The Vineyard at Painted Moon - Susan Mallery Page 0,57
did the marriage not matter? Mackenzie wasn’t sure which.
Barbara sighed. “However well you’re getting along, the situation must be painful. I’m sorry, my dear. Let me know if I can help in any way. And to be clear, nothing between us changes. Your job isn’t in jeopardy at all. I hope you know that already, but I want to say it anyway. You’re a significant part of Bel Après. I’ll miss having you as my daughter-in-law, but you’ll always have a place here.” She smiled. “We’d be lost without you.”
“Thank you for saying that.” Mackenzie’s stomach flipped over and her chest got tight. “The thing is, I wanted to talk about that, too.”
Barbara’s body stiffened as her expression tightened. “I don’t know what that means. Talk about what?”
“My future.”
“Which is here, where you belong. I won’t hear otherwise. You need to be here, Mackenzie. You and I are Bel Après. You’re the winemaker. Together we create magic.” She gave a high-pitched laugh. “Thinking of being anywhere else is madness.”
“I can’t stay,” she murmured, wishing she could run and knowing she had to face whatever happened.
“Of course you can.” Barbara’s voice sharpened. “You must. This is your home. A divorce doesn’t change that. Are you concerned about the house? We can have another one built. You can’t walk away from this. We’re part of your family, your history. Without us, what would you have?”
Her gaze narrowed. “Are you going to work for someone else? You can’t. I forbid it.”
“How can you forbid it? You don’t own me.” Irritation replaced worry.
“You have a noncompete contract with the winery.”
“I don’t have a contract with you at all. I never signed one.”
Barbara rose to her feet. “You’re wrong. Everyone signs one. I would have made sure of it. Don’t you dare think about working for anyone else. If you try, I’ll ruin you.”
If the words were intended to intimidate, they weren’t working. The madder Barbara got, the more determined Mackenzie felt.
“It doesn’t have to be like this,” she said, careful to keep her voice calm and reasonable. “I don’t want to fight with you.”
“Too late for that. You’re leaving? Is that your point? Well, you can forget that. You’re fired! Do you hear me? You’re fired. I should never have trusted you. Never. I bought into that poor orphan-girl routine and the whole time you were planning to betray me.”
Mackenzie stared at her, unable to believe what was happening. She’d always known the conversation was going to be difficult, but she hadn’t expected anything like this. The ridiculous accusations bombarded her from all sides, making her want to find a way to protect herself.
“Barbara, please,” she began.
Her mother-in-law cut her off. “Don’t try changing your mind now. We’re done.”
“Barbara, I’ve been a part of this family for sixteen years. Surely we can talk about this.” There had to be some middle ground where they could remember how much they meant to each other.
“Get out!”
Mackenzie realized there was no point in trying to reason with her. Maybe later they could have a real conversation. She walked out the door and down the hall, not sure what to do now.
She felt hollow and cold, and a little bit unsteady. She’d been fired. Should she empty her desk? Just leave? She had the thought that she should have let Rhys come with her. Even if he’d just waited in his office, she would have known he was close by.
Only he wasn’t her husband anymore, she reminded herself, suddenly fighting tears.
“Bitch.”
She turned and saw Lori glaring at her.
“I heard everything,” Lori continued. “I’m glad she fired you.”
The cold loathing in the other woman’s voice was as shocking as a slap. Mackenzie took a step back.
“Lori, why are you acting like this? You know me.”
“Better than you think. You’re horrible and I hate you.”
Mackenzie felt her stomach lurch and worried she was going to throw up. She ran downstairs and took a golf cart back to the house. When she was inside, she did something she’d never done in all the years she’d lived there—she locked the doors.
She texted Stephanie and Rhys to warn them what had happened. Stephanie didn’t answer but Rhys texted he was on his way home.
Ten minutes later, she heard knocking at the back door. She ran through the kitchen and opened it, then threw herself into his arms. He held her tight.
“I’m sorry,” he murmured, kissing the top of her head. “I knew it was going to be bad, but I didn’t expect her