“And can I design us a website? And promote tasting parties on it?”
Already he was regretting this whole thing, but she was so enthused, how could he say no? “Just remember, I get final approval. That means the right to reject anything that doesn’t seem right to me. And don’t forget that we’re an old-world–style vineyard. You need to respect that. It’s something that sets us apart.”
“Believe me, I know. I’ve heard the story ... my great-great-great-grandfather established Sorrentino’s back in eighteen—”
“Okay, okay.” He held up his hands to stop the lecture. “I get that you get it.”
“And that’s something we should celebrate. I was looking atthe winery origin plaque in the barrel room. Do you realize this summer is the 140th anniversary of our vineyard? That’s a pretty big deal.”
“I guess so.” He shrugged. “But not as big as our hundredth anniversary. I was a boy at the time. But my dad and grandpa threw a big party. I’m glad we did since Grandpa passed away the next year.”
“Can’t we do something like that too?”
“Huh?” He frowned. Did she think he was going to die?
“I mean have a big celebration?”
“I don’t know, Gina.” He slowly shook his head. “Everything you’re talking about takes money. After the fire damage to the south hill ... well, we’re already scraping by as is.”
“I know. That’s exactly why I want to work for you. And why we need to do these things. This vineyard is a commercial venture. And it takes money to make money. We need to make the winery a profitable one.”
“And you’ve only had two years of college?” He tried not to look overly impressed.
She chuckled. “Yeah, well, don’t forget that I grew up in this biz. And I’ve been doing a lot of research lately.”
He smiled. Maybe his daughter was sharper than he gave her credit for. “Okay then. You can go ahead and check into these things. Just keep me apprised of what you’re doing and, more importantly, how much it’s going to cost.”
She threw her arms around him. “You won’t be sorry, Dad.”
But as he and Babe went one way and Gina the other, he wasn’t so sure. He hated letting her think she was getting out of college so easily. But this summer would be a learning experience—probably for both of them. If it fell apart, maybe Gina would be convinced to return to school, after all. And if things got really bad, he could always consider his brother-in-law’s offer to buy out Sorrentino’s. Tony Damico had tried to talk him into selling after last fall’s fire, but Leroy had refused.
As he walked between the grapevines, with Babe patiently following, he breathed in the sweet fragrance of blossoms. The morning sun warmed his shoulders, and he could hear birds chirping in the giant oak tree next to the barn. He couldn’t imagine ever wanting to give up on what so many folks—especially the ones who didn’t understand the actual work involved—imagined to be adream life. Oh, sure, there were ups and downs, but sometimes, like this time of year, it did seem pretty dreamy.
Although, to be honest, being a vintner hadn’t been his dream. Because he was the only son of an only son, his family had assumed it should be. Though for whatever reason—probably from watchingLA Lawas a kid—he’d dreamed of becoming a lawyer. But in Leroy’s second year of college, his father had gotten ill. Naturally, Leroy came home to help.
The plan had been to take over until his dad got back on his feet. But that never happened. The Hodgkin’s disease, linked to Agent Orange exposure in Vietnam, was relentless. After three long years of battling, his father lost the war. By that time Leroy’s younger sister, Sherry, was old enough to start college. To help cover her tuition expenses, Leroy continued to run the vineyard. And his mother, determined to make sure he stuck around, encouraged him to marry his good friend Marcie Edwards.
Had he settled? Both in life and in marriage? He sometimes wondered. But he’d loved Marcie. And he’d been thrilled at the arrival of each of their three daughters. And when Marcie passed away from cancer nine years ago, his grief had been distracted by the demands of single parenting three daughters—as well as having a vineyard to run. But now the girls were grown. Sophie, his firstborn, had married young and was expecting her third child in August. Luna, his middle child, was in law school. And Gina, the baby and light of his life, seemed determined to replace him as vintner of Sorrentino’s. He chuckled at the thought. Babe, hearing him laugh, wagged her tail and dropped her ball at his feet again. He gave it a good throw, down toward the barn this time.
As he walked to the barn, trying to ignore the sight of the peeling paint, he didn’t think too many would conclude that he’d “settled.” Sure, he’d had his disappointments, but all in all, it hadn’t been a bad life. Good grief, despite Gina’s insinuations he was ready for the rocking chair or worse, he was in pretty good shape. And not unhappy. Over the years, he’d grown to appreciate the blessings of running the family vineyard. Nothing was better than being up with the sun, breathing fresh air, working the land, growing healthy vines, harvesting the grapes, and going to bed tired.
Oh, sure, he probably still wondered at times ... had he missed out on something? Was there something more? And sometimes, like after a long hard day of working the vineyard, he wondered if Gina could be right about him aging. Because he did feel old. Or was he simply lonely?
Chapter 3
On Saturday morning, Brynna got up early with a new kind of energy. It felt sort of like she had real “vim and vigor,” words her mother used to use. And perhaps the June sunshine streaming through her window was helping. But for a happy change, Brynna didn’t want to sleep in until noon. Not this morning! Because today she had a plan.
As she hurriedly made her bed, she suspected she’d been motivated by hearing Jan’s plan the day before. Although Brynna’s plan wasn’t nearly as daring, and it did not involve trailers or camping. More likely it was inspired by a dog-eared vision board residing in the back of her coat closet. She’d put the board together in earnest last winter, but the timing had been wrong because what she’d wanted most of all was to grow things. And today she would begin!
Brynna started her morning with her usual coffee and yogurt, followed by a bit of housecleaning and laundry. Her reward when done would be to pay a visit to Riverside Gardens—hopefully while the morning air was still cool and fresh. She’d noticed this new business back in April. Located by the river, the attractive nursery had a big sign that boasted of native Oregon plants, miniature trees, water features, and an authentic Japanese tea garden. There was even a colorful coffee kiosk in the parking lot. She couldn’t wait to see it all up close and personal.
But she didn’t plan to just window-shop. She would begin by choosing some handsome pots and planters. Not too many containers since her condo deck was small, but enough to make it feel like a real garden. After selecting containers, she would load lovely plants into one of those cute little nursery wagons. She’d collect a combination of small shrubs, perhaps a miniature tree, and lots of flowers and herbs. Maybe even some salad veggies. And she’d also get bags of soil. Somehow she’d pack it all into her small car, then she would happily drive home and spend the rest of the day just planting and arranging everything.
As she went down to her car, she realized it would be hard work hauling everything up these stairs, but the results would be well worth the effort. And, really, it was about time she enjoyed some sort of garden. Despite city living in a condo unit that she and Dirk had purchased years ago as a starter home, Brynna had always nurtured a dream of owning real land someday. At first she’d imagined a quaint little farm with sprawling gardens, beehives, laying chickens, and maybe even a goat or two, like her friend Amy raised. But thanks to Dirk’s lack of interest in any agriculture, her dream had been reduced to the idea of a little house with a big yard. But even that had resulted in arguments. Dirk had no interest in spending his weekends maintaining a yard and didn’t believe her promises that she would tend to it all herself.
Of course, that was just one of the many things she and Dirk couldn’t agree on. Not in the beginning and not after twenty-some years of trying to persuade him otherwise. In fact, it seemed that the more she’d pressed him about life beyond the condo, the more he’d resisted. He ultimately pulled away completely. Sometimes she wondered if, like he claimed, the divorce really was her fault.
Perhaps if she’d been more content with city living and their status quo, maybe they’d still be together. But no, there had been Ashley to contend with. The pretty student teacher at Dirk’s high school had shown up just about the time Dirk was headed for a midlife crisis. Ashley was young enough to be their daughter, butaccording to Dirk, the infant made him feel younger. “Young and alive again,” he’d told Brynna. Whatever!
