Page 68 of Wine & Dine

“I don’t know yet.” A bed and breakfast flits through my head, but that had been my idea. For years from now! “I just thought I would fix it up and make it nice for her. We could discuss its potential later.” The hint of Magnolia’s age and eventual death lingers in his words. Then again, he’s lying. For twenty-seven years, I’ve hardly seen my brother, yet I know when he’s lying as if we were seven and five again.

“We?” I snap at my younger brother, who suddenly looks like a sheepish child. “There is no we here, Denton.” I flick my fingers between us. “You seem to be making all the decisions without consulting me.” A pointed finger jabs at my own chest. I stammer, willing myself not to cry, steeling myself to be the woman I was before I left Blue Ridge. In hindsight, I hate that woman, and I deflect the emotion back on my brother.

“This is my diner, Denton, and Magnolia’s house is my home.” I wait for him to argue. I own a small house just outside of town, but Magnolia’s house is my future. I’m in no rush for her to pass, but it’s mine. A moment of fear ripples up my spine. “Where is Magnolia?”

So help me if he says he put her in a home like he wanted. I’ll kill him with my bare hands.

“She’s at the house. She loves the changes.”

A small glimpse of gratitude fills me, but only the smallest of small sparks. I turn back to Garrett.

“I still don’t understand what you have to do with this.”

A vineyard. The land around your grandmother’s.

My head turns back to Denton. “You can’t sell Magnolia’s land. It’s landlocked.”

Denton nods once. “But we can use the land for whatever purpose we want.”

“How?” I bark, my heart racing, the pulse at my neck throbbing.

“With a silent investor, we could run our own business from the land like the farm it once was.”

With an investor?

“You knew about this?” I turn on Garrett, my anger shifting to him instead of my brother. I can’t wrap my head around what he’s telling me. The plans he’s made—without me.

Garrett opens his mouth, but there’s nothing to defend.

“Did you play me? Was this part of the plan taking me to Napa? Did you…did we…” I can hardly find my voice. I can’t catch my breath. “Was I a project like those women said?”

“No,” Garrett cries out, turning to face me and gripping my arms.

At the same time, Denton steps forward, and questions, “Wait?” My brother stares wide-eyed between Garrett and me, taking in the position of his friend’s hands and the hurt in my expression. “Did you fuck my sister?”

The crass question spit from Denton has Garrett rounding on him and blocking my body behind his. “Watch your fucking mouth.”

I wrap my arms around my middle, uncertain how to feel or what to do.

“Dolores,” Denton begs over Garrett’s shoulder, “tell me you did not sleep with him.”

I can’t answer him. In fact, I don’t even want to look at my brother. I don’t want to look at Garrett either. They’re equally part of this betrayal. Garrett knew I owned a diner before I told him, and he knew my brother was demolishing it. He knew. And now, he’s somehow involved in wanting Magnolia’s land? I can’t think.

“You bastard,” Denton snarls at Garrett, but I’ve had enough.

“Both of you, get out.”

“What?” they say in unison, focusing their attention on me.

“This is my diner, and I want you both out.” My voice shakes, but I try to stand taller despite the arms wrapped around my center.

“Dolores,” Denton begins, stepping closer to me. “I wanted to surprise you. I wanted it to be nice for you.”

“You have not been here in twenty-seven years, Denton. Twenty-seven! I’m the one who took care of everything. Me, Denton. You know nothing about what I want. You don’t get to waltz back in here and make decisions for me about my business.” Tears well, hot, agitated drops of liquid that sizzle down my cheeks in my anger. I hate that I’m crying in front of him. “Leave my diner alone. Get. Out.”

Denton’s expression widens in surprise and then slowly collapses. It’s a low blow, but he deserves it at the moment. Garrett reaches for my back, but I twist my body away from him before he can touch me.

“And you,” I say quietly, hissing through clenched teeth. “You wasted a trip to Kansas.”