Page 82 of Blush
Somehow, she forced a smile for the photo. When the baron handed the phone back to the guest, she tried to drift off, but he pulled her aside.
“You’ll have to excuse me,” she said stiffly. “I need to take care of something back at the house.”
“I’ve seen the entire winery, but I’d like to see the house, too. Thatispart of the deal, is it not?”
Her stomach turned. The thought of him setting foot inside her home was bad enough. But the idea of him taking her home? Unthinkable. But she plastered a fake smile on her face.
“I’m sure Leonard can help you with that,” she said.
“I’m sureyoucan help me with that,” he said. “You did such an unforgettable job last time I visited. All those years ago, and still I remember it like it was yesterday.”
Was he serious? She glanced around to make sure no one could overhear them and took a few steps away from the crowd.
“That’s inappropriate,” she hissed.
“I’ve never stopped thinking about you,” he said, his hand on her arm. “When I heard that this winery was for sale, it brought back so much unfinished business. And you haven’t changed one bit.”
“Yes,” she said, shaking off his hand, “I have.”
“True,” he acknowledged. “We are both older now. And so why not have some fun? At our age, what does it matter? And I would think you would want to show a little gratitude.”
She pulled away from him and rushed to the nearest door, takingrefuge inside the winery. Nervous that he might follow her, she slipped into the oak room to hide among the barrels until she regained her composure. But even there she wasn’t alone: Leah stood in the middle of a row, writing on a notepad. Catching her breath, Vivian said, “What are you doing?”
“Trying to figure something out,” Leah replied. “But I’m glad you’re here. We need to talk.”
“Not now, Leah,” she said, still shaken.
Leah moved closer. Speaking quietly, so quietly that Vivian had to lean forward to hear her, she said, “It has to be now, Mom. We’re running out of time. Dad can’t sell to that guy. He just can’t.”
“Did something happen?” Vivian’s chest seized in alarm. The baron wouldn’t have dared cross the line with Leah—would he?
“Yes, something happened: he showed up at my wine and cheese class and told me that from now on I have to consult with him about my wine pairings.”
Vivian exhaled. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what to do.”
“Well, I have some ideas to buy time. And it starts with producing a rosé. By the way, do you know half these barrels are empty? Chris told me, and I just can’t believe it.”
Vivian glanced to her right, at Leonard’s closed office door just beyond the last row of barrels.
“Leah, it’s done. Let it go.”
“I can’t! I don’t understand how you keep missing opportunities. Producing rosé lets us put cash right back into the business.”
“Yes, but your father can do the same fast turnaround with the whites.”
“That’s still delaying the profit on half the crop. And if you brought in more reds from an outside vineyard, there’s even more to sell. If revenue has been flat for years—and that’s what I’m hearing from Dad himself—this is a way to increase our margins immediately.”
Vivian shook her head. “He doesn’t trust the rosé market. It’s going to bottom out, just like blush did when it was popular.”
“You don’t really believe that, do you?”
“I don’t know.” Vivian faltered. “It’s easy for you to say because you didn’t witness the damage after our investment in blush.” Leah’s question, the body language of her hands on her hips and her glare, made her feel defensive. The truth was, she didn’t know what she believed anymore. She’d been deferring to Leonard for so long, her instinct for winemaking had atrophied like a paralyzed limb.
“So you won’t help me?” Leah said.
“What exactly do you expect me to do?” Vivian said, exasperated. “Even if I think you’re right, I can’t force your father to do anything he doesn’t want to do.” She’d been trying to get Leonard to look at things differently, to take Leah seriously as part of the team. But now she was so rattled, it was all she could do to hold herself together.
“Mom, you helped build this winery. You took a chance when you moved out here with him fifty years ago. You helped plant the fields with your own hands. You have a right to your opinion about the business.”
