Crushing (The Southern California Wine Country Series) (15 page)

Julie collected wine glasses and filled the sink. She asked, “I saw the band
Zinc Penny
up on the entertainment schedule board - what kind of music do they play?”

Amanda took the clean glasses and put them away. “That’s Kyle.”

“Oh! He has a new band? That’s great he’s well enough to play again.”

Amanda nodded, a grin widening over her face as she thought of Kyle and his fingers caressing her skin, “I think he sounds great, even though he tells me he is not fully back. He’s happy. It’s just him in the band. He’s always used a penny for a guitar pick so I suggested the new name.”

“What happened to the rest of his band?”

“They left him after he got injured. I guess they are on some bar circuit, traveling around. Kyle has not talked to his brother in weeks. Just like I haven’t talked with my mother.”

“You haven’t talked with your mother in
weeks
?” Julie ran the water in the sink, “I talk with my mother every day. Sometimes more than one call a day.”

“I’ll call her eventually. But not yet.”

“I can’t imagine.”

“Did your mother lie to you about your father your whole life? Did your father fear to see you? Fear your mother more than his desire to see you? I have a right to be a little pissed off about that.”

Julie paused with the bottle of soap in her hand. “I guess when you say it that way …” She squirted a stream of soap into the water. She changed the conversation, “Did Kyle get another car?”

“No car. I’m still driving him, but at least I have Kyle again. He wants to get a small motorcycle soon, something inexpensive. He found a room upstairs from a store. He trades unloading their trucks in the mornings so he has his afternoons and evenings free to play guitar. The store owners are elderly and they get appliance deliveries they need him to unload and muscle around –”

Julie looked far off and sighed, “I’d like to be a hot stove that got muscled around …”

Amanda said, “You’re funny. I’m keeping him though.”

“Hello, girls!” Kyle said as he walked into the tasting room. His damaged hand held the neck of his guitar. Julie blushed, fearful he might have heard. Kyle lingered before Amanda, “Looks like you two are ready to knock out a lot of heartache. That is a hot shirt you have Julie. And you, Amanda … I –”

“You’re lucky only a few customers are here and still poke around in the gift shop.” Amanda tapped the top of the tasting bar, a sly smile twisting her mouth.

“I’ll just be outside setting up. You know, over there, if you want to talk.” He spun toward the great doors and the patio, “Easy setup these days. Especially since I can borrow the winery’s spare amp.”

-:-:-:- -:-:-:-

Kyle’s guitar chords first whispered across the patio but they burst through a change in octaves that pulled everyone’s attention away from their conversations and wine. His voice wove through the notes and tugged at Amanda. Her chest heaved while the rumble of his song vibrated down her whole body hitting a resonance she never knew. The music gripped and jerked her. She realized the words in his song were her words, rearranged and packaged in his gritty sound, but so much more fabulous than she could imagine. Her lyrics had power and presence now. She looked at Kyle and saw his eyes on her, his beautiful eyes along with his beautiful voice and his beautiful music. Those fingers that effortlessly moved across the strings and up and down the frets touching perfect pitch.

The gathering of wine tasters migrated to the patio and seemed to forget their prior minor conversations to listen to his music. Not until he took a small break did the customers draw away for refills and chatted around the torches that gave both light and heat about the amazing music. Women surrounded Kyle to inquire if he had any music disks he might be selling, or an Internet site where he offered his music. Amanda could see him shaking his head and saying he just started with this new material and how flattered he was of their interest.

-:-:-:- -:-:-:-

Kyle said, “I’m planning on selling music but I’m still writing it. Amber Mountain will be the first place I put any recordings for sale. So watch the gift shop.”

Martin walked up to Kyle, “We are ready for the grape crushing activity.”

Kyle said, “Sure, Martin. Are they bringing everything up here?”

Martin turned to point at the far end of the patio, “Victor and Walter are bringing up the materials now.”

Both of them had returned from working in the field. Still sweaty, Victor wore a threadbare flannel shirt and rough-worn contractor’s boots while Walter had his blue button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled above his elbows. They pushed a heavy wheeled trolley until pausing near Kyle’s stage. They set the bottom quarter ends of wine barrels in a row on the patio. They laid down mats in front of the barrels and then disappeared. They brought over another cart full of grape bins fresh from the morning’s harvest and stacked the bins behind each of the barrels. Several of the winery staff came out carrying big fresh towels and placed them on the corners of the mats.

Martin took the microphone from Kyle’s stand and said, “At Amber Mountain Winery we have an old tradition,” He smiled, “For those that are not regulars, we’ve been open a year now.” He turned and waved at the tubs, “During our harvest we stomp a portion of our grapes in the old ways – with our feet!”

Everyone watched as Victor poured grapes into the bottoms of the open barrels.

Martin said, “Some of our lovely staff has not participated since they were newly hired, being their first harvest with us. Amber? Julie? The others will cover the tasting bar.” He turned back to the audience, “If any of our guests are curious about trying this, come right up. Plenty of space and we have many grapes. Don’t be bashful.” Martin surveyed the guests. “Friends and spouses, nudge them a little. We have stickers for you that say,” he held up an example, “
Be nice to me, I stomped the grapes in your wine.
” Everyone laughed. Martin gave the microphone back to Kyle.

Kyle started a plucky dance tune from the thirties while Martin put the microphone back into Kyle’s stand. Martin kept the beat with clapping that the other guests picked up and soon barefoot women of all ages surrounded the barrels. Martin held Amber and Julie’s hands to help them balance as they stepped into the first barrel, giggling as they sank into the soft berries. Kyle leaned into the microphone, “Don’t be shy.” The women stepped into the barrels laughing and shrieking when the berries burst under their toes. Kyle increased the volume of his playing and everyone danced, spinning and laughing.

When the volunteers dwindled, Kyle shifted back to his own music and hit songs to again bring dancers to the patio. The dancers melded onto the patio and spun in the flickering lights, many of them still barefoot and wearing grape leaves twined in their hair like pagan dryads dancing the night into bliss.

-:-:-:- -:-:-:-

The applause from Kyle’s finished song faded. “I wanted to take a pause in my program tonight. Some of you recognize me from my prior band; I recently started up this new band of one,
Zinc Penny
. The interesting note is while I put all the music together; Amanda, over there behind the tasting bar, she wrote all the lyrics. My music inspiration came from her words. Can everyone give a big round of applause to Amanda? She needs to come up here on my little stage. I need her help with this next song.” Kyle saw Amanda shaking her head. “C’mon Amanda. I can’t do this next song without you.” Julie elbowed Amanda and flicked her fingers for Amanda to go. Kyle kept softly strumming a few chords. Amanda undid her apron and walked across the patio. “She’s reluctant, but she’s brave.” Kyle changed the chords. “Sing with me Amanda,” his voice filled in the words to the song she wrote about the vineyard at dawn, he turned to her to sing the chorus. He smiled at her as if the love of the whole world came through him as she sang. The song finished and she started to retreat during the loud applause. “Stay right there, Amanda. I have a little story. I recently got a tiny apartment over an appliance store in Old Town Temecula. The owners of the shop are elderly and they have been married for fifty or sixty years. They need help to move appliances. They work hard in their shop and I see the teamwork they put together in their business and each other. It is inspiring and more than my experience with my own parents. They and Amanda altered my perspective.” Kyle looked over the audience and changed chords. Kyle knelt down before Amanda and sang,

“
Will you love me in joy and sorrow?

Until our days are old and gray?

Will you let make you happy for-ev-er?”

Amanda … w
ill you … marry me
?”

Kyle’s guitar sustained one long note. His strumming hand opened with a little black velvet box that he flipped open with his thumb. He had woven guitar wire into a ring. He looked into her face and hoped he could keep away his own history, avoid the pettiness of the father that threw away his two sons. He hoped he could be a better man for Amanda. He hoped that somehow he would find success that would match her. Can I escape my troubled past? I am yours, for as long as you can stand my crazy songs and me.

Amanda looked at Kyle in surprise. She had never expected this. Her mind raced back through the years to determine her mother’s age when she married, and then divorced. Her mind reeled. What about college and her career, which she had not figured out yet. Could she adjust?

The crowd yelled for her to make up her mind, to say yes, how could she say anything other than yes?

Amanda was not ready for this. Is anyone ever? She looked at his face and those arms that she knew could hold her tight forever. Her fingers touched his fingers. Her head nodded and her mouth blurted out “Yes! Yes, I will marry you Kyle Doukay.” All the wedding dresses she ever thought of as a child flashed through her mind, the faceless manikin that always stood in for her husband in those dreams replaced by the glowing vision of this musician. The smile on his face made her body sing.

The audience clapped furiously and congratulated Amanda and Kyle. Telling them how they will be such a lovely couple. They said their children would be beautiful. Amanda had not thought that much of the future through in those seconds before agreeing. A moment came where she thought she might lose her breath.

A guest in a loud Hawaiian shirt pushed through the people congratulating the couple. He wore deck shoes and a pair of baggy brown khakis. He held a card out for both Kyle and Amanda. “I’m Joseph Montgomery, head of
The Independent LA Music Group
. I like your sound. Since I’ve heard you here now twice I thought I better talk with you before I became too much of a fan.” He laughed. “Come down to my office next week, Sally my secretary will set up the time when you call the number on the card, but I want the rest of my team to hear you. Bring your guitar. You have a great sound and a vibe that we can help you record and market. Certainly much better terms than you can get anywhere else. We will put you out on the Internet and radio airplay. However, we can discuss details next week. Congratulations on finding each other.” He nodded to Amanda, “I’ll see you next week, great show.” He faded into the crowd.

Kyle turned to Amanda, “I know that company – they completely changed the way music is bought and sold and marketed.” He squeezed the card in his fingers, “This is amazing!”

Amanda smiled and hugged Kyle, “I get first dibs because I saw in you what the world had not figured out yet.”

Kyle smiled at the amazing woman who agreed to be part of his journey. He suggested, “Are you going to finally call your mother?”

“Maybe.”

“You need to forgive her.”

“I know. I should.”

“Do it now. Tell her our good news. And think about your father too.”

“You need to forgive Sardis and your father, too.” Amanda released Kyle, “But you better get back to singing so we make sure we maintain that interest you’ve generated.”

Kyle nodded with a sharp strike of a guitar chord, he leaned into the microphone, “Everyone, this next one is also a brand new song.”

Amanda leaned against Kyle. The sky remained clear and the temperature of the day had chilled but still a warm breeze lifted the grape leaves into pleasant rolling waves that comforted the winery. Amanda nestled deeper into Kyle’s chest gathering his radiated warmth, love, and hope. His strength flooded her with happiness. They were the only two remaining at the winery, standing on the patio. The guests left hours ago and the winery workers finished cleaning up and already departed for their homes.

Kyle said, “You look like you had a good day today.”

“I did.” Amanda squeezed Kyle, “Because of you.”

“Did you want to set a wedding date?”

“Tomorrow or the next day we’ll talk about when, and where.” She looked around them. “I love the peacefulness of the vineyards stretching to the horizons. A wedding here would be beautiful.” She knew how spectacular winery weddings could be after working several though the summer.

“Let’s see if we can sell a few songs.” Kyle laughed, “Or we might be eloping to Vegas.”

“That would be fine, too.” She knew the winery could remain a great dream. “I just want to stay here with you, forever.”
Because I found my True Love
.

“You might get sleepy.”

“As long as my prince wakes me from my dreams with kisses.” Amanda looked into Kyle’s glittering eyes, reflecting the starlight, his shoulders backed by the solid mountain to the south that hovered at the edge of the horizon – glowing with golden promises. “Kiss me.”