“Yep.” She smiled. “Mr. Astute Observation Architecture and Decoration, you’re right. I’m messing with you. I realize that you’re the expert, but roofs leak and doors are sometimes in the way, and that’s also okay.”
“Okay? No, it’s not okay. A leaky roof should never have been built the way it was and doors should be placed with thought to the flow of the space. If it’s in the way, it shouldn’t be where it is.”
“You’re funny.” She slid out from under my arm and wiggled her nose at me. “Ease up. You’re the brother of a bride now, not the specialist who has to assess how well the place was built.”
“As you pointed out, I can’t make sweeping declarations about how perfect it is if I don’t know that the place is built well. This way, we can both ease up because we’ll know that if they choose the winery, we won’t have a disaster on our hands if the weather turns.”
“But what if there’s a blizzard?”
“We’ll move the ceremony into the tasting room,” I replied automatically before I saw her lips twitching. “Of course, you’re still messing with me.”
“I am,” she agreed easily. “Look, let me be honest with you. This intensity thing you’ve got going on? That’s what I’m afraid is going to ruin the wedding. Teddy wants it to be light, casual, and fun. She’s not dramatic. This isn’t a royal wedding where centuries of tradition have to be observed and everything has to be just so. I’ve already said I think this place is nice and that we’d be able to make their vision a reality here. If they agree, then that’s it. If not, then that’s also it.”
“But you’ll help me make a case for it?”
She nodded. “Of course. I’ve already said I would. This isn’t a high-powered business deal, Colt. Relax. Let’s go sample some wine. I already know it’s good, but we’ll need to see if it lives up to your big-city expectations. Then we can run the idea past Teddy and Scott tonight at the meeting. Ultimately, it’s their choice.”
I sighed but followed her through to the tasting room. One of the things that had annoyed me most about living here even back when I was a kid was the lack of urgency. Rockdale had never been and would never be fast paced. I realized we had to run the idea past my sister and her fiancé, but I couldn’t see why it had to wait.
We could call them up, tell them to get out here, and get the decision made. End of story. But no. She wanted to go taste the wine and, even after that, wait until tonight to talk to them about it. It was bullshit, but not even our guide was around anymore to discuss availability. He’d shown us around and then told us to take a look and let him know “whenever.” In no civilized place did a wedding venue ever say to let them know “whenever.” You needed to book before someone did, but here, apparently it didn’t work that way.
It was ridiculous, but as I watched Emma walk away from me and caught the slight sway of her hips and a flash of her smile when she greeted one of the staff members, I found myself following her instead of calling my sister.Because of course, the ridiculousness is contagious around here.
I trailed into the tasting room after her, going to join her at the table she’d chosen near one of the wide windows. Her blue eyes lit up with a smile when I sat down on one of the stools around the raised wine barrel that doubled as the table.
“Beth is bringing us a selection of their regular drinking wines. I know you said you wanted the finer stuff, but regular is just fine for us regular folks around here.”
I stared at her, almost getting lost in those fucking eyes before I shook myself out of it. “Can we just taste the better wines? Indulge me, would you?”
She held her pose for another beat. Then she broke down laughing. Between the happy teasing giggles, she managed to point toward a girl I was assuming was Beth. “I was wondering how long that was going to take you. We’re already getting the finer wines, too. Don’t worry. I got you. I just wanted to see the look on your face, and it was so worth it.”
Cursing internally, I dragged in a deep breath and looked her over. “How did you manage to stay so… happy? Most of us have become jaded or skeptical somewhere along the way, but time doesn’t seem to have changed you much.”
Her laughter came to a slow, natural end as she shrugged, but it still shone from her eyes and the remnants of it were there around her mouth. “I’ve changed. I just don’t take myself too seriously. I own a preschool, for God’s sake. Making a living the way I do depends on having fun and playing lots of games. It keeps a person young. Besides, what’s that old saying? Oh. Don’t take life so seriously, you’re never going to get out of it alive anyway.”
“You’re a business owner?” I asked, not ashamed to admit that I was surprised. “When did that happen? Teddy didn’t say anything.”
“Why would she? She doesn’t know we were ever even friends. Never mind anything more than that.”
“Fair enough.” I moved my gaze from her to Beth, and after the glasses were lined up in front of us, I turned back to Emma. “You really never told Teddy about us?”
“I didn’t say a word,” she replied, honesty ringing clear as a bell from her voice. “We said we were going to keep it a secret, didn’t we? It’s the only one I’ve ever kept from her, but I kept it.”
Barely suppressing a flinch, I changed the topic back to something I was more comfortable with. It had never sat right with me to be keeping anything from my sister or to ask Emma to do it, but at the time, it had seemed like the best thing to do.
“So, you’re a business owner. I’d love to see your place. When did you buy it?”
“A few years ago,” she said nonchalantly. “It wasn’t a big deal. Mrs. Fletcher was finally ready to retire, and since I’d been working for her since before I’d even finished studying, she offered to sell it to me at a good price.”
“How’s it going?”
She shrugged, but there was a definite pride that crept into her expression while she spoke about it. “We’re doing really well. Business is good and the kids are happy, so I can’t complain. What about you? I’ve heard you’re some bigwig now and that you’re barely even ever in the country.”
I barked out a laugh. “That’s a bit of an exaggeration. I do travel a lot, but I’m not barely ever in the country.”
“So you’re a real jetsetter now, huh?” Some of the light that had been in her eyes dimmed, but I didn’t quite understand why. “Well, congratulations. You got what you always wanted.”
“Someof what I always wanted,” I replied, and we fell silent while we sampled the first couple of wines. They were surprisingly good, and when Emma picked up the small talk again, I was equally surprised to realize that I liked spending this time with her.