Page 37 of Kisses Sweeter than Wine

“I should have never continued to try to reconcile with my mother,” Carter said. “But Corbin’s name doesn’t concern me. My mother has been dead for years and no one in this town utters her name. She’s not even a blip on the radar. It’s who Corbin looks like that worries me, so I hesitate to bring him here.”

“You’ve seriously considered it? I was just daydreaming.” Weezer’s eyes went wide.

“Talbot never went home last night.” The moment Carter watched his son chase Talbot out into the vineyard, he knew all bets were off. Talbot was beyond frazzled. There was no way she’d be able to hold it together. Keeping her true identity from the man she loved was eating her alive and Carter couldn’t expect her to keep doing it. He could only hope that Merlot would forgive him.

“Shit,” Weezer mumbled. “Do you think he knows?”

“I’d bet my life on it.”

“I don’t know if I’m relieved or petrified.” Weezer stood and eased into Carter’s lap, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. “All of our children have suffered in one way or another from our decisions. But that is one thing I honestly believed would never come back and haunt us.”

“But it has and now it looks like we get to deal with it head-on because Merlot is walking up the porch steps.”

Merlot

Merlot figured Talbot would be passed out for hours, especially after the night she’d had. She’d been sick multiple times and he truly felt bad for the hangover she would experience. However, his own brain suffered with the billion unanswered questions that swirled around like a twister.

He banged on his parents’ door. It was only six in the morning, but the light was on and his parents had always been early risers.

His mother greeted him with a smile and mug of steaming coffee. “Good morning, son,” she said. “What brings you by so early?”

“Where’s Dad?”

“In the kitchen,” his father called.

He kissed his mother’s cheek, took the cup, and strolled through his childhood home. He plopped himself at the table and rubbed a hand over his unshaven face. “I need to talk and I don’t know where else to turn.”

“What’s wrong?” his father asked. “You look like shit.”

“I feel worse.” He had no idea where to begin. Or even if his parents would believe him, but if he could trust anyone, it would be his folks. They might be an odd couple and they occasionally did questionable things, but no matter what, he could always say they had been there for him, even when he didn’t believe they were.

When Daisy died, they had held him when he cried like a baby and thought his world had come crashing down. They had encouraged him to grieve in whatever capacity that felt right. They never judged or belittled the love he and Daisy—Talbot—had shared.

They were right by his side when the shit hit the fan with Rachel.

Every moment in life, his parents had been his rock. They hadn’t liked it when he walked away from the family business, and they had voiced it loud and clear, but they were also proud of the man he’d become.

“There is no easy way to say this, and it’s going to blow your mind.” He glanced between his parents, who stared him with an unnerving gaze. Taking in a deep breath, he let it out slowly. He still couldn’t believe it himself. Whenever he thought he was okay with the idea that the love of his life was still alive, he remembered the day he stood at her gravesite. It had been the single worst day of his life. “Talbot isn’t who she says she is.”

“Who is she?” his father asked with a deadpan expression.

His mother took his hand and squeezed.

He blinked. The gravity of the situation hit his gut like a bullet tearing through his body. “Jesus Christ, you know.”

“Know what?” His father lifted his mug and sipped as if this were any other morning conversation around the breakfast table.

“Oh my fucking God.” He pushed his chair back, knocking it over, and stood. “I can’t fucking believe it. How long have you known she was alive?”

“Who exactly are we talking about?” his father asked.

“I’m not in the mood for games. I’ve had one hell of a fucking night. So just be honest with me. When did you figure out Talbot was Daisy?”

“Sit down, son,” his mother said, resting his hand on his shoulder.

“I’d rather stand.” He shrugged it off.

“What did she tell you?” his father asked.

---