Page 52 of Kisses Sweeter than Wine

“You have the River sense of humor and I can tell you there isn’t a member of this family who doesn’t carry that same chip.”

“I can see that.” Corbin shook his head. “And Weezer—my grandmother—kind of resents my name.”

Merlot burst out laughing. “Yeah. That’s one of life’s cruel jokes. But don’t take it personally. I should have told your mother the story behind the name.”

“Weezer had no problem telling and now she calls me Corbie. That’s annoying.”

“It could be worse.”

“I don’t see how.”

“My dad didn’t want to name us kids after wines. It was a bone of contention with him for years. So, for a long time, he called me Merlie. Then it was Merlin. When I went to grade school, all the kids called me Merlin the Merlie. It took until middle school to break that one.”

“Jesus. That sucks. How did you get everyone to call you Merlot?”

“Oh. I didn’t. It took my mother to show up at career day with a shotgun.”

“My God. I don’t know what’s worse.”

“It gets better. My older brother and sister already struggled with having friends. Outside of the Wilde family and Dax, they didn’t have any because the world was terrified of Weezer. So, when she did that, my few friends were no longer allowed to hang out with me, but they did call me by my first name. And they were equally afraid of me. Except for one kid.”

“Who was that?”

“Your mother.”

“That has got to be about the dumbest, saddest, sweetest story I’ve ever heard,” Corbin said.

“Your mom and I were inseparable after that. But her dad hated my father. Which meant he despised me.” Merlot ran a hand over his face. “If only your mom had told me sooner.”

“Abuse is a terrible thing and I’m pretty sensitive to it.” Corbin picked up a piece of grass and fiddled with it. “I had a close friend in high school who came out as transgender. It didn’t change how I felt about her—well, him before she came out—but her dad thought he could beat it out of her.”

“Jesus,” Merlot muttered.

“My mom went ballistic. Her and Mama C called the cops. Shit. So much of my life makes sense now that I’ve met you and everyone here.”

“I want you to know that no matter what happens, you’ve always got a place here. I know that we can’t shout it from the rooftops right now, but I want to have some relationship with you.”

Corbin nodded. “I’d like that too. I’d also like to help put this Richard guy behind bars.”

“There isn’t anything you can do.”

“But there is,” Corbin said. “My mom has always been humble about what I do. I think it’s because it scares her.”

“I haven’t had much time to learn much about you or your career in the military. I know what you told me last night, but we spent most of it discussing my past.”

“I graduated from high school when I was seventeen. A year early. I did one year of regular college and dropped out. My mom was pretty pissed about that. But regular learning wasn’t for me, so I enlisted, but under the pretense I’d be fast-tracked for a career in Special Forces.”

“She did not tell me that.” Merlot jerked his head back. This was not a secret, but he would have liked to have known.

“At first, she didn’t want me to do it. She has warmed up to the idea in the last year since I got my degree. My next stop is Ranger School. I hope to end up in Delta Force.”

“That’s mighty impressive.” Merlot’s chest swelled with pride.

“I feel like it’s what I was born to do. Anyway, I got lucky and my last assignment was with a JSOC team. It was commanded by someone high up in the CIA. I don’t see why I can’t give him a call. He’s a great man and had been a mentor to me these last few months.”

“You’re awfully young to be doing such things, aren’t you?”

“I’m a bit of an overachiever.”

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