Read Online So Good: A Ribbon Ridge Novel (Love on the Vine Book 1) by Darcy Burke - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Darcy Burke
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sell?”
“Not yet, but we will,” Cam said. “I’ll let Hayden tell you all about what he has planned. Let’s start on the mezzanine.”
The opposite side of the tasting room opened up to the fermentation level below, and a walkway with railings on either side stretched toward the receiving area and where they stored the sorting equipment.
Brooke strolled to the railing and looked down at the fermentation tanks, currently empty.
Hayden joined her and slapped his hands on the metal. “The railings are removable so we can move the grapes down into the fermenters.” She took her hands off the steel, and he chuckled. “Perfectly safe, I promise. Come on, let’s go down.”
Cam rolled his eyes. “Don’t scare her off, Hay.”
Hayden tossed him a teasing look over his shoulder as he started down the stairs. “That’s your job—but please don’t do it.”
Brooke descended between them. “You guys have been friends a long time, I take it.”
“Since first grade,” Cam said. “I’ve tried to get rid of him, even got him to go to France for a year, but he’s like a bad penny.”
Hayden snorted. “As if. You cried like a baby when I left and practically begged me to come back.” At the base of the stairs, Hayden waited for Brooke to step down, then moved closer to her. He lowered his voice, but not enough so that Cam couldn’t hear him, which was the point. “Don’t let Cam fool you. His brothers both left Ribbon Ridge for long periods—years—but Cam could only bring himself to leave for days, maybe a week, at a time and only because his work demanded it. He’s a diehard Ribbon Ridger. Since he left Blackthorn and his hectic travel schedule, some might even call him a homebody. I don’t think he’s ventured out of the state in the past two years.”
Cam came off the stairs and joined them. “Hey, I was tired of traveling. And I have too left the state. We’ve taken several research trips to Washington and California.”
Brooke seemed to be enjoying Hayden’s teasing, if the smile hovering on her lips and the glint in her eye were any indication. “I hear he hasn’t even been to France.”
Hayden nodded, his gaze full of false pity. “True story.” He chuckled. “Come on, let’s talk wine!”
Hayden guided her through the fermentation level. Her questions came fast and furious, and Hayden answered every single one of them. Cam didn’t say much—the winemaking was Hayden’s thing—but he appreciated her intellect and her passion for wine.
As they proceeded down to the settling level, Cam asked, “You sound like maybe you should have been a winemaker.”
She turned her head toward him, her eyebrow arching. “Really? I never thought about it. I worked at a tasting room part-time in college, and that turned into a full-time job when I graduated. From there, I went into sales and distribution.”
This sparked a conversation about southern Oregon wine and where she’d worked. By the time they finished up with the cellar, which included the barrel rooms and the bottling area, it was past time to meet Luke for the vineyard tour. Cam’s phone vibrated—a text from Luke asking where they were.
Cam looked across the bottling line to where Brooke and Hayden were chatting. “Luke’s waiting for us.”
Hayden gave her a sheepish look. “Sorry, I get a little carried away.”
Brooke shook her head. “Not at all. I asked too many questions.”
Cam went to the exterior door. “No such thing.” He texted Luke to meet them out back on the lower level. “We can go out this way.” He slid his sunglasses back on as he held the door.
Brooke preceded them into the sunlight and dropped her glasses back over her magnificent eyes. Bummer. He liked watching them animate and sparkle as they discussed winemaking.
Hayden gave Cam a slight elbow as he walked by. He turned his head for a brief glance that included arched eyebrows and wide eyes that clearly said, Dude, she’s cool, or
“Not yet, but we will,” Cam said. “I’ll let Hayden tell you all about what he has planned. Let’s start on the mezzanine.”
The opposite side of the tasting room opened up to the fermentation level below, and a walkway with railings on either side stretched toward the receiving area and where they stored the sorting equipment.
Brooke strolled to the railing and looked down at the fermentation tanks, currently empty.
Hayden joined her and slapped his hands on the metal. “The railings are removable so we can move the grapes down into the fermenters.” She took her hands off the steel, and he chuckled. “Perfectly safe, I promise. Come on, let’s go down.”
Cam rolled his eyes. “Don’t scare her off, Hay.”
Hayden tossed him a teasing look over his shoulder as he started down the stairs. “That’s your job—but please don’t do it.”
Brooke descended between them. “You guys have been friends a long time, I take it.”
“Since first grade,” Cam said. “I’ve tried to get rid of him, even got him to go to France for a year, but he’s like a bad penny.”
Hayden snorted. “As if. You cried like a baby when I left and practically begged me to come back.” At the base of the stairs, Hayden waited for Brooke to step down, then moved closer to her. He lowered his voice, but not enough so that Cam couldn’t hear him, which was the point. “Don’t let Cam fool you. His brothers both left Ribbon Ridge for long periods—years—but Cam could only bring himself to leave for days, maybe a week, at a time and only because his work demanded it. He’s a diehard Ribbon Ridger. Since he left Blackthorn and his hectic travel schedule, some might even call him a homebody. I don’t think he’s ventured out of the state in the past two years.”
Cam came off the stairs and joined them. “Hey, I was tired of traveling. And I have too left the state. We’ve taken several research trips to Washington and California.”
Brooke seemed to be enjoying Hayden’s teasing, if the smile hovering on her lips and the glint in her eye were any indication. “I hear he hasn’t even been to France.”
Hayden nodded, his gaze full of false pity. “True story.” He chuckled. “Come on, let’s talk wine!”
Hayden guided her through the fermentation level. Her questions came fast and furious, and Hayden answered every single one of them. Cam didn’t say much—the winemaking was Hayden’s thing—but he appreciated her intellect and her passion for wine.
As they proceeded down to the settling level, Cam asked, “You sound like maybe you should have been a winemaker.”
She turned her head toward him, her eyebrow arching. “Really? I never thought about it. I worked at a tasting room part-time in college, and that turned into a full-time job when I graduated. From there, I went into sales and distribution.”
This sparked a conversation about southern Oregon wine and where she’d worked. By the time they finished up with the cellar, which included the barrel rooms and the bottling area, it was past time to meet Luke for the vineyard tour. Cam’s phone vibrated—a text from Luke asking where they were.
Cam looked across the bottling line to where Brooke and Hayden were chatting. “Luke’s waiting for us.”
Hayden gave her a sheepish look. “Sorry, I get a little carried away.”
Brooke shook her head. “Not at all. I asked too many questions.”
Cam went to the exterior door. “No such thing.” He texted Luke to meet them out back on the lower level. “We can go out this way.” He slid his sunglasses back on as he held the door.
Brooke preceded them into the sunlight and dropped her glasses back over her magnificent eyes. Bummer. He liked watching them animate and sparkle as they discussed winemaking.
Hayden gave Cam a slight elbow as he walked by. He turned his head for a brief glance that included arched eyebrows and wide eyes that clearly said, Dude, she’s cool, or
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