We grinned at each other in the cab, even though my gut was spinning like a janky carnival ride.
“Where to?”she asked.
I lifted one shoulder.“I was kind of hoping you had a picnic place suggestion since you know the island better than I do.Heaven’s Leap is really the only place I know.”
She stroked her chin and made an exaggerated face of deep thought.“We could go to the new property, actually.I could show you what we’ve been up to and detail our plans.It’ll be quiet and we won’t have to worry about anybody else coming to bother us or interrupt.”
Her eyes widened when she said that last word because, like me, I was sure her mind immediately fell into the gutter.
“What I mean is … we won’t have to worry about running into Jolene Dandy or other islanders.You know?”
I nodded.“Gotcha.Where is it?”
She exhaled in relief.“It’s next to Tom’s place.It’s between Tom’s and the brewery.”
I headed in the direction of Tom’s property, unsure if the silence that settled between us was supposed to feel this awkward or tenuous.I’d never been on a date before.Was this normal?Was I supposed to bring her flowers or open her door for her?Was I already botching this thing right out of the gate?
“How was your workday?”she asked.“Mold any young minds?”
“So many young minds,” I replied, grinning at her.“How was your day?”
“Busy,” she exhaled.“We’ve got all our new staff for the season, and I’ve been training them.Three new hires in the tasting room, plus one returning staffer whom I’ve promoted to assistant manager.She’s really eager and responsible, so I’m excited to be able to pass off some of the duties to her.”
“Amazing.Is she helping you train the other three new hires?”
“Yeah.We’re doing lots of tasting, pairing, and discussions of what each wineshouldtaste like and how to recommend certain wines to people who might not have a clue what they want.Two of the three hires seem to know their wines a bit, and what they like and don’t like.The other one—a twenty-two-year-old guy from Oregon—he keeps saying he prefers beer.”
“Why’d you hire him then?”
“I didn’t.Gabrielle did.And he has loads of hospitality and service experience.He has a diploma in hospitality management.”
“So, on paper, he looks super qualified.”
“Exactly.I’m hoping Amy, Tova, and Brittany can whip ol‘ Corbin into shape.Otherwise, I’ll have to give him the boot, regardless of whether he’s qualified or not.”
“Yeah, the last thing you need is some staffer saying, ‘I know you want to try the Moscato, but honestly, I think an IPA would be more up your alley.’”
Her eyes went wide, and she nodded.“Exactly.And I could totally see this kid doing that.I could see him plugging the brewery and sending people there.Which I don’t mind.We can all exist and succeed on the island.But don’t be pushing the pizza place next door when you run a falafel cart.”
I snorted and took a left at the four-way.
“How’s Mabel doing?”she asked, her demeanor shifting to serious and concerned.
“She’s okay.We’ve been having a lot of conversations about Kyla and what would happen if she shows up and wants to be part of Mabel’s life.She’s started speaking with her virtual counselor again, which is good.I actually dropped her off at Tom’s on the way here.She wanted to see the osprey and hang out with the animals.”
“Whatwouldhappen if Kyla showed up and tried to get visitation or custody?”
I pursed my lips and kept my gaze on the road ahead.“I don’t know.My lawyers say she doesn’t really have any leg to stand on.Yes, she’s on Mabel’s birth certificate, but she signed away her parental rights.She’s also been classified as a sex offender and has been added to the registry.I don’t know how the courts would view that with regards to a custody or visitation appeal.”
“You think there’s a chance though?”
I glanced at her and clenched my molars hard enough that I was sure the veins in my neck were sticking out.“I don’t know.”
The truth was, when it came to Kyla, I always feared the worst.She was a soulless, manipulative narcissist.I wasn’t sure she had the capacity to love her child.
“It’s right here,” she said, pointing to the driveway on the left.
I nodded and turned down the driveway, which appeared to have been recently widened, given the fresh gravel, the hacked back branches, and mounds of dirt on either side.
