Fate Actually (Moonstone Cove #2) - Elizabeth Hunter Page 0,12

one thing she could bake and not ruin.

“The police haven’t said anything, but you know Nico. He always blames Fairfield.” Henry reached for the jar of biscotti. “It’s not just the tractor either.”

“What do you mean?” She grabbed her coffee and walked to the door.

Henry followed her and waited for Toni to slide on her garden boots before he shut the door behind them. They sat on the two creaking chairs that faced the barn.

“There’ve been a lot of little things lately,” he said. “Uh… the tractor. A fermentation tank that was tampered with. A call to the labor contractor that changed the day we were supposed to start the pinot harvest. That was the one right before the tractor.”

“Seriously?” Toni frowned. “So someone is definitely trying to mess with him.”

“The pinot we bottled last year is looking good, and the conditions this year look even better. The other varietals are our bread and butter, but the pinot is the one that’s going to start winning consistent awards for us, I’m dead sure of it.” He finished his biscotti in two bites. “That’s why Nico was kind of pushy the other day.”

Toni kicked her feet up on the low railing around the porch and let her senses settle. Dog flopped on the porch and cat sunning in the window. Tall drink of man lounging next to her. Morning birdsong, the wind through the trees, and silence.

Forget Megan’s meditation. This was all she needed.

“Did you end up getting all the grapes in the other day?”

Henry nodded. “The pinot, yeah. Some of the last boxes might be a little high on the Brix, but I can work with it. I have some ideas.”

“And Nico blames Fairfield, huh?”

Whit Fairfield had been the bane of Nico’s existence for nearly five years. He’d originally come down to Moonstone Cove as a Silicon Valley millionaire looking to pour money into a winery as an investment. He quickly realized that there was still land available in the hills of the small but growing wine appellation that he could obtain at a bargain if he offered cash. He had pressured landowners to sell and amassed a commanding amount of acreage before he poured a bunch of money into a high-end tasting room and a Napa Valley marketing team.

Fairfield Family Wines bought black-and-white pictures to hang on the tasting room walls and presented themselves as a Moonstone Cove institution. Tourists ate it up, and local vintners rolled their eyes.

“Is Fairfield still pressuring him to sell that acreage along Ferraro Creek?”

Henry nodded. “Yeah. I don’t think Nico’s tempted even with what Fairfield is offering, because the cabernet vines that grow along there have been amazing the past few years and they’re the backbone of our estate red blend. Danny told me Fairfield doesn’t even want to plant it. But it’s right across the creek from his tasting room, and he wants to expand his event space.”

“Are you serious?” Toni rolled her eyes. “What an asshole.”

“Yeah.” Henry glanced at Toni. He looked nervous. “Someone told me they saw Marissa and Fairfield having drinks in town. Have you heard about that? Do you think Nico has?”

Toni’s eyes went wide. “Are you kidding me?”

“Nope.”

“You think it’s just gossip?”

Henry shrugged. “No idea. The two of them deserve each other, if you ask me.”

The only harsh word Toni had ever heard from Henry was about Marissa, Nico’s ex-wife. Or… almost ex-wife. He’d been trying to get her to sign the papers for six months. She’d up and left him and their two kids a couple of years ago, but Marissa was still hoping to wrangle some of the winery from the Dusi clan.

“I used to think it was kind of shitty that Grandpa Dusi never signed that land over to Nico outright since he was the one who loved it the most and was obviously the one who would take over eventually, but now I am so glad he didn’t.”

“I think Nico’s happy about that too.” Henry finished his coffee. “But I still hate the idea of Fairfield fooling around with Marissa and messing with Nico that way.”

“I don’t think he’ll care,” she said. “It’ll bug the kids though.” She narrowed her eyes. “If it really is Fairfield messing with Nico, I hope that finger we found is his.”

Henry chuckled. “So vengeful.”

“You should know this about me.” She looked over at him. “I have a mean streak.”

“I know. I think it’s cute.” He stood and handed her his mug. “I better get back to cleaning