AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Be back in a minute with the wine.”
“You own a winery?” Head back, she appraised Luke.
“A vineyard that I’m”—he stifled a sigh—“slowly expanding into a winery.”
“How’d you get started?”
“I worked summers at my grandfather’s boutique winery. Then I changed my major to viticulture.”
“The study of grapes, right?”
“Grape cultivation.” He nodded. “And I took a double major in enology.”
“Which is…?”
“The study of wines and winemaking.”
She cocked her head as if interested. “What led you to that field?”
Recalling the sequence of events, he took a deep breath. “That’s a longer story—”
“Honey, I’m home.” Wearing an impish grin, Charlie brandished the wine’s label in front of Maeve. “Chateau Mont Bleu, Luke’s winery.” After opening the bottle, he handed Luke the cork and splashed a taste in his glass.
Luke breathed in its bouquet as he swirled the silky, deep-red liquid. Then sipping, he rolled the wine over his tongue. “I detect tones of cherry, dried fig, and cedar, with just a trace of dill.” His tone tongue-in-cheek, he winked.
“My, what a developed palate you have, sir.” Charlie’s smile broadened as he poured a glass for Maeve and refilled Luke’s. “The beef will be out in a minute.”
“Thanks.” Luke lifted his glass. “To meeting new kin.”
“I’ll drink to that.” She clinked glasses and inhaled before sipping the tempranillo.
“Well, what do you think?” He watched her lips, still red from the wine.
She sipped again. “Full-bodied, yet light…delicious.”
“Glad you like it.” He breathed a sigh, then gave a self-conscious laugh. “Guess I take wine personally.”
“What do you mean?”
“Just realized I was holding my breath, waiting for your verdict.” His sniff passed for a laugh. “Apparently, I confuse people’s opinion of me with my wine.”
“I can relate. Wine’s your career. You’re not confusing the two. You’re fusing your results to your self-esteem.”
“What are you in your spare time? A psychologist?” Relaxing, he leaned back.
“Far from it. For the past five years, I’ve done nothing but push myself, always trying to prove myself, yet never quite measuring up.” She snickered. “Now that I’ve mustered out of the Army, I have to ask myself, where’s that drive gotten me? What do I have to show for it?”
So, she has self-doubts, too. “You did what you had to do—kept on keeping on, and it’s gotten you to this point—gotten you here.” He tapped the table for emphasis. “For that, I’m glad.” Recognizing a kindred soul, he held out his glass. “To persistence.”
“You mean, pigheadedness.” Her smile crooked, she clinked glasses.
A server set a basket of warm sourdough bread on the table, its sharp, yeasty scent rising with the steam.
“Bread?” Luke offered her the basket.
“No thanks.” Shaking her head, she paused while Charlie placed individual cassoulets before them.
“Smells wonderful.” Luke glanced at the buttery mashed potatoes piped around the terra-cotta bowl’s edge, then closed his eyes to better appreciate the rich meld of aromas: beef brisket, pearl onions, cremini mushrooms, and hickory-smoked bacon.
