Chapter 97

It was wood, stone and glass, with a high ceiling and lots of natural light. After I explained he was all for it, if we could do it on a Monday, his slowest sales day. He gave me a case of wines I hadn't tasted it yet, just for an opinion.

Many of his wines had names linked to the area.

Millrace Red was named for the old grist mill on the edge of his property. Yankee Orchard White was named for a friends' apple orchard. A transplanted New Yorker, he specialized in rare and new varieties. Juice from his Pink Lady apples were mixed with a medium white, and it was really smooth, tasting like fresh apples with just a hint of grape.

It had been a long day, and I needed to unwind. As it happened, I had to go right by the bar on the way home. Forgetting how I was dressed, I walked in. There was silence for a minute, then the laughter and ribbing started.

"Where you been? A funeral?" Laughed Fat Bob, the first guy I'd talked to when I found the place. We'd become pretty good friends, to t