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“I try,” she said, as he pulled her into his arms.
She turned toward Cosima who had been quiet the whole time. Her cousin nodded. “Is it serious between you two?”
“I don’t know. I want it to be, but we said we’d just sort of wing it, see where everything went with nothing formal,” she said.
“Then do that,” Jock said. “Or don’t. When I fell for Delilah, everything I thought I knew went out the window. Let me know if you need anything, Ange.”
“I will,” she said, hugging him and Delilah as the two of them left.
She went back into the living room to find Cosima sitting on the couch having poured two glasses of wine. Michael Bublé’s Christmas album was playing and the fire in the gas-powered fireplace was going.
“Figured you might want to talk,” Cosima said.
“I’m not sure I do. What about you and Reg?” she asked.
“That’s a mess. He is too…intense. I mean I like him, sex was good, but he’s not from here, he’s from California and I don’t want to go back,” she said. “It’s not that I hate my home or the vineyards but when I’m there I’m a different Cosima.”
Angelica curled her legs underneath her, taking a sip of her wine. “I know. I felt that way about moving here to be closer to Mom and Dad but honestly, I’m starting to find I’m more me than I was before.”
“You sound like someone who has had too much to drink,” Cosima said.
“Ha. I know that sounded funny but being independent and going through so much personal stuff over the last few years made me come home a stronger…I hate to admit this…but more adult me. You might find the same,” she said.
“Maybe. Or maybe I just stay here,” Cosima said. “Whatever you do with Max, I’m not sure I’m ready to move on.”
“You don’t have to be. I’m not sure I am either,” Angelica said, but as the night wore on and she kept checking her phone in case Max messaged her. She knew she was. She wanted him to be that elusive Mr. Right and she wanted to move on with him.
*
Max drove fasterthan he should have through the quiet streets of Whiskey River, arriving at his house in a foul mood just as the car he’d arranged to pick up his parents arrived. He pulled into his garage and entered the house. His housekeeper stayed the night in town at her own house so the big mansion was empty except for the sconces that she’d left on.
He walked through the large foyer and entryway to the front door, opening it as soon as he heard the sound of footsteps on the stairs. His father smiled out at him and his mom looked up with a smile as well.
That tight knot he’d had in his chest sort of relaxed a bit. “Hi. How was your flight?”
He went to them and hugged them both. His father’s hug was brief but his mom held on a bit longer. “Good. Really good.”
He led them inside and directed the driver to leave their luggage in the foyer. “Mom and Dad, go down the hall to the right and I’ll join you in a few minutes.”
They both did and Max tipped the driver, closed the door behind him and set the security code before taking their luggage upstairs and putting it in the guest room that he’d had prepared for them.
He knew he was stalling. He thought about texting Angelica, because he wanted to talk to her.
He walked into the kitchen to find his parents had found glasses and poured themselves some water. “Are you hungry?”
“We’re good. Just a little wound up from traveling. Sit down and talk to me, Maxie.”
His mom always called him that when she was…well Mom. Not the one who was distant and sad. He went and sat down next to her. His dad was checking his phone. Max was tempted to do the same knowing that some of the foreign markets were opening soon, but he didn’t get to see his mom that often.
“I was at a tree-trimming party tonight,” he told her. Then told her all about Angelica even though he hadn’t planned to. His dad at some point put down his phone and listened as well.
“She sounds lovely,” his mom said. “Not at all like someone who’d have a toxic video about her.”
“The thing is, she’s very passionate about what she believes,” Max said. “She regrets hurting the other woman and I could see she’d be an asset in The Barrels.”
“This is for the Second Start project?” his dad asked.
His father was on the board as well and already knew a lot of the details for this project. “Yes. She and her cousin had the idea to take one of the retail spaces and make it into a community center with classes for local residents. Teaching them skills that they could use to make money or just to relax.”
