Page 7 of Pour Timing

I bite my lip to keep my negative words at bay. It’s not his fault, right? He’s not the pilot.Buthe could have come home last night. Hecouldhave taken an earlier flight like I asked. And hecouldhave remembered we had this meeting, told his dad to cover for him, and been here with me. After all, it was his dad’s idea to push this wedding date up.

“Do you want me to put you on FaceTime so we can do this together?”

“I'm in a noisy airport. Do you think I’ll be able to hear you?”

“Can you hear me right now?” My sarcasm is loud and clear.

I hear his sigh come across the phone. “Yes, I can hear you. You’re right, I’m just very tired?—”

I cut him off. “If you’re not going to be one hundred percent into this, then let’s not do it right now.”

“I just said you could put me on FaceTime, but if all you’re going to do is moan and groan about it, then I don’t want?—”

My hand tightens on my phone. “You’re tired. Maybe you should just relax in a chair for a while.”

“Besides fighting with somebody to get me another flight, all I’ve been doing for the last four hours is sitting in a chair.”

I take a deep breath and try to calm my anger. Fighting about this won’t solve anything. “My sister is here with me. I’ll make the arrangements with her.”

“Of course she is,” he mumbles.

“Excuse me?”

“I said I’m glad she’s there with you, Kylie.”

Neither of us speaks and the silence is deafening. “Okay, I’m going to hang up now before this turns into something more than it really should be. Let me know when you get a flight and I’ll meet you at the airport.”

“No need, it will be late. I’ll take an Uber back to the apartment,” he snaps.

“Okay.”

“Okay.”

“Bye.”

“Bye.” I pocket my phone and drop my hands to my sides, taking one more deep breath before turning around with a fake smile and walking back to the table. Sadie and Matt both look up at me, my sister with a raised brow and pursed lips and Matt with a questioning glance.

“He’s not going to make it because his flight was delayed, but we can continue.” I say matter-of-factly and take my seat once more. The place falls silent. I roll my lips inward. “Somebody needs to talk and we need to keep planning here,” I tell them.

My sister looks at Matt. “Can you give us a minute?” He pats the table twice and makes his exit and she turns to me. “Tell me what’s going on.”

“I don't know if this is the right thing to do.” I rush out the words knowing I should’ve been saying this all along but not wanting to really admit that I have gone this far despite all my doubts.

“Then don’t do it if you’re not happy.” When I shrug, she asks, “Whyareyou doing this?”

“Iwashappy.Wewere happy until his father named him successor quicker than expected.”

“Are you sure it was quicker? As soon as he started dating you, his father started pushing him to get married, settle down, and take over the company.”

I look at her. “Are you saying I was the right time, right place girl?”

“I'm not saying that. I’m sure Patrick loves you, but I’m saying you wereat theright time andat theright place for what’s convenient forhim.” She twists her lips and looks at me with concerned eyes. “But it’s not what’s happy for you.”

I sit back in the chair and look around the winery, glancing to the left and watching Matt as he dusts off some of the bottles behind the bar. “You were happy with him,” she says quietly.

“That was fifteen years ago.”

“But you’re both back here in Starlight Bay now.”

---