Saving Grapes - Madeline Kirby Page 0,5
this afternoon.”
“Don’t worry, I can chip in for food.”
“Nope, room and board are part of the deal, plus minimum wage for now. I hope that’s okay?” Ben nodded. “Cool. We’ll see how it goes. I know this probably isn’t your dream job, but you’ve got a place here until you figure out what’s next, okay?”
“Okay,” Ben said, “I appreciate it. I… well, for now I just want to work, clear my head, figure some stuff out. I don’t know much about viticulture specifically, but I think I’ve got some skills that should be useful, and I’m willing to learn whatever you’re willing to teach me.”
Thom glanced over from where he was working at the stove. Ben was definitely dressed for a day in the field and looked ready to get to work. “You know it’s called viticulture. That’s more than most people. Let’s have breakfast, we’ll start with a quick tour, and then we’ve got vines to tie.”
“Vines to tie?”
Thom chuckled. “Lesson one: Tying vines, to provide support once the grapes start forming. It’s not hard, just tedious and time-consuming. Welcome to the glamorous world of viticulture!”
Ben was a quick study, and by the end of the second day he was tying vines like a pro. By the end of the first week they were working easily together and had fallen into a routine – up early for a quick breakfast, spend the morning working in the vineyard, then lunch, more vineyard work, and then dinner and a beer on the porch. When they weren’t working separately in the vineyard, Thom would fill Ben in on the workings of the business, spraying schedules, timing the harvest, pruning, and so on. It was a simple, no-frills life, but Thom was used to it. It was easier now, with Ben’s help, and he thought that maybe, if Ben stuck around for a while, he could start thinking about expansion again.
“So,” Thom started, leaning back in his deck chair, feet on the porch rail and a half full bottle of beer sweating in his hand, “you’ve been here a week now. You’re doing good work – think you might be interested in sticking around for the summer, at least? I could use the help, and if I know you’ll be on board for a while I could start reviving some of my expansion plans.”
Ben turned his head to study the older man’s profile. Thom wasn’t looking at him, but was staring out over the fields rolling away beyond the porch railing. Ben liked looking at Thom, he had to admit. He guessed Thom to be about thirty, maybe older, maybe younger. It was hard to tell sometimes, when someone spent so much time outdoors. He was lean, with a strong profile, straight nose, and the faintest hint of a dimple in his chin. His hair was almost black, and his blue eyes had a darker ring around the irises that gave his gaze a piercing quality, when Ben could get the other man to look at him. He wondered if Thom avoided eye contact because he was uncomfortable. Had he figured out Ben was attracted to him? Ben had been very careful to keep his distance – he needed this job, and was surprised to realize that he actually liked it as well. Of course, the longer he stayed the more troublesome his growing attraction would become. Staying would probably be a bad idea.
“Yeah, I’m in.”
“Last night you mentioned expanding?” Ben asked at breakfast the next morning. “What did you have in mind?”
“Yeah. It’s something my granddad and I talked about a lot,” Thom brought plates of bacon and eggs to the table while Ben poured them both cups of coffee. “He always wanted to move beyond just growing and start making our own wine. That was why I went to UC Davis – to study viticulture and enology. We had started putting the plans together and experimenting with some small batches when his arthritis got too bad and he had to move. Since he’s been gone, and with just me here full time for a while, I haven’t been able to pursue the idea further. But with you here, maybe I can make it work.”
“I guess I just assumed you were making wine. If not, then what happens to all the grapes?”
“I’m under contract with one of the larger wineries in the area. They buy our crop each year and use it to make wine under their own