Chapter One
Remi
“Icalled your phone like ten times. No answer!” Gerard’s usually composed voice was filled with frustration. His tone wasn’t loud, but it was sharp—cutting, stern, and unfamiliar. Remi shuddered; tears almost filled her eyes, but she willed them away. Her gaze dropped to the hardwood floors—the ones they’d discovered under aging carpet and spent three days sanding and staining together. She had never heard him speak to her like this. Not Gerard. Her sweetheart, her husband of many years had always been her peace. Her voice of reason. A man with a rare gift of easing the tension in any room with a steady gaze and the right words. He was always deliberate but gentle. But today was different.
“What is this really about?” she asked him softly. Her shoulders relaxed a bit. “Because I missed dinner?”
She had completely lost track of time. Her meeting with Selena Townes had run long. Selena was in town briefly on other business, and when she offered to meet that same day, Remi jumped at the chance. As it turned out, they knew some of the same people, belonged to the same sorority, and by the time the business pitch ended, they were knee-deep in personal stories and laughter.
“You didn’t just miss dinner, Remi. You blew it off.” His jaw tightened, his arms crossed, his muscles tensed beneath his dress shirt. “You knew how important this was to me, for both of us to meet with this client and his wife. I was left sitting there looking like a damn fool.”
Gerard frowned, his eyes narrowed. He was disappointed. Standing there at six foot three, broad-shouldered, caramel-skinned, with flecks of gray in his hair and beard—he was every bit of the man she’d fallen in love with at LSU. He was her college sweetheart. Over the years he’d become her champion. The one who had urged her time and again to pursue her dream of buying the winery. He’d told her to take the leap after Zoe left for college. He had been there through every draft of the business plan. She couldn’t count the times they’d sat in their kitchen hashing things out, setting a budget, making solid plans for this business.
Had he forgotten all of that? All they had dreamed up—together?
“I didn’t just blow it off, Gerard,” she said, her voice heightening. “I lost track of time. And I’ve apologized profusely. I don’t know what else to say.” Remi Landry knew in her heart of hearts that she was fighting a losing battle.
“I get it now,” he said, shaking his head, eyes narrowing as if he had it all figured out. “This dream of yours, this winery, it matters more than the ones we already built. The ones that put food on our table.”
She flinched. The words landed hard. She was taken aback. Had he really reducedJoieto justherdream? Had he forgotten the endless conversations on the porch of their Napa summer home, sipping red wine and scribbling names for their future label on the backs of napkins, receipts, or anything they could get their hands on? It had been her vision, yes—but it becametheirproject.
They had agreed that Remi would lay the initial groundwork,flying back and forth, partnering with their friend Paloma Ortiz and her family’s vineyard. For years, the Ortiz land had housed a dormant winery that had once been owned by the Ortiz family. Though it hadn’t been in use for some time, the old winery had good bones. They would renovate it, revive it, breathe life into it, and chart their own path and build a new brand. The vineyard would grow the grapes, while the winery would produce and sell the wine. It was the plan they’d developed.
Gerard had agreed to gradually shift his business from New Orleans to California, because it was going to take them relocating to Napa for this to work, as so much needed to be done. It was never just about her. After spending long summers in Napa, they had built this plan together. Dreamed it together. Even gave it the name—Joie. And now, standing in the kitchen they had remodeled together by hand, Gerard looked at her like she was a stranger.
“Don’t be like that.” Her voice dropped. She was becoming more deflated by the minute; exhausted even. She wanted nothing more than to kick off her heels, peel her clothes from her body, and hop into a hot shower. Why was he behaving this way? “Your career is important, yes, but so isJoie. And let’s not forget, I’ve spent years taking a back seat to your career. Supporting you and cheering you on. But now that I’m stepping up, trying to secure capital, taking the lead on this venture, suddenly you can’t handle it?”
“I was fine with you taking a lead,” Gerard said, tugging at his tie. “As long as it didn’t interfere with Zoe or my work. We agreed to take our time with this.”
“Interfere?” Her eyes bulged; her brows raised; her jaw tightened. “That’s what this is to you—interference?”
“Yes, interfere,” he snapped. He yanked off the tie and unbuttoned the top of his dress shirt. “Let’s just be real, Remi. I’m the breadwinner here.”
Remi looked into Gerard’s eyes, a wrinkle in her forehead, fury in her heart.Did he really just say those words to her?He looked away, having realized that his words may have been too harsh. He didn’t apologize, though, and she was silent for a moment. What she wanted to say involved profanity and that would’ve intensified things. No doubt she was wounded, but she chose her words carefully.
“You of all people know whatJoiemeans to me. I’ve spent years pouring myself into this family. Years of homemaking. Homeschooling. Supporting your business. And now that I want something for me, suddenly it’s inconvenient.”
He knew that starting the winery wasn’t just a business venture; it was her reclamation. A return to herself. Journalism had once been her passion—it was what she’d studied at LSU and even thought she might want to do it as a profession. But journalism had taken a back seat when Zoe was born. She’d chosen to stay home, to raise their daughter, to build their life around his growing business. Now, with Zoe gone to college,Joiewas her next chapter. It lit her up in ways she hadn’t felt in years. And the pieces were finally falling into place.
“I get it,” Gerard said. “You have dreams. But relocating is a major move, and being an entrepreneur isn’t a hobby. It’s not glamorous. You saw how long it took me to get my business off the ground. Years, Remi. Years of scraping, building, barely breaking even before I finally turned a profit.”
“What are you saying, Gerard? You don’t think I can handle it?”
“I’m saying that you shouldn’t move too fast. We need major capital for a business like that, and especially in Napa.”
“Hence my meeting tonight, which went very well, by the way. I think I’ve found our investor, Gerard.” Her voice smiled, excitement oozing from her. She still felt the joy in her chest.The satisfaction of accomplishment made her just feel good inside.
He didn’t hear her, though. Or didn’t want to. His face wrinkled in frustration. “You’re still missing the point.”
No,hewas missing the point. Did he not hear what she said? The capital that they needed forJoie; she got it.
His voice held frustration. “You weren’t here, and you didn’t call. And you know what, I was humiliated, Remi. I needed you to show up for me tonight of all nights, and you didn’t.”
Her heart was thudding in her chest now, fast and loud. His dismissal of her win was a slap in the face, and it infuriated her. Instead of them savoring her own moment, he expected her to respond to his hurt, as she’d always done.
“I got the capital forJoie.” She blurted it out instead, unable to contain her excitement. “No, it’s not everything that we need, but what we don’t have, we could supplement from our own investments. Gerard, we have an investor.” The last part she said with joy, with pride. She wanted him to be happy for her—for them. She smiled a radiant smile, a hopeful one. She wanted him to celebrate the news with her. But he didn’t say a word.
She’d waited so long for his validation. Even in this moment, she was still reaching for it.