Page 24 of The Beach Hut on Plum Island
“Sure.” Finn cleared his throat when his voice sounded a little hoarse. “I’d love to.”
“Would you like red wine, white wine, champagne?” She pointed to the phone. “Or I could order you something from the bar.”
“Red wine will be fine,” Finn told her, following her to the kitchenette.
Harriet looked through the winerack and picked out a bottle of twenty-ten Petrus Pomerol red wine. A red wine made primarily from Merlot grapes from the Pomerol region of Bordeaux, France. “Is this okay?”
“That’s great,” Finn said, trying not to choke on his own saliva at the pricey wine. “May I open it?”
“Thanks.” Harriet handed him the bottle and opener.
Their fingers brushed, and a spark zapped up his arm, nearly making him drop the bottle, which, luckily, Harriet didn’t see as she spun around to grab wine glasses.
“Do you want ice?” Harriet asked.
She pulled an ice bucket from a cupboard near the refrigerator, filled it with ice, and then walked to where he was and popped a few blocks into one of the glasses.
“No, thank you!” Finn’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Why do you put ice in red wine?”
“I find it makes it smoother,” Harriet admitted and grinned. “I also started doing it because it drove wine snobs, like my parents, Alex’s, Brad’s, and Dawn’s parents crazy.”
Finn nearly didn’t hear what she said as the grin transformed her face from gorgeous to heart-stopping, almost stopping his heart. He had to look away and hoped she didn’t see his hands shake as he poured the wine, but her words made him chuckle. Harriet Joyce really was a bag of refreshing surprises.
“I can imagine how upset wine snobs would get.” Finn took the bottle and his glass before following Harriet to the sliding doors and out onto the balcony. “They wouldn’t look kindly on havinga block of ice dunked into this nearly nine-thousand dollar bottle of wine.”
As they stepped onto the balcony, a gentle breeze greeted them, carrying with it the salty scent of the ocean. Finn followed Harriet to two comfortable chairs positioned to overlook the breathtaking view of Cobble Beach and the vast expanse of the sea beyond.
The fading sunlight painted the sky in hues of orange and pink, casting a warm glow over the landscape. Finn took a deep breath, feeling the tension of the day begin to melt away in the tranquil atmosphere.
Harriet settled into her chair, tucking her feet underneath her as she gazed out at the horizon. Finn followed suit, sinking into the plush cushions and allowing himself to relax for the first time since he’d arrived.
“No!” Harriet’s brows rose in mock shock. “Is that how much this wine costs?”
“It’s not just the price,” Finn ignored the sarcasm with a half smile. “It’s how the wine has been blended and crafted to form this perfect blend of fruity and licorice flavor.” He looked at the label. “It really should’ve been left for another seven to ten years to really bring out the flavor of the wine.”
Harriet gulped the wine and swallowed before holding it up and saying cheekily, “It needs more ice.”
Finn laughed when she reached over and put a few more blocks of ice into the wine.
“I must admit to feeling slighted for the wine,” Finn told her.
“I find red wine can be a bit heavy,” Harriet explained. “The ice smooths it out.” There was that heart-stopping grin again. “I made a red wine slushie once.” She snorted. “I was not too popular with my parents as it was from one of their collections.” Their eyes met as she glanced at him, and this time, her green eyes sparkled with mischief. “My parents and the other parents Imentioned earlier do these wine getaways where they fly all over the world and America.” She sipped the wine this time. “They call it their wine safaris.”
“Is that where you got this wine from,” Finn asked, taking a sip and savoring the taste that burst in his mouth. “Because I don’t remember Liam having it on his wine list.”
“No. Dawn and I picked it up on a trip to France two years ago,” Harriet told him before giving him a quizzical look. “How do you know so much about wine?”
Finn sighed as he gently swirled the rich burgundy liquid in his glass. “I’m one of those wine snobs like your parents that like to go on wine safaris.”
“I believe it can be quite the grapevine jungle out there.” Harriet laughed as she relaxed into her chair. “I prefer champagne, but I’m not allowed to drink it at home and can only have two glasses at a function.”
“Is that because you put ice in it?” Finn smiled as she laughed. It was good to see her relaxing and becoming more herself.
“No!” Harriet looked horrified. “Now, I’m a champagne snob, so I would never ruin it like that.”
“I believe you have quite a stash of Krug Clos d’Ambonnay champagne stored in Liam’s wine cellar,” Finn commented. “At least ten bottles, I think he said.”
“Yes. That’s only a small part of my collection,” Harriet told him. “I have another three hundred and eighty bottles in a special storage in New York. I have another ten to go to complete my collection of four hundred bottles.”
