Page 3 of A Thirst for Franc

“Why not?”

“He left to have lunch with Phoebe, and you know how that goes. I doubt he’ll be coming back.” My brother and his fiancée loved a little afternoon delight.

I was happy for them, but I was well aware of how fast the honeymoon phase faded once the wedding was over.

“Chardonnay, then.”

“She’s off the property and over at the fields to check in with Enrico.” As VP of Operations, Char was very hands on with all aspects of the company, including meeting with all the department heads to make sure everything was running seamlessly and efficiently. She also liked to make sure the workers were happy. Happy employees equaled a happy product.

“Why not just take him with you? We were working with Grandpa and Dad on making the wine when we were his age. And they had three of us. You have one.”

“My one is equal to three.” I sighed. “Okay, Gio, your rematch with Uncle Laurent will have to wait. Looks like you’re coming with me.”

His head fell forward. “Your job is boring.”

“My job is not boring.”

Amusement tugged at the corners of Nero’s lips. “It kind of is.”

“Don’t you have a bar to tend?”

“Just saying.” He turned to Gio, did their handshake, then ruffled Gios’s mop of hair. “Be good.”

“I’m always good.” Gio flashed that same smile Nero had perfected, and I saw his future flash in front of my eyes. My son with a line full of broken hearts in his wake. Fuck me. I pinched the bridge of my nose, hoping he didn’t become a father’s worst nightmare.

“Did you teach him that?” I asked.

“No, kid’s a natural.”

I grabbed Gio’s shoulders and maneuvered him away from my heartbreaker brother and toward the production facility across the parking lot from the tasting room.

“Gio!” Rhone said as we entered and scooped Gio into his arms, spinning him around once before placing him down. “I heard Margie didn’t like Sally.”

Gio shook his head. “Not at all.”

“That’s okay. You can work with us today, and after, you, me, and Sutton can go get ice cream.” Sutton, Rhone’s best friend since they were twelve, was Gio’s aunt in every sense. She treated him as if he were her own blood, and I loved her for it.

Gio’s entire face lit up. The way to my son’s heart was always ice cream, and Rhone knew that. I also was fully aware he was stepping in to give me a break, which I appreciated more than he knew. I loved that my siblings helped, but I never wanted them to feel obligated.

“Can I?” Gio pouted. He didn’t even need the lip this time.

“It’s okay with me.”

Gio threw his hands in the air and high-fived Rhone.

“First we work,” Rhone said.

Two hours later, Rhone headed out with Gio, and I headed to the tasting room for a much-earned glass of Cabernet Franc. I wondered if my parents knew when I was born that it would be my favorite variety, and that’s why I was blessed with the name.

I made my way toward the bar, and Nero held up a glass of red before placing it in front of an empty stool. He slid it closer to the edge as I plopped my ass down. “Thanks.”

“I figured you’d be in here, eventually. How’d Gio do?”

“Nothing’s broken, so I’d say it was a success.”

“Where is my nephew?”

“Rhone and Sutton took him to get ice cream.”

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