“He’s a fool, and years from now, he’s going to have regrets.”
She nodded. “You’re right, and as you say that, I realize I don’t care about his regrets. I don’t want my child to suffer.”
“She won’t. You’ll be a great mom, plus she’ll have Stephanie and her family, Four and her family, and she’ll have me.”
She managed a smile. “Still hoping for a girl?”
“Yes, but I’ll be equally thrilled with a boy. You have family, Mackenzie. Maybe not biological, but we’re here all the same.”
“You’re very good to me.”
His dark gaze was steady. “I care about you.”
She nodded. “I care about you, too. And I got your shirt all wet.”
“I’ll wear it as a badge of honor.”
She laughed and brushed at the soft cotton. “It will dry, but you’ll be wrinkly. I’ll try not to make a habit of crying on you, but you might want to keep a second shirt in the office, just the same.”
“Tell me what else happened at the meeting.”
She told him about the very pathetic visitation schedule. “Rhys is offering more in child support. Guilt money, I suppose. Ramona’s going to go over everything one more time. Once it’s finalized, I’ll sign and he’ll sign and then we get a divorce.”
“How do you feel about that?”
“Sad. I was wrong about so much. Him, Barbara, my place at Bel Après. I feel as if I’ve been living a lie or something.”
“You weren’t the liar. They were.”
He sat back on the sofa and pulled her with him so she was leaning against him. While the contact was unfamiliar, it felt nice. Comfortable and safe. Bruno always knew what to do and he was strong.
“You must work out,” she said without thinking.
She felt his chest shake as he laughed. “Yes, I do. Most mornings.”
She shifted so she was leaning against the sofa instead of him and drew her shirt tight across her belly. “I’m really starting to show.”
“It’s nice. Proof of life. Have you felt the baby move?”
“No. The books say it happens between sixteen and twenty weeks, with first-time mothers feeling it later. I’m almost at twenty weeks, so I’m kind of waiting, but so far, nothing. Oh, I have an ultrasound in a couple of weeks and we should find out the gender.”
“I’m excited about that.”
“Me, too.” She sat up. “My breakdown is officially over. I married the wrong guy and I’ll do better next time.”
“Yes, you will.” He smiled. “You know what would be great?”
“What?”
“If you picked out a paint color for the baby’s room when you find out the gender.”
She groaned at the thought of the little swatches he’d shown her. “Do I have to?”
“Yes. I insist.”
“You’re so bossy.”
“Four needs the walls painted so she can get going on the mural. We’re all trying to help and you’re making that difficult. So in two weeks?”
She smiled at him. “How about if I don’t even make you wait that long?”
She got up and walked over to his desk. She pulled out the second drawer on the right and removed the half-dozen swatches.
“This one,” she said, pointing to the pale yellow. “It will be a good backdrop for the tropical jungle animals.”
He smiled. “No unicorns?”
“I asked for toucans and monkeys, but knowing Four, she’ll squeeze in a unicorn or a dragon somewhere.”
“That’s a good quality to have.” He rose and moved toward her. “Come on. I’ll buy you lunch. We’ll go to that tacky Mexican place you like so much. Orla will fuss over you, bring you the healthy version of what you love, and you’ll feel better afterward.”
“That would be great. Just let me wash my face first. I’ll meet you in the hall.”
As she turned to leave, she had the thought that while Rhys was so much less than she’d thought he would be, Bruno was so much more. Nearly every day he showed her that he was a kind and honorable man, not to mention an excellent manager and a killer businessman. He also gave great hugs and didn’t mind getting cried on. But she supposed the thing she liked about him best of all was the look in his eyes when he talked about her baby. Her girlfriends weren’t the only ones on her side when it came to her pregnancy. Bruno was right there with them.
thirty-one
The big bar in the tasting area of Painted Moon had cleaned up better than Stephanie had hoped. Three weeks after starting her new job, she was knee-deep in the remodel, working long hours and loving every second.
She’d already designed a mailer to go to previous customers of Painted Moon, detailing the purchase and that Mackenzie was the new winemaker. Bruno and Mackenzie had approved the new labels for the remaining library wines, and they were getting started on that project. She felt energized by all she had to do in a day. Sometimes the work was hard, but a good kind of hard that challenged her.
She stood in the center of the construction zone, assessing what had been done for the week. Bruno liked her to do that on Fridays, then report back to him on the progress. She’d already gone over the plan for the coming week with the general contractor and was satisfied they were on time and on budget. A minor miracle.
Mackenzie walked through the layers of plastic around the construction site, Avery at her heels.
“Look who I found lurking around,” Mackenzie said with a grin. “I like the looks of her. I think we should keep her.”
Avery laughed. “You’re stuck with me.”
“Oh, good.” Mackenzie glanced at Stephanie. “Homecoming’s tomorrow night. I’ll be at your place at, what, five? Is that too early?”
“Not if you want to be involved in the whole makeup ritual.”
“I won’t be involved,” Mackenzie said, hugging Avery. “I’m nowhere near as good as your mom at the beauty stuff. But I do want to sit on the edge of the tub and tell you how pretty you are.”
Mackenzie waved at them both before heading back to her office. Stephanie turned her attention to her daughter. Things were still good between them. Avery was going to Homecoming with a group of girlfriends. They’d rented a limo together and had an after-party planned at Stephanie’s place. She and Avery had spent much of the week coming up with menu ideas and brainstorming movie possibilities. Carson would escape to Four’s house, where he and Jaguar had a video game marathon planned once the younger kids went to bed.
“What can I do for you, girl child of mine?” Stephanie asked.
Avery looked around at the framed space. “It’s going to look good in here, Mom.”
“It is.” Stephanie hesitated, not sure if she should point out that Avery had avoided the question. She sensed there was something on her daughter’s mind and decided she would give her a little time to get it out.
“There’s going to be a retail space, right?” Avery asked.
“Uh-huh. Similar to what you’re used to at Bel Après, but with a slightly different vibe.”
Avery sighed. “Vibe? Really?”
“I’m hip with the slang. Watch me get funky.”
“Oh, Mom.” Avery walked around the makeshift desk covered with floor plans. “When this is done, could I get a part-time job here instead of working at Bel Après?”
“Sure, sweetie, but why would you want to change jobs?”
“It’s not fun anymore. Grandma’s so intense. She keeps coming into the tasting room and yelling at the staff. She’s even yelled at me a couple of times and all I was doing was stocking shelves. I need a job to pay for my gas, and I thought it might be more fun to be here. With you.”
Stephanie tried not to let her pleasure show. “I’ll be hiring people to staff the tasting room and the retail area in March. If you’re interested, you
’re welcome to fill out an application.”
Avery rolled her eyes. “Fine, but I’ll point out I have experience and I can get a reference from Mackenzie.”
“That would be helpful.”
“You’re not going to give me a break at all, are you?”
“Maybe a really small one.”
But instead of smiling, Avery looked troubled. She looked at Stephanie, then away. Stephanie waited.
“Have you talked to Dad lately?” her daughter asked.
“Not really.”
The more polite answer than the truth. She hadn’t heard from Kyle since he’d proposed and she’d told him no. All their communication about visits and drop-offs had gone through the kids. Sometimes that happened, so as far as she knew, neither Avery nor Carson suspected anything was wrong.
She supposed at some point she was going to have to get in touch with him and force the issue. They had children together—they couldn’t simply avoid each other forever.
“So he didn’t say anything about Thanksgiving.”
Ah, the holiday. It was his year to have the kids. Sometimes they were in Seattle, but as often as not, he spent the day in Walla Walla. It usually depended on whether or not he was covering the Apple Cup—the annual game between the cross-state rivals WSU and UW—and where it was being played.
“I’m going to Four’s house,” Stephanie said. “Does your dad want you in Seattle?” She would miss them both but was used to the occasional separations.
“Um, well, not exactly.” Avery bit her lower lip. “You really haven’t talked to him, have you? Dad’s in New York. He’s got an interview for a job there and he’s going to be in New York for Thanksgiving.”
She tried not to let her surprise show. “He’s going national,” she said, remembering how he’d thrown the possibility at her when they’d last spoken. “Good for him. He should have done it a long time ago.”
“He said he didn’t want to be that far from Carson and me, but we’re older now.”
An interesting twist on what he’d told her, Stephanie thought, then decided to be charitable and assume both could be true.
“I’m glad for him. So you’d like to go to New York for Thanksgiving?”
Avery avoided her gaze. “Kind of. I’ve never been and it’s a cool city and Dad will know by then if he has the job, so if he does, we’ll be apartment hunting with him. He’s renting an Airbnb for us to stay in.” She wrinkled her nose. “Carson and I have to share a room and a bathroom, which is so gross, but still, it’s New York. What do you think?”
“That you’re going to miss out on an amazing Thanksgiving here.” Stephanie crossed to her daughter and hugged her. “But I want you to have a good time with your dad.”
“You sure? You won’t be too lonely?”
“I’ll survive.” Stephanie released her. “It’s a big city, Avery. We’re going to have to talk about staying safe.”
“I know. And I’m responsible for Carson. He wants Dad to get the job, by the way, because then he can go to a Yankees game.” She sighed. “Baseball. Why did it have to be baseball?”
They both laughed.
When Avery left, Stephanie pulled out her phone and sent a text to Kyle.
I hear you’re in NYC. When were you going to tell me?
It took only a few seconds for his answer to appear.
I should have said something. Sorry. I was dealing with our last conversation. I’d had different plans, but then this opportunity came up, so here I am.
Will you get the job?
Probably. Which means a move. It will complicate things with the kids.
In more ways than one, Stephanie thought. Visiting their dad on the East Coast increased the chances that one or both of them would want to go to college there. She hated the thought of her children being so far away but knew she had to be brave about it. They deserved the chance to follow their dreams.
We’ll make it work, she told him. Avery told me about Thanksgiving. I would rather have heard it from you.
I should have said something. Is it okay?
It’s fine, although your daughter isn’t thrilled about sharing both a bedroom and a bathroom with her brother.
We all have to make sacrifices. You sure you’re fine with it?
Yes. You can buy their tickets. Oh, and Avery will want to go shopping. Don’t let her spend too much.
There was a long pause before he replied.
I miss you.
Now it was her turn to hesitate.
To be honest, she really hadn’t been thinking much about Kyle lately. She’d been focused on her new job and the kids. For her, the marriage was long over. But it would be cruel to say that.
This is the best thing for both of us. I know it is. I’ll see you soon.
C U
* * *
Barbara could feel the heat of the flames as they rose higher and higher in the sky. They moved so fast, consuming row after row of vines, burning them down to nothing. The wall of fire roared past her, leaving nothing but dry, burnt earth behind.
She ran back and forth, not sure what to do. She couldn’t find water, or anyone to help her. She screamed, but the wind swallowed up the sound. The temperature rose until she was afraid she would disintegrate into dust and blow away.
She ran closer to the vines only to realize that the fire was turning back, chasing her. She tried to escape but suddenly couldn’t move and woke herself with her screams.
She sat up in the cool, dark bedroom, desperate to catch her breath as her heart raced and her body dripped with sweat. The nightmare was familiar—she’d had it often when she and James had first been married and things had been so tough—but it had been years since she’d had it.
Still shaking, she collapsed back on the bed. She went from hot to cold and quickly pulled up the covers. The bed seemed large and empty with no Giorgio to keep her company. He was back east for his daughter’s birthday, she thought, then glanced at her clock.
Five o’clock. That meant it was, what, eight where he was?
She reached for her phone and pushed the button to call him. Three rings later she heard his voice.
“Yes?”
“Giorgio, thank goodness. I had the most horrible dream. I dreamed that Bel Après was on fire and there was nothing I could do.” She shuddered at the memory. “It was awful. I used to have it all the time, when James and I were struggling. I’d forgotten what it was like. I’m still shaking.”
Instead of comforting her or asking questions, he didn’t say anything.
“Giorgio? Are you still there?”
“I’m here.”
He sounded impatient or upset.
“What’s wrong? I haven’t talked to you in a few days. What have you been doing?”
“That’s the question?” he asked, his voice low and cold. “What have I been doing?”
“Why are you angry with me?” She sat up again. “You’re in a mood this morning.”
“Last night was Rosemary’s birthday party. You were supposed to be here with me. You didn’t call, you didn’t send a gift or flowers. In fact, you forgot completely.”
“I didn’t,” she said, telling the lie automatically. “I couldn’t call last night. By the time I got home, it was too late. I didn’t want to wake up everyone.”
“We both know that’s not true. It’s taken me a while to see the truth, Barbara, but now I have. You don’t care about anyone but yourself. You put on a good act, but that’s all it is. An act.”
Her breath caught. “Giorgio, no! Don’t say that. You don’t mean it. I love you. I’m sorry about Rosemary, I am. Desperately sorry. Let me make it up to you. When you get home, we’ll go away together. Maybe to Portland. We’ll stay at that hotel you like, just the two of us.”
The long silence that follow
ed frightened her more than his anger. Her heart sped up again.
“I won’t be coming back.”
“What does that mean?”
“I’m moving back here to be with my family.”
She felt herself go cold as his words sank in.
“No! You can’t. You’re not leaving me. Darling, no. Please.” Tears formed and fell. Her voice thickened. “Giorgio, I love you. You’re the world to me.”
“If that were true, we wouldn’t be having this conversation. You were my princess, but I was never your prince. I don’t know what you saw in me. I wasn’t even a means to an end because I have nothing you want. I guess the problem is Bel Après is your one true love and I’ll always come in second. Maybe that’s enough for you, but not for me.”
“Giorgio, stop.” She found it difficult to talk but forced herself to keep trying. “Don’t leave me. I love you.”
“I don’t think you’re capable of love. You can keep the ring.”
“Giorgio. Giorgio, don’t. Please, I—”
The silence of her phone told her the call had been disconnected. He wasn’t on the line anymore—he’d hung up on her.
She dropped the phone onto the bed and pulled a pillow over her face to muffle her screams. She screamed until her throat was raw and she couldn’t make a sound, then she rolled on her side and cried.
* * *
With the wine in barrels, Mackenzie allowed herself to take a little breath. In theory there was nothing she could do but hover while science and nature did their thing. Still, when it came to wine, she was a worrier, so she preferred to stay close—as if her presence would make a difference.
“I’m crabby,” she said, climbing into Bruno’s elegant Mercedes. “I don’t want to go.”
He looked at her, amusement crinkling his eyes. “You sound like a two-year-old.”
“Good. I feel like stomping my feet. I need to be here. It’s not a good time to leave.”
“The wine is in barrels. What are you going to do for it?”
“I provide an encouraging spirit.”
“This is the first event for winemakers since harvest. You and I are the new owners of Painted Moon. We need to make an appearance.”
The Vineyard at Painted Moon Page 34
