“What about heading back to the island?”
He glanced at his watch. “I think that ship has sailed. We needed to get in the air over an hour ago. If we try to go now, we could run into the rain bands and wind. The island is already feeling the outer edges.”
She jabbed a finger in his chest. “You knew that when you suggested this side trip. Why didn’t you tell me?”
He stepped back and rubbed his chest. “Would you rather stay at the seedy motel next to the airport? While I relax in front of my fire in my house? What kind of guy would I be if I let that happen?”
She folded her arms and looked out the window and dark sky. “You should have told me.”
“Would you have still come?” he asked softly from behind her.
She turned, a smile creasing her face. “That depends on the tour and the wine, not to mention dinner. I have expensive tastes.”
He grinned. “I think I can accommodate that.”
* * *
He showed her around the barns, where they made the wine, stored it, and some of the vines. He was showing the different grapes, tying the vines, and the grapes when the storm hit. The wind lashed them, driving rain against them as they ran from the fields to the house, splashing in the mud up to the porch. Once they got to the porch and out of the weather, they both stopped, breathing heavy. Delaney was laughing so hard she was having trouble catching her breath. She bent over at the waist, desperately wheezing. Ethan leaned against the wall, not breathing as heavily but laughing at her.
Finally, she stood up, still holding her side. “I haven’t laughed this hard in... I don’t know how long.”
He wiped her hair from her face, tucking it behind her ear, his fingers lingering on her cheek for a moment.
Then he shook his head quickly. “Let’s get you inside and dried off.”
He brought her up to a guest room and bathroom where she could shower and change. She walked into the small bathroom and was instantly charmed by the black and white claw-footed bathtub and shower. The old world feel of the bathroom combined with the modern touches made for comfort and a relaxing shower. When she emerged to the guest room, clothes were laid out on the bed for her. She was glad to see they weren’t women’s clothes, or else she would have wondered where they had come from, who had left them. Instead, a T-shirt and a pair of sweatpants were laid out. She quickly dressed and rolled the pants a few times to keep them from dragging on the floor, tripping her. She wandered downstairs to the front hallway. She ran her hands over the antique table and mirror. The pieces were not museum quality. They were broken in, well-used, and loved, with nicks and scratches, not showpieces designed to reflect a person’s wealth and status.
The banging of pots and pans drew her down the hallway to the back of the house and the large kitchen. Ethan stood in front of the stove, clad only in low slung sweatpants, and he was cooking.
Cooking?
She inhaled deeply and let it out. “Steak? Are you cooking, Ethan?”
He whirled around and grinned, looking boyish, with damp hair hanging over his forehead. “I had to eat. I have a housekeeper, but I had to learn sometime, right? Besides, she didn’t expect us to be here, so I wasn’t calling her back just to cook for us.” He pointed to a bar stool at the island in the middle of the room. “Have a seat. Glass of wine? I have this fabulous red that we’re trying, made with our muscadine grapes.”
“I’d love some.” She settled on the stool and surveyed the spacious kitchen.
He poured her a glass and handed it to her. “A toast. To Caroline and Matthew. And to old friends.”
They clinked glasses, and she took a sip, then paused, swirling the wine in her mouth. He studied her, a half-smile of expectation on his face.
She glanced up. “Wow, that’s fantastic. You made this?”
His smile was unlike anything she had ever seen on his face, even when he’d graduated college and asked her to marry him. He had never looked so pleased or proud before that she could recall. “We have a unique climate here in East Texas, unlike other wine regions in Texas. We have diseases and humidity that other areas don’t have, so our grapes have to withstand that. So, we’re trying these grapes, along with a few other vineyards, to see how they grow. This is our first genuine success.”
“I would definitely say it’s a success. This is pretty fantastic.”
His grin broadened, and the muscles in his shoulders loosened. “Yup, the grapes give it that flavor. A nice, full-bodied taste and the grapes are hardy. People are going to love it. And, we limited the tannins and sulfates, so you shouldn’t get a migraine.”
“This is great, Ethan! You’ve done a wonderful job here.”
He glanced outside at the fields. “Considering it wasn’t what I had planned on doing, I actually love it.”
The sizzle from the pan turned his attention back to the stove.
Delaney sipped her wine and considered her next question. “So why would you move back to Houston?”
He froze for a split second. If she hadn’t been watching, she wouldn’t have seen the tensing of his shoulders, the momentary hesitation in his stirring of the vegetables. It was gone quickly, so quickly she thought she might have imagined it. The silence lengthened, and she waited.