Eight Hundred Grapes Novels & Stories

Mom squealed. The Cunning Ham had sourced grapes for its first bottlings from local vineyards, but now that our own vines had been revitalized, I was pretty sure a few of the vineyards would produce enough to crush our own grapes for a couple of the varietals this year. Jacques agreed. “It is exciting. I’ll check the sauvignon blanc grapes this morning. They’re close.” “Good. But that’s not why I’m calling.” “Okay.” I steeled myself. I knew Mom would be following up on the date she’d set me up on the day before.

The vineyard was quiet in the early hours of dawn. Maria sat at her writing desk, the windows open to the scent of ripening grapes and the distant hum of workers preparing for the day. Her fingers hovered over the keyboard, her heart steady. She had written the final line of her second book. She titled it The Unspoken Harvest.

I had been anticipating the harvest. “Sure, please. Have you guys sent it out to the neighboring village already?' “I'm taking them out along with yours.” I heard a sound of someone hitting something. “What is that sound?” “It's Hunter arranging the boxes of grapes.” “Alright. Don't forget to bring enough quantity,” I said before we said our goodbyes. I could make use of the grapes and make fruit juice out of them for Mrs. Victoria. I'm sure she'd love it. **

“Are you in the manor today? The grapes in the residence are ripe, so I’ll send some over to you and check on you as well. It’s not like you’ll come see an old woman like me if I don’t go to you first.” “Grapes are good. If a pregnant woman eats more grapes, maybe the babies will have bigger eyes in the future,” Shaun mused thoughtfully. “What… What did you say?” Old Madam Hill stuttered in shock.

“Would you try this grape, please?" Before he could turn down my offer, I shoved the deep purple grape into his mouth, forcing him to take a bite. "Delicious, isn't it?" Georgia looked at me, wide-eyed. I forced a smile on my face, but my palms were sweating. I knew I was tempting my fate. Alpha Grey glared at me for a moment before chewing and swallowing the grape. In a low hiss, I heard him call my name in a warning tone, "Avalyn "

Chandler whispered nervously, pointing a trembling finger down the long trellis of grapevines. Alcott marched down the dirt aisle, his eyes narrowing. At first glance, the long row of grape clusters looked fine. But as he leaned closer, his stomach dropped. At the base of four major vines in the center, the lush green leaves had turned a soft, slimy gray. Dark, velvet-like mold spots were creeping over the stem, and several grape clusters were shriveling into soft, sour-smelling rot.

💦Grapes and Forbidden Touch💦 "Watch where you're going!" I snapped as strong hands caught my arms. My basket of fresh grapes tumbled to the ground, purple fruit rolling everywhere across the dusty path between the vineyard rows. A deep chuckle rumbled above me. "My fault. I was watching you instead of the path."

"She left? Finally showed some sense. Good riddance. I'll go discuss the date for your and Gianna's bonding ceremony with the Thunder Ridge elders right away." But something in her words struck a nerve. Eric's face changed drastically, his voice hoarse but firm. "Impossible! Why would she leave me? She clearly..." She clearly relied on him so much, needed his protection. Luna Anya, seeing his insistence, scoffed. "What's so impossible? She took the hundred million dollars without a second thought, you know." A hundred million dollars. Eric seized on the number, jerking his head up to look at his mother, his voice filled with disbelief. "What did you say? What hundred million dollars?!"

Her eyes were sad, and tired, and maybe a little hopeless. Adam hated that. The following Friday dawned bright and muggy. It was now officially August, and the grapes had begun to ripen until they’d be ready in October. They would know for certain what the harvest would look like come the fall. Adam awoke that morning, grim-faced and hoping that he’d been wrong about how bad the crop was. Maybe once they harvested it, it would look better than expected.

“All of you have tried it but me.” His expression made Nathan and everyone else laugh as they nodded in agreement. Rose’s vineyard was in the suburbs east of Paris, and it was quite a distance to travel there. There were quite a lot of them, so Nathan rented multiple cars as they headed there along with their security team. Even the Parisians were astonished to see a huge convoy like theirs. “Look! There are grapes!” Max said with great interest to Nathan and Eva, “Daddy, Mommy, can I try the grapes here?”