Chapter Thirty-nine Remi
Chapter Thirty-nine
Remi
The tasting room was wrapped in soft, golden light.
The huge windows overlooked Paloma’s family vineyard, with its rows of sun-warmed lines.
It was just before sunset, and light filtered in gently.
Doors were open allowing the inside to spill out into the garden.
High-top tables, adorned with white tablecloths, were arranged throughout both spaces.
Tasting cards with handwritten notes were placed at every setting, along with crisp white napkins and wineglasses with long stems. Small arrangements of wildflowers, freshly cut, sat in small vases.
Guests were greeted with a sparkling rosé, Joie’s signature wine, to sip on while mingling.
Jazz played softly throughout. Remi moved through the space, chatting with guests.
She wore a linen pantsuit with embellished sandals.
Bianca worked the room with Paloma, refilling glasses, answering questions.
There was laughter and light conversations throughout.
There were several industry professionals in the room, some of them from as far away as the Bay Area.
John Gabriel, the man who she’d met at previous networking events—who’d taken an interest in Joie—wore blue slacks and a crisp white shirt with sleeves rolled up.
He smiled when their eyes met. Remi raised her glass, hoping they would have a chance to chat before the night was done.
Her marketing team, Pinnacle Strategies, mingled with other guests.
When Leo appeared in the doorway wearing white linen and a straw hat, he nearly took her breath away.
She couldn’t take her eyes off of him as he shook hands with a man he knew.
He reached for a glass of rosé and sipped—and his eyes finally landed on her.
His grin was wide and beautiful. He gave her a wink. She blushed.
Eventually he eased next to her. “You look so beautiful, Miss Winery Owner.”
“You look very nice yourself.” She wanted to add that he smelled good too—his cologne was intoxicating—but she didn’t.
“Everything is very nice. Very elegant. Not that I expected any less.”
“Thank you.” She looked around the room at all her guests. “I’m very pleased with the turnout.”
“Are you surprised?” he asked. “People were clamoring to get here … to see this place. To be a part of this movement.”
She laughed nervously. “Stop.”
“No,” he said. “Joie is the talk of the town.”
Remi’s heart raced. She’d been so deeply involved in planning this event, she hadn’t taken the time to put her ear to the street. She didn’t know that Joie had gained so much momentum that people were actually chattering about it.
“I didn’t know that.”
“Not only is she beautiful, she’s humble.” Leo grinned widely and pretended to talk to someone else. “Humility is attractive as hell.”
“You are attractive as hell,” she flirted with the man who was beginning to tug at her heartstrings.
“I’m going to mingle before you have a grown man blushing,” he said. “I’ll catch up with you before the night is over.”
Remi giggled. “You’d better catch up with me sooner rather than later.”
“I promise,” he said.
Remi found her way to the center of the two spaces, a mic in her hand.
“Hello, everyone. Welcome to Joie.”
She paused as light applause rippled through the crowd. Her smile was easy.
“We hope that you’re enjoying the music and the rosé,” she continued. “I’m truly thrilled to have you all here tonight. It means so much.”
Guests were smiling and nodding in agreement.
“This evening we’ll be tasting three whites and two reds—all from the Ortiz Vineyard, just across the way.
” She gestured toward the far side of the vineyard, where the sun was beginning to dip behind the rows of vines.
“That land has been in the Ortiz family for generations, and it’s an honor to partner with them. ”
She let a moment pass before adding, “They’ve been instrumental in helping bring Joie to life, and tonight we’re literally bringing joy to your glass, and to your palate.”
A few soft laughs rippled. Glasses raised in silent agreement.
“So,” she said, lifting her own glass, “let us begin.”
The tasting moved through Joie’s signature whites first—a citrusy Sauvignon Blanc, a buttery Chardonnay, and a crisp Pinot Grigio.
Then the reds—an earthy Pinot Noir and a bold Zinfandel.
Each wine was paired with one of several small bites—fried goat cheese bites, honeycomb, local chèvre, and crusty bread drizzled with olive oil.
As the night wore on, the sky began to shift. Blue skies became deeper as dusk approached. Inside the mood was light and mellow. It was the kind of gathering where no one cared about the time. Guests were comfortable and lingered long after the tasting was done.
Paloma stood next to her as she said goodbye to a few guests.
“You knocked it out of the park tonight,” she said.
“We knocked it out of the park.” Remi grabbed Paloma by the waist. “Could not have done it without you.”
“We make a great team.” Paloma rested her head against Remi’s. Then she released her waist, started toward the kitchen area. “I’m going to check on the winery staff, make sure they’re wrapping things up.”
“What a great event,” Bianca said, walking up. “I couldn’t be prouder.”
“Thank you.”
“You—as your daughter so eloquently put it—are a badass.” Bianca grinned widely.
Remi and Bianca laughed.
“Thank you for your help tonight,” she told Bianca.
“It was my pleasure. Seriously.”
Remi hugged her for the first time since everything happened. It was easy and genuine, and she held on for an extra moment.
Bianca smiled at Remi. “I’m headed back to Bodega Bay tonight.”
“You sure? It’s late. You might as well stay and leave in the morning.”
“Thanks, but I’d like to sleep in my own bed tonight.” Bianca gave a wicked grin. “Someone I know might be coming for a visit,” she said with a nod toward the door.
Remi looked up. “Harry?” she whispered.
Bianca laughed. “I didn’t think he would actually show up.”
Remi grabbed her by the arm. “You have a lot of explaining to do,” she said softly.
“I promise. I will tell you everything,” Bianca said. “In the meantime, someone is waiting for you also, ma’am.” Bianca nodded toward the tasting room.
Leo stood there, leaned against the bar, hands in his pockets. He watched Remi and gave her a wide grin when she looked his way.
“Go handle that,” Bianca said and then made long strides toward Harry.
Remi moved across the room with grace and stood close to Leo. He pulled her into an embrace. His cologne penetrated her nose. She relaxed in his arms with ease—naturally, lovingly.
She leaned back and looked up at him. “You wanna take a drive with me?”
“I’m always up for a drive with you.” He gently, playfully, touched her nose.
Remi sat in the passenger seat of Leo’s car, her body relaxed against the smooth leather seat.
She was still in her linen outfit but had swapped out her shoes for a pair of flip-flops.
Soulful sounds drifted from the speakers as they talked, replaying the wine tasting—critiquing the night piece by piece.
“Everything was beautiful,” he said. “You should be very proud.”
“I felt like tonight was perfect. Really introduced Joie to the world.”
They laughed easily.
Leo slowly pulled into the park and backed into a space.
“Got your permit?”
Remi lifted the folded paper in the air. “Right here.”
“You ready?”
She looked out toward the darkness of the coastline. “I need a minute,” she said softly. She was honest and transparent. There was no pretending; this would be hard. And she wouldn’t reduce it to something smaller than it was.
Leo shut off the engine and stepped out of the car.
He gave her the space she needed to breathe.
He walked away, hands in his pockets. Remi sat still, her mind a myriad of thoughts.
She thought it would be easier, but it wasn’t.
It was hard. She hadn’t anticipated that she would need permission to spread Gerard’s ashes along the Sonoma Coast, even though it was what he wanted.
But the State of California had their rules—adding an additional layer to this daunting task.
She hadn’t expected how much it would weigh on her.
He had betrayed her in the worst way, so how did he deserve the grace of having his wishes honored?
More than once she’d considered tossing them into the trash can instead.
Yet here she was at the edge of the ocean in the middle of the night, the cardboard box resting on the leather seat behind her.
Finally she got out of the car, reached for the box, opened it, and lifted out the urn.
She walked toward the shoreline and found a private area along the beach.
For a few minutes Remi stood there watching as the waves crashed against the shore.
Her hands trembled as she loosened the lid on the urn.
“I guess this is goodbye, Gerard,” she whispered. Goodbye to everything that she thought they shared.
She emptied the ashes and watched as they blew away with the wind, as her life, her love, her marriage disappeared into the night. She tossed the urn and the box into the receptacle and returned to Leo’s car. Remi stood next to it and waited for him.
When Leo returned to the car he pulled her into his arms and held her tightly.
He didn’t ask any questions, only provided comfort.
She rested her head against his chest. He held her until she was ready to leave.
When she had gathered her emotions she nodded, and he released her.
Then he opened the passenger door for her and she climbed in.
As they pulled away, she gazed into the area where she’d just released the ashes, then looked straight ahead.
The drive back to Napa was quiet. Leo reached for her hand and held it in his, their fingers intertwined for the rest of the drive home.
He walked her to the door and stood there while she unlocked it.
“You want to come in?” she asked.
“If you want me to,” he said. “I don’t want to intrude. I want you to grieve in this moment … alone if you need to.”
“I don’t want to be alone,” she said softly. “I don’t want to grieve. I want the night to continue to be celebratory.”
He followed her inside. The house was dim, lit only by the glow of the light over the stove and the soft moonlight that spilled in through the windows. Remi slipped off her flip-flops by the door and walked slowly to the kitchen. Leo followed but kept a respectful distance, his eyes on her.
Remi went to the cellar and grabbed a bottle of Merlot. She pulled two glasses from the shelf and poured, handing him one without speaking a word. They stood for a moment in the kitchen, the silence between them thick but comfortable.
“To what are we toasting?” he asked, searching her face, trying to gauge the moment.
She looked up at him, her expression solemn. “To getting through tonight and still finding a way to celebrate the good. To finding joy in the middle of things that aren’t joyful.”
Their glasses clinked.
Remi took a sip and exhaled slowly, like she’d been holding her breath the whole drive home. She set down her glass and leaned against the counter, her eyes soft and glossing over.
“Do you remember the night we had that moment?” she asked.
Leo nodded. “The kiss?”
“I really wanted to kiss you,” she said. “But I didn’t want to confuse comfort with something else. I didn’t really know what I was feeling at that time.”
“And now?” he asked in a quiet voice.
“I’m still unsure. Still hesitant,” she admitted. “But … I’m so damn attracted to you.”
Leo stepped closer, careful not to move too quickly. He set down his glass beside hers on the granite counter. “I’m not here to take advantage of you or this time when you’re feeling vulnerable,” he said. “But I’m also not going to pretend I don’t want to be close to you.”
She nodded and then leaned into him—just slightly. He caught her in his arms, and she rested there, as if that was where she belonged. They stayed like that for a long time. There was no urgency to move, no expectations.
His hands gently touched the small of her back and gently pulled her closer into him.
She pressed her forehead against his chest, feeling his breath rise and fall.
When she looked up his eyes met hers. He cupped her face with his hands—his fingertips brushing against her cheeks.
She leaned into his touch, her lips parting slightly.
The kiss was soft, as gentle as the first time but different.
It was like a conversation without words—warm and loving.
There was a light tingle in the pit of her stomach.
He kissed her again, his hands exploring her spine.
She wrapped her arms around his neck, drawing him closer.
Remi didn’t want it to end, but she didn’t want it to go any further, either. She wasn’t ready for more yet.
“I feel better now,” she whispered.
“I’m glad.”
The moment wasn’t about fixing anything, or deciding what happened next.
It was about right now. It was about removing any guilt that lingered from the first kiss.
It was about quieting the voices in their heads about whether it was too soon for them.
It was about giving each other permission to do whatever came next. Whenever it came.