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“Yep,” he agreed, shutting off the engine. “We’re good to go. Now wait right there.”
“Okay.” Birgit giggled. She watched, amused, as Chris got out of the car and then came around to the passenger side so that he could open the door for her. She couldn’t help but feel giddy as she took his hand. Jimmy had used to do such things at the beginning of their marriage, but that had stopped over a decade over, well before their divorce.
“Well, aren’t you chivalrous,” she teased as he took her hand and helped her out of the car.
“I thought with everything going on, you could use some chivalry,” Chris replied with a smile.
Once inside, Birgit’s happiness only grew. She had been a key part of the process of getting the old barn updated to what it now was, and she was happy to see that it was still amazing. Before she could finish taking a look around, Birgit heard a squeal of delight, and she turned just in time to see her mother racing toward her with her arms open wide.
“Oh, Birgie! It’s so good to see you again!” Marita Strauss exclaimed, hugging her eldest daughter tight.
“Hi, mama,” Birgit whispered warmly, hugging her mother back just as tight. “It’s good to see you, too.”
“Glad to see you brought this handsome fella with you,” her dad said with a chuckle as he approached. Birgit watched as her father, Hugo, warmly shook hands with Chris and thanked him for coming.
“Hi, Daddy,” Birgit, greeted her father, going in to hug him after her mother let her go.
“Good to see you, pumpkin,” he replied tenderly, giving her a little squeeze.
Though both of her parents were in their seventies, they were still in very good health. While her father had gone fully gray over a decade ago, her mother still had wisps of vivid red hair laced through her white strands. Wrinkles, of course, were a natural part of getting older, but her parents barely had any, looking more like they were in their late fifties than their actual age.
If asked, they always boasted of their strong German genes, but in reality, it was because they took as good of care of themselves as they did their business−which was in stellar shape. Since they’d purchased the winery in their early twenties, they’d more than doubled their property, branched out into several different kinds of wines, and had expanded the list of activities their customers could enjoy. Now, even in their golden years, they were still constantly working on a hands-on approach to making the winery bigger and better.
“Come on,” Hugo urged, leading them through the busy restaurant. “We saved you the best table as soon as Chris called.”
“Are you going to join us?” Birgit asked, taking her father’s arm.
“Sadly not,” her mother replied, patting her other arm as they walked. “But we’ll come chat for a while before you leave. We’ve heard so many good things about the hotel, sweetheart. Auntie Ursula and Helga would be so proud of you girls for all you’ve done.”
Birgit felt a burst of pride as her mother said this, and she squeezed her arm closer to her.
“Thanks, mama,” she whispered sincerely.
Birgit gave her parents each another hug and kiss before they left her and Chris at the table, and when she turned, she saw that Chris had pulled out her chair for her.
“Admit it,” he said with a grin as she sat down, “I’m good at this.”
Birgit laughed as he took a seat across from her and nodded. “You are indeed. Which begs the question−howare you still single?”
“I’m an old-fashioned guy living in a modern world,” he said with an easy shrug. “Not too many women like guys like me anymore.”
“Well, they are missing out,” Birgit replied, still smiling wide. She then leaned in and said in a softer voice, “Seriously. Thank you for bringing me here. I feel better already.”
“That’s what I’m here for,” Chris replied with a wink. A moment later, a waitress came by holding a wine bottle and two glasses.
“Good evening, folks,” she greeted them pleasantly, “this is a complimentary bottle from the owners. It’s a 2003 Iced Merlot from our winery. Tonight the chef is working with a set seven-course menu consisting of Cheese-Stuffed Mushrooms and Pancetta Crisps with Goat Cheese and Pear for Appetizers, a Chestnut Fennel for our Soup, Wilted Spinach with Warm Apple Cider and Bacon Dressing for the Salad, a Butternut Squash Gnocchi with Sage Brown Butter for our Pasta, a Smoked Cheddar-stuffed Chicken breast with Apple Slaw for your Entrée, a Pork Tenderloin with Caramelized Pears as our Main Course, and a Bourbon Pumpkin Cheesecake for Dessert.”
Birgit’s mouth began to water as their waitress read off the menu, and her stomach growled in excitement. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d eaten more than a pack of crackers or a bowl of cereal between trying to get all her work done. Sneaking another look at Chris, she felt her appreciation for him grow.
* * *
Birgit sat back in her chair, stuffed and happy. As if the food hadn’t been good enough, Chris had also kept his promise, and had kept her laughing and happily distracted from all of her problems throughout the entire meal. He talked about his camping trip up North, and how he’d miraculously outran a bear, and then he changed the subject to her, asking her all sorts of questions about the hotel. Not standard questions like everyone else asked, but more sentimental ones, like how it made her feel, what she liked about running the place, and what her hopes were for the future. There was no talk at all about Jimmy or Anita, and it was greatly appreciated.
“I feel like I owe you now,” she said through her food coma haze.
“You don’t owe me anything,” Chris replied happily. “It makes me happy to see you like this again.” He paused then added, “−or, maybe see you like that for the first time ever?”
Birgit chuckled as she shook her head, and brought her wine glass up to her lips.
