by Lucinda Race
“Hey, big brother.” Jack looked around. “Did you forget a couple of little ones?”
“Do you mean my sons and adorable daughter? Mom and Dad called dibs on the kids for an overnight stay. Mom’s going to swing by the house and take over for Jessie soon and give her the rest of the day off. I thought I’d whisk my beautiful wife out for a romantic dinner.” He glanced around. “I know she and Peyton are together. Any idea where?”
Jack perched on a tabletop and folded his arms across his chest. “I do. They’re having some girl time in the gazebo.”
Don playfully punched him in the arm. “What are we doing in here?”
Before he could take a step, Jack asked, “Do you know how much wine Peyton actually sells in the course of an afternoon like today?”
“I don’t have the specific numbers off the top of my head, but I’m pretty sure business is brisk.”
“Do you have any idea why the sales numbers are up?”
Don gave him a quizzical glance. “What are you getting at?”
“Peyton does an unbelievable job talking up each type of wine and what to serve it with, and she basically draws the customer in until they feel they have to buy it. I’ve never seen anything like it. She has a knack for sales.”
Thoughtfully, Don said, “Does she want to move into an outside sales position?”
“No, she enjoys being right where she is, and I don’t think she’d want to be away from Owen for days at a time, but maybe you could give her a commission or a raise. Between what Kate is doing in the bistro and Peyton, we’ve struck liquid gold.”
“All right, let me run the numbers and see what I can come up with.” He paused. “Are you sure this isn’t because you’ve got a thing for the girl?”
Jack frowned. “You know me better than that. I’m not the crazy guy who lets feelings for a woman get in the way of the family business. That’s your department. You’re the one who took off and followed Kate to her hometown. And then you took a job cutting down trees with her brother, just to be close.”
Don held up his hand. “In my defense, look at how everything turned out. I got the girl and, three years ago, the job I was born to do.”
“It just took longer than everyone expected for you to move home.”
Don looked at Jack. “What’s going on with you and Peyton? Still in the friend zone?”
Slowly Jack nodded. “Yeah.”
“Are you seriously interested in her?”
“I am. I never really stopped caring about her.”
“And Owen?”
“What about him? I really like him. He’s spunky, funny, and a really good kid.”
Don nodded in agreement.
“If things develop between the two of us and we take this to a committed level, I’ll be the best role model I can for Owen. The boy needs a dad.”
“I like the confidence.” Don clapped him on the back. “Let’s go find the girls and see if they’re ready to spend time with the dashing and handsome Price brothers.”
Peyton slipped her cell phone into her back pocket as she and Kate laughed over how cute Owen looked driving the boat.
“And Jack just went with the flow with the three boys?” Kate took a sip of her seltzer. “Well, I’m not surprised—he’s always been good with kids. I was a little worried when he used to carry Ben around under one arm like a football, but that was more about new mother nerves than his ability.” She peered over the rim of her glass. “So how does my friend feel about Jack?”
“He’s a great guy. I’ll confess I was concerned about spending time with him, but it was okay even though we dated for a while. Our lives went in different directions. The end.” She swirled the wine in her glass. “We’ve come a long way over the last couple of years and I think we’ve become friends again.” She sipped her wine. “You were a good friend when I needed one.”
Kate’s eyes widened. “Me? I didn’t do much.”
She lifted her eyes to meet Kate’s. “You listened. You were the first person I told about the assault. You stood by my side and propped me up when I needed extra support.”
Kate placed her hand on Peyton’s arm. “I’m glad I was there for you. But you did the hard work; therapy is tough. You would have done the same for me.” She leaned back in her chair. “And now look! We’re the best of friends.”
“In some ways, I feel you’re like the sister I never had but always wanted.” She could feel her lips twitch as she contained a grin. “Even if I think you’re subtly encouraging me to date the handsome Jack Price.”
Kate chuckled. “So you admit he’s handsome. That’s a good first start.”
She felt color creep into her cheeks. “Stop. That doesn’t mean I want to be in a relationship with him.” She sipped her wine. “He’s coming over tonight and bringing pizza for me and Owen.”
“What? How did that happen?” Kate sat up straight and grinned. “Details.”
With a small shrug, Peyton said, “I’m not sure. The invitation sorta slipped out.”
“Girl, you need to tell me everything that happens, and I mean all the details.”
Peyton sipped her wine and smiled over the rim. “It’s not a big deal, really.” But she had to wonder, Wasn’t it?
Owen came careening around the corner into the kitchen a couple of hours later, tugging his sweatshirt over his head. “Mom, is Jack here?”
She glanced out the front window. “Not yet.” She pointed to the paper plates and napkins. “Would you take those out to the picnic table for me?”
“Sure.” As he picked up the plates, the napkins floated to the floor. “Sorry, Mom.”
“It’s okay. Just pick them up and get new ones from the cabinet.”
“They’re not dirty,” he said. “Grammie keeps the floors washed all the time.”
Peyton laughed. “I know she does, but let’s just throw them out and get new ones.”
He shrugged and started for the cabinet. A honking from the driveway interrupted his task. His eyes lit up. “He’s here.” He dropped the plates on the table and took off racing through the living room and out the front door.
The screen door banged shut and Peyton could hear him yelling, “Jack! Hey, Jack!”
She wondered how Jack would respond if she did the same thing. She peeked out the window, curious to overhear the conversation between them.
Jack held the top to the pizza box open just enough for Owen to peek inside. And then, as was typical, Owen stuck his hand in to sneak a glop of gooey cheese. Jack chuckled and playfully popped the top on the back of Owen’s hand. “Hey, I think we’re supposed to wait for dinner.”
“It’s okay. Mom won’t get mad.”
“Can I quote you?” Jack caught her watching them and smirked.
Owen turned and looked at him, his face squished up, looking confused. “Why?”
“I don’t want to get in trouble with your mom.” He placed a hand on Owen’s shoulder and turned him toward the stairs. “Let’s go have dinner. I’m starving.”
With a quick grin, Owen said, “Me too.” He hurried up the stairs. She wondered where he found the energy to keep going when all he ever did was go at top speed.
She propped open the screen door. Jack stepped in and touched her hand briefly.
“Come on.” Owen tugged on Jack’s arm. “We’re eating outside and cooking s’mores. Isn’t that cool?”
Jack winked at Peyton over his shoulder as they walked out the back door. “Very.”
Trailing behind the guys, she picked up the tray with paper plates, napkins, and their drinks. She stopped to throw the napkins out too. Once outside, she discovered Owen was talking Jack into lighting the fire. With one look, she realized it hadn’t taken much convincing; he seemed to be having just as much fun as Owen.
She crossed to the deck railing. “Hey, guys. We can eat now and then play with the fire.”
Owen’s eyes grew round. They held a solemn look. “Mom, we don’t play with fire.”
She watched as the two of them stared intently at the firepit. She smothered a grin at the way Owen kept saying Jack’s name. It was almost as if he couldn’t believe Jack was at their house. In a way, she couldn’t believe it either.
Owen hopped up the couple of steps to the deck. He scrambled up onto the picnic bench, his legs dangling. He waited for his mom to pass him a plate with a slice of pizza and he turned to the fire and then to his mom and Jack.
Jack sat on the other bench next to Peyton and took the plate she passed to him, her hand grazing his. He held her eyes for a fraction of a minute. The intensity sent a shiver up her arm. Being in close proximity to this man made her think about doing things with him that hadn’t crossed her mind in a very long time. She thought about it for half a second. On her last date, the idea of anything physical caused her heart to race, but it was totally different with Jack. It was nice to have that zing.
To no one in particular, she said, “Let’s eat.”
7
“Hey, Don.” Peyton paused while wiping down the bartop. “What brings you down here today?” When he had stopped in the gazebo last night, he hadn’t indicated he wanted to talk with her. Was something wrong? She continued wiping down the wine bottles on display behind the bar even though Don stopped in the middle of the room. She knew from her long association with the Price family that he was taking in every detail, no matter how big or small.
He perched on a barstool and gave her a friendly smile. “I’ve been looking over the sales numbers and comparing them to last year at this same time. We’re up thirty percent. Do you have any idea why?”
She set aside the damp cloth she was using. “People are raving about the bistro. They say the food is amazing and they really like how Kate’s menu enhances different wines, usually in ways they hadn’t thought of.”
“We have seen a spike in the last few weeks, which I can attribute to the bistro being open again and the Spring Fling event, but there’s been a consistent and steady increase of thirty percent before that.”
“Marketing’s been doing a great job on social media for a while now too. Promotion for the bistro and the tasting room has been a huge draw. Liza’s brought more people by to check out the gazebo for weddings and anniversary parties. I think that has attributed to another small spike. When they’re here looking around, they usually buy a bottle or two.”
He seemed to consider what she said. “Do you think we need to add additional help? It seems with the increase, you and Tony might not have enough hands on deck, so to speak.”
Peyton considered how hard last Sunday had been before Jack stopped by. “Maybe having another person to help carry out cases and fill in for tastings would be good, sort of a floater.”
“All right then. You did a great job hiring staff for the bistro, so go ahead. One or two people, if that’s what it takes.” He held out a paper.
“I’ll set up interviews for you as soon as I can.” She took the paper from him.
“I won’t be involved in the interviews, and the new hire will report directly to you.”
She was taken aback. This was the first time she had been given complete autonomy when it came to hiring. She scanned the paper. A range was listed for a starting hourly rate.
Confused, she said, “How do I know what to offer?” She set the paper aside.
He gave her an encouraging smile. “Go with what you think is best.”
“But, Don, I haven’t hired anyone without you, Sam, or Kate weighing in. Ever.”
“You can handle it.” He got to his feet. “Oh, and Tony reports to you now too, so you might want to think about a raise for him. I would suggest fifty cents an hour. I’ve already given him the good news that you’re his boss.” He tapped the bartop and flashed her a smile. “Thanks for your hard work, Peyton.” He strode from the room without waiting for her to respond.
She leaned against the oak counter. What had just happened? All of a sudden, she went from an employee to a manager. But he didn’t mention a raise. Did that mean she was taking on additional responsibility without compensation? What about a discussion of his expectations?
“Busting my butt must be paying off if the numbers were that good compared to last year.” Absentmindedly, she picked up the damp cloth and began to wipe down the already clean bottles, pleased to be a trusted member of the team, but it left her with many questions—like why did Tony get a raise, but she didn’t?
She picked up the paper and scanned it again. It was a job description for a part-time person for weekends and holidays during the season. “At least this will make it easier to interview someone.” The tasting room phone rang and she answered it.
A female voice said, “Hello. I saw a posting online for a part-time job in the tasting room. Is the position still available?”
Peyton grinned. Sneaky devil, he had this all planned. It was a good thing Don came when he did; otherwise, she would have turned away a potential candidate. “Why yes, it is. Who is this, please?”
“Lily Peters, and I’ve recently moved to the area.”
She certainly sounded energetic over the phone. “Do you have any questions about the job, or would you like to schedule an interview?”
“I don’t have any questions. The posting was pretty detailed.”
“Would one o’clock tomorrow be okay?” Peyton hoped she could come in soon. Maybe if she worked out, she could start this weekend.
“I’ll be there.”
“Do you need directions?”
“No, thanks. I’ve already looked them up. See you tomorrow.”
The line disconnected. It would be nice if she had a few applicants to choose from. Before she could get back to work, the phone rang three more times. She had her wish: a total of four interviews for the next day.
Peyton dressed for work in a tan skort and a deep-purple polo with the winery logo, and matching purple tennis shoes. She didn’t want to look formal for the interviews, and this was what she wore when the tasting room was open, so it would set the tone.
She got to the winery at ten o’clock. Her first interview was in a half hour. She flicked on the spotlights and saw a small glass vase of wildflowers sitting on the bar. Next to them was an envelope. Her name was printed across the front in large bold letters. Nose to blooms, she inhaled the faint sweet smell of anise from the black-eyed Susans, which were mixed with wild lavender.
She pulled a card from the envelope and recognized the handwriting. Have fun interviewing today, Boss Lady.
Peyton laughed. “Jack.”
From the shadow of the hallway, she heard, “Did I hear my name?” He crossed the room. “I see you got my card and flowers.”
“You shouldn’t sneak up on me.” She turned with a laugh. “Thank you for the flowers. It wasn’t necessary.” His brow arched and that familiar twinkle appeared in his eyes. “But it’s a sweet surprise.” She touched his arm. “What brings you to my little corner of the vineyard today?”
“I was on my way out to check the vines when I saw your car coming down the drive. I wanted to swing by and wish you good luck.”
She tucked the card into her bag and stashed it all in a cabinet. “I was surprised when Don promoted me and told me to hire someone.” She leaned against the bar. “He must have confidence in me. But he didn’t give me any specifics about what exactly he’d like me to do different. I’m going to see if he has a few minutes later to discuss the details.”
“I’m sure he’ll make time for you.” Jack grabbed a jug of water from the fridge. “We all think you’re amazing.” He poured a glass and drained it. “It’s thirsty work out there.”
“Oh really? I couldn’t have guessed.” Peyton smothered a laugh. “And I’m sure I’ve been the topic of conversation at every board meeting.”
Jack grew serious. “You’re doing a grea
t job here and the family appreciates your hard work.”
A flash of worry washed over her. Did I get the promotion because Jack told Don to give it to me? I bust my butt every day. Please don’t let it be that he pulled strings.
“I just realized my first interviewee will be here soon.” She didn’t look at him while she straightened a small stack of flyers with CLW specials.
“Oh. Well. Why don’t I take off and you can tell me about your day later? I can swing by with a pizza or subs.”
She didn’t look up. “Not tonight. I promised Owen we’d watch a movie.”
* * *
If he didn’t know better, he’d think she was giving him the brush-off. It had to be nerves about the day ahead. “I’ll see you later, and good luck.”
“Thanks, Jack, and don’t worry. I’ll hire a great person.”
He could hear a strain in her voice that hadn’t been there when he first arrived. “Peyton, really, we’re not worried. I’m not; that’s for sure.” He walked toward the door and turned. “Are you upset with something I said?”
Her voice was curt. “No.”
He hesitated. “If you want to talk later, call my cell.”
She nodded and turned her back toward him.
Instead of going to the maintenance building, he took the back stairs, two at a time. Without knocking, he pushed open the door to Don’s office. He was on the phone and pointed to the chair opposite the large desk.
It was the desk that, up until three years ago, his father had sat behind every day for over forty years. After Sam Price had a mild heart attack, Don had taken over as president and CEO of the family business, a role Jack had to admit Don was born to do.
He waited as his brother wrapped up the conversation. Setting the phone in the cradle, Don looked at him with mild curiosity. “What’s up?”
Jack drummed his fingers on the arm of the wooden chair. “I was just in the tasting room with Peyton.”
