“That’s fantastic!” he said. “How did it go with her? Wait, eat those risotto balls before you answer that. And yes, I recognize Charlie is trying to steal you away from me with this food, but the least I can do is to make sure you actually eat today.”
Margot rolled her eyes, but blushed.
“Not you, too,” she said. “You’ve been listening to Sydney too much.” But she picked up one of the—now probably cold—risotto balls and popped it in her mouth. “Happy now?” she asked when she finished chewing.
He nodded.
“Very. But tell me more about this Aurora person.”
Margot grinned.
“I can’t believe she’s here. She’s been on our newsletter list for a while—I’ve double-checked to make sure she was still on it—and every so often I see her liking our social media posts, but then, lots of people do that, so I wasn’t sure it meant anything. But then she showed up today! And Elliot was great with her—she asked him a few really smart questions about wine, and then he was off.”
Luke put his hand on the middle of her back and grinned at her.
“She’s been on the newsletter list, huh? Maybe it was that newsletter I helped with that inspired her to come.”
He’d been joking, but Margot’s eyes widened.
“You’re probably right!” Her grin got a little wicked. “Mmm, I might have to reward you for that later.” She popped the last risotto ball in her mouth and turned to walk back toward the party.
She stopped and touched his elbow.
“Have I told you how nice it is to have you here today?”
The way she smiled at him blew him away.
“Yeah,” he said. “You have. Every time you look at me like that.”
“Oh, Margot, there you are!”
They both turned to find Finn there.
“Taylor sent me to find you—it’s getting crowded at the pouring station.”
Margot nodded.
“Right. Coming.” She walked back toward the party, Luke behind her.
He stopped when they got back onto the lawn and saw what Finn had meant. Taylor was alone at the white and rosé table, and the guy that Luke had noticed earlier—the one who seemed like he’d had at least two or three glasses too many—was there, with a woman next to him. He no longer looked just drunk. He looked drunk and angry.
“Who are you to say I can’t have any more wine?” he yelled at Taylor. “I’m a wine club member here! That means I can drink however much wine I want! All of this wine is partly mine, I can drink it whenever I want!”
As Margot hurried toward the fracas, Taylor grabbed one of the ice buckets with open bottles of wine and moved it off the table, out of his reach.
“Fine, then. I’ll just take it!” He tugged at the table, just as Margot got there. She reached for the table, a second too late. The tablecloth, with the second ice bucket full of wine, and two full wineglasses, flew off the table toward the drunk man, who tripped over backward. The tablecloth, glasses, wine, and the drunk man all crashed onto the ground.
Luke ran and was at the man’s side before he sat up. Elliot was there only a few seconds later. Luke had thought he was still back in the barn.
“Excuse me, sir,” Margot said in her most polite, furious voice. “I’m going to have to—”
Elliot put his hand on Margot’s shoulder.
“I’ll handle this. Go settle everyone else down.” Elliot bent down to the drunk guy and grasped his shoulder. “Let’s get you out of here.”
Margot straightened up, and Luke saw an expression of mingled rage and humiliation on her face, right before that friendly, professional mask dropped back over it.
“Thanks, Elliot.”
She turned back to the table, where Taylor was spreading out a new tablecloth and Finn was filling the ice bucket back up. Luke wanted to help her, but instead looked down at the drunk guy. The best way he could help Margot right now was to get this guy out of here.
Elliot already had the guy off the ground and held him firmly by one arm. Luke took the other.
“Do you know who he was with?” Elliot asked.
Luke nodded toward the woman standing a few feet away.
“Can you come with us?” Elliot asked her. She sighed and fell into step with them as they walked toward the winery building.
“Can you let us know your friend’s name?” Luke asked her. “Did he drive here, or can we call the two of you a cab?”
“My name is Porter Eldridge,” the drunk man said. “I am a member—”