Page 5 of Kiss and Tell

“No, no,” Joey quickly interjected. “We want to see it all.” He narrowed his eyes at Miles. “Don’t we?”

“Yeah. We do.” Miles nodded and even attempted a smile. A weak one. Then his cell buzzed. He pulled it out and his frown returned. Joey tried to sneak a glance at the screen, but Miles tilted it away from him. He raised one eyebrow, curious about who was texting him.

Miles grimaced, then put his phone away.

Lucy pointed out various things along the way, her knowledge and love of the farm showing as she spoke. Joey was impressed by her intelligence, and by the time they reached the winery, even Miles had started to thaw a little, asking how they harvested the grapes.

“And here’s Lightning in a Bottle Winery. My cousins Maverick and Grayson are our winemakers. Maverick is certified in viticulture and winery tech and has over ten years of official experience, although he worked with our granddaddy from the time he was old enough to walk, learning everything he could from him about our vineyards. I thought I’d show you where we process it, the cellars, then take you to the tasting room to sample some.”

“Sounds great,” Joey said as they pulled up next to a beautiful building with a massive front porch containing an assortment of tables and Adirondacks, with yet another stellar view from the mountain.

They spent an hour walking through the winery with Lucy and Maverick, who took charge of that part of the tour since it was his domain. Then they enjoyed tasting four of the wines, served with a charcuterie board filled with an assortment of meats, cheeses, nuts, and crackers.

From there, they drove by several of the other rental cabins, then took a quick walk-through of the B&B—the second farmhouse—where they met Lucy’s sister, Mila, her aunt Claire, and her uncle Rex. According to Lucy, Claire had decided to turn her family’s home into an inn after the youngest of her sons, Jace, moved out. Apparently, after raising seven rambunctious boys, Claire found her empty nest too quiet for her liking.

Finally, they arrived at the brewhouse. Joey thought Lucy had been cheerful and happy all day, but once they entered her realm, she lit up brighter than the sun. She introduced them to two more cousins—her fellow brewmaster, Sam, and Theo, who was the brewhouse manager. During the two-hour walk-through of the brewhouse, Joey had been fascinated to learn about the process involved in brewing beer. He’d never considered it a hobby he wanted to try, but after listening to Sam and Lucy, he found himself thinking about buying a kit and giving it a whirl at home.

Just like at the end of the winery tour, Theo, Sam, and Lucy invited them to the tasting room, and the five of them sampled every beer made at Rain or Shine Brewery.

It was nearly six o’clock by the time Lucy drove him and Miles back to their cabin so they could change for dinner. She waited for them in the living room. Despite the fact it had been a whirlwind day, Joey was full of energy, something he was attributing to Lucy, who seemed truly tireless. He was feeding off her excitement and enthusiasm.

“I hope you’re ready for this,” Lucy said, as they pulled up in front of the third farmhouse on the property, the one she shared with her three sisters, Nora, Remi, and Mila—all of whom they’d been introduced to during their tour.

“Ready?” Miles asked.

“I tried to tell everyone it would be better for us to meet you in small groups. Unfortunately, a couple of weeks ago, when Mila mentioned hosting the two of you for dinner your first night here, Aunt Claire hopped on the bandwagon, and then let it slip she was making her chili. After that, well…”

“The whole family invited themselves?” Joey asked, amused. Levi had told him about the dinner on the phone last night, but he’d forgotten to warn Miles.

She nodded.

“Sounds like the Morettis,” Joey replied, laughing. “The second we hear Nonna is making eggplant parmesan, we crawl out of the woodwork like ants.”

Lucy grinned. “Aunt Claire’s chili wins the local chili cookoff every single year, and Mila makes homemade cornbread that is literally to die for.”

“Sounds amazing.” Joey climbed out of the truck on Lucy’s side, the two of them waiting for Miles to cross around the front of the truck.

“Do you have a big family too, Miles?” Lucy asked.

While Miles had shed some of his early moodiness, he’d still been quiet and reserved. Joey planned to corner him tonight before they turned in to find out what the hell was wrong with him.

“No,” Miles responded. “My parents are divorced, so for most of my life it’s just been me, Mom, and my sister. I have an aunt, but she lives on the West Coast, and we don’t see her or my cousins more than once every few years.”

“Oh,” she murmured almost sadly.

Joey and Lucy definitely shared the same love for big families.

He’d been jerking Miles’s chain earlier when he said she was the one he was going to marry. He’d taken one look at the gorgeous woman and fallen head over heels in lust because every single molecule in his body was attracted to every molecule in hers.

However, that statement felt less like a joke the longer he’d spent with her today.

Joey wasn’t the type to debunk the idea of love at first sight because he’d witnessed it firsthand with his cousin, Aldo, and his best friend Kayden. Those two guys had fallen for their sweet nurse, Hazel, the second they saw her standing outside a burning motel, all of her possessions consumed in the fire. Luckily for them, she’d fallen right back.

Joey had never experienced it himself, but there was no denying he’d taken one look at Lucy and felt as if he’d been struck by lightning. Which was appropriate, considering they were standing in the middle of Stormy Weather Farm.

“Should we go in?” Joey wrapped his arm around Lucy’s shoulders, turning toward the house. He’d been infringing on her personal space most of the day, which was out of character for him. Joey respected boundaries, especially those of women he’d just met. But there was something about her that had him wanting to hold her hand, or tug on her ponytail playfully, or tuck her under his arm as they walked across the gravel drive and up the porch steps.

If she’d given him any indication she was uncomfortable with that, he would have backed off instantly, but so far, all she’d done—God help his libido—was lean closer.

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