“Of course we’re thrilled!” Jade says. “We’d have liked to have been there, of course, but it’s great timing. Everyone’s still home from the family meeting. We’ll have a reception for all of you tomorrow night.”
“You don’t have to go to all that trouble, Mrs. Steel,” Mom says.
“Please, it’s Jade. And you’re family now. It’s no trouble at all. Marj and I love to plan parties.”
“Marj?” Mom asks.
“My sister-in-law. Dale’s aunt. She and I are the party planners. I can’t wait to tell her.”
“Congratulations, son.” Talon pulls Dale into a fatherly bear hug. Then he whispers something into his ear.
I’ll ask him about that later.
“Dee and Bree are in town for dinner tonight,” Jade says. “I’ll text them to come home right away. I’ve got to tell everyone. This is so exciting!”
“Brace yourself,” I say to Mom and Dennis. “This family is huge.”
“The more the merrier.” Mom smiles radiantly. So far, marriage shines on her. I’m so happy that she’s happy.
Dennis is a nice guy, from what I’ve seen. He’s nice and funny and looks at Mom the way Dale looks at me.
Perfect.
“Are you hungry?” Jade asks. “We have plenty. Darla’s already gone home, but I make a mean grilled cheese and tomato sandwich.”
“We’re fine, thank you,” Mom says. “We stopped for dinner in Grand Junction.”
“Wonderful. Then let me show you to your room.”
“They’re staying with us,” Dale says.
“Nonsense. Our place is a lot bigger. The rooms are a lot bigger.”
“Jade,” I say, “we didn’t give you any notice.”
“It’s no problem.” She winks at me. “Though I understand.”
Good. I don’t want to put Mom and Dennis into the position of staying with someone they just met.
We say our goodbyes, take Penny, who stayed at the main house while Dale was gone, and drive to Dale’s place.
Mom and Dennis get settled, and Dale and I unpack in the master suite.
Wow. I live here now. This is my bedroom.
Dale wanted to say something to me last night. Something about his past.
Don’t push.
Jade’s warning.
But I’m his wife now.
Still… Does that matter?
I won’t push him.
I can’t.
I work with Ryan and Dale in the winery the next day. The mechanical crushers are crushing the harvested Syrah for the old vine. Production is changed to accommodate half the allotted grapes due to the loss from the fire.
I can’t help but think of the old traditional crushing done by barefooted crushers. I’ve always wondered what that feels like.
“Wouldn’t that be fun?” I say to Dale and Ryan.
“It’s a lot more work than you think it is,” Dale says.
“How do you know? Have you ever done it?”
“Of course not.”
“I rest my case.”
“Your feet would be permanently dyed purple,” Ryan adds.
“Wouldn’t bother me,” I say indignantly.
“Why are you two here, anyway?” Ryan asks. “Shouldn’t you be honeymooning?”
“Ashley insisted,” Dale says. “She’s determined not to take any more time off from her internship.”
“And I suppose you told her that since she’s a Steel now, she’s no longer bound—”
“Yes, yes, he told me all that,” I say. “But I follow through on my commitments. It’s a White trait.”
“Good enough,” Ryan says.
I can’t wipe the ridiculous smile off my face. I’m married to the man of my dreams, and we’re making wine. We’re making wine! I know all about the process. Once the grapes are crushed and the juice is extracted, fermentation will begin. This is where the magic happens. If left alone, the wild yeasts in the air will start fermentation within about twelve hours, but winemakers often intervene by inoculating the must to introduce a strain that will better predict what kind of wine the juice produces. I’m excited to see Dale and Ryan at work here. What will they do? How will they manipulate the fermentation? I pepper them with questions.
“How long will you ferment?” I ask.
“Until all the sugar is converted to alcohol,” Dale says. “I want the driest wine possible. It takes about a month, usually.”
“Are you using ICV isolates?” I ask.
“Someone’s done her homework.” Ryan winks at me.
“I am almost a doctor of wine, after all,” I taunt him. “D254, then?”
“I’m not that predictable,” Dale says.
“You’re really not using D254?” I ask. “That’s the most popular strain to use with Syrah for that lushness in the mouth.”
“It is,” he agrees, “but I choose to make my wines a little less ordinary.”
I can’t help smiling at the burst of pride I feel for my husband. He’s truly a genius at this. He knows things I can never learn in a classroom. He’s in his element here, creating. For a moment, I almost think he’s forgotten that this is only half of what he expected to harvest this season.
“I hope you’re planning to leave early,” Ryan interrupts. “I am, for the big party tonight.”
Dale goes rigid.
I’ve seen this side of him before. Anytime there’s a big party. It’s not his thing.
Of course, I love parties. I shrug. Opposites attract, they always say.
The whirring of the crushers as they’re extracting juice from the Syrah grapes mesmerizes me.
Tomorrow, I’ll truly see Dale in action. I’ll watch him choose the strains of yeast, and I’ll learn the Steel secrets. For this is Dale’s wine. Ryan already gave him control over the old-vine Syrah. After this season, Dale will have control over everything after Ryan retires.
I’ll be mistress of Steel Vineyards.
Still seems unreal yet very real, if that makes any sense at all.
This is a wonderful day.
And tonight…we celebrate.