Chapter 4 #3
Riley snapped her gaze back to Bryson. “What? Grant blamed you? Why?”
“He’s upset that your father died on our vineyard.
He snapped at me because he didn’t like your father doing what he thought of as manual labor.
” Bryson gave her what she suspected was meant to be a reassuring smile, but it fell flat, especially since Bryson and Grant hadn’t ever really been friends.
“But it happened on our property. I’m the one who found him and couldn’t save him. ”
“Still, my brother shouldn’t have said that.” Riley lifted her mug but only stared at the liquid.
Bryson shrugged. “Your brother and I have always had our issues, and that’s no secret.”
“I overheard some ladies gossiping in the lobby of the hotel. They mentioned the police came out here. Is that because of what Grant said?”
“Sandy Kane, you might remember her from school. She’s the police chief. She came out here late yesterday, asked a few questions, walked the property,” Walter said.
“Sandy’s a cop?” Wow. Not that it was that far of a stretch. She had a weird obsession with true crime shows throughout high school.
“She went to the academy right after college. Worked her way up the ranks and became chief last year,” Bryson said.
“She wanted to speak to me. Get a picture of what happened. It’s standard procedure when someone dies alone.
I don’t think it had anything to do with Grant’s remark in the heat of the moment. ”
“So strange for you to be giving my brother so much grace.”
“We co-exist well enough in this town and considering the circumstances, I can be empathetic,” Bryson said. “And when I ran into the ME yesterday, I asked some questions.”
“What?” Riley glared. “Why would you speak to Doctor Gavin?” Stone Bridge was a small town in the Napa Valley area. Everyone knew everyone, and worse, they knew each other’s business.
Bryson grimaced. “I was picking up a prescription for my mom yesterday, and I ran into him. I thought I might be able to get some information for you. But he wouldn’t say a thing except for a long lecture on patient confidentiality.”
“You shouldn’t have said anything at all,” Riley said.
“I agree with her on that one,” his mother said before lifting her coffee mug to her lips.
“I didn’t mean to overstep. I was only trying to help,” Bryson said. “Or at least understand the situation.”
“Well, that wasn’t for you to do.” Riley pursed her lips, stood, and brushed off her jeans.
Her dad had always said when it was his time, he wanted to go peacefully, and it sounded like he’d gotten his wish.
Who was she to go demanding someone cut open his body when no one questioned the reason for his death, other than the untimeliness of it?
“Thank you for breakfast. All of you. I should head out. My family is gathering at my mother’s place, and they’re expecting me. ”
Brea stepped forward and gave her one more hug. “Don’t be a stranger. Byson told us you insisted on staying at Stone Bridge Inn. Just remember, if the walls there seem too tight, or you just get lonely, you can stay in the guesthouse. Or we have plenty of bedrooms here. You’re always welcome.”
Walter nodded in agreement. “We’re here if you need anything.”
“Thanks.” She hesitated again. “For… everything. This meant more than I expected.”
“I’ll walk you out.” Bryson stood and grabbed a set of keys from the hook by the door.
“I parked the truck in the side yard. It’s a little dusty, but it will get you where you need to go, and it’s got a full tank.
” He took her by the elbow and guided her through the house, out the door, and down the porch steps.
“Can I ask you a question?”
“Of course.”
They rounded the corner of the house. On the access road leading toward the vineyard sat a pick-up truck with the words: Stone Bridge Winery displayed proudly on the side.
Wonderful. The entire town would see her coming and make a judgment about her and her connection to the Boones.
But she couldn’t really complain. Money was tight.
More than tight. She’d always lived paycheck to paycheck, and she’d been fine with that, but the airfare alone to get home had put her back, and renting a car would’ve made it impossible to get to wherever she was going next.
Now all she had to do was decide if she wanted to call the ME herself and see if she could push the issue—and time was running out.
Part of her needed to know if there was something more to her father’s death, something that might explain why he’d seemed so tired lately.
But another part of her was terrified of what they might find—or worse, what they might not find, leaving her with nothing but more questions and guilt.
“Do you think if I asked the ME to do an autopsy, even against the rest of my family’s wishes, he’d do it?
” she asked. “I mean, there doesn’t seem to be a reason to press it, and I don’t need to cause more waves with my family, but I feel like if I don’t know what my dad died of, I'll always wonder.”
“All I can say is, if it were my dad, I’d be begging for one,” Bryson said.
“As far as your family goes, I honestly believe Grant and Erin were simply trying to be respectful of your dad. I bet if you spoke with them, they’d hear you.
” He rubbed his jaw, much like the day Grant had punched him in the chin back in high school.
As if he were afraid it was about to happen again any second.
“You don’t sound very convincing.”
“One thing I know about Grant and Erin is they’re fiercely loyal to your mom. And Elizabeth, well, she can run hot and cold with your dad.”
“What is—”
“Can I finish please?” Byson asked.
“Sure.”
“The last five years or so, your mom’s been different when it comes to Sean, and that’s weird all by itself.”
“I need you to explain that.”
“I’m only guessing, because I try to spend as little time as possible with your mom. But your dad was in his glory working in the tasting room. Locals came in just to hear him talk about the good old days when he and my grandfather planted the first block.”
“That would get under my mother’s skin.” Riley could picture her mother’s face, tight with disapproval. “But not enough for her to change her tune about my dad.”
“I’m not saying she did. I’m just saying she didn’t consistently badmouth him.
” Bryson reached out and tucked some hair behind Riley’s ear.
“I can see the pain in your eyes, Ry. I can feel the uncertainty radiating off your skin, and it’s not just about being back in Stone Bridge.
He was your dad. You loved him. You want to know what happened, and I know you and your relationship with the truth. ”
“It’s been twelve years. You don’t know anything about me anymore.”
“It has been a long time.” He took her hand and pressed it against his chest. “But, history doesn’t simply disappear.”
She shifted her gaze between their hands and his eyes, before dropping her arm to her side and letting out a long, slow breath.
“You’re right. It doesn’t. But I don’t want to make things harder with my family.
And making that call to the ME won’t help.
It’ll bring up every wrong, every mistake, I’ve ever made and slap it right across my family’s face. ”
“I can’t believe I’m going to say this, but Grant isn’t the worst person in the world. He’s gotten… softer. His wife is an amazing woman. Talk to him. What’s the worst that can happen?”
She snorted. “Maybe things are that way for you, but our conversations derail pretty quickly and can get ugly.”
“Your brother might surprise you.”
She glanced toward the sky. “Oftentimes, conversations with Grant start out fine and end in a brawl. Same with Erin. It’s like we don’t know how to let go of the hurt. All the horrible things we’ve said and done. It’s all right there like bubbles at the surface of boiling water.”
“We had some issues, and look at us?”
“We’re not family, and give it time, I’ll find a reason to be mad at you.” She gave him a weak smile. Her attempt at humor had fallen flat. He didn’t even crack a grin.
“Do you want me to come with you today?”
“God, no. That would just add fuel to a fire I don’t need burning wildly out of control. I’m not that same eighteen-year-old kid who tended to shoot off her mouth on a whim. I’ve got this.”
“I’m sure you do.” Bryson pulled open the driver’s side door. “Promise me something?”
“What’s that?”
“Call me after you meet with your family.” He leaned in and kissed her cheek. “I just need to know you’re okay.”
“I can do that.” She climbed behind the steering wheel and burst out laughing.
“What?”
“I can’t reach the pedals.” She adjusted the seat. “I remember running with you in the mornings and yelling, ‘Wait for me, I’ve got little legs.’”
“Only during sprints. You always beat me to the top of a mountain, or anything over three miles.” He smiled, then looked away for a moment, before meeting her gaze again.
“Listen. I can’t imagine how hard this is for you, but I was there through all the bullshit with Grant and Erin.
The jealousy. The fights. How they treated you when you chose to live with your dad. ”
He stepped closer, his voice becoming more earnest. “And I know how they are now. They still aren’t making things easy for you, while you’re bending over backward to please them.
” He let out a long breath. “Just protect yourself… emotionally. I know how resilient you are, but it doesn’t change the fact that they know exactly how to hurt you. ” He closed the door.
Drawing a shuddering breath, she stuck the key in the ignition and turned it.
His words hit deeper than she expected. He’d always been able to see through her defenses.
The tough exterior she’d perfected over the years meant nothing when Bryson looked at her like that—like he could see every vulnerable spot she thought she’d armored over.
She caught Bryson’s eye in the rearview as he waved. The space between them crowded with everything that hadn’t been said. But this morning—this moment—wasn’t about the past.
It was about the questions beginning to root inside her… that had nothing to do with her family.
All the what-ifs regarding her life choices. The ones she’d never allowed herself to ponder because they hurt too damn much. It meant admitting she’d been wrong.