Page 118 of Love Among Vines

“I’m a man of simple pleasures. I have another question for you.”

“No more traffic questions. I’m ready.”

He cleared his throat. “If your house was on fire and you could only take three things with you, what would they be?”

She pressed her lips together. “Penny, obviously. There’s a photo album of my parents and me from when I was growing up.And I have a special set of brushes that my mom got me for my high school graduation.”

“Not that beautiful painting of the zoo?”

She shook her head. “I would still have the memory. What about you?”

Shit. He hadn’t been expecting a reciprocal question. Alexa had never asked many.

“To be honest, I’m not sure. Probably my fireproof safe. It has my passport and deed to the house in it.”

“That’s cheating. Too many objects.”

“Fine. I have a Playbill from the first Broadway musical I ever saw my mom in. It wasChicago. She was incredible.”

She smiled and leaned closer to him.

“And I have a notebook with handwritten notes on winemaking from my grandmother. That would definitely need to be saved. And then there’s the painting hanging in the downstairs hallway.”

“Which one?”

“Your painting of Penny in the vineyard, of course.”

He hadn’t been able to help himself. When he had collected the slew of paintings she attempted after their tasting, the one with Penny had called to him. She had captured everything so effortlessly. It would have a permanent place on his wall as long as she didn’t ask for it back.

She smiled. “I don’t remember giving you permission to steal it.”

“I will trade you one case of rosé for it. It’s already on the wall.”

“Two cases,” she countered. “Do you know what my paintings used to be worth?”

“Not as much as they should be,” he said smoothly.

Drinks landed in front of them, and Jade brandished her credit card before Rett had the opportunity to.

“Ha,” she said triumphantly as Charlie ran it through their POS system.

“Two cases,” Rett agreed.

She took a sip of her drink. “Charlie, this is so good.”

“I’m telling ya, it’s the local pumpkins.”

Bourbon washed over his tongue as he took a sip of the old-fashioned in front of him. It was perfect, as always.

“Any tingles?” Rett asked as Charlie walked away. He needed to talk to her about their relationship. This would be the ideal place to do it—away from the prying eyes of the book club—but something kept holding him back.

“Nah. It’s damn good, though.” She set it on a coaster and turned to him. She slid her hand into his. “Thank you.”

“For what?”

“You have really, profoundly changed my life. I will forever be grateful for the day that Blake Chan grievously offended you.”

Rett smiled. He had almost forgotten their first meeting.

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