Once Tasted: A Silver Creek Novel (19 page)

“Hey, who could that be?” Quinn interrupted.

Mia turned to look where Quinn was pointing. A silver sedan was speeding up the road. The sight of it made the cake in her stomach turn to acid sludge. “It’s my cousin Jay.”

M
IA COULD NO
longer remember a time when Jay’s presence hadn’t caused her mouth to go paper dry even as her skin turned clammy with cold sweat. He hadn’t pinched her, tripped her, or viciously pranked her in years, but the fear lingered, a toxin in her system.

He’d changed, at least outwardly. Gone was the faux-homeboy look he’d sported at the end of high school. He now favored sharkskin suits and shiny shirts—today’s was gangster black—unbuttoned past his sternum to show off his deeply tanned, bulked-up chest. While the tanning-bed, steroid-pumped look wasn’t uncommon in California, Acacia was far enough removed from L.A. and Venice Beach for Jay to stand out like a sore thumb.

But, somehow, her older cousin always succeeded in making her feel as though she were the freak. Actually, he made her feel worse than a mere freak or an outcast. He made her feel dirty and scared.

She did her best to push away the fear and the choking sense of inadequacy and shame he always instilled in her. She rose to her feet, ridiculously grateful when Quinn, in a silent show of support, did the same.

Vincent, no fool, slunk across the porch and leapt
onto the railing, keeping a safe distance from the toe of Jay’s polished shoe.

There was no point in exchanging civilities. “What are you doing here, Jay?”

“Last I heard, this was my childhood home, the site of many fond memories. Are you telling me I’m not going to be welcomed with open arms?” he asked mildly.

He’d always enjoyed sick jokes. His pretending to be pleasant was his latest one.

“Thomas left yesterday,” she said.

“I didn’t come to see dear old Dad. I had some business in the area. And of course I wanted to check up on you.”

The idea made Mia’s skin crawl.

His gaze slid from her to Quinn. When it lingered, Mia felt her go rigid. “You’re Quinn Knowles, right?” he asked.

“That’s right.” Quinn’s tone could have frosted glass.

Jay smiled as if he hadn’t noticed her hostility. “How are your brothers?”

“Fine.”

“Glad to hear it. I wish that we’d stayed in touch after I left Acacia,” he said, perhaps thinking that because Quinn was younger she wouldn’t have known her brothers’ high school friends and that he wasn’t among them. “Tell Reid and Ward how happy I am that we’re partners now.”

“Thomas is the one who’s partners with the Knowleses,” Mia said. “Not you.”

He shrugged off her remark. “I’m his son. His only child. Don’t think to exclude me so easily, Mia. Or deprive me of profits that should be mine.”

What a joke. The principal reason the winery wasn’t showing a profit was standing six feet away. But she was relieved to have the Jay of old, always concerned about his due, reappear. “Thomas has settled everything between
him and the Knowleses. You got your cut. Any questions you have should be directed to Don Polk—”

“Who I’m meeting tomorrow. I was thinking that afterward you and I could have dinner and talk.”

She was stunned speechless. Jay couldn’t stand her. Having dinner would be almost as unpleasant for him as for her.

“Mia’s busy tomorrow. She’s having dinner with us.”

Grateful for her friend’s lie, Mia said nothing to contradict Quinn.

Amazingly, Jay’s smile didn’t falter. Mia knew well how much he disliked being thwarted. “Ain’t that neighborly? Well, I’m not leaving the area for a while yet. We can get together another time. We’re family, after all.”

She felt like she was in
The Twilight Zone
. He was going to stick around in the place he’d always considered the sticks? “Where are you staying?” she asked.

“Here, of course.” Then he laughed heartily. “Just joking. I wouldn’t want to cramp your style, Mia.” His upper lip lifted in a familiar smirk. “I’m crashing at a friend’s in Mendocino. But I am serious about talking to you so we’re straight on a couple of things.”

“Why don’t you tell me now, Jay? That way I won’t waste your time.” And I won’t have to see you again, she added silently.

“How could meeting someone like Quinn be classified as a waste of time? By the way, I like animals.” He let his gaze rest on the front of Quinn’s shirt and its warning to be kind to animals. “Pussies especially,” he added.

Could he be any more obvious? Any more odious? Determined to draw his attention away from Quinn, Mia said, “Fine. Let’s meet the day after tomorrow.”

He shifted his gaze back to her, and his smile was knowing. “I’ll come by and pick you up.”

“No.” She shook her head. She didn’t like having him
here. But the prospect of sitting across a restaurant table from Jay made her mind go momentarily blank. She wouldn’t last past the appetizer. Knowing she had to say something, she blurted, “Let’s meet at The Drop.”

“Whatever you say, cuz.”

The triumphant expression on his thick features belied his easy tone. Jay had gotten what he came for. Mia would find out all too soon what else he wanted and how far he was prepared to go to obtain it.

The cold beer sliding down Reid’s throat was almost as satisfying as the sale he’d just negotiated with Howie Briggs. It wasn’t only the hefty chunk of change that would be coming Reid’s way once Howie’s vet examined Roland and gave him a clean bill of health that made him happy. It was also knowing that Roland would be with an owner who would treat him right and enjoy bringing him along. It was nice, too, that the gelding would be staying in the area, where Reid could keep tabs on him.

He chugged down another few gulps before lowering the bottle. “The steaks look good, Dad. They smell even better.”

“They do, don’t they? Tell your mom that she and Tess have three minutes left to gush over the wedding dresses Tess is considering.”

“I’ll do it,” Ward volunteered, setting his own beer onto the long patio table that was already set for dinner. “If Reid goes, they’ll need to show him every design Tess has bookmarked, to get his expert opinion. However, if Tess catches me anywhere close to peeking distance, she’ll close her iPad faster than Usain Bolt runs.”

“Good point. I’ve got to tell you, Ward, January cannot come soon enough.”

“I’m right there with you, Dad.”

“Somehow I’m guessing Ward’s reasons may not center solely on Mom and Tess’s current obsession with all things bridal,” Reid said.

Daniel put down the tongs. “Oh, you mean your brother might be thinking about the two-week honeymoon he’s planned?”

“Reid’s got me there,” Ward confessed with a happy grin. “Back in a few.”

Alone with his father, Reid took another pull of beer, then almost spewed it across the patio when Daniel said, apropos of nothing, “I trust things are going better between you and Mia than that black eye would indicate.”

He swiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “Things are fine.” Considering. “Good. Your mother and I don’t want to see Mia hurt.”

Wait. Wasn’t he the one with the black eye?

“I had my doubts about this arrangement, but your mom and Thomas convinced me the two of you would work well together. Were they wrong?”

“We’re meeting tomorrow to discuss what the winery needs by way of improvements. I’m starting to get some ideas about how to heighten the vineyard’s visibility and increase sales.”

“Good to hear” was his father’s response, but Reid guessed more was coming. He waited while his father picked up the grilling fork and turned off the grill. “Thomas’s numbers were pretty soft. Grab that platter, would you?”

Reid picked up the large porcelain platter and held it at the ready. “I don’t think the business side of the winery interested Thomas very much.”

“I agree with you. I’m hoping Mia has a better business
head on her shoulders. It would be nice if this venture didn’t become a giant financial sinkhole for us.”

“I’ll do my best to turn things around.”

“Good.” He lowered the first of the steaks onto the platter. “And, Reid?”

“Yeah?”

“Try to avoid getting a second black eye in the process.”

Ward returned to the patio, armed with two more beers and accompanied by Adele and Tess, who carried serving bowls filled with summer salads. Besides the steak there was also a platter of grilled vegetables.

Reid nabbed a slice of zucchini and popped it in his mouth. After the day he’d had, his stomach felt as empty as a cave.

He wasn’t surprised to find his father equally impatient to take his knife and carving fork to the steak.

“Anyone know where Quinn is? That girl should remember when we have dinner,” he grumbled.

“I heard her say she was going to see Mia,” Adele replied. “Maybe they were catching up and lost track of time. Let’s sit down and begin. Quinn won’t mind, as long as we save her a plateful of veggies and salad.” Quinn didn’t eat meat. And, because they loved her, they didn’t tease her about it.

“And three-quarters of the dessert,” Ward said, holding out a chair for Tess and then sitting in the one beside her.

Reid was wondering what topics Mia and Quinn might cover as they “were catching up” when his mother said with a bright smile, “Come and sit by me, Reid. I want to hear how things are going.”

He did as requested and sat, his muscles tensing,
while he waited for the inevitable question about his eye.

None came. No comment at all. Which was hilarious since it looked garishly psychedelic—the purplish-black bruise now had an additional smear of yellow-green.

What was doubly hilarious was that his mother was known for her eagle eye. During room checks in the cabins or inspections of the public rooms in the main lodge, she was invariably the first to spot a smudge, rip, stain, or crack. Therefore, he knew her cheerful loading of his plate with potato-cucumber-and-dill salad and tomato-and-basil salad didn’t mean she’d gone blind.

It meant she was playing a deep game.

Helping Tess and Ward with their wedding preparations must have juiced her matchmaking instincts. So much for being in the clear, he thought.

His mother was doomed to disappointment in his case. He didn’t want to get married, and Mia didn’t even want to have sex with him again, though he was more than willing to try his hand—along with his mouth, lips, teeth, and any other body part—at convincing her to rethink her stated position.

He decided to let his mother understand loud and clear that the relationship between Mia and him was strictly professional. “I repaired the Bodells’ drive this morning. Tomorrow we’re going to discuss other improvements. Hey, Tess.” He looked across the table. “What do you think about getting those artists over to the vineyard? It’d be a really pretty spot to paint.” Tess and an amateur artist named Madlon Glenn had organized an artists’ weekend at the guest ranch. It was the next big event on Silver Creek’s calendar.

“That might go over well,” Tess said with a nod. “I’ll see what I can do.”

“Thanks.” He made a note to himself to make sure
Tess approached Mia with the idea. He didn’t want Mia to accuse him of riding roughshod over her.

“Is there a tasting room?” Tess asked. “I could tweet about tasting events for you guys.”

He smiled. “I have a feeling a tasting room will be at the top of Mia’s wish list.”

“I’m glad to hear you and Mia are already getting down to work,” his mother said, as she piled potato salad onto Ward’s plate. “That reminds me, Daniel. I think we should advertise for another ranch hand, since Reid will be devoting time to the winery and Ward will have to take time off for the wedding and then his honeymoon.”

“Didn’t Quinn say she’d step up her hours in the saddle?” Reid asked. “She’s as good as any wrangler you’ll find.”

His mother nodded. “Yes, but she’ll be in New York for the wedding, too, and you know it’s pointless to have her around the ranch when the cattle are driven to market.”

“She’s a basket case,” Ward said. He took his plate from Adele.

“Yes, that’s why having someone in place is the best option. Can you ask Pete Williams to spread the word that we’re looking for an experienced wrangler, Daniel? Once we have some names, I’ll pass them along to Grant,” she said.

Grant Hayes was the head of security at the guest ranch. For obvious reasons, no one got a job at Silver Creek Ranch without a thorough background check, to ensure that the guests, who ranged from ordinary folk to über-rich to movie-star celebrities, enjoyed privacy and safety.

“It just so happens I already talked to Pete today,” Daniel replied.

“You did?” Adele said.

“I did. I have my own reasons for wanting to hire another ranch hand, seeing as how I’m planning on whisking you away for a vacation of our own after Ward and Tess return from their honey—”

“You’ve already reached the honeymoon stage of discussing the wedding of the century?” Quinn asked by way of announcing her arrival. “Sorry I’m late for dinner,” she continued, circling the table and kissing her mother’s and father’s cheeks before dropping into the empty chair beside Reid. “I was at Mia’s and had to stay later than planned when Jay showed up. I don’t need food so much as a delousing after fifteen minutes in his company.”