Page 42 of Champagne and Daisies

Molly laughed. “Did you already know about the two of them?”

Gene chuckled. “I’m saying nothing; it’s not my place.”

Grant was grateful to him for that. It seemed he did already know—but whether he knew that Grant liked Chelsea, or that she liked him, he wasn’t sure. “I’m not sure I should come.”

Gene and Molly both frowned at him, but it was Molly who spoke first. “Why not?”

He shrugged. Chelsea had been doing her best to keep her distance from him at work, and he felt he should respect that. It wouldn’t be right if he started appearing in her life outside of work—not unless she invited him.

Gene smiled. “You should come. I insist. You’ll land me in trouble with my good lady wife if you don’t. I told her I’d invited everyone.”

Molly nodded. “You really should come.”

He shrugged again—this time with a smile. “Okay, thanks.”

~ ~ ~

“Come on, Chelsea. We’d better go into that dressing up box of yours and see what you’re going to wear.”

Chelsea grinned. “Shall we have a glass of champagne first?”

Mary Ellen laughed. “We probably shouldn’t.” She checked her watch. “But we could. What are we celebrating, anyway?”

“We’re not celebrating. I just feel like a glass.”

Mary Ellen nodded and gave her a sly smile. “You seem to have acquired quite a taste for champagne lately, and I know when it started.”

Chelsea smiled. There’d be no point playing dumb. Mary Ellen wouldn’t let her get away with it. “Just because we drank champagne with Grant doesn’t mean anything. At least, nothing other than the fact that it reminded me how much I like it.”

“And how much you like him?”

She shrugged. “I’m not going to deny it, but it’s not going anywhere. It can’t.”

“I don’t see why not.”

“We’re working together!”

“Yeah, but not for long. For what it’s worth, I like him, and you know Cam does.”

“It seems everyone does. Well, except Piper. She hasn’t even met him, but she’s wary.”

“Why’s that?”

Chelsea laughed. “I don’t think it has anything to do with Grant himself. It’s because her ex was called Grant, too. From what’s she’s told me, he was an asshole.”

“Oh, of course. It sounds like he was, but that’s got nothing to do with your Grant.”

“He’s notmyGrant.”

“Not yet, but we’ll see. Anyway, if we’re going to pop a cork, we should do it now. If not, we should get you dressed and get going.”

Chelsea stared out the window on the drive over to Gene’s house. “Have you ever heard of Dawson Dale wines?”

“Hmm. I think so. Weren’t they one of the old labels that went bump?”

“Yeah.”

“Why do you ask?”

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