Page 14 of Let It Breathe
“Reese,” the guy replied. “Planting a new crop?”
“No,” Reese said. “Just checking the progress on the Muscat this season.”
“Hmm,” Dick replied. “You’ve never had much luck with Muscat here, have you? Such a shame, seeing how it seems to grow so well in my vineyard.”
Larissa snorted and took a step closer to her cousin. “Too bad your Pinot comes up short.” She sent a pointed glance at the guy’s crotch, effectively doubling the insult.
“My Pinot is none of your concern,” Dick snapped. “What is my concern is what you’re planting in this area, seeing how my property abuts yours right along that ridge over there.”
“Abuts,” Axl grunted. “That’s definitely the first word that comes to mind when I think of you, Dick.”
June put a hand on her father’s shoulder as Dick glared at them. Reese folded her arms and matched the glare with one of her own.
“I’m aware of the property lines between Sunridge and Larchwood, Dick,” Reese said. “As you can see, we’re safely on our side.”
“And at the moment, you’re on our property,” Axl added. “Those woods are ours—always fuckin’ have been, always fuckin’ will be, and if you’re here to badger us about selling again, the answer is no. ’Scuse me, the answer is fuck no.”
Dick ignored him and sneered at Reese. “I’m watching you. Don’t think I don’t know about that little event you’re hosting out here later this month.”
Larissa rolled her eyes. “Everyone knows about the event. We sent out a press release. It was on the front page of the newspaper.”
“Well, I certainly hope you know how to contain your guests. And your plantings, whatever they may be.”
He cast a dubious look at Axl, who spat on the ground at his feet. Then he turned on his heel and stomped back into the forest.
“Asshole,” Larissa muttered before the guy was out of earshot.
Reese sighed and waited a few more seconds for Dick’s footsteps to retreat before turning back to her grandfather. “Look, you’re not planting medical marijuana here. No way. Not with Dick watching and questionable paperwork. It’s too close to the property line.”
Axl stood glaring into the woods after Dick. “Asshole better not step on my ’shrooms,” he muttered before turning back to Reese. “So where the hell do I put my weed?”
Reese waved an arm down the hill. “There’s the pole barn where we used to do the grafting. I think I’ve even got some old grow lights down there. Why don’t you go do some research on indoor grow operations? And find out exactly how much you can have and where you can put it and?—”
“I’ve got all that, Peanut Butter Cup. I’ve been doing my research on the interspace.”
“Internet,” June said with a sigh.
“That’s great, Grandpa,” Reese said. “I’ll do some research, too, okay? Just to make sure everything’s legal.”
Axl frowned a little at that but didn’t say anything else. June reached out and took the shovel from him. “Come on, Dad—I’ve got some brownies in the oven down at the house. What do you say we have a few of those with some milk?”
“Brownies?” Axl perked up at the suggestion. “I was just reading up on a new recipe for brownies with a special ingredient, if you know what I mean.”
Clay braced himself to catch the old man if he tried to wink again, but Axl was apparently done. He allowed June to take him by the elbow and steer him down the hill. Reese and Larissa and Clay stood staring after the pair as they headed into the house that had stood at the edge of the vineyard property for more than forty years.
The sound of an approaching car drew their attention to the gravel road beyond the house. They all watched as a blue hybrid SUV crunched its way toward the winery.
“Someone’s here for wine tasting,” Reese said. “Larissa, could you?—”
“I’m on it,” she said, already wobbling down the hill in a pair of ridiculously high heels.
Clay’s mind flashed back to the first time he met Larissa, fresh-faced and eighteen and teetering in the same sort of silly shoes. She’d been a new college freshman, while he’d been gearing up to drop out of school, already hell-bent on fucking up his life with booze and bad decisions. Larissa had stood there smiling and earnest, gripping her cousin’s arm like her whole world revolved around Reese.
Clay could relate. Both then and now.
“See you at dinner later, Reesey?” Larissa called over her shoulder as she moved down the hill.
“Maybe,” Reese said. “I might be working late on some contracts. Don’t forget to top the bottles with the argon gas when you close up, okay?”
