The Winemaker

by Michelle MacQueen

  “Shouldn’t you two be in school?”

  They both jerked around when they heard me. Emery looked scared, but Max lifted his chin defiantly. “What’s up, Conner?”

  I raised a brow. “That’s what you have to say for yourself? It’s the middle of the morning, Max.”

  “Thanks for the reminder, Dad.”

  I sighed and set my sights on the easier one, Emery. The two of them were twins, but more different than alike. They were sixteen, and I barely knew them. How sad was that?

  Emery finally lifted her eyes to mine. “We needed a break, okay?”

  “A break?”

  Max nodded. “We have our game against Hidden Cove this week.”

  Game, now it made sense. Max was the quarterback of the football team. I’d seen him play a few times, and he was good, but he also had a tendency to let his nerves get the better of him. And the Hidden Cove Spring game was the biggest game of the year despite not counting toward the regular season.

  My mind immediately went to Lena, wondering who she’d be rooting for in the game. There were three Hillson kids on the other team.

  I shook thoughts of her from my head, sympathy for my cousins returning. I knew what it was like to face the pressure of being an Ashford in this town. Even worse was being the spurned Ashfords. They had the name and all the expectations that came with it without the money or the business.

  Though, I had my suspicions that my grandfather made sure they were taken care of. My father didn’t control all the purse strings.

  From the set of Max’s shoulders, I knew going back to school wasn’t what he needed. And Emery, she was the good one who never did anything wrong—unless it was for either of her brothers.

  “Okay, fine. Come with me, and I’ll buy you two something to eat at the diner.” I wasn’t sure when I’d gone soft or why I wanted to help them, but I had this new urge to be more than what everyone thought of me, to surprise people.

  And it seemed like I’d succeeded because the twins looked at each other like they didn’t trust what I was offering.

  “You’re not making us go back?” Max asked.

  “Not until you’ve had some pie.”

  Emery looked at me. “But it’s morning.”

  “And?” I gestured to the end of the alleyway. “Come on. If we get lemon meringue or apple, we can pretend we’re just eating fruit.”

  They hustled out of the alley, and I ignored the stares of the ladies in the park. In the next Weekly Wine, I was sure there’d be a sighting of me helping my truant cousins. It was a good thing my father didn’t read the paper.

  We were about to step inside the diner when I noticed Carter heading up the street toward us.

  “You guys grab a booth, I’ll be right in.”

  They both shrugged and left me to wait for my brother.

  Carter shielded his eyes from the sun and smiled when he got to me. “Was that Emery and Max I saw you with?”

  I nodded, crossing my arms.

  His smile widened. “Oh good. I’ve been meaning to chat with Emery. I have a book she might like.”

  “Wait a second … you read?”

  Carter tried to look offended, but it didn’t work while he was laughing. “Try not to look so shocked, brother. Em and I have been exchanging books for the last two years. We’re both obsessed with the same fantasy author.”

  I hadn’t even known Carter was in contact with the twins, but then, Carter and I didn’t do much talking either.

  He tried to push past me into the diner, but I put a hand out to stop him. “Wait …” I drew in a breath. “Did you see the Weekly Wine?”

  “No.” Carter laughed. “I never read that stuff, but what’s interesting, Conner, is that apparently you do.”

  “No, what’s interesting is your girlfriend was seen eating lunch with Colin Hillson in Hidden Cove.”

  Carter rolled his eyes to the sky. “I’m not sure how many times I have to tell people it’s not like that with Lena.”

  “Maybe not with you, but now she’s seeing the enemy.”

  “Enemy? Conner, do you hear yourself? You’re spouting out headlines written by the bored people of this town. Leave it alone.”

  “So, you don’t care? At all?” I would never believe he didn’t have feelings for Lena. Why else would he defy our father time and again to see her?

  Maybe for the same reason Duke ran to her. The same reason I’d stayed to talk instead of leaving the minute I found my dog. There was something about her that was impossible to dislike once she let her walls down, something compelling.

  Carter sighed. “It is none of my business who she sees or doesn’t see.” He pushed past me and stopped with his hand on the door. “And it’s none of yours.”

  I knew that. So, why did I feel like it was?

  I followed Carter in, but he didn’t go straight to the booth Max and Emery had chosen. I slid in, watching my brother walk to the back where Enzo sat, hovering over a mug of what I assumed was coffee.

  Carter didn’t stop at his table, but I could have sworn he dropped something onto it. A note, maybe? I rubbed my eyes. Maybe I’d imagined it.

  Carter slipped into the bathroom, and I turned to my cousins, not really sure what to say.

  We ordered pie and then stared at each other for too long. When Carter returned, it was like the entire diner sighed with relief at the end of the awkwardness. He immediately got them talking, and all I had to do was listen.

  Listening, I could do. It was every other part of socializing I got wrong.

  Even with family.

  18

  Lena

  I walked around the corner clutching my small stash of new library books, still frowning from the strange stilted conversation I just had with Mrs. Abernathy. Normally, the local librarian was all too eager to discuss books with me, but today she was … almost rude.

  I shook my head, wondering if there was something going on with her. Her behavior was unlike the sweet librarian I’d known since Grams had started taking me to the library every week when I was four.

  “We’re closed.” Old Rusty McGreggor flipped the closed sign in the window of the Rusty Spoon before I could reach for the door.

  “But it’s lunchtime, Mr. McGreggor.” I stood outside, completely stunned. The busy diner was packed as usual.

  “We’re at max capacity. Sorry, Selena.” He locked the door and turned his back to me. Rusty McGreggor had never once called me anything but Lena my whole life.

  “What has gotten into everyone today?” I turned toward the town square, catching sight of the Cheddar Chariot, the local food truck with the best selection of gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches and soups ever created. My stomach growled at the thought of choosing between my two favorites, and I headed across the street to join the line. There was always a line at the Cheddar Chariot.

  “Hi, Mrs. Jeffries.” I smiled at one of the Bay’s most notorious town gossips. “You must be reading my mind, it’s been ages since I had a grilled cheese fix from the Chariot.” My smile fell as she harrumphed at me and turned away to mutter with her best friend, Mrs. Peterson.

  Everyone in line took a step away from me, refusing to meet my gaze. “I know I don’t smell, so what’s the deal, guys?” I turned around in a slow circle, but no one seemed to have heard me. Then, I really did check to make sure I didn’t smell. “What is going on in this town?”

  “What can I get you?” Mallory Ellison leaned out the window with a smile.

  “Finally, a friendly face.” I smiled back at her.

  “Oh, it’s you.” She scowled. “We’re out of cheese.”

  “How is a grilled cheese food truck out of cheese?”

  “Just ran out of everything but the Stinking Bishop, you want that?”

  “That’s the expensive stinky cheese, isn’t it?” I sighed, letting my shoulders fall. It was a thirty-dollar sandwich I didn’t want and couldn’t afford even if I could get past the awful smell.

 
“Stuff’s fifty dollars a pound.” Mallory shrugged. She was the kindest person I knew, so clearly something was going on. The whole town seemed to be mad at me.

  “Listen, Mallory,” I pleaded. “Do you think you could find it in your heart to help a girl out on a bad day? What I really need right now is one of your amazing grilled pimento cheese sandwiches, with that apple-cherry chutney you make with my apples. Oh! And fresh homemade chips and cheese dip—I mean if you could double check to see if you have any left.”

  “I’ll see what I can do.” She slammed the window shut and went to make my order.

  I stood glaring at all the townspeople around me. They were actively pretending like I didn’t exist. I snatched my phone from my pocket and dialed Carter. He always knew what was going on in this silly town.

  “Voicemail,” I muttered irritably and ended the call, dialing Enzo next. He always answered when I called. By the time his voicemail picked up, I was good and mad. “Enzo, this is your sister,” I snapped. “Something weird is going on in this insane town, and I know you and Carter are avoiding me, so call me back. Soon, before I really lose my temper.” I didn’t bother lowering my voice.

  “Order’s up,” Mallory called from the pick-up window. I snatched my bag and stomped off across the town square to the empty gazebo. Normally, I loved the people in this town, but I also adored my alone time, which I rarely got. Trying to forget about my crappy day, I sat in the shade of the gazebo and dove into a new historical fantasy novel I’d waited six weeks to get my hands on. That was the great thing about the local library. Free books. I couldn’t afford to feed my reading habit any other way. And when I couldn’t make it to the library to chat with Mrs. Abernathy, I could download all the eBooks I wanted from the library’s app.

  I reached into my bag to find Mallory had done me wrong. So. Wrong. She’d filled my bag with cold, stale chips, and she’d forgotten my cheese dip. But she got my sandwich right. I took a huge bite of warm gooey grilled cheese and crunched into something that was not apple-cherry chutney.

  “Pickles? Gross.” Pickles had no business being on a grilled cheese sandwich, and Mallory knew how I felt about pickles. Well and truly angry now, I tried to pick the pickles off the sandwich and made a mess of it. “Ugh.” I finally gave up and went back to my book, but even a trip back to the seventeenth-century American frontier couldn’t do it for me.

  I tried dialing Carter again, but he wasn’t answering. Before I could think better of it, I dialed Conner’s number, hoping Carter was with him.

  “Conner Ashford,” he answered in a bored business-man tone.

  “Let me talk to Carter. Is he with you?” I tapped my foot on the gazebo floor.

  “Who is this?”

  “It’s Lena. I need to speak with your stupid brother, but he’s not answering my calls because he knows I’m mad.”

  “And why are you calling me again?” He sounded amused.

  “Because you’re his brother.”

  “Unfortunately, I can’t help you. It’s a work day, which means Carter is nowhere near the offices at the moment.”

  “Of course.” I sighed, about to end the call.

  “Why are you mad?” I could hear the creak of his desk chair. It sounded like he’d just put his feet up on his desk. I could just imagine him in some snooty corner office suite, dressed in a suit that cost more than I was worth.

  “I don’t know.” I ran a hand through my hair, not really sure why I was still talking to Conner Ashford.

  “You don’t know why you’re mad, but you know it’s Carter’s fault?” There he went, sounding amused again.

  “It’s nothing. Something weird is going on in town, and he won’t answer my calls. Sorry I bothered you.” I tried to hang up again, but he stopped me.

  “Yeah, you should probably ask your new boyfriend about that. I’m guessing my brother isn’t answering your calls because he’s hurt.” Gone was his amused tone. He sounded more like an Ashford again.

  “What are you even talking about, Ashford? What new boyfriend?” Today was some kind of Black Mirror day. Everyone around had lost their minds.

  “Carter’s probably off licking his wounds. Just leave him alone, Selena.” The line went dead, and I stared at the screen, at a loss for words. There was only one thing to do. I needed a copy of the Weekly Wine. Immediately.

  I grabbed my things and darted across the street to the A Likely Story bookshop and picked up a copy from the stand out front. Walking back to the gazebo, I flipped through the gossip rag that passed for the Bay’s newspaper.

  Then, I saw it. A photo, taken anonymously, of course, of me dining with Colin Hillson in Hidden Cove. The caption read, “Local girl crosses the line in a romantic dalliance with the enemy.”

  “Oh, for pete’s sake!” I sat back down in the shade of the gazebo, fuming. Everyone had lost their minds if they thought I was dating Colin Hillson.

  “It’s time for some tough love, honey.”

  I jumped at the voice right behind me.

  “Mrs. Chapman, you scared me to death.” I laid a hand over my heart, willing it to stop racing.

  “Scoot over, Lena.” Mrs. Jeffries dropped down next to me, also scaring the life out of me.

  “You’ve got a lot of nerve.” Mrs. Peterson scowled at me, refusing to sit.

  “You guys have it all wrong.” I snatched up the Weekly Wine. “I am not dating Colin Hillson. I’m not dating anyone.”

  “Oh, we know, honey,” Mrs. Chapman said. “That, we could handle, but this is the most disappointing thing anyone in this town has ever done. How could you?”

  “How could I what? I have no idea why everyone is mad at me. So, whatever you three are babbling about, out with it.” I crossed my arms over my chest, glaring at the women responsible for spreading whatever ridiculous thing they thought I’d done to the whole town.

  “We found out the truth. How could you even think about taking Orchard Hill Farms to Hidden Cove of all places? It’s a betrayal.” Mrs. Jeffries had tears in her eyes.

  “Oh, that.” My shoulders fell. They really did hate me, and I couldn’t face Mrs. Jeffries and her tears.

  “Yes, that.” Mrs. Chapman glowered over me, and I felt nine years old again. “Honey, what were you thinking?”

  “Well, you can blame Conner Ashford for everything.” I stood to leave, clutching my library books to my chest. “If I’m going to keep Orchard Hill afloat for the next generation, then I have to expand. To do that, I need land, and the Ashfords control everything in this town.” I was dangerously close to tears, and I had to get out of here before I completely lost it in front of these women. The whole town would hear about it before dinner time.

  “That stupid feud again?” Mrs. Peterson rolled her eyes. “Do you Contrerases and Ashfords even know what started it all? The whole town is sick of it.”

  “It’s idiotic, but I have to do what’s right for my family and the business we’ve spent generations cultivating. If I can’t do that here in Superiore Bay, then I have to take my business elsewhere. It’s nothing personal.” I shoved past three of the sweetest ladies I’d ever known and headed across the square to find Enzo. I had to get out of here.

  19

  Conner

  Selena Contreras, Sleeping With the Enemy

  I couldn’t seem to stop myself from looking at that stupid picture of Selena with Colin Hillson. He was such a loser. And he was too young for Selena. Not that she couldn’t date whoever she wanted. What did I care?

  She could do so much better than a Hillson. Especially that Hillson. Colin liked to think he and his family were better than the Ashfords, but they were copycats. Everything the Ashfords did for Superiore Bay, they did for Hidden Cove. If we made a donation to a local charity or to the high school, they just had to one up us and give a bigger donation to a Hidden Cove charity or school. It was embarrassing. For them.

  “What does she see in this guy?” I tried to turn my focus back to approving the invent
ory reports, but I couldn’t keep my mind on the boring task. I’d gone into the main offices this morning, but I was so distracted, I came here where no one could see me struggling.

  Duke nudged my knee, trying to shove his way under my desk. He liked to hide under there and lay on my feet. “I’m moving, I’m moving.” I slid back to give him room to settle in the bed I kept under there for him.

  This time, Duke laid his head on my knee, giving me sad I’m-sorry-you’re-so-pathetic eyes.

  “I’m not pathetic.” I scratched between his ears, and I swear his look said, ‘Yes, you are.’

  “Screw this, buddy, let’s go for a drive.” I knew better than to say those words before moving to a safe distance. Duke exploded from his spot under my desk and danced in circles until I extricated myself from my chair, which was now across the office.

  “Easy, boy.” I chuckled at his exuberance. There was nothing Duke liked better than going for a ride into town. I double checked my worn jeans and faded button down to make sure I was presentable. I tended to dress more casually whenever I knew I would spend an entire day chained to my desk. I pulled a freshly dry-cleaned shirt from the bottom drawer of my desk and quickly changed.

  “All right, boy, let’s go.” Duke shot out of the barn and across the gravel drive to my car, waiting ever so impatiently for me to open the door. He scrambled into the backseat, and I clipped him into his seatbelt harness. I’d never forgive myself if anything happened to him if we were in an accident. It was sad, but Duke was my family and my best friend. Honestly, most days it felt like he was all I had in this world.

  “Want to go visit Jake?” I grinned when Duke barked in response. My cousin Jake Ashford was probably Duke’s favorite person in the world other than me. And maybe Selena Contreras. But that was only because Jake fed him cake.