“Of course. They’re not as obsessed with this competition thing as your dad, Steph.” He eyed her with a touch of reproach, as if she was responsible for the way her dad liked to carry on. “But I asked them not to tell anyone, and they agreed it’s too soon. But they want me to be happy—want us to be happy, and so Dad suggested that he talk to Ian and break the news to him.”
“That’s the worst idea ever,” said Kevin. “The moment your dad sets foot on my dad’s land he’s going to get out the big gun and shoot him on sight.”
“He won’t do that,” said Dominic. He eyed Steph. “Would he?”
“Of course not,” said Steph. “Dad isn’t crazy. Though maybe you should start by talking to Mom. Then she can talk to Dad.” It was the way they’d always broken bad news to their parents, from bad grades to that time when Kevin had wrapped Dad’s expensive new Mercedes around a lamppost.They told Mom, who told Dad.
“Steph has a point,” said Dominic.
“But what about the winery?” she asked.
“What about it?” said Kevin, raking a hand through his blond hair.
“If you and Dominic… get married—if that’s what you want.”
“It is,” said Dominic, even though Kevin didn’t look convinced.
“Then the two wineries are going to be joined together? Is that the plan?”
“I don’t give a hoot about the winery,” said Kevin, much to Steph’s surprise. “All I want is to go far away from here and start a new life with Dominic. No more winery, no more fighting. I’m sick to death of this stupid competition. If I hear Dad say the words ‘Kosinski is a crook anda Polish mobster and yadda yadda yadda’ one more time I’m going to be sick, I swear. God, talk about a broken record.”
Steph smiled.“I also hate it when he begins.”
“Ben and Catherine have been more of a mother and father to me than my own parents,” said Kevin. “They’ve accepted me from the start, and I’ve never heard them say a single cross word about Dad. They don’t think in those terms. Live and let live, that’s Ben’s motto, and it’s not just words—he actually means what he says. He really does. And furthermore he’s the kindest, wisest, funniest man I’ve ever met. Unlike Dad, who is just so angry all the time.”
“Sour grapes,” said Dominic with a smile.
“Exactly,” said Kevin, grinning.
“So that’s why you were going for drives all the time,” said Steph. “And why you wouldn’t tell me where you went.”
“I didn’t want anyone to know.”
“Not even me? I’m your sister, Kev.”
“You’ve always been closer to Dad than me. I just figured…”
“That I would tell? Well, I wouldn’t. And I won’t. Just so you know.”
She felt a little offended that her brother would think she’d tell about Dominic to their parents. Maybe it was true that she had a better bond with them than Kevin, but that didn’t mean she was going to blurt out his big secret to them.
“I’m sorry,” he said softly. “I just thought—well, I wasn’t thinking, I guess.”
“Though I agree with Dominic that they should know. You can’t keep this a secret forever, Kevin. At some point you’re going to have to come clean.”
“I know. I just…” He looked up at her, a miserable expression on his face. “It’s going to change everything, isn’t it? Once people know? Everybody will have something to say, and will start interfering.” He took Dominic’s hand. “I guess I’m afraid it’s going to ruin things between us. Just when everything is going so well.”
“Nobody is going to come between us, Kev,” said Dominic. “We won’t let them.”
“Dad is going to blow a fuse.”
“He’ll get over it. He has to.”
“Fine. I’ll tell them. But not right now. I want to wait for the right moment, and now with Jeff’s murder and everything I don’t think we should add to their distress.”
“Fair enough,” said Dominic.
They both looked up at her, and she held up her hands.“Your secret is safe with me, boys.”
“Thanks, sis,” said Kevin, and she could tell that a huge weight had been lifted from his mind. Clearly he’d been nervous about her reaction as well. She could have told him he had nothing to be afraid of. She loved her brother, and if he thought Dominic was the right person for him and made him happy, that was all that mattered to her.
CHAPTER 37
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It was a thoughtful Steph who returned home one hour later. Even though she had promised Kevin she wouldn’t say anything, she still felt her parents should know. If her dad’s attitude toward the Kosinskis was alienating his son, the person he was depending on to follow in his footsteps and one day take over the business, he needed to be told, so he could do something about it. Dad probably had no clue that Kevin was thinking of leaving, and if he found out, he’d be devastated.
And as she thought about these things, she almost bumped into Robbie, who was lurking about as usual. But it wasn’t her habit to be nasty to people, so instead she smiled and said, “Hey, Robbie. Everything all right?”
“Sure,” said Robbie, returning her smile. “Where have you been?”
“Just driving around, you know. Clear my head, as if that’s even possible.”