Chapter 4 #2
"Yeah, we have this, Brennen," Sophie answers with a firm voice. I watch in fascination as her nervousness melts away, and the confident winemaker within steps to the plate. “Have you seen Emma? She promised she’d stop by before everything kicked off, but you’re the first visitors we’ve had so far. ”
“No, not yet. But I’m sure she’ll show up soon.
This is her favorite event in Pelican Point.
” Brennen turns to the woman by his side.
“Joselyn, I want to introduce you to our winemaker, Sophia Garrett. She’s come to us from California where her family has been making waves in the wine industry for generations. ”
I hide a grin at the way Sophie’s eyes narrow at Brennen’s description of her. For some reason, he enjoys referring to her formally as Sophia, rather than the more relaxed Sophie she prefers. But she finds her manners and thrusts a hand to the brunette.
“It’s nice to meet you, Joselyn. I hope you’re having fun at the festival.”
The woman blushes prettily before meeting Sophie’s eyes. “Thank you, I am. It’s nice to meet you, Sophia.”
Sophie’s gaze darts back to Brennen. "You haven't tried the new wine yet. Would you two like to have the first taste?" Her voice has an interesting edge of irritation to it.
Brennen taps the table with a knuckle, eyeing the stack of cases we'd brought. "Sure."
Sophie fills two sample cups and hands them over, her jaw firming as she watches Brennen tentatively sniff the wine and then toss it back like a shot of whiskey.
I bite back a laugh at the way her nostrils flare with irritation.
I’ve been around her enough now to know when she’s pissed, and I’m guessing Brennen just offended her with his offhanded manner. I can't blame her.
But it’s obvious Joselyn knows her way around wine as she swirls and sniffs before sipping. Her brows shoot up and she glances at Brennen in surprise.
“Wow,” Joselyn comments.
Brennen smacks his lips, and I enjoy watching the way his face transforms. His eyes focus and widen as the corners of his mouth lift.
"Holy shit," Brennen comments, his tone brimming with excitement.
He holds the cup up, silently asking for another pour which Sophie delivers, her lips prim with disapproval.
This time he sniffs, swirls carefully and sniffs again.
He grunts, holding it up to the light before he slowly sips the sample, swishing it in his mouth before he swallows.
"Goddamn, Sophia." His voice is full of wonder, sounding like a little boy surveying an amazing haul from Santa Claus on Christmas morning. "You really did it. We have a winner here."
“It’s incredible,” Joselyn adds. “It’s light, yet complex…” She smiles at Sophie. “This would be a perfect wine to recommend for my events.”
Rather than enjoying their praise, Sophie folds her arms across her chest, her chin lifting as she glares at her boss. "You'd already know this, Brennen, if you bothered to stop by the back room to do more than to announce the hiring of unwanted personnel."
This time I can't hold back a bark of laughter, as it’s clear she’s referring to Brennen's handling of my arrival. I know from experience that Sophie can deliver a zinger when she wants to, and it’s also clear she’s not afraid of Brennen in the least. It’s nice to see her hold her own when most of the winery staff tip toe around him.
Brennen's eyes flicker to me, then to Joselyn. He's surprised that Sophie would either bring it up in my presence or that I would laugh about it. Probably both.
"I’m sorry, Sophia. It’s been rough lately. But, it all worked out, didn't it?” he added, nodding toward me. “This wine is amazing."
Sophie grunts, unimpressed with his answer as she continues to glower at him.
Brennen indicates the empty cup still in his grasp. "How many bottles do we have of this wine?"
"We brought twenty cases to the festival, and have three pallets back at the winery," I interject. "Sophie thought it would be a good idea to drive interest by running out today, which we most definitely will."
I see her gaze jerk to me out of the corner of my eye, her surprise evident that I gave her the credit for the marketing strategy.
"Good." Brennen bobs his head. "Good," he repeats. "I need one bottle for a special tasting with a critic and a case for an upcoming competition.”
Sophie’s eyes bulge. “A critic and a competition? When the hell did you arrange this, Brennen?” Her irritation leaks through her tone. I can’t blame her—critics and competitions are the lifeblood of top wineries, and winemakers were normally heavily involved.
“I’ll tell you more later, Sophia. I promise, okay? But for now, would you please just set them aside for me?"
She presses her lips together and huffs out a breath. "Of course," Sophie responds, her tone icy.
Brennen lifts the bottle, inspecting the label. His grimace says enough. "Is this what we're calling it? The Celtic Knot White Blend? Seems kind of weak."
"Actually that label is a placeholder,” I comment. “Sophie and I couldn't agree on the name, so we decided to hold a contest today with the visitors voting on the name. And at the end, we’ll have a drawing from the winning pool and give them a free bottle at a tasting."
I grin as I hand Brennen and Joselyn each a piece of paper marked with two options. "Sophie picked Beach Bum, and I chose Sophia's Blend. We have our own bet going over who wins."
“Oh, I love that!” Joselyn exclaims, clapping her hands.
Brennen smooths his thumb over the small square.
"That's a great idea," he mutters softly, almost to himself.
"Get the crowd involved in the name, build interest for the wine, drive them into the tasting room…
I like it." He sets the paper down on the table, snatches a nearby pencil, and checks a box. Joselyn makes the same choice.
I chuckle at Sophie’s gasp of outrage. She doesn’t know it yet, but she’s totally gonna lose this contest.
"Beach Bum would be a great name for a different wine. Save it for a sweeter rosé." Brennen shrugs. "Sophia's Blend is classy, just like the wine and the winemaker."
Sophie's tension melts, her shoulders relaxing, arms falling to her side, and her sour expression transforms into a smile. "Thanks, Brennen."
"Sure. Let me know which name wins. I'll pick up that bottle and case of wine later today."
"Is he always like that?" I ask as we watch Brennen and Joselyn hurry away, hand-in-hand. “Crazier than a road lizard?”
Sophie’s brow crinkles. “Huh?”
“You know—one day he’s crankier than a wolverine, and the next he’s all hearts and roses, walking on cloud nine?”
"Oh.” Sophie laughs. "Yeah, basically. Since I've been here, anyway. But this is the first time I’ve seen the hearts and roses."
She meets my gaze. "I've heard some of the winery employees whispering about money problems. That's probably why he was so excited about this wine.
" She nudges her chin toward the retreating couple, strolling arm-in-arm, joined at the hip.
“Plus, Joselyn may have something to do with his good mood.”
I grunt. "Well, any wine connoisseur would be excited about this wine. Sophia's Blend is fantastic." I grin at the stink eye she gives me. "But in all seriousness, do you really think the winery has money problems?"
Sophie shrugs. "Based on the round of layoffs we had just before you arrived, probably. But I have tunnel vision when I'm focused on wine, so I don’t notice much. The only thing I worry about is getting supplies in on time and my vendors paid. There haven't been any issues there, thank god."
"That's good to know. I'd hate to get all the way out here just to have this place close down."
Sophie gives me a satisfied smile that makes my heart grow like the grinch's. "Don't you worry. Beach Bum is gonna solve all our problems."
Several people turn to look at us as my laughter booms out over the event field.
Damn, I believe her.