Blush, Book 3 the Crescent Lake Winery

by Lucinda Race

  “Hmm, I’ve seen them in the store but didn’t realize people still used manual tools. Are you sure we just can’t toss the block into the food processor and press the on button?” She was teasing at this point, and it was fun to poke at him.

  He handed her a wedge of cheese. “Just run the cheese over the face of the grater and it will pile up inside the box.”

  “Well, I kinda figured that.” She took it and made short work of the cheese. She dumped it all in a bowl as the egg mixture sizzled in the hot pan.

  “Give me five minutes and we’ll be ready to eat.”

  She gave him a light pat on the back. Working together had been fun, but it had caused the scab over her heart to crack open. It had taken years to build that scab up. “I can’t wait.”

  * * *

  Before she left for the day, she stopped back in the kitchen in search of Jack. He was drinking a cup of coffee and talking to Don.

  “Hey, Jack, I just wanted to say thanks again for your help in the tasting room this afternoon.”

  “You’re welcome. It was fun. Like old times.”

  She said, “Alright, we’ll see you Tuesday for the game?”

  “That’s the plan.”

  He gave her a smile that sent a ripple through her. She shook off the old familiar feeling. “Okay. Bye, Don.” She called out, “Kate, see you tomorrow.”

  Kate popped her head out of the back room. “Hold on; I’ll walk you out.”

  The two women crossed the tasting room and through the side door, emerging into the early evening. The air was cool and Peyton shivered. She wished she had a coat.

  “I’m going to cut to the chase. Can I just say that for someone who says she’s over her old love, the sparks were bouncing all over the place in my kitchen? Are you sure there’s not a chance you would consider going out with him if he asked?”

  “He already did, the other day at baseball practice, and I turned him down.” She opened the driver’s door and tossed her bag inside. “We’re better off as friends.”

  “I think you should reconsider.” Kate gave her a hug. “But I appreciate the help tonight. See you tomorrow?”

  “Yes, I’ll be here.” Peyton got into her car and Kate went back inside to her handsome husband who waited for her. She was lucky. Too bad Jack couldn’t be more like Don.

  4

  It was time for ball practice, and it had been two days since Jack had seen Peyton. He couldn’t hang out around the tasting room on Sunday until she needed help, so he kept busy with tours, and then yesterday had been a much-deserved day off for her.

  He caught up to her at the ballfield. “Hi, Peyton.” She was watching the kids warm up. “Ready for the big game tonight?”

  She flashed him an easy smile. “I think we all are. Owen and your nephews are so excited.” She waved to Liza over his shoulder.

  Jack’s cell phone rang but he ignored it. He’d rather talk to the beautiful woman standing in front of him.

  The umpire gave his whistle two short bursts and the kids ran to their respective benches.

  “Um, before things get crazy, I was going to grab a pizza with Liza and the boys after the game. Would you and Owen want to join us?”

  She raised her eyebrows. “You do know the team will go for ice cream after the game? It’s tradition.”

  “Oh, yeah. I knew that.” But obviously, they both knew he hadn’t.

  His phone pinged, indicating a new voicemail. He pulled it from his pocket, glanced at the number, and recognized the California area code. He’d listen to it later.

  “We should get back to the kids.” Peyton scanned the team; was she looking for Owen?

  He walked over to the kids and clapped his hands together to get their attention. “Everyone gather around.”

  After jostling for position with the shorter kids in front, the head coach said, “Okay, team, does everyone know where you should be in the batting lineup tonight, and do you have your gloves ready?”

  Several of the boys nodded and held up their mitts for him to see. Jack covered his mouth with his hand to hide a smile. At this age, the kids were so comical, some missing a front tooth and others just looking around like they didn’t have a care in the world and the rest ready for action. The most important lessons he hoped they took away from this experience were working together and being kind to one another. The final outcome of the game didn’t matter.

  Jack said, “We’re in the field first since we’re the home team tonight.”

  “Ms. P?” A boy who seemed small for the age group was standing next to Owen. He held up his hand.

  Peyton squatted down. “Yes, Joey?”

  “What happens if I miss the ball? Should I still run to first base?” He twirled his glove and dropped it on the ground. With a snicker, he said, “Oops.”

  “When you hit the ball, run as fast as you can. If you miss it, you’ll have three tries.”

  “But I haven’t hit it ever.”

  Owen placed a hand on his shoulder. “It’s okay, Joey. My mom says to try your best, that’s all.” He looked up at Peyton. “Right, Mom?”

  “That’s right for all of you. Do your best and we’ll work on anything you have trouble with at our next practice.”

  Jack loved Peyton’s encouragement to all the kids. “But have fun out there,” he said.

  The kids gathered into a huddle and placed their hands in the middle of the circle, hands piled one on top of each other. “On three, everyone say, Go Bobcats!”

  The kids grinned and Peyton smiled over their heads at Jack. It was easy to see she was in her element around the kids and he liked how they responded to her.

  * * *

  The game was slow as molasses in winter, with each kid getting a turn at bat and other kids either playing or like the little boy she had worked with on hitting. He was actually looking everywhere but the action of the game, like he was bored silly.

  Peyton joined Liza in the bleachers, one eye on Jack and the other on the game, not wanting to hover over the kids; they had Coach Barrett and Jack. He was pacing up and down in front of the bench, calling to the kids, encouraging them. Patience laced his voice and his body language. She wondered what kind of a dad he’d be someday when he met the right woman. A pang of regret washed over her. Once, she thought he might be her future. If they had gotten together, they might be married by now and have a few kids of their own.

  She sighed and Liza gave her a side-look. “You okay?”

  “Yeah, just thinking.” She watched as Jack jumped in the air when Owen hit the ball, then ran along the sidelines, encouraging the boy to run fast.

  The smile on her son’s face was priceless. If things had worked out differently, she wouldn’t have Owen in her life, and that was something she wouldn’t have wanted to miss.

  * * *

  After the game, Owen said, “Did you see me hit the ball, Mom?” He looked up at Jack. “What did you think? Was it good?”

  “It was great.” He ruffled the boy’s hair.

  “Can I walk to the car with Johnny and George?”

  “Go ahead, but wait for me in front of the car, okay?” The words were barely out of Peyton’s mouth before Owen was running to catch up to his buddies.

  “He’s got a lot of energy even after a game,” Jack said. The sun had begun its slow descent toward the horizon and the air was getting cool.

  “He goes at full speed until he drops, and then it’s like a light switch. On and off are the only two modes he has.” Families swarmed around them. Most times, it didn’t bother her to see happy couples at a game, but walking next to Jack was a sharp reminder they weren’t a couple. This was the second time tonight she had gone down that path. She wasn’t going to dwell on regrets.

  Peyton adjusted her shoulder bag. “It was a good game. I think the kids have learned a lot about being part of a team.”

  “When I was a kid, my dad never volunteered for our sporting events. Mom was always there in the cheering sectio
n or helping in the concession stand. In those days, he worked eighteen-hour days.” Jack kicked a pinecone. “When I knew my nephews needed more support, the decision was easy.” He looked her way. “It’s been fun as well as eye-opening.”

  “I know exactly what you mean.” Her gaze came to rest on Owen, who was standing next to her car just as she had asked. Jack’s truck was parked next to her car. “Are you going for ice cream?”

  They stopped walking and Jack smiled. “Are you kidding? I wouldn’t miss it. After all, it’s tradition.” He pointed at his nephews. “Are you riding with me or your mom?”

  Liza waved her hand. “Ride with Uncle Jack but wait in the truck until I get there, understand?”

  The boys asked, “Can Owen ride with us too?”

  Peyton shook her head. “Sorry, O, but we haven’t tried to get three seats in Jack’s truck, and let’s save that for a day when ice cream’s not waiting for us, okay?”

  He kicked the ground. “Alright, Mom.”

  “Hop in the car and buckle up.”

  Jack held open the rear doors on his truck and her car so the boys could get in.

  Liza said, “I’m sure Jack would have let Owen move his seat if it was okay with you.”

  “I’m sure there’s room in his truck, but I’m not in the mood to screw around right now. It’s been a long day. Besides, it’s less than a ten-minute drive.” Peyton gave Liza a quick hug. “I’m glad you came tonight. It was fun having company in the stands, and the boys played well.”

  “They like baseball, but their real love is soccer. I’m not sure why they didn’t have a spring league this year.” She tilted her head. “Are you thinking about Owen playing soccer this fall? He’d have a great time and I know with my boys, it actually makes them tired.”

  “I’ll ask him and see what he wants to do.” She rested her hand on the car door handle. “See you at the ice cream stand.”

  * * *

  After they finished their ice cream, Owen waved to his friends, who were walking to Jack’s truck. He took Peyton’s hand as they crossed the parking lot to her car. “Isn’t Jack cool, Mom? Like, he’s coaching our team and drives that cool truck.” He was bouncing as they walked. “And did you know that he has a boat and he likes to fish!”

  “You don’t say. Did he tell you that?”

  He shook his head and waited for Peyton to unlock the car door. “Nope. George said that he takes them fishing all the time and sometimes they go on his boat. At the big lake too, not the one we go to for swimming.”

  She wanted to laugh, but he was very serious in sharing the information.

  “Maybe sometime he’ll take me fishing and you can come too.”

  That did sound fun for Owen, but it wasn’t going to happen. “You didn’t ask Jack to take you on his boat, did you?”

  “Well…” He got in the back seat and clicked the buckle while Peyton watched to make sure it was secured. “Johnny asked if I could go with them the next time Jack had a fishing day and he said that I had to ask you first, so can I? Can I go fishing with Jack sometime?” He clasped his hands together and his eyes pleaded with her. “I’ll bet he’ll ask you to come too. Won’t that be fun, Mom?”

  “Son, we don’t invite ourselves places. We have to wait to be included.”

  His eyes grew wide. “So that means when Jack asks us, we can go on his boat and go fishing?”

  She had walked right into that one. Hopefully Jack wouldn’t mention it to her when Owen was around and box her into a corner. Baseball practice and ice cream with the team were one thing, but being on Jack’s boat in the middle of the lake was an entirely different matter.

  “I’ll think about it.”

  Owen pumped his fist in the air. “Yes!”

  * * *

  Jack sat on the steps of his front porch. The moon was coming up and this was his favorite time of day, between the crazy part of his day and the loneliness of the night. He looked at his phone and saw there was a voicemail waiting for him.

  “Hi, Jack, it’s me. Corine. It’s been a long time and I’m hoping you’ll give me a call back. We need to talk. And if you’re wondering how I got your cell number, I was finally able to convince your office manager that I was the wife of an old friend from Napa, trying to plan a surprise for my husband, so no worries. I didn’t say who I was. I can’t wait to hear from you. Call me soon.”

  His heart stopped when the message ended. He listened to it a second time. What the hell did his ex-wife really want? They had been divorced for almost seven years and there was nothing left to talk about. He tossed the phone aside. Now if Peyton had called him, he would have hit redial, just to hear her voice.

  Something George had mentioned crossed his mind. The boys wanted to go fishing and asked if Owen could come with them. That was a good reason to call Peyton. Should he call her tonight or wait until he saw her at the winery? Instead of waiting, he dialed her number.

  She answered on the second ring, but when he identified himself, he could hear the hesitancy that entered her voice.

  “Listen, I’m thinking of taking the boys fishing next week one day after school and I was wondering if Owen would like to go with us.”

  “On the boat or from the dock?”

  “Whichever makes you the most comfortable.” He could picture the look on her face as she tried to pick the lesser of the two evils. “The boys will have fun and you can come too if that makes you more comfortable.”

  She cleared her throat. “I guess the boat would be best and yes, I’ll come just to make sure you’ve got an extra set of eyes on them. Three boys are a lot to handle.”

  He expected Peyton would be surprised to discover how strict he was with his boating rules for the boys, but he was happy she’d said yes. “I’ll check with Liza and the weather and we can firm up a time in the next couple of days.”

  “Sure, sounds good. And Jack? Don’t mention this to the kids until we can work out the details.”

  He took that to mean in case she changed her mind. But he didn’t care. It was a chance to be with her, and he’d play by her rules.

  “Not to worry. I won’t say a thing.”

  “Good night, Jack.” She disconnected before he could continue the conversation.

  5

  Jack didn’t get to his door before thinking he might as well call Corine and get this conversation over with before he went inside. Talking to her had hung over him all day, but the three-hour time difference had made it difficult to call her from work. He thought it was going to voicemail when she answered.

  “Corine, it’s Jack. I got your message.”

  “Thanks for calling me back. I wasn’t sure if you’d respond.”

  He rubbed his neck. “What’s up? I don’t have a lot of time.”

  “Can you spare a few minutes for an old friend?”

  “And ex-wife.”

  “That’s what I wanted to talk to you about. I was wondering if I could come out to Crescent Lake and see you at the winery.”

  “For what purpose?”

  “There’s something we need to discuss.”

  He could hear the catch in her voice. Corine had been more than happy to sign the divorce papers that ended their brief marriage. Not that he had cared; as long as they were divorced, it was good enough for him.

  “We both know our marriage was a mistake from the start. If it hadn’t been, wouldn’t we have told our families?” Jack waited half a beat. “There’s nothing left to talk about.”

  “I didn’t like how things ended between us and I still care about you, which is why I’m calling. I’d like to say we’re friends. This is important to me.”

  He felt like a jerk for being borderline rude. “Corine, our marriage has been over for a long time. Let’s not rehash the past.” Before she had a chance to say anything more, he said, “Take care of yourself.”

  He set his phone on the porch floor and muted the ringer when her number popped back up on the screen. He was going to
have to figure out a way to tell Peyton that he had been married once, but he’d better start with his family.

  Owen yelled, “Mom, hurry! Jack’s here.”

  It had been a week since Peyton had agreed to go fishing with Jack and the boys. She threw an extra bottle of sunscreen and another sun hoodie for Owen in her tote bag, just in case. Even with his easy-to-tan skin, he needed sun protection. She hoped this fishing trip wasn’t a bad idea and wouldn’t give people, namely Jack, a mixed message.

  The screen door banged and Owen burst into the kitchen. He had a Spider-Man ball cap perched on his head and wore a matching T-shirt with dinosaur swim trunks.

  “I showed Jack where the cooler was and he already loaded it in the back of the truck for us and I got my booster seat out of our car for him and Jack said three seats will fit no prob.”

  “Well, that is good news.” She gave him a once-over. “Have you gone to the bathroom?”

  He stomped his bare feet down the hallway, mumbling about life not being fair and something about fish. Holding back a chuckle, she called after him, “I can hear you.”

  The bathroom door closed with a thud.

  “Peyton?” It was Jack.

  “Come on in.” She poked her head out of the kitchen. “Just adding a few last-minute things to my tote.” She pulled the drawstring tight and smiled at him.

  His warm hazel eyes held a hint of mischief. “Did you pack the entire house?” He took the oversized bag from her.

  “With boys, there is bound to be something I forgot to pack. Owen’ll either stab himself with a fish hook, fall in, or—” She stopped midsentence. “He doesn’t have a life jacket.”

  He touched her arm. It reassured her. “I’ve already got one in the truck and before we even step onto the dock, he’s putting it on.”