Between the Vines (23 page)

“Did you want something?”

“Yes, I–”

“Let me finish this and I'll be with you.” Felicity went back to her typing.

Taylor stared at the top of her head. She could see a thin line of dark hair at Felicity's scalp. Regrowth, Taylor thought smugly. And
here she'd been thinking Felicity was a natural blonde. She should have realised her eyebrows were too dark.

Finally Felicity paused her typing and looked up. “Now, what can I do for you?”

“Pete said you'd have some paperwork ready for me.”

“Paperwork?” A tiny frown creased her forehead.

“They're putting me on the payroll.”

“Oh yes, Peter did say something yesterday but I haven't had time to organise it yet.”

Taylor maintained her smile. Felicity wasn't going to make this easy. “Okay,” she said. “When do you think you'll be ready by?”

“I don't know.” Felicity rifled through some papers on her desk. “Perhaps later today, maybe tomorrow, I'll see how I go.”

Taylor dug her fingernails into her hands. Right now she'd like to slap Felicity's smug face. “I'll be busy myself so I'm not sure when I'll be back in the office.”

“You'll be back if you want to be paid.” Felicity had a smile on her lips and a dark glitter in her eyes.

Taylor stretched her fingers and took a breath. “Pete said you'd have everything ready this morning. That's why I'm here. I'm about to start work in the lab. I'll let him know you weren't organised.” She went to step past Felicity but stopped when the younger woman spoke.

“I should have everything done by four o'clock,” Felicity snapped. She looked up at Taylor. Her smile returned and widened. “See you then.”

“Thank you.” Round one to me, Taylor thought. But what was that smile about?

She kept going past Ed's office, the door was open but he wasn't there, and on into the lunchroom. She pulled open the heavy door that led to the passage beyond. Loud voices masked the squeak of the door. She paused. Ed and Pete were almost shouting at each other.

“You said you'd give it some proper thought.” Ed's voice was angry.

“And I did. I told you last night I don't want this partnership at the moment. Maybe another time.” Pete's deep tone was placating.

Taylor winced as Ed let forth with a string of swearing. “We won't get such a good chance again.”

“Calm down, Ed.”

“Dad left me the majority share because he knew something like this would happen. I'm the business manager, Peter. We need to expand. To do that we need capital and if you're not prepared to sell the bloody NS18 and put up a part of your share I'll have to take matters into my own hands.”

“What does that mean?” Peter had dropped his voice so low Taylor had to strain to hear him.

“It means I'm the business manager and I'm going to manage this business to keep it viable.” There was a thud.

Taylor shut the door behind her as Ed stepped out into the corridor.

“Hi,” she said.

“You're still here.”

Taylor lifted her chin. “I'm going to work here.”

“Is that so?”

“We need another pair of hands.” Pete appeared behind Ed. “I asked Taylor to stay.”

Ed looked over his shoulder then back at Taylor.

“I'd still like to cook dinner for you all.” She smiled at Ed, trying to mask her unease. If he wasn't happy for her to stay it could get awkward.

“I don't know how Peter thinks he's going to pay you,” he said.

“Our finances aren't that bad,” Pete said.

“We're putting a new washing machine in the quarters.”

“Second-hand new.”

“There's the wireless bill.”

“We'd be doing that for Antoine whether Taylor was here or not.”

Ed shook his head. His shoulders slumped as if the fight had gone out of him. “Stay or go, it doesn't matter to me.” He passed Taylor and pushed through the door into the lunchroom.

Pete gave her a reassuring smile. She felt herself relax under his gaze.

“He'll calm down,” he said.

“I'm glad about the washing machine.” She grinned. “I was running out of clothes.”

“You should have told us it didn't work. Antoine only mentioned it the other day.”

“It's okay. Sounds like you've got it in hand. I don't want to add to your financial burdens though.”

“Don't worry about that or Ed. You head into the lab. I've got to check something in my office. Won't be long.”

Taylor carefully avoided brushing against him as they passed each other and turned in their respective doors. She leaned against a bench in the lab and let out a breath. That had been a bit heavy. In the time she'd seen them together Ed and Pete had always been friendly or at least civil with each other. Ed had sounded threatening. He'd mentioned needing money and having the bigger share of the business. She wondered what he'd meant by take matters into his own hands. She'd thought a few times about his recent trip to Melbourne. The date had coincided with the date on his office pad next to Cheng's name.

Taylor stood up straight again and pushed thoughts of Ed from her mind. It was none of her business what he did. She was about to learn a few more ways she could help out with work around the winery. She had a paying job again. She'd do that and keep her nose out of whatever the trouble was between the brothers.

She reached up to brush a strand of hair from her eyes and caught her wrist on something sharp. She looked down. To her horror she could see the underwire from her bra poking out above the neckline of her shirt. She grabbed it and pushed it down. How
long had it been sticking out for everyone to see? Then she remembered Felicity's parting smile. Warmth flooded her cheeks.

“This was a great idea.”

Pete looked from his ice-cream to Taylor. He grinned. She had a big dob of white on her chin. “Nothing like an ice-cream at the beach to finish the day but you might need this.” He plucked a serviette from the bag between them.

Taylor mopped her face and wiped her fingers. She poked the serviette back into the bag, leaned back against her elbows and turned her face to the late afternoon sun. “This is great. I had no idea you were so close to Robe. I'm glad Antoine suggested it. And that you came with us.”

“Noelene can be persuasive.”

Taylor chuckled. The sound was bright and bubbly like sparkling wine.

“That's one way of describing her,” she said.

“She's not being too bossy, is she? She means well.”

Taylor lifted her sunglasses with one hand and studied him with her blue eyes that sparkled like the ocean just a few metres away. “We get along very well. And like she said, I'm sure she can handle the last of the Sunday afternoon cellar door crowd. She didn't need me.” Taylor slid the glasses back onto her nose and leaned back again. “Anyway, Ed was around if she needed help.”

“How's the burn?” Pete looked down at her feet. They were speckled with sand and tiny pieces of brown seaweed.

Taylor raised them gracefully in the air. “Fine. Not a mark or a blister.”

“Lucky. I remember having sunburnt feet as a child. I couldn't wear shoes for a week.”

“It wasn't that bad.” She lowered her feet to the sand and tipped back her head. “This is gorgeous.”

Pete couldn't see her eyes behind her dark glasses but he had the sense they were now shut. He studied the pink of her cheeks and the curve of her lips. Her chin pointed up and her neck stretched away to a thin gold chain that rested just above the round curve of her breasts. He turned away. Taylor was the perfect woman but she'd just broken up from a relationship, if that's what you could call her short time with Ed. And with his brother. Pete didn't think it wise to go there.

Ed appeared indifferent to Taylor's continued presence at the winery. He'd arrived at the cellar door as they were planning the beach trip. Ed had said he had some other things to do that would keep him close to home. Pete hadn't expected he'd want to go to the beach anyway. Swimming had never been his thing but Pete had still been surprised that he'd encouraged the three of them to head off together. It only added more weight to Pete's theory that Ed had never been that keen on Taylor in the first place. She'd been just another conquest to him.

Way down the beach a lone figure jogged along the shoreline. Antoine had gone for a run to dry off after their swim but Taylor and Pete had both opted for an ice-cream instead. Waves rolled in on the white sand below them and other groups of people were spread out along the beach. It had been a very hot day. He would have been happy to sit in the cottage under the aircon once the cellar door shut. Now that the chardonnay was in they had a small break before the reds started.

“It's fortunate you are able to do something you love.”

Taylor's comment startled him. He turned. Her eyes were open now, watching him.

“Winemaking?” He chuckled. “Perhaps I didn't get a choice. My parents, Dad especially, were always talking wine, fermenting something. I was immersed in it from birth.”

“You're lucky. I'm not passionate about anything. Work is just a
means to an end.”

“You wouldn't be alone in that.”

“I know but just lately it's been making me restless. I had a courier job before I came here and I got the sack. I'm sure I could have made a case for wrongful dismissal but I didn't care enough.”

“What did you courier?”

“People and parcels. That's why the van was so handy.”

“Well, I'm glad you lost your job.”

“Are you?”

“It's selfish I know but I'm glad you came here and you're working for us.”

“Thanks, Pete, but like you said it's only seasonal. I've got to start acting like a grown-up and get a proper job.”

“What kind of job?”

“That's just it.” Taylor sat up. She brushed the sand from her elbows. “I don't know. I've got a degree in business marketing but I don't want to sit in an office all day long.”

“That's what I love about being a winemaker. You're outside in the fresh air, cultivating the vines, growing the grapes then making the wine that people like to drink. It's the best of everything.”

“I get that, from the little I've learned. It was good of you to take me on.”

“We needed help.”

“I don't feel as if I do that much.”

“You do. And with Ben's help as well it means that Antoine, Ed and I are free to do other things. Don't underestimate the value of what you do.”

She tipped her head sideways. “You're a kind-hearted bloke, Pete.”

His kind heart skipped a beat at her smile, her proximity, her salty flyaway hair.

“It's not rocket science, what I'm doing,” she said. “Testing sugar levels, stirring a few barrels.”

“No.” He took her hand and leaned closer. The glasses didn't
hide the widening of her eyes. “Those barrels hold our next crop of award-winning chardonnay. Not everyone uses barrels to ferment their chardonnay. It requires more love. The wine must be stirred every day. You are helping to create the flavour and texture of a special wine. That's a very important job.”

They stared at each other, with only the sound of the waves, a seagull's squawk and the distant squeals of children. Pete's gaze strayed to her lips.

“Like I said, you're a kind person.” Taylor pulled away. “Here comes Antoine.”

Pete turned to see the young Frenchman jogging towards them. He arrived in front of them with sweat glistening on his brown skin, puffing from his exertion.

“We should get going,” Pete said.

“Not before we get fish and chips.” Antoine bent and retrieved his towel. “None of us want to cook tonight.”

Taylor stood. “Sounds good to me.”

“How about we dine in?” Antoine said. “It's going to be hot back at the quarters. I'm not in a rush.”

“I'm a mess,” Taylor said and tugged her hair back from her face.

“You are most beautiful, Taylor.”

Pete felt a stab of jealousy that he hadn't said the words that rolled so smoothly off Antoine's tongue.

“Anyway, this is summer on the Australian beach.” Antoine smiled his big grin. “Aussies don't care about what they look like when they're holidaying at the beach, do they Pete?”

“Officially it's autumn.” Pete jumped up and ruffled Antoine's hair. “Haven't you noticed the leaves starting to change colour?”

“It's too hot for autumn,” Antoine groaned.

“I agree it doesn't feel like it,” Taylor chipped in.

“We'll go to the cafe,” Pete said. “They don't mind sandy feet and wet hair.”

“At least let me tidy up a little,” Taylor pleaded. She picked up her bag and made for the toilet block.

“We'll wait for you by the car,” Pete called after her.

Their footsteps scrunched in the coarse sand as the two men made their way up the beach.

“She's a very beautiful woman.”

Once again Pete felt a stab of jealousy as Antoine's French accent played up the word
beautiful
.

“You two make a good couple.”

Pete stopped and Antoine paused beside him.

“She's Ed's girlfriend,” Pete said.

“Not any more. He suggested we invite you to come with us to the beach so he can't be too broken-hearted.” Antoine grinned, puffed out his bronzed chest and threw his arms out wide. “No man in love sends his woman out with these two
fantastique
specimens.” He kept walking.

Pete scratched his head. It was odd that Ed had been the one to encourage them to ask Pete along. Still, it only added weight to his belief Ed no longer gave a rat's arse about Taylor. On the other hand she didn't seem too broken-hearted either. A small flutter of excitement rose inside him but he quickly dismissed it. It was too soon. Pete knew how long it had taken him to get over Felicity. No doubt Taylor was still confused about her feelings for Ed. He didn't want to do anything that might drive her away.