Love and Chaos: A Growing Pains Novel (19 page)

Cassie had argued that she’d get drunk too fast if she kept their pace.

They agreed, and kept forcing. So, basically, it was the beginning of the end.

Jace sat at the very front of the limo,
and it had been interesting watching him maneuver his huge shoulders and body down the aisle to get there. Demetri and Nick found this hilarious, even though they didn’t have it much easier. They were nearly as tall, and while their shoulders, chest, and back weren’t as built, their middles were much larger.

Someone made the comment that limos were for high-school kids, and that next time, they needed to get a bus.

“Okie dokie, Mill Creek,” Jenn said as they gathered next to the limo.

Jace emerged from the limo like a bear from a den. If he
roared, it would’ve been perfect.

“We ready?”
Jenn glanced up in time for four brothers to crowd around her, squeeze her, and yell, “Photo bomb!”

“Jesus!” She slapped and pushed her way out of the horde. Her fingers curled around the hem of her shirt and she jerked it down. “Really, you guys?”

Laughing, Cassie followed Peter toward the small winery, marveling at a turning mill wheel in a pond just off to the right. “That’s cool.”

Peter nodded as he surveyed the wheel. “Yeah, they did a great job with the rustic feel. My parents are wine club members here.
It’s a family owned winery that constantly gets medals. A lot of the larger wineries over-crush their grapes, giving that weird squeezing feeling at the base of your mouth—isn’t that how you described it?”

“Oh, that’s from
over-crushing? How do you over-crush?”

Peter opened the door and moved as if he would go in—she and he never hung on ceremony. Unfortunately, Jace was right behind them, and he
always
hung on ceremony. Cassie glimpsed a large hand reaching over her shoulder and grabbing Peter by his collar. Jace’s tattooed arm yanked Peter back from the door.

“Holy crap, Jace
—” Cassie turned around, wide-eyed.

Peter, face white and bashful, stood next to a stern faced Jace. Jace explained in two curt words: “Ladies first.”

Cassie raised her hands to her hips in indignation. “He is a grown man, you lummox. How he engages with me is not your business.”

The three of them fell silent for a moment as two other patrons
moved past into the one-room winery. Once again alone on the porch, Cassie finished with, “Butt out.”

Jace stared her down but said nothing.

“Leave it, Cass,” Peter said in a small voice. “This is a family issue. I should’ve known big brother Jason was on duty. He demands people do things his way, or he beats them up. It used to take all of us ganging up on him to go around this type of stuff. Apparently some things haven’t changed.”

Hot pangs of stubbornness fired within Cassie. She slowly crossed her arms over her chest and stared right back at Jace. “He goes first, or I go nowhere. This is none of your business.”

“Ah come on,
really
you guys?” Peter hung his head. “Cassie, just go in,
please?
Don’t do the stubborn thing.”

Cassie couldn’t help her chin lift
ing incrementally.

Jace stared.

Cassie stared back.

A small smile curved
Jace’s full lips. A shadow appeared for his dimple.

Peter heaved a huge sigh…and fell forward when Jace suddenly released his collar. A tiny nod from Jace meant Peter could do as he wished.

Peter, disbelieving, stared at Cassie with wonder in his eyes. She jerked her head toward the door. “Go.”

“Well now you’re in the lead. So you go. That’s how we always—“

The rush of anger must’ve shown in her gaze, because Peter shut up and took two quick steps toward the door. Cassie heard the door shut behind him, but still she stared in defiance at the pushy S.O.B. in front of her.

“That made me look stupid, because you made him look stupid. Please don’t do that,” she said in a firm voice.

Jace studied her for a beat too long before acceding with a slight bow. “As you command.”

“Yeah.” Cassie
tilted her head downward, playing the part. “You’re damn right. And you’re forgiven.”

A smile peeked through
Jace’s countenance. His eyes twinkled. “I didn’t apologize.”

“I’ll just pretend like you did. As you were.” She let her hand kind of float in the air like a queen might before turning toward the door. But she didn’t reach for the handle. She waited.

On cue, Jace stepped forward in that powerful but graceful way he had, a natural athlete, and swung open the door, waiting for her to go through. Then laughed when she raised her head like royalty, and did just that.

Don’t bully a McAdams—we push back.

The giggle ruined her tough façade.

Cassie handed over her credit card as Peter leaned against the counter next to her.
He shook his head at her purchase, “We have three more wineries, sweetie. You know this, right?”

They’d had an outrageously fun tasting. The people at Mill Creek wer
e so friendly and down-to-earth—not at all snobby, but just as knowledgeable. The woman and man helping them, one of which was the owner, laughed and joked, and answered any questions, or told a bit about the wine, when asked. Likewise, Cassie and the whole crew laughed and had a great time, each marveling over the wine, and even including two other random people who happened to be in the tasting room with them.

“You know as well as I do that Krista, Kate
, and Jasmine are going to
rock
into this wine. And then Sean will want some for their wine cellar…don’t worry, I know what I’m doing.”

Peter smiled and leaned his head to her shoulder for a moment. “This is fun. It’s the most fun I’ve had
at a reunion.”

Cassie surveyed
him through a fog of buzz. “You’re definitely a lot more relaxed. And yourself.”

Peter glanced behind them,
and Cassie followed his gaze. Through the windows, it appeared the three brothers were outside on the porch photo bombing the wives and daring each other to bend over to splash the water. Cassie could hear the laughter from inside.

“
Jenn and Rachel are being really inclusive. I almost wonder…if they know. Do you think they know?” Peter asked with an apprehensive voice.

Cassie shrugged as the woman behind the counter rang her up. “They’re probably just responding to your personality. You’re infectious when you have fun. Like your brothers.”

Peter nodded solemnly as his gaze tracked the merriment outside. “Jace has opened up, too. Way up. Sometimes, like now, he’s almost back to the guy I remember as a kid. He’s still really subdued most the time, though.”

Cassie whipped her head around so hard she got dizzy. “
Subdued?
He photo bombed the owner’s dog ten minutes ago!”

Peter started laughing. “I said
most
times he’s still subdued.”

Cassie cou
ldn’t help her grin. “Well, I’m glad you all are having fun.”

“And how about you? Fun?”

Cassie signed her name and reached for the box.

“Are you serious?” Peter shoved her out of the way and took the box. “Jace would throw me into the water if I made you carry this.”

“I’m having fun. Lots of it! But I’m definitely kind of…” She paused, not really knowing how to put the strange emotions into words. She felt like an outcast, kind of. It was such a tight-knit family, and they got along so well. With Peter being welcomed into the fold, but not pulling her along behind—which obviously wasn’t his fault since they weren’t together for realsies—she felt…kind of forgotten. Kind of on the outside. It jived perfectly with how she was feeling in life—just kind of…drifting. Separate.

Peter hesitated near the door, his cut arms showing through his shirt. He stared down at her with warm eyes, waiting for her to finish. He was so sensitive and caring
, such a wonderful guy. He deserved this foothold into, hopefully, a more complete life.

She traced his muscles, just because they were there and she could, before patting him and throwing him a smile. “I’
m having fun!”

Still Peter stared, something he must’ve gotten from big brot
her Jace. He was about to push when the door swung open.

“What’s up twig arms? You need help?” Demetri put his phone into Peter’s face. “
Bink.”

“
Bink?” Peter asked, walking forward. The phone bumped off his nose. “Would you back up, Demetri? Cassie will flip out if I break all her wine.”

Demetri swung the phone on a straight arm into Cassie’s face. “Care to comment on the probability of
Squirt
dropping your wine?”

“Jace, this man is not letting me out,” Cassie called, throwing the camera a
malicious grin.

“
Bink.” Demetri tapped the phone with his thumb before dropping it to his side. “Well played.”

“What’s up?”
Jace’s girth filled the opening of the door, jostling Demetri.

“I was just helping these fine ladies to the car,” Demetri said, shooing Jace out of the way. “Excuse me, sir, important alcoholic progression coming through.”

Nick stuck his head in through the opening beside Jace. A phone came up between the crack of Jace’s hip and the door. “Cheese!”

“Someone’s trying to get in
, you guys!” Rachel called.

Jace and Nick backed out of the doorway, and then stepped way back as two elderly
people came up the stairs. Demetri grabbed the box of wine from Peter, and then swiveled, passing it to Jace. Jace stepped forward to take it without thought or comment, simply because it was handed to him.

Demetri gave Cassie a triumphant smile. “And
that’s
how it’s done.”

“Get out of the way, Demetri,”
Jace demanded.

“It’s only going to get messier from here on out,” Peter said quietly as they waited for the elderly
people to come through before making their way to the limo.

Cassie had figured the same thing. She was on the brink as it was, balancing precariously between sober and drunk, happy and hazy. One more car ride, with the bottle of wine that was sure to be opened and forced on everyone, happy and hazy would turn into crazy and skewed.

“I’m not a very calm drunk,” she said in a worried voice.

Peter glanced over at her as they neared the limo. “
Does my family seem like the calm and self-respecting type?”

“No we do not, sir.” Demetri ducked into the limo ahead of them. “No self-respect whatsoever.”

Cassie wasn’t so sure. She lost all boundaries when she got into the party mood. All boundaries.

Peter stood at the counter next to Rachel and
Jenn at the next winery they visited. It was a large tasting room, with three counters forming an open square, enclosing the pourers in the middle. A larger business that attracted more tourists than the smaller establishments, this winery had tasters lining the counters on all three sides, the four pourers hustling and chatting, selling their product as best they could while trying not to appear hurried.

Peter and the gang had all started on the north counter where there was just enough space for them to spread out. Soon, though, as the crowd moved and shifted, it got harder to have a home on one’s own counter space. Add to that encroaching drunkenness, and their pack of tasters divided into smaller groups.

Peter had started next to Cassie, but after the tasting, she’d gone to the restroom, and then stepped outside to make some notes for her column. Nick and Demetri wanted to look at some paintings and other merchandise the winery sold, so stepped away to do that while the wives organized wine purchases. Jace leaned against the counter at the end, having already bought his wine and now staring out through the open doorway, seemingly unfocused.

“Are you getting anything?”
Jenn asked, drawing Peter’s attention. Rachel stood to her other side.

Light and carefree, he waved his hand through the air. “My roommate would kill me if I brought home any more wine. We don’t have enough room for what we have.”

“Where’s Cassie?” Rachel asked, handing over a credit card to a smiling winery worker.

Both women turned to regard h
im. “Outside. She had to do something for her work. She’ll be back in in a minute to buy.”

They both nodded. Only
Jenn glanced down the counter to Jace, now leaning heavily on his elbows, head bowed, looking more than a little uncomfortable. Peter’s heart sank, as it had been doing constantly these last couple days.