Page 85 of Love Among Vines

“Yes,” she said immediately.

As soon as he poured her a glass, the front door opened and in walked the book club. He barely had a second to enjoy the way Jade’s eyes closed at her first sip, like she was tasting with her full body.

“Ladies,” he said. “Welcome. I hope you’re ready to paint.”

Jeanette wandered up and squinted at the bottles of wine on display. Mildred swiveled until she found Jade, then she whispered something to Ethel. As suspected, they were here primarily to spy.

Rett poured Jeanette a glass of semi-dry Riesling while Ethel and Mildred approached Jade. Ethel handed something off to Jade, but he couldn’t quite hear what they were saying. Probably interrogating her. It wouldn’t be the first time they had meddled in his love life—or lack of one.

More people trickled in until all twenty seats were filled. When everyone’s glass was full, Rett strode to the front of the room. Jade’s shoulders shook. He stood beside her and put one arm around her.

The book club straightened up and leaned forward.

“Thank you all for coming tonight.” He glanced around the room. There were a handful of unfamiliar faces, but most of the attendees were townspeople and local business owners. An old friend who carried his wines at their charming string of bed-and-breakfasts in Seneca winked at him.

Hmm. That would be a good opportunity for Jade to practice networking. He filed the idea in the back of his mind and continued.

“For those of you who haven’t met her yet, this is Jade. She’s a remarkably accomplished young artist from Manhattan, and she also has amazing taste in wine.”

A couple people laughed.

“Let’s make her feel welcome.” He clapped and applause broke out.

Ethel put her fingers to her mouth and whistled. Her dentures shot out and bounced off the canvas.

“Take it away,” he whispered in Jade’s ear. With one last squeeze of her arm, he left her to sink or swim.

And swim she did.Beautifully. Though her movements had been halting and unsure when she first stood in front of the group, within minutes, she’d settled into her role as teacher and the paintbrush moved like it was a part of her. Every swipe of color brought her closer to her dream of returning to the art world. It was exactly what they both wanted. So why did the thought of her returning to the city churn his stomach?

An hour later, Jade put down her brush. “And there you have it—a fall pumpkin patch. Thank you all so much for coming tonight. Don’t forget to leave a review for Rhodes Vineyard on Yelp before you leave.”

Rett tilted his head. A prickle of irritation flared. Why the hell was she pushing Yelp reviews? That wasn’t one of his core goals this quarter. In fact, he barely ever checked the winery’s online reputation. Word of mouth was a much more powerful tool.

“Any questions?” Jade asked.

Jeanette’s hand shot into the air, and Jade hopped down from her stool to help her. A couple people came over for a refill while their canvases dried. When everyone seemed satisfied, he ducked out from behind the counter and strode over to Jade.

“It’s time to practice your networking skills,” he said with a hand on her arm.

“What?” she asked.

“Firm handshake, look him in the eyes, ask about his bed-and-breakfast business.”

“But—”

He steered her in front of his friend. “Vince! It’s been awhile. This is Jade.”

“So nice to meet you.” She extended a hand to Vince and shook it firmly. Good girl.

“Rett said you’re in the hospitality industry,” she continued. “It must be a busy time of year for you.”

Someone rang the bell at the counter, and Rett turned toward it. As he bagged up a few bottles for a customer, he caught a glimpse of Jade pointing at something on Vince’s painting. It seemed to be going well. Maybe she didn’t need as much help as he thought.

Eventually, people took their canvases and began to trickle out.

“Bye, Rett. Let’s do this once a month,” Mildred called on her way out. “I want to paint a library next time.”

He smiled, but he didn’t really feel it. There wouldn’t be a next time.

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