Chapter 1 #2
I’d make myself crazy thinking about all the ways my plans had come to a crashing halt.
So instead, I’d drink myself crazy. The one plus about having alcohol-related businesses in the family tree was I never went without a supply.
Striding to the kitchen, I reached into a cabinet for a glass.
One healthy splash of whiskey later, I brought the tumbler to my lips and leaned against the counter.
“I knew it,” I mumbled to the empty apartment as I paced the length of the kitchen.
If Logan were smart, he’d stay away and let me stew privately for a while.
“I knew they would be a tough sell, but really?” I talked to myself a lot.
I mean a lot. Sometimes it was the best conversation I had in a day.
Definitely the case right now.
How could no one even see my point? Even realize a little of all we were losing out on by not joining forces and making Henley Falls and our property a destination. I know the idea was daunting. “I’m not a fucking idiot.”
Apparently, my family thought so, however.
My phone buzzed from its place by the door.
I should have known my family wouldn’t leave me alone for long.
I glared at it, but the noises kept coming.
“Ever.” The woman could not send all her thoughts in a single text.
Oh no. A steady stream would pour in before she got everything in her mind onto the screen.
It was one of my bestie’s more annoying quirks.
Crossing the space, I picked it up, using my face to unlock the screen.
Ever
You okay?
You were gone by the time I got outside.
That went even worse than I expected.
They were harsh.
And you’re not too much.
The idea is not too much either.
Okay, maybe it is.
Don’t worry though.
I’ll come up with a plan to help.
“Shit.” Ever’s plans either crashed spectacularly or went so far off the rails before turning out okay I often wondered if she had some sort of sadistic streak in her.
BTW…expect a knock.
As if on cue, a knock sounded on the door. I was really in no mood to speak to anyone in my family after what had just happened.
“Reese, please open the door,” Aunt Martha’s soft voice carried through the door.
“Shit,” I whispered to myself, knowing there was no way I’d be able to say no to her.
If it had been anyone else, I would have easily pretended I was in the shower, but not her.
She was the closest I could come to Gramps right now.
Grabbing the knob, I pulled the door inward, smiling at the diminutive woman standing on my doorstep.
It was easy to see where in the family tree I got my height, or lack thereof, from.
She was one of the few people in the family who I could look directly in the eye without tilting my head.
“You didn’t have to come over. I’m okay.” Stepping back, I let her enter.
I wasn’t, not by a long shot, but I wouldn’t let that on.
I’d thought about going to her first, before approaching everyone else, including my cousins.
She probably would have told me what a dumbass idea it was in the first place and saved me a ton of embarrassment and disappointment.
Now my cousins were probably pissed I’d failed and the parentals were likely ready to disown me.
Sometimes I felt like all I could do well was fail at something.
Aunt Martha stopped dead in front of me.
Her intense stare saw right through the front I attempted to pull around me.
Her hand came up, cupping my cheek the way Gramps used to.
“Oh no, you don’t. Don’t go all, ‘Oh, it’s okay,’ on me.
I know it’s not.” She leaned in, brushing a kiss on my cheek before strolling over to the couch and taking a seat.
“Wine?” I asked, and at her nod, moved back into the kitchen to pour her a glass.
“You know, you’re a lot like your grandmother.
” She looked over her shoulder at me before turning toward the photo I had of my grandparents on the small table next to the sofa.
“Betty came into Henley Falls like a tornado. Swept my brother right off his feet, and they never once looked back. He always said you reminded him of her.”
I’d heard that a lot, both the story and the comparison.
“Except I’m not sweeping any man, anywhere.” Unless it was right out of my life, given my track record.
“There’s time for that, though this feat you’re hoping to undertake may make that hard for a while. It’s daunting.”
She wasn’t wrong about anything. All of my boyfriends had always felt as if they had taken a backseat to my family, but I couldn’t blame them.
Family would be here long after they disappeared or broke my heart.
Not that I went into a relationship thinking that way, but inevitably it was how I felt.
It was weird to think of myself as too much and not enough all at the same time, but maybe that was my lot in life.
Too much to handle, but not enough for anyone to want to try.
“Since no man is trying to break down my front door for a shot at me at the moment, I’m probably okay.
I’ll likely never have that,” I whispered, hoping she didn’t acknowledge my words.
I wanted a love like my grandparents, except I was a tornado already firmly in Henley Falls.
Did that mean my future love had to come to me?
Like that was going to happen. “And I don’t think I have to worry about undertaking anything. ”
Aunt Martha shook her head. “You left before the meeting was over.” Her words were quiet, but they tore through me.
“Aunt Mart,” I responded as I handed her a glass of her favorite white wine and took a seat next to her, “I didn’t really need to stay. I knew what I’d hear.”
Everyone there had made their point quite clear.
They summarily dismissed our suggestions, the plans I’d worked hard on.
That wasn’t the only reason this hurt. It wasn’t just the work I’d put into it or the thoughts we’d all had that they negated.
It was the fact that these were my hopes.
My dreams. I’d never had big dreams like Kellan.
Mine had always centered around family. At first having my own, but as I got older, I wanted to leave my mark on our legacy.
I’ve never seen it as sullying or destroying what we currently have.
The mere fact Uncle Randy had used those words had hurt me more than I would have thought possible.
Would Gramps have agreed with him? Were my dreams going to destroy everything they had built?
If that was the case, then what option did I have other than abandoning them?
“No, you knew where you assumed it would go. My children are obstinate, but they’ve got nothing on Cyrus’. That man raised some ornery and stubborn offspring.”
Normally I’d defend my grandfather, but Aunt Martha was one hundred percent correct.
“Just like him,” I added, because Gramps was known to hold his own when it came down to it.
“You’ve got that right.” She took a sip, smiling at the refreshingly crisp white on her palate. “I can hold my own too. While they may have all had their say,” her head tilted, her eyes pinning me with a gaze that said I’d listen whether I liked it or not before continuing, “I had not had mine.”
I, in fact, did not really like it. “I don’t think I can take any more today.” My heart ached more than I thought it would at the loss of this dream. Maybe it was because I’d never truly dreamed before. Now I finally decide to soar, and I’m knocked back down to Earth.
“You can take this because I agree with you.” My head snapped up, and I watched as a smile played on her lips.
“Years ago, we never considered all of this.” Her words were punctuated by a wave of her hand.
“All of what you want to do. Momma and Daddy just wanted some extra money. Cy and I saw the wineries starting in the area, did some research, and realized we were sitting on some prime land. Literally. It was a whim. It was never a plan, never a vision.”
Her words struck deep in my heart, because that’s all I’ve seen lately. A vision of what we could be. Visions of something everyone could be proud of.
Along with all of those things came worry. Of destroying what already was.
“I have a vision.”
“You do, darling girl. All of you do. That’s why you need to do what you have to do.”
“But—”
She shook her head. “No buts. The parents agreed to give you a year. Well, they agreed after I told them to. I may not be my brother, but I hold some sway over that group myself.” I bit back a smile because Gramps used to tell me all the time that Aunt Martha was the actual force in the family.
“Reese, I’m not going to lie. They are likely going to be sticks in the mud and pains in the ass. ”
With a chuckle, I nodded. “I have no doubt about that.” Then I sobered, my worry returning full force. “What if they try to stop us?”
“They won’t because they love you, but they will challenge you. We moved along with baby steps.” Reaching out, she took my hand. “You are going to fly.”