their shirt off.”

Sophie giggled.

He glared at the both of them, wiping at the stain. “No.”

“No? A hot winemaker working in the fields without a shirt? That’s internet gold.”

He bent forward as he leaned toward her, eyes narrowed, a smirk dancing on his lips. “Hot, huh?”

She frowned but couldn’t ignore the heat that climbed up her neck and cheeks. She had done her best to keep all thoughts of Leo clear from her mind, especially after their night in the field two days ago. She had been vulnerable with him in a way she never had with anyone else, and he didn’t shy away from it. He held her and comforted her in response, waiting until she finished crying, waiting for her to be the one to break it apart. She thought about the way his strong arms felt around her waist and back, his hands as they combed through her hair.

His smirk widened at her lack of response.

“Come on, Leo!” Sophie cheered. “Give the people what they want.”

“You’re both ruthless.” He stepped away from her and clipped the cluster of grapes, then placed them in Alana’s hands.

Alana shook the visions away, reminding herself that Leo was merely being kind. After all, it was only a hug, and friends hugged, right? “You took my advice?” she asked.

He lifted a single shoulder in a shrug. “Maybe I knew you were right all along.”

Alana narrowed her gaze, doing her best not to smile.

Leo stared back, eyes twinkling.

Hours later, her sisters were holed up in Freya’s room editing videos and creating the GoFundMe page. Alana was outside with a tumbler in hand, sipping on two fingers of whiskey and gazing out at the vineyard.

She heard the screen door open and snap shut. Leo leaned against the porch railing beside her, his own glass dangling from his fingertips.

She swirled her drink, her eyes on the caramel-colored liquid and the small ice cube that floated in a circle. “Do you think it’s going to work?”

Leo sighed. “I hope so. You?”

“Sophie has a lot more faith in the world than I do.” She sent her eyes skyward. “I can’t see why complete strangers on the internet would want to give us money.”

Leo was silent for a beat. “I believe people are inherently good, and that they want to do good by the world.”

She shook her head. “I’m not sure if that’s true. If it were, then why was my initial instinct to do terrible things and run?”

“Because you were hurting, Alana. That’s different.”

She blinked up at him. His eyes were on her hands, watching the small swirling motion. She lifted the glass to her lips, his eyes on her mouth now as she sipped her drink. He blinked and shook out of it, then looked down at his own whiskey.

“Can I ask you something?”

“You seem to like to do that,” she teased.

He smirked, then shifted his body so he was facing her head-on. “Why stay here after raising the money?”

She frowned. “Because it’s home?”

“Right, but…wouldn’t it be better to have a spot that the family owns? Don’t get me wrong, I love this place. There’s something magical about it.”