Chapter 19 Cru
CRU
“When’s the last time you spoke with Daphne?” Beau asked when I answered his call.
“A few hours ago. Why? Has something happened?”
“I got a call from my dad. He said one of the board members is trying to stage a coup.”
“What are you talking about?”
“My dad thinks he intends to take control of Cullen House.”
I walked from where I stood between rows of grapes over to the ATV. “Can he?”
“Apparently, he had enough votes to be named chairman. The next step would be to demand Noah be removed from both the board and the company. He’s also called for my dad’s and Hewitt’s resignation.”
“Daphne has Noah’s power of attorney.”
“My dad intends to fly over, as does Hewitt Ridge. They haven’t withdrawn from the board yet. There are ten voting members currently, plus the chairman, who can only settle a tie. Hewitt, my dad, and Daphne make up three.”
“So they need three more votes.”
“That’s right. They intend to see how it’s looking. If it’s promising, they’ll call for a vote to oust the chairman.”
“I’ll go with them.”
“Hold up, Cru. I don’t think you should.”
I clenched my fists. “Why not?”
“The biggest reason is the board might see your arrival as a weakness in Daphne. The second is so she learns she can do this without either of us intervening.”
As hard as it was to admit, Beau was right on both counts. “I’ll wait to hear what your dad and Hewitt find out.”
“Listen, you understand that I don’t mean to—”
“We’re engaged.”
“What did you say?”
“Daphne and me. I asked her to marry me.”
“That’s great!” Beau shouted. “Hey, Sam. Daphne and Cru are engaged.” There was a pause. “She says congratulations.”
“Thanks.”
“When did this happen?” he asked.
“The same day her dad had the stroke.”
Beau’s mood shifted immediately. “God, I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t be. We’ll figure this out one way or another. The most important part is I love her and she loves me.”
“I hear you. I can’t tell you how happy I am for you, Cru.”
Beau ended the call, saying he’d be in touch as soon as he heard anything more about the situation with Cullen House’s board.
I remained on the ATV and took several gulps of cold water.
Today was the sixth day in a row with temperatures close to one hundred.
On top of that, we’d had very little rain.
When it did come, it was in a torrential downpour that started and stopped in under five minutes, nowhere near long enough for the moisture to penetrate the soil.
“Hey, Cru. Got a minute?” Bit asked, walking up to me.
“Sure. What’s up?”
He opened his gloved hand and showed me the fruit and leaves on his palm.
“Fuck,” I groaned when I leaned in and saw why he’d brought it to me. “Botrytis bunch rot.”
He nodded.
The fungus was also known as noble rot. If caught during the flowering phase, we’d have the chance to eradicate it. As far along as we were with grape cluster, there was nothing we could do. “How bad is it?”
Bit pulled out a hand-drawn map of vineyard sections. There were marks on those where they’d found the fungus.
“Ten?” I asked.
My brother nodded. “Sorry, Cru.”
“Don’t be.” The fungus was hard to catch and, once it took hold, spread at the same rate as a wildfire.
“Guess we’ll up the off-dry production this year.” I was being facetious, but about the only positive thing about Botrytis was that some of the most amazing sweet wines in the world could be made from the infected grapes.
“It’s a rough year, Cru. Between this, the heat, and the drought, our numbers are going to be way down.”
“I hear you, Bit.”
Thankfully, the last few years had been really good and we had enough wine stored in barrels to keep this year’s numbers up by releasing what we’d intended to be long-hold collections as well as increase our blend inventory.
“You’re doing a good job, Cru.”
I looked into my brother’s eyes and saw nothing but sincerity.
“That means a lot, Bit. Thank you.”
“There’s something else I want to talk to you about.”
I raised a brow. I’d heard enough bad news so far this afternoon and wasn’t ready for more.
“I want to start hosting events in the old winery.”
“Yeah? What’s involved?” I asked.
“I should hire an event planner.”
“You don’t need my permission. This is your baby. Got anyone in mind?”
He shook his head. “I thought I’d run an ad.”
“Excellent plan.” I threw my leg over the ATV and started it up. “I’m calling it a day. Let everyone know they can take off, would you?”
“You got it, boss.”
I was about to drive away when I put on the brakes. “Hey, Bit?”
“Yeah?”
“I love you, man.”
“I love you too, Cru.”
Rather than lie on the bed in the downstairs room, I climbed the stairs to the one Daphne and I had shared most often. I opened the dresser drawers, relieved to find she’d left most of the lingerie we’d purchased together here. The closet was over half full too.
Stretching out where she and I had last made love and rolled over, I inhaled her scent on the pillow, missing her so much I ached.
While I understood Beau’s reasons for suggesting I hold off traveling to Australia, it was damned hard to do.
I wanted to stare into her eyes, touch her skin, and make love all night like we did before she left.
Mostly, I just wanted her to come home so we could pick up where we’d left off.
For months, we’d both had everything we wanted in life. Most importantly, each other, but working together had been a dream come true too. I prayed she’d return before harvest and that she and I could still make wine together this year, even with the low yield, it looked like we’d experience.
Rather than sitting around, feeling sorry for myself, I got up, took a shower, and drove to Demetria, the vineyard property Maddox and Alex owned.
Up for company? I’d sent a text asking.
Sure. Maddox and I both need a change of scenery. How soon can you be here?
On my way now.
Speed.
I pulled through the main gate when Alex sent the signal to open it, then drove up the winding road to the top of a hill, where their villa and winery sat.
Los Caballeros was one of the most beautiful ranches on earth, in my opinion, but even I had to admit Demetria was something special.
Alex and Maddox were outside, on the terrace, when I walked up after parking.
“What’s shakin’, bro?” said Alex when I sat at one of the bistro tables and poured myself the last glass of wine from an open bottle in front of me.
“Nothing much good.”
When she asked me to elaborate, I told her about Daphne’s father’s stroke and that Beau had said his father thought one of the Cullen House board members was attempting a hostile takeover.
“If that isn’t bad enough, Bit discovered a spread of Botrytis bunch rot.”
“We’ve got it too,” said Maddox. “Fucking climate change. Naught’s workin’ on it if you want me to send him your way.”
“I’d appreciate it.” Naughton was Maddox’s younger brother and something of a phenom in the wine industry. He was a viticulturist who was often referred to as the vine whisperer.
“I have a feeling there’s more,” said my sister, studying me.
When Alex’s eyes bored into mine, I knew I didn’t stand a chance. She had a way of needling people enough that they’d eventually cave and tell her everything she wanted to know.
“I proposed, and Daphne said yes.”
Alex jumped up, raced over, and hugged me from behind. “Congratulations!” She held up the empty bottle. “I think we need another.”
Maddox looked beyond me. “Hey, here’s Naughton now.”
As the two middle children of big families, Naught and I had always gotten along well.
“Los Cab has a Botrytis outbreak,” Maddox told him.
He shook his head. “Whole fuckin’ valley.”
“And the west side,” Maddox added.
“Not as bad, though. When did you find it?” he asked me.
“Bit did a few hours ago.”
He nodded. “What are you doin’ now?”
“He’s having another glass of wine,” said Alex, coming out with something sparkling.
Naughton stood and nudged me. “Come on. Let’s go save your harvest.”
“Hey, what about mine?” hollered Maddox.
“Los Cab’s fungus will spread to my vineyards. Yours won’t.”
I followed him to where I’d parked. “Meet you there?”
“Yeah. I gotta stop and pick up some shit, then I’ll be over. Did you let your crew go for the day?”
I nodded.
“Get ’em all back.”
He took off down the driveway, throwing rocks in his wake while I called my brother and told him what was happening.
“I’ll start making calls,” he said. “Oh, and before you hang up, what do you know about Eberly Warrick?”
“Warwick?”
“Yeah. That’s it.”
“Not much. She’s quite a bit younger than us. Her dad was in Los Caballeros with Pop, though. Why?”
“She applied for the event-planner job.”
“That was quick.”
“Right. Okay, I gotta go and rustle up the crews,” he said, ending the call before I could say anything else.
A few years ago, Los Cab—the winery—had gone organic. I hoped that whatever Naughton’s magical cure for the fungus was, it wouldn’t jeopardize that certification. On the other hand, if we didn’t have grapes to harvest, what was the point of being organic?