Kennedy saw they were in front of a bakery called Nonna’s that had a huge lit-up coffee mug in the window. “And supplier of chocolate baked goods?” she asked with a grin.
“Of course.” He grinned back and opened the door for her to pass. “Can’t let you taste wine on an empty stomach, now can I?”
Kennedy walked in, and her nostrils were filled with a scent that could only be described as heaven-on-speed-with-a-double-shot-of-espresso. Her knees even gave a little wobble. “Oh, Lord, they need to bottle this smell.”
Matt chuckled. “I’m sure many have tried.”
An attractive brunette with hair in a short pixie-style haircut came out of the back room carrying a tray of cinnamon buns. “Matt!” she cried. “You’re late. But I managed to save you a couple of your favorites, only because you’re so cute.” She held up a white paper bag and dangled it out in front of her. “It wasn’t easy, either. Mr. Jenkins almost had a hissy fit right in the middle of the seven o’clock slam until I gave him a slice of crumb cake on the house.”
“Patty, you are a goddess among bakers,” he told her, taking the bag and peeking into it.
She waved his compliment away. “Oh, please. Tell me something I don’t know. But send me a bottle of your best cabernet, and then we can call it even. Maybe.”
“Anything for you.”
The brunette blushed then looked past Matt’s shoulder and smiled. “Hi,” she said to Kennedy. “May I help you?”
Matt shook his head. “Actually, she’s with me.”
Patty raised her eyebrows. “Why, Matt Ellis, did you actually bring a date to my bakery? I’m not sure if I’m flattered for myself or offended for her.”
“Oh, no, we’re not together,” Kennedy blurted. “He’s… We’re just here…together.”
“What Kennedy means to say is she’s Justin’s fiancée.”
Patty gaped. “Holy snickerdoodles! Justin is getting married?” She came around the counter and wrapped her arms around Kennedy like a boa constrictor. “It’s so nice to meet you. Why am I just hearing about this now? Ohmygosh, and why was I not invited to the party?”
Matt rolled his eyes. “Calm down, Patty. There was no party. In fact, Justin kind of sprung it on us only recently.”
Kennedy tried to brush off the disappointment she felt at Justin not telling his family and friends about their engagement sooner. After all, with his work schedule, it was probably very hard to find the time to make a big announcement and do it properly. But still, a little party might have been nice…
“Do you know Justin well?” Kennedy asked.
“We all went to high school together, although he was a freshman when Matt and I were seniors. Those were the best times. Remember graduation night, Matt?” Patty gave Matt an appreciative wink, and Kennedy had to wonder if they were an item back then.
“Yeah, yeah, I remember,” he murmured. Matt scowled and pulled a ten out of his wallet then set it on the counter. “This is for the pastries and two coffees. Keep the rest. See ya around.” He quickly turned away and headed for the coffee bar.
Kennedy smiled at Patty. “It was nice to meet you. Maybe we’ll see each other again while I’m in town.”
“Hope so. And bring that fiancé of yours. I haven’t seen Justin in years.”
“I will. Thanks.”
Kennedy scanned the room. Matt had found a table in the corner of the shop and already poured a coffee for her as well. His abrupt departure from Patty’s conversation was strange—even by Matt’s standards. She walked over to him, noting a shift in Matt’s mood—the hunched shoulders and brooding Heathcliff-like stare into his coffee. Unfortunately, he wore “tortured hero” almost as well as the construction-worker look.
As soon as she sat down, Matt wanted her to try her croissant. He hadn’t said anything in words, mind you—merely pointed and grunted—but she was beginning to understand his caveman-like tendencies the more time she spent in his presence.
She bit into it and almost swooned from sheer pleasure. The croissant was buttery with just the right amount of sweet. The chocolate center was still slightly warm and melted. Patty—bless her heart—really was a bakery goddess. Kennedy hesitated before swallowing, unwilling to let the flavor leave her tongue quite yet. How could Justin not love this?
Still savoring the taste, she added cream to her coffee then picked up a sugar packet. Matt still hadn’t said a word, looking deep in thought. Curiosity got the better of her.
She cleared her throat, flicking an imaginary speck of lint from her wool coat. “So… Patty seems nice.”
“Yup.” He took a long sip of his coffee.
“She seems to like you.”
“Patty likes all her regular customers.”
“Maybe. But there might be something more to it than that. Did you guys ever date in high school?”
He finally glanced up, a faint twinkle in the depths of his gray eyes. “Are you matchmaking, Kennedy?”
Ha! She wished she were matchmaking. And she totally should have been. It was her business to help people find true happiness—especially her single future brother-in-law. Instead, she was just part curious and part feeling something else altogether ridiculous—like a tinge of jealousy. Or possibly hyperglycemia from scarfing down her chocolate croissant.
She shrugged. “I can’t help it,” she lied. “It’s my calling.”
“Well, there’s a slight flaw in your efforts, and that would be her husband.”
“Oh.” Patty was married. She sat back and took a breath. That was nice. She was beginning to like her more and more.
“Look, if you want to know something, why don’t you just come right out and ask?” he told her.
She blushed at the fact that he could read her motives so easily. Justin wasn’t nearly so observant. “Well, you looked kind of upset when Patty mentioned graduation night. I thought maybe—I don’t now—there might have been something that had gone on between you two.”
He sighed. “No. She’s just remembering the fun we all had that night celebrating. And it was a lot of fun. I also met my future fiancée that night.”
“You did? How?”
“Samantha and Patty are cousins. Sam came down from Peabody for Patty’s graduation. We just clicked, you know? Even found out we were going to the same college in Boston. We were together the whole four years, so when we were seniors, we got engaged.”
She bit her lip. “Can I ask what happened?”
“Yeah, my dad died. And my mom needed me. Had a job with Anchor Capital Investments all lined up and everything, but I had to leave it behind and come back home to help my mom run the winery. It would have absolutely killed her to have us sell and lose that part of my dad, too. Samantha didn’t quite understand that at first, or maybe she hoped it was only going to be temporary, but either way, she didn’t want to give up her job in the city to be with me. In the end, we just couldn’t make it work.”
Kennedy sat back as she considered this. Maybe Matt wasn’t the overgrown child she thought he was, but merely a person who didn’t have the time to worry about his own wants when he was taking care of his family’s needs first.
“Where was Justin throughout all this?” she asked.
“Just got accepted to Fordham University. At the time it was probably good for him to be away, while Mom and I tried to figure out what we were doing with the winery.”
She reached for his hand. “I’m really sorry about your dad and that things didn’t work out with your engagement.”
“Yeah, I was sorry, too. It was hard to realize the person you fell in love with wasn’t the same person anymore. But I’m sure it would have been much worse if Sam and I found that out after we had already gotten married.”
Kennedy listened with rising dismay. She knew full well what he was talking about, having lived through her mother’s various broken marriages. Her mom always let her feelings rule over her head. If Kennedy had learned one thing from her mom, it was that feelings
were fickle, and based on Kennedy’s prior relationships before Justin, she had been headed on a path that mirrored her mother’s.
Well, that wasn’t going to happen. Thank goodness for her matchmaking software. Kennedy would never end up like her mom—with various heartbreaks and ultimately alone. No. Kennedy would go into a relationship with more scrutiny and care, weighing everything in her mind just so. It had to be perfect and orderly. Maybe she didn’t trust her own instincts in finding her soul mate, but she had the utmost confidence in her company to help guide her. Justin was the man for her.
She was almost sure of it.
Kennedy cocked her head. “Did you ever have doubts about Samantha before you proposed? Doubts about getting married?”
“No.”
She let out a deep, pent-up breath. That was sort of good to know. Maybe the few doubts she had about Justin were just her being thoughtful and extra cautious. A trait she was sure Justin appreciated about her.
“However…”
Her spirits began to sink. “However, what?” she asked.
“There was one person who did try to talk me out of marrying Sam.” He paused. “Justin.”
She blinked. “He did?”
“Yeah, but I figured, what did he know about relationships? He was only in his first year of college and had the most superficial taste in girls. Uh, no offense.”
“None taken.”
“Anyway, if I was a little hard on you before, it may have something to do with that. I kind of owe him. Plus, I don’t want him to make the same mistake I did.”
She straightened in her seat and met his gaze directly. “He won’t.”
Matt’s gaze fell onto her hand, which was still on top of his, and a vaguely sensuous moment passed between them. Her face on fire, she pulled her hand away and dropped it onto her lap.
“Good,” he said briskly. He stood and tossed his empty coffee cup in the trashcan with more effort than was needed. “If you’re sure about Justin, then I’m sure.”
She nodded. But something was off. She couldn’t quite describe what. Matt’s assurance about her and Justin being together should have brought her comfort, but for some reason his words felt more like a slap in the face.
Chapter Six
“These wines have all finished fermenting,” Matt explained as he led her down the steps into the wine cellar. “And last month we bottled several wines from the 2015 vintage.”
Kennedy couldn’t see his face but could hear the animation in his voice as he talked about what was essentially his father’s legacy. She understood how he felt; it mirrored her own pride whenever she talked about Match Made Easy.
There was a sink in the far corner of the room. Matt went over to it and picked up what looked like a baster and began rinsing it out. After he dried it, he turned around, holding it in the air. “This is by far my favorite thing to do.”
“Cook a turkey?” she asked with a cheeky grin.
He chuckled. “No, taste wine. Wines evolve daily, so I love to see what’s going on first thing in the morning with them. It sets the tone for my day.” Walking over to one of the large barrels, he popped off the top cork and inserted the baster into the hole. He then removed it and squeezed a small sample into each of their wine glasses.
He held up his glass and swirled the wine around in it. Matt looked so serious and intent, she had a hard time coming to terms with this side of him. He generally appeared lackadaisical to her in his attitude as well as his dress.
“What are we about to taste?” she asked.
“Pinot noir.”
“Oooh, that’s my favorite.”
He grinned. “Mine too. It’s actually one of the hardest varieties to make and really do it well. Maybe that’s what puts it ahead of the other grapes for me. I like a challenge.”
There was a gleam in his eye as he said the word challenge. Or maybe it was her imagination. Either way, standing so close to him, her senses began to swim, and she had to look away to keep her stupid body’s response in check.
He’s going to be family, she reminded herself firmly. “Um, so what’s Justin’s favorite wine?”
Matt cocked an eyebrow. “Isn’t that something you should already know about your future husband?”
Ohmygosh. He was right. Why didn’t she know that about Justin?
Her stomach clenched. “I—well, he— “
“Relax, Kennedy. I wasn’t trying to put you on the spot. As far as I remember, Justin always loved bold cabernets. But tastes change. You’ll have to find out before your wedding so we can make sure we can supply enough. After all, it wouldn’t be a wedding without Ellis Estates wine, right?”
She let out a relieved smile. “Right. I’ll be sure to find out.” She raised her glass to her lips, but Matt placed a hand on her arm, stopping her from tasting it.
“Wait,” he urged. “You’re missing the epiphany.”
“I’m missing the wine in my mouth.”
He sighed. “There’s a whole process to enjoying wine. For example, look at the color. What do you see?”
To pacify him, she held the glass up to the light. “I definitely see red.”
“All right, smart ass, I can see my tutoring efforts are going out the window with you. Just go ahead and taste it.”
“Finally.” Grinning, she took a delicate mouthful. “Oh, Matt, it’s delicious.”
He shared her smile. “It is. Normally, I’d spit it out, but it’s just too good. This one is going to be big.” Matt set his glass down and re-plugged the barrel, looking pleased with himself.
“Seems like you really enjoy your job.”
“I do. Now. It took a while. When I was younger, I rebelled and was a total beer guy. Funny how things work out, though. I never in a million years planned on taking over the winery. Thought it was going to be my parents’ thing but now, I can’t really see myself being anywhere else or even doing Justin’s job.”
Kennedy couldn’t see Matt doing anything else, either. Not that she thought it was such a bad thing. Matt had his family close by and everyone in town knew him and his wines. There was a certain simplicity and familiarity to living and working in a small town that had Kennedy even a bit envious. Growing up, she’d never stayed in one town long enough to develop that kind of routine. Things were definitely going to change for the better once she married Justin. They’d buy a house in the suburbs of Boston, have a family, grow some roots. Everything would be perfect. Just like she always wanted.
Matt motioned to the stairs with his chin. “Come on. I’ll show you the tasting room.”
Kennedy followed him back up the steps. The tasting room had a long bar with a granite top. Dark leather barstools were evenly spread along the length of it. Wood built-ins with various bottle of wines outlined the wall behind the bar. On the left side of the room, a stone fireplace took up the entire wall where the fire was lit and crackling. A huge wreath hung above the mantel and a large Christmas tree decorated with garland made of cork. The room was elegant yet homey at the same time.
“Oh, this is lovely,” Kennedy remarked, checking out the view of the vineyard from the glass wall behind them. “I can totally see events being held here.”
“Well, that is part of the future plan. Right now I’m working some things out with the Chamber of Commerce and seeing if we can plan festivities to bring tourists into town all year long and not just the summer.”
Kennedy’s mind began to buzz with an idea that could potentially help both of them. “I’d love to hold a few mixers here for Match Made Easy. We have clientele all over the state and some might be interested in coming here to meet potential dates, and then make a weekend getaway out of it.”
He held up a hand. “Wait. You want to hold your little matchmaking cotillions here?”
She planted a hand on her hip. “They’re cocktail parties. I constantly have to think of innovative ways to keep my company fresh, too, you know. In fact, I already have some competition on my heels.”
>
“Wow, there’s a bigger market of lonely unmarried cat ladies than I originally thought.”
She punched him in the arm. “I’m serious. I can even see an acoustic guitar player being in the corner there. Honestly, what do you think about us working together on this?”
“Hmm…” He scratched his chin. “You mean like a partnership?”
“Well, yes. If you can stand having to deal with me more often. I know you haven’t exactly been waiting to sign up as the president of my fan club.”
He sighed. “That’s not true, Kennedy. You’re not half bad. In fact, I guess you’re okay, sort of, maybe.”
“I’ll try not to let that go to my head,” she said dryly, making him laugh.
An older man bundled up in winter layers came in and smiled. “Oh, Matt, I wasn’t expecting to see you here. I figured you’d be out in the vineyard pruning.”
Matt walked over and shook the man’s hand. “I’m a little behind schedule. Jim, this is Kennedy Pepperdine. I’ve been giving her the grand tour of Ellis Estates.”
“Nice to meet you,” Jim said, taking off his hat.
“Jim runs our tasting room here in the winter months during the afternoon. He also helps me wash and clean some of the equipment in the cellar, which is always a process. He knew my dad back in the day.”
Jim nodded. “I did. He was a fine man, and I can tell you, miss, that Matt here is just as fine a man. You can’t do better.”
Kennedy flinched. “Oh, no. Matt and I aren’t dating… No, in fact, I’m engaged to Matt’s brother, Justin.”
Jim sized her up with a quick drop of a glance then exchanged an odd look with Matt. “Ah, I see. Well, congrats.” He rubbed his hands together briskly then began to unbutton his coat. “Well, I’d better get a move on. Don’t want the boss to get sore.” He winked. “Good meeting you, miss.”
“See ya, Jim.” Matt took hold of Kennedy’s arm and ushered her out the front door.
The bitter cold air hit her in the face like a snowball, and she reached for the hat she’d slipped into her coat pocket. “What was that look Jim gave you when I mentioned being Justin’s fiancée?”
Wrong Brother, Right Match (Anyone but You #3) Page 6