Page 37 of Love, Lies, and Celtic Knots

"Your own winery?" Her face is soft and open, devoid of judgement or ridicule. "I like that. Where do you want to open it?"

For a moment, I'm too flabbergasted to answer. I clear my throat awkwardly at the uncomfortable emotion currently lodged in my chest. "Texas, probably. It's one of the fastest growing wine regions in the country and a good friend of mine is willing to back me whenever I'm ready."

Her eyes widen. "Wow. That's the toughest part of a start-up winery. Anyone can learn to make decent wine. But getting capital is extremely difficult, so you're ahead of the game if you already have that nailed down."

I nod. "You're not wrong. But you also need the goods, too. If I opened now and sold crappy wine, it wouldn't go anywhere. That's why I was so excited when I won this scholarship. Learning from you will take me to the next level."

"I love that." She takes a sip of her beer. "I'm glad I can be a part of your success."

I hold up my beer. "I'll toast to that. Cheers!"

A few weeks later

"Damn, this festival really does drive in the crowds, doesn't it?" I comment as I carefully place the large cooler next to our table.

"That's what Isabella told me. This is the twenty-second year they’ve hosted it, and she says people come in from all over Florida and the country."

Sophie checks her to-do list for probably the twentieth time in the last five minutes. She's nervous, obvious from the way she chews on that luscious bottom lip of hers.

"We'll offer a sample with these." She indicates the rows of small plastic cups she’s organized on the middle of the table. "You handle the white, and I'll pour the reds. If we've calculated correctly, you'll be way busier than me. So flash that sexy smile of yours and be ready with whatever fantastic marketing spiel your brain comes up with. Flirt if you have to."

I grin at her.

“Yep. That’s what I’m talking about right there.”

My heart warms at the way she calls my smile sexy. But the woman is a complete ball of nerves, evident by the waver in her voice. I grab the clipboard from her death grip and place it on the table, then take her hands in mine.

"It's going to be okay, Sophie. This is your big day. Trust me, your new wine will be a huge hit."

She squeezes my hands but doesn't say anything. The self-doubt I've seen on her face over the last few weeks kills me, but I know it'll be gone by the end of the day. This wine,herwine, is incredible and anyone who tries it will want a bottle or two.

Sophie’s family has really done a number on her self-esteem and the best way to combat that is with experience and support from someone close to her. She'll get both from me today.

And I'll get another kiss, I promise myself, and maybe a little more if I’m lucky. I’ve been good and haven’t pushed anything physical with Sophie since the ball game.

Instead, I've focused on gathering information and have a solid list of targets for Ryan to investigate. Turns out there are plenty of winery employees whispering about money problems and even a hostile takeover. Where the threat is coming from isn’t clear, but it is worrisome that the topic emerges regularly in conversations.

Plus, the guys in the tasting room were eager to relay a recent scene involving some fancy little piece who showed up to meet with Brennen, strolling through the tasting room like she owned the place and slamming his office door. They went into great detail about the well-dressed woman's toned legs that went on for miles and an ass so firm you could bounce a quarter off it.

It was an interesting story, but not much to go on. If I could find out the identity of the woman, I might have something concrete to report to Ryan. Until then, I’ll keep digging.

"You two all set here?" Brennen asks as he steps up to the booth, an attractive brunette attached to his side.

Speak of the devil...

I blink my eyes several times because, for once, Brennen doesn’t look like a walking zombie. Since I’ve arrived, I would have sworn the man hadn't slept more than a few hours, and at times, he’s been as surly as an injured bear. But now he seems content and is beaming with an energy that usually comes from getting laid regularly. He looks carefree and, dare I say, happy.

I still feel like he’s hiding something, but now I really question what that could be. I haven't been able to pin him down for more than a few minutes at a time. I'd spotted him haulingboxes into the shipping room once, and he’d seemed especially agitated then. But right now the man is practically glowing.

Interesting.

"Yeah, we have this, Brennen," Sophie answers with a firm voice. I watch in fascination as her nervousness melts away, and the confident winemaker within steps to the plate. “Have you seen Emma? She promised she’d stop by before everything kicked off, but you’re the first visitors we’ve had so far.”

“No, not yet. But I’m sure she’ll show up soon. This is her favorite event in Pelican Point.” Brennen turns to the woman by his side. “Joselyn, I want to introduce you to our winemaker, Sophia Garrett. She’s come to us from California where her family has been making waves in the wine industry for generations.”

I hide a grin at the way Sophie’s eyes narrow at Brennen’s description of her. For some reason, he enjoys referring to her formally as Sophia, rather than the more relaxed Sophie she prefers. But she finds her manners and thrusts a hand to the brunette.

“It’s nice to meet you, Joselyn. I hope you’re having fun at the festival.”

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