Page 30

“It was a storm, yes, but it wasn’t a ‘tropical storm’,” Zann reminded her with a grin that said and you damn well know it. “We just sat in the cabin and passed around those bottles of rum that we’d bought in Charlotte Amalie until we passed the fuck out, and when we woke up in the morning, it was to flat seas and blue skies.”

“And a fucking beast of a hangover,” Aspen added with a grimace.

“That too,” Zann agreed, shuddering at the memory.

Lydia patted Zann’s knee comfortingly. She’d had more than a few of those mornings herself over the years.

Kit crossed her arms over her chest and jutted her lower lip out in a dramatic pout as she glowered at Aspen and Zann. “I hate you both.”

Lydia chuckled and squeezed Zann’s leg as she pushed her chair back. Sitting around and shooting the shit with everyone was fun, but she needed to walk off some of the wine she’d had before they headed off to the third and final winery stop on the day. “Well, then I guess you won’t mind if I take this one for a walk to explore the grounds.”

“Mind if we join you?” Eve asked, shooting a look at Aspen, who, rather predictably, shrugged and nodded.

Lydia bit the inside of her cheek and resisted the urge to sigh as her gaze naturally drifted to Zann. She did, in fact, mind. Quite a lot, actually. It felt like a lifetime had passed since she and Zann had lingered in the foyer of their cottage, trading slow, deep, achingly tender kisses between murmured reminders that they really did need to get going. Reminders that neither felt particularly compelled to heed, as Zann pressed her more firmly against the wall and she pulled Zann close with a matching fervor, and she desperately wanted a few stolen moments to reclaim that intimacy.

That feeling of being seen and accepted and cherished for who she was and not what her last name meant.

She’d never told anyone the truth of why she’d really walked into that tattoo shop in New Haven, but there was just something about Zann that made her feel safe. And for the first time since the night she’d staged her secret rebellion, she hadn’t explained away her reasons for why she’d done it with a laugh and a flippant comment.

She’d told the truth. The ugly, woe-is-me, poor-little-rich-girl truth, and Zann had just looked at her with an understanding that made her throat tighten with emotion even now.

And the way she’d kissed her? Like she was something precious?

God, she’d give anything to be kissed like that every day for the rest of her life.

She was pulled from her thoughts by Zann’s fingers skimming lightly against hers, and she sighed as she turned back to Eve. It would be rude to brush her friend off just because she desperately craved a few minutes alone with this unexpectedly wonderful woman who so thoroughly captivated her.

“Of course,” she said, pasting on a smile that she hoped didn’t look as forced as it felt. “The more the merrier.” And then, because if she wasn’t going to be able to sneak off for a bit to reconnect with Zann, she may as well remember the manners that had been drilled into her since childhood, she glanced around the table and asked, “Anyone else want to join?”

“Fuck no,” Kit said.

“Ditto,” Michael chimed in through a yawn as Jack nodded beside him. They’d come sprinting down the hill to catch the van that morning just as it’d arrived, and had both crashed on the hour-long drive from the hotel to the first winery stop on the day.

“I think we’re good to just hang out here, too,” Shannon said, gesturing between herself and Bonnie.

Stella, who was sitting to Bonnie’s right, shared a look with her brother before announcing, “Yeah, us too.”

“Have fun,” Steven chimed in, waving at them as he lifted his glass to polish off what was left of his chardonnay.

“Yeah…” Alder waved them off with a cheery, “You all go on. We’ll be here when you get back.” She glanced at the time on her phone. “Which will be no later than twenty-eight minutes from now, because that’s the latest we can leave and still make our next reservation.”

“Yes, mom,” Aspen laughed. And then she laughed harder when Alder set her wine glass down to flip her off with both hands.

“That was a very un-mom-like behavior,” Jack sniggered.

“What? This?” Alder sassed as she turned to double-bird him, as well.

“Yep. That,” Jack confirmed with a cheeky grin.

“Then it’s a good thing I’m not playing mom right now—” Alder broke off as her phone rang, and her entire demeanor shifted as she answered, “Hey, Nash! How’s Disneyland, buddy?”

“Not playing mom, my ass,” Michael taunted, and then cackled when Alder stuck her tongue out at him as she pushed herself to her feet so she could wander off in search of a quieter place to catch up with her son.

Lydia shook her head at their banter and held out a hand to Zann. Her heart fluttered when Zann didn’t hesitate to take it and lace their fingers together, and she allowed her eyes to follow suit for a brief moment when Zann used that hold to wrap both their arms around her waist and draw her close.

Though she hadn’t been feeling particularly stressed, there was no mistaking the calm that settled in her chest as they wandered from the patio and into the vineyard that flowed in impeccable lines across the hilly property. The rolling hills and budding vines made for a particularly impressive view, and she sighed happily as she leaned a little further into Zann’s side.

“This is nice,” she murmured.