Love in the Vineyard (Tavonesi #7)(33)

As he looked up, he caught sight of a woman kneeling at the edge of one of the framed garden boxes. She looked remarkably like Natasha. He blinked. Remarkably like her. He steered Blair down the path toward the woman. He had to have a closer look. Just then the woman looked up.

It was Natasha.

Her eyes went wide.

His heart pinged in his chest.

“You actually eat out of the garden?” Blair asked without letting go of his arm.

“The staff does.” He pulled his arm away from Blair’s grasp. “I haven’t had much time for cooking lately up at my place.”

He walked over to where Natasha knelt beside the wooden grow box.

“Hello,” he said. “What are you doing here?”

She pushed her hair back from her face with the back of her gloved hand. “Putting in your pollinator garden. The starts. The larger plants will go in baskets over there.” She pointed with a spade.

“What a lovely gift. And a surprise. I’ll have to be careful what I mention to you in the future.”

“Pollinator garden?” Blair asked, ignoring Natasha.

“For butterflies and bees,” Adrian said, not taking his eyes off Natasha’s face. He knelt down. “You really shouldn’t have. But it’s one of the nicest gifts—and surprises—I can ever remember having received. But I’ll have to chastise my staff who helped you keep it a secret. I should’ve helped you with all this.”

The door to the kitchen banged open and Tammy, his staff supervisor, bounded out. She always had such excess energy, he should ask her what she ate.

“I see you’ve finally met our newest find,” Tammy said as she approached him. “Natasha knows plants better than Ilona ever did.” She turned to Natasha. “I meant to tell you, the paychecks are ready in the gift shop. Don’t forget to pick yours up before you head home tonight.”

Adrian watched color creep into Natasha’s face. Natasha worked for him? No wonder she’d behaved oddly last night. Right now all he wanted was to take her someplace private to talk. To explain. To… to what?

“Bees and butterflies,” Blair said in her sweet bell-like voice. She fingered the plant Natasha had been spading into the box. “How wonderful! I envy you,” she said to Natasha. “I know nothing about plants. If I buy a place here, maybe you can help me too. I love the idea of lots and lots of butterflies.”

“No poaching the help,” Tammy said good-naturedly, unaware of the private drama ricocheting all around her.

But Adrian was riveted to Natasha. Watching for any sign that she wanted to speak to him, that she wanted anything to do with him.

“If Mr. Tavonesi can spare me, perhaps I can show you the basics,” Natasha said.

He heard the tremble in her voice, but her words sent a clear message: he wasn’t invited in. Not now and maybe never again.

“I’d love that!” Blair said. “But, Adrian, darling, we’d better head off or we’ll be late. And your sisters will blame me as they always do.” She shot one of her red-carpet smiles over her shoulder. “Nice meeting you both.”





Natasha watched Adrian and the gorgeous woman walk out of the garden. The woman leaned on his arm. She wore ridiculously high-heeled shoes and a very, very short skirt. Her legs had muscles, though. She wasn’t the fashion-model type.

He hadn’t made introductions.

Of course he hadn’t—what would he say? Hi, this is the woman that I at first thought was a Renaissance countess and then considered an equal, but who I now find works in my kitchen garden?

She should’ve told him last night. Could’ve spared them both the embarrassment. Or maybe she was the only one embarrassed. But he’d appeared thrown. Shocked.

“Don’t mind him,” Tammy said. “He’s usually much friendlier than that. But he has so much on his mind this week what with the vintner’s meeting and all the new systems going in. And the polo match. Oh God, I forgot. I need to tell the caterer that we need seventeen more settings for the luncheon after. Adrian wants the team and their grooms to eat with the guests.”

Natasha blinked. A more ridiculous script for ending a relationship couldn’t have been written. But to end a relationship, there had to have been one in the first place. She’d gotten carried away by her fantasies, lured and lulled by wishful thinking.

“Did you see her shoes?” Tammy went on. “I’ll bet one of them would cost an entire week’s pay. But I have to admit they are gorgeous. And they look great on a woman with legs like that. They make a great couple, don’t you think?” She reached into the back pocket of her jeans. “I meant to give these to you yesterday. They’re the yellow lupine seeds you ordered. Two packs.”

Natasha took the seed packets and thanked her friend and colleague. Surreal was the only word for the disjointed feelings jagging through her.

Tammy was right—Adrian and the gorgeous woman made a great couple. A perfectly matched couple. Well, except that the high-heeled knockout didn’t know a blazing thing about plants. But she was pretty sure the woman would never know what it felt like to be a mermaid out of water.

Natasha cursed destiny. Cursed hope.

Seventeen would never be her favorite number. Not ever again.





Chapter Eleven