Chet ordered a whiskey old-fashioned, and Darren asked for the same. The server got their drinks. “What’s really good here?”
“The Brussels sprouts are amazing. I don’t really care for them, but these are good. As for the menu, they do everything really well. I love the chicken or the duck, but the steak is great. The seafood comes from the market in the harbor, so it’s super fresh, caught today.” Darren set aside his menu. “I’m going to have the sea bass. The chef here does it wonderfully. It’s what I get when I’m working… that is, if there is any left, and there usually isn’t.”
Ron returned with their drinks, and Chet ordered the duck, while Darren had the sea bass. Chet also ordered the Brussels sprouts.
“You said you were in the area for a couple of weeks. What else are you going to do while you’re here? There isn’t all that much to keep you entertained. You could go over to the Anderson Valley and do some winery tours.” He sounded so excited. “There’s one there that has goats, and they make their own cheese. It’s almost better than the wine.”
“I’ll have to check it out, unless you want to go with me. We could drive over on your next day off from the store. We could leave in the morning, and I promise to have you back in time for you to work in the evening.” He found himself extending the invitation so easily. Chet was usually much more circumspect with people he had just met.
“That would be Sunday, and I’m not sure they’re open. But if they are, I’d like to go.”
“Then I’ll check. Give me your number, and I can text you the details.” He waited while Darren gave him the number. He put it in his phone and called Darren, so he’d have his contact info too. “I think it would be fun.”
“Me too.” That smile told him that spending time with Darren had the potential to be more than just fun. But he was getting ahead of himself.
ChapterThree
Sometimes, Darrenfound it hard to get up in the morning, but not today. It was Sunday, so the grocery store was closed and locked up tight. It was one of the two days a week that he got to sleep in, and he usually took advantage of it. But Chet was coming by in an hour to pick him up, and Darren needed to be ready. He had a shift at The Pub starting at five, but he was free until then.
He put on a pot of coffee and then got dressed and shaved. He wanted to look his best, but he really needed a haircut. He tried to make the mop on his head look as good as possible and reminded himself to get a haircut tomorrow or else someone would complain that he was looking shabby. In the server business, looks were important. No one wanted to be served by a poodle with hair flopping all over the place, even if it was Northern California.
Still, he had part of the day off, and to his surprise, the coastal fog had already disappeared and the sun was out, even if the temperature was only in the fifties because of the breeze off the water. He dressed in light pants and a dark blue T-shirt from the Point Cabrillo lighthouse. After pouring himself some coffee, he opened the refrigerator and groaned. He worked at a grocery store, but he needed to do some shopping on a break. The refrigerator was largely empty, with basically a few science experiments that he’d forgotten about. Okay, they had once been leftovers, but he chucked them out and closed the door.
He found a bagel in the freezer, thawed it in the microwave, and put it in the toaster as the doorbell rang. He answered it andsmiled when Chet came inside. “Can I offer you some coffee? I have half a bagel if you want it.” He led the way through to the small kitchen where his grandmother once cooked.
“No thanks. I ate at the hotel, though coffee would be good.”
He poured a mug for Chet as the toaster popped. He buttered his bagel and sat down to eat. “I’ll be ready to go in a few minutes.” He hoped he wasn’t being crass.
“Take your time. They have a goat tour at eleven, and I thought we could take it. There’s plenty of time, though. It will take a little over half an hour to get there.” He sipped from the mug with what Darren could only describe as a goofy smile on his lips.
“What did you do the last few days to keep busy?” Darren asked.
Chet pointed to his chest. “I went to the lighthouse and got a T-shirt. See?” He grinned. “I also sat out there at the point and watched the sea. Whales spouted off the coast. It was pretty amazing to see. There were also a few sea lions on the rocks. I had forgotten how magical this place can be.”
“You’ve been here before?”
“Years ago. My mother and I took a trip out here. We drove Highway 1 for miles and miles. Dad was working, so it was just the two of us. We drove past all the lighthouses and down through miles of redwoods. We went through San Francisco and to Monterey and Carmel, and to Hearst Castle, where Mom paid the guide to sneak me in and let me go in the indoor tiled pool. I only got to put my feet in, but it was still pretty amazing. My mother and father were getting a divorce about that time, but my mother had a severe stroke before it was finalized, so she and dad seemed to develop a kind of peace between them. My mother lived a few years after that, but it was essentially just my father and me.” He sipped some more coffee, and Darrenwondered how he could be so calm. Talking about his mother always made Darren anxious.
He finished his bagel and put the plate in the sink. Then he drank the last of his coffee, and once Darren had finished, they headed out.
“You have a different car,” Darren said as Chet unlocked a Mercedes convertible.
“Yeah. The old one had a problem.” He slipped into the driver’s seat as Darren took his seat. “It didn’t do this.” He pressed a button, and the top retracted, letting in the sun. “Some days just beg for the top down and the wind in your hair.” Chet pulled out, and they went on down the road.
It was chilly at first, but as soon as they crossed the coastal hills and emerged from the redwoods, the temperature climbed into the eighties. “God, this is amazing.” The sun and the breeze felt so good. He put his hands out and let the air rush past them, making it feel as though it were floating. Darren put on his cheap sunglasses, leaned back, and soaked in the warmth and the feeling of freedom. They drove through Booneville and passed the fairgrounds, pulling into the drive for Penny Royal.
There were a few other cars on the lot. Chet put up the top and the windows before they climbed out and went inside. “It’s a little early for wine tasting,” Darren said.
“Of course. I arranged for a tour.” He checked in as Darren looked through the cheese and other items they had on sale. “Our tour is about to start,” Chet said, guiding him out back to where a staff member introduced herself as Clair. Then she led the two of them toward the goat barn, explaining the operation.
“Where is everyone else?” Darren asked.
“This is a private tour,” Chet whispered as they entered the barn filled with young goats. Clair gave them carrots and feed, and Darren had a ball with the babies, laughing as their lips tickled his hand.
Chet stood next to him, laughing as well. Darren loved the sound, warm and filled with joy. “These guys are so cute.”
“Baby goats are like joy personified,” Clair said gently. “This is my favorite place in the farm.”
