Page 6 of Kisses Sweeter than Wine

Talbot scurried out the back door. She paused, glancing around at all the people sitting at tables, hiding behind their computers or engaging in deep conversations.

Immediately, she recognized Chablis and Dax. Were they together? Wow. That would be something if they were. She’d seen the image of Dax painted on the brewery building as she came into town.

A hockey star.

He was as handsome as ever and had his hand on Chablis’ leg. That’s when she noticed a baby carriage on the other side.

She took her sunglasses out and shoved them over her tear-filled eyes. At one time, she felt a part of the River family. They had welcomed her into their home. Their lives. They loved her and offered to help.

And then Carter and Weezer sent her away.

The grown-up Talbot understood it was for the best.

The seventeen-year-old Daisy could never forget or forgive.

She marched around the building toward her car. No reason to chance running into anyone else. Green Bean had been a mistake. While the grocery store could be another place where she could run into people from her past, it would be easier to avoid them.

After today, she’d avoid town at all costs.

No matter how much she wanted to get to know the adult version of Merlot, she couldn’t risk him finding out she wasn’t just a girl who looked like Daisy.

Merlot

Merlot stared into his half-empty coffee cup. Thoughts of the past swirled in his brain. Guilt filled his heart. The first few years after Daisy died, every decision he made, he wondered what she would have thought. He would spend hours deliberating what to do because he didn’t want to disappoint Daisy. When he switched gears in college to criminal justice after Merlot and Chablis had abandoned the family business, he went to Daisy’s gravesite and discussed his thoughts with her at length. He explained what happened between Malbec and their mother. He told her what had happened to Caleb and how it personally affected him. Deep in his heart, he believed Daisy understood and would approve.

But as the years passed, so did his connection to his first love. It wasn’t that he hadn’t thought about her nearly every day, because he had. Something always happened to remind him of the love they once shared. However, it had become easier to move past all the pain, anger, and sadness that had consumed his soul. He’d found a way to live his life.

And be relatively happy.

The only thing that had been missing had been true love.

It wasn’t for lack of trying. He’d wanted to settle down and have a family to call his own. He knew that’s what Daisy would want because if it had been he who died, he wouldn’t want her pining after him all these years. He’d want her life filled with all life could offer.

“What has you so deep in thought?” his mother asked, tapping her freshly polished nails against the table. “Besides your brand-new shirt being ruined.”

He glanced at the red stains on the button-down he’d gotten from his little sister for his birthday. “Did you not see the resemblance?” He lifted his gaze.

“What are you talking about?” His father sipped his coffee.

“The woman who spilled the drink all over me.” He waved his hand. “Don’t you think she looked like Daisy?”

His father leaned back and rubbed his chin. “I don’t know, maybe.”

“I could see a little in the eyes,” his mom said. “But I think you’re sensitive to it because of the time of year and the rumors about her father’s possible bid for governor.”

“He certainly won’t have anyone in this family’s vote.” His father shook his head. “Even if I agreed with his politics, which I don’t, he’s corrupt as hell.”

“Not to mention everything he did to Daisy and her mom.” Merlot had dealt with many criminals during his time as a parole officer. Some were remorseful and wanted to change. Others couldn’t have cared less and returned to their old ways. Merlot wanted to make a difference after his buddy Caleb had been accused of a crime he hadn’t committed.

The justice system was imperfect in so many ways and all Merlot wanted to do was correct it where he could. He wanted to help those incarcerated for all the wrong reasons. Or even those rightfully sent to prison to turn their lives around. He had felt good about his career choice for many years. He believed in what he’d been doing and could see all the good he’d done. His choice to leave the parole department hadn’t been an easy one. However, it had been the right time to return to Candlewood Falls and rejoin the family business and his first passion: making wine. Although, he didn’t have a degree and he had so much to relearn, but he was up for the task.

“Richard Berkin belongs in prison,” Chablis said. “Wouldn’t it be nice if he did run and his opponent managed to find all the shitty things he’s done while in power as a senator and make that happen?”

“That would be nice, but it won’t bring Daisy back.” Merlot looked over his shoulder for the beautiful woman named Talbot. It was more than her intoxicating eyes that reminded him of Daisy. In the few moments he’d spent with Talbot, he noticed three things about her that had shocked his system.

Daisy had two nervous habits. She would twirl her hair or hold on to something and stroke it with her fingers. Talbot had done both. Talbot also drank the same thing that Daisy did.

All of those things were common enough. He knew other people who did similar things when nervous and lots of people loved the fruity beverage. Besides, Daisy was dead. Her and her mother’s remains had been found in the rubble after a house fire flattened their home. There had been nothing left but singed wood. Everything had burned to the ground. It had been the worst fire this town had seen in years.

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