Now when the word unsatisfied entered a conversation or crossed her mind, all she could do was laugh. Unsatisfied. Yeah, well how about now, Al? How satisfied are you with two toddler girls in diapers running around whining and crying all the time, and a baby on the way? She doubted Al was getting much satisfaction these days from Stacey. The woman had to be exhausted. After seeing Stacey and babies in the grocery store the other day, she’d actually felt sorry for her. But thoughts of Al, Stacey, and babies needn’t take up residence in her head.
This was her time now, and in some ironic twist of fate, Al’s unfaithfulness and aftermath turned out to be a good thing. There were moments when she wondered what it would have been like to be married to someone for fifty some odd years or more, share all those memories, and know everything about each other. Sweet little old people holding hands out on a stroll and such. At forty-five, with no love life and no prospects, growing old alone looked like a possibility, and interestingly enough that didn’t scare the hell out of her like she thought it might.
She held the bottle of wine in her hands and closed her eyes for a moment. This had to be the one. Taking it into her office, she grabbed a corkscrew out of the drawer and inserted it. Twisting it down into the cork, she slowly pulled it up out of the bottle. She took a glass from the cabinet and wiped it out, making sure it sparkled clean. After all, this merited a special occasion. As she poured, Danielle watched the dark purple and red colors of the wine blend together. Setting the glass down on her desk, she allowed it to breathe for a few minutes. They were some long minutes.
A new white candle on her desk seemed to be waiting for this moment like the winemaker herself. Yes, a bit of ambience. Why not? She opened her desk drawer again and rummaged around for matches. Finding some, she lit the candle then sat down in her chair. Her fingers wrapped around the glass stem, she swirled the wine, and with a satisfied sigh studied its color. The color of wine always amazed her, and no matter what anyone said, it was never the same. Even with the same type of wines, the color would differentiate by a smidgeon of a shade. Some reds were deep purple, black almost, some as light as a strawberry color. This wine she held in her hand was a dark blood red. How fitting.
She brought the wine up to her nose and breathed it in. Gorgeous. Stunning. The fight for these vines was obviously well worth it.
The seductive scent of black currant, ripe plum, and what could be none other than dark chocolate, hit her nose, easing the knot in her stomach. She twirled the glass between her fingers again and then brought it up to her lips and took her first sip. Her taste buds awakened to layers of luscious cassis, dried cherry, sweet tobacco, and anise that coated her palate and lingered. A warmth spread throughout her body and she couldn’t help smiling. Her toes curled in utter satisfaction. The wine finished with subtle nuances of earth and spice. Danielle waited a few seconds and took another sip to be sure she hadn’t been fooled, because God knew she’d prayed this moment would come. This time after she swallowed the wine she set the glass down, flopped back into her chair, and started laughing. How sweet, how sweet, how sweet! She raised her hands in triumph. And that was when she came up with the name for the wine; Revenge. It was perfect. This bottle of wine was her revenge. Combined with the name of the winery, Déesse, which meant Goddess, she had the name. Revenge of the Goddess. She hoped oenophiles from all over the world would score it high, and after that she would make a killing. Who knew that her husband leaving her for a younger woman would lead to this? She even thought about picking up the phone and calling Al to thank him. No. She’d do that after her wine had been touted from the West Coast to the East Coast. But she did silently toast him.
Finishing off the glass, she corked the bottle and headed up to the house. Now that she’d savored her time with the wine, she knew she needed to share it with one of her best friends. Hands down, she knew she’d call Jamie.
The winery, a good walk from the house, up and down small hills, might be great for toning her legs, but it still winded her. Sometimes she drove the golf cart down to her office and the lab, but today her manager Raul was using it out on the vineyard, and she needed the exercise anyway.
Coming up the driveway, she spotted a car. It had to be one of Cassie’s friends because it was parked next to the brand new Audi her father and Stacey had gotten her.
When she made it all the way to the top of the drive, she saw that the car was Shannon’s. The kid had made it a day early. But she was supposed to be flying home tomorrow and Danielle had planned to pick her up at the airport. Why had she driven all that way? Danielle had told her that she could use her car over the summer. She wished her daughter had let her know that she was driving across the country alone. She could have been hurt, or kidnapped, or worse. What had she been thinking?
She opened the front door. “Shannon?”
“In here, Mom.”
Cassie bounded down the stairs, her long strawberry blonde hair swinging with her gait, a huge grin across her face. “Have you seen Shannon yet, Mom?”
“I just walked in the door, honey. I’m heading into the kitchen to see her. Could you move out of my way? I want to give her a hug.”
“Sure. No problem, Mom. I love a family reunion.” She rubbed her hands together, moving to the side but right at her mother’s heels.
Danielle would have to make sure the kid’s pupils weren’t dilated because she was sure acting funny. No way was she this happy to see her sister.
Danielle couldn’t help smiling as she entered the kitchen, Shannon’s back to her. “Hey, kiddo. We need to talk. You’re in trouble.”
“That’s for sure.” Cassie smirked.
“What’s wrong with you, Cass?”
Cass shrugged, still wearing that shit-eating grin. “Nothing at all.”
Drug testing for sure. “Shan? Aren’t you gonna turn around and give me a hug?” Danielle went to set the wine down on the counter as her oldest daughter turned around. Danielle missed the counter and dropped the bottle. Glass shattered and wine went everywhere. Her mouth dropped open and she shook her head. “Oh, my God.”
***
Danielle called an emergency happy hour the night after Shannon came home. Her news was too much to handle on her own. She’d thrown together a Mexican-style quiche and at that moment wished they had tequila, not just wine.
“Pregnant?” Jamie’s mouth hung agape just as Danielle’s had the night before. If that moment hadn’t been surreal, then what was? Her twenty-one-year-old daughter had stood, belly protruding, flashing solemn green eyes that were the only apology. But Jesus Almighty! How was she going to handle this?
Danielle nodded. “Almost seven months, too. The baby is due the beginning of August.” She set out a plate of stuffed mushrooms, plopped down on her butter suede sofa, and poured herself her third glass of the decent Cabernet. She was hitting it harder than usual, but she was hosting and definitely not driving, and drinking a third glass of wine and sharing this new chapter of her life with her friends seemed to be the answer—the only answer.
“So she couldn’t even consider not having the baby now,” Alyssa said. She reached across the glass coffee table for her glass of wine.
“No. This, my friends, is a done deal.” Danielle scooped some mushrooms onto her plate. Food along with the wine and friends comforted her a little. Soft jazz played in the background. Danielle’s house was a custom five thousand square foot vineyard dream. Unlike Jamie, Danielle had done all the decorating herself and both the inside and outside replicated a Tuscan hideaway.
“She’s been pregnant for all this time and never told you?” Kat’s eyes widened.
Danielle shook her head. “Not a word. Not one word. I’ve talked to that kid I don’t know how many times over the past several months. I talk to her at least twice a week. Ask her about school, her job, if she has a boyfriend. I don’t know why she didn’t tell me when she first found out.”
“What’s she going to do?” Jamie asked. “I mean is s
he planning on keeping the baby? What about her last year of college?”
Danielle shrugged. “I tried talking to her about it, suggesting adoption might be a good way to go. My God, she’s at Yale on scholarship. She’s lined up to graduate with honors, and wants to go to law school. Before she left for school, she’d shared with me that it was her dream to become a Supreme Court justice. This changes everything.” She choked back emotion. Alyssa touched her shoulder and smiled sympathetically. Danielle tried to smile back. “I’m sorry. I’m a little in shock. I can’t believe that my brainiac of a child could be so fucking stupid as to get herself knocked up.”
“Is there a guy? Obviously there is a guy, right?” Jamie asked.
“No. No guy. My valedictorian is pregnant and who’s the father? He’s some exchange student she met from Italy and he has now, of course, flown the coop.” Danielle waved her free hand in the air.
“Ah, an Italian guy,” Kat said. “No wonder. Trouble. Regular Romeo, huh?”
“No shit, Dick Tracy.” Danielle shot her a dirty look.
“I’m sorry, Danielle. I don’t mean to make light of this. It’s got to be difficult. Has she been in contact with him?”
“I haven’t gotten that far with her yet. Our conversation last night was slightly tense and when I saw her becoming upset I did the only thing I could do.” Her friends all looked at her. “I wrapped my arms around her, and told her that I loved her and that I would support her.”
“Wow,” Alyssa said in a whisper.
“Where is she right now?” Kat asked.
“Meeting with her dad. You better believe it won’t be long before I get a call from him. I’m sure I’ll be the one to blame. I’m sure he’ll be delighted.”
The sarcasm wasn’t lost on her friends. The Bastard blamed Danielle for everything that had gone wrong in their marriage, anything that went wrong with their daughters, and especially for the problems he’d recently acquired with the IRS over his business dealings. The blame game there was that he claimed that Danielle hadn’t taught him how to run the books. As if she were supposed to sit him down and give him a tutorial on accounting after he’d screwed her over!
Al’s real big problem was that Danielle had made out in the settlement in a way he hadn’t planned on. She’d gotten half of the vines—the best vines. She’d been able to prove that she’d been the brainchild behind Bastillia Wines. Al managed to get the large distribution deals across the country, but it had been Danielle who worked hand in hand with their employees and helped to cultivate wine into art. Al liked to talk the talk and play big-man winery owner, but it was Danielle who truly understood wine from the soil on up, and she now had the means and was in a position to prove it.
“Screw Al,” Jamie said.
“Not my job anymore.” Danielle laughed and so did her friends. The mood lightened a little.
“Do you know what’s next with Shannon?” Alyssa set her glass down and leaned back into the sofa.
“She told me that she already scheduled an appointment on Thursday with a doctor out here and planned to deliver the baby here. That’s pretty much as far as we’ve gotten. Right now it’s like walking on eggshells with her. I guess I kind of need to let it settle.” She sighed. “Enough about my drama. What’s going on with you?” She looked at Jamie who sat stunned. “When we talked on the phone the other night it sounded like you made the decision to take Maddie over to check out the riding lessons, right?” More wine and another long sigh. “I can see you all don’t want to change the subject, but humor me. I’m tired, frustrated, and don’t want to think about my problems right now.”
Jamie nodded. “Okay. I did. I called and I’m taking her next weekend. In fact, my sister-in-law called and they, of course, asked if they could have Maddie for the weekend, but I told them no, that we already had plans. Then Susan said that she wanted to take her to riding lessons. I was so happy to be able to come back and tell her that I was already taking her to riding lessons.” She smiled and smugly crossed her arms in front of her.
“Good,” Alyssa said. “Sounds like you’re moving forward, keeping your daughter tuned more into you than her aunt and uncle.”
“What about you, Kat? Venus still coming to town?” Danielle asked.
“She’s coming all right. Three weeks and my dear beloved mother will be here.” Kat emptied her glass, and stood. “Hey, hate to be a buzzkill, but looks like your girls just pulled up.”
Danielle stood. “Jeez. They said they’d be home after ten, after everyone went home. It’s only nine.”
Jamie and Alyssa stood too. “That’s okay. I have an early morning meeting,” Jamie said. “I have to get Maddie up extra early and take her to morning care.”
“I should get going too. I’m a bit tired. I also have some things I need to take care of early tomorrow.” Alyssa set her glass down.
“Come on. Stay. The girls won’t mind, and you know I want you to stay.” More than anything, Danielle was afraid to be alone with Shannon. Then there was Cassie, who seemed to be reveling in the fact that her sister had one-upped her on the Oh boy, you are in a world of shit chart. No, Danielle preferred the company of her friends, their wine, and the food to her girls right now. But her pals were already heading to the door with their purses and insisting they needed to leave, obvious that they didn’t want to get caught in the crossfire of pregnant daughter and soon-to-be grandmother.
Last night and all day, Danielle had tried to process Shannon’s pregnancy: the ramifications, the possible positives, the many negatives. But not once, until that very moment that her best friends were checking out on her had the thought crossed her mind that in less than three months she was going to be a grandmother. Now it did, and suddenly Danielle felt very old and she knew that even if her daughter might be ready for this, which she doubted, she seriously wasn’t ready at all.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Jamie
Jamie left work a half hour earlier than usual to get Maddie from the after-school program and to her second riding lesson, taught by a perky, long-legged blonde woman of about twenty-five. The woman was fantastic with Maddie—soft spoken, easygoing, and at the same time, firm on safety and focus. She was a perfect fit for her little girl. What wasn’t so perfect about the riding lessons was the expense. Jamie, already stressing over what to do with Maddie during the summer while she worked, knew that day camps were costly, but leaving her at home with Nora and Dorothy seemed cruel. She’d have to figure it out and make it work, along with the riding lessons.
When she’d inquired about the lessons she’d spoken to a different young woman than the riding instructor, one whose name she couldn’t for the life of her recall. That woman had told her the lessons were thirty-five dollars for the hour, but when she’d brought Maddie out for her first lesson last weekend, the instructor Gwen told her that it was fifty dollars for the hour. Jamie had been shocked and said something to Gwen about the price difference. Gwen apologized, saying she wished she’d known who had told Jamie this because they’d raised their prices over two weeks ago.
Jamie would normally not press the issue. Maddie wanted the lessons and Jamie wanted her to have them. Not only because it made her feel like she finally had more control over her child than her in-laws, but because Maddie had fallen hard for horses. For Maddie to fall for anything and then really connect held a power of its own.
Jamie had taken Gwen aside while Maddie brushed down a paint horse named Patches. “But I was told that it was thirty-five and fifty is a lot more. I’m kind of on a budget.” It was a nice way of saying that she was flat-ass broke. She knew if she put a pencil to paper that she’d be in the red every month, and she was. She chose not to pick up neither pencil nor paper. She’d borrowed money off of credit cards and even had a couple of unsecured loans at high interest rates. It had been difficult getting banks to loan her money after Nate died, and when the economy tanked things got even tighter. The medical bills piled up and, truth be told, she knew
that she and Nate lived a pretty high life before he got sick. A life that included five-star vacations, designer clothes, expensive dinners out, and all sorts of lessons for Maddie, like piano, ballet and tennis—none which ever stuck. Then Nate had gotten so sick and the insurance hadn’t covered the experimental drugs they’d tried. Yes, he’d had life insurance. A half million dollars, which at the time sounded like a lot, but when there are medical bills upwards in the six figures and a mortgage to pay and private tuition for Maddie, and now Dorothy to take care of…With the cost of living so high these days, making ends meet was getting harder each day. Jamie knew she should sell the house, put Maddie in public school, and do what she could to save some cash. Thus paying for riding lessons did not fall into the saving cash category. But Maddie didn’t deserve to have her entire life change because her mom was deep in debt.
Jamie had gone ahead and asked Gwen what she could do about the cost of the lessons.
“You’ll have to speak with Tyler. He’ll be here next week.”
While Maddie attended her second lesson, Jamie put some steel in her backbone and headed to the boss’s office to discuss the issue. The ranch was pristine with three large barns, housing rows of stalls in them. The pungent smell of manure wafted through the air combined with hay, soil, and something floral. It might have been neroli orange blossoms or maybe jasmine? She wasn’t sure. From what Jamie could see, there were also three large arenas, one with jumps in it. Olive and orange trees were scattered all over the property. A good-sized log home stood in the background with a front porch swing included. Kind of like a Norman Rockwell painting.
Tyler Meeks’ office was at the end of the main barn, opposite a large tack room.
Jamie expected to round the corner and walk into the office to find an attractive man. After all, Danielle had mentioned he was a looker. She’d seen plenty of attractive men in her day, but none of them had taken her breath away like Nate had when they’d met. None of them until that very moment when she laid eyes on Tyler Meeks. Wow. Oh wow.
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