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I closed my eyes, hating I couldn’t give him a straight answer, wishing I wasn’t so messed up in the head, and I could just give in to him and live happily ever after. But what happened if we didn’t get that choice? What happened if things turned sour? What if I got sick? What if he couldn’t handle it and he left me?
Every fear that kept me running slammed into me. My lips parted, but the words were out of reach. I searched for them, willing them to come out. I had to say something. I owed him that much.
“I—”
“You still haven’t stopped by the museum,” Steve said, breaking through the tension filled silence.
The fears packaged themselves up and returned to their hiding place in the back of my mind as I turned to Steve. “I’m sorry. I’ve been super busy, but it’s on my list.”
“Ah, I’m messing with you,” Steve said with a laugh, and with a cordial smile, Laurent dismissed himself and disappeared into the crowd.
I dodged the question again, but I knew the time was coming when I wouldn’t just have to answer Laurent, but I’d have to answer myself as well, and that scared me more than anything.
Three Barrell Distillery was my third home. The vineyard was my first, my actual house was my second, and Three Barrell was my third. I sat on one of the stools at the bar waiting for Franc to bring Gio by. I was taking him for the night so Franc could have a break.
Brady stood behind the bar restocking glasses after a busy night. The place had been packed not even a half hour ago, but as closing time came, the crowd dwindled until all that was left was us. Brady came out from behind the bar, and glanced out to the parking lot.
“Three, two, one,” he said.
The door flew open, and a flash of brown hair sped past me, slamming right into Brady’s thigh. Brady didn’t even stumble, resting his hand on Gio’s back. “Whoa there, buddy.”
“Jack!” Gio buried his head into the dog's fur.
“Hey bud,” I said, and Gio’s head snapped up.
“Uncle Laurent! I brought Battleship!”
“So I can beat you?”
“Nuh uh. I’m going to beat you!”
“Says who?”
“Says me!”
I ruffled his hair, and he swatted my hand away.
“Gio, what did I tell you about running?” Franc stepped into the distillery, looking like he’d already survived a war.
“Running is for tracks and fields, not parking lots,” Gio stated.
“Exactly.”
“At least you know he’s retaining.” I laughed.
“I heard they threw you a little engagement party at the last town hall meeting,” Franc said with an amused glint in his dark eyes.
“Complete with a cake.”
“Wait, Lainey brought cake? What the fuck? Why wasn’t I invited?” Franc asked.
Gio gasped. “I heard that!”
“Sorry. I meant… what the fiddlesticks.”
I laughed. “It’s a town hall meeting. Anyone can go.”
“Oh yeah, but they’re boring as hell. That’s why you volunteered for all of us.”
