by Lucinda Race
Without a moment of hesitation, he said, “I would love to go to England with you. In the morning, I’ll check the schedule to make sure I can get the days off.” He kissed her lips and lingered there. “We are going to have so much fun. After you’re done wowing the wine world, that is.”
She tipped her head back and laughed. “I love your high opinion of me.” She cupped his cheek and kissed him again. “Now I’m really looking forward to England.”
19
Two days later, Colin strode into the Crescent Lake Winery tasting room. He was on a mission—to see if he could get Anna to play hooky with him for the afternoon. He looked around, curious. Since this was his first time in the main building, he had no idea where her office was. Scanning the room, he wondered if he should go back out and call her.
“Excuse me; can I help you?”
A petite brunette walked in his direction.
“Hi. I’m looking for Anna; I’m Colin Grant.”
She gave him the once-over with a smile and stuck her hand out. “I’m Peyton Brien.” She inclined her head to the bar. “I run the tasting room. Is Anna expecting you?”
“No, but do you know where I might find her?”
Her brown eyes twinkled. “I saw her go into the warehouse. Go on down.”
He looked around and saw there were a couple of possible directions. “This is my first time here, so I’m not sure where to go.”
She waved her hand in the direction of a brightly lit hallway “Come on. I’ll take you to her.”
Their footsteps clicked on the bright-green paint-covered cement floor.
“So you haven’t had the grand tour yet?”
Colin shook his head. “I wasn’t much of a wine drinker until I started seeing Anna; I’m more of a beer guy.”
She gave him a side-look. “What have you thought of our wines?”
“They’re good. I like the cabernet better than the white.” Peyton’s footsteps slowed as they approached a heavy steel door.
“Anna is in there. Go on in and if you ever want an official tasting, I’d be happy to set you up.”
She left him standing in front of the door as he wondered how Anna would react when he just walked into her domain. He wasn’t going to find out just standing in the hall. He pushed open the door and entered an enormous space with highly polished silver tanks lined up in rows the length of the room. He walked to the center aisle. At the end was another door, which logically would lead to another building of similar size if the exterior was any indication of the size of the space.
“Anna?” His voice echoed off the tanks. He heard a muffled response, but he wasn’t sure if it was her or not. “Are you here?”
A minute later, she emerged from between tanks, carrying a small tray of vials. Her face lit up when she saw him. “Colin, what are you doing here?” She placed a tender kiss on his mouth. Her forehead wrinkled. “Did I forget we had plans?”
“We don’t, but I was hoping to convince you to sneak out early.”
She gave him a thoughtful look. “What do you have up your sleeve?”
His took a step closer and ran his hand down her arm. “Can you leave?”
“It just so happens I have a flexible schedule. Care to tell me where we’re going?”
He had her interest piqued. “I discovered a place that holds trivia night once a month and I bought us tickets for tonight.”
“Confident I’d say yes. What time does it start? I didn’t know any place in town was doing that, but it sounds like fun.”
“It’s closer to Syracuse, so it’ll take us about an hour to get there, and it starts at six.”
She glanced at her watch and pointed to a back door. “Let me take these upstairs and I’ll run my tests, and then we can leave. It should only take about a half hour, which will give us plenty of time to get there.” She looked at him with a saucy grin. “Want to come with me and see a mad scientist at work?”
He laughed and pushed the door open for her so she could walk ahead of him. “That sounds like fun. Can I ask questions or do I need to sit quietly and observe?”
She gave him a solemn look. “Questions are always encouraged.” Then she laughed. “This will give me a chance to practice for London.”
He placed a hand over his heart. “I’m happy to be your guinea pig, Madame Mad Scientist.”
In front of them was a set of stairs. She laughed again over her shoulder as he trailed behind her. He liked that he could make her smile and laugh frequently, and it was genuine too.
“Cowboy up, bucko.” She entered a large, spacious room complete with a desk and computer on one side and what looked like a full lab setup on the other. “This is my office.”
“Impressive.” He walked around the space. “Important people get the big office, you know.”
“You should see Don’s if you want to be impressed. He’s at the opposite end of the hall, and it’s as wide as the building, with windows on three sides.”
She set the tray on the counter and Colin pulled her into his arms. “Now for a proper hello.” He kissed her tenderly.
She slipped her arms around his waist. “I love that you surprised me, but I wanted this visit to CLW to be the VIP experience.”
“Not necessary, but I met Peyton when I came in and she offered to give me a tasting sometime.”
Anna pecked his lips and eased from his arms. “If you’d prefer to do a tasting instead of hanging out in the lab, I understand. This can be kind of boring.” She gave him an appraising look.
“I’d rather spend my time with you.” He pulled back the cuff of his shirtsleeve and glanced at his watch. “I’m gonna hold you to that half hour. I’d like to be on the road as soon as you’re done so we can take our time.”
“You haven’t told me where exactly we’re going, other than trivia near Syracuse.” She placed a legal pad on the tabletop and pulled a stool up to her workbench.
“I discovered a place that’s not just a winery but brewery too, and the doors open at six. They do this trivia event, complete with a specialty burger and fried pickles that got a four-point-nine rating from customers. I thought it’d be fun to do something different tonight. You can taste wine and I’ll drink beer.”
“And what if I want to drink beer too?” She arched one eyebrow and crossed her arms over her midsection.
“Then I’ll drink wine and you can drink beer. But how good are you at trivia? That’s the most important question.”
“Why, Colin.” She batted her eyelashes and drawled, “You’re looking at the family champ of every trivia game on the market.”
“So you’re saying you’re the partner to have.” His heart skittered in his chest. He loved spending time with her. She made him laugh and stop taking life so seriously.
“Now, that is an accurate statement.” She pointed to a chair across from her. “Have a seat and let me get busy so we can hit the open road. If you want, we can take my car and put the top down.”
“Can I drive your baby?”
She winked. “If you promise to let me win, you can drive.”
“But you’re on my team…”
She put a finger over his lips. “The mad scientist has just taken over, so our banter will have to wait.”
He leaned back against a counter to watch her work. He was having so much more fun than he had anticipated. Time spent with the beautiful Anna Price was the highlight of his day.
Anna and Colin walked through the large wooden door of the brewery into a throng of people. Happy hour was in full swing. He pointed to an empty table and they threaded their way through the crowd to claim it as home base for the evening.
“Looks like everyone’s having fun.” He held her chair out before signaling to a staff member.
“I didn’t know anyone was doing trivia night, and definitely not in a combo brewery/winery. This is cool.”
After ordering two pints of the Spring beer along with burgers and all the fixings, Anna rubbed her finger
tips together as if they were tingling and, with a grin, said, “I’m ready to start slaying the trivia dragon.” She leaned in closer. “Do you think there’s a trophy or something for the winning team?”
“I like your confidence, but we might have stiff competition.” His gaze roamed the room. “A good many of these people are wearing an expression similar to you. Out to win.”
“But you have one thing they don’t have.” She gave an exaggerated wink. “Me.”
He shook his head and grinned. “You’re incorrigible.”
“And you love me.” She pressed her lips together as if she wanted to take it back. His eyes widened when she used the word love, even if it was in jest. At that moment, their drinks were delivered. He smiled and pecked her lips but before he could say anything, she raised her glass and tapped his. “Cheers.”
The bartender stood up on the bar and tapped the microphone in his hand. The feedback got everyone’s attention and he grinned.
“Don’t you just love when that happens?”
A congenial laugh rolled over the patrons.
“Welcome to Tuesday Trivia. We’ll get started in just a few minutes, but before we do, I wanted to remind everyone: Eat hearty, drink responsibly, and if you need a ride home as you’ve enjoyed a glass too many, we have arranged for Ubers to drop you at home—and it’s on the house.”
A round of applause filled the room and Anna wondered how many people would use the service. She knew she’d have just one and then turn to club soda.
Colin leaned close to her. “I’ll change to soda after this beer, so feel free to enjoy the wine tonight.”
“I was thinking the same thing.” She took his hand. “You indulge. I’ve got you covered.”
He lifted her hand to his lips and grazed them over her wrist. A shiver ran up her arm and straight to her heart. She leaned in for a kiss.
“The things you do to me.”
His eyes were deep pools of green and gold and she felt like falling into them even farther. “Have I told you I think you’re terrific?”
“No, but I guessed you kind of liked me since you have gone out with me several times.” He caressed her cheek. “I have a confession to make.”
“Do tell?” She leaned into his hand. She liked the feel of it on her face.
“Do you remember the first time we met a few years ago? Your dad was in the hospital for a heart attack and you were lying across his bed and I came in to tell your family to bring the decibels down since there were other patients.”
Her eyes grew wide. “You remember that?”
“It was the night my life changed. I wanted to ask you out then, but I had only been single for a few months and I thought it was too soon. I didn’t want to bring any baggage into a new relationship. And then Sam was discharged and I never had the opportunity to ask for your number.”
“You were interested in me even then?” She had remembered meeting him, but this was a new twist.
“I thought you were so beautiful and I loved that you were a bit quieter than the rest of your family. But your smile did me in.” He lightly tapped the end of her nose. “It still does, and now I get to see that smile and hear you laugh all the time. You’re a very special woman, Anna.”
She was bowled over, not just by his words but the look in his eye, which made her heart pound like a bass drum in her chest. Her lips tingled. She licked them and he leaned in. His mouth brushed hers.
He searched her eyes. “You’re unforgettable.”
“Colin, why didn’t you ever look me up at the winery? There is only one Price family in town.”
“I didn’t want to seem like a stalker. I had faith we’d bump into each other at some point and even though it wasn’t under the circumstances I had hoped, here we are today in a meaningful relationship.”
“Are we exclusive?”
“Are you asking if you want to be or if I think we are?”
She smiled. “Both?”
“We are exclusive, and that’s the way I want it to be. And you?”
She brushed her hand over his well-trimmed beard. “That is exactly what I wanted to hear. I’m crazy about you and there isn’t anyone else I’d rather spend time with.”
“Good. Now that we know exactly where we stand, let’s get ready to play some trivia and have a great evening.” He gave her one last lingering kiss. “You’re the only woman for me, Anna Price.”
20
Anna was packed for England and waiting on her front porch for Colin. The last few weeks had been amazing as they spent more and more of their free time together. She gave him a kiss and he took her suitcase.
“You look great.” He slipped an arm around her waist and pulled her into his chest to kiss her again.
Her pulse quickened and she wanted to linger right where they were. “Thanks.”
He put her suitcase in the trunk. “For the kiss or the compliment?”
Giving him a saucy look, she said, “Guess.”
He cocked his head and pulled her closer. He watched her until her eyes closed as he lowered his mouth to hers. Her breath caught and she leaned into him. The kiss was soft at first and grew in intensity. Between kisses, he murmured, “I’m going to miss you.” He pulled back. “Oh, wait, I’m going with you.”
“Ten days with just you and me.” She pecked his lips. “Can you believe it?” She gave him one last lingering kiss.
“As fast as the weeks flew, our time together in England will go even faster.” His finger trailed the side of her face.
“Let’s hit the road. It might take a while to get through customs.”
Anna sat in the middle seat as the second flight climbed through white puffy clouds before they reached the deep blue sky. Colin snoozed in the seat next to her and she knew she should do the same, especially since the trip so far had been uneventful, but when she closed her eyes, all she could think about was spending all this time with this wonderful man. They had agreed to get separate rooms, and she was hoping the hotel was able to make them adjoining. As much as she wanted to be with him, she wasn’t quite ready to be intimate with him. Not that she hadn’t thought about it. She had, but she wasn’t quite ready yet and he seemed to get it.
She opened her laptop to look over her presentation. She wondered how many people would ask questions, or would she be at the podium staring into vacant faces or, worse, no faces at all? Was that even possible? Surely someone would have to come. She pushed that thought aside. The committee must have thought she had something worthwhile to share or they wouldn’t have invited her to speak. She needed to shake off the nerves and self-doubt or it would show up in her lecture.
She was going to present how to determine what juices to blend for an original red wine and how she used the taste of the grape, market demands, and sales figures to project what might be the next trend. She had to admit she had been pretty lucky in her career. The blends she created always sold well. Some better than others, but that was to be expected.
Satisfied with her speech, she shut down the computer and pulled out a paperback. It had been some time since she had enjoyed the simple pleasure of reading a romance novel. She opened the book and after reading the first sentence was swept up in the story.
Sometime later, the older gentleman sitting next to her complied with the request to put his seatback up as they prepared to land. He gave her a warm smile. “Is this your first time in London?”
He had a quaint French accent, a well-trimmed gray mustache, short hair, and was dressed in a pair of dark blue jeans, a pale-blue shirt, and a black V-neck sweater. He reminded her of her late grandfather.
She spoke softly to not disturb Colin. “No. But the city gives me a thrill. So much history everywhere you look.”
“You’re an American.” He didn’t ask a question but made a statement. “Business or pleasure?”
“I’m a speaker at a wine conference.” She felt as if she was confessing a secret to a complete stranger.
“Ah, w
hat a coincidence. I’m also here for the wine conference.” He gave her his hand. “Henri Marchand.”
“Anna Price.” She shook his hand. “Are you related to David Marchand?”
“It is a pleasure to meet you, Mademoiselle Price. And yes, he is my son. Do you know of him?”
“He visited my father’s winery a few weeks ago.”
Henri looked as if he was about to say something else when the jet wheels touched the tarmac.
“To me, it is rare that we have a smooth landing. But all is well, no?”
“Yes, we’re on the ground.”
Colin stirred. “I’m sorry for sleeping the entire trip.”
She touched his hand. “I’d rather have you sleep now than fall asleep while we’re taking in the sights.”
He brushed the hair from her cheek. “Now that we’re on the ground, you have my undivided attention.”
The plane eventually glided to a stop and the seat belt sign went off. People scrambled to gather their belongings.
Henri stepped into the aisle and waited for Anna and Colin to join him.
“Thank you.” They eased down the aisle and then out of the plane, onto the jet bridge. She half turned. “Henri, enjoy the conference and maybe we’ll run into each other.”
“Perhaps.” He gave her a courtly bow. “I hope you both enjoy your visit.”
They were swept into the throng of people all moving in the same direction. Baggage claim and rental car signs were overhead, guiding them forward. She had lost sight of Henri in the crowds. It was nice to meet him. She turned her attention to the handsome man holding her hand.
“Do you want breakfast as soon as we get to the hotel or do you want to get cleaned up first?”
“Shower, change clothes, and then a huge breakfast.” He kissed her cheek. “I’m starving.”
Despite losing her luggage, Anna was ready to conquer London with Colin by her side. They stood on the hotel’s stone steps and looked over the busy street. Horns honked and the traffic created a hum.
