I was beginning to feel like a bobble head the way my head just kept moving back and forth so freely on my neck.“Right.Right.”
“I called my therapist when I got home.”
“That’s good.”
“He asked me if I started to have these feelings for you before I found out your age.”
“Okay …”
“And I did.And you don’t look thirty-seven.”
“Thanks?”
“He told me that I don’t have a kink for older women if I fell for youbeforeI found out your age, and I thought you were younger.”
That made sense.However, my brain was still trying to process the fact that this man in front of me became a father at thirteen.That his childhood, innocence, and teenage years had all been stolen from him.Everyone talks about protecting our daughters, and while I agree that we must, we can’t forget that our sons are still vulnerable, and that women can be perpetrators and predators too.
He met my gaze beneath his lashes.His head still tipped down a little, like he was studying the concrete floor.“I know we haven’t known each other long, and I have no idea if I’m even doing this right because I don’t know how to date or flirt or anything, but … I like you, Naomi.”
My face grew warm, and I smiled.“I … I like you too.”
The way he exhaled in relief and let his shoulders leave his ears was adorable.“You make me feel … normal.And I don’t know if I’ve ever felt normal.But talking with you … being around you, I feel … good.”He huffed out a chuckle.“I’m a very educated man, just so you know.But right now, words seem to elude me.”Scratching at the back of his neck, he tilted his head to the side like a cute puppy.“What I’m trying to say is, I like how I feel about myself and about life when I’m with you.You have this warmth and honesty about you that pulls me right in.It captivates me.Youcaptivate me.”
The cheeky butterflies in my belly all woke up and started to flutter about with zero flight plan.I captivated him?No man had ever said such sweet, yet powerful things to me before.My heart raced and my temperature rose.I was sure my cheeks were pinker than the rosé I was standing in front of.I certainly didn’t feel like a captivating person.Or someone who could captivate someone else.I was just me.Just plain-Jane, overall-wearing Naomi.
That’s when I realized I also hadn’t said anything for quite a while and just stood there awkwardly in front of him, staring at his lip scar, my mouth slightly open, eyes wide like I’d just been caught picking chocolate chips out of the cookie dough from the bowl in Gabrielle’s kitchen.
He lifted his gaze even more and shoved his hands into his pockets.“So, do I ask you on a date now, or … how does this work?Can this work?Will this totally mess things up for your kids if you go on a date with their principal?”
That snapped me out of my fugue state and I blinked a few times before shrugging.“I doubt it.As long as you’re cool and don’t give them preferential treatment or make them feel weird with the other kids at school, I think it would be fine.”
His throat bobbed.“Okay.”
“I-in the vein of honesty,” I started, taking a deep breath, “I haven’t ever dated either.I married young—didn’t date before that.Then I was widowed.I had one … friends with benefits, if you want to call him that, but that was it.My husband was—” Then I shook my head and hand.“Story for another day.”
“So, we’re going to be two adults fumbling and muddling our way through this dating thing?”
“Seems like it.”
His smile grew wider and brighter.“What are you up to right now?”
I glanced at the wine barrels, then picked up my clipboard.“Just recording temperatures, ensuring the bubblers are still air locked, checking the SO2 levels, the malolactic fermentation status, and recording wine levels.Can’t have too much oxygen exposure, or too cold an environment.Doesn’t make for good wine.”
“Can I … can I watch you?Or help?”
I nodded, and we continued down the row.I’d read out the temperature and measurements, and he’d record them.It didn’t save any time, but it was nice to do it together.
We reached the barrels and carboys that were old enough to try.Using a siphon, I filled a shot glass that I carried in the front pocket of my overalls.“Try this.It’s a merlot from two summers ago.”
He brought it to his nose and took a sniff, then sipped it like it were a port after a decadent steak dinner.“I’m afraid I’m not enough of a wine buff to really have an opinion.”His lopsided smile was adorable.
I finished off the rest of the shot glass and smacked my tongue against the roof of my mouth.“The tannins have definitely softened.Raina thinks we could be ready to bottle it this fall, but I’m inclined to leave it another year—or two, if we can.Create something really rich and special.A small batch, limited-edition blend.I’d like to transfer at least half the batch into some oak whiskey barrels for added depth and flavor.We like to trade barrels with Hardwood Distillery.They get wine flavor into their booze, and we get whiskey flavor into our wine.It’s win-win for all.”
He frowned and nodded, totally out of his depth of expertise.“That could be good.”
Chuckling, I tucked the shot glass back into my pocket, and we moved onto the next one.“We primarily deal in white wines or rosés because of the climate, but merlot grapes are happy here.We also grow Pinot, and Gabrielle wants us to consider Marechal Foch for the new property.”
“New property?”
