The Winemaker's Dinner: Entrée (22 page)

Isn’t their happiness
worth more than
a drunken mistake?

We deserve to be happy
, Jaden told herself as she stood and retrieved her bag from the overhead compartment. For God’s sake, she couldn’t even remember her night with Damian. It meant nothing. Just a terrible mistake. Confident once again, she exited the plane and headed into the terminal.

She burst through the doors and past security, where she was certain Ivan would be waiting for her with flowers in hand, a box of chocolates, or some other little token of affection. She prepared herself to react naturally when she saw him, but she looked around and was greeted by…no one? No flowers, no chocolate, and no Ivan anywhere to be seen. Fear crept up her spine. Did he find out and decide not to come? Oh, God. Why else would he not be here? Terrified, Jaden froze, blocking the way of the exiting travelers behind her as a million different scenarios ran through her mind. There had to be something, anything that could explain his absence besides the most obvious explanation.
He knows!

Your phone, you idiot!
Snatching it from her purse, she switched it on and waited for the connection to reset. Once it did, the phone buzzed violently in the palm of her hand: missed calls, text messages, and emails, but none were from Ivan. He had to know. Tears clouded her vision and sadness overwhelmed her. After collecting herself for a moment, she wiped her face and turned her attention back to her phone. Skimming through the messages again, she found one from her mother and opened it:

We’re at the baggage claim. Can’t wait to see you!

Jesus! What am I going to tell them?
Her mother had brought her sister along? Not that she didn’t want to see Magan, but it was bad enough that she was going to have to lie to her mother’s face. Now her sister’s too? She’d just tell them he got sick, or maybe that something came up at the last minute and he had to stay in Miami. Yes! That’s it. Ivan was a workaholic, so her telling them he had business to attend to wasn’t a complete lie, was it?

Maybe he doesn’t know.
There could always be some other explanation, and what had Ivan said about making assumptions? He’d lost his phone. Yes, that’s it. He’d lost it three times before, so he’d probably done it again. Or wait! Maybe his flight is delayed. Running to the arrivals board, she scanned it, only to discover his flight had arrived nineteen minutes early.
Damn!

As she stepped onto the descending escalator, she began to assess herself.
Who am I? What the hell am I doing? I’m not only ruining my life, but Ivan’s as well. I’m not a liar. I’ve never lied to my family before, especially my mom. I’ll just have to tell her. She’ll understand and help me through this—they all will.

But no sooner had she come to this conclusion than the escalator dropped her off in a bright space decorated with spinning conveyor belts, colorful luggage, and jetlagged passengers. She found her mother, Diane, standing a mere fifty yards away and laughing with a six-foot tall Tarzan look-alike holding a box of chocolates.

Once more, she stood in disbelief, creating a bottleneck of annoyed passengers behind her. The “we” her mother had texted about was her and
Ivan
, and apparently they were having the time of their life. At the sight of him, Jaden’s resolve to tell the truth faltered. She felt a panicky wave of love for the beautiful man who stood just yards away, and she’d fight with all she had to hold on.

She snuck over to a column and concealed herself behind it to study their interaction. Ivan, in his typical travel garb of cargo shorts and fatigued shirt, flexed his muscles and sent striations rippling up each of his arms—thick, powerful arms that seemed even more defined than the last time she’d seen him. His skin looked more bronzed as well and glistened in the fluorescent light of the baggage claim. Large diamond-shaped bulges formed on the backs of his legs as he rocked back and forth on his heels. Her mother laughed and smiled at whatever tale he was telling her. They’d just met! She loved that they’d forged a connection so quickly and loved even more that they’d done it on their own, without her having to facilitate it.

How could she have doubted Ivan’s love for her? His place in her life? She knew she was meant to be with him forever, even if it meant burying her deepest, darkest skeleton and carrying it always. Watching her mother laugh again, she smiled. Excitement began sweeping her conscience to the side. Her mother pulled out her phone to type again, and seconds later Jaden’s phone buzzed with an incoming message.

Are you here yet?

Jaden pulled herself behind the column and typed a response.

I just got off the escalator. Where are you?

She waited a couple moments and then stepped out from behind the column to make her entrance. She came up behind them. “I’m right here.”

At the sound of her voice, they turned, and what she saw warmed her heart. Their faces were alight with excitement and love—a mother’s for her daughter, and a lover’s for the woman who made him complete. Dropping her bags, Jaden rushed forward and grabbed her mother in a Rusilko-style bear hug.

“Easy, baby, you’re gonna crush this old lady,” her mother gasped.

Jaden nodded to Ivan. “Well, you can thank him for teaching me that one.”

When the women parted, Ivan moved in. His arms encircled her, and he kissed her on the cheek. “Finally, I’m whole again,” he whispered.

“So am I.” She brought her lips to his for a lingering kiss.

“Ahem,” her mother interjected. “We have somewhere to be. Your father has been running around all day—cleaning the yard, setting up the deck, preparing the food. He just won’t relax.”

“Why is dad the one setting up? It’s his party! Shouldn’t Magan and Justin be doing all the work?”

“Magan is helping, but Justin is working.”

“Working? You’ve got to be joking, right? Since when does he do anything other than play video games?”

“He’s changed a lot since you left. This job is good for him.”

Longing tugged at Jaden’s heart—a longing for the family she didn’t see nearly enough and for a simpler time when everything was easy and right with her and Ivan. Ignoring the remorse that once again threatened to blossom in her chest, she looked from Ivan to her mother and asked, “So, did you guys have a good chat?”

“It was…enlightening.” Her mother looked at Ivan, and they shared a secretive laugh. “Let’s grab your luggage and start home. We’ve got a long drive, and your father is probably half in the bag by now.”

“Yep, sounds like dad.” Jaden took Ivan’s hand as they wove through the crowd toward the baggage carousel. She loved the way his warm skin enveloped hers.

Her large, red bag appeared at the end of the belt, and as it rounded the corner, Ivan grabbed the handle and tugged. With luggage in hand, the trio left the airport and piled into her mother’s SUV.

“I’m Coming Home”

“Y
OU
S
IT
I
N
T
HE
F
RONT
.”

“No, you,” Ivan insisted. “You haven’t seen your mom in months. I’m sure she’d much rather talk to you than me.”

“Maybe so,” Jaden countered. “But I want her to get to know you better. Please, sit in the front and talk to her.”

He stowed the last piece of luggage and closed the back door of the silver SUV. “Fine, but it’s not your mother I’m worried about. Meeting your dad? That will be a trip.”

“Don’t worry. I put in a good word for you.”

“Well, now, aren’t you clever?” He offered his hand and helped her into the backseat before sliding in up front.

As her mom started the car, Heart’s “Crazy On You” burst from the speakers, startling everyone. A blush colored her face, and she jabbed at the knob, trying to turn it off. But before she could, Ivan joined in, singing at the top of his lungs in a high-pitched, feminine voice. She and her mother couldn’t help but laugh.

“You were rockin’ out, weren’t you?” he observed when the song came to an end.

“What can I say? This old lady loves her old lady music.”

“Well, this young guy loves his old lady music. That’s one of my mom’s favorite bands too!”

“She sounds like a smart woman. I’d love to meet her one day.” Her mom giggled and glanced over her shoulder at Jaden.

“Hopefully one day soon,” Ivan replied with a boyish smile, glancing at Jaden as well.

She managed to meet both their eyes with what she hoped was a genuine smile. It felt a little frozen in place. Thankfully they both focused their attention forward as her mom eased the SUV onto the highway for their journey to Estes Park.

Once she’d joined the flow of traffic, the questions began. “So, honey, how are you doing with work? I watch the show as much as I can. I loved the tuna with mint thing you did. Your dad didn’t like it though. Said he wants his fish cooked the whole way through.”

“Work is good,” Jaden said, feeling a bit unsteady. “But we’re almost finished with the season, and I’ll be so happy when it’s over.” An understatement.

“How about that co-host of yours? Damian? He’s one hot little number, eh?”

Hearing her mother speak his name made Jaden’s heart beat wildly—almost as if Damien were in the car with them. “Ahh…He’s not the nicest person in the world,” she managed.

Her mother just laughed. “What do you think, Ivan? You trust my daughter working with him?”

Jaden wondered if she might throw up.

“I trust her with all my heart.” He looked back at her and smiled.

Jaden looked down, so thankful, but disgusted with herself all over again.

“Besides, if she wanted that kinda guy, I wouldn’t be sitting here now anyway!” He and her mother laughed, and Jaden managed to join them, reaching up to squeeze the back of Ivan’s neck.

“So, Ivan, are you ready to meet our family? They are quite the handful,” her mother prattled on.

“I think I grew up in a handful,” he told her. “So I hope that means I’m prepared.”

As the front seat continued their banter, Jaden took in the familiar landscape outside the car. She let the natural beauty relax her and reassured herself she was the happiest girl in the world. Her lover sat two feet away from her, talking with her mother as if they were old friends. How could she not be thrilled? How could she have ever doubted? Had she just imagined the distance she’d felt between them this last month or so?

Finally the SUV turned onto a one-lane road that snaked through the mountains. Evergreen trees dotted the landscape, along with massive boulders that shot out of the ground. A bright blue sky towered over the mountains on each side of the road. They rose to heights far greater than any building in Miami or LA. The river that paralleled the road sparkled in the sun as the occasional fisherman tried to land a trout. She noticed Ivan’s eyes drawn to the fishermen and bet he wished they could stop the car. Carly Simon’s mellow voice now filled her ears, and Jaden began to feel safe. Here, in the place she’d come from, she’d do everything she could to return to the person she truly was. This weekend she’d forge ahead with Ivan as her future. There was no other choice.

As they descended into her hometown, she began to feel a little excitement. Her heart jumped as they passed the familiar lookout where tourists stopped to take pictures of the mountains and lake, and the gigantic rock with ESTES PARK carved in it. They drove through town and she absorbed every detail: bed and breakfasts, candy shops, and old country craft stores. Remembering all the nooks and crannies made her feel like a child again. Knowing her childhood home was a minute away augmented this feeling.

“You ready for this, Ivan?” her mom asked as she made the turn down the long driveway, which seemed like a tunnel with the tree branches looming over it.

“Well, I’m halfway there,” he replied as the two started giggling.

“You’re more than halfway there,” Jaden chimed in, not quite sure what was so funny. “We’re here!” The white house she’d grown up in appeared through the trees, and the SUV came to a stop amidst a fleet of other vehicles. “The party already started?”