Whispers in the Vineyard Ch. 03

"I'd like that, Ellie. I think I'm pretty good friend material," he grinned.

"I sorta thought you might be." I felt confident that he understood I wasn't interested in a relationship. "In fact, I'm going to test some new recipes out next week. If you're not on duty, would you like to come for dinner? I usually have a slew of food when I'm done." Randy was a pretty good size guy. No extra weight but just big.

"I'd be like a taste tester?" he said, grinning like a little boy.

"Yes, you would be!" I laughed.

"You're on! Let me know when and where and I'll bring my empty stomach."

A day and a half later Gregg returned my call saying between his parents and the winery, he was busy. I told him I understood. The call didn't go much better than the last one, other than there were no interruptions from the unknown female. Once he updated me on his dad, our conversation just sort of faded away and we were done. He never asked about me, the restaurant, or anything. Maybe I saw more in our relationship than was there, I thought sadly.

I had my bread class and just when I thought there would no longer be interest, Janeen told me there was a waiting list again.

"I would never have guessed there would be that much interest in sourdough!" I laughed. "Other than eating it, anyhow."

She laughed too and agreed. "It seems that when they rave about their dinner rolls or whatever you've made, and I tell them it's sourdough, they take a new interest. It's different than yeasted bread."

I shrugged. "Whatever works to keep the troops happy!"

I got to the market and butcher early on my test recipe day. Randy called and I gave him the time. I had a few concoctions in mind that I wasn't sure were going to work, but I was pleasantly surprised. I was glad I'd have another person to taste though.

I opened a bottle of wine just as Randy arrived.

"I love these old Florida homes!" he said, walking in and looking around. "Oh!" he exclaimed, handing me a bottle of wine and flowers.

"Thanks, Randy, that's very nice of you. I'll go put the flowers in water. Feel free to look around. There's not much to it."

"You've left all the charm instead of trying to improve," he said. "Too many try to make these into something modern. I can't tell you how many times I've walked away from jobs because they want to do just that."

"Jobs?"

"Yeah, I renovate homes on my off days."

"Really? I didn't know that. You must see some cool stuff?"

"I do, yeah," he said picking up his wine and taking a sip. "This is very good. From Gregg's vineyard?" I nodded. "I think this place is perfect." He looked out the French doors into the backyard. I almost apologized because I didn't think they were original, but they were there when I moved in. "If it were my place, the only thing I would do is put a deck across the back. You have a great view!"

I looked out the doors. "I guess I never thought of it, but you're right. It would be nice to have something in the back."

"I can make that happen, just let me know! I have plenty of material from other jobs, so it won't cost you a thing."

"I'd at least pay you for your time! You can't do it for free. Geez."

He laughed. "We can work that out later. I'll draw up a few ideas and you can choose?"

"Sure. Wow. Yeah." This was going much differently than I thought it would. "Let's sit down and try today's experiments," I said with an evil smile, and he laughed.

He wiped his mouth with his napkin and placed it on the table. "I give. I'm stuffed. This was the best meal I've had since... Well for a while," he said, trailing off.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it!" During the meal, I remembered Gregg talking about Randy and saying that he had recently divorced. That's why he needed a friend too. We are both adrift. "It's very helpful to get another opinion before I introduce it to the masses," I grinned.

"Everything I ate will be a hit. I'm glad you didn't ask me to pick a favorite, because I honestly couldn't."

"Well thank you. I love to cook."

"Hey, I'm off duty tomorrow and I'm going to do those sketches tonight while it's still fresh in my mind. Can I drop them off tomorrow?"

"Sure!" I told him when I'd be leaving for the restaurant, and he planned on being here before that.

My phone started ringing when I was saying goodbye to Randy, and I ran to find it.

"Hello!" I said breathlessly. I hadn't had time to see who was calling.

"Were you busy?"

"Gregg! Not really, just cleaning up after new recipe day," I chuckled.

"Oh, how I miss those days."

"Right, all you have is Peter to cook for you now," I laughed.

"Well yeah, but he's not you."

"I'm glad you noticed!"

"Hey, dad's not doing well at all," he said, his voice breaking.

"Oh no, I'm sorry. I was hoping he'd improve."

"I don't think that's going to happen."

"I'm so sorry, Gregg," was all I could say. It's tough losing a parent and no words will make it better.

"I have to go. I'll call you again soon, babe."

I poked the off button and clung to that babe. I hadn't heard that in a long time.

Worried about Gregg and his dad, I slept fitfully that night and was dragging the next day. Randy dropped by as he promised with three drawings of the deck. They were all wonderful, and it was difficult to decide. He was very talented. After some discussion, I decided on one. He told me that he was on duty tomorrow but would work on the following two days when he was off.

I was excited about the project when I got to the restaurant.

Janeen said, "You look happy! Did you talk to Gregg?"

I blushed. "Um, not quite. A guy he works with. He's going to rebuild my back deck."

She raised her eyebrows. "Oh?"

"No no. He did ask me out and I turned him down. I don't know where I stand with Gregg, and until I do, I wouldn't go out with anyone else. I do love him, but I'm not sure he loves me."

She looked relieved. "Good. I'd hate to see you get too overwhelmed." I nodded, knowing just what she meant. "It'll work out with you guys. I can feel it. Just hang in there. He's going through a difficult time and a lot of changes in his life." True again.

Randy showed up bright and early with a load of wood in his truck. He backed around and I helped him unload it, even those he protested long and loud.

"I'm capable. If it's too heavy for me, I won't do it. I got a big guy here to help me," I elbowed him, and he laughed.

He staked out, leveled, double-checked, mixed cement, poured, double-checked, and was done. He began to cut boards for tomorrow.

"Lunch!"

"You didn't have to do that"

"Of course, I did, I can't let you go hungry. Besides, I can't lose my tester!" I laughed.

The next morning, he showed up and got right to work. The lumber he was using for the base was too heavy for me to help with, but he said I could help with the deck boards.

I was in the kitchen listening to the piston shots of his air nailer and the radio blaring country music.

I felt my phone vibrate before I heard it.

"Hi!" I said, seeing it was Gregg.

"Hi, I just wanted to tell you that dad passed away last night."

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry. He was home with his family. A way we all want to go. Surrounded by our loved ones."

"Yes, you're right. Family and close friends were there with him, and-- What is that noise?"

Before I could answer, Randy's booming voice rang through the door. "Okay, I'm ready for you now Ellie!"

"WHO IS THAT?" he shouted.

"It's Randy. From the fire station Randy. He's rebuilding my deck."

There was a long silence. I thought we were cut off for a moment. Finally, he said, "That's nice. I won't keep you any longer. Seems Randy needs you."

And he was gone before I could talk. I punched the phone with my finger a half dozen times in anger.

I called Ami to give her my condolences and to tell her I'd like to come to the memorial.

"I'd love to have you here with us, Ellie," she said.

I wasn't going to drag our relationship into this. Not at this time. So, I told her I'd see her soon. I arranged for the restaurant to be closed and told the staff I'd be back as soon as I could. They were all understanding and were comforting me.

Later Janeen said, "How's Gregg taking it?"

"Unfortunately, when he called to tell me, Randy was there working on the deck and Gregg got the wrong impression. I'm sure he's thinking I'm seeing Randy, but he hung up before I could explain."

"I'm sorry, hon. That's tough. It should help to talk in person though. You can explain. He can explain. Then you can clear the air."

"I hope you're right, Janeen."

Two days later I was on the road to the winery. Peter had taken care of getting a cabin for me and the key was waiting under the mat. That gave me time to clean up before seeing Gregg. Not to mention gather courage. I knew he'd be angry and hurt on top of his loss.

"Hello dear, I'm so glad you made it for dinner," Ami said as soon as she saw me walking across the dining room. Gregg sat with his back to me, but I was sure he knew who it was.

I hugged Ami hard and long. There wasn't more to say, so I didn't. I couldn't imagine losing a partner that you've had so many years. My heart really did go out to her.

"Ellie, good to see you," he stood up and hugged me, then pulled out a chair. "Mom didn't tell me you were coming."

I just smiled because he knew as well as I did how our last phone call ended. "I wouldn't have missed being here. I didn't know him long, but your dad was special to me."

Ami put her hand over mine. "You'll stay in the house with us."

"Thank you, but I have a cottage. I've been there and unpacked. It's in a beautiful area of the vineyards."

"Oh my," she said. "I'm sorry. I'd hoped you stay with us." She gave a meaningful glance at Gregg.

"Yes, we want you to stay at the house with us." His words were sincere, his tone wasn't.

To end the conversation, I excused myself to go to the kitchen and talk to Peter. I thanked him for arranging the cottage for me and told him I hoped we'd have time to catch up before I left. When I got back to the table, Ami was visibly upset, and Gregg was visibly angry.

"It was nice seeing Peter again. I hope to catch up with him. I have several things I want to thank him for."

"How's your restaurant doing?" Ami asked.

"Very well, thanks for asking. We've added wine tasting that Janeen, my front-of-the-house guru is running. I teach sourdough breadmaking classes."

"I can well imagine your customers appreciate all that. I know when Peter started events, it went over very well. Still does. Now he's expected to come up with something new quite frequently," she laughed.

"So how is it going at the firehouse?" Gregg asked. I noticed a smirk quickly come and fade.

"I wouldn't know. I don't go there."

"I thought you would now... Because of Randy."

I wasn't going to take the bait. If we couldn't discuss it reasonably, and certainly not in a public place, then we wouldn't.

"He's doing some work at the house for me." And just then our drinks came, and it was time to taste Peter's rolls and begin our dinner.

Dinner conversation became a bit more relaxed, but Gregg was still standoffish. I was tired from the drive and the tension of the evening, so I excused myself early.

The wine was chilling in my refrigerator, and I grabbed a bottle and headed out to the deck. The dusk magic blue atmosphere lit the vineyards and a herd of deer wandered through the grapevines. Probably nibbling on the tender new shoots, I chuckled to myself.

"Here you are. I knocked and figured you were out here. It's a beautiful time to enjoy the vineyards." Gregg stood at the steps, holding a bottle of wine. "I see Peter stocked you up," he said, seeing the open bottle next to my chair.

"He did. You're welcome to some. It's pretty good."

He smiled. "I'm glad you like it. It's one of our better years. Peter is spoiling you."

"Someone has to."

"I deserved that," he said. He pulled a chair nearer mine and sat down.

"Probably not, but it was an easy potshot."

"Is Randy really working on your house or are you dating him?"

"I wasn't aware that our relationship was over, so no, I'm not dating him. Or anyone. Maybe you can update me on where we stand." I just wasn't in the mood to beat around the bush.

"I've been a mess. I knew I'd take this place over eventually, but to have it dumped on me, along with dad's heart attack...." He trailed off and stared into the dark vineyards. "I kept hoping, longer than was feasible, that I'd come back, and you and I would pick up where we left off. I wasn't ready for the reality of losing dad."

"I'm sure it was all a big shock, right from the beginning. To be honest, I didn't expect you back. I thought even if your dad recovered, you would remain to step in." I took a long contemplative drink of wine. "It was then I began to wonder how we would keep our relationship up. Would you want to? Would I want to? Would we continue long-distance? So much to think about."

"Yeah, I wondered all that too. Problem was that I never had a chance to think anything through. I barely got in phone calls with you." He poured two more glasses of wine. "The one thing I did know is that you wouldn't give your restaurant up to come up here with me."

"But shouldn't that have been my decision?" I asked. I couldn't really say what my answer would be right at this moment, but I do know it would be my decision only.

"Ellie, I'd feel guilty if you gave all that up for me."

"Would it be only for you though? You don't know that either." I stated.

"All I'm sure of right now is that I love you, Ellie. We live in different cities, and I can't leave mine."

"We have a lot to think about. More to talk about. It's getting late and your dad's memorial is early tomorrow. You need to rest." I stood up and grabbed the empty bottle of wine and glasses.

When he moved from the chair, his body brushed mine. He was close enough to feel his heat. I smelled the musky scent that was him.

He leaned in and kissed me. It was as though all those months melted away and we hadn't been apart. I lost myself in his arms, in his kiss, in the taste of him.

"I missed this so much," I gasped, breaking away to catch my breath.

"Me too. Me too. I want to stay with you tonight, Ellie. I need to make some sense of my life now and you're the only one that can do it for me."

We dropped our clothes on the way to the bedroom. I moaned at the feel of his hot naked body against mine. His hardness trapped between our bodies throbbed.

"Need you inside me, babe," I whispered. I needed to be filled by him. I had to have our connection back.

I pushed him onto the bed and crawled over him. He squeezed my swaying tits and plucked at my nipples. He sucked one into his mouth and I moaned. I rode his solid shaft between my slick pussy lips. Just that action caused me a long moaning orgasm.

I raised and slid down his cock. My pussy was slick from my orgasm the feeling was phenomenal. I ground down hard taking him as deep as I could. I leaned on his shoulders and rode him lustily. My breasts bounced and swayed over him.

"It has been so long. I'm right where I belong," he murmured.

I clenched my muscles and milked his pulsating cock. I heard the buildup in him, felt it.

"Oh my god babe, cum for me," I whimpered and moaned out my own mind-blowing orgasm.

I lay in his arms. Our bodies twined together. I loved this. Loved him. And soon I'd be leaving him and back to where we were before. I just couldn't think of that. Not right now.

I squinted against the morning sun breaking through the window.

"Wake up sleepyhead. We have to get going," he said pulling the curtain back and heading to the bathroom. I heard the shower running.

"Want some company?" I opened the door and stepped in.

"Mmmm." The hot water felt good after our gymnastic sex last night.

HE stroked his slick soapy hands over my body. "Mmmm is right."

"I was referring to the hot water, but this works too," I giggled.

He backed me against the wall and rubbed his body on my slippery body. My nipples hardened against his furry chest. I put my arms around his neck and kissed him. I nibbled his lower lip and tugged.

He pulled my leg up to his waist and opened me up to him. He slid in and all I could do was hang on while he fucked me. Hard and fast. Our loud breathing was lewd in the glass enclosure, along with my X-rated whimpers.

"Damn, Ellie. I can't get enough of you," he gasped.

"Oh crap, we have to get going," I said, rinsing off and jumping out of the shower.

Gregg toweled off and headed back to the house to dress. It would be a somber day, but my heart was full.

The memorial took place in a favorite place in the vineyards of James. When we got back to the winery, long tables of food and drinks were set up.

"Peter, you look very handsome," I smiled. I knew that they gave the kitchen crew time off to attend the memorial because so many volunteered food.

"Thank you," he smiled. "It's not often I'm out of chef white. Sad to say it's for this reason." I nodded.

I sought out Gregg knowing he wouldn't have stopped to have something to eat. I guided him to a banquet table, and we filled our plates.

"Thanks, Ellie. I haven't sat down or eaten today."

"I knew that. I know everyone wants to talk to you, but you do need to eat."

"I didn't even think to ask. When are you leaving?"

"I have to go back tomorrow."

"We have to talk before you go," he said.

I nodded. "Yes, I can't go back to the same way it has been. We have to make some decisions."

~to be continued~