Free Tangled Vines: An Australian Rural Romance by Nicole Flockton

would’ve been all types of wrong. He may desire her, but he didn’t
want
her. Not for the long term. Kyle wasn’t the type of man who went into relationships looking for permanence. He fought demons on a daily basis. Demons who leeched the very joy out of his life. Demons he seemed to like having as his partner in life. And although she wanted to help him slay them, she sensed he wouldn’t appreciate her interference. No, kissing Kyle would be bad for her.
    When she was certain her legs could hold her, she picked up Kyle’s glass and rinsed it out, leaving it to drain on the sink.
    She made her way outside, taking a deep breath, inhaling the sweet scent of earth. The sun had just risen and bathed the vines in pale yellow light. She smiled to herself at seeing how the vines had taken on a lush, healthy look. Soon they would be full and heavy with bunches of plump grapes.
    Once she reached the vineyard, she walked between the rows, her hand touching the leaves as she wandered through. She stopped every now and then to pull an errant weed. Everything looked good with them.
    She strolled through another block of vines not as lush as the previous section. She stopped to inspect each bunch for telltale white spots of mildew forming on the delicate skin. Although small, the grapes still looked healthy.
    “Why do you love these vines so much?”
    Kyle in the vineyard was the last thing she expected. Especially after the bender he had gone on the previous evening. His eyes were hidden behind his sunglasses. She could pretty much guarantee that behind those glasses, his eyes were bloodshot and hurting, being out in the sun.
    “What’s not to love about Mother Nature? All the things she does for us, the beautiful things she creates.”
    He took a step back, his fists balled tightly, and for a moment she thought he would lash out and swipe at the vines. But he seemed to realize what he was about to do. She watched as his shoulders rose and fell a few times before they visibly relaxed.
    “Mother Nature is a cruel bitch. I’m not a fan of hers. Nothing she can do would make me love her.”
    Jordan opened her mouth to speak, but Kyle sent her a look that made her snap her mouth shut quickly.
    “Don’t. Don’t try to tell me I’m being unreasonable and that I should appreciate all the beautiful things she creates. It’s bullshit. She doesn’t create beautiful things, I know.”
    Kyle threaded a hand through his hair, agitation rolling off him. She wanted to reach out and touch him. Let him know he didn’t have to be so agitated. But she stopped herself. Jordan had a feeling that whatever happened next would define them both. Everything he felt for the mythical Mother Nature had molded Kyle into the person standing in front of her.
    “What happened, Kyle?”
    He laughed harshly. “Oh, sweetheart, you don’t want to know.”
    “Try me.”
    He took a step closer to her, blocking out the sunlight, casting her in shadow. She couldn’t prevent the shiver as it coursed through her. “You look around at the vines, Jordan, and you see growth, life, opportunity. You think Mother Nature is being nice to you. Rewarding you for caring for her little plants. My father cared for her plants and he didn’t get rewarded with anything nice. I did nothing to her either and she took everything,
everything
that meant so much to me. I was left alone because she was in a shitty mood one day and decided to cast her wrath upon hundreds and thousands of innocent people.”
    Jordan didn’t know what to say next. She should leave it alone, not delve into the personal hell that lived inside Kyle. But she couldn’t stop herself. She had to know everything.
    “Let’s go inside,” she suggested as she took hold of Kyle’s hand and turned toward the house. Kyle had other ideas though, and he tugged on her hand, bringing her flush up against his hard body.
    “I don’t want to go inside. I want to forget. I want to forget about everything that