“Oh, the one with the massive wraparound veranda.” Bianca’s eyes lit up. “Gorgeous spot.”
“That’s the one.” Leo chuckled, then looked at her. “A pleasure meeting you, Bianca.”
“You as well.” She leaned forward, a little coy. “Let me guess—your wife insisted on that big veranda?”
Remi shot Bianca a look, eyes wide, her brows raised.
Leo’s expression shifted. “I’m a widower,” he said quietly. “I lost my Vivian two years ago.”
Bianca’s flirtatious edge dropped instantly. Regret shone on her face. She seemed a bit embarrassed, too, and pulled back. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t know.”
“Viv was a wonderful woman,” Remi said softly, offering Leo a smile of remembrance.
“She really was. Kindest soul I’ve ever known,” Leo said, his eyes a little sad. He recovered quickly. “I see they’ve started work on Paloma’s old winery. I’m guessing you bought the place. I remember you talking about it last summer.”
“Yes, I did. Hoping to have my first tasting by the end of the summer; if not, early fall. It will be a big to-do. I hope you’ll be there.”
“You know I will. Wouldn’t miss it,” Leo said. He glanced at his watch. “Listen, I’m picking up a few things for a barbecue tonight. Just a casual thing—music, some food, good people. You know, the usual crowd. You’re both more than welcome to come by. I’d love to catch up properly.”
Remi’s smile returned, this time a little easier.
“Gerard and I used to love your parties. We might stop by.”
“I hope you do.” Leo gave a nod and turned, his oak cologne lingering behind. He raised a hand in the air. “See you soon.”
Bianca watched him walk away, then looked at Remi with a grin. “He’s cute.”
“He’s kind,” Remi said, eyes still on the path Leo had taken. “He and Vivian were some of the first people to welcome us here.”
She remembered how the pair had shown up on their doorstepwith a bottle of cognac and a homemade sweet potato pie that Vivian had baked. She and Gerard invited them in, and the four of them talked for hours, drank cognac, and ended up playing cards for most of the night. Loud music played on the stereo. Gerard and Leo remade their own rendition of Boyz II Men’s “On Bended Knee”, as they all became fast friends in a single evening. They were family, and when Vivian died, Remi remembered grieving her death as if she had been her own sister. She had worried that Leo wouldn’t recover, and she and Gerard took turns checking on him in the months that followed. He had grieved for so long.
“Seems like a nice man,” Bianca said.
“He is.” Remi exhaled slowly and looked out over the hills.
“Rem, a great party is exactly what you need.”
“You might be right.”
“I know I’m right.”
It was a full moon, and Boney James’s saxophone seemed to echo through the dark, moonlit night. Laughter and conversation mingled in the air, rising above the low hum of voices and the sexy rhythm of “All I Want Is You.” Leo’s backyard pulsed with life, as it always had, with people holding glasses of wine or cognac, dancing, chatting, or simply soaking up the evening.
Remi wore a colorful summer sundress paired with embellished flat sandals. The coolness of the night caused goose bumps to race up and down her arms, and she wished she had worn sleeves or brought a sweater. Flames from the fire-pit danced and mesmerized her as she reclined on the outdoor sofa. Across the patio, Bianca danced with one of Leo’s handsome friends, her sleeveless minidress hugging her curves. The chill didn’t seem to bother her at all—likely thanks to the tequila on the rocks, of which she’d had at least three glasses.
Remi had spent much of the evening mingling, making polite conversation with neighbors she and Gerard had come to know during their summers in Napa. Most of them hadn’t heard the news. So, over and over again, she’d answered the same painful questions—“Where’s Gerard?”—and watched faces fall as she explained that he had a heart attack. Their reactions—“Oh no,” “Why didn’t you call?” “We would’ve come”—were kind but exhausting. She was grateful to have them all in one place, though. At least it spared her the trouble of having to offer them individual explanations when she bumped into them later. She finally managed to sneak away for a moment of peace, but Leo found her.
He slid onto the sofa next to her, glancing toward the dancing crowd. “Your friend seems to be enjoying herself.”
“Looks that way.” Remi smiled. “I’ll be hauling her home, putting her to bed soon.”
Leo chuckled, his eyes warm. “She’s in good hands. But how about you, Rem? How are youreallydoing? And don’t give me the bullshit answer that you’ve been giving everyone else all night. It’s me, Leo. Give it to me straight.”
She looked at him, then away. She remembered the times she had sat with him like this after Vivian’s passing, when his grief had nearly consumed him. Now it was her turn.
She exhaled deeply. “Every day is a struggle just to get out of bed and keep going. I keep thinking I’m going to wake up one morning and he’s in the kitchen cooking me one of his world-famous Creole dishes, and all of this is just a bad dream.”
“I feel that.” Leo nodded, his expression solemn. “You know I’m here, right? Anything you need, you just say the word. You and Gerard were so good to me.”