So Good: A Ribbon Ridge Novel (Love on the Vine Book 1) Read Online Free Page B

hadn’t built a wall around herself since her divorce just to see it torn down in a single evening. “No.” The lines in his forehead deepened. “Look, I’m sorry if I gave you the wrong idea. I didn’t mean to be…flirty. But I’m not interested. At all.”
    He exhaled and took a step back from her. “Cool. I get it. See you around.” The words were clipped, but not rude. He was trying to be a gentleman, because, well, maybe he was a gentleman, and since she’d given him the brush-off, he was doing his best to hide his disappointment.
    Ugh. Now she felt bad. She turned from him before she could change her mind. Before regret took hold of her.
    As she made her way back to her table, she realized it was too late.

Chapter Three

    B y the time noon rolled around on Friday, Cam and his cohorts—Luke, Jamie, and Hayden—were sweaty, disgusting messes. They’d spent the morning in the uppermost region of the vineyard, checking fruit, removing leaves, and pretty much getting as hot as possible. Not that Cam minded. He loved this job more than he thought possible. This morning, he was sweating it out in the vineyard, but later he’d be working in his office on a variety of things, from marketing to event planning and coordination to updating their website.  
    The four of them walked into the shade and air-conditioned comfort of the winery. Hayden turned as he took off his hat. “Too bad there’s no salmon bake to look forward to tomorrow night.” His exhalation held a wistful quality.
    “Dude, you read my mind,” Cam said, grinning. “I was just thinking about that. What a great night. We’ve had a lot of interest this week—the wine dinner next month is filling up fast.”
    “Excellent.” Hayden shook his head and looked around at the other three. “I still can’t believe this is actually happening.”
    Luke swept his hat off and wiped his forehead with the back of his hand. “Believe it.”
    Two years ago, Jamie had pitched the idea as a joke as they’d sat drinking beer in Hayden’s family’s flagship brewpub, The Arch and Vine, in the center of Ribbon Ridge. It hadn’t been a serious discussion, but every one of them had walked away thinking about the possibilities. For Cameron, he’d been tired of traveling, of feeling disconnected. His parents, particularly his mother, had constantly hounded him about being gone so much, but in the early years, he’d needed that lifestyle. He’d thrived on the unexpected, the sense of adventure, and excelling at his job.  
    But the opportunity to start something with his brothers and his best friend had grabbed him hard and fast. He’d immersed himself in it ever since.
    “How are things coming for the wine dinner?” Jamie asked.  
    Cam and Hayden were working on it with Hayden’s brother Kyle and his sister Sara. The Archers owned and operated a luxury hotel, The Alex, in the hills over Ribbon Ridge, and Kyle, a world-class celebrity chef, managed the restaurant, The Arch and Fox, while Sara was the event manager for the entire property. It was a no-brainer for them to unveil the wines of West Arch there. The dinner would take place the weekend after Labor Day, just six weeks from now.
    “Kyle and Sara are on top of the logistics,” Cam said. “I’d like to get some high level wine critics in so I’ll be working that angle.”  
    Jamie threw him a humor-filled, teasing little brother look. “Is Brooke Ellis coming to the dinner?”
    Cam knew Jamie was flipping him shit. “I didn’t invite her.” Not after she’d turned his overtures down flat.
    Luke set his hat back on his head. “I was surprised she left before you. Or did you hook up later?”
    “Nope.”
    Hayden looked at him in mock pity. “Damn, I think you’re losing your touch.”
    Cam snorted, but there was a bit of truth in Hayden’s words. Since Cam had noted that his love life had tamed over the past two years, he’d started to think about why. It had to be because he was