Happy Hour by Michele Scott Read Free Book Online Page A

remission and we were told that your chances were really good! Five
years and it’s been gone.” She flung her hands, making the baseball safe sign.
Tears stung the back of her eyes.
    “I know what they said, honey. They were wrong. I had a biopsy. It’s in
my liver.”
    “You had a biopsy? When? No!” A vise gripped her heart as she watched her
husband’s face wrinkle up, the tears now streaming down. He rubbed his hands
through his hair and nodded. “I didn’t want to tell you and worry you. I really
thought it would all be okay.”
    Jamie couldn’t speak. Nate set his glass down and pulled her into him,
smelling woodsy and warm. He stroked her hair and she wrapped her fingers
around the tiny curls at the nape of his neck. Comfort. He was her zone—the
soft place she came home to every night. He held her tightly, as if he was as
afraid as she was to ever let go.

 
    Today…

 
CHAPTER FIVE
April
Jamie
    WINE LOVER’S MAGAZINE
    FRIENDSHIPS & WINE
    By
    Jamie Evans
    Friendships
can begin in many ways, but the one link that is always the same (for women, at
least) is that they start out with a common denominator; maybe your kids play
together at preschool and although the children’s friendship doesn’t last, the
one you made with the other mom does. Or, you meet at Weight Watchers and in
desperation after losing only a pound after a month of weigh-ins and counting
points, you and your new friend head to the local Mexican restaurant and share
every diet woe you’ve ever had over chips, salsa, and margaritas. Or, you meet
a new friend in the bookstore while picking up the book you are supposed to
read for the next book club meeting and she tells you how wonderful it is. The
next thing you know, you’re inviting her to join the book club. And, what about
the friend you met at summer camp between eighth and ninth grade? You weren’t
exactly friends from the get-go because the common denominator happened to be a
guy named Rick. Rick manipulated the two of you by claiming he liked you and
not her, and then told the same thing to the girl not yet your friend. When the
truth came out, Rick—the dog—got dumped by you and your new best friend.
    Friendships. They always begin with a common denominator.
    I have the privilege of having all of those women as friends. Even
Lauren from summer camp remains a friend of mine.
    There are childhood friends and new friends. There are also best
friends.
    The friendship I have with Danielle, Kat, and Alyssa began with our
own common denominator: wine.
    My friends and I have a happy hour, when we get together two Sunday
afternoons out of the month, (and at any other possible times), share good wine
and food, and solve all the problems of the world. Well, maybe not world
problems, but typically our own. Join us monthly for my Happy Hour column where
you’ll find excellent wine and food pairings and get a snippet of our lives.
    Let me introduce my
friends:
    Danielle
Bastillia: Danielle is an up-and-coming winemaker in the Napa Valley region.
She was part owner for twenty years at Bastillia Wines, but is now the proud
owner of Déesse Estate Wines. She takes pride in making small boutique wines
using all organic methods, including all natural fermentation. Her wines are
stylistically French and I predict that they will make a huge splash at the
Harvest Festival in October when Déesse and Danielle release their first
vintage. Danielle is a mother of two daughters (one at Yale and the other in
high school). She is very involved in the local community with several charities.
    Danielle’s favorite wine: “I enjoy
the complexity of a good Meritage. I love blending Cab Franc with Merlot and
Syrah.”
    Kat Reilly:
Kat is part owner of Christian’s with her husband Christian Reilly in our very
own Yountville, where Kat is the sommelier. They also own the five-star Sphinx
in the city. The husband-and-wife team make a great pair in the kitchen and on
the dining room floor, with Kat