Just a Kiss: The Single Girls Wine Club (A Wine Country Romance #1) by Kate Kisset Page A

bumped her with her hip. “Take ‘em off and turn around,” she said directly into her ear. “Now…”
    Sarah shut the water off, shook her hands, and removed the gloves. She shot a smirk at Juliet and turned to find Lulu, Danica and Jamie standing there, staring at her. Danica seemed frozen in the middle of the room holding a dirty serving platter. Lulu looked flustered holding a hammer in one hand and her grapevine wreath in the other. Jamie stood behind her.
    “I tried to call.” He inched into the room closer to Sarah, turning to Lulu as if he owed her an explanation. “Sarah, your phone is off.”
    Lulu gripped her wreath like a gunslinger, cocked her head and leveled an unflinching glare at him. It got very quiet. The women’s eyes were on Sarah.
    “Jamie, you’ve met Lulu,” she said. “Lulu, this is Jamie Santino.”
    “Met? He scared me to death.” She harrumphed. “Sneaking up on an old woman like that in the dark…up on a ladder. I could’ve cracked my skull.”
    “I’m sorry about that. I didn’t mean to scare you,” Jamie said.
    Juliet’s eyes got big. “Lulu, we told you we'd help you with the ladder.”
    Danica frowned in Lulu’s direction.
    “Jamie, you know Danica and Juliet,” Sarah said.
    They each nodded to him, but no one spoke. No one moved.
    “Danica, are you going to put that platter down?” Sarah asked and turned to Jamie. “Would you like to sit?”
    “No, thank you. This won’t take long. I planned to ask you today, but since you didn’t come to work…” He glanced at the other women’s unmoving stares. “I thought you might like to come to the house tomorrow.”
    Sarah shook her head. “No, thanks.”
    “My father and Michael are releasing the new Estate Cabernet. The whole family will be there." Jamie cast his eyes down.
    Sarah bore her gaze into him and crossed her arms.
    “What I mean to say is…um…there will be a lot of people there, it’s going to be a huge party. I think you’d have a lot of fun. Sarah?” he asked.
    Danica, Juliet, and Lulu turned their heads from Jamie to Sarah in unison like they were watching a tennis match.
    “Probably not a good idea,” Sarah said.
    All eyes went back to Jamie.
    “Of course, you're all invited.” Jamie smiled at Lulu, who gave him nothing but an icy stare. He looked at Juliet, who gave him no response and then turned to Danica’s excited grin.
    “That would be fantastic!” Danica beamed. “Thank you so much for inviting me…us. Juliet, you don’t have any plans tomorrow, right?”
    Juliet threw a pleading look at Sarah, shrugged and waited.
    “Okay.” Sarah let out a heavy sigh. “Sure, why not…if we’re all invited.”
    Jamie's shoulders relaxed. “Wonderful, The event starts at four, but you can come anytime.”
    “Four thirtyish?” Sarah asked.
    “Perfect.” Jamie turned to Juliet. “Can you make it?”
    She nodded. “Yeah, okay.”
    “Will there be any single men?” Lulu asked. “My age?”
    “Of course. All of my uncles will be there,” Jamie said. “You can have your pick.”
    “Then it looks like you can add four to your big party list.” Lulu still wasn’t smiling. “Let me walk you to the door.”
    “So I’ll see you tomorrow Sarah?” Jamie started to step toward her and stopped.
    Sarah readjusted her crossed arms.
    He shook his head and lifted his hands like he was carrying something heavy. “Tomorrow? Sarah?”
    “I told you I’d be there.”
    “Good,” Jamie said under his breath, following Lulu out of the kitchen.
    “My head could’ve splattered like a watermelon,” Lulu’s scolding tone rang through the hall. “You wouldn’t have felt so dandy with my brain guts all over the porch now would you? I’m not a young woman you know.”
    The women didn’t say anything until they were sure Lulu and Jamie were out of earshot.
    Danica shrieked, “Do you believe it?”
    “I can’t believe Lulu,” Juliet said. “She’s so protective.”
    “I know, but