Chapter 10 Daphne #2
“It’s all about building trust, which is why I’d rather take care of him myself.”
“Sure. Makes sense.” He handed me the brush.
Twenty minutes later, we were both ready to ride. Fifteen minutes after that, Cru pointed to an opening in the trees. “There’s something I want to show you.”
I nodded and followed. We led the horses through a shallow stream that would likely dry up by late spring.
“What is that?” I asked when I looked ahead of us and saw an abandoned building.
“The original winery.”
We dismounted and tied the horses to a split-rail fence.
“Is it safe to go inside?” I asked.
“The building is sound, if that’s what you’re asking.”
I raised a brow. “But?”
“Critters may have taken up residence.”
Something occurred to me. “Cru, why don’t you have a dog?”
He was about to open what looked like the main entrance, but turned around. “Sometimes, it seems like you can read my mind.”
“Yeah? Have you been thinking about getting one?”
“I actually thought about it on the way back from the fish market. There’s a rescue facility on the opposite side of the highway.”
“You could’ve stopped.”
Cru nodded. “I decided a new dog and hosting a dinner all in the same day might not be the best idea.”
“We could go tomorrow. I mean, unless you want to go alone, in which case you can obviously go whenever you want to.”
He studied me. “Why are you so nervous around me?”
I shrugged. “You said it yourself. Things are different between us. We don’t have Beau as a buffer anymore.”
When he sat down on a bench just outside the building’s entrance, I sat beside him.
“I feel like I keep swinging and missing,” he murmured.
I thought about his analogy. It was the perfect way of putting how I felt too. “My life has changed so much so quickly.”
“I’ve been pushing you.”
“You haven’t. I mean, what would I have done without you?
Two days ago, I had no idea what I might do with my life.
I didn’t even know what part of the world I’d live in.
I hated the idea of leaving California, the Central Coast in particular.
I had the dream of being a winemaker but had no idea how to make it a reality. ”
“Right place at the right time.”
I’d been watching the horses, but turned to look at him. “You don’t even know if I can do it.”
Cru shook his head. “Your palate is impeccable.”
“You just say that because I love your wine so much.”
“Your education is the best there is. You’ve grown up in the business, but more, I’ve watched you in the vineyard.
You don’t just walk among the vines; you close your eyes and breathe them in.
You look at the fruit as though you can see through the skin to the pulp.
It’s as if your mind knows the sugar content without needing a hydrometer.
I’ve seen you run your hand over the graft union up the trunk as if you know exactly what that single plant needs.
It’s in your blood, Daphne. I just thank God I get to watch you create what I know will be pure magic. ”
My eyes filled with tears at his words. “You humble me,” I whispered.
He shook his head, then stood and held out his hand. “I believe in you. Come on, let’s go inside.” When he pushed the door open and went first, I heard him gasp. “What the hell?”
There was a switch on the wall, and when I flicked it, lights all over the large room came on. “It’s so beautiful.”
“Hey, I thought I heard voices.”
I grabbed Cru’s arm out of reflex when Trevino came around a corner.
“Bit, did you do all this?” There was awe in Cru’s voice, and for one of the very first times, I saw a truly genuine smile stretch across his brother’s face.
“Just cleaned it up some.”
Cru walked over and ran his hand over the top of a tasting bar. The base was made of the same stone as the building, but the top looked like the same kind of oak that grew on the property. “I’m stunned, Bit.”
Trevino joined us at the bar. “I’ve always liked this room the best.”
“I can’t remember when I was in here the last time, but it wasn’t very long ago. Maybe three weeks.”
“Four.”
Cru smiled at his brother. “Were you spying on me?”
Trevino shook his head. “Hiding.”
I watched the man I loved more with every passing minute as he walked over and embraced his younger brother. “It’s amazing, Bit.”
“I was thinking you could do private tastings here. Maybe wine dinners since it’s more intimate than the main building.”
Cru turned to me. “I love that idea. What do you think, Daphne?”
I went behind the bar and opened one of the cabinets built into the stone. My eyes lit up when I saw it was stocked with glassware. “Is there anything here we could uncork?” I asked Trevino.
He came around to where I stood and opened a cabinet on the outer wall. “Take your pick.”
“You choose.”
He reached to the lowest-level rack and grabbed a bottle from the far right, handed it to me, then pulled out a somm’s knife. “You do the honors.”
I did and poured three glasses, raising mine. “Here’s to the next generation of Avila wine-making gods.” I clinked Trevino’s glass, then Cru’s.
If he and I were alone, I would’ve asked why his eyes bored into mine so intensely.
Then, when Bit left the room, why Cru took his place behind the bar, put his hands on my waist, and lifted me to sit on it.
The only thing stopping me from asking why he spread my legs and stood between them was my inability to form words.
Then, when he cupped my face and leaned forward, I stopped breathing.