is, you can share it with me. We can face it together. Please tell me,” she pleaded gently.
Tanner leaned back and sighed. This wasn’t something he never discussed, ever. And he didn’t want to now. But, Natalie was different than anyone else. He didn’t know why he felt he could tell her, but avoided overanalyzing. He knew she wouldn’t let him keep the secret, and he certainly didn’t want to lose her again.
Tanner looked at the thick carpet, not seeing it. He was lost in a memory and began to talk to her. “I’m not sure I can give you all the details. Unfortuna tely, I was drunk at the time. Although… I don’t even recall drinking… but I must have.
I’d been away on business in North Dakota. There was a small winery there my father had considered acquiring. Briefly, fruit and honey wines were popular, and one winery was making them in the style used by their ancestors.
This particular winery, I don’t recall the name just now, had won medals for their wines, and was getting requests to ship to Napa and Sonoma. It was selling in the bigger tasting rooms. Always looking for something new, my father sent me to check it out in person.
Anyway… as I remember… I made a call to my father, William, to ask a question about the prospective acquisition. At that time, he was still alive, and had been apprenticing me in the business. This was several years before he passed away.
When I called, my stepmother answered. We started fighting. I don’t even remember what it was about now. She always resented me, feeling I wasn’t a rightful heir to the fortune, and knowing I’d inherit anyway. She took every opportunity to make life difficult for me. There was always discord between us.
I was upset by my conversation with her. I do remember that. I was still young and impulsive. Plus, she’s only eleven years older than I, so still pretty young at the time. The call angered me and I took off in my car, driving too fast. I didn’t wait for security, or even tell anyone I was going, or where.
I ended up in a desolate area of North Dakota. I don’t remember much of that. I only remember driving off, in a fit of rage. I don’t know how I even got the alcohol. My memory is occluded. It’s not that I don’t want to remember… I truly do. The details have just never come back to me.
Apparently, I drove to a bar and was drinking bourbon, not my preferred drink even. I picked up a woman, who was alone. Now, that wouldn’t have been odd, except that I allegedly assaulted her, and she later pressed charges. A combination of my anger and the alcohol, I assume.
I honestly don’t remember. But , I was still drunk when I left her. Although, I can’t imagine I left the woman without calling for help, if she was injured. I just don’t know. But later, when she called the police, she claimed that I had done just that – fled the scene.
After I left her, I was speeding and swerved into a tree, which totaled my car and put me in the hospital. Normally, there would have been a tracking device on the vehicle, so my father would have found me as soon as I’d gone missing. But this was a rented vehicle, since I’d been out of town.
I don’t even know what my blood alcohol was. By the time I was found, it was the next day. Fortunately, I didn’t have broken bones. The airbag had deployed, but the impact with the tree had knocked me out. I was unconscious for some period of time.
W hen I became conscious at the scene of the accident, I tried to pull myself from the vehicle, unsuccessfully. Also, I was too far from trafficked areas to be spotted by anyone driving by. My father immediately started a helicopter search. Luckily for me, I was out in the open, although miles away from civilization.
I was hospitalized with a concussion. My father was quite concerned, but the doctors assured him I’d fully recover. I still get frequent headaches, but the doctors don’t know what to do about them. You may have seen the
Tanner leaned back and sighed. This wasn’t something he never discussed, ever. And he didn’t want to now. But, Natalie was different than anyone else. He didn’t know why he felt he could tell her, but avoided overanalyzing. He knew she wouldn’t let him keep the secret, and he certainly didn’t want to lose her again.
Tanner looked at the thick carpet, not seeing it. He was lost in a memory and began to talk to her. “I’m not sure I can give you all the details. Unfortuna tely, I was drunk at the time. Although… I don’t even recall drinking… but I must have.
I’d been away on business in North Dakota. There was a small winery there my father had considered acquiring. Briefly, fruit and honey wines were popular, and one winery was making them in the style used by their ancestors.
This particular winery, I don’t recall the name just now, had won medals for their wines, and was getting requests to ship to Napa and Sonoma. It was selling in the bigger tasting rooms. Always looking for something new, my father sent me to check it out in person.
Anyway… as I remember… I made a call to my father, William, to ask a question about the prospective acquisition. At that time, he was still alive, and had been apprenticing me in the business. This was several years before he passed away.
When I called, my stepmother answered. We started fighting. I don’t even remember what it was about now. She always resented me, feeling I wasn’t a rightful heir to the fortune, and knowing I’d inherit anyway. She took every opportunity to make life difficult for me. There was always discord between us.
I was upset by my conversation with her. I do remember that. I was still young and impulsive. Plus, she’s only eleven years older than I, so still pretty young at the time. The call angered me and I took off in my car, driving too fast. I didn’t wait for security, or even tell anyone I was going, or where.
I ended up in a desolate area of North Dakota. I don’t remember much of that. I only remember driving off, in a fit of rage. I don’t know how I even got the alcohol. My memory is occluded. It’s not that I don’t want to remember… I truly do. The details have just never come back to me.
Apparently, I drove to a bar and was drinking bourbon, not my preferred drink even. I picked up a woman, who was alone. Now, that wouldn’t have been odd, except that I allegedly assaulted her, and she later pressed charges. A combination of my anger and the alcohol, I assume.
I honestly don’t remember. But , I was still drunk when I left her. Although, I can’t imagine I left the woman without calling for help, if she was injured. I just don’t know. But later, when she called the police, she claimed that I had done just that – fled the scene.
After I left her, I was speeding and swerved into a tree, which totaled my car and put me in the hospital. Normally, there would have been a tracking device on the vehicle, so my father would have found me as soon as I’d gone missing. But this was a rented vehicle, since I’d been out of town.
I don’t even know what my blood alcohol was. By the time I was found, it was the next day. Fortunately, I didn’t have broken bones. The airbag had deployed, but the impact with the tree had knocked me out. I was unconscious for some period of time.
W hen I became conscious at the scene of the accident, I tried to pull myself from the vehicle, unsuccessfully. Also, I was too far from trafficked areas to be spotted by anyone driving by. My father immediately started a helicopter search. Luckily for me, I was out in the open, although miles away from civilization.
I was hospitalized with a concussion. My father was quite concerned, but the doctors assured him I’d fully recover. I still get frequent headaches, but the doctors don’t know what to do about them. You may have seen the
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