He let go of my chin, his midnight eyes still staring down at me intently. “Two o’clock,” he said finally. “Meet me here tomorrow at two o’clock.”
Two o’clock? What was two o’clock? I couldn’t remember. Oh God, we were getting married. I almost told him it was off. I opened my mouth to say the words, but they didn’t come out. Clearly he was going through with it now to punish me—or at the very least to recoup the cost of that “irreplaceable” bottle of wine.
Grayson went striding out of the living room. I stood there for a few minutes, finally walking on wobbly legs over to where he’d dropped my childish list. I picked it up and walked to the kitchen where Charlotte was wiping down the counter, the sweet smell of cinnamon and apples filling the air. She glanced at me with a clearly nervous look. “He’s not a bad man, Kira.”
I swallowed. “I…” I shook my head, beginning again. “I’m sure he’s not always, but I have a way of…bringing out the very worst in men.”
“I’m sure that’s not true.”
I shrugged. It really was. It really, really was. Bile rose in my throat. I thought I might be sick, but I managed to swallow it down.
“And perhaps it’s more them than you, my dear. Perhaps it will take a very special man to, um…”
“Handle me?” I laughed, a small sound that held little amusement.
“Love you,” she corrected. I wasn’t sure I should take that as a compliment, except for the fact that Charlotte was smiling warmly at me.
Love. Fierce longing rose in my chest. For just once to be cherished. I sighed. “In any case, my arrangement with Grayson has nothing to do with love. And it doesn’t matter anyway. I won’t follow through. It was a terrible idea from the very beginning.” I turned to Charlotte who was watching her hand move the dishcloth over the counters, a thoughtful look on her face. “That wine, Charlotte, was it really irreplaceable? Did his father really search for it for years?” I fought the urge to cry.
Charlotte was quiet for a moment before she put the dishcloth over the edge of the sink and came around the counter to sit next to me. She took my hands in hers, a look of sympathy in her eyes. “He’ll likely never tell you himself and so I’m going to let you in on something about Grayson and his father, Kira. I don’t like to gossip, but maybe knowing some of Grayson’s background will help you understand why he’s so hell-bent on bringing this bloody winery back.” She pursed her lips for a second but then her expression cleared. Bloody winery? This was her home too. Didn’t she love it here?
“Grayson and his father, Ford Hawthorn, did not have a good relationship.” She shook her head sadly. “The reasons were many and perhaps Grayson will share those with you someday, but suffice it to say he was never made to feel like he belonged in this home—either by his father or his stepmother. They…misguidedly blamed him for things a child should never be blamed for. They treated him wretchedly—excluded him, each trying to convince the other they hated him more.” A look of raw sadness filled her expression. “Grayson tried so hard. All his life, he… Well, it didn’t matter. Nothing he did was deemed good enough.” She shook her head. “Later, after he got arrested…” She grabbed a tissue off the counter and dabbed at her nose. “His father never visited him, not even once. Ford was diagnosed with cancer while Grayson was away, and he perished quickly. Or at least it seemed that way. When Grayson returned home, he found out his father had left this vineyard to him, a business that had begun failing as soon as Ford found out he was ill. He left the money to his wife and Grayson’s brother, Shane, but he bequeathed the vineyard to Grayson.” Something went skittering across her features, but it was gone before I could try to read it. “Grayson vowed that day he would bring the vineyard back, not for himself, but for the father who had shunned him his whole life and, in the end, given him this property as a final peace offering. Grayson felt Ford had entrusted him with his most beloved possession because he’d finally believed him worthy. Worthy of reviving it, worthy of running it. And Grayson will do practically anything to prove his father wasn’t mistaken in that belief.”
I sagged back on the barstool. That was a lot. “Even though his father treated him so terribly before that?”
Charlotte nodded. “I believe because his father treated him so terribly before that. To Grayson, redeeming this vineyard means redeeming his own value.”
I nodded slowly, biting my lip, thinking about how much Grayson Hawthorn and I had in common. Both raised by fathers who never thought we were enough.
“Thank you, Charlotte. I understand him a little better now. And I can relate.” I pressed my lips together in thought. “I’d even think maybe we could be friends except that…he thinks I’m a witch, and I’m still pretty sure he’s a dragon. At least when it comes to me.”
She laughed merrily, apparently finding that amusing.
“Why did you tell me all that, Charlotte?” I asked, tilting my head in question.
“I think you can see people in a different light when you understand their motivations. And perhaps you think you bring out the worst in Grayson, but since you came into his life, even though it’s been such a short time, he’s been more alive than in the entire year he’s been home…even if that’s translated into lots of fire breathing. I believe that’s a good thing. Grayson can be arrogant—due to his looks largely. But inside, his hurt runs very deep.” She looked sad for a moment but then smiled at me. I couldn’t help smiling back. There was something so wonderfully comforting about Charlotte. “Here, let me cut you a big slice of cinnamon apple cake straight from the oven,” she said as she stood.
“And by the way, my dear,” Charlotte said, resting her hand on mine on the counter, a glint in her eyes, “forget the prince and princess. I always imagined the most interesting story was between the witch and the dragon.” Her musical laughter rang through the kitchen.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Kira
I hadn’t envisioned my wedding day quite like this. I’d awoken alone, taken an icy shower, and then quickly left the Hawthorn property for downtown Napa to buy something to wear. But once I’d started browsing in a few shops, I’d realized how ridiculous it was. Why did I need a new outfit? And what did one wear to say false wedding vows to the man they were marrying for money? The man who most likely hated me after what had happened the day before.
I pulled in a deep breath. Still, I was going to go through with it. I’d made up my mind as I lay in bed the night before, thinking about my own reasons for needing the money Gram had left me and thinking about Grayson’s reasons as well. After what Charlotte had shared, I couldn’t help feeling like we had even more in common than either of us understood. And perhaps we’d never know the full extent, but somewhere deep down, I felt an inexplicable peace about sharing the money with him, dragon or not.
I finally picked out a semicasual, white lace sundress and a pair of silvery-blue strappy sandals. It wasn’t fancy, but at least it would appear that I’d put some effort into looking like a bride to the people at the clerk’s office. It’s all about the show, I thought sadly.