Let It Breathe by Fenske Tawna

Author:Fenske, Tawna [Fenske, Tawna]
Language: eng
Format: azw3, mobi, epub
Published: 2016-03-21T16:00:00+00:00

“This cheese really tastes amazing, don’t you think?”

Reese smiled up at Wally and nodded. “It’s terrific. Pairs great with the Chardonnay from Firesteed, though I think their ’15 would have been an even better match than the ’14.”

Wally shook his head and smiled. “I’ll take your word for it.”

“Sorry,” Reese said. “I didn’t mean to tempt you or anything.”

“No, it’s totally fine. I do drink occasionally, just not tonight when I’m driving.”

“You drink? But I thought—”

“I’m not an alcoholic,” he said. “I just have a lot of acquaintances in recovery. My partner, my dad, several friends.”

“Partner?”

He grinned and plucked a piece of cheese off a passing tray. “Veterinary partner, not life partner. I’m single, in case you weren’t clear on that. And straight.”

Reese felt her cheeks grow warm as she stopped to admire a large painting. “This one is really beautiful.”

“Mmm,” Wally said, popping the cheese in his mouth as he looked up at the chaotic assembly of colorful brushstrokes. “It is. So are you. Really, I thought you were attractive out at the farm the other day, but seeing you dressed up like this—”

“Thank you,” Reese said, flushing again. She caught sight of herself in the mirror by the door and made a mental note to thank Larissa. The simple black dress and tall boots gave her a streamlined, elegant look, while the French twist in her hair and the smoky liner around her eyes completed the ensemble. Her cousin might have her faults, but she also had some great clothes.

“That’s quite a menagerie you have out at the vineyard,” Wally said. “Have you always been so interested in animals?”

“Pretty much,” Reese said. “I got serious about it in college, though. Clay was always bringing me broken animals to fix, so I got certified to do the rehab thing through the Department of Fish and Wildlife.”

“So Clay is someone you’ve known awhile?”

Reese opened her mouth to say something, not sure how much to volunteer. She was saved the trouble of figuring it out when a male voice interrupted.

“Hey, you’re Axl’s granddaughter!”

Reese spun around to see a buxom woman with a towering silver beehive hairdo and a streak of bright-pink lipstick somewhere in the vicinity of her mouth. She smiled and held up a tray of hors d’oeuvres.

“Um, hello—” Reese struggled to remember her name. “Frenchie?”

“Francie,” she corrected. “Axl’s main squeeze. Hey, how’s he doing? I tried to go see him at the hospital, but they wouldn’t even confirm he was there. Privacy stuff, you know how it is.”

“Hospital?”

“Yeah, I thought we could have one of them conjugal visits like we did when he was in prison,” she said. “Figured the surgery didn’t sound too bad, and he could just lie there anyway while I did all the work.”

Reese frowned, wondering what the hell she was missing. “Um, I’m sorry, I don’t understand.”

Francie’s face darkened. “You mean Axl ain’t in the hospital?”

Reese bit her lip. “You know, I haven’t seen him for a while,” she backpedaled. “We really aren’t that

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