Page 56 of A Baby for the Texas Cowboy
He was going to end up hating her.
Anders greeted each woman by name and said something personal or asked about a family member. It was clear they were thrilled to see him. They all knew about his career and how well he was doing.
Tinsley poured Catalina’s Oregon Pinot Noir.
“Cup the bowl of the glass with your hands to give it a hint of warmth,” she advised. “And then you want to swirl the wine in your glass to bathe it in oxygen.”
She could feel Anders staring at her, and she tried—really tried—to ignore him, but she could have more easily ignored a square of rich, dark chocolate oozing with warmed caramel with a dash of Himalayan sea salt on tip waved under her nose.
“Now inhale. On the nose, you catch a hint of strawberry and fresh red cherries,” Tinsley said softly.
Catalina had run her through tasting the wines several times, even teaching her how to subtly spit so that she could taste what was going on with the wine without drinking, and Tinsley had memorized the tasting notes and the virtues of each of the wines Verflucht offered. She’d made a notebook with information so that she could train the two or three tasting room staff employees she hoped to hire within the next couple of weeks.
“Now take a small sip and swish it around your mouth,” Tinsley said. She knew not to ask them what they tasted. “Wine” had been the answer before, but the way most of the women were staring at her and Anders, who’d positioned himself opposite from her across the round table, she was afraid they were more focused on the possibility of a romance than the wine.
Anders held the flowers like it was the most natural thing in the world for him to arrive in a room full of octogenarians and beyond with a massive bouquet. Did anything throw him off his game?
Well her baby announcement had, and instead of feeling angry and humiliated about the memory, she had to stifle the urge to laugh. Too bad no one had caught her dumping whiskey on his head with their cell phone. August could hang side-by-side pictures in his whiskey bar.
“You might taste some early season raspberry, a touch of pipe tobacco and then a bit of spice on the finish.”
The women swished and swallowed and nodded.
“Anders Wolf, when are you going to give her the flowers and ask for forgiveness?” Minna put her empty glass down.
“Thought I’d let my girl finish her job first, ma’am.” He smiled. “Didn’t want to interrupt your tasting experience.”
“Which you did by barging in,” Minna said.
“Noted, ma’am. I admit, I was too excited to wait to see Tinsley.” Anders grinned in such an engaging, aw-shucks, how can I help myself way that she found herself staring at him smiling like a besotted idiot.
She scrunched her face to rearrange her features, but judging by his answering smile, it wasn’t in time.
“But I do need to be doing some measuring, ladies,” he said suddenly as if remembering.
“For a tux,” one sighed.
Tinsley nearly dropped the bottle.
“Hopefully, soon she’ll make an honest man out of me.” He winked at her, and she had an impulse to bean him over the head with the bottle—not an auspicious start to what wasn’t even really an official first day.
“Not quite that romantic. I am measuring for a pizza oven. Tinsley wants one for the tasting room and wine bar guests, and I’m going to build it for her.”
That met with a lot of murmurs of approval.
“You?” She couldn’t help her outburst.
“Yup. I Googled directions.”
“I love a man who’s good with his hands.” One of Minna’s friends sighed.
“And one who can follow directions is even rarer,” Minna said, sitting forward and giving Anders a stern look.
He didn’t even flinch.
“Can you show me where you want the pizza oven?” he asked so earnestly that Tinsley almost believed he really wanted to design one for the tasting room.
“Out on the patio. You should see how much Catalina and I got done.”
