Chapter 21
Chapter Twenty - One
Zara
W e walked back to the farmhouse while I snuck glances at Dave carrying Nicole. Any mom of a toddler is so used to toting the baby around that she practically wears the kid like a scarf. But Dave used both arms, cradling her head with one and her butt with the other. He held himself stiffly, as if she were easily breakable .
He looked awkward but so damn cute that I could not stop peeking at them .
Just as we reached the front porch, Griffin Shipley’s truck rolled up the driveway and stopped beside Dave’s rental car .
“Expecting more company?” Dave asked in a hushed tone, taking care not to disturb Nicole .
“Um…Audrey is dropping off a little project I’m helping her with.” But she wasn’t supposed to show until later . I’d told her four o’clock, and it probably wasn’t even three. And the change of plans was almost certainly intentional .
Indeed, Audrey hopped out of the passenger seat looking gleeful. She took in Dave, the baby asleep on his shoulder, and her expression went straight to the same giddy look she wore whenever she watched puppy videos on YouTube. “Hi there,” she said, a giant smile on her face. “You must be Dave .”
“And you’re Audrey, right? I’d shake your hand, but…” He was still holding Nicole as if she were a Ming vase .
Audrey’s eyes danced. “Sorry we’re early, but Griff finished up his errands already .”
No way. The little stinker had come early on purpose. “Errands on Sunday, huh?” I asked, calling her on her bullshit. The only businesses that were open in Vermont on Sunday were restaurants and hotels .
“Busy, busy!” she said, unrepentant. “Nice dress, girly. Now where should we unload these?” She jerked a thumb toward the tailgate, where the cider bottles would be stacked .
Griff got out of the truck, pocketing the keys. He gave me a wave, but his eyes were trained on Dave. And he wore one of his Grumpy Griff frowns. If I wasn’t mistaken, it was even ornerier than usual .
Lovely. Just what I needed in my life—one more oddly territorial man .
Wordlessly, Griff began pulling wooden wine crates out of the back of his truck. He carried the first two up onto the porch. When his hands were free, he came down to meet me. “Hey, Zara!” He kissed my cheek. “Thanks for taking care of this for us .”
“It’ll be my pleasure.” I’d assigned myself the task of handling their wedding favors because Audrey seemed a little strung out. The wedding was only six days away .
But first, I needed to rescue Dave. “Why don’t I lay her down, now? I’ll take her inside and put her in the Pack- n - Play .”
“The…?” He gave me a quizzical look .
“Portable crib. Here.” I reached for Nicole and took her warm, sleepy body from him. “Back in a jif .”
I was inside the house for all of sixty seconds. But that was long enough, apparently, for Audrey to do her damage. When I came back out onto the porch, Dave was holding a wedding invitation in his hand .
“We’re having barbecue and swing dancing!” she bubbled. “You should totally come !”
“Sounds amazing,” he said, because what else do you say to a bride who’s invited you to her wedding? He tucked the invitation into his pocket .
Meanwhile, Griff leaned against the truck, arms crossed, trying to kill Dave with Jedi mind tricks .
“So let’s unload some cider,” I said, shooing Audrey off the steps. The faster I could get rid of those two, the better .
“I’ll help,” Dave said lightly .
We all pulled crates off the truck, and when they were stacked onto my uncles’ porch, Audrey handed me a file folder full of labels and several spools of ribbon. “So, you’re basically going to …”
“Stick on the labels and tie a bow onto the neck of the bottle,” I said quickly. “ Got it .”
She narrowed her eyes. “Are you trying to get rid of us ?”
“Never,” I lied, and she grinned .
“Good. Because I thought we could get started on this project right now .”
“Right now?” I hedged .
“Great idea,” Griff said, slamming the tailgate of his truck back into place. “I’m ready to stick on a few labels. Let’s do this.” He came up the porch steps and thrust a hand out to Dave, the gesture as friendly as if he were brandishing a knife. “I’m Griffin Shipley. Nice to meet you .”
Dave shook his hand, looking amused. “Sure. I remember you .”
“From where ?”
“The Mountain Goat.” Dave’s smile widened .
But Griff’s frown only deepened. He hadn’t been expecting that. And he didn’t seem to like it at all .
Awesome. Nothing better on a summer Sunday than watching your two ex-lovers stare each other down. And for what? I’d always assumed that men would save their macho bullshit for women they were actually interested in .
“Guys,” I said. “Who wants a glass of perry? I was just going to pour Dave his first taste .”
“He’s a perry virgin?” Griff yelped, and even Audrey rolled her eyes .
“Sit,” I ordered. I slapped the folder of labels against Griff’s chest. “Make yourself useful .”
* * *
F ive minutes later, four so-called grownups were seated on the porch, sipping glasses of Uncle Otto’s perry .
“The taste is amazing,” Dave said. “It really reminds me of apple cider .”
Griffin made an exaggerated choking sound. “It does not taste like apples. Jesus . Perry has a much lighter mouthfeel and the color is completely different .”
Dave blinked. “Right. How could I have been so blind ?”
Audrey smirked, and Griff scowled .
Poor Dave. The truth was that pear cider tasted shockingly like its apple cousin, having much of the same tang. But a snob like Griffin could go on until a week from Tuesday about subtle differences in tannins and acidity .
Audrey met my gaze. She was obviously restraining a giggle .
“Pears have distinct tannins and a higher sugar content than apples,” Griff went on. “The fermentation process happens at a completely different rate .”
“Okay. Just going out on a limb here,” Dave said drily. “But are you involved in cider- making ?”
I couldn’t hold in my laughter anymore, and Audrey joined me .
“As a matter of fact, I am,” Griff grumbled .