It’s just after five thirty when I lift the lid of the old cast iron Dutch oven I found in a cabinet and release the steam along with the delicious scent of chicken and herbs. Michelle had asked me to surprise her with a traditional Southern dish, which of course is chicken and dumplings. This was the first dish I taught myself how to make from old recorded Paula Dean show, and although I’ve tweaked the recipe some over the years to make it my own, it’s still one of my favorites.
All afternoon the time has ticked by as slow as molasses, and I can’t wait for six to get here. I didn’t expect to run into Zach this morning, but from the moment I left him standing in his office, I’ve missed him. Knowing that I’m leaving in a few days makes me apprehensive; I’d like to spend as much time with him as I can, which makes me more annoyed that we got interrupted earlier in his office.
It was actually surprising to see how many framed football articles, awards, and photos of him in football gear were around the room. I’m sure some were left behind by his father, but the space spoke to his years of love and dedication to football as much as it did for the winery.
I had never known anyone who played football on the level he did. Yes, Lexi’s brother played in college, but the NFL is different. So many dream of making it to the professional level, but only the best of the best do. I know an injury ended his career, but didn’t know what happened. When I searched him, I scrolled through the images and scanned article titles without opening any of them.
Putting the lid back on the pot, I pour myself a glass of wine, grab my laptop, and narrow the search to “Zach Wolff”, “football”, and “injury”. Thousands of results pop up on the screen. I know all of these articles about him are public knowledge, but in a way, I feel like I’m eavesdropping into his life. It’s like reading someone’s diary and learning about their past without asking them first.
Clicking over to the images, I take in every detail of him in his football prime. When I looked him up last week, I hated the sight of him, but now, these photos get my blood pumping in an entirely different way. It’s like a chronicle of his life from college through his time in the NFL. Practices, game days, draft day, events, they’re all there for people to view.
In most of the photos, his look is serious, severe, but in the few of him smiling, it’s breathtaking.
Flipping through the images, I stop on one of him on the field being loaded onto a stretcher. My breath catches because the scene looks frightening, and I imagine it’s every player’s worst fear. There are at least fifteen people around him, and the ambulance is parked next to him on the field. The fans in the background are standing, and every face is frozen in horror.
What happened to you?
Switching back to the web, the title to the third listing reads: Crazy collision results in a career-ending concussion for Tampa’s defensive linebacker Zachary Wolff.
My stomach starts to ache as I scan the article, and even though I know he’s alive and well, it doesn’t stop the anxiety from sneaking in and swirling through me. I knew he stopped playing because of an injury, but after reading this, the cause of the constant headaches make sense.
Hovering over the link, I debate on watching the YouTube clip or not. Seeing someone you care for get hurt is hard enough, but knowing that it’s going to be life changing makes it that much more excruciating. Feeling the need to understand him more, I click play. The entire clip is only twenty-five seconds, but that’s all it takes.
The quarterback lines up for Seattle, he calls the play, and then steps back to fire the ball. The players set into motion, each doing their part, and Zach takes off after an opposing player running down the sideline. Right before he reaches him a second player from Seattle dives through the air to tackle him, grabbing one foot causing him to trip just as the other turns to catch the ball. As the opposing player comes down the momentum of Zach and the other player becomes detrimental. A helmet-to-helmet crash which results in both players being flat on their back.
As the instant replay fires up on the Jumbotron, the gasp that comes from the sixty-thousand stadium is so loud, it’s as if they could have sucked the air right out. The Skycam is almost directly over the tackle, making everyone feel as if they were a part of it. The crack of their heads is so loud it echoes through my computer speakers.
Tears swell in my eyes, and my heart races as I hit play and watch it again. I want it to last longer so I can keep watching. What happens next? Does the other player get up? Is there any movement from Zach at all? Not knowing has left me panicky, and I close my eyes to try to block the computer and calm down. At least he turned out all right . . . mostly.
Two knocks hit the front door and then it flies open. Zach strolls in, kicks the door shut behind him, and smiles when he sees me. Relief washes over me, and I let out a sigh. Running my eyes over the length of him, I look for anything that might be wrong, but he looks fine.
“What’s wrong?” he asks, the smile dropping from his face. I don’t say anything, and his attention shifts from me to the computer screen in front of me. He tenses.
“Why are you watching this?” His eyes still on the screen, his voice deep and laced with emotion.
“I thought it would be fun to look you up on the Internet, I didn’t know I’d be finding something like this.” My voice is quiet, and I’m certain he hears the guilt in it. Guilt because I invaded his privacy and guilt because one glance at the screen and he’s reliving this horrible moment in his mind.
“Well, now you know.” Slowly, he reaches past me and closes the lid of my laptop. His crystal blue eyes find mine, grief lingering on the edges.
“Not really, will you tell me?” I scoot over and pat the spot on the couch next to me, but he doesn’t sit, he just shrugs.
“Not much to tell, but sure . . . later. Kyle and Michelle aren’t far behind me and should be here soon.”
“Okay.”
He moves into the kitchen, steps around the island, and puts down a couple bottles of wine and a lavender plant.
“What’s the plant for?” I pull it in front of me and breathe in the calming fresh scent.
“It’s for you. I know you want to take some lavender home, so this is my way of giving you flowers tonight.”
“Wow, Mr. Wolff, I’m impressed. Thank you.”
He shoves his hands into the pockets of his jeans and gives me a small smile.
I’m pretty sure Zach will always have this air of confident authority surrounding him, he can’t help it, it’s who he is. Then, there are these scattered moments where he cuts pieces of honey out of a bee house and brings me a flowering plant that shows another side to him. It’s the loyal and thoughtful side that I’m certain only those close to him see. It’s a side of him that’s so different from the one he originally gave me, that in many ways I feel like I’m with someone else.
Moving over to the pot he lifts the lid and peeks inside. “Whatever you are cooking smells amazing.”
“Thanks, it should be ready in another thirty minutes. How about you help me put out some appetizers?”
He returns the lid and throws me a crooked grin. “If by put out you mean ‘eat it all’, then yes, I’d love to help you.”
Laughing, he reaches for me and wraps me up in his arms. Without heels on, my head slides right under his chin—the perfect fit.
“I’m glad you came a few minutes early,” I murmur into his shirt while inhaling fresh laundry and the outdoors.
“Me, too.” His arms tighten around me. “I haven’t stopped thinking about you all day.”
Heat creeps into my cheeks, and when I tilt my head back to look at him. He smiles and my heart trips over itself as his blue eyes sparkle at me adoringly. Lowering his head, he kisses the corner of my mouth with his warm lips. It’s such a simple move, but it feels so right.
Another knock comes from the door, and both of us turn to look at it. Zach lets out a sigh and brushes his lips against my forehead before he releases me.
I give my plate a tiny nudge away from me and lean back in my chair. The meal turned out to be perfect, and I couldn’t have asked for a better night.
Originally, I planned for us to eat at the kitchen table, but once we opened the French doors to the back patio, there was no way we could stay inside. The sun had lowered behind the western side of the cottage leaving us shaded and under the most gorgeous clear sky. There wasn’t a trace of humidity in the air, just the scent of the vines that surround us.
“Shelby, hats off to you. This was one of the best meals I’ve had in so long,” Kyle says as he stretches his legs out and rubs his hand over his stomach.
“I agree.” Michelle nods at Kyle and then turns back to me. “When I asked you to make a classic, this hit the spot, all the way down to the pole beans.”
I glance at the now empty dish that had held the pole beans and then lean forward and whisper excitedly.
“This little garden back here has surprised me more than once. I can’t believe you actually have pole beans growing back here. I felt like I struck gold when I saw them last week.”
Zach grins at me after taking another sip of his wine. “Only seems appropriate we have beans that grow on a vine versus a bush, don’t you agree?”
“I do, and I couldn’t have said it better. I grew up eating slow-cooked pole beans, so that’s why I made them tonight.” I also baked cornbread. That dish is empty as well.
Crossing my legs, my foot bumps into the back of Zach’s calf under the table, and he reaches for it to hold it in place. He doesn’t outwardly acknowledge that I’m touching him, but his fingers trace over the arch of my foot and the anklebone. Tingles race up my leg, and I love it.
“Michelle, I hate to break it to you, but your job responsibilities are going to be expanding when she leaves.” Kyle shoots her a mischievous grin.
My heart sinks and Zach’s fingers stop their slow circle. Not once have we mentioned my leaving.
“What do you mean?” She shifts in her chair to face him, and he crosses his arms over his chest.
“You’re going to have to cook more,” he says, matter-of-factly.
Zach and I both laugh, but Michelle glares at him as if he’s lost his mind.
“It’s funny, I have no idea what we ate before you got here,” Zach says to me as he releases my foot, leans back, and stretches his arm until it rests across the back of my chair. The movement doesn’t go unnoticed by the two of them, and a blush creeps up into my cheeks. Zach lightly pulls my hair and winks at me.
“I can tell you what we ate—steak and chicken off the grill. I cook for the two of you at least five nights a week.”
Zach starts chuckling. “Oh yeah, that’s right! Maybe your job responsibilities are changing then.”
Kyle huffs but smiles back.
“What I can’t tear my eyes off is that dessert over there. Did you get some ice cream, too?” Michelle asks.
All four of us glance at the pie.
“I might have, but it isn’t needed for this one.”
“Banana pudding is hands down one of my favorites,” Zach chimes in.
“You should try Lexi’s pecan pie, it’s to die for. Meg and I don’t even attempt to make it, we buy them from her and stock them at the restaurant.”
“She ships pies?” he asks, his fingers falling under the weight of my hair and onto the back of my neck.
“Oh, yeah. How do you not know this? She’s world famous for her pies.”
“I know she is the for fillings, I guess I’ve never thought about her shipping whole pies. We’ll have to stock them here, too.”
“What’s so good about them?” Michelle asks, watching us.
“Oh, just about everything. Her pecan pie is lick-the-plate-in-public worthy.”
Everyone laughs, and I blink quickly, trying to take in as many details that I can.
“Do you like owning a restaurant?” This comes from Michelle, but the both guys look at me, waiting for my answer.
“I do, but it’s really my best friend Meg’s. She owns the majority of it and pours endless amounts of blood, sweat, and tears into making it what it is today. All I’ve ever wanted is to work for Food Network.” Zach’s fingers dip under the edge of my shirt at my neck, I love that he’s found some way all night to be touching me.
“Isn’t that what you’re doing now?” she asks, tilting her head.
“Yes, I guess so. This is more of a one-time assignment. Currently, I’m a freelance writer for them, but in the perfect world, where dreams come true, I’d like to work for them permanently. I’ve always wanted my own show.” Hesitating, I look away from them and drain my glass. Other than Meg and Lexi, no one else knows about these dreams or what I’ve been doing to make them happen. “Actually, I recently interviewed for a host position on a new show. Obviously it’s not my own, but it would be one foot in the door and one step closer to that dream. I’m a candidate in the final round and waiting to hear from them.”
Michelle claps her hands together. “You would be perfect on television!”
“Thank you.” I grin at her.
“Is this job in Charleston?” Zach asks.
I turn to face him and instead of finding his expression curious or excited for me, he’s frowning. “No, it’s in New York City.”
“So, you’d be moving there?” His hand slides off my neck, leaving traces of an imprint, and he returns it to his lap.
“Yes, if I got the job.”
The table falls silent, all three of us staring at Zach. Reaching for his glass, he takes a swallow, clears his throat and smiles at me. “Well, good luck then.”
Why is it that his good luck feels more like he’s saying goodbye? And why does this leave this me feeling oddly unsettled? This would be a huge step toward my dream job, one that no one is getting in the way of.
Plastering on my fakest smile, I tell him thanks and turn to Michelle. “What about you? What dreams do you have?”
Taking a deep breath, she glances over to Zach, Kyle, and then back to me.
“Well, since Zach took over, I’ve learned a lot more about the wines and what it takes to make them. I don’t see myself ever leaving the area, and I love it here, so I’d like to become a winemaker. I’ve found different colleges and organizations that offer online classes in enology and viticulture, and I’m registered to start in the fall.”
Zach sits straight, and pulls his hand from the glass to his lap. “Michelle, that’s fantastic,” he praises, making her visibly relax. Not only is it easy to see how she wants his approval and support but also it’s easy to see he’s pleased and proud of her. “I didn’t know this was something you wanted to do.”
“I like it here, and I want to be more than just the girl who pours wine,” she says earnestly.
Leaning forward, Zach puts his elbows on the table. “Come talk to me next Monday, once this magazine project is over. We can brainstorm about a career path for you and how I can help.”
“I’d appreciate that, a lot. Thank you.” She reaches for her wine glass to try to hide her enthusiasm, but she’s so happy, she’s glowing.
“Wait!” Kyle waves his hands in the air. “You once told me that you dreamed of living somewhere different. Moving to a big city.” Whereas Zach is excited over Michelle’s confession, Kyle is clearly confused.
“Yeah, I do have that dream, but doesn’t everyone?” She looks to me for confirmation, and I shrug.
“I’d love to live in a big city: New York City, Seattle, or even Chicago.” I’ve always said this. Doesn’t mean I will, but cities are amazing.
“See,” she says, challenging him.
“But . . .” He pinches his lips and looks around the table at the three of us before slouching back in his chair and running his hand through his hair.
“But what?” she asks.
He lets out a deep sigh and lifts his eyes to hers.
“All this time.” He shakes his head, and the two of them share a moment filled with a heaviness of misunderstanding and opportunity.
Time stalls as Zach watches them and I watch Zach, who has a small, satisfied smile on his face. Seems I was right, he suspected their hidden interest in each other, too.
Lifting my wine glass, I take a sip. Kyle sees the movement and he lets out a deep breath.
“I think . . .” He looks between each of us before directing the rest of his statement to Michelle. “We need to go.” Abruptly, he stands and reaches for Michelle’s hand to pull her with him. “Thank you, Shelby, for dinner. It was delicious.”
“You’re welcome, I’m glad you guys enjoyed it.”
Michelle gives me a small wave and an apologetic smile over her shoulder as she scrambles to keep up with Kyle. Without a word, they head out the side gate and disappear into the night.