The Sparkling One

20

“Try this,” Katie said, pouring from another open bottle. “It’s a table wine, which means it’s a blend. We do a Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot blend, with a bit of Cab Franc thrown in for interest.”

Zach sipped the wine she offered. “I like it. I still like the straight Cabernet Sauvignon best, but this would be good for casual dining.”

She laughed. “I’ll be sure to tell my grandfather. Considering this little table wine for casual dining sells for about seventy-five dollars a bottle, I’m sure he’ll be thrilled with your assessment.”

Zach winced. “Okay. So I was wrong.”

She leaned toward him. “There is no wrong, just personal preference. Frankly, I’m a white wine drinker, which is blasphemy in this family. When Brenna found out, she threatened to never speak to me again.”

Katie smiled as she spoke and her light brown eyes glinted with humor. She wore her hair long and loose. She was so beautiful, he thought suddenly.

He crossed to a large set of arched glass doors. A well-manicured lawn stretched out for about sixty or seventy feet. At the far end two women were on step-ladders decorating a gazebo. White chairs had been set up in rows.

“A wedding?” he asked as Katie came to stand next to him.

“Yes. They’re scheduled all through the spring and summer. Upstairs there’s a whole suite of rooms for the use of the wedding party. If the reception is held here, it has to be outside, but once we’re into June weather isn’t usually a problem.” She glanced at him. “It’s a romantic setting.”

He shrugged. “Where are the family weddings held?”

“In the private garden.” She dropped her gaze.

He didn’t know what she was thinking, but he sensed her uneasiness. The topic of Mia and David’s engagement was still a sensitive area of conversation. It was time to come to an understanding.

“They can’t get married,” he said flatly. “Even if Mia’s ready, David isn’t. Not by a long shot.”

Katie sighed. “I know.”

He’d already mentally outlined his verbal strategy, but her quiet response caught him off guard.

“What do you know?”

“That you’re right. As much as I didn’t want to believe you when you first told me about your concerns, I remembered them. I’ve been watching Mia and David together. At the beginning they were happy, but something has changed. I don’t know if they’ve been fighting or if she found out about Julie or what. I guess the reason doesn’t matter.”

“You agree with me?”

She smiled. “Is that all you got out of that?”

“It’s the most important part.”

“Zach! We’re talking about the future happiness of my sister and your son. Isn’t that slightly more important than my agreeing with you?”

He considered the question. “It’s a close second. Come on.”

He opened one of the glass doors and drew her outside.

She leaned against him. “Now what?”

“Now we talk to Mia and David.”

“Do you think they’ll listen?”

“I don’t know. If David gets stubborn, he’ll tune it all out. What about Mia?”

Katie shrugged. “She hates to admit when she’s made a mistake, but I don’t think she’d be willing to get married just to be right. I agree we should talk to them. If we’re logical and rational-”

“Oh, so I’ll be doing the talking,” he said, cutting her off.

She glared at him. “Remind me to toss you in a fermenting vat when we get back to the house.”

“You and what army?”

“I can be tough.”

He kissed the top of her head. “Sure you can, Katie. Tough and mean.”

“I am.”

“Uh-huh. So we have a plan?”

“Yes. We’ll corner the unsuspecting couple and talk them into submission.” She smiled. “I’ll go first.”

“If you insist.”

“Are you okay with this? Us tackling them together?”

“Yes.”

Which surprised him. He’d always done everything alone, especially with respect to his son. He had to admit that after eighteen years of being a single parent, it was nice to have someone to share things with.

“So what are the odds of me getting struck by lightning if I sneak into your room tonight?” he asked as they headed back for the house.

Katie raised her eyebrows. “Gee, nearly all of my extended family will be under the same roof with us, including my very crabby grandfather. And let’s not forget that I have two grandmothers who take a trip around the beads at the drop of a hat. Lightning is the least of your concerns.”

He considered the embarrassment of getting caught-literally with his pants down. “Good point. I’ll keep to my side of the house.”

She grinned. “I figured you’d say that. So I’ll sneak into your room.”

They walked into the house twenty minutes later to find the place in an uproar. Grandma Tessa was in tears, Colleen kept saying it would be fine, while Grammy M was pouring a drink. Mia huddled over someone sitting in a chair.

“It’s Brenna,” Mia said, looking more amused than upset.

“Was she in a car accident?” Katie asked instantly. “Is she all right?”

Mia rolled her eyes. “She went to Santa Barbara to get her hair cut.”

Zach waited for the rest of the story. Like in Santa Barbara she’d been attacked or, at the very least, been caught up in a bank robbery, but there was no more information.

“And?” he asked.

Mia shook her head. “That’s it. She cut her hair.”

“I don’t get it.”

Katie patted his arm. “I know. Just try to fade into the woodwork. You’ll never understand and trying to will just give you a migraine.” She glanced at Mia. “They got over you streaking your hair.”

“Yeah, but I’m the rebel. Brenna is about to be divorced. How is she supposed to catch a man if she has short hair?”

Katie groaned and stepped toward her relatives. Zach felt as if he’d stepped into an alternative universe. So Brenna had cut her hair? If no one liked it, wouldn’t it just grow back?

“Enough,” Brenna said, and stood up. Her long hair was gone. In its place was a short style that grazed her chin.

Zach studied her. She had a rounder face than her sisters, and bigger eyes. Somehow the layered cut flattered her features, making her look sexy.

“I like it,” he said, before he could stop himself.

Katie and Mia looked at him with something like pity, but the Grands and Colleen turned on him instantly.

“Her crowning glory is gone,” Grandma Tessa said as she brushed away her tears.

Grammy M sighed and took a sip of her drink. “’Twas lovely hair.”

Colleen simply muttered something about “Men.”

“Hey,” Zach said, “as a man I think it looks good on her.”

Mia moved close. “And you looked so bright, too,” she whispered in his ear. “You’re in trouble, now.”

“She was attractive before and she’s still very attractive,” he insisted, ignoring the sensation of falling into a pit where he would be trapped forever.

Brenna sighed. “Okay, enough everyone. I agree with Zach. I like it. If I decide I don’t like it, I’ll grow it out. In the meantime, my hairstyle is off limits. Does everyone understand?”

Grammy M and Colleen nodded. Grandma Tessa sniffed.

Brenna muttered something under her breath, then grabbed his arm and drew him down the hall. “I’m going to have a private conversation with my lawyer,” she yelled back. “It will take about ten minutes. That should be enough time for you to recover from the shock and finish getting lunch ready.”

They entered the library and she slammed the door shut behind them.

“Family,” she said with exasperation. “Sometimes I want to run away and never come back.”

“You don’t mean that,” he said, studying her. There was something different about Brenna today. Something that didn’t have anything to do with her new haircut. An energy and a purpose.

“I don’t,” she admitted, sinking down on one of the leather sofas. “I love them all and would be lost without them. But every now and then they really get on my nerves.” She fluffed her newly shorn hair. “This would be one of those times.”

He settled on the other sofa. “Fair enough. So did you really want to talk to me about something or did you just need to escape?”

“No. I have an actual thing. When you called to tell me that Jeff’s lawyer had been in touch to formally withdraw the question of the winery inheritance, you told me to think about what I want from Jeff.”

“Did you come up with a wish list?”

“Yes, but little of it is legal. As I already pushed the limits of the law with the taping stunt, I’m not going to try it again.”

“But getting Jeff on tape worked.”

Brenna fluffed the ends of her hair and shrugged. “I guess.”

“He backed off. Isn’t that what you wanted?”

“Sure. It’s just…” She shrugged again. “Katie was right.”

“About?”

“Francesca. I wanted her help and I’m glad to have the tape, but listening to my husband saying he wanted to fuck her brains out didn’t exactly make my day.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It wasn’t you doing the talking. I know Francesca would never have anything to do with him, but it still makes me feel weird.” She shook her head. “None of which is your problem. My actual point for having this conversation is to tell you I don’t have a wish list. All I want from Jeff is repayment for putting him through school. You showed me that chart before, remember?”

He nodded. “The state has a schedule.”

“Then that’s fine.”

“I could probably get you more.”

“Thanks, but I’ve been tacky enough for one divorce. Plus, if I’m out for blood, that means I’m still putting energy into our relationship. The whole situation makes me sad and angry and frustrated, but I want to move on. He doesn’t matter anymore. I want to act like that’s actually true.”

“It’s your call,” he told her. “I’ll do exactly what you say.”

She smiled. “Now see? If Jeff had acted more like that, our marriage might have worked.”

“Don’t go wishing for miracles. I’m only agreeable because I work for you.”

Her smile broadened. “So the secret is to pay someone to be my husband and then he’ll do exactly what I say?”

“Something like that.”

After his meeting with Brenna, Zach stepped out of the library and found Katie waiting for him. They’d agreed to try and corner Mia and David before lunch.

“The Grands have already announced lunch is ready,” she said. “We’ll have to do this after.”

“I don’t want to wait.”

“Because you want what you want when you want it?”

“Something like that.” He wanted to get the conversation over. He wanted to know that the engagement was off.

“It’s lunch,” she reminded him. “How long could it take? Besides, they’re already engaged. What’s the worst that could happen?”

He didn’t have an answer for that, but something in his gut told him time was important. If he waited too long, the situation might be unrecoverable.

She grabbed him by the arm. “Listen to me, Zach. Look into my eyes and listen very carefully. You have to wait. You can’t take this on during lunch. Not with my family there. For one thing, the loud shrieks will be a distraction. For another, it will get very ugly. Remember what happened when I pissed them off? This is way more important and serious.”

“You’re right,” he said.

She didn’t look convinced. “Somehow I don’t believe you. Do you promise you’ll wait to talk to them privately?”

He bent down and brushed her mouth with his. Brenna walked out of the library just in time to see.

“Get a room,” she told them with a grin.

Katie leaned against Zach. “You only need a room if there’s tongue.”

“Yuck. Don’t be talking about that sort of thing with me.” Brenna shuddered. “At least not with Zach standing right there. How can I ask any really good questions?”

“I’m leaving,” he said, walking toward the dining room. “You’ll have to have this conversation behind my back.”

“Chicken,” Brenna called after him.

Katie watched him go, then looked at her sister. “You doing okay?”

“Yeah. I hesitate to actually admit this, but you were right about taping Jeff. Francesca got what we needed, but I feel weird about it.”

“I didn’t want that to happen.”

“I know. You were trying to protect me, but would I listen?”

“See. If only you’d let me run your life, things would go much smoother.”

Brenna raised her eyebrows. “Because your life is so perfect?”

Katie was surprised by the question. “Things are going really well.”

“You don’t say? So what’s up with Zach?”

“I just-” She cleared her throat. “We’re-” Deep breath, try again. “Things are fine.”

“Uh-huh. So you have no idea where your relationship stands.”

“Not one.”

“And you’re too afraid to ask.”

“Exactly.”

“Ha! And you want to run my life. I think not.” Brenna linked arms with her and steered her toward the kitchen. “So he’s the one?”

Katie wasn’t ready to admit that. “Maybe.”

“Bells?”

“A faint ringing sound.”

Brenna squeezed her arm. “So long as it’s not an alarm.”

Lunch with the Marcelli family was a casual, intimate affair. There was less wine than at dinner, more pasta, and enough salad to make an entire colony of herbivores vibrate with ecstasy.

Zach found himself seated on Grandma Tessa’s left and Colleen’s right, with Katie across from him. While he wanted lunch to end so he could corner Mia and David, he couldn’t complain about the view.

After the food had been passed around the table and the Grands determined that everyone had more than enough, conversation turned to the recent fund-raiser.

“We’re very proud of you, Katie,” Marco told his daughter.

Katie smiled. “Thanks. Weeks of hard work and preparation laid low by a single fish. It’s a little scary to think about. But the family came through for me.”

Grandma Tessa dismissed her statement with a wave of her hand. “We cooked a little, talked a little, you did the hard work.” A sharp elbow jabbed his ribs. “A smart, successful young woman.” Grandma Tessa nodded knowingly. “Surprising that no one has snapped her up.”

Katie briefly closed her eyes and muttered something under her breath. Zach didn’t doubt that the exact words would have Grandma Tessa reaching for her rosary. He held back a smile.

“It is surprising,” he agreed.

Katie opened her eyes and glared at him. He could read her thoughts-she wanted to know what the hell he was doing, playing along with her grandmother.

He winked.

“A man shouldn’t be alone forever,” Grandma Tessa told him. “David is already in college. Your big house gets empty.”

Zach raised his eyebrows. “You’ve told them about my house?” he asked Katie.

She opened her mouth, then closed it. The glare became lethal. “Not a single word.”

“But you’ve been spending so much time there.”

“I have not!”

He glanced around the table-everyone was watching with interest. “Oh,” he said, sounding as if he’d just figured it all out. “They weren’t supposed to know.”

“Zach, what are you doing?”

He grinned. “Making you squirm.”

He enjoyed teasing her, ruffling her usually perfect self-control. He liked that he could push her buttons. He liked the direction the conversation was going. Hell. He liked her.

Something brushed against his leg. “Are you trying to put your foot on my lap?” he asked.

Katie jumped. “I was trying to kick you.”

“Katie, darlin’, if you’re tryin’ to get Zach’s attention, you should work on your aim,” Grammy M said with a wink.

Katie nodded. “My grandmother thinks I should kick you.”

“What is with you two?” Mia asked.

Brenna leaned toward her. “You’ve been so busy with your own happily-ever-after that you’ve not been paying attention. Your future father-in-law has been making the moves on your sister.”

Mia’s eyes widened. “Zach? Is that true?”

“I wouldn’t say moves.”

“What would you say?” she asked.

Zach picked up his wine. “Great lunch.”

The Grands grinned, Katie obviously still wanted to kill him, Grandpa Lorenzo was giving him the once-over, and David looked stunned. Apparently Mia wasn’t the only one who hadn’t noticed the sparks between Katie and himself.

Colleen took pity on them and asked Brenna about a particular vineyard. Grandpa Lorenzo announced his opinion on the subject. Marco spoke with his youngest. Zach watched Katie and realized that sometime when he hadn’t been looking, he’d started to care.

Not just about her, he thought as he glanced around the table. All of them. They weren’t perfect, but they were good people. He relished the sense of belonging. They accepted him and welcomed him. It felt…good.

A faint knocking interrupted the conversation. Colleen excused herself and went to answer the door. She came back holding a large box.

“That was Milly from up at the office. These were delivered and she knew we’d all been waiting.” She smiled with delight. “The invitations. Marco, pass me a knife.”

She set the box on a spare chair, then took the knife her husband offered and cut through the tape.

Zach glanced at Katie, who shook her head. He knew what she was trying to tell him-not now. Not in front of the family.

“Oh, they’re beautiful,” Colleen said as she pulled out a stack of embossed heavy card stock. “So lovely and elegant.”

She handed an invitation to her husband, who passed it on to Grandma Tessa. Marco walked another one around to Mia. Rather than study the writing or the graphic, Zach watched Mia and David.

His son glanced at the invitation, then at Mia. His eyes darkened and his mouth pulled into a straight line. Mia’s identical expression of suffering made Zach’s gut clench.

Holy hell. He didn’t have to break them up. They’d already done it themselves.

Apparently he wasn’t the only one watching them. Grammy M picked up an invitation.

“Is there something wrong, darlin’?” she asked. “You don’t seem happy.”

“They’re lovely,” Mia said, shifting in her seat.

“Why not tell them the truth,” Zach said.

Mia looked at him. Her eyes widened. “I d-don’t know what you mean.”

“I think you do. It’s time, Mia. The situation is only going to get more complicated. You want to have this conversation after three hundred of these have been mailed?”

“Zach,” Katie warned. “Please.”

He knew she was right; he knew he should wait. But he couldn’t. Not with both David and Mia looking miserable and trapped.

“If you’re old enough to get married, you’re old enough to admit you’ve changed your mind about getting married,” he told them. “Go ahead and tell the family you’re not engaged anymore.”