Page 99 of My Brother's Best Friends

I gesture to everything around us.

We’ve whipped the house into shape, scrubbing every surface at least once. There’s fresh paint on the walls, and the living room and hallways now sport gorgeous rugs we scored at the best thrift store in town.

Everything is finally coming together. I keep a calendar tacked to the wall, every crucial date inked in: planting, harvesting, bottling.

“Granted, we still have a ton of work ahead,” I admit, hearing the doubt in my voice.

“Hey, we’re still here, still alive, still kicking,” Janet reminds me gently. “My remote setup runs seamlessly, which is good for both of us.”

I smile. “I’ve been doing alright in that department, too.”

She nods. “I told you. There are plenty of online clients who will work with freelancers in this economy. It’s just what you needed so you can focus most of your energy and resources on the grapes. Spring is just around the corner now.”

I’m out in the fields every day, working from sunrise until the sun dips behind the hills. We don’t have the money to buy an expensive tractor, but there’s a farmer down the way who offered his for rent. After four days of hard labor, the soil is primed for the grapes. I’ve already been to the local nursery, and I’m expecting a shipment before the end of this week.

“So, how’s big bro?”

“Impressed,” I say.

“Impressed?”

“Yes, ma’am,” I reply, closing my laptop and standing up to stretch. “He says he checked out your website, and he’s impressed.”

Janet smiles. “Thanks. That really means a lot, coming from a savvy businessman like him.” She’s wearing an apron, which I think is cute, and her hair is up in a messy bun. It feels like we’re an old farming couple already, having settled into a routine after only a few weeks. “I can change the template if he thinks something more modern would be better.”

“No, he says it’s really good. You don’t have to change a thing. And I agree. It’s the perfect vibe for what we’re building here.”

Janet smiles. “Well, that’s good to hear. Are you going into town tomorrow? We’re out of milk and flour.”

“I’ll put them on my list,” I say, reaching for my phone.

I’ve learned that it helps to be super organized, and shopping lists are one of my new favorite things. I think about Oscar and how much he would approve of my new system, but that leads me to thinking about Kellan and Alex and everything we had together. Best to shut that down quickly before I get depressed.

“Do you want to open a bottle of wine?” Janet asks.

In the name of research, we’ve purchased at least a dozen bottles from different wineries across the valley, and they’re all sitting on the kitchen counter, waiting for one of us to build a wine rack. I’m trying to narrow down the flavor profiles I like, so that I know which direction I want my own product to go.

“Not right now,” I say. “But if we still have any of the California Belle, I’ll have a glass of that.”

“Coming right up,” Janet says cheerfully.

I’m just settling down with a chilled glass when there’s a knock on the door. I’m not expecting anyone, so I look over at Janet to confirm whether she’s expecting a guest. She shrugs, indicating that she’s just as confused as I am. I get up to answer the door and am thrilled when I find Bryan standing on my front porch step.

“Bryan!” I shout, pulling him into a hug. “You asshole. I thought you were just calling to check up on me. How the hell did you get here so quickly?”

“I called from the road,” he says with a devious grin. “I didn’t say anything because I wanted it to be a surprise.”

“I’m surprised,” I say with a laugh. “Come in, please.”

I stand back to let both Bryan and Callie enter my new home. Callie looks tired and worried, two things I wish she didn’t feel. The whole thing with Melanie is such a mess, it left a dent in every relationship they had—with me, with my brother, and clearly, with Callie, too.

“It’s so good to see you,” I tell her with a warm smile.

“I’ve been itching to come up here for a while,” she says, then gives Bryan a playful scowl. “But Mr.I’m-Too-Busy-to-Visit-My-Own-Sister here kept postponing this surprise trip.”

“More like, Mr.I’m-Just-Giving-My-Sister-Space,” Bryan gently corrects her.

“Come here, you!” I give Callie a strong hug, making sure that she knows she’s welcome.

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