It was a low blow, but it worked. James had made quite the reputation for himself in our small town. If you made a private tasting reservation and didn’t show up or cancel with him in advance, he wouldn’t let you make another reservation again. Ever. And it didn’t matter who you were, what family you belonged to, or how famous you might be. I used to think that made him more of an arrogant jerk, but once it started happening to me during tourist season, too, I understood his reasoning.

James stalked away, mumbling profanities, looking more pissed off than ever.

I turned toward Todd. “Thanks for the save, but you didn’t have to say that to him.”

“I knew it would piss him off.” Todd sounded smug, and it made me want to punch him in the face for being so cruel.

Once again, I was clearly the only one who was allowed to mistreat James.

“It was still unnecessary.”

I started to finish packing up, assuming that Todd would walk away and do the same.

“I meant it, you know,” he said, and I turned to find that he hadn’t moved an inch.

“Meant what?” I wasn’t sure if he was referring to the dinner or the stuff about James.

“Dinner. Come on. You can’t avoid me forever.”

“Oh, I don’t think that’s a good idea.” I started to get uncomfortable as I searched my brain for excuses that he would buy.

“Give me one good reason why not.”

“Uh, because we’re friends,” I offered even though we technically weren’t friends. Acquaintances was more like it.

“Friends eat dinner together,” he said with a lopsided grin.

“Friends do. But I’m not sure that’s really your angle,” I said directly, hoping to dissuade him.

“Well”—he paused—“friends who become more than friends start with dinner.”

“Todd”—I sucked in a quick breath—“I’m not looking to date anyone right now. I don’t want any complications or distractions. And I don’t see that changing anytime soon. My focus is on the winery, and that’s all I have time for.”

The truth was that if I were genuinely interested in Todd, I would have served him up a different speech altogether, one that included me saying yes, and I would have fit him into my life at the winery the way I had with the few guys I briefly dated in the past. But I wasn’t interested in Todd. And I never would be.

He laughed out loud, and I had no idea what was even so funny.

“It’s just dinner, Julia. Come on. What could possibly go wrong?”

Famous last words, I thought to myself before reluctantly agreeing to go strictly as friends.

My skin prickled with the thought that I should know better. I should know that absolutely everything could go wrong. And would.

JEALOUSY FUELS THE FIRE