Just a Kiss: The Single Girls Wine Club (A Wine Country Romance #1) by Kate Kisset
Authors: Kate Kisset
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almond, and crispy pecan croissants.
He plodded through the swinging doors and gave the kitchen a once-over. Still no sign of her. He pulled a tray of croissants from the walk-in. He’d have to put them in the display case cold. Sarah would be disappointed if she were there.
While rearranging the pastry case, Jamie kept his gaze on the front door and thought of how much he’d learned from her. He could outmaneuver any order thrown at him. The register, bussing and waiting on tables were a breeze. He could fake his way and answer most questions about any of the ingredients they used. He moved from the case and glanced through the kitchen door windows.
Manny eyed him and shook his head. “Dude, she’s not coming in.”
Lulu Castelli held her pruners and surveyed Sarah. “Don’t just cut off their heads. Pull the whole body off.”
“Where, exactly, do I snip?” Sarah asked.
“These are Johnny Jump Ups, honey,” Lulu knelt next to Sarah and reached over to demonstrate. “See? You just reach down to the plant and snap the whole stem off, head and all.”
The two had spent most of the morning side by side occasionally breaking for small talk, but Sarah enjoyed the quiet companionship. They snapped, plucked, and pulled what remained of Lulu’s summer garden.
“Look at these.” She pointed to a yellow rose bush.
Sarah put her trowel down and walked over to inspect.
“See those little buds?” Lulu asked. “I think we’ll get another bloom. There are still lots of flowers. Plenty of pretty left to go.” She draped her freckled arm around Sarah’s waist and squeezed. “Just like you.”
Sarah cracked a slow smile. “I’ll have to remember that.”
After finishing the gardening chores, Sarah and Lulu moved on to the vineyards to find malleable grapevines to twist and bend into the Thanksgiving wreaths Lulu made every year. Sarah knew Lulu hoped to have at least one completed and hung on the front door by that night and liked being included in the project. It’s not that Lulu replaced Sarah’s mother or grandma in any way, but all of the stories and life lessons she shared with her made her feel so much less alone.
Sarah didn’t know if the Bella Villa household had worked out a plan to cheer her up or it just happened spontaneously, but her mood shifted.
Everyone was home that night and chipped in to help with dinner. Lulu crouched over her craft table off the kitchen, bending over the wreath with her needle-nose pliers while the girls cleaned up.
Danica bought a bottle of La Crema Sonoma Coast Chardonnay. Juliet roasted chicken with lemon and rosemary and Sarah made the chocolate pot de crème for dessert. No one brought up the elephant in the room.
“Nice to see you up and about Sarah.” Juliet carried a stack of plates to the sink.
Danica winked at Juliet and Sarah. “And smiling too.”
“Nothing like a little physical exercise outdoors to shake the cobwebs and give you a fresh perspective.” Lulu got up from her table. “You know what I always say, an idle mind is—”
“The devil’s playground,” the girls said in unison.
Lulu chuckled and strolled out of the kitchen carrying the wreath.
“Don’t use the ladder by yourself, it’s getting dark,” Juliet cautioned.
“I’m just checking the measurements,” Lulu shouted from the hall.
Sarah donned a pair of bright yellow dishwashing gloves and waited for the sink to fill.
Danica finished clearing the table and Juliet swept the floor.
“Sar-ah!” Lulu’s voice rang from down the long hall.
Sarah glanced over her shoulder from the sink.
“Sarah’s doing the dishes, Lulu, what do you need?” Juliet said putting down the broom. Sarah went back to scrubbing the roasting pan. She’d rather think about getting the pan shiny than all of the Jamie –Nikki drama.
Juliet tapped her on the shoulder. “Take the gloves off. Jamie’s here.”
“Yeah right.” Sarah smirked and kept washing the pan.
Juliet
He plodded through the swinging doors and gave the kitchen a once-over. Still no sign of her. He pulled a tray of croissants from the walk-in. He’d have to put them in the display case cold. Sarah would be disappointed if she were there.
While rearranging the pastry case, Jamie kept his gaze on the front door and thought of how much he’d learned from her. He could outmaneuver any order thrown at him. The register, bussing and waiting on tables were a breeze. He could fake his way and answer most questions about any of the ingredients they used. He moved from the case and glanced through the kitchen door windows.
Manny eyed him and shook his head. “Dude, she’s not coming in.”
Lulu Castelli held her pruners and surveyed Sarah. “Don’t just cut off their heads. Pull the whole body off.”
“Where, exactly, do I snip?” Sarah asked.
“These are Johnny Jump Ups, honey,” Lulu knelt next to Sarah and reached over to demonstrate. “See? You just reach down to the plant and snap the whole stem off, head and all.”
The two had spent most of the morning side by side occasionally breaking for small talk, but Sarah enjoyed the quiet companionship. They snapped, plucked, and pulled what remained of Lulu’s summer garden.
“Look at these.” She pointed to a yellow rose bush.
Sarah put her trowel down and walked over to inspect.
“See those little buds?” Lulu asked. “I think we’ll get another bloom. There are still lots of flowers. Plenty of pretty left to go.” She draped her freckled arm around Sarah’s waist and squeezed. “Just like you.”
Sarah cracked a slow smile. “I’ll have to remember that.”
After finishing the gardening chores, Sarah and Lulu moved on to the vineyards to find malleable grapevines to twist and bend into the Thanksgiving wreaths Lulu made every year. Sarah knew Lulu hoped to have at least one completed and hung on the front door by that night and liked being included in the project. It’s not that Lulu replaced Sarah’s mother or grandma in any way, but all of the stories and life lessons she shared with her made her feel so much less alone.
Sarah didn’t know if the Bella Villa household had worked out a plan to cheer her up or it just happened spontaneously, but her mood shifted.
Everyone was home that night and chipped in to help with dinner. Lulu crouched over her craft table off the kitchen, bending over the wreath with her needle-nose pliers while the girls cleaned up.
Danica bought a bottle of La Crema Sonoma Coast Chardonnay. Juliet roasted chicken with lemon and rosemary and Sarah made the chocolate pot de crème for dessert. No one brought up the elephant in the room.
“Nice to see you up and about Sarah.” Juliet carried a stack of plates to the sink.
Danica winked at Juliet and Sarah. “And smiling too.”
“Nothing like a little physical exercise outdoors to shake the cobwebs and give you a fresh perspective.” Lulu got up from her table. “You know what I always say, an idle mind is—”
“The devil’s playground,” the girls said in unison.
Lulu chuckled and strolled out of the kitchen carrying the wreath.
“Don’t use the ladder by yourself, it’s getting dark,” Juliet cautioned.
“I’m just checking the measurements,” Lulu shouted from the hall.
Sarah donned a pair of bright yellow dishwashing gloves and waited for the sink to fill.
Danica finished clearing the table and Juliet swept the floor.
“Sar-ah!” Lulu’s voice rang from down the long hall.
Sarah glanced over her shoulder from the sink.
“Sarah’s doing the dishes, Lulu, what do you need?” Juliet said putting down the broom. Sarah went back to scrubbing the roasting pan. She’d rather think about getting the pan shiny than all of the Jamie –Nikki drama.
Juliet tapped her on the shoulder. “Take the gloves off. Jamie’s here.”
“Yeah right.” Sarah smirked and kept washing the pan.
Juliet
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