by Jen Talty
“I’m probably going to hate myself for asking, but why was that so important to her?”
“It was a status thing. She grew up dirt-poor on the outskirts of town. She thought if she was with someone who had a solid family business, someone who had a little bit of money and could give her respect in the community, it would get her what she wanted.”
“Where is she now?”
“She ended up marrying a politician and is our local congressman’s wife.”
“That’s a tough life. I think I’d feel like I was constantly on display.”
“That’s exactly what she wanted. Only she just recently had an affair, and the news posted a picture of her with some guy. They can’t identify him since his face is covered, but she’s not denying it.”
“That’s a shitty thing to do.” She twisted her body to the side and set her feet on the floor. “I’ll just get some coffee. It will only take me—”
Knock. Knock.
“Shit. They’re here.” He jumped to his feet and did a little dance, looking for his jeans. He hiked them up while she scrambled to find her clothes. “You’d better hurry. Merlot isn’t a very patient man, and everyone in this family has a key.”
“That really sucks. I think I’m going to change the lock.” She pulled a shirt over her head. “I can’t do this without coffee. Why the hell did they come over so early?”
“I suspect it’s because they have jobs and have to be at work by eight or nine. Or maybe they know something we don’t.”
“I guess that makes sense.” She hopped on one foot and nearly fell over as she pulled up a pair of shorts. “Put some cream and sugar in my coffee while I use the bathroom. And toss a pillow and blanket on the sofa so it looks like you slept th—”
“They aren’t going to believe that for one second.” He yanked her to his chest and gave her a big, wet kiss. “Zinfandel already believes you and I should be together and all but bet me—”
“She what? I’m not sure I want to hear this.”
“You probably don’t.” Malbec laughed. “And, Merlot, well, he’ll take one look at the situation and read it correctly.”
“This isn’t making me feel any better.” She raced across the room and opened the bathroom door. “I might not come out.”
“You’d better. Or this love machine might not come out and play tonight.”
“Oh, my God. Don’t ever say that again. It’s not sexy at all, and it won’t get you laid.”
“Yeah. My baby sister was right. I’ve got no game at all.”
Her laughter continued to echo in the room even after she’d closed the door.
Time to find out what had his brother and baby sister showing up at nearly the crack of dawn.
He pulled open the door and plastered a smile on his face. “Good morning,” he said, doing his best to keep his frustration to a minimum. No reason to make his siblings his adversaries in all of this. It was hard enough dealing with Eliza Jane.
“Not really,” Merlot said.
“Ignore him. He’s been in a bad mood ever since Racheal—”
“Shut up.” Merlot glared.
“What about Racheal?” Malbec might have ended it because she’d cheated, but when he looked back on the relationship, he could see how all she cared about was what others thought about her, and that drove him nuts, especially when she complained about his mother. Racheal would talk about all the changes she’d make to the winery when his mother was no longer in charge. And those things wouldn’t be good for business, but he let her voice her opinion because Racheal just needed to feel important, and he’d thought he loved her.
So, when Malbec found out that she’d set her sights on Merlot, he lost his shit and told Merlot all about Racheal and her plans.
That conversation hadn’t gone over well, and it had driven a deeper wedge between his brother and him. Even after Racheal broke Merlot’s heart, Malbec couldn’t mend the relationship with his brother—which he so desperately wanted to do.
“She had the fucking nerve—”
“I told you to be quiet,” Merlot interrupted Zinfandel. “It’s none of your business.” He sat down on the chair next to the sofa and leaned forward, resting his chin in the palm of his hand. “It doesn’t matter anyway. I told her to fuck off.”
“She’s got you all in knots. Again.” Zinfandel tossed her purse to the floor and made her way to the chair where she placed her hand on Merlot’s shoulder and squeezed. “You should tell Malbec. He’s not going to judge you, and it’s going to come out eventually anyway.”
“It has nothing to do with the winery.”
“Oh. But it will,” Zinfandel said. “It’s going to be front-page news.”
Merlot groaned as he lowered his head. “I fucked up good.”
“What do you mean by that?” Malbec glanced over his shoulder as he heard the bathroom door creak open.
The last thing he needed right now was for them to clam up, and that’s exactly what they’d do in front of Eliza Jane.
“I can’t talk about it in mixed company,” Merlot said. “And again, right now, it has nothing to do with the family business.”
“If you’re worried about Eliza Jane, she’s in the shower. And she takes fucking forever. She uses all the hot water. It’s kind of annoying.”
The sound of water rattling through the pipes filled the room.
“We’ve got a good twenty minutes.” Malbec maneuvered around the chair and sat down on the sofa. He reached out and placed his hand over his brother’s knee. “I’m here for you. No matter what. I’ve got your back.”
Merlot tilted his head. “This is bad. Like Mom is going to yank off both my ears bad.”
Zinfandel handed Malbec her cell.
He stared at a picture of Racheal in a compromising position with a man. He’d seen the image before, but he hadn’t paid much attention to it. Bringing the phone closer, he expanded the screen, making the image larger. “What am I looking at?”
“That’s me,” Merlot said. “Racheal showed up at my apartment about a year and a half ago with bruises on her arms and stomach. She said her husband was hitting her.”
“Jesus. That’s horrible.”
Merlot inhaled and let it out with a big sigh. “I don’t believe it was true. I think she used that to try and get me into bed.”
“Did it work?” Malbec asked. “Did you sleep with her?”
“No. Actually, I didn’t,” Merlot said. “But as you can see, that picture is a little damning and suggests we might have. The worst part is that there are more pictures of us together.”
“What kind of photographs?” Malbec asked.
“Me holding her hand. Me comforting her. They are all innocent, but they could be taken out of context.”
“She still wants to ruin us,” Zinfandel said. “That’s why she set up for that picture to happen. She’s the one who sent it to the press.”
“She’s going to release the rest of the images,” Merlot said.
“Doesn’t she know this will destroy her and her husband?” Malbec ran a hand over his mouth and chin. The winery didn’t need this kind of press right now. It didn’t matter that Merlot wasn’t a full-time employee. He was a River and Weezer’s son.
Not to mention, he was a parole officer, and it would likely hurt his career.
“She hates her husband, so I don’t think she cares about that.” Merlot leaned back and folded his arms across his chest. “Mom is going to kill me. She hates Racheal.”
“That she does.” Malbec glanced at the ceiling. “But you didn’t do anything wrong.”
“Maybe not. But we don’t know how she’s going to spin this,” Merlot said, venom dripping from every syllable. “She could make me out to be some kind of predator.” He shook his head. “I can’t believe I let her manipulate me again.”
“Don’t blame yourself.” Malbec saw no point in being mad at his little brother. What was done, was done. Now, it was time to figure out how the
y could make this go away so it didn’t hurt the business. But more importantly, so it didn’t affect his brother.
“Has she hinted how she’s going to play this out? Or exactly what she wants from Merlot?” Malbec asked.
“Nope,” Zinfandel said. “And we’ve tried to get her to talk to us, but all she has to say is that payback is a bitch.”
“Payback for what?” Malbec muttered. She’d used that phrase numerous times over the years, but he wasn’t sure exactly what he’d done—other than ending the relationship—that would cause such hatred. Especially this many years later.
“When you broke up with her, she’d been telling everyone that you had bought her a ring and were just waiting for the right time to propose,” Merlot said. “She was utterly humiliated and felt betrayed by you.”
“So why not come after me directly? Why is she using you this way?” Malbec asked. The blood flowing through his veins came to a boil. He didn’t need to deal with this and the issues with how his family came to own The River Winery. If those two things came out at the same time, it would bring down his family business for sure, and then there would be nothing for him to sell.
Or come home to.
“She got over it.”
“I’ve learned that woman doesn’t get over anything. She holds grudges. And she’s got a big one against me, too.” Merlot rubbed his temples. “No one knows this but Zinfandel, Riesling, and whoever Racheal told.”
“And I only know because I had to kick his ass the other day to get it out of him.” Zinfandel plopped herself on the edge of the bed and then sprang right back to her feet. “You and Eliza Jane had sex on that bed this morning, didn’t you?”
“I wish,” he said with a laugh. “The two of you kind of ruined those plans.”
She sat on the coffee table. “I guess you’ve got more game than I gave you credit for.”
“Can we focus on something other than Malbec’s sex life?” Merlot asked.
“Sorry,” Zinfandel said. “Go ahead.”
“After Racheal and I broke up, she said she was pregnant with my kid. Shortly after that, she said she miscarried, and I didn’t bother to show up at the hospital because I didn’t believe her.”
“I wouldn’t have either.”
“She sent me the paperwork a week later with the proof,” Merlot said. “I had Riesling check to make sure it was real. Racheal was pregnant and she did lose the baby. But we don’t know if it was mine, but I plan on finding out.”
“My money is on the fact that it was someone else’s,” Zinfandel said. “Nothing that woman does is real. Besides, if it was yours, she would have been screaming it from the rooftops because that would have given her a piece of our winery. And that’s exactly what she wanted.”
Malbec waggled his finger. “That’s a really good point. I bet she knew it was someone who didn’t have money, power, or respect, and that didn’t serve her purposes.”
“How the hell did both of you fall in love with someone so heartless and cold?” Zinfandel asked.
“That is a very good question,” Malbec said. “But I think I can speak for both of us when I say that we know how to spot a snake when we see one.”
“I wish I could be so confident,” Merlot said. “My taste in women sucks.”
Malbec leaned forward and squeezed his brother’s knee. “You’ll find someone. And she won’t be a Racheal. I’m sure of it.”
“Speaking of that.” Merlot tilted his head. “I’m not trying to be a total dick here, but Eliza Jane is getting too entangled in our family business.”
“We’ll get to that in a minute.” Malbec needed to have that discussion, but he wasn’t quite done with the Racheal topic. “Zinfandel, don’t you have a reporter friend who works on Capitol Hill?”
“I do. And I’ve called Adrian. But that will only give us about five minutes before the story goes viral. We won’t have enough time to counteract it.”
Malbec rubbed the back of his neck. “We need to find out sooner than later what she’s up to, and I think I know how to do that.” Shit. This could backfire in a thousand different ways, but it could also be the most brilliant plan he’d ever had.
“How? Because there is no way in hell Racheal will talk to you,” Merlot said.
“No. But we have a secret weapon.” Malbec smiled.
“And what’s that?” Zinfandel asked.
“Eliza Jane,” Malbec said with a little too much pride.
“How so?” Zinfandel asked. “What can she do for us?”
“Corner Racheal and find out what the fuck she’s up to.” Malbec raised the phone. “She can help change the narrative because she has what Racheal has always wanted, and no one that she’s met after Merlot or me has really given her that.”
Malbec stood and strolled to the nightstand. He pulled out the two pictures.
“And what does Racheal really want?”
“The respect of the people in Candlewood Falls. Her husband isn’t well liked as a congressman. As a matter of fact, he’s going to be voted out of office next term.”
“That’s probably true,” Zinfandel said. “She’s always wanted to be the queen of Candlewood Falls.”
“In high school, when she didn’t win homecoming queen, she went ballistic,” Malbec said. “I’d never seen anyone so angry. I seriously thought about breaking up with her then, but she seemed to get over it.”
“Rumor had it she was the one who destroyed Gigi’s dress,” Merlot said. “And knowing what I know now, I wouldn’t put it past Racheal.”
“Neither would I,” Malbec said. “But if she thinks she has an ally in Eliza Jane, she might spill the beans.”
“Why would she think that?” Merlot asked.
“We have two problems we have to deal with, and I have a feeling they might collide pretty quickly.” He handed the images to Merlot. “That’s Eliza Jane’s great-grandfather. According to her, he lost The River’s Edge Winery in a poker game.”
“Jesus. That’s the exact same sign.” Merlot blinked as his gaze diverted back and forth.
Zinfandel stood behind him, and her jaw slackened. “That’s impossible. We’ve always owned this land. Our great-grandfather bought it from some guy named Elijah James, who was moving his family out west.”
Malbec sat on the corner of the bed. “What if the big secret that has been tearing this family apart for generations is that we didn’t obtain this winery fairly?”
“Losing a bet is fair,” Merlot said. “I wouldn’t do it, but lots of people do. Especially back then.”
“I agree. And if that’s how we ended up with the winery? It’s nothing to be ashamed about. But I’ve had a few heart-to-hearts with
“Are you saying our great-grandfather might have cheated or something?” Merlot asked.
“I don’t know,” Malbec said. “But don’t you think it’s time we found out once and for all?”
“If it means we can put this dark cloud that has kept you from coming home and the rest of us at arm’s length behind us, then hell yes,” Merlot said.
“All right, then. Time to bring Eliza Jane into the conversation and get this ball rolling.” Malbec took both his sibling’s hands. “If what I suspect is true, Eliza Jane deserves to have a piece of the winery. And just so you know, Mom was writing that into her contract.”
“Jesus,” Merlot whispered. “Then it must be true. She’d never give up a percentage to anyone. Hell, she was going to make Ashling’s dad sign a prenup if he ever married Riesling.”
“That’s because he’s an asshole and a deadbeat,” Malbec said. “But she wouldn’t bring that up to anyone she approved of, or loved and welcomed as part of this family. She wants all of us to be happy and find our soul mates. Just like she did with Dad.”
“Oh, shit,” Zinfandel said. “He’s got it bad.”
“I can te
ll.” Merlot finally put a smile on his face. “I have to admit, she is hot, and I do like her personality—even if I give her a hard time. And I think she’s good for Malbec.”
“I agree.”
“Oh. My. God. Just shut the fuck up,” Malbec said. “I need to take a shower, and we need to go to the library and then have a powwow with Mom and Dad.” He waved his finger. “While I’m in the bathroom, you’d better not say anything weird or embarrassing to Eliza Jane. Got it?”
“Who? Us?” Zinfandel raised her hands. “Never.”
“Wonderful,” Malbec muttered as he padded toward the bathroom. It was going to be a weird and long day.
13
Eliza Jane
Eliza Jane reluctantly took Malbec’s hand when he laced his fingers through hers as they strolled from the parking lot toward the library. “We’re really giving this town something to talk about.”
“If what I suspect is true, this town isn’t going to be talking about the day Mom ran down the street in her housecoat, combat boots, and curlers anymore.”
“You left out the loaded shotgun.”
“It wasn’t loaded,” he glanced in her direction with a big, goofy smile. “For the record.”
“I don’t know, I’ve heard stories at the salon.”
“Did you hear the one about when she chased a boy that dared try to climb into Chablis’ bedroom. It didn’t matter that Chablis had invited him and that nothing really happened.”
“What did your father do? Was he there?”
“Oh. He was, and he laughed his ass off the entire time as he handed my mom the unloaded weapon. He thought it would be more terrifying if the Weezer chased the boy through town than if he did it. And he was right.” Malbec opened the door, and the warm air hit her skin.
She hadn’t realized that the temperature had dropped outside until the heat inside coated her body. “What happened to the kid? Was Chablis mad?”
“Oh, she was pissed. She wouldn’t speak to my mom for a whole week and stayed at my dad’s. But she and that boy didn’t last much longer. Thing is, if you can’t take my family the way we are, you’re not going to last. It’s probably why we’re all still single.” He leaned over and kissed her cheek. “You seem to fit in really well.”