Fate Actually: Moonstone Cove Book Two

by Hunter, Elizabeth

  Toni rubbed her temple. “Why am I overthinking this? Why can’t I just be happy?”

  “Because you’re a problem solver and you’re always on the lookout for a new thing you need to solve. And do not worry, my friend, there will be things to solve. But for now, with all the craziness going on in your family and in town, just chill and enjoy this part.” Megan sat back, kicked her feet up on the porch railing, and sipped her coffee. “Henry loves you and you love him and y’all are going to have a baby. It doesn’t have to be more complicated than that.”

  “Okay.”

  Megan nodded. “Okay.” She glanced at Toni’s hands. “I’d maybe think twice about taking up boxing though.”

  “You’re telling me.”

  * * *

  Megan and Toni decided to walk up to the winery after they’d had their morning coffee. They’d never really made it all the way up the trail on the day they found Whit Fairfield’s body, but Toni was determined not to let the memory of that day stain the beautiful scenery around her house.

  “I know nothing about wine,” Megan said. “Other than that I like it. How do you learn what good wine is? To be honest, I go by the label and the price tag. I’ve got no idea how to pick.”

  “My dad always had a really simple way to tell if something was a good wine.”

  “Oh?”

  “Do you like it?”

  Megan laughed.

  “I’m serious.” Toni stopped to pick a bunch of dark purple grapes from the cabernet vines that butted up to the path. “Do you like it? Then it’s a good wine. What’s a good wine anyway, right? I mean, you can say something is more complex or better blended or what have you, but at the end of the day, if you like it…”

  “It’s a good wine. I’ll go with that.” Megan reached over and picked a grape, popped it in her mouth, and made a face. “It’s so seedy.”

  “Yep. Thick skin too.” She ate one, sucked out the juice, then spit the seeds and the skin into the dirt. “Still sweet though.”

  “Yep.”

  The day was warming up. Though it was fall and the leaves were starting to turn, the sun was getting higher and the fog from the ocean had burned off the top of the hills. As they walked up to Nico’s winery, Toni heard footsteps behind her.

  She stopped and turned.

  “What is it?” Megan asked.

  Toni shook her head. “I thought I heard someone.”

  They turned and started walking again, past the turn of the creek where Fairfield’s body was found. Past the rocky hill where an old oak towered over a broken-down tractor. They walked over the hill and down into a small hollow where a flock of wild turkeys took flight, surprised by their arrival.

  “Wow! Does anyone hunt them?” Megan watched the group of birds take flight over the creek.

  “Nico and the guys try, but the turkeys always seem to disappear as soon as the season starts.”

  “They’re no dummies.”

  In the distance, past the vines and across a dip in the terrain, another flock took to the air, drawing Toni’s attention.

  Footsteps and startled birds weren’t just her imagination.

  Megan kept her voice low. “Is someone following us?”

  “I think so.”

  “We keep going?”

  “No choice.”

  Toni and Megan kept walking through the vines and toward Nico’s place. As they drew closer, they could hear voices in the distance. A harvesting crew was singing along with the radio. The footsteps behind them got louder.

  Megan and Toni started walking faster.

  “You hear it too?”

  “Yeah.”

  Just as Toni was about to break into a run, someone popped up from between the rows. Toni turned, shoved Megan behind her, and braced herself. “Hey!”

  Only to see Danny Barba waving behind them. “Hey Toni!”

  She released her breath. “Danny.”

  “Gorgeous day for a walk, huh?” He slung a backpack over his shoulder. “You headed up to the office?”

  “Yeah.”

  Danny nodded. “I think Nico and Henry are meeting Ruben right now, but they’ll probably be finished pretty soon.”

  “You get that tractor running?”

  Danny grinned. “The old one on the hill? That thing’s a relic.”

  “No, the one that had the wires cut.” She was slowly walking backward, moving steadily down the hill. “The one where I found the finger.”

  “Oh right. The finger.” Danny paled. “Yeah, I just had to fix the safety cable. Haven’t had a problem since.”

  Toni nudged Megan. “Danny is Nico’s foreman. He keeps the whole place running, and he’s a far better diesel mechanic than I am.”

  “I try.” The man smiled. “Hard to keep track of all the moving pieces sometimes, you know?”

  “I’m sure.” Megan scanned the vineyards. “It’s a big place.”

  “It is.” Danny tugged on the end of his baseball cap. “You ladies have a great day.” He walked in the direction of the harvesting crew, back into the vines.

  Megan kept her voice low. “Was he the one…?”

  “I have no idea. Are we being paranoid?”

  “Maybe.” Megan slid her sunglasses back on. “But let’s not forget a man was murdered about half a mile from where we’re standing.”

  “Good point.”

  * * *

  Nico, Henry, and Ruben Montenegro were sitting on the back patio behind Nico’s office, three open beers on the table in front of them.

  Nico raised his hand when he saw her. “Toni!”

  Henry didn’t say anything, but his smile felt secret and warmed Toni down to her toes.

  “You’re blushing,” Megan said. “Just a little. It’s pretty cute.”

  “I’m not blushing, I’m hot. From the hike.”

  “Okay, sure.” Megan pressed her lips together. “Whatever you say.” She grabbed her phone from her pocket and took a quick picture. “I cannot lie, I am seeing the benefits of California-wine-country life more and more every day.”

  Toni narrowed her eyes. “You mean the three tall, dark, and handsome, slightly sweaty men sitting around a wooden table in the middle of a vineyard drinking cold beers?”

  “I’m just saying, if you wanted to promote Moonstone Cove in an advertising campaign, you should definitely mention the handsome sweaty men that come included with the beautiful scenery.”

  Seeing as Toni had grown up with Nico harassing her like the annoying little shit he’d been, she was always slightly surprised when women found him attractive. She knew he was; it was just hard to forget the swirlies.

  “Have you actually met my cousin before?”

  “Nope.” Megan pressed her lips together. “I’ve only heard stories.” She lifted her sunglasses for a second, then lowered them. “Which right now I’m really hoping are true.”

  “Ew.” Toni shook her head and kept walking. “Don’t lust after my cousin. That’s just weird.”

  “I think you mean understandable.” Megan put on her thousand-watt smile. “Good afternoon, gentlemen. Y’all have another beer hiding around here?”

  Toni watched Megan proceed to make two men jump for her attention while the third only had eyes for her.

  Henry rose and walked over to Toni, slid his arm around her waist, and leaned down to her. “Gonna kiss you now.”

  “Okay.”

  He pulled back. “That’s it? No lecture about public displays of affection or keeping our business to ourselves?”

  Toni shrugged. “I think after last Sunday, the secret is out. Everyone heard me screaming at you, which in my crazy family is as good as a declaration of love.”

  “If only I’d known months ago.”

  She rose onto her toes and drew him into a sweet and lingering kiss. “Plus it’s Monday, I’m taking the day off, hanging out with my friend, and I can’t even have a beer. You’re my only vice left.”

  He smiled. “Feel free to take adv
antage of me whenever you like.”

  “I’ll remember that.” She nodded toward Ruben and Nico, who were standing by the fridge outside Nico’s office. “What’s Ruben here for?”

  Henry shrugged. “Nothing too big. Hopefully a little bridge. I wanted some cabernet franc grapes to blend in the Heritage Red this year, and Danny told me that he’d heard Fairfield had some. I convinced Nico that it might be friendly to reach out.”

  “No point keeping the winery as an enemy if Fairfield is gone, right?”

  “It was never something Nico and I wanted anyway. It’s always better to be on good terms with your neighbors. Ruben’s a good guy. He and Nico have known each other for years, so as long as he’s running things down the road, there’s no reason to feed any kind of rivalry, you know?”

  Nico and Ruben were laughing at something Megan said, both men watching the pretty blond woman intently.

  Lovely. This was shaping up to be more than slightly predictable.

  “Of course.” Toni kept her eye on the trio. “Ruben and Nico being on good terms means that two of the most competitive men I know will suddenly decide not to compete over something else.”

  Henry added, “And the likelihood of that is pretty small.”

  “Yep.” She turned to him. “Ruben ever give up why Fairfield wanted those five acres over by the creek so badly?”

  “I was trying to work my way around to asking that when you ladies showed up.”

  “Then why don’t we stay for a drink?” Toni turned on her most charming smile. “We can see if any interesting information pops up.”

  Chapter 21

  “I’m telling you,” Ruben said with a broad smile, “you ladies need to come up to the winery for a tasting. We’ll treat you like queens.” He cast a look at Nico. “Unlike this guy.”

  “Just because we go for a more rustic experience—”

  “Your tasting room is in a barn, man.”

  Ruben and Henry laughed while Nico shrugged a little. “We’re getting there, okay? Not all of us have Bay Area bank accounts to play with.”

  “Well, that I can’t argue with.” Ruben raised his beer. “And you’ve still got more productive acreage than me, so I should probably shut up.”

  “Any word on what’s going to happen?” Toni asked. “I heard through the rumor mill that Fairfield’s fiancée is in charge of the estate now. Any truth to that?”

  Ruben nodded slowly. “I think so. She’s supposed to come down this weekend and take a look at the place. I guess the memorial was last week. They were holding off because the coroner still hadn’t released the body, but then his parents insisted.”

  “So horrible what happened to him.” Megan’s expression was tragic. “I met him a few times, and he was just so polite. Had so many big plans.”

  “Huh.” Nico rolled his eyes. “I shouldn’t say anything. Everyone knows how I felt about the man.”

  “That’s all in the past now,” Ruben said. “Now I can be the one to convince you to sell that five acres.”

  Nico and Henry laughed, and Ruben gave Toni a rueful smile.

  “I had to try.” He shrugged. “Hoping the new boss won’t be quite as obsessed as the old boss.”

  “I know your plans are just going to be amazing.” Megan leaned toward Ruben. “Do you have anything drawn up? I’m so curious.”

  Ruben looked triumphant. “I do. I mean, I have what Whit and I were working on. I know it’ll change, but if you wanted to come over to the winery this week—”

  “Ooh!” Megan clapped her hands. “I think we could do Wednesday, don’t you think, Toni? Grab Katherine and go over to Fairfield’s for a tasting on Wednesday?”

  Nico looked like he’d bitten into a lemon.

  Toni glanced at him and then Megan. “Sure. I’m game for that.”

  “That’s right.” Henry rubbed Toni’s back. “Wine Wednesdays.”

  “It’s tradition.” One that Toni would have to work around in a tasting room. “I’m in if Katherine is.”

  “Sounds like fun.” Megan beamed at Ruben. “Can’t wait to see it.”

  * * *

  “Why do we want to see this place?” Katherine was leaning forward from the center seat in the back of the car. “I thought we didn’t trust the Fairfield people.”

  “We don’t.” Toni was driving down the twisting road to Fairfield Family Wines since she couldn’t drink. “Not even a little bit. But Ruben brought up buying that strip of land again yesterday, which makes me curious about why they want it. I’m hoping if we can see the plans they’ve drawn up—”

  “Didn’t Ron the accountant say something about that? Something about a wine cave?” Megan asked. “Do you think he was right?”

  “The acreage he’s talking about buying is a thin strip of land right along the creek that butts up to a rocky hill that’s completely undeveloped. There’s no good reason to dig a wine cave out there,” Toni said.

  “Why would you dig a wine cave at all?” Katherine asked. “Is it a tourist gimmick?”

  “Oh no. They serve a few different purposes, and if you can afford one—or if you buy an old vineyard that already has one—they’re really valuable. Personally, I think more wineries are going to start digging them because it saves you a lot of energy aging wine underground. You don’t have to pay for the warehousing, and the underground is always the perfect temperature and humidity. It’s a classic for a reason.”

  Megan said, “Something like a wine cave—if you created an event space—would be super popular. People always want a unique experience, and that sort of thing would feel very exclusive.”

  “So it’s a sound business decision and good for marketing,” Katherine said. “Why don’t all wineries have caves?”

  “Because they’re expensive as hell to dig,” Toni said. “A good-size cave with all the necessary plumbing and air circulation could easily run you in the tens of millions to build from scratch. That is if you even had the right kind of land to build it.”

  “So we need to find out if that land is the right kind to dig under,” Katherine said. “I have a few friends in the geology department who could find out.”

  “Didn’t Ron the accountant mention a geologist too?” Megan said. “Fairfield might have already consulted with one.”

  Katherine nodded. “I’ll ask around. A number of the geologists at Central Coast do outside work. They would be the most local.”

  “Cool.” Toni saw the alley of oaks that led to the winery and turned. “For now, let’s focus on some good old snooping at the victim’s place.”

  “And wine,” Megan said. “After all, if we’re being sneaky, we might as well enjoy ourselves.”

  * * *

  The tasting room at Fairfield Family Wines really was more like a club than a room. Built on the edge of Ferraro Creek, under a stand of sprawling oak trees, the entire back wall of the winery was made up of giant glass doors that opened to a French-style garden with classical sculptures, scattered tables, and pea-gravel paths leading between the planting beds.

  In the distance, Toni saw a raised stage for live music events along with a large built-in barbecue pit and long stone tables.

  “This is amazing,” Megan said. “Purely professionally, I completely understand why Pamela was interested.”

  Toni tried not to be overly critical. “I guess you can make really pretty stuff when you have endless funds.” The Fairfield winery made her feel small. Nico’s operation was family-run and casual. Visitors could grab a sandwich or tacos from the food trucks in the Cove and have a picnic with a bottle of wine or spend some time inside, tasting the new vintages in the refurbished barn.

  They didn’t have sculptures in the garden; they had old farm equipment. Their servers weren’t wearing crisp white shirts and black pants; they wore blue jeans with flannel button-downs over their Drink Dusi T-shirts.

  They also didn’t have dozens of visitors in the middle of a Wednesday afternoon, buying wine and souvenirs from
the gift shop.

  “Good afternoon.” An immaculately dressed server greeted them. “Did you have a reservation?”

  “We don’t,” Megan said. “Not really. But Ruben invited us yesterday.”

  The young woman smiled. “Of course. Let me call him.”

  “Sounds good.”

  Katherine strolled along the walls of wine that led to a large gift shop. “I love these tablecloths.”

  “The colors are gorgeous.” Megan picked up the edge of a waxed cotton tablecloth with a traditional French pattern on it. “Toni, this would look so cute on your patio outside.”

  “That’s okay.” Toni wasn’t buying anything at this place. Not a single, blessed cracker or cork. “I’m good.”

  “Maybe I’ll get it for you as a house-warming present.” Megan was looking at the label. “I never got you—”

  “Really.” Toni put a hand on the tablecloth and pushed it back to the table. “I’d really rather you didn’t. Not here.”

  Megan’s eyes widened. “Got it.”

  “Thanks.”

  “Ladies?” The server stood a polite distance away. “Ruben has a table set for you in our members’ room.”

  “Thank you,” Katherine said. “That sounds very exclusive.”

  The server smiled. “If you’ll just follow me.”

  She led them toward a small glass-enclosed room with a gorgeous view of the creek and a small footbridge that led from Fairfield’s side of the creek to Nico’s. Unlike the main tasting room where visitors stood at a long bar, in this room servers visited small tables, filling wineglasses, clearing glasses, and bringing plates of fruit and cheese with the wine.

  Toni’s stomach flipped and she realized she’d forgotten to eat lunch again. “Well, at least I won’t go hungry.”