Page 105 of Let It Breathe
“Yes, sweetie?”
Reese turned and looked out the window, not sure what the hell she wanted to ask. Am I doomed to fail at love? Can people ever really change? Can you screw up love the first time and still get it right someday?
She cleared her throat. “Do you have any Popsicles at the house?”
June stayed quiet, so quiet Reese turned to look at her. Her mother’s eyes stayed fixed on the road, but she wore a peculiar expression as she stared straight ahead at the rain-slick pavement.
“Popsicles?” June asked. “That’s what you want?”
Reese nodded, hating that she was too chicken to ask for advice or wisdom or anything more substantive than comfort food.
“Or cookies or donuts. I can pick some up at the store later,” Reese said. “I just thought?—”
“No, I think I have some. Want to come down to the house now and sit on the porch and talk for a little bit?”
Reese hesitated. “I’d better finish up some things in the office.”
“I’ll drop you at the winery barn, then.”
“Thanks for driving.”
“No problem, honey.”
June wheeled the car into the circular drive, her tires spitting up bits of gravel. She turned and smiled at Reese. “You sure there’s nothing you want to talk about, sweetie?”
Reese gripped the door handle and nodded. “Thanks, I’m good.”
“You want to come over for dinner later?”
Reese shook her head. “I may stop by for a snack, but I’m pretty beat. Thanks for the offer. I’ll probably just turn in early.”
“You did great in there today.”
Reese laughed and popped the door open. “For all the good it did. Thanks, you weren’t so bad yourself.”
“We’ll figure something out, honey. Try not to worry.”
Reese eased herself out of the car and patted the roof. “Love you, Mom.”
“Love you, too, sweetie.”
Reese shut the door and watched as her mom cranked the car around and headed the few hundred yards down the hill to their house. With a sigh, Reese turned and trudged into the winery. She forced herself not to look over at the construction site, though she could see from the corner of her eye that the heavy equipment was parked and the crews had gone home for the day. No sign of Clay, not that she was looking for him. She didn’t know whether to be sad or relieved that he’d left.
She pushed her way through the winery door, breathing in the comforting scent of fermenting grapes and French oak. She glanced around the cavernous space, noticing the racks of wine barrels missing from the west side of the building. Eric and his crew had been busy moving everything down to the other cellar.
She looked over at the coat rack, at the empty, upturned barrel where Eric usually left his lunch pail. The coat and the lunch box were gone, and Reese felt relieved. She had the place to herself.
She threw open her office door and felt a sinking in the pit of her gut.
“Reese. I’ve been waiting for you.”
Chapter 15
Reese offered a weak smile as she took in the view of Larissa parked in her desk chair. She wore a short skirt that showed off her legs and sent an inexplicable surge of fury through Reese. She hated herself for imagining those legs wrapped around Clay’s waist, and hated herself even more for caring.
But Larissa smiled, and Reese couldn’t bring herself to hate her cousin. Truth be told, she was actually the most welcome sight among her visitors.
“Axl, Sheila, Larissa,” Reese said, her voice tinny with false cheer. “What are you guys doing here?”
