Page 1 of A Sip of Sherry

Chapter 1

Sherry

Bonfires and heat lamps glowed in the early fall night, casting flickering shadows across Three Barrel Distillery’s lawn.The scent of wood smoke, whisky, and spiced cider drifted through the air, mingling with laughter as I made my way inside for the Halloween party that was a staple in our small town.

Familiar faces made their way to the bar and out the back door toward the bonfires.

I glanced at my sister, Chardonnay, as she fidgeted with the skirt of the pirate costume I let her borrow.It was all I had, and I wasn’t about to swap my Alice in Wonderland costume with her.

“Stop fidgeting.”I swatted at her hand.“Tugging on it isn’t going to make it any longer.”

The costume was a far cry from Char’s normal wardrobe of power suits and heels, but her legs were killer, and she needed to show them off more.

She grumbled beside me, and her hand immediately found the hem of her skirt again.“Well, you’re four inches shorter than me, and nothing is making that more abundantly clear than the length of this skirt.”

“You look amazing, so knock it off.”

A deep voice cut through the hum of conversation around us.“Ms.Grasso, it’s nice to see you.”

My attention shifted toward the unfamiliar voice, and my heart practically slammed into my chest.He was the Mad Hatter to my Alice, complete with a crooked top hat and a grin that shot an unexpected rush of heat to my cheeks.

His eyes met mine, the room around us blurred, and all I could focus on was the tousled dark blond hair, scruff lined jaw, and eyes that I couldn’t tell if they were green or blue.

“Please don’t call me that,” Chardonnay said.“There are too many Grassos in this area.Chardonnay is fine.”

“Chardonnay it is.”He leaned toward me, engulfing me in the scent of oak and spice, and smiled a smile that should be marked as a lethal weapon.“‘The secret, Alice, is to surround yourself with people who make your heart smile.’”

Shock at his spot-on reference hit me, but I kept my expression dry, not wanting him to think I was as easy as a line and a sexy smirk.“Are you seriously quoting Alice in Wonderland to me?”

He motioned at our costumes.“It seemed necessary, don’t you think?”

A smile tilted my lips, and Char waved toward Ben.“Sherry, this is Ben.He just applied for the position of warehouse manager.He’s new to town.Lives down at Robin’s Landing.”

My heart sunk.He wasn’t just someone new to town.He was a potential employee of the vineyard.I didn’t date coworkers.Relationships always carried their own brand of drama, and I refused to introduce that to my family's business.My grandparents, my parents, and my siblings all worked too hard for the success of our family vineyard to risk letting those waters get muddy because of a sexy smile.

One wrong move, one broken heart, and suddenly there were whispers in the tasting room, tension at the staff meetings, awkward run-ins during deliveries.I’d seen it one too many times.The notion that someone could separate work from emotion was bullshit.If Ben was in the running for the new warehouse manager, that meant I’d have to work with him closely.

“It’s nice to meet you.”I extended a hand and kept it civil.“I’m Sherry Grasso, thenicesister.”I couldn’t help but add the little jab at Char.I wouldn’t be a little sister if I didn’t, even if we were in our mid to late thirties.

Electric current flowed through me as Ben took my hand and brought it to his lips.His eyes, more green than blue, somewhere between eucalyptus and celadon, locked on mine as he placed a kiss to my knuckles.

Heat exploded in my cheeks, and every reason I should’ve walked away got lost the longer he stared back at me.

“Could I offer you a drink?”Ben said, never looking away.

I swallowed as the acceptance of his offer came up my throat with a resounding yes.It was just a drink.It’s not like I was going to sleep with the guy.Besides, if he got the job, it would be nice to know who he was.“I would love one.What about you, Char?”I turned to my sister, whose attention had wandered toward Brady, our brother’s best friend and owner of the distillery.

“No, you two go on without me.”Char tried to wave me away, but I knew the minute I left her, she would bounce.It was like pulling teeth to get her to go out, and I didn’t want to abandon ship, but when I glanced at Ben, that damn smirk playing at the edge of his mouth, I suddenly didn’t want to spend the evening forcing my uptight sister to have a good time.

“Please don’t skip out.Stay.Have a drink.Have some fun,” I said, hoping she would find her own joy tonight.

“I will.Now you go do the same.”

I spun toward Ben, my sexy blue Alice costume flaring around me.Ben’s gaze slid to the white knee stockings and garters before abruptly snapping back to me.I smiled at the obvious appreciation on his face.

My eyes drifted for a second, spotting Char making a beeline toward Brady.Either they were going to kill each other or rip each other’s clothes off.It could go either way, but until they acknowledged their hatred was actually unresolved sexual tension, I was afraid we’d be living in their denial fueled tension spiral forever.

I brought my attention to Ben.The effortless charm paired with his rugged jaw and thick lashes made me forget how to speak for a second.I cleared my throat.“How about that drink?”

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