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Authors: Hailey Abbott
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wrong with me. I acted like a total jerk.”
Maddy’s face grew warm, but standing in the clear morning light, with David’s sincere eyes looking straight into hers, it was hard to summon up the righteous anger that had coursed through her the night before. David dropped his chin, pouted his mouth, and looked at her with pleading, puppy-dog eyes. He looked so ridiculous and adorable that Maddy couldn’t help cracking a smile.
“Whatever. Let’s just forget it.” She turned away, but it was too late.
“I saw that!” he said. “Come here.” Before she could react, he had pulled her against his chest in a quick hug.
She jumped and pulled back. “Um—like I said, just forget it. It’s no big deal,” Maddy mumbled, completely thrown off balance by the sensation of his strong, wiry arms wrapped around her. She brushed uselessly at her hair. Her hands felt like big, awkward paws. She crossed and uncrossed her arms on her chest. Get a grip! she instructed herself. You’re acting like a sixth grader .
“So!” she said, backing up and trying for a breezy tone. “What’s the plan for today?” She perched on a barrel and crossed her legs.
David shrugged and sat down on a barrel opposite her. He tilted back, balancing it on its edge. “Honestly?
I have no idea. I’ve only seen a couple tasting rooms before. What are they supposed to look like?”
“You think I know? I saw my first grapevine two days ago. It’s a room where people drink wine, right? So, like, tables, chairs, pictures on the walls …”
David nodded in agreement. “Maybe something to hold the wine bottles, like a rack or some shelves… . Hey, wait! I have an awesome idea!” He jumped up. “There are tons of vineyards around here. We should go check some of them out—like a scouting trip. You know, see what the competition is doing with their tasting rooms.”
Maddy considered this. It was kind of a good idea.
She had no idea how to begin, and anyway, it would be better than staying inside all day. She shrugged and rose from her barrel. “Okay. At least we’ll get some ideas.”
She headed toward the door. “The truck was gone this morning. I can get the keys to the Lexus though if—
what?”
David’s face lit up. “I have a better idea.”
✦ ✦ ✦
“You are insane!” Maddy shrieked as she pelted down the hill, David and his bicycle rapidly receding in front of her. The wind whipped her hair back from her face.
She gripped her handlebars tightly and lifted her feet from the pedals, letting them spin madly on their own as the wheels hummed faster and faster. The black asphalt of the road seemed to rise up in front of her. “I’m going to diiieeee!” she yelled into the wind.
In front of her, she could see David reach the bottom of the hill and stop, resting one foot on the ground as he turned to watch her. “Ohmygod!” she panted, coasting up next to him. “That was so amazing!” She couldn’t keep her face from splitting into a huge grin.
“Bikes are the absolute best way to get around Napa,” he said. “My buddies and I once rode from San Francisco all the way up here—that’ll be our next trip.”
Maddy leaned over the handlebars and tried to catch her breath. “Okay, sure. Just as soon as my heart attack’s over.”
David snorted laughter and their eyes met. Silence filled the moment, and then Maddy tore her gaze away.
She could feel herself blushing a little.
“Look!” She pointed to a sign across the street. “Isn’t that the one we were going to look at?”
“Oh, yeah. I’ve always wanted to see this vineyard.
It’s supposed to be really fancy.”
After pedaling up a long, winding driveway, bordered on both sides by manicured lawns, they left their bikes next to a huge wrought-iron arch and followed the signs to the tasting room. It was in a massive stone building that resembled a medieval castle.
“This is where the knights of California lived in the Middle Ages,” David
Maddy’s face grew warm, but standing in the clear morning light, with David’s sincere eyes looking straight into hers, it was hard to summon up the righteous anger that had coursed through her the night before. David dropped his chin, pouted his mouth, and looked at her with pleading, puppy-dog eyes. He looked so ridiculous and adorable that Maddy couldn’t help cracking a smile.
“Whatever. Let’s just forget it.” She turned away, but it was too late.
“I saw that!” he said. “Come here.” Before she could react, he had pulled her against his chest in a quick hug.
She jumped and pulled back. “Um—like I said, just forget it. It’s no big deal,” Maddy mumbled, completely thrown off balance by the sensation of his strong, wiry arms wrapped around her. She brushed uselessly at her hair. Her hands felt like big, awkward paws. She crossed and uncrossed her arms on her chest. Get a grip! she instructed herself. You’re acting like a sixth grader .
“So!” she said, backing up and trying for a breezy tone. “What’s the plan for today?” She perched on a barrel and crossed her legs.
David shrugged and sat down on a barrel opposite her. He tilted back, balancing it on its edge. “Honestly?
I have no idea. I’ve only seen a couple tasting rooms before. What are they supposed to look like?”
“You think I know? I saw my first grapevine two days ago. It’s a room where people drink wine, right? So, like, tables, chairs, pictures on the walls …”
David nodded in agreement. “Maybe something to hold the wine bottles, like a rack or some shelves… . Hey, wait! I have an awesome idea!” He jumped up. “There are tons of vineyards around here. We should go check some of them out—like a scouting trip. You know, see what the competition is doing with their tasting rooms.”
Maddy considered this. It was kind of a good idea.
She had no idea how to begin, and anyway, it would be better than staying inside all day. She shrugged and rose from her barrel. “Okay. At least we’ll get some ideas.”
She headed toward the door. “The truck was gone this morning. I can get the keys to the Lexus though if—
what?”
David’s face lit up. “I have a better idea.”
✦ ✦ ✦
“You are insane!” Maddy shrieked as she pelted down the hill, David and his bicycle rapidly receding in front of her. The wind whipped her hair back from her face.
She gripped her handlebars tightly and lifted her feet from the pedals, letting them spin madly on their own as the wheels hummed faster and faster. The black asphalt of the road seemed to rise up in front of her. “I’m going to diiieeee!” she yelled into the wind.
In front of her, she could see David reach the bottom of the hill and stop, resting one foot on the ground as he turned to watch her. “Ohmygod!” she panted, coasting up next to him. “That was so amazing!” She couldn’t keep her face from splitting into a huge grin.
“Bikes are the absolute best way to get around Napa,” he said. “My buddies and I once rode from San Francisco all the way up here—that’ll be our next trip.”
Maddy leaned over the handlebars and tried to catch her breath. “Okay, sure. Just as soon as my heart attack’s over.”
David snorted laughter and their eyes met. Silence filled the moment, and then Maddy tore her gaze away.
She could feel herself blushing a little.
“Look!” She pointed to a sign across the street. “Isn’t that the one we were going to look at?”
“Oh, yeah. I’ve always wanted to see this vineyard.
It’s supposed to be really fancy.”
After pedaling up a long, winding driveway, bordered on both sides by manicured lawns, they left their bikes next to a huge wrought-iron arch and followed the signs to the tasting room. It was in a massive stone building that resembled a medieval castle.
“This is where the knights of California lived in the Middle Ages,” David
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