Yours Completely(48)

She pushed away the thought. They could have that discussion later. For right now, she wanted to enjoy her day off with the handsome man who claimed to fly upside down in helicopters, not worry about what was going to happen tomorrow. Tomorrow would come whether she wanted it to or not, but she could focus on enjoying every minute now.

Jace hopped out of the helicopter first, offering her his hand. She loved how her hand fit so safely inside of his, like it was meant to fit there. He would never let her fall, even if they went upside down in a helicopter.





Chapter Twenty


Ella blinked at the bright sunshine as she stepped out of the helicopter and onto solid land. Despite the beauty of the helicopter's interior, she was glad to be out of it. The blades were slowing as they exited, but she still felt the need to duck as they moved away.

The country was lush and green, and Ella could see plants growing in rows upon rows. “Where are we?” Ella asked, looking around.

Jace didn't answer. Instead, a smiling woman in jeans and a cowboy hat greeted them over the roar of the dying helicopter blades. “Welcome to Jacobson Vineyards and Winery. We're so glad you're here, Mr. Connor.”

Jace shook her hand. “We're glad to be here.”

“Excellent,” the woman replied, broadening her smile. “If you're ready, we can begin the tour.”

Jace took Ella's hand in his as they followed the woman toward rows of green plants. Ella loved how natural it felt to have his hand in hers. Her heart fluttered with pure joy. It was a simple happiness. One that felt like it could endure forever, not just the length of the walk.

“Here's where we grow our Cabernet grapes. Unfortunately, it's still too early in the season to eat any of them, but you can see them just starting to grow.” The tour guide motioned to the rows of plants growing in neat rows on trellises behind her. Ella hadn't even been paying attention to whatever the woman had been saying, so she just nodded.

“When will they be ready to eat?” Jace asked. Apparently he was paying more attention than she was.

“Not for a few more months,” the woman explained. She smiled. “That's basically it for this part of the tour. Feel free to walk around and take in the sights. At the end of each row is a marker displaying the type of grape and the wine it will make. Whenever you two are finished out here, just head on over to the main house and we'll start the wine tasting portion of the tour.”

“That sounds great,” Jace replied. “Thank you.”

Ella murmured a 'thank you' as well and the woman turned and headed away toward a large building several rows of grapes over. The stillness hung over the two of them like a warm blanket. Insects hummed, but they were distant and unobtrusive. Everywhere Ella looked was blue and green. Just like Jace's eyes.

“So, what do you think?” Jace asked. He raised his eyebrows and his hand tightened around hers. If he wasn't a billionaire CEO, Ella might have thought he was nervous. “Do you like it?”

“I love it,” Ella assured him. “I've sent hundreds of guests here for tours, but I've only been here once for a wedding. And it was nothing like this. There were a lot more people.”

“We have the whole place to ourselves,” Jace replied. “I rented it out just for us.”

“Then I have definitely never been here when it's like this.” Ella laughed. “No wonder it's so quiet. It's perfect.”

“Good.” Jace's smile solidified. “I wanted you to have a great day off. It sounds like you don't get many.”

“The company is really what's making it good so far,” Ella replied. She squeezed his hand again.

“Luckily for you, I planned to keep you company all day,” Jace said, squeezing her hand back. “Want to walk around? Since you've been here, you can show me around.”

Ella laughed. “I was sixteen and it was my cousin's wedding. I think I spent the whole time trying to convince my stepmother I wasn't going to drink anything.”

“Are you telling me you didn't want to drink anything?” Jace asked, leading them into the vines. Everything was peaceful and calm, like time was standing still while they wandered and talked.

“I would have loved to have sneaked a glass with my cousin, but...” Ella shrugged. “Making Delores happy was more important at the time.”

Jace paused. Ella turned to look at him, seeing a frown spread across his face. “Why should it matter to you what she thinks? She obviously doesn't care what you think of her.”

Ella reached out and toyed with one of the green grape leaves. It was strong yet flexible in her fingers as it grew, reaching for the sun. “I was sixteen and Delores was the only parent I had left. My father had always wanted us to be a family, and...” Ella trailed off. “It sounds stupid and childish now, but I wanted her to like me. To treat me like her daughter.”