Erin felt warm and welcomed. She was always so busy, cocooning herself at the vineyard. She made friends easily, though. Part of the job. But she hadn’t made a lot of time for that lately. Between work and planning the wedding that never happened, she realized she’d isolated herself.
Not today, though. Today was the first time she’d felt incredibly free, relaxed and unburdened in as long as she could remember.
It felt damn good to let go. And maybe the key to really letting go was to have that conversation with Owen, to close the door on that chapter of her life.
But just the thought of it caused a twinge in her belly, that sweet, relaxing freedom she’d felt just a moment ago dissipating in the soft summer breeze.
No, the only door she was closing today was on the thought of talking to Owen. She wasn’t ready. Not yet. Not when she was finally unwinding and ridding herself of all the hurt and unhappiness.
That conversation could wait. Right now, all she wanted to do was revel in her own personal joy. And this water. And Jason, whose laugh made her look over to see him tilt his head back and let out a guffaw at something Vince said.
Now, there was someone who knew how to live in the moment. He was someone she needed in her life, needed to get closer to. Because his joy was infectious, could make her happier than she’d been in a long, long time.
She wanted a lot more of that.
Of him.
CHAPTER
twenty-one
VINCE AND SUMMER and Mike and Daria had rented a lake house for the weekend, and they invited Jason and Erin to hang out with them for dinner that night.
Since Erin seemed to be having a great time, and since they’d caught fish, Jason asked Erin if she was game for that. She offered up an enthusiastic yes, so after they spent another few hours on the water, Vince drove them to the dock and they climbed out, grabbed their truck and drove over to the lake house.
“This place is very nice,” Erin said as they climbed out of the truck.
Jason glanced up at the two-story house that overlooked the lake. “Yeah, it’s decent.”
She laughed. “Decent, huh? Just a shack?”
“Hey, I didn’t say that.”
“Uh-huh. This place is a dream. Look at all those windows. And the deck overlooking the water. I can’t wait to see inside.”
He rolled his eyes. “Come on, Cinderella. Let’s take you to the ball.”
“You’re so funny.”
Since they’d dried off on the boat ride back, they’d both gotten dressed before they got in the truck. They grabbed their stuff and headed around the side yard to the back.
Music was pumping, and the crew was already out there, along with a few other people. Leave it to Vince to organize a party.
“Your friends are popular,” Erin said.
“They do this every weekend in the summer. It’s a good time.”
“Remind me to start having a good time.”
Her sentence was cryptic, so he filed it away to ask her about it later, because Mike waved them over and Erin disappeared into the house.
“Hey, buddy, glad you decided to come,” Vince said.
“You’re only glad because I’m the best at cleaning and frying fish.”
Mike laughed. “That, too. There’s beer in the cooler.”
“Thanks.”
Jason knew his friends. He also knew they were good guys, and he liked their company as much as they liked his. They didn’t see each other a lot, but when they did, he knew they could pick up right where they left off. He’d known he could call Vince today, and if he was on the water he’d pick him up and invite him to join them on the boat. That was just the kind of guy Vince was.
It was good to have friends you could count on.
He grabbed a beer from the cooler, then went into the house. He also found Erin, Summer and Daria and a few other people he didn’t know. He expected them to be in the living area drinking wine. Instead they were in the kitchen, chatting together while chopping onions and cilantro.
“What are you all up to?” he asked.
“Making some salsa and guacamole for starters,” Erin said.
Daria nodded. “We know everyone’s hungry. Or at least I am.”
Jason nodded. “I’m going to clean the fish.”
“There are potatoes in here,” Erin said, digging through the pantry. “And there’s celery, too. And I saw some eggs in the fridge. If you all would like, I could make potato salad.”
“That would be awesome,” Summer said. “You sure you want to go through all that trouble?”
Erin smiled at her. “It’s no trouble. Plus, the potato salad will go well with the fried fish.”
Jason worked silently gutting the fish and getting it cleaned, then sliced it into small pieces while he listened to the women talk. Erin seemed to be in a good mood as she discussed Daria and Mike’s wedding plans.
“We’re getting married in October, at my family’s church in Texas, followed by a big reception at the country club. Over four hundred people.”
“That sounds amazing,” Erin said.
“It’s been a whirlwind. Wedding planning is so stressful. Mike and I are looking forward to it being over with—and to our honeymoon in Maui.”
Erin laughed and started peeling potatoes. That’s what a lot of couples said as it got closer to the wedding. Daria was right in that planning a wedding caused a lot of stress. She knew that firsthand. There were so many details, and then you had family members and friends adding to it. Erin was a planner, so she’d had everything in order.
Except for that whole runaway groom thing. That she hadn’t been able to plan for.
Shaking off that thought, she finished the potatoes and put them in the water to boil, and set a separate pot for the eggs.
“You went after those potatoes with a vengeance. Got murder on your mind?”
Jason had come up behind her and put his arms around her.
“No, that’s how I peel and slice.”
“Uh-huh. Remind me to steer clear of you when you have a knife in your hand.”
He kissed the side of her neck, lingering for a few seconds, which was long enough to banish those non-wedding demons.
She turned to face him. “And how about you? Got that fish ready to fry?”
“Like the master fryer I am.”
“Good to know.”
Summer handed him a tray. “Here. Take these snacks outside, master fryer.”
“Will do.”
He took the tray from Summer, laid his beer on it, then leaned over and brushed his lips across Erin’s. “Later, master potato-salad maker.”
She rolled her eyes and laughed. “Get out.”
After he left, she checked on the potatoes. They were boiling, so she’d have to keep a close eye to make sure they didn’t overcook.
“Jason’s got it bad for you, Erin.”
Erin looked over at Daria. “We’re just good friends.”
“Honey, there’s way more than friendship going on.”
“Agree,” Summer said, pouring more wine into her glass. “I can practically see hearts floating out of his eyes when he looks at you.”
“Oh, stop. You cannot.”
“There are three looks a man gives a woman,” Daria said. “Friendship, lust and love. Trust me, he’s looking at you with his love eyes.”