Taste (Cloverleigh Farms, #7)(76)

“He is?” My mother sounded shocked once more.

“Yes, and that’s how I want it,” I said emphatically. “I don’t want to hold him back.”

“What does he want?”

“He still wants to go,” I said quickly, although I wasn’t one hundred percent sure that was the case. “He’s offered to stay, but what’s the point? I don’t need him over the next three months.”

“Are you sure? Pregnancy isn’t easy. It’s nice to have a partner.”

“He’s not my partner,” I said firmly. “And I’ve got other people I can depend on.”

“Of course you do.” Her voice grew stronger. “Everything is going to be all right, honey. I promise. And I’ll get on a plane first thing tomorrow. Dad too.”

I squeezed my eyes shut. “I guess you have to tell Dad, huh?”

More gentle laughter. “Yes, sweetie. Dad needs to know.”

“It’s just so embarrassing.”

“It’s life, Ellie. It’s just life. And sometimes, no matter how perfectly we plan things, they just don’t go the way we want them to. Or the way we thought they would.”

“Not at all,” I said, surprised at how easy she was taking this news.

“But you know what? Sometimes they end up being exactly right. Life has a funny way of turning out fine, just when you least expect it.”

“You really think that?”

“I really do. Remind me to tell you a story sometime.”

“About what?”

“About the asshole I nearly married who jilted me the week before our wedding.”

I gasped. “What? Did that really happen?”

“Absolutely. And I was devastated. I had my life all planned out with that dipshit.” She laughed. “After he dumped me, I went on our Paris honeymoon alone, with the worst possible attitude you can imagine. I was convinced I’d never be happy.”

“And that’s when you met Dad?”

“That’s when I met Dad.”

“I want to hear more about the dipshit,” I said, feeling better already. “I can’t believe I didn’t know this.”

My mother laughed. “It’s not a piece of my past I’m particularly fond of, but I’ll tell you the whole story.”

“Okay. Hurry home.”

“I’m on my way, love. We’ll see you tomorrow.”





The next morning, Winnie came to check on me in the tasting room. “Hey. How are you feeling?”

“Okay.” I managed a wan smile. “How are you?”

“Fine.” She set a bakery bag on the counter. “From my mom.”

“Thanks. Gianni brought me a few yesterday and they’re gone already. They’re like the one thing that isn’t turning my stomach.” I peeked into the bag. “Did you tell her about the baby?”

Winnie nodded. “I hope that’s okay. She won’t say anything to anyone.”

“It’s okay.” I pulled a scone from the bag and took a bite. “We told the Lupos yesterday. And I called my mom last night.”

Her eyes went wide. “And? How did everyone take the news?”

“Everyone was pretty shocked. Gianni’s mom cried, but not like she was sad. They were supportive.”

“Good.” She paused. “How about your mom?”

“She was great, just like you said she would be.”

Winnie was visibly relieved. “See?”

“She’s coming home today.”

“Wow. For good?” She laughed a little. “Am I out of a job?”

I smiled. “No. It’s temporary—just a visit. I asked her to come. You know how she always has the perfect plan for everything? I feel like I could use some of that kind of energy.”

“I’m glad.” She rubbed my shoulder. “It’s okay to still need your mom sometimes, even when you’re grown.”

“I was worried she would make me feel bad without even trying, but she didn’t. In fact, she said something that made me feel better.”

“What?”

“Something about life having a funny way of turning out fine, just when you least expect it.”

Winnie smiled. “I definitely think that’s true.”

“And, she told me that before she met my dad she was engaged to some douchebag who jilted her a week before their wedding.” I had to talk around the scone in my mouth because I was so impatient to get the story out.

“No way!”

“Yes. And she said”—I paused for a second to swallow—“she was in Paris on their honeymoon alone when she met my dad.”

Winnie gasped. “Seriously?”

“Yes. Can you imagine if she’d married that other guy and never met my dad?”

“You wouldn’t even exist,” she said, wide-eyed. Then she laughed. “And maybe we wouldn’t have found that box of sex toys under their bed.”

I frowned at her. “Please. I’m already nauseated.”

“Sorry. I wonder who that other guy was.”

“I don’t know. She said she’d tell me the full story when she got home.” I took another bite. “At least it will be a good distraction from my misery.”