“And ditch,” Min added. “She is a potential partner for Grado. And not to mention really nice. She doesn’t deserve your bullshit.”
Neither of them knows how I feel about her.
“No,” I said calmly. “She is not some chick. And yes, Rae is really nice.” I addressed Min. “I agree. She doesn’t deserve my bullshit. I don’t intend to give it to her.”
Both Cos and my sister made sounds of disgust.
Deep breaths.
“Listen, I get it. I don’t have the best track record with women.”
“Best track record?” Cos sat on a stool at the empty tasting bar. “Marco, you’ve slept with half of Kitchi Falls.”
“Half?” Min rolled her eyes. “That’s a gross understatement.”
“I’m trying to tell you she’s different.”
“Who’s different?” Brooke asked, walking into the room from the back offices. She immediately migrated toward Cos, who put his arm around her as she stood beside him.
“Marco’s been hitting on Rachel Watson since she came here, and the poor thing could apparently only hold out for so long.”
Brooke’s eyes were kinder than my siblings’. “Marco can be pretty persuasive,” she offered.
“You’re missing the point,” Min argued. “Rae is a smart, savvy woman. And a potential partner for us. If we have to go back to working with Jerry Doorknob because Marco screws this up...”
“You know what?” I shouldn’t have said a word. “I don’t even know why I try.”
“Try what?” Cos asked.
Try to gain your respect. The family’s respect. Dad’s respect. “To talk to you guys about anything serious.”
“Marco,” Brooke’s soft, soothing voice demanded attention even as I was prepared to storm away. “They’re just going by what they know. Which is that you don’t tend to actually date women. Min is looking out for a new friend and, as she said, a business colleague.”
Maybe she should be looking out for me. “I get it. But I told them Rae was different. I’m not stupid enough to screw around with someone like her. Sheisa smart, savvy, beautiful woman.”
“Who’s heart is going to get broken.” Min just couldn’t help herself.
“Or not?” Brooke said. “If Marco’s saying she’s different, maybe she is. Everyone in this room knows what it’s like to meet the right person.” She smiled at Cos. “Even,” Brooke added, directly to my sister, “if your family pushes back on the idea.”
I silently thanked Brooke knowing I didn’t deserve her support.
Unfortunately, that only seemed to upset Min more. “Yeah, about that,” she threw at me. “You were a total dick to Hudson because you didn’t think he was good enough for me. So maybe let’s not get high and mighty about our reaction to Rae, as if it’s some shock of the century we’re a little bit skeptical of the whole thing.”
I was so sick of fighting a battle I’d never win. “There’s a difference, Min,” I said, not even shouting. Which was something for me. “I didn’t think he was good enough for you. But you don’t thinkI’mgood enough for Rae.”
I couldn’t do this anymore. Giving Brooke a half-smile, I turned toward the door.
“Marco,” Min called. But I ignored her. I might not have lost it on her, but I didn’t want to keep re-hashing this either. I walked away. “Marco,” Min called again.
Pushing the door open, I wandered into the courtyard. Intending to head to my car, instead I looked around the empty estate. The Cellar, where I’d just come from. The cornerstone of Grado Valley Vineyards. The Wine Barn, Min’s baby. The field where Hudson would play this weekend. It would be filled with hundreds of people enjoying the last of the summer, as long as the rain held out.
And then, farther down toward the cottages, Grado Brewing Company. An idea in college. A dream I’d had since then. Now it was an actual building that, although there were hiccups, was more of a success than I could have hoped for.
I wasn’t a total fuck-up, and the evidence was right in front of me, staring me in the face. But somehow, as I turned away and headed toward the car, even that building wasn’t very convincing. What if I did screw this up? Hurt Rae? Hurt our relationship with Sunset in the process?
But then I thought of this morning, of how I’d felt dropping her off even knowing I’d see her again in a few hours. I was right to go for it. Rae was different. I would just have to be sure she knew it, and believed it.
I’d put the same energy into this relationship as I had to starting Grado Brewing. The latter worked out just fine. The former would do the same.