I jumped down off the table. “I just needed a minute.”
Kane looked at me for a second like he was trying to decide if he believed me. When I didn’t say anything else, he dropped his curiosity.
“Well, I was actually looking for you. Want to go over the work I need done down here?” Kane asked.
It was why I came down into the dungeon in the first place. I was doing my best to tackle all the projects that needed to be done, and that meant doing rounds to talk to each of my brothers about their area of expertise and what needed to be done where they were.
For Kane, it was all about the grapes. He was the one responsible for cultivating the grapes, managing the harvest, and developing the wine. I wasn’t fully clear on the nitty-gritty details of what he did, but I didn’t need to be. That was his bubble, and he was very happy to not have any of the rest of us interfere with it. Manual labor was fine, but other than that, we were hands-off.
Except for right now when my hands were exactly what he needed. I had an ongoing rolling list of what needed to be done, and his contributions to it were the next to be added.
I followed Kane out of the lab into the dungeon and listened as he rattled off everything he wanted done. Compared to some of the more daunting projects I needed to handle throughout the place, most of what he was asking for was easy. That was good considering how hard it was to think clearly right at that moment. If he was asking for anything complicated, I didn’t know if I was going to be able to process any of it.
As it was, I was having to ask him to clarify what he was asking for far more times than I should have.
“Is everything okay?” he finally asked me. “You seem really preoccupied.”
I shook my head. “I’m fine.”
That probably came out of my mouth far more defensive than I intended it to.
“Okay,” he said.
“Sorry. My brain just feels foggy today. Maybe I haven’t been getting enough sleep. Everything’s fine. Let’s keep going. All this sounds pretty easy,” I said.
He looked at me for another few seconds, evaluating me again, then nodded. As we continued through, I forced myself not to think about my encounter with Ally and instead focus on my damn job. That was why I was here.
I finally managed to get through the meeting with Kane and had notes about the modifications and repairs he wanted done in the dungeon.
“You should get some rest,” he said. “You look like hell.”
“Gee, thanks,” I said flatly.
Kane shrugged. “It is what it is. I just don’t want you running yourself into the ground and then attempting to use power tools. The last place this thing needs is you chopping yourself up because you fell asleep behind a saw or something.”
“I appreciate the resounding endorsement of my skill and professionalism.”
“Could happen to anyone. Sleep deprivation is real, and it can seriously mess you up. Just want you to be safe man.”
“You’re probably right,” I said, latching onto the opportunity to get out of the situation. “Maybe I’ll take the rest of the afternoon off and get some sleep.”
“Wouldn’t be the worst idea,” Kane said. “We need to get this place up and running as soon as possible if we want to get money coming in, and we need everybody at their best.”
I didn’t know if I was being encouraged or scolded. Either way, I was going to take it. Today was not unfolding in a way that was going to end up in any kind of good. I needed to dislodge myself from it while I had the chance.
But I couldn’t make a full escape. I had to at least make sure nobody else needed me before I ducked out on the rest of the day. And that meant having to go talk to Derek and possibly run into Ally again.
I searched the vineyard and found each of my brothers in turn. I let them know I was going to be gone for the rest of the day and just wanted to check to see if there was anything they needed before I left.
It took another hour and a half before all I had left was Derek. I went to the kitchen and hesitated outside the door, listening to see if I could hear Ally’s voice. I didn’t, so I cautiously entered. That didn’t sit well with me. I wasn’t used to feeling hesitant like this. Taking control and commanding crews was far more my speed.
Now I was lurking around at my own damn vineyard, trying not to cross paths with a woman who shouldn’t even be on my radar, much less controlling my thoughts.