Entangled (A Tangle Valley Romance #1) - Melissa Brayden Page 0,1
she told him, “but we picked up once the sun finally came out. Both Loretta and I had our hands full when the tour bus stopped in at eleven thirty like clockwork.” They expected one to two buses a day minimum. More on the weekends. “But we sold a ton of bottles. One couple ordered a case of the dolcetto to be shipped to Altoona.”
He set down his guitar and sipped his wine. “Pinot noir is the star of this place, but man, when folks latch on to the dolcetto, they really latch on.”
“It has its own fan club. It’s the black cherry. Gets ’em every time.” She paused. “Speaking of which, have you given any thought to that restaurant idea I proposed, what was it…oh yes, over a month ago now?” She held up a hand before he could start in, moving toward him with purpose, ready to plead her case and have her voice heard. Joey came up with a lot of ideas for the vineyard, imagining all the great ways they could make the place shine. It didn’t have to be all about the wine, and the wine only. She wanted the experience at Tangle Valley to be a memorable one. Their vineyard, in a sea of hundreds in the area, should be the one you couldn’t miss. She took a seat on the worn-in leather sofa. “I know a restaurant would do well here and keep people talking about this place. The more foot traffic we have, the bigger the buzz, the larger our reach. People talking about us on the internet is the best form of marketing on the planet. Just think of the Instagram photos of the food alone.”
He sighed. “Is this really something you’re serious about? An actual restaurant. We make fantastic wine.”
“True. But farming in the age of climate change is not always predictable. A restaurant can help us take in more money. You said yourself we could use a boost in that department.”
“Yeah, but a restaurant? I thought maybe you’d moved past that by now.”
“Nope. I have other ideas, too.” She fought the urge to drag her notebook out of her bag and outline them in detail. One thing at a time, she reminded herself.
He chuckled. “When is that busy brain of yours not churning is the real question.”
“Don’t mock me for my dreams, Dad,” Joey said with a dramatic hand to her side. “What would my mother say?”
Jack looked skyward and blew a kiss up to heaven. “She’d bust me for busting on her precious little girl. The two of you used to gang up on me when you wanted something.”
“See? Listen to Mom and give me what I want.”
“Another verse? Well, okay!” He grabbed his guitar and burst into another round of “Rainbow Connection,” purposely off-key and painful.
Joey covered her eyes and waited him out. “Okay. No more wine for you.”
He scoffed. “You can’t cut this old man off. I know where we keep it. Take that and I’ll grow more.” He watched as Joey stood and grabbed her jacket. “You headed home?”
Joey nodded. “Told Loretta I’d open up, and she could join me later. She’s been pulling a lot of hours, and she needs a break.”
“She’s a keeper, that one. How many years has she worked here now?”
Joey did the math. “It’s been about twenty-two, I think.”
“She’ll always have a place here as far as I’m concerned.” He whistled low. “That one’s family.”
“She is.” Joey touched her heart. She’d grown up without her own mother past the age of eight, when they’d lost her to cancer that had taken her way too fast. Loretta Daniel had shown up halfway through Joey’s childhood, hired to help pour wine in the tasting room. She’d been a nice addition to the vineyard and a calming presence in Joey’s life. She had her own daughter, Carly, who was a little bit younger than Joey, but Loretta had gone out of her way to be there for Joey as well.
With a full heart, Joey kissed her father’s cheek with a playful smack. “Thanks for the grub. Don’t stay up late. And don’t have more than two glasses.”
“You’re a bossy kid. Who raised you?”
“You don’t even want to know. And think about the restaurant. I’m serious. This could be a really great thing for all of us.”
“I promise.” He sighed in surrender. “If we can figure out the logistics, might be a good move in the long run, especially with the damn hotel going