Page 142 of Let It Breathe
Jed and June clasped hands and beamed. “Wouldn’t have been my first choice,” June said, “but it does seem like a workable plan.”
“So whaddya say?” Axl said, nudging Reese’s knee. “I believe we have a proposal on the table.”
“A very good one,” Tony added. “I can show you the figures if you’d like. All the paperwork is back in the office, if you’d like to review it, but I can assure you it’s an excellent proposal.”
Axl rubbed his hands together. “What do you say, Peanut Butter Cup?”
But Reese wasn’t looking at her grandfather or her parents or her cousin or Tony anymore. She was looking at Clay, who smiled down at her like they were the only two people in the room.
“Yes,” Reese said. “I say yes.”
Epilogue
Ten months later
“Can I get another boom mic over here?”
As a guy from the film crew hurried past, Reese ducked out of the way. Running a rag over the gleaming copper bar top, she marveled for the millionth time how perfect the new tasting room had turned out.
“Hey, beautiful.” Clay stepped up behind her, nuzzling her neck as they watched the pretty, dark-haired producer give orders to a camera guy. “Everything okay?”
“I think so.” With a happy sigh, Reese leaned back in his arms. “I still can’t figure out why the film crew had to come back for more footage.”
“What do you mean?”
“Kate showed us the rough cut of the documentary last week.” Reese had been thrilled by how well it captured the power of women in the wine industry—not just her own parts, either. “I thought it was perfect just how it was.”
Kissing the tip of her ear, Clay stepped back. “Who knows how Hollywood magic works? I’m just glad I get to go home with the star of the film.”
Reese laughed and tuned in his arms, kissing his jaw before she went back to polishing the bar that probably didn’t need polishing. “I’m not the star. Just a high-strung member of the cast.” She frowned. “Do you call it a cast when it’s a documentary?”
“Beats me.” Clay gave her butt a playful swat. “But you’re definitely the sexiest cast member. And the smartest. And the most talented. And?—”
“Can you guys cut it out for one damn minute?” Eric stomped through the tasting room lugging a case of wine. “The PDA around here is ridiculous.”
Reese scoffed and shoved open the door to the storage room, holding it so Eric could pass. “Says the man I caught making out with his wife behind the barrels of Pinot last week.”
Eric grunted as he slid by, but Reese caught the faint look of pride in his eyes. “That was called ‘working on our marriage,’” Eric grumbled, glaring at Clay as he huffed through the door. “Maybe you kids can learn something.”
As the door swung shut, Reese looked at Clay. “Who peed in his cornflakes?”
“He’s just flipping me shit because he can’t believe we’re not racing down the aisle.” Clay shrugged. “He’s convinced it’s because I just haven’t proposed.”
Reese rolled her eyes. “Did you tell him we’re taking a more thoughtful approach to marriage?”
“Yep.”
Thoughtful might be putting it mildly. Determined to give their relationship the best chance, Reese and Clay had embarked on a mission to get it right. They’d read every relationship guide on her parents’ bookshelf, including everything ever written by Dr. Vivienne Brandt. They’d also done several sessions of couples’ therapy to identify landmines and discuss how they’d like their relationship to work. They’d talked about plans for their future and yes, even what kind of wedding they might want.
Were they overthinking things? Maybe a little.
Did Reese ever dream of some romantic, swept-off-her-feet proposal? Absolutely not.
Well, maybe the vision crossed her mind once or twice. But only when Sheila or Larissa loaned her some hot new romance novel. She had to admit, she got gushy when the hero went down on one knee and told the heroine how much he loved her and wanted to be with her forever and ever and?—
“You know how Eric is,” Clay said, interrupting her silly train of thought. “Ever since he and Sheila embarked on their mission to renew their relationship, he thinks he owes it to the world to make sure everyone’s stupidly, happily hitched.”
“Stupid being the operative word?” She snickered. “Seriously though, I’m glad for them. Not every couple could have navigated what they did.”
