Page 28 of Kisses Sweeter than Wine

Merlot made a beeline for the staging room where they organized all the gifts and kept extra supplies. He found Zinny and Toby sitting at the table, redoing most of the baskets. “What the hell happened?”

“No idea.” Zinny shook her head. “Except they were put together with the wrong bottles and paired wrong. That’s not like Bethany.”

“Funny thing, Chablis told us she saw Weezer coming out of this room last night.” Toby arched a brow. “Could your mom be up to something?”

“Why would she sabotage Eliza Jane’s big night? That makes no sense.” Zinny playfully smacked her husband’s arm.

“Oh, I don’t know. Because as much as I’ve learned to lovethe Weezer, she does some mighty strange things.” Toby took a bottle, slapped a new label on it, and placed it in a basket, pushing it toward Zinny, who started filling it with the other gifts.

“So, if the two of you are back here handling this, why am I here?” Merlot scratched the back of his head.

“Because it will go faster and Mom is being weird about me carrying anything over an ounce. Like lifting one of these baskets will harm the baby.” Zinny lifted her ginger ale and sipped through the straw.

“You did give me a scare yesterday with contractions.” Toby rested his hand on Zinny’s shoulder. “The doctor said you needed to rest.”

“Wait. What?” Merlot pulled up a chair. “Why am I just hearing about this now?”

“Because you’re preoccupied with the new girl in town and I don’t want everyone being strange and coddling me. It’s bad enough that my mother showed up at my house this morning ordering me to eat breakfast in bed and my husband thinks I should keep my feet up all day. I’m not in labor. I’m just at risk for it happening early.”

“Zinny, that’s a big deal,” Merlot said. Now he understood why Zinny had taken two days off. He didn’t question it because his family always covered for each other. There certainly was enough of them to do that, but he hated it when they kept secrets. That’s always what got this family in trouble.

“I keep telling her that, but you know your sister. More headstrong than her mother.” Toby pushed another basket to the side. “I didn’t even want to come tonight. I thought it best to stay home with all our feet up.”

“I think that would be wise. I can finish this.” Merlot took Zinny’s hand.

“The doctor said it would be fine.” Zinny smiled. “But I guess now is as good a time as any to tell you that I am going to have to cut my hours and I’m not really supposed to do stairs until this little tyke is born.”

“I can handle everything. Don’t worry about a thing.” Merlot smoothed his hand over his sister’s growing belly. “All we want is a healthy baby.”

“It’s a girl, by the way,” Toby said. “But if you tell Weezer, we’ll both have your head on a platter. She’ll want to name it Syrah or Rose.”

Merlot laughed.

“We’ve settled on Crystal.” Zinny wiped a tear from her cheek.

“That’s a beautiful name.” Merlot hugged his sister. “Go home. Let Toby pamper you for a change.”

“When you make the suggestion, it doesn’t sound as gross as when Mom says it.” Zinny set her beverage on the counter and stood. “I am exhausted and Eliza Jane and Malbec will understand.”

“On your way out, send in one of our other siblings to help me.” Merlot took his sister’s seat and began where she left off.

“Will do.” Toby gave him a brotherly squeeze. “Thanks for talking some sense into her.”

“Watch your tongue, husband. Or I’ll stay.” Zinny took Toby by the hand.

He groaned.

Merlot laughed.

Those two were the most unlikely and interesting couple he’d ever met. But they worked.

A few minutes later, Chablis strolled through the door. “I’m so glad you got Zinny to go home. I don’t understand why you’re the only one she’ll listen to.”

“Because the rest of you talk to her like she’s a child,” Merlot said. “I get she’s the baby of the family, but she’s married with a kid on the way. And let’s not forget she adopted Toby’s teenage son.”

“I haven’t forgotten any of that, but she can be such a brat sometimes.” Chablis plopped herself down across from Merlot, glanced at the guest list, picked up a label, and smacked it on a bottle.

“She’s only reacting to the way you talk to her.” Oftentimes, family dynamics got under Merlot’s skin, especially this ongoing battle between Chablis and Zinny. He didn’t have this problem with Riesling. Of course, his other sister didn’t work for the winery and never would. That did make things easier.

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