Chapter 22
Chapter Twenty-Two
Juliet
I'd been puttering about in the kitchen garden for about thirty minutes when my phone started pinging with notifications.
Pushing to my feet, I dusted the dirt from my knees and grabbed the phone from where it sat on the low stone wall.
As I read through the various messages, I slowly sank back onto the wall.
Nate emerged through the back door of the kitchen a few minutes later. He came and sat beside me.
"Have you seen all this?" I asked, referring to the breaking news articles about Garrett Kane's transgressions.
"I have," Nate confirmed. "I just got off the phone with Scott. The FBI took Kane into custody early this morning."
"The FBI, not the police?"
Nate shook his head. "His crimes crossed state lines. There might even be an international aspect to it. He's being investigated for insider trading, fraud, and who knows what else, as well as for what he did to all those women."
Relief flooded my veins. "Things could have been so much worse for me. If I hadn't come to you that night… ugh, I shudder to think where I'd be now."
"Don't think about it." Nate picked up a sprig of the rosemary I'd been cutting and rolled it between his fingers.
"That's easier said than done," I grumbled. "But I'll try."
My phone buzzed again. I turned it over.
"It's my mother." Deciding I didn't want to deal with her right now, I rejected the call.
I could guess what she'd say anyway—that she hadn't realized just how bad Garrett was, even though I'd tried to tell her a hundred times.
She would apologize, and I'd tell her it was fine so we could move on. That would keep until tomorrow.
"Your mother is taken care of," Nate said. "Scott dealt with the photographs last night. She's got nothing to worry about."
"How?"
"I prefer not to ask Scott what his methods are."
Doing his job as well as he did, I was sure Scott skirted around legalities on a frequent basis, and I guessed I was better off not knowing how he dealt with issues
"Thank him for me, when you talk to him next."
"I will." Nate stood and held his hand out to me. "Walk with me."
I glanced at my hands, covered in dirt from digging in the herb garden.
"I'm all dirty."
Nate rolled his eyes. "I'll cope."
Taking his hand, I let him lead me down the slope toward the vines. The path was dry and uneven under my boots. Nate walked at a slower pace than usual, enjoying our surroundings.
The winery was busy when we reached it. Two of the full-time crews were moving barrels in the yard while others loaded boxes onto a truck.
Ramon appeared from inside, wiping his hands on a cloth.
"Heard the news about Kane," he said without preamble. He really didn't do small talk.
"Good news travels fast," Nate said.
Ramon tucked the cloth into his belt. One of the crew called something from inside, and he half turned to yell something in Spanish that sounded like a curse.
"Does this mean there'll be no more strangers hanging around?" Ramon asked.
"Hopefully," Nate replied, "but Juliet's presence here might attract the occasional photographer."
Ramon looked at me. "So you're staying?"
"Yes. Eileen and I will be going full steam ahead with our supper club, so I'm relying on you to recommend the best wines to pair with the food."
"I can do that."
"Why don't you come for dinner tonight?" I suggested. "I'll be doing a brisket, slow cooked."
Ramon nodded. "There's a reserve cabernet I could bring."
"Perfect."
As he walked away, Nate looked at me with a questioning expression. "You sure you want to cook tonight?"
"Yes, I do. I know there's a long way to go before Garrett gets what he deserves, but the ball is rolling now, and I want to celebrate with the people I love."
Nate raised his eyebrows. "You love Ramon?"
"Well I'm very fond of him, and he's practically family. And he'd be good company for Eileen."
"You're trying to set him up with Eileen?"
"Maybe not for anything romantic," I said as we started back up the path toward the house. "But she's alone out here, and he works such long hours I'm starting to doubt he has a home to go to."
Nate considered that for a moment. "You're right."
"I always am," I said, raising myself up on my tiptoes. "That's something you've still to learn about me."
Nate laughed. When we reached the kitchen, I let go of his hand and shooed him away.
"Go make yourself useful somewhere else. I have dinner to prepare."
Nate raised his hands in mock surrender and left me to it.
As I chopped onions and carrots, I felt a sense of peace washing over me.
I put the brisket in the pot along with some vegetables, a generous pour of a nice red wine, and a carton of beef stock.
Then I turned my attention to making a dessert.
I considered several options before deciding on a lemon mousse that would provide a lighter finish after the heaviness of the main course.
When it was almost six o'clock, I hurried upstairs to change into my red floral dress. I was going to have to buy more clothes soon, so hopefully the first supper club would be a success.
I met Eileen in the hallway as she emerged from her bedroom. She wore her usual jeans, but her top was a more feminine style than I'd seen her in. It seemed Nate had told her we had a guest coming for dinner.
Ramon arrived promptly at six with the bottle of the reserve cabernet he'd promised. It complemented the beef perfectly, but Ramon looked doubtful as he sipped the wine.
"Another six months in the barrel and it would have been perfect," he grumbled.
"It's perfect now," Eileen said. He didn't argue.
After dinner, Ramon and Eileen took their wine to the porch. Through the window, I could see them settled in the Adirondack chairs, Eileen with her feet tucked under her, Ramon leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. He looked as if he was imparting his wisdom on her.
I started stacking plates. Nate came and stood beside me at the counter, and for a while we worked quietly together, clearing the table, putting things away, moving around each other as if we'd choreographed every step.
"I've been thinking about my father," Nate said out of the blue.
"What about him?"
"I'm going to go to see him. Not yet. Around Christmas, maybe."
"That's a good idea. Would you want me to go with you?"
He was quiet for a moment. "Yes," he said. "I think I would."
I slipped my hand into his. He closed his fingers around mine, and we stood there until Ramon's voice drifted in from the porch, saying something about hens that made Eileen laugh out loud.
Nate's grip on my hand tightened, and I laid my head on his shoulder.
We stayed like that for a moment, and then we went out to join them.