Page 98 of Gone With the Wine

He shrugs.

“What’s going on with you two?” Rosa asks in a low voice.

“We’re just, uh, intimate neighbors.”

They both choke.

“Oh my God,” Rosa says. “What does that even mean?”

“You know what it means.”

“I think we get it,” Jake says. He eyes me with concern.

“We’re adults,” I say quietly. “It’s fine. You know I’m only here for a short time, and he’s…not looking for anything either. So it’s just casual.”

She eyes me thoughtfully. “When you were sick, it didn’t look casual. He looked like he was terrified that you were on your death bed.”

I blink. “Well. He was probably worried, sure.”

Rosa scrunches her face up.

“What are you worried about?”

She doesn’t answer right away. “I don’t want you to get hurt.”

“Neither do I.” I give her a big smile. “That’s why we’re not getting serious.”

“Oh, little sister.” She pats my shoulder.

I frown. “What does that mean?”

“You think you can have a fling with him or whatever you want to call it without catching feelings?”

“Of course I can.” Something shifts in my belly. I ignore it. “I was with Tomás for months and neither of us ever got serious.”

She studies my face, glances at Jake, then looks back at me. “Okay. You’re right. You’re an adult.”

I smile and nod. “Thanks.”

My phone buzzes in the back pocket of my shorts. I pull it out. “Ah! It’s Milenko!”

My boss at Castillo Lorenzo. I answer the call. “Hi, Milenko!”

“Hello, Bianca. ¿Cómo estás?”

I grin. “Estoy bien, gracias.” I learned a little Spanish while there, but Milenko speaks perfect English.

“Good, good. I am glad to hear it. How is your harvest going?”

I smile at Rosa and Jake and take a few steps away. I fill him in on how things are going at Caparelli, and also Bar Down.

Then he says, “I’m calling with news.”

“What kind of news?”

“Good news.” I hear the smile in his voice. “It’s about the Star Winemaker Awards.”

I blink. “What about them?”

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