AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“When Cami said boss, you made a face like I had served you a glass of vinegar instead of cabernet.” Lara chuckled. “I feel that expression to the depth of my soul. I may not love working for my dad, but I could never, ever work for some asshole stranger. Nope.”
I took another sip of my whiskey. It was smooth and smoky going down, the balm my soul needed today.
The day I quit my job in Chicago had been a high like few others. The elation and liberation were short-lived as I was facing homelessness and my breakup with Matthew that same week. But… I contemplated fighting my way into the wine business in California as a freelancer. It was daunting.
“I may not love the idea of a boss, but I’m not sure I have the contacts in California to go it alone yet.” Tipping my head to the side, I considered my options. “I think a small or medium-sized vineyard might be a good entry point, not one like E. Rossi.”
“Sure, I can see that.” Cami patted my hand and smiled. She was so wonderful. I couldn’t believe my brother found her. And that she put up with him.
“Alright, next depressing topic?” Gabe asked.
“I’ll take middle age weight gain for three hundred dollars, Alex!” MyJeopardy!joke caused a round of laughs and a conversation about slowing metabolisms and perimenopause that Gabe wished he could unhear.
Chapter 27
Atley
“We serviced all theequipment, the vines are in great shape, and the itinerant picking crew should arrive shortly. Everything is on track to go smoothly, thanks in large part to Gabriel—or eh, Gabe. We start the harvest at sunset.” I wrapped up my report to Wilson and crossed one booted foot over the other as I relaxed in the armchair across from his desk.
The bi-weekly state of the ranch meeting had gone as planned. The final costs for building out the dancehall had only gone a little over budget, the soft open had gone well, beef box subscriptions were up, thanks to Rae’s PR push for The Stomp, and the grape harvest was ready to start.
A good August at Blue Star.
The conversation with Gabriel, or rather Gabe, that had preceded the meeting had been bizarre. A fake accent but real credentials. Wilson and I had accepted the explanation that desperation drove Gabe’s actions. Especially after he described the situation with the E. Rossi company. Not that we had much choice with the harvest and crush starting. It was a crucial time to have a winemaker. And Gabe had proven himself to be one of the best.
“Now that we have covered all the usual and unusual topics today, I have one more thing I’d like to talk with you about.” Wilson put aside the Blue Star financial reports, making a neat stack on his desktop.
An Austin decorator had picked the desk as part of the farmhouse renovation, and the prior owner of Blue Star always looked silly sitting behind the massive slab of wood. A kid at bring your child to work day. Wilson owned the space like he’d been born to it.
I became keenly aware of the difference in our positions. I was not in control.
A sensation like a spider crawling up my spine told me things were about to get weird. Like weirder than learning I’d hired a fake Frenchman.
“So you and my sister…”
I clenched my jaw and looked at the stack of financial reports resting in my lap. I’d rather scrub water troughs, dig ditches, or deworm the damn donkeys than have this talk. Nothing good was about to happen.
Wilson ignored my lack of reply and plunged onward.
“You’re both totally depressing lately. So glum. I think it’s partly my fault that things,” he loaded the word with extra emphasis, “got off track between the two of you.”
“Your fault?” He’d sparked my interest. I had no clue how any of what happened between Rae and me was his fault. Unless hethought his poor dog sitting was the root of our non-relationship problem. Which it was not.
Wilson stood and paced the length of his office twice, his head down, looking at the carpet, before he mustered the courage to continue.
“I told her, not very kindly, when she first arrived that you were necessary to the success of Blue Star. At the time, I’d not thought about how it would make her feel. All I knew was you two had… met in Dallas. And I didn’t want my life here at the ranch to fall apart because—”
“I slept with your sister.” His hesitancy to call a spade a spade was killing me. If we’re talking about the elephant in the room, give Jumbo a proper name. I’d slept with Wilson’s sister, and given the slightest chance at a repeat, I’d take it. My job and his sensibilities be damned.
“Right.” He rubbed his jaw and looked me in the eye. “I made her think you were more important to me than her.”
I recalled the conversation Rae and I had on her first day at Blue Star. She had been more worried about my relationship with Wilson than anything else. I’d assumed it was because a one-night stand had a finite life. It was right there in the name. One night. And she’d gotten me out of her system. Had her brother already skewed her view of the situation? Had he put us on the hellish path of the doomed-to-fail non-relationship? Or was her plan to move to California the only real obstacle?
“Alright.” I wasn’t sure what the hell else to say. Not sure If I should fear for my job or if Wilson and I needed to hug it out. Please, not that. I assumed that Wilson, being from California, was into that shit. I wasn’t a fan of man-hugging. Or talking about feelings. I tugged at my shirtfront and fanned some cool air underneath. I was one hundred percent uncomfortable with the direction this conversation was going in.
“Someone far more intelligent than I pointed out a few things to me yesterday.”
“Yes, sir.” I assumed he was referring to Cami because the whole town knew Wilson would marry up when he said I do.
