to ease her suspicions. If he didn't, he could lose the vineyard.
Chapter Four
Danielle straightened, stretching her arms above her head to ease the cramp in her lower back. Sweat trickled down her temple. More than anything she wanted to drop down in the dirt and rest, but she'd never give Nico the satisfaction. He'd been hunched over for hours, pruning, and not one complaint. The white polo shirt he wore still looked crisp and neat. To her disgust, the man didn't even have a drop of sweat on him.
He glanced over at her. "Tired?"
"I'm fine."
They'd gone back into the vineyard right after breakfast. Nico had put her on clean-up duty. As he dropped the leaves, she went behind him, raking the excess leaves, placing them in the wheelbarrow for removal. She couldn't remember the last time she'd done any type of physical work. Her aches had aches. She was more out of shape than she'd thought.
"Will you make it until I finish this row?" he asked, the rhythmic swoosh of his knife not missing a beat.
"I'll make it." Was he thinking about what a wimp she was? That she couldn't do a full day's work? Danielle's grip tightened on the rake as she attacked the fallen leaves.
The rhythmic snip of Nico's knife continued to fill the silence between them. They were deep into Block 2, the block climbing up the foot of the Blue Mountains, close to where Nico had taken her before the meeting. He worked on cabernet grapes, in temperatures she'd guess to be in the high eighties.
She'd discarded her jacket hours ago, and the pink tank top she wore was plastered to her like a second skin. Her shoulders radiated heat and she wished she'd thought about applying sunscreen. Danielle removed her hat, her forearm swiping the moisture from her brow.
"Done." Nico straightened. He slid his knife into the leather sheath attached to his belt. "I shouldn't have kept you out so long your first time. Too much sun can be brutal when you're not used to it."
"Don't stop on my account," she said.
His brows rose. "I'm not."
"Fine." Danielle tossed the rake into the wheelbarrow. She'd had trouble being civil to him since he'd accused Kaiden of vandalizing the roses earlier that morning.
She hadn't spoken to Kaiden about the roses, and she didn't intend to. There was no way he'd do such a thing. She knew her son better than that. Maria, however, was another story. The girl had been in the kitchen when she'd talked to Lola about visiting the rose garden. But Danielle couldn't think of a possible motive for the vandalism. Maria had no reason to dislike her. Nico, however, had plenty of reasons to want her gone. She'd done nothing but think about the cruel act all morning.
"Let's go." Nico glanced at his watch. "It's almost eleven-thirty. You've put in a full day. You've earned a rest."
When she moved to pick up the handles of the wheelbarrow he said, "Leave it. Nicandro will come by with the truck and pick it up."
"Okay." She brushed by him, beating a hasty retreat down the row to the place they'd parked the golf cart. As she walked her butt muscles cramped in protest. She'd be lucky if she could even get out of bed tomorrow morning.
She wanted nothing more than to take a hot shower and catch a nap, preferably on the hammock she'd noticed out back near what was left of the rose garden.
Once they were in the golf cart, Danielle removed her hat, hoping the slow breeze from the movement of the vehicle would help cool her off. It didn't. Instead, the heat seemed to seep into her veins. She rested her head against the door frame, allowing the purr of the engine to block out all thought.
"We're here."
Danielle jerked awake.
Nico grinned. "You fell asleep."
Asleep? Her own body had turned traitor. Danielle's neck muscles ached as she straightened. "Where are we?" She glanced around, trying to get her bearings. She recognized the path to the river. "Why are we here?"
"We're going swimming." Nico climbed out of the cart, pulling his shirt off, flinging
Chapter Four
Danielle straightened, stretching her arms above her head to ease the cramp in her lower back. Sweat trickled down her temple. More than anything she wanted to drop down in the dirt and rest, but she'd never give Nico the satisfaction. He'd been hunched over for hours, pruning, and not one complaint. The white polo shirt he wore still looked crisp and neat. To her disgust, the man didn't even have a drop of sweat on him.
He glanced over at her. "Tired?"
"I'm fine."
They'd gone back into the vineyard right after breakfast. Nico had put her on clean-up duty. As he dropped the leaves, she went behind him, raking the excess leaves, placing them in the wheelbarrow for removal. She couldn't remember the last time she'd done any type of physical work. Her aches had aches. She was more out of shape than she'd thought.
"Will you make it until I finish this row?" he asked, the rhythmic swoosh of his knife not missing a beat.
"I'll make it." Was he thinking about what a wimp she was? That she couldn't do a full day's work? Danielle's grip tightened on the rake as she attacked the fallen leaves.
The rhythmic snip of Nico's knife continued to fill the silence between them. They were deep into Block 2, the block climbing up the foot of the Blue Mountains, close to where Nico had taken her before the meeting. He worked on cabernet grapes, in temperatures she'd guess to be in the high eighties.
She'd discarded her jacket hours ago, and the pink tank top she wore was plastered to her like a second skin. Her shoulders radiated heat and she wished she'd thought about applying sunscreen. Danielle removed her hat, her forearm swiping the moisture from her brow.
"Done." Nico straightened. He slid his knife into the leather sheath attached to his belt. "I shouldn't have kept you out so long your first time. Too much sun can be brutal when you're not used to it."
"Don't stop on my account," she said.
His brows rose. "I'm not."
"Fine." Danielle tossed the rake into the wheelbarrow. She'd had trouble being civil to him since he'd accused Kaiden of vandalizing the roses earlier that morning.
She hadn't spoken to Kaiden about the roses, and she didn't intend to. There was no way he'd do such a thing. She knew her son better than that. Maria, however, was another story. The girl had been in the kitchen when she'd talked to Lola about visiting the rose garden. But Danielle couldn't think of a possible motive for the vandalism. Maria had no reason to dislike her. Nico, however, had plenty of reasons to want her gone. She'd done nothing but think about the cruel act all morning.
"Let's go." Nico glanced at his watch. "It's almost eleven-thirty. You've put in a full day. You've earned a rest."
When she moved to pick up the handles of the wheelbarrow he said, "Leave it. Nicandro will come by with the truck and pick it up."
"Okay." She brushed by him, beating a hasty retreat down the row to the place they'd parked the golf cart. As she walked her butt muscles cramped in protest. She'd be lucky if she could even get out of bed tomorrow morning.
She wanted nothing more than to take a hot shower and catch a nap, preferably on the hammock she'd noticed out back near what was left of the rose garden.
Once they were in the golf cart, Danielle removed her hat, hoping the slow breeze from the movement of the vehicle would help cool her off. It didn't. Instead, the heat seemed to seep into her veins. She rested her head against the door frame, allowing the purr of the engine to block out all thought.
"We're here."
Danielle jerked awake.
Nico grinned. "You fell asleep."
Asleep? Her own body had turned traitor. Danielle's neck muscles ached as she straightened. "Where are we?" She glanced around, trying to get her bearings. She recognized the path to the river. "Why are we here?"
"We're going swimming." Nico climbed out of the cart, pulling his shirt off, flinging
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