Page 49 of Gone With the Wine

Their chirping almost makes me laugh. I miss this.

Our food arrives and we all dig in. The fish tacos are really good—grilled fish, fresh veggies, and a spicy sauce.

“I guess you’ve been through this,” Nolan says to me. I’ve told them I’m divorced.

“Yeah.” I make a face. “I wasn’t much into the wedding planning. My ex did it, and it was really nice. We got married at a hotel in Dana Point. On a terrace in front of the ocean. Gourmet food, lots of champagne.” I lift a shoulder. “It seemed fun at the time.”

“I hate weddings.” Nolan shoots Miles an apologetic glance. “Sorry, man. I’ll be there.”

“I know.” Miles turns to me. “How long have you been divorced?”

“Almost two years.”

“Not ready to tie the knot again?”

“I don’t think I’ll ever be.” I swallow a mouthful of beer. “I don’t need to get screwed over again. I had to pay her a shit ton of money.”

I didn’t really care about the money, but it’s easier to be bitter about that than crying about her cheating on me. Less pathetic. Especially since she cheated on me with one of my teammates. And they’re still together.

I didn’t mention any of this to Bianca the other night. She’s the last person I want to embarrass myself in front of.

“She took your money?” Nolan says. “Bitch.”

I sigh inwardly. I can’t let that go. “Nah, she’s not a bitch. At least I was retired. If I’d still been playing, I probably would have had to pay her even more.”

“Divorce laws.” Miles shakes his head.

I shrug. “I get it. I get why it has to be fair.”

They both regard me somberly.

“Eh, sorry. Didn’t mean to drag the mood down. Hope you have a pre-nup.” I manage a half-grin so they know I’m kidding and luckily they both laugh at my terrible joke. We need to move on from this ugly topic. “This food is good.”

“Yeah, the food here’s great. This place has been around forever.”

“Did you both grow up here?” I ask.

“Yeah, or close by.”

“I’m from San Francisco,” Nolan says. “Moved here because of Ana. How are you liking it here?”

“I’m getting used to it,” I say noncommittally. “I kind of miss the ocean and the beach, and there’s definitely a small-town vibe here, but it’s okay.”

“You seem like a big city guy.”

I nod. “Yeah. I grew up in Toronto. I played in Chicago for a couple of seasons, but the rest of my career was in Los Angeles.”

“Well, it’s not far to San Francisco. Or the beach,” Nolan points out. “If you need a fix of night life or whatever.”

“Women,” Miles says. “He needs women.”

“There are women here,” Nolan says.

“Like who?” Miles raises his eyebrows in a challenge.

“Like, lots of women.” He pauses. “Like Bianca.”

“She’s not staying,” Miles says. “Millie says she’s just here to help with harvest.”

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