Love's Harvest, page 15
part #1 of A Salmon Run Novel Series
“Me either,” said Gayle.
“You know, we Protestants might be a goofy bunch, but we still know how to have fun with each other. You can bet your life on that! Yet it’s my professional opinion as Sheriff of this county that nobody dances better than the folks who attend Our Lady of the Valley. That’s some kind of fancy footwork you got there, Mister Diego!”
Diego pulled off his hat and bowed deeply. “Gracias, Señorita Barbara. Though I think my talent comes from my sister more than from the church.” He then took Mariela in his arms and spun her into a few elaborate turns before he let go.
“Wow!” said Gayle. “You guys should open a dance studio. I don’t know about you gals, but I wouldn’t mind learning a few of those steps myself.”
~
After the laughter and applause had wound down, both Barbara and Mariela excused themselves, saying they had to get back to work if they were going to get their Saturday chores done before nightfall. Even Gayle gave up her stack of correspondence, citing she had to swing by home to get Jimmy to his ball game and Bobbie to play rehearsal.
Everyone shared their goodbyes with one another, leaving Diego and Julia once again alone in her office.
“Your friends are a lot of fun,” noted Diego.
Julia smiled and nodded her head. “We all need to lighten up around here. Just because we’ve a great deal of work to do doesn’t mean we can’t have fun doing it. By the way, what brought you up here to my office just now?”
“You mean, besides all the girlie laughter?”
“We weren’t that loud!” Julia asserted. “Were we?”
Diego lifted his eyebrow and peered at her roguishly. “Actually I came up to tell you to be ready by six. I’ve a dinner reservation in town for six-thirty. Let’s get dressed up and celebrate our good news. We’ve much to be thankful for, sí?”
“Sí!” Julia smiled up at his ruggedly handsome face. Diego held so much warmth and tenderness in the way he looked at her, Julia couldn’t help but feel a quickening in her body, from her lady parts to her nipples.
She thought he was going to kiss her on the lips, but instead he took her hands in his and kissed the inside of both of her palms. Julia’s breath caught as she shuddered. She knew Diego felt it, too, but he merely smiled teasingly as he let her hands go to put on his hat. “Don’t forget, Julia. Six o’clock, okay?”
“I’ll be ready!” Hell, I’m past ripe now, she thought to herself. Diego tipped his hat and smiled as he left her alone in her office, her body melting into mush.
~
It only took Julia two hours and five complete changes of dress to finally feel she was ready for this evening’s date with Diego. She’d chosen a spaghetti-strapped, turquoise chiffon cocktail-length dress with strappy silver heels, accessorized with silver earrings, a necklace, and several bracelets to match.
The heat of the afternoon hadn’t totally disappeared, so she styled her hair in her signature chignon which skimmed the nape of her neck. It’d been a long time since she’d felt this excited—or beautiful, for that matter. Even when concertizing Julia could never simply let herself go and fully enjoy playing.
That was one of the reasons why she now preferred to stay at home and merely play the piano for her own enjoyment. No demanding conductor to accommodate, no difficult cadenza to memorize and remember, and no terrifying trip on a jet to live through. Nothing to interfere with the happiness she felt in this moment as she made herself ready for her and Diego’s much anticipated date.
True to his word, Diego rang her front doorbell at six p.m. sharp. Julia picked up her white jeweled cardigan sweater and silver clutch. As she moved toward the door, she worried perhaps she’d overdressed. She assumed Diego perhaps owned something to wear for church, but she doubted he had anything in his closet close to the expense of her outfit. Not on the salary she paid him. Oh, well. Too late now.
When she opened the door, Julia’s eyes nearly popped out of her head. There stood Diego in a black tuxedo with a matching black bowtie and leather shoes. He appeared so sophisticated and handsome that she stopped breathing, her eyes as big as Mariela’s homemade tortillas.
“Julia, you look more beautiful than I could ever imagine. I’m speechless.” Diego surveyed her from her sexy shoes to the top of her head. “Absolutely stunning!”
Julia smiled demurely. As much as she wanted Diego to find her pleasing to his eye, being complimented on her looks was always a bit tough for her to accept. Praise her for her artistry, her intelligence, or her courage, and she was in safe waters—but on her beauty? Not so much. Yet the dress tonight did make her feel prettier than usual, and apparently that was all the magic she needed.
“Come. We’ll ride in my car.” Assuming Diego drove a truck, Julia was startled by what she saw in front of her. Diego placed his hand on the small of her back and led her to one of the most exquisite automobiles she’d ever seen.
It was obviously a classic, but exactly what make and year, she hadn’t the foggiest.
“Is this your car?” she asked.
“Sí, I have it garaged a mile or so from here. Sometimes when I finish working in the vineyard, I enjoy tinkering with it. It’s a kind of hobby.”
Julia could hardly believe this oversized root beer colored convertible belonged to a man she thought she knew. Now she wasn’t so sure. “Goodness, Diego, what is it?”
“It’s a Ford Crestliner. 1951.” Diego smiled in pride. “Do you like it?”
Julia’s eyes were bright with surprise. “Do I like it? My goodness, Diego. It’s unbelievable! You did all this work yourself?” she asked, looking at the sheen of the paint and the shine of the chrome.
“Of course. It took a good year or more, but yes, the work is all mine.” Diego opened the door for her to slide in and then circled around to his side and slid in as well.
As soon as he did, he pulled her close enough so that their legs touched. “This is my first big outing with the car, and so I’m honored to share it with you, Julia.”
Julia thought of what she could say in return, but was transfixed on the heat she felt coming from Diego as it ran up her left thigh. “Well, then this is a real treat!” she said and smiled.
Diego started the engine and revved the motor for fun. “You’re telling me!” He then put his right arm around Julia’s shoulders and they were off. The evening cooled off to the perfect temperature for a ride in an open-air car. Julia felt caught up in the giddiness of the occasion. Dinner out with her orchard manager. Who would’ve thought?
She chattered all the way to the restaurant, telling Diego about her concertizing days on the small-town symphony circuit and her piano teachers both when she was a young girl and later in college. Diego did his part to keep up by sharing about his years as an elementary school teacher in Guadalajara and about his parents back home.
He told her how his father taught him everything he needed to know about working on cars. She could tell from the tone of his voice he longed to see his mother and father again, even though he didn’t know how he could leave the winery now that they needed to accelerate the production and marketing of their newly prized Siegerrebe.
All in all, Julia couldn’t remember a time when she’d had more fun. Robert had been a wonderful friend and companion, but when it came to having fun or being spontaneous, he fell short. Of course, until tonight, Julia had no idea the quiet and stern-faced man she knew as Diego Gonzales-Martinez was as amusing and impulsive as he now seemed. Nor had she any idea he could look that good while driving his amazing car. In fact, it was difficult to tell exactly who or what was sexier: Diego dressed in his all black tux or his brilliantly refurbished classic car.
The minutes spent traveling between the winery and the restaurant passed quickly. As soon as Diego pulled into the parking lot, Julia recognized it as Ristorante Sabatini, once run by Cosimo and Eleanora Sabatini but now owned and managed by their daughter, Adriana.
Julia wondered how Diego could afford all of this but decided not to question. At least not until the bill came. She’d at least offer to go Dutch. She always thought that was an odd saying, made all the more strange since living in the Nooksack Valley, where over one hundred years ago the Dutch settled.
Diego put the car in park, hopped out while it was still running, and handed the valet his keys. It was obvious to Julia as Diego and the valet spoke—in Spanish no less—that the two men knew each other.
Diego opened the passenger door and helped Julia to her feet, all the while laughing at the valet and winking at Julia. At the end of their quick conversation, the valet patted Diego on his shoulder and then drove Diego’s car to its designated slot.
As Julia and Diego made their way to the front door, Julia pressured Diego to tell her what the exchange had been about.
“Ah, his name’s Fermin. He’s been in the valley about as long as I have.” Diego smiled and shook his head.
“And what did he say?”
“You really want to know?
“Yes,” Julia insisted. “I do.”
Diego chuckled. “He asked if I’d stolen the car.”
“Seems to me like the conversation was a bit longer than that. Is that really all he had to say?”
Diego gazed into her eyes warmly and took her hand in his. “No.”
“Well? Aren’t you going to tell me?” Julia was insistent.
Diego grinned as he opened the door to the restaurant. “He asked if you came with the car. I told him to mind his own business, and he said his lips were sealed. Come, let’s enjoy our evening. Fermin was only having fun.”
Julia nodded. She was about to say something when Adriana greeted the two of them and led them to their reserved table. Diego had called ahead to make sure he and Julia could be alone by the window which overlooked the Nooksack River below.
“Good evening, Julia. It’s really nice to see you again. It’s been a long time,” Adriana said kindly.
“I was sorry to hear about your loss. Robert was a good man and always so generous toward my parents.”
Julia and Robert dined often at the Ristorante Sabatini when Adriana’s parents still worked there, but she’d not had the opportunity to return since Adriana had taken the business over.
“It’s good to see you too, Adriana. May I introduce you to my orchard manager, Diego Gonzales-Martinez?”
Diego offered his hand. “Mucho gusto, Adriana. This is my first time here, but I find your restaurant absolutely breathtaking.”
“Thank you, Diego. My brother tells me you folks at the winery had quite a morning yesterday,” Adriana continued while seating Julia and hand her a menu.
“Your brother?” asked Diego suspiciously. He was hoping the woman’s brother hadn’t been on one of the two truckloads James and Duncan brought out.
“Stefano Sabatini’s one of Sheriff Barbara’s deputies,” Julia explained.
“Ah, sí. Your brother along with the other men were most helpful. We at the winery are grateful they came when they did.”
Adriana nodded and handed Diego his menu. “According to my brother, it was you and your sister Mariela who saved the day.”
She then turned to Julia. “You two enjoy your dinner. Your waiter’ll be with you shortly.”
~
Alone at last, Diego stared at the lovely woman seated across from him. He set down his menu and took her two hands in his. He’d come a long way since the days of his youth. After losing his one and only Paulina to his best friend Jorge, he vowed to never look at a woman seriously again. Yet tonight the only thing on his mind was to open himself up to this lovely woman and share not only his body but his heart as well.
He prided himself on his self-control, his ability to appear as if he was in complete charge of himself and his emotions. Though, the truth was that since falling in love with Julia, he was no more in control than a jumping bean.
As his thumbs caressed the backs of Julia’s hands, she felt the same electricity she’d felt earlier zinging up her arms, circling her heart, and exploding down into her lady parts. The heat of his touch caused her heart to beat wildly. So much so that Julia wondered how she was going to get through the meal without passing out.
“Are you doing okay, Julia? Perhaps this isn’t as easy for you as we thought.” At first Diego interpreted Julia’s shakiness as fear rather than sexual energy. Yet as soon as she grinned, he got the message.
“I’m doing fine, Diego. Please don’t worry about me. You and this evening are everything I imagined and more.”
“I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable when you’re out with me. We both know it’ll take some time for others to get used to seeing us as a couple, but that’s not our problem. As far as I can tell, our only problem is how we can find even more time to spend together, mi bella Julia.”
He studied Julia as she lowered her shapely body into her chair. He was doing everything he could think of to thrill her. His only prayer was that this moment would last forever, that the messy business with James and Duncan would soon disappear, and that the Nooksack Valley Winery and Vineyard would eventually find its rightful place in the eyes of not only Julia but the entire community of Salmon Run as well.
Chapter 11
It’d been years since Julia spent such a lovely time with a man. Diego possessed an ease about him which Julia effortlessly fell in tempo with. He listened to every word she said and took in every silent nuance they created in between sips of wine and bites of dinner.
Of course, it helped that the salmon was fresh and grilled to perfection. Yet Julia believed the evening was less dependent upon the atmosphere and more about the man himself. True, she was more than fascinated with his charm and good looks. However, Diego for her now had become a true friend. Something she’d wanted for what seemed like forever.
The evening was slowly slipping away, and Julia still hadn’t found the right moment to present Diego with the new position at the winery. She took a long swallow of wine and then began what she hoped would be a simple request followed by a simple answer.
“Diego, I’ve been thinking for some time now but especially since the events of this week about your position at the winery. I feel it’s time I offered you a much more substantial situation.”
Instantly Diego’s face grew serious. “Please don’t feel you have to buy my affection, Julia. Work’s one thing and my feelings for you are quite another.”
Julia was blowing this, and she knew it. “Of course, I understand your reticence, but the promotion I wish to offer has more to do with all the responsibilities you take on at the winery. You’ve done so much more this last year than merely manage the vineyard. Plus, I can’t hope to get this business off the ground without your and Mariela’s help.”
Diego stared at the wine he swirled in his glass. “Go on.”
To recapture Diego’s attention, Julia took the wine glass out of his hand and put her hands on his. “I’m not able to pay you anymore than I am, but I want us to be partners. In the business, I mean. My thought was I’d make Gayle my Office Manager, Mariela Director of Marketing and Sales, and you Director of Production. That way I could concentrate on Public Relations, which is probably the only thing I’m actually any good at.”
He remained silent.
Julia felt fresh tears filling her eyes. She didn’t want to cry, but she was so afraid Diego would either say no or leave, she was beside herself.
“Please don’t be offended, Diego. My offer has nothing to do with my feelings for you but more about my respect for the many things you do so well for the Nooksack Valley Winery and Vineyard. I need you, Diego, for many reasons, not the least is your affection.”
The tension of the moment was making her sweat. “Yet this is about work, about turning this winery around and making it one of the best in the state—hell, in the whole country. Please tell me you’ll at least think about it.”
Diego searched her eyes. “And if I say no, what’ll become of us then?”
Julia felt her face grow hot. This evening wasn’t turning out exactly the way she’d hoped. Yet he’d asked a fair question and deserved a truthful answer.
“I want us to grow together, not merely as friends, but as partners in every sense of the word. If you don’t want that as well, then I understand. I suppose we can keep our work relationship as it is and still move forward with wherever it is we’re going, romantically speaking. But it’ll be awkward and not reflect how important you’ve become in my life. It’s really up to you.”
Silence.
Julia giggled nervously, anything to keep from crying. “Now I’m sorry I even brought it up. Oh, damn! I’ve ruined this entire evening, and I was having such a wonderful time before I opened my big mouth.”
A slow smile gradually took over Diego’s face. “So you want to be partners in every sense of the word? Did I hear you right?”
Julia’s heart began to pound. Oh, my God! This was it. He was going to dump her before they even got started. “Yes,” she said softly. “You heard me right.”
Diego threw his head back and laughed. “Ah, Julia, you’ve made me the happiest man in the whole world. I accept, but under one condition.”
Julia was shocked but elated at his response, and curious as to what that one condition could be. “And that is?”
Diego leaned in and reached over to touch her face. “That you’ll be my partner, that you’ll share your bed with me, and that you’ll let me care for you as long as we both have breath to breathe.”
Julia swallowed hard. It took but a few seconds for Julia to take in all of Diego’s words. She leaned her cheek against his hand, smiled, and then nodded. She at once kissed the inside of his palm.
She heard Diego’s breath catch in his throat. “My God, Julia! I think we better go before I draw attention to myself. You must know you’re making it enormously difficult for me to merely sit here.”
“Oh, really. And how’s that?” she asked coquettishly. She’d never once in her life considered herself a vixen, but in this moment she felt like the sexiest woman in the universe.
