Page 6 of One Sweet Day is Never Enough

Gia peered up at the twenty-foot ceilings. The center of the large space was open in the middle and surrounded on three sides by oak barrels full of aging wine stacked to the ceiling. The floors were a dramatic hardwood with a rustic finish. Soft, recessed lighting gave the room an intimate feel. He had to admit—it was an inviting backdrop for a banquet.

“This is lovely,” she said. “I can totally imagine some tables set up in here with a small dance floor, maybe down this end.” She pointed. “It’s such a unique setting.”

“Exactly. Thanks. I think it has a lot of potential.”

“So how long has the barn been here? It looks old and historically accurate, but it feels brand new.”

“You’re right. It is.” Again, how cool was this woman? She noticed exactly the kinds of things he did. They were so fortunate to have her on the job. “The original barn was built in the 1940s. It was falling apart, so we finally tore it down and built a new one to look just like the old one about twenty years ago. But instead of using it as a traditional barn, we dedicated it all to the wine. My parents just had it jazzed up last fall with all the finishing touches and a new coat of paint. My dad’s been trying to grow the winery business for me because he knows that’s my favorite part of the operation.”

“Wow. That’s wonderful.”

“Thanks. My dad’s a great guy, and the orchard’s been in our family for four generations. He wanted to make his mark by starting the winery.”

“Really? That’s incredible. You’ve got a lot on your shoulders with that kind of history.”

He stopped and smiled at her. That thought ran through his head almost every day.

“I really love it in here.” Gia glanced around the room. “Noreen will be excited to offer it to our clients.”

Seth nodded. “Fantastic.”

They shared a relaxed silence for a few moments as Gia gazed at different features of the room. She jotted down a few notes in her folder.

“I can get you the exact square footage later, and anything else you might need when I get back to my office.”

“That would be great. So did the cold weather damage your vineyard, too?”

Seth shoved his hands inside the front pockets of his pants again. “Two of the grape varieties withstood the temperature flux pretty well, so we’re okay on that, and we’re still well stocked from last fall, so we’ll be all right. Plus, we import some wines from other states for the tasting room—Michigan, Vermont, California.”

Gia nodded. “I see. Well, that’s good.”

“Oh, and we can offer our own wines for parties, in addition to whatever the clients want to have brought in.”

“Okay, perfect, I’ll make a note of that.”

Seth straightened his shoulders and looked her in the eye. “So the thing is, I’ve got a lot of work ahead of me to make this place profitable again. Right now, we’re hanging on, and cherry-picking season begins this weekend, but I’d like to get things started quickly on the events. So what’s our next step to make that happen?”

Gia nodded. “I hear you. I’ll talk to Noreen to see if you need any other licensing. Can you email me and let me know what you’ve already taken care of?”

“Sure.”

“And then I’ll find out if she’s got any clients looking for a place like this right now.” She gazed at him. “We’ll do our best to make it quick. I’m so glad you’ve come to us with this, Mr. Pederson. I’ll get the paperwork drawn up as soon as possible.”

“That sounds great.” He gazed warmly at her. “And please—call me Seth.”

“Thank you. In the meantime, I’ll contact you about the anniversary party if any questions come up.” She reached into her bag. “Here’s my card if you think of anything else. You can also email me the details you mentioned regarding the barn.”

He took the card. “I’ll do that.”

“Thanks for the tour.” She offered a hand.

He shook it. “Absolutely. Thankyou. It’s been a pleasure.” Those deep-blue eyes of hers were something else.

Seth felt a buzz in the back pocket of his jeans. He grabbed his phone and looked at the screen. Stacey—again. He had just talked to her an hour ago. He silenced the call and glanced at Gia apologetically. “Sorry.”

“Oh, it’s no problem.” Gia waved it off. “I’ve got to get back to the office. I’ll be in touch.”

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