Page 46 of Kisses Sweeter than Wine

“Jesus, Mom. So, that’s why you’d never tell me anything about my father. What the hell is wrong with him that you didn’t want me to know?”

“Absolutely nothing.” She turned her gaze and smiled at Merlot. “He’s one of the kindest, sweetest men I’ve ever known. I was madly in love with him when I left this town. But circumstances made it so I could never come back and Merlot could never know about you. I didn’t even know I was pregnant when I left.”

“I need a fucking drink.” Corbin ran a hand across the top of his freshly buzzed head.

“You’re not twenty-one yet,” Talbot said.

“He fights for this country and his entire world just blew up. And didn’t you tell me he will be twenty-one soon? I think the man deserves a beer.” Merlot strolled around to the other side of the island and pulled out a cold one. He cracked it open and set it in front of his son.

As weird as that was, it didn’t feel strange.

“Thanks, but don’t think that wins you any brownie points with me.” Corbin took a long, slow sip.

“Not looking for any.” Merlot sat and tried not to stare, but it was impossible.

“What?” Corbin pursed his lips.

“Sorry. It’s just like looking at myself when I was your age.”

“Yeah. Hard not to see the resemblance.” Corbin sighed.

Talbot eased into the seat across from Merlot. “You’re taking this much better than I thought you would.”

“I’ve wanted to know who my dad was for as long as I can remember. I used to threaten to run away from home if you didn’t tell me.”

Talbot laughed. “I watched you pack your little suitcase when you were nine. You went to the hotel lobby and tried to check yourself into your own room.”

Corbin frowned. “You let me spend the night there and when I came back the next day, you told me a lie.”

“There are a lot of things that we need to tell you, but understand your mother did what she had to in order to protect herself and you from a very bad man,” Merlot said.

Corbin tilted his head. “I always thought that person was you.”

“Trust me. If I or anyone in my family had known of your existence, we wouldn’t be sitting in this room right now.” Merlot understood the pain that radiated from his son’s eyes. It tore through his soul like a rocket. “This is going to be hard, but no can know I’m your father. At least not right now.”

“Why the hell not?” Corbin glared. “What about Mama C?”

“She can’t know. She doesn’t have a clue about my past and I wouldn’t want to put her at risk,” Talbot said.

“I don’t understand, Mom. You need to tell me more before I lose my shit.”

Jesus. How could a kid Merlot didn’t raise have so many mannerisms and speech patterns that matched his?

“Because my father—the man I ran from all those years ago—would probably kill us all if he ever found out.” Talbot rested her hand over Corbin’s. “There is one glowing light in all this.”

“I’m not sure I see it.” Corbin fiddled with his beer can.

“Merlot’s parents are wonderful people. They are the ones who set up my death—”

“Excuse me? That makes no fucking sense.” Corbin shoved his beverage aside.

“They had to make it so my father thought I was dead,” Talbot said.

“I believed that too. I spent the last twenty-one years thinking the love of my life was gone.” Did he just say that out loud. Yep. He did.

“Love of your life?” Corbin scoffed.

“I never forgot about your mother, nor did I ever stop loving her. When she showed up here, it was like I took a trip into my childhood. It didn’t take long for me to figure it out,” Merlot said.

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