Page 16 of White Wedding
Brody laughed. “This is Jess we’re talking about. No filter whatsoever.”
“Sorry,” Jess said. “But you’re usually so put together. Not that I blame you for falling apart. Your dad is a dick. Who forces their daughter to coordinate her ex’s wedding?”
Victoria rubbed her hands over her face. “I feel as though my life has gone completely off the rails.”
Jess stood and grabbed her glass. “You need wine. Let’s go rescue Connor, then we can get you a glass of pinot.”
“Okay if I join you?” Brody asked. “Or would you rather talk to Connor and Jess alone?”
Few people were more compassionate than her geeky cousin Brody. After the hell he’d gone through this past summer with his ex, he could be counted on to offer a sympathetic ear. “It’s fine. You can join us.”
Victoria followed Jess into the winery’s tasting room. With its distressed wood walls, copper pendant lights, and vintage signs, the place had a laid-back, rustic charm. Old wooden barrels were arranged along one wall, next to a selection of antique wine equipment, including a grape press, a crusher, and a set of scales from the nineteenth century.
Connor stood behind the bar, where a row of wine bottles was lined up next to a chalkboard listing the day’s tasting options. Tall and well-built, he’d never had trouble attracting the opposite sex, as evidenced by the group of women clustered around the bar, chatting with him animatedly. Many of them carried bags bearing the Maverick Winery logo.
At the sight of Victoria, Connor pointed to the oversize barnwood clock on the wall. “I know five o’clock usually marks thebeginningof happy hour, but it means I need to close up shop. It’s been an absolute pleasure serving you and listening to all of your stories. Come back again anytime.”
A few of the women tittered, and Victoria suppressed a groan. Her brother could lay it on thick. Jess kept quiet, hanging back until the last of the ladies had left. Once they were gone, she came around to his side of the bar and poked him playfully. “All done, Mr. Smooth Talker?”
He put his arm around her shoulder. “Hey, I sold a lot of wine. And most of them signed up for the wine club.”
Jess grinned. “The more the better. But now that you’re done flirting, you need to get your sister a drink.”
“I’ll get right on it.” He gestured to Brody’s wineglass. “You need a refill?”
Brody set down his glass. “Hit me up.”
Victoria perched on one of the stools, waiting as Connor poured her a glass of his winery’s trademark pinot noir. Her favorite, and by far the best seller of all the vintages offered in the tasting room.
She took a sip, sighing in gratitude. The smooth red wine felt light on her tongue, with a slight hint of spice. “Thank you.”
“Anytime.” He leaned on the bar. “What’s up?”
“What do you think’s up?” Jess said. “She’s planning her ex’s wedding. How dysfunctional is that?”
“It’s gotten worse.” Victoria forced herself to sip the wine slowly. Though she’d love nothing better than to get raving drunk, she’d regret it on Monday, when she had to meet with Rafael. She glanced at the others. “What I’m about to share is top secret. No telling anyone.”
Jess nodded, but Brody twisted the stem of his wineglass between his fingers. “Umm…maybe I should go, because…”
Because, knowing Brody, he wouldn’t keep anything a secret from his girlfriend, April. The two had been inseparable since they started dating in October.
“You can tell April,” Victoria said. “We’re good friends. Besides, she confided in me when you two were in Wisconsin for her brother’s wedding, and I managed to keep her secrets. So, she owes me one.”
“Wait.She did?” Brody said. “What…what did she tell you?”
“This isn’t about you, bud,” Jess said. “Let Victoria talk.”
He gave her a sheepish grin. “Right. Sorry. Carry on, Victoria.”
“Okay if I clean while I listen?” Connor asked. When Victoria nodded, he gathered up the wineglasses, dump buckets, and empty bottles from the last group of visitors, and set them on the counter along the back wall, next to the hand sink.
Jess reached under the bar and pulled out a block of butcher paper. She unwrapped it, revealing sliced Gruyère, which she set on a plate along with some water crackers, and passed it to Victoria. “Here. I’ll bet you haven’t eaten since breakfast.”
Too true. Her last meal had been the blueberry-kale smoothie she’d consumed at ten, after her grueling run. She took a piece of the Gruyère, enjoying the sweet, nutty flavor. Her brother ordered his cheese from a local farm, and he often incorporated it into his tastings.
“Thanks,” she said. “I guess I should start at the beginning. Connor, do you remember the summer I got back from France?”
“Yeah,” he said. “That summer wasrough. Dad was being a jerk because I refused to consider business school. Then you came home, and there was all that fallout from Paris.”
