Page 10 of A Little Bit Whiskey
“Let’s find out.” Carter pulled open the door. “Hello, Anna. What brings you by?”
“I need to speak with Weezer about the email she sent about the showcase.” She shifted her gaze, glaring at Weezer. “I can’t believe you thought it was appropriate to… Tamsyn?” Anna paused in the middle of the kitchen and blinked. “Is something wrong? Why are you here?” She glanced down at Tamsyn’s hand, which was intertwined with Noir’s. “And with him?”
“She’s here for Merlot and Talbot’s wedding,” Weezer said before Tamsyn could form any words.
“Oh. I forgot that was today.” Anna adjusted her oversized purse, clutching it tightly. “Isn’t that a private family gathering? Why would Tamsyn be included?” she asked with dripping disdain.
Weezer looped her arm through Tamsyn’s. “She’s here as—”
“Noir invited me.” Tamsyn didn’t want to get into her relationship status with Anna while standing in the River family home. Not when tensions were this high. “Anna, let me walk you to your car. This isn’t the time to have this conversation with Weezer. Perhaps Weezer can make time in her schedule tomorrow or the next day to discuss your concerns about the showcase.”
“As I stated in my email, there will be a committee meeting tomorrow at noon,” Weezer said.
“You’re notorious for changing the committee, so some of us are concerned we’ll be replaced,” Anna said. “You better not do that. It’s bad enough that the fire at Claudia’s place wasn’t even out before you took over. You didn’t even give anyone a chance to discuss possible alternatives.”
“This late in the game, there isn’t anyone else who could pull this thing together.” Weezer glided across the kitchen like she was floating on air. She waved her hand over all the papers on the table. “I didn’t simply take over. I was asked to step in by the person who was supposed to hold the showcase. I accepted.”
“I believe it’s more like you swooped in and offered before anyone else could.” Anna waved her finger. “You are as underhanded as they come, Weezer River. Someday you’ll get what you deserve and I’m going to enjoy watching it happen.”
“It’s time for you to leave,” Weezer said.
Tamsyn curled her fingers around Anna’s forearm. “Come on. Let’s go.” She guided Anna through the back door, glancing once over her shoulder.
Noir smiled weakly.
Carter wrapped his arm around Weezer, who looked as though she wanted to follow Anna right out to her car and give her a few more choice words.
Tamsyn couldn’t blame Weezer. Anna had come in hot. She didn’t like Weezer and had made that perfectly clear over and over again.
“I’m so glad you decided to leave with me.” Anna yanked open the driver’s side door. “That woman thinks she owns this town. Well, I’ve got news for her. She doesn’t and half the people on that committee don’t want her to have the showcase.”
That wasn’t true. The only people who didn’t want that to happen were Anna and Mrs. Cummings. Everyone else knew that Weezer would put on a good show. She always did. It didn’t matter how Weezer got the showcase, because she cheated half the time, but every year the Holiday Showcase was at the winery, it was an event to remember.
“I’m not leaving,” Tamsyn said. “Noir is my friend and I’m here to support him.”
“Friend? How can you be friends with him? No one in that family has ever been kind to you. Or me. You can’t trust them.”
“What is your problem with Weezer?” Tamsyn had asked this question before, and the only answer she’d gotten had been there was unresolved history from childhood. Things in the past that didn’t concern her, but Anna could never forgive, nor forget.
Fred, of course, went along with Anna’s insane hatred for Weezer and the River family because he loved his wife. He’d shrug his shoulders and say,Weezer is a hard nut. Carter’s not a bad man, but he sides with Weezer at every turn. Things were said. Anna got hurt. I need to be there for my wife. It’s as simple as that.
However, nothing was simple because Tamsyn didn’t understand. At first, she believed Anna’s anger came out of what happened between Weezer and Tamsyn’s mother. She’d been told that for the first few years she’d lived with Anna and Fred.
As she got older, she learned there was a whole lot more to that story, but no one ever told her the details.
If she had a chance in hell of making her relationship work with Noir, she needed that intel.
“Are you kidding me? You honestly have to ask me that question? Weezer is the reason your mother—”
“No,” Tamsyn said. “That would be my problem with her and I’m over it. I want to know why you’re holding a grudge. I need to know because I care about Noir. A lot.”
“What the hell does that mean?” Anna jerked her head. Her eyes grew wide with shock and recognition. “No. No. No.” She shook her head wildly. “You can’t have feelings for that young man. It’s impossible.” She leaned closer. “Your mother had an affair with Carter. You know the rumors. What if they’re true?”
“Oh my God. Carter would never and you know it, and I have the proof.” Tamsyn should have told Fred and Anna the truth the moment she found out. She should have told the entire town. Just because the River family didn’t care, didn’t mean she didn’t. Or anyone else.
“Proof?” Anna whispered.
“Yeah. We took a paternity test a few years ago. I should have told you. Carter left it up to me to do whatever I wanted with the information. He and Weezer didn’t want to make a big deal about it, so I didn’t either. The rumors had died down and other than you and Mrs. Cummings, most people accepted that Carter—”
