Fate Actually (Moonstone Cove #2) - Elizabeth Hunter Page 0,35

Like I was saying, I imagine that long term, we might be sold to another company, but I’m hoping that the value the winery adds to the estate will be enough to keep things going the way they have been.”

And keep you in a job.

Toni propped her elbows on the table. “But can we be honest? You know your boss was giving my cousin shit, right? No bullshit, Ruben. We both know he was a dirty player.”

Ruben took a deep breath and sat back in his chair. “Do I know that Whit pulled some stunts to make Nico’s life a little more difficult? Yeah. He wanted that land along the creek and had plans for it.”

“Nico’s not going to give up that land, Ruben. It’s not even his to sell; it’s family land. And why would the family sell any of their land, especially to someone who was so obnoxious as Fairfield?”

“Come on, you guys haven’t even owned it that long. Maybe… twenty years or so? It belonged to that weird old guy from Hungary before, didn’t it?”

“I’ve got no idea. Nico knows all that stuff. I just don’t understand why you’re covering for Fairfield when he’s dead.”

“Hey.” Ruben raised his hands with a smile. “I’m not covering for anyone. I don’t deny that Fairfield was a jerk to your cousin. But I don’t think he was involved in anything illegal. He knew I wouldn’t back him up on anything like that.”

“Tampering with Nico’s tractor? Tampering with his tanks? Stealing his crews?”

“You can’t steal a harvest crew, Toni. They’re independent contractors. If you give them more money than what your cousin’s offering—”

“To sit around and not harvest his grapes?”

“To do whatever,” Ruben said. “I’m not saying I agreed with him, but it’s not illegal.”

“Tampering with equipment is,” Toni said. “Sabotaging a tank is.”

“Can you prove any of that was Whit and not teenagers? Or a disgruntled employee?”

“Okay, even if you’re right, can we talk about Fairfield literally dating Nico’s ex-wife and flaunting it?”

Ruben’s cheeks turned a little red. “I don’t know anything about that.”

“Oh, come on, Ruben. Why on earth would Fairfield be seeing Marissa of all people unless it was to piss off Nico?”

“All I can say is the few times I overheard Marissa and Fairfield talking, it wasn’t Nico’s name that came up.”

“No?”

“No.” Ruben looked at her dead in the eye. “It was his winemaker. Henry Durand.”

Chapter 12

Toni waited in her Mustang, debating whether to go in or not. She wished she had Katherine’s gift of foresight, because she knew she needed to talk to Henry, and she had no idea what she was going to say.

But no. Instead of foresight or telekinesis, she had the “gift” of empathy. She knew when people were lying to her. She’d always had a fairly good bullshit detector before the incident at the gym. Now? It was foolproof, and Toni wished it wasn’t.

Most people had no idea how many tiny deceptions people told throughout the day, many of them for innocent reasons. To spare someone’s feelings. To ease through an uncomfortable conversation. To gloss over an inconvenience.

Toni felt them all. It was one of the reasons she really appreciated spending time with cars more than people.

Now she was sitting in the driveway of Henry’s small apartment on the outskirts of Moonstone Cove and wishing she could turn all her psychic power off. In the silence of the early evening, she could admit that.

If everything between them had been a lie, she didn’t want to know.

Someone tapped at her window and she started.

“Hey.” It was Henry carrying a bag of groceries. His smile lit up the evening gloom. “This is a nice surprise.”

She opened her door and looked at his blue truck. “Can I help you carry anything in?”

“Nope.” He lifted the paper bag. “It’s just this. What’s up?”

“Do you mind if we…?” She motioned toward the stairs that led to his second-floor apartment.

“No.” He was concerned. “Everything all right?”

“Yeah. I mean… I’m sure it is.” There had to be a good explanation. A logical one. There had to be.

This was Henry. And Henry was good.

“Okay.” He looked confused but still happy. “Come on up.”

She walked up the stairs and squeezed into a corner of the landing while he opened the door. He hadn’t even locked it.

Typical, trusting Henry.

“Woof!” Earl’s deep-throated bark greeted them as the door opened.

Okay, maybe not all trust. Any burglar who ventured into Henry’s house would be greeted with a hundred pounds of awkward canine. Toni knew Earl