Page 77 of A Taste of Chardonnay

I wasn’t ready to call himDador bring him around the people who were my family in every sense of the word, but we had to start somewhere.

“I can try,” I said, my voice raw.

His lip trembled, and for the first time in maybe ever, I saw the man he could have been. The man who the broken child and angry teenager I once was wanted him to be.

Maybe I was fooling myself, and it was too late. But maybe it wasn’t.

Only time would tell.

My to-do list was a little out of control, but it didn’t intimidate me; it invigorated me. I pushed the chair from my desk and headed to the tasting room. Nero stood behind the bar, sleeves pushed over his forearms, preparing for the day.

“How’s that sculpture coming along?” I asked, taking a seat on a stool.

“It’ll be ready for the spring reveal.”

We had already discussed it, but I want a progress report. I needed to make sure he was on schedule, his vision was clear, and I wasn’t about to let him put an eyesore in front of the Vineyard. “Do I get to see pictures?”

“I should’ve known you wouldn’t want it to be a surprise.”

“I hate surprises.”

“I know.” With a sigh of disappointment, he reached into his back pocket and grabbed his phone. He tapped the screen and swiped his finger a few times. A smile tugged at his mouth. “Not that. Lainey would kill me.”

“You better not have naked…” I held my hand up. “You know what? I don’t want to know.”

He laughed and continued swiping before stopping and staring at his phone. “It’s just the structure right now, so you’re not going to get the full visual.” Hesitation filled his tone and his body. He was super talented, but he never gave himself enough credit.

“I’ll wait,” I said, and his eyes widened in disbelief, then chin tilted, eyes narrowed.

“Are you feeling okay?”

“I’m fine, thank you. But I can see it’s important to you that I wait, so I will wait. But if it turns out to be a monstrosity, there will be hell to pay. I’m trusting you.”

“Wow, Char. Who knew you just needed some Brady magic penis to lighten up?”

My head practically snapped off my shoulders. I was used to Nero’s ability to say the most outlandish things, but I did not anticipate that. He expected me to tell him to grow up or give him some sort of dressing down, but I could play this game too.

“It is kind of magical.” I smiled, tapped the bar and walked away, a smug smirk on my face as Nero stood there, mouth agape and shock flashing in his eyes.

Speaking of magical penis… I hadn’t heard from him since the Town Hall Meeting and that was… three days ago. No, that’s not possible. I’d been so wrapped up in gathering intel on Gold Crest Vineyards, and planning our next moves, that I’d completely forgot to text or call him. I assumed he was busy with his dad, since he hadn’t called me, either.

I addedCall Bradyto my to-do list and hurried off to tackle all the tasks, leaving Brady for last, so I could end my day on a good note.

The day flew by in a blur as each check required more and more energy and time. By six pm, I checked off everything, except for that phone call. I settled into my office chair, and Laurent popped his head in.

“How’s everything going on the Gold Crest mess?” he asked.

“Good. I called some of my contacts at the Chamber of Commerce to see if they have any complaints or business disputes on file. I also checked in with the County Clerk’s office to see if they have any lawsuits, liens, or unpaid taxes.”

“Good. I have a call with a friend at the State Liquor Authority, the TTB and the Vineyard and Winery Association. Franc has been in contact with his friend at the Department of Agriculture. But I know they have their main location in California, so Phoebe is reaching out to her contacts to see if they can lead us anywhere.”

“Keep me posted,” I said.

“Same.” Laurent tapped his knuckles on the door, a sign that he was stalling.

I placed my notebook down and folded my hands on my desk. “What?”

“Talk to Brady at all?”

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