When I checked my phone and saw it was well past eleven, I gasped. “I didn’t realize how late it was. You probably have to work tomorrow. I mean, I have to work tomorrow, too, but I’m not cutting anyone open.”
Will laughed. “I’m working the late shift tomorrow, so I’ll be fine. I could probably sit here all night if you let me. You’re easy to talk to.”
Once again, that annoying flush, the one that would always keep me from appearing cool and unaffected, crept up my neck. “I had a really good time. Thank you for everything.”
“Let me walk you out.” We both rose and made our way through his house. When we got to his front door, Will stopped and I turned to face him, suddenly lit with nerves. “I’d love to see you again,” he said softly. “Maybe take you to a wedding?”
It had to be the wine making me bold. “Lee said she told you about Logan Arthur. Does it really not bother you that I’m publicly seeing someone?”
An affectionate smile crept over Will’s mouth, making his eyes twinkle. “You know, I’m pretty used to Stone family shenanigans by now. I’m sure you’re doing it for a good reason, and Lee said you and Logan are just friends behind the scenes. So if you’re open to seeing me, I’ll take what I can get.”
I was torn between pride at being part of the Stone family tradition, a tender soreness at the reminder that Logan and I weren’t real, and exhilaration over Will’s sweetness. It was a confusing emotional maelstrom, and Will must’ve sensed it, because he leaned in and kissed me quickly on the cheek.
“Take whatever time you need,” he said, pulling back. “I’m not going anywhere.”
His words set off a riot of thoughts. Will was wrong—Loganwas the one not going anywhere, and I needed to remember that. He and I were a business arrangement morphed into a friendship, and for all I knew, he was going to call any minute to end our fake relationship since it was starting to distract him. I needed to stop acting like on some level, I was taken. I wasn’t—I was free as a bird. And come election day on November 7th, it would be official for the world to see.
I placed my hand on Will’s soft shirt. “You know what? I don’t need time. I’m happy to be your date to the wedding.”
His face broke into a dazzling smile. Yes, this was a good choice. A wise one. For once I would movetowardthe nice, available man—truly, Prince Charming in scrubs—andawayfrom the beautiful, sarcastic, unavailable one.
This was the choice that would protect my heart. Besides, Logan never had to know.
27
Texas Wine Country
Not only did Zoey and Annie take my Bloody Good Wine recommendation, they ran with it, making it the first stop on “Zoey and Annie’s Bacchic Bachelorette Weekend,” which was the title of the itinerary my sister’s friend Claire handed me the minute I pulled up to the enormous Airbnb we were renting for the weekend. The itinerary was laminated and attached to a lanyard because, as Claire curtly explained, this was not their first rodeo. It came with an NDA I had to sign before entering the house, and no amount of protesting that I was Lee’s sister and would obviously not leak drunk pictures of her at a bachelorette party got me out of having to slash my name across all three pages. Reminder to hire Claire if I ever needed a lawyer, because she was ruthless.
When she invited me to her bachelorette, Zoey had explained that since she and Annie shared so many of the same friends, they’d decided to hold a joint party and turn it into a couples’ weekend. Claire and Simon, Mac and Ted, Lee and Ben, and a few of Zoey’s artist friends—Duke and Jeremy, who were both sculptors, and Layla and Helen, an actress and a glassblower—were all here. I was the lone single person, so I was relieved to find they hadn’t stiffed me on my bedroom—as a Frequent Single, I was used to being shoved in closets or given bunk beds on group trips, but this time my assignment was a cozy second-floor bedroom with a king-sized bed and claw-foot tub. After freshening up, I’d joined the whole merry crew in a shuttle bus that chugged us outside the postcard-cute town of Fredericksburg to the long stretch of vineyards that surrounded it. Forget Napa. It was gorgeous out here in Texas wine country, with an added dash of quaint and homey.
Now, climbing out of the shuttle and facing the Bloody Good Wine vineyard, I nearly swooned. The tasting room was a charming, modestly sized wooden building surrounded by large oak trees, wooden swings and a fire pit. Behind that stretched rows and rows of carefully cosseted grapevines. “This place is adorable.”
Zoey seized my arm and bounced, knocking her tiara askew. It was her one concession to our group’s demand that she and Annie parade their status as bachelorettes. They had absolutely refused Mac’s glitter sashes and “Kiss Me, I’m Going to Be a Bride” pins, so we considered the tiaras a win. “I’m so excited I can’t stand it,” Zoey squealed.
I righted her crown. “I’m glad you liked my suggestion so much.”
Her responding smile was suspiciously satisfied. “I have a surprise for you inside.” She tugged me ahead of the group.
“It’s your weekend,” I protested. “We should be surprisingyou.” But I fell quiet when we burst into the tasting room. It was just as charming as the outside, all cozy and wood-paneled, with a few British flags and pieces of soccer memorabilia. In the faintest way, it reminded me of Logan’s house. It was nicely busy, too, even at three in the afternoon, and the hum of chatter from couples glugging wine formed an inviting ambiance. One of the staff led us through the crowd to the best table, a round one in the corner with a great view of the vineyard. As we all fit ourselves around it—Zoey insisted on sitting next to me—I searched the tasting room, trying to suss out my surprise. I found zero clues.
“The owners will be right with you,” the staff member promised, and whisked away.
“Owners?” Lee’s eyebrows raised. “I’m glad Ann and Zo are getting the VIP treatment they deserve.”
I thought Zoey would keel over from delight. She and Annie both beamed at me. “We have a little surprise for Alexis. When she recommended this place and we looked it up, we thought,surely, she has to know. But she clearly doesn’t.”
“Know what?” What had I recommended without realizing it? Oh, God, did this place turn into a burlesque club or something? I would never hear the end of it.
Lee looked just as confused as I was. She glanced at Ben, who shrugged. “No idea.”
“Eeee,” Zoey squealed, and I turned.
The double doors to the back of the tasting room burst open and Logan, of all people, emerged, flanked by a man and woman who bore a remarkable resemblance to him. He grinned at me from across the room, dressed down in jeans and a black T-shirt, looking happier and more relaxed than I’d seen him in a long time. He shook his head when he got closer, giving me a wide, toothy smile. “Of all the wine joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine.” His deep, familiar voice sent shivers down my spine.
I blinked, mouth open. “What are you doing here?”
Logan and company reached our table and he smiled down at us. “Hi everyone. I’d like to introduce you to my parents, Kit and Petra. They own the place.”
