AllFreeNovel
Share Us
We both laugh and Tyler picks me up, walks me back over to the car, and opens the back door for me as I slide down his body.
“You ladies have fun. If she gets wasted, I want videos of her dancing on the tables.” He gives me a wink and another kiss and shuts the door.
“I feellike I don’t even need to ask how things are going with you two,” Adrienne says as we dig into the charcuterie board on our table.
“No kidding. It would be hot if he wasn’t our cousin.” Milly scrunches her nose and everyone laughs.
“Things are amazing. I mean, obviously, our physical connection is off the charts, but we’ve settled into a nice life together. Crazy to think we’re already living together but at the same time, it doesn’t feel rushed or weird at all.”
Dolly shrugs. “Hey, that phrase about just knowing when it’s the right person is a phrase for a reason. My parents,” she pops a cracker and cheese in her mouth and holds up her fingers, “five months.”
“They what?”
“Married. Only knew each other five months when they got married. My mom said it was like fate, and she’s not one to believe in stuff like that. My dad was actually engaged to someone else and had broken it off, like, one week before he met my mom. Then, bam, they got married and they’ve been happy ever since.”
“Damn,” Adrienne whistles, “I feel like it’s rare to hear of people still being happy after—how long they been married?”
“Thirty-eight years this year,” she nods.
I raise my glass, “Well, here’s to Dolly’s parents and all of us looking for that happily ever after.”
We’ve each had three tastings, and I decide to settle on a crisp glass of rosé, even though my stomach feels a little off.
“Dolly, speaking of guys, any headway on things with Ranger?” I bounce my eyebrows and give her a nudge, a blush flashing across her ivory cheeks.
“Not really. We hung out the other night, shot some pool, and just talked—same old, same old.”
“Wait, I didn’t realize you guys were friends. How’d I miss that?”
Silence settles over us and I glance around the table. Adrienne and Milly give each other a look.
“There’s something you don’t know about me, Brook. I was married before, briefly. We were high school sweethearts and he joined the military at 18. We got married five-and-a-half years ago.”
I’m so confused but also worried I may haven unknowingly been insensitive.
“I found out I was pregnant on our one-year anniversary, and then I lost the baby three months later.”
I gasp and reach out my hand to hold one of hers.
“Oh my God! I’m so sorry. I had no idea.”
She shakes her head. “No, don’t be. I appreciate it, but I’m okay now. Anyway, my husband, Dean, took it really hard. He started drinking more and staying out late. Anyway, he was coming home one night and lost control and hit a tree. He died on impact.”
I don’t know what to say, but my heart feels like it’s breaking hearing her story.
“But all that to say,” she laughs softly, “Dean’s best friend was Ranger. They grew up together and were in the military together. So I don’t think he would ever actually go for me.”
“Ohhhh.” Now I understand why she was sheepish about saying anything about her crush on him in the first place.
“For what it’s worth, Dolly knows that we fully support her crush on Ranger. He was there for her when everything went down. He’s an amazing guy; he just has his head so far up his ass he can’t see straight.” Adrienne shakes her head and Milly agrees.
“Well, damn,” I pick up my glass again and take a sip, “don’t give up on him yet, babe. I’m sure he’s still healing too.”
“Good afternoon, ladies. How are we doing today?” A tall, thin, dark-haired woman approaches our table and offers us a megawatt Hollywood smile.
“We’re great, thank you.”
“Wonderful. My name is Amelia Blanc, and I’m the owner of this new tasting room. I wanted to come over and personally say hello and wish you all a wonderful afternoon.”
