Page 138 of Before We Say Goodbye
Otis opened his arms. “Welcome to Washington State.”
Brooks accepted the hug, but he went about it as if he’d never been hugged before. He barely put any pressure into it, but Otis didn’t mind. He squeezed him hard, patted his back a couple of times.
“How was the flight?”
“Fine. First time I’ve flown in my life.”
“What?”
Brooks nodded and looked away, a move he apparently often resorted to.
Otis felt for him. “I think there will be a lot of firsts coming up. You’ve never seen anything like Red Mountain in your life. Have you been to the Pacific Northwest?”
“I spent time in Portland.”
“Did you try the pinot noirs?”
His eyebrows curled nervously. “Nah. My experience in Portland probably wasn’t like yours.”
“Hey, there’s no judgment here. I had some good men in my day who went out of their way for me. I’m trying to pay it forward. There was a time when I also knew nothing of wine.”
Once they were in the truck, Otis apologized for the broken heater. He needed to find time to fix it soon. It had snowed a week back, and piles of it lined the highway. Otis gave him the tour, showing him Pasco, then Kennewick and Richland.
“I got you a place to live. Furnished. It’s nothing fancy, but it has a hell of a view.”
“I’m grateful. What is it we’re going to be doing?”
“That’s a good question. I’ll show you some things in the cellar till it warms up. Then it’s pruning time, the start of a new vintage.”
An angry and icy wind forced its way through the door when Rebecca and Otis greeted Brooks that night. They both did their best to smile, trying to work muscles that had nearly atrophied. The last days of a devastating year were breaking away like pieces of a dying star, lingering in the air of their Red Mountain home, often making it hard to breathe.
Once Brooks had hung his jacket, Bec offered him a hug. “I’m happy you’re here.”
His face was red from the cold. He glanced at her before putting his eyes on the floor. “I appreciate you having me, though I’m still trying to figure it all out, why you’re doing this for me.”
She touched his arm. “As Otis told you, we lost our son earlier this year. He was about your age. It’s been hard. What we’re finding is the more we give to others, the less it hurts inside. Otis said he saw a bit of himself in you. Besides, he’s been looking for a new assistant winemaker. Maybe you’ll like it and want to stick around.”
Otis stepped forward and shook Brooks’s hand. “Did you get settled?”
“Oh, yeah. It’s a nice place. Thank you.”
They gave the young man a tour, ending in the living room with pictures and stories of the boys.
“If you feel like it, I’d love to hear your tale,” Otis said, checking in on his tone, making sure there was some life in it. “We’re going to spend a lot of time together coming up. No worries if you want to keep it to yourself. We get it. Like I said, there’s no judgment here. Red Mountain has become a place that means a lot to us, and we’re simply trying to bring in more people, people who want to make a difference. Is that you, Brooks?”
“I don’t know, but so far, since I landed, it’s better than anything I’ve known for a long time.”
Otis clapped his back. “That’s where we start then, and it only gets better. Wait till you try Rebecca’s cooking. Do you have any dietary restrictions? I guess we should have asked earlier.”
“Dietary restrictions?” Brooks laughed. It was the first time Otis had heard it, and it was a good laugh, a kind one. “No, I’ll eat anything you put in front of me.”
“Good, and wine? You like wine?”
“What I’ve had of it.”
“Don’t worry. By the time I’m done with you, should you accept the challenge, you’ll know more than most.”
Otis cracked a bottle of Red Mountain syrah and poured everyone a glass. “Hold it by the stem,” he said in the way Rebecca would, a teaching voice, not the condescending one he might have employed in the past. “There you go. Now stick your nose in there, don’t be afraid. That’s the smell of where you live now, that bing cherry mixed with the gamy flavor. Take a sip, hold it on your tongue, then suck up some air. Like this.” Otis demonstrated.
