The Crush (Oregon Wine Country #1)(48)

Poppy thrust the bottle toward her. “One of those good-for-you drinks. I know how you sometimes forget to eat. By the looks of you, you’ve been forgetting a lot. What are you doing, Junie? I’ve been trying to get through to you, too. You don’t answer your phone. You won’t respond to anyone’s texts.”

“What does it look like I’m doing?!” Junie screeched, holding out her arms in their protective suiting. “I’m working! You have no idea of the work that needs done around here! Speaking of which, if you don’t mind—” She whirled around to go back to her spraying.

Red caught her before she reached the first step. “Calm down. We’re just worried you might be pushing yourself a little too hard. It’s not healthy to shut out the people who care for you.”

Poppy narrowed her eyes. “You’re pale as death.”

“Did you happen to see that fat orange ball in the sky lately?” Junie screamed, pointing skyward. “Me neither! Maybe if the frickin’ sun would come out, the grapes would start maturing and—”

“Shhhh,” cooed Red consolingly. “I know you’re dedicated to making the winery a success, Junie. It’ll happen, in time. But you have to balance work with rest and seeing your family and friends and—”

“Stop telling me what to do! I’m fine! If I don’t do all this work, who will? Don’t you get it? I need to get last year’s vintage bottled before the crush and the barrels rinsed, and my quarterly taxes are due and—”

Poppy and Red went wavy all of a sudden, as if she were seeing them through antique glass. She felt weak . . . so weak. She was faintly aware of the unopened drink slipping from her grasp, falling onto the porch as her knees collapsed beneath her.

*

When Manolo saw Red and Poppy bent over a body on Junie’s front porch, he broke into a run, reaching her within seconds.

He knelt beside her. “Junie.”

Her eyes were closed, her lips white. Frantically, he searched Red’s and Poppy’s faces.

“What happened?”

“She passed out. I would have called 911, but I only have two bars on my phone and I’m saving them for—”

“She just overdid it,” Red interrupted. “She’s exhausted. Or it could be her blood sugar. Who knows when she ate last. Poppy, see if you can get her to drink some of that juice.”

While Poppy unscrewed the bottle’s lid, Manolo lifted Junie’s head and shoulders onto his thighs. She was as limp as a rag doll. He held her head steady while Poppy said, “Here, drink this.”

Junie’s forehead furrowed and she coughed as Poppy poured a bit of the liquid down her throat.

“That’s better,” Red soothed.

“Now, what actually happened?” Manolo repeated.

“She was on her tractor. She didn’t seem too thrilled to see us,” said Poppy.

He studied her face more carefully. Her pallor made his heart clutch. New hollows carved out her cheeks. She needed a good meal in her. And then another one. And another, until her strength was built up again.

Poppy prodded her to drink again.

Manolo lowered his face to within inches of hers. “Junie. Can you hear me?”

At the sound of his voice, her lips curled upward in a faint, yet unmistakable, smile.

Manolo exhaled for what felt like the first time since he arrived.

“It looks like the drink is helping,” Poppy said.

“For now. But if she keeps up this lifestyle, she’s going to have a real collapse,” said Red.

“Let’s get her inside.” He gathered Junie up into his arms. “Someone get the door.”

Manolo deposited Junie in a kitchen chair.

After they’d assured themselves that she was steady enough to sit by herself, Poppy promised she’d call Junie’s mom, and Red said she would update Sam and Keval. Then they left Junie in Manolo’s care.

Manolo rooted around in her cabinets.

“Where’s the peanut butter? You always have peanut butter.”

“I’m out of peanut butter.”

“What else do you have that might have protein in it?”

Behind the fridge door, Manolo grinned, releasing the strain of weeks of self-denial. A soldier sacrificed feelings to duty. He’d been sacrificing his desire to avoid hurting her. But it had taken its toll. Seeing her again, even under these dire circumstances, buoyed his whole being.

Of course, admitting that to her was out of the question.

He slammed the fridge door, planted his hands on his hips, and strode over to where she sat. “Why don’t you get out of that OSHA suit and we’ll go get something to eat? Something that’ll stick to your ribs.”

It must have been the mention of dining out. This time she leapt to her feet.

“What time is it? I have to be at Casey’s!”

“You won’t be much good to them today. Can’t you take a day off for once?”

She sighed. “I suppose it wouldn’t hurt, just this once. I’ll go upstairs and call while I’m changing.”

The moment she was out of his sight, he couldn’t wait till she was back. He hoped she didn’t take her time getting ready. “No sundress required,” he called after her.