“Then I’ll say ‘you’re welcome.’”
Ana picked up her toast and took a bite. “Maybe I should have eaten this breakfast twelve hours ago. I feel better already.”
“I’ll tell the next person I meet that you’re my girlfriend.”
“I want to hear it. And I want to present my business plan to you. Again. I want you to be sure you are making the right decision if you put your money down on this winery.”
“And then, let me guess. You want to review my assets,” Riley said, predicting Ana’s thoughts.
“So, let’s talk about your stock investments. Do you realize you have only invested in three different companies? Most people have a whole portfolio.”
“I like the three that I picked.” Riley pulled her shirt on over her head and glanced at Ana. She was sitting up in bed, naked, with Riley’s laptop propped up on the pillows next to her. Riley buckled her belt and then picked out socks. Ana’s bra hung from the knob on her sock drawer.
“You need to diversify. The way you have things set up is pretty risky. One company goes down and you haven’t lost a couple thousand dollars, Riley. You’ve lost a million or more. When was the last time you looked closely at these numbers? You can’t put all your eggs in one basket.”
“Technically, there are three baskets, not one. I decided a while ago that I can’t keep track of more than three companies.”
“You don’t have to,” Ana argued. “That’s why you have an investment firm managing the money for you.”
“No. I want to manage my own money. And, yes, I’ve looked at my numbers lately. I check the numbers every day. I’m doing quite well, thank you very much.”
Ana sighed. “I figured you were going to say that. All right, at least I tried. And I’m not sure that I’m done reviewing everything. Mind if I keep tabs on your three picks?”
“Not at all. But don’t expect me to change my mind without a fight. Anything else?”
“When will you be home?”
Riley laced her shoes and eyed Ana. “Do you know that is the first time you have ever asked me that?”
Ana nodded. “It did sound a little weird. I’m not used to waiting around for anyone to come home.”
“Call me after you meet with Tom?”
Ana closed the laptop. “You mean, call after I get fired.”
“You sure you don’t want me to drive with you to the airport?”
“No thanks. I’d like to cry alone. And then I will be done with crying over this whole thing. We’ve got a lot of work to do so I’m not even going to think about what happened in Atlanta or with Tom’s family after I get back from the airport. I’m making you dinner tonight. When will you be home?” She repeated the question.
Riley leaned over the bed and kissed her. “I’ll leave work when you call. You can call the front desk. Tell my receptionist that I need to get my ass home to my beautiful girlfriend.”
Ana returned the kiss. “Don’t tempt me.”
* * *
Ana was inside the winery. Riley could see her through the panes of glass. She was directing the placement of wine bottles, surveying a tray of appetizers that the chef had brought out to her and casting periodic glances at her watch and the clipboard in her hands. The chef wasn’t French, though Ana had hoped that she was when she’d seen the name on the résumé. Claire Rousseau was from Georgia, actually, and had a warm Southern accent that flew in the face of Ana’s grand vision. Her creations, every recipe that she’d tested out on Ana and that Riley had shared, were amazing, however. She’d made even Riley consider the finer points of a merlot, juxtaposed with one of her dishes. Ana couldn’t argue. More than the congeniality of any of the servers, Claire’s artistry could convince guests to linger a while longer and to taste another wine or perhaps even have dessert.
The first week had gone smoothly, but tonight’s official opening, complete with a reporter from the food section of the tiny local paper, seemed to have Ana on edge. Riley watched her a moment longer and then crossed the footbridge.
Sharon was inside with Deb, sitting at one of the tables with a view of the river. They had a basket of folded napkins between them and a much bigger pile still to fold. Sharon looked up and said, “Perfect timing. Your girlfriend needs a break. She’s hollered at just about everyone in here.”
Ana set down her clipboard. “I may have raised my voice.”
“They can handle it,” Riley said, hugging Ana.
“The band is running late. Claire had to go to the store for something last minute. She refused to let anyone else run the errand. I was going to have the linens folded, but it slipped my mind. Now I’m trading a bottle of wine to have Deb and Sharon fold for me.”
“The place looks great.”
Ana sighed. She stepped back from Riley and turned about slowly. “I didn’t have time to touch up that spot above the door,” she said, pointing to the back door leading out to the patio. “I forgot about that. Damn. Do you think it’s too late to grab a brush?”
“Well, I’m sure the guy from the paper is going to pick right up on that spot if you don’t touch it up,” Riley teased. “Ana, they’re here for the wine and the food. They are going to love this place. Relax.”
“You’re telling me to relax?” Ana shook her head.
“Yeah, I am. It’s a warm night, the streets are crowded with tourists…”
Ana placed a finger on Riley’s lips. “I’ve got a better idea. Why don’t you show me instead.” She clasped Riley’s hand and then turned, pulling her toward the back hallway. They passed the kitchen and reached the storage room. The door was unlocked. Boxes of wine were stacked from the floor to the ceiling. There was a lightbulb that hung from a beam with a chain cord, but Ana didn’t reach for it. Instead, she pushed Riley up against the first row of boxes. Her palm pressed against Riley’s chest, pinning her in place. She leaned close and their lips met.
* * *
Sunlight streamed in through the cottage window. Already too warm, Riley pushed back the sheet and pulled on a T-shirt and cargo pants. Ana was still sleeping, curled up on her side, and didn’t shift when Riley opened the front door. It was before eight and the day already promised to be a hot one. Riley went to the main house and found Sharon making breakfast. Deb was flipping through the paper and munching on a piece of toast. They looked up and smiled when Riley pushed open the back door.
“I didn’t expect to see either of you up this early,” Sharon said.
“Ana’s still sleeping. Is there another copy of the paper? I wanted to see if they had the winery’s review in there yet.”
Deb pointed to the side counter. “I grabbed two copies when I went out this morning. And no, I won’t tell you what it says.”
“I already know it says that my girlfriend rocked that grand opening.”
Deb shrugged and Riley felt a moment of misgiving.
“‘Girlfriend,’ huh? Last time we talked, I didn’t think you were ready to call her that.” Sharon set two coffee cups and a carafe on a tray with toast and pointed at a bowl of fruit. “If you want to chop up your favorite fruit, go right ahead. Ana likes the peaches. When you two are ready for my frittatas, just let me know.”
“I’ve been wanting to call Ana my girlfriend for a long time,” Riley admitted. She picked out a peach, a mango and a handful of strawberries and began slicing. “But I had this fear that it wasn’t going to last.”
“So what changed?” Sharon asked.
Deb reached over and stole a strawberry from Riley’s pile. She popped it in her mouth and smiled. “She’s been calling you her girlfriend for months now, you know.”
Riley nodded. She continued slicing the fruit, grabbing an extra peach when half of the first one was snagged by Sharon. When Deb reached for the other peach, Riley pointed the knife tip at her hand playfully.
“Your mom called to reserve a room in August,” Sharon said. “They’re only here for two nights?”
“Yeah, they’re always
too busy to stay anywhere long. I doubt that they will want to do any of the usual touristy things anyway. They’re mainly coming to meet Ana. My mom liked her as soon as she heard Ana was into fancy jewelry.”
Riley finished slicing the fruit and set half of it in a bowl in front of Deb, who smiled in return. The rest of the fruit, aside from the pieces that Sharon picked out as she walked by, she put in another bowl on the tray with the toast.
Sharon rolled the newspaper up and tucked it under Riley’s arm. “Ana’s nervous about meeting your folks.”
“You think so?” Riley was surprised at this. Ana seemed so at ease in social gatherings that Riley couldn’t imagine she’d be concerned about this introduction.
Sharon laughed. “Sometimes, Riley, you can be entirely clueless. You do know that she’s head over heels for you, right?”
Riley shook her head. “Ana isn’t the type to be head over heels for anyone.” She thanked Sharon and headed back to the cottage with the tray of food. She passed a couple who were pulling back the hot tub cover and entered the cottage as Ana was coming out of the bathroom.
“Morning.”
Ana nodded. She glanced at the tray that Riley had set on the dresser and eyed the newspaper before climbing back into bed. She pulled the sheet up to her waist. “I don’t think I want to read it. Just tell me if it is good or bad.”
“I haven’t read it yet.”
Ana sighed. She had put on one of Riley’s T-shirts and her hair was pulled back in a low ponytail. “What if the review is terrible?”
“Blame it on the wine?”
“We make the wine, Riley.”
Riley sat down on the bed and thumbed through the paper until she found the food section. The review had a picture of the front of the winery that Ana had a photographer take. It was a good shot, showing part of the footbridge and the new arched entryway above the new front door. She’d sent it to the newspaper along with the notice about the winery’s grand opening.
“Well?” Ana asked.
“I still haven’t read it yet.”
Ana leaned over Riley’s shoulder, but then sank back against the pillows. “I can’t read it.”
Riley stared at the picture a moment longer. The photographer had shot the picture from nearly the same place where Riley had stood when she’d watched Tom kiss Ana. It didn’t seem that long ago that she had watched them together, and yet so much had happened since then.
Ana exhaled. “It’s bad, isn’t it?”
Riley glanced over her shoulder at Ana. “I was thinking about something else. Sorry. I’ll read it now.”
“What were you thinking about?”
Riley set the paper down and shifted back in the bed. She reached for Ana’s hand and kissed it. “It really doesn’t matter what the review says. The staff’s friendly, the food’s awesome, the wine’s great and your renovations made the place. We had a big crowd last night, and everyone was excited about coming back. It’s going to work. I just know it.” Riley added, “Unless we get completely destroyed by a flood, that is.”
“You made me get flood insurance, remember?”
Riley continued, “I’m really looking forward to seeing what happens next. With the wine shop—and with us.”
“Right now I just want to know what’s going to happen with the wine shop. Read the damn review.”
Riley picked up the paper again and started to read. The article was short but entirely positive. The reviewer loved the wine. She’d had the Peach Sauvignon first, then the Mountain Merlot that was made in the big barrels inside the shop. She’d sampled several of Claire’s small plates and had given every dish a rave review. Riley smiled at Ana. “It’s a great review. You have to read it.”
“Really? It’s good?”
“It’s great.” Riley set the paper in Ana’s lap and leaned over and kissed her. “And—I love you.”
Ana distractedly returned the kiss. She read the three paragraphs quickly and then clapped her hands together. “We nailed it. She loved everything!”
“Totally nailed it,” Riley agreed. “And she didn’t even notice that spot over the door that needed painting. Probably a good thing that I slipped her that hundred bucks, huh?”
Ana arched her eyebrow and swatted the paper at Riley’s shoulder. “Don’t even tease like that.” Ana sighed. “My mom called last night. She left me a message. She remembered it was the winery’s grand opening and she said she wished she could see it.”
“You could send her a plane ticket,” Riley suggested. Sabrina had had her baby in May, and Ana had a trip planned for the christening at the end of the month. Riley knew that Ana was in touch with Isabel as well. It seemed that whatever issues her family had initially with her dating a woman hadn’t been enough to keep them from calling. Since the trip to Lodi, though, Riley hadn’t heard Ana say anything about her mom.
“She won’t fly,” Ana returned. “But I think it’s enough that she called.”
Riley pulled Ana into an embrace. “Did I mention how much I love you?”
“Enough to pay off a newspaper reporter, apparently.”
“Even more than that.” Riley grinned.
“I love you too,” Ana said, relaxing in Riley’s arms. “And I want to spend the rest of the day with you. I’m not going anywhere near the winery today. Maybe we should climb that mountain you keep talking about.”
“Pikes Peak? Are you serious?”
“You don’t think I can?” Ana kissed her, this time without any distraction. “I think you underestimate me.” She curled her arm to show off her flexed biceps. It was hard to make out the muscle bump and Ana knew it.
Riley kissed Ana’s arm. “I’d love to go hiking with you.”
“By the way, in case you’re wondering, I already know what will happen with us.”
“What’s that? Do we get a happy ever after?” Riley joked.
“I don’t really believe in those,” Ana admitted. “But I think there’s a good chance we’re going to come close. Very, very close.”
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