Page 24 of So in Love
The back of Jamie’s neck pricked.“Whoa.And he’s my ancestor?”
Crystal nodded.“Yes, we’d love to see any family documents you might have—anything at all.”
He polished off his beer and thought for a minute.“I really don’t know if we have anything like that.My mom would know, probably.There are some albums that my grandmother used to like to pull out.She died about four years ago, though.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Thanks, she was fun.”Jamie had loved her banana bread and her library.Grandma had been a big reader and was the reason for his intellectual curiosity.“She lived less than a mile from us when I was growing up.I used to ride my bike over there on Sunday mornings so we could do the New York Times crossword puzzle together.”
Her lips curved into a soft, warm smile.“That’s so cool.”
“I still think of her every Sunday when I do it.”
She picked up her cider.“I don’t think I’ve ever even tried.Too intimidating.”
“Bah, it’s not that bad.Just take it one word at a time.”
She let out a dark laugh.“Spoken like a guy with multiple master’s degrees from a prestigious school.Anyway, back to the reason for my being here—could I maybe talk to your mom?”
“I don’t see why not.She likes to have people over for dinner.That okay with you?”
“Sure.”She set her cider back down after taking a drink.“She’s not going to think it’s a date, is she?”
“Not unless I tell her it is.”He peered at her closely.“Is it?”
“No.”She answered rather quickly, but he wasn’t disappointed.Still, he wondered why she’d brought it up.Along with the inadvertent sex answer, she seemed to have a hell of a subtext going on.
The three women she’d been sitting with earlier came toward them.
“Hey, you left these at the table,” Alaina said, handing Crystal her coat and purse.“We took care of the bill with your credit card.”She laughed, and Crystal joined her.Jamie realized she’d been joking.Alaina looked over at Jamie.“Hi, how’s it going?”
“Good, thanks.”
Jamie also said hello to Brooke and Kelsey, both of whom he’d come to know well since they were engaged to his brothers.
Alaina turned to Crystal.“We’re taking off.You coming?”
Crystal hung her purse on the back of her chair and draped her coat over it.“Nah, I need to finish my cider.”She tipped her head toward her glass.“I’ll see you later.Or tomorrow.”
Alaina nodded, and the three left.Jamie leaned his elbow on the bar.“You live at Alaina’s, right?”
“I don’tlivethere.I stay in her guesthouse when I’m in town.”
“And how often is that?”
She rested her hand on the bar near her pint glass.“Maybe once a month—sometimes more, sometimes less.I live in LA, so it’s not far.”
“Do you like it there?”
She nodded enthusiastically.“I do.It’s bright and hot and loud—completely different from where I grew up.”
“And that’s a good thing?”
Her gaze was warm and held a rich satisfaction that he’d glimpsed the other night.“The best.”
“London was loud, but not bright or hot.”He chuckled.“Try gray and cool, but I loved it.I’m an Oregonian through and through.Which is why I came home, I guess.As much as I loved living in London, it always felt temporary to me.I knew I’d come home at some point, and starting the winery up with Cam and Luke and Hayden presented the perfect opportunity.Even if it did practically bankrupt me.”There went his faulty filter again.
Her expression darkened with concern.“I thought the winery was doing well.”
