Page 20 of Bordeaux Bombshell (Sunshine Cellars #3)

Sydney

A wave of female voices washes over me as I slip inside the venue.

Pausing, I take in the sea of pastel floral dresses.

Everyone is sipping from delicate teacups and snacking from tiered serving dishes on each table.

Between the women and the wallpaper, it’s as if an English garden was dropped into the middle of downtown Portland.

I may be late, but I did help find a kick-ass venue for Maggie’s bridal shower. Although, apparently, I missed the memo about attire, my black leather jacket and solid navy dress sticking out among the pastoral scene.

“Aunt Sydney!” Olive dances her way between tables to grab my hand. “I’ve been saving you a seat. Come sit with me and Ava.” She tugs me toward a table off to the side, occupied by a gaggle of middle and high schoolers I don’t recognize.

“Who are those girls?” I wave to the table where Mom and Jackie are currently sitting. There’s an empty seat at their table, advertising my tardiness like a neon sign, but I shrug at Jackie’s raised eyebrow and follow Olive’s determined pull.

Maggie is floating around the space in a white sundress, beaming at everyone as they enjoy the high tea set out for them.

Olive pauses beside her, tugging on the hem of her dress until Maggie pauses her conversation with June to look. “Mama Maggie, Sydney is sitting with me, okay?”

I reach out to give her a brief hug. “Sorry I’m late. You look beautiful.”

She squeezes me back. “Olive, you know there’s a seat for her with your grandma. Lexi is coming after ballet class. She’ll be here to sit with you soon.”

They negotiate while I look around at the party.

The room is filled with Maggie’s family and friends, although I don’t recognize everyone.

If I’m being honest, there’s a small part of me that’s jealous of my future sister-in-law.

I don’t understand how she has so many women in her life.

I’ve never been good at it. Somehow, I always say the wrong thing or flirt too much with their brothers, or exes, and end up generally viewed with suspicion.

Becoming friends with Payton was by pure chance when we were assigned as roommates freshman year at college.

The only reason I think we’ve stayed friends is because she’s hotter than me and we have wildly different tastes in men—namely, I can’t get away from Nate, and she likes them tall, blond, and preppy.

Our relationship is built on mutual enjoyment of a night out and Girl Scout cookies, not whispered confessions over a bottle of rosé, or whatever it is normal women do.

“You really don’t have to sit at the kids’ table, Syd,” Maggie leans close to murmur. Olive has switched her attention to June and her wife Shelby, abandoning me to beg her mom for a sleepover or something.

“I don’t mind. Serves me right for being late.” I shrug, looking around again. “Looks like someone took my seat, anyway.” Indicating the table, I point out that the once-empty seat next to my mom is now filled.

For a second, my mind plays tricks on me, because I could swear that short, chic bob belongs to Sophie Sutton’s best friend, Lauren. But I passed Lauren sitting beside Sophie a few tables back.

Twisting, I look behind me, and there she is, chatting with Emma and spreading jam on a scone.

“Who is that?” I jerk my chin toward the table in question, and Maggie turns to look.

“You haven’t met Manon? She’s Nate’s friend from Bordeaux. Came to help them figure out what to do after that frost. She’s staying out at Sunshine, so I assumed you’d already met.”

One of the ladies at a table farther on waves to Maggie, and she’s gone with a distracted pat on my arm.

Manon is here?

Surely not the same Manon I’m thinking of. The one I’ve been obsessed with since Nate went to France for the first time. The one I’d had in my mind when I asked him not to fall in love with any French girls.

She’s not just French. She’s the granddaughter of one of the most famous winemakers in Bordeaux. Poised to take over her family’s legacy one day. She exudes style and sophistication and is a certified master sommelier. I know because I’ve been following her on social media for years.

Counting every time Nate made an appearance in one of her photos, terrified I’d see something to confirm the kiss I witnessed them share.

She’s everything I’ll never be.

“You alright, sugar?” Shelby, June’s wife, tugs on my hand to get my attention. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.” I let her southern drawl soothe me as she fusses until I sit beside her. She pours fresh tea into her cup and slides it toward me.

“Thanks.” I take it and sip, marveling for a moment that I’m sitting next to the woman June left Kel for, and we’re all here to celebrate his new life.

I don’t want to admit that I know who Manon is, or why I care so much about her being here, so I change the subject.

“Did you ever think we’d all be here one day? ”

June, Kel, and Shelby are exceptions to the rule—there’s no way a normal person wouldn’t struggle with seeing their ex move on.

And it’s definitely out of the ordinary to not only be okay with them creating a whole new family, but to be at the bridal shower?

I can only imagine they’re here for Olive’s sake.

Shelby looks around, then smiles. “Well, why ever not? Kel is such a lovely person. He deserves an amazing woman like Maggie. We just love her, don’t we, honey?”

June leans forward to peer at me around Shelby. “We love Maggie and Kel together. She’s so good for him.”

Shaking my head, I excuse myself to hit up the bar I spotted in the corner.

I need a drink if I’m going to deal with Manon being here.

Settling in front of the marble bar top, I scan the bottles on the shelves behind the bartender.

A workmanlike apron covers his striped shirt but not the sleeve of tattoos decorating his left arm.

“Wine? Champagne?” He offers me one of the already poured flutes, but I wave it away. “Something stronger?”

“No wine.” Anything to distract myself from once again thinking about Nate and Sunshine Cellars.

“A gin and tonic, please.” Turning, I press my back to the bar to see if there’s anyone else I can take refuge with.

Unfortunately, none of these women look like they want to talk about anything besides marriage and men—two topics I refuse to entertain today.

It’s bad enough that my brother is the topic of so much conversation. If the talk drifts to his best man—i.e., the man who fucked my brains out and then invited another woman to stay with him five minutes later—I can’t be held responsible for my actions.

Olive weaves through the tables, followed by a taller girl who looks vaguely familiar. When they stop at the table in front of Mom and Jackie, I realize she must be Maggie's niece, Ava. She has the same dark hair as Daisy, Maggie, and Ophie, the same heart-shaped face and small nose.

“Here you go, ma’am.” A tumbler appears beside me, fizzing delightfully.

“Thanks.” I turn my back on the shower and rest my elbows on the bar top, needing a break from the sweet and innocent atmosphere, even though I just got here. “You do a lot of bridal showers here?”

He shakes his head. “I just started working here last month—this is my first.” He glances around. “Are they always this…flowery?”

I take a long sip of my drink, letting the bite of the gin pull at the back of my throat.

“No idea. Before today, I’ve only been to a baby shower, and I was in high school at the time.

” A thought occurs to me, and I giggle, nearly inhaling carbonation up my nose.

“Both showers have been for my big brother, actually.”

“None for you?” He pulls a glass out of the tray and starts wiping at the inside.

I snort and take another sip of my drink. “I’d have to be in a relationship longer than forty-eight hours for one of these shindigs.”

“You’ve never been in a relationship? I find that hard to believe. You’re gorgeous. How has no one snapped you up?” Glass polished, he sets it down before picking up another and doing the same.

It’s not strictly true. There was Josh in high school, who I dated for a few months despite Nate scaring him off and stealing my first kiss for himself.

But high school boyfriends don’t really count.

And the few guys I’d let take me out in college never had a chance—I was too hung up on my brother’s best friend.

And now?

Now I’m too angry to let a man into my life.

Especially Nate.

A loud voice calls everyone to attention.

I turn back to the room to listen as Maggie’s sister Daisy explains the rules of some game we’re supposed to play.

There’s a scramble for chairs, but I’m slowed down when I grab a champagne glass to add to my half-empty G&T.

Every seat I try for is claimed until I reluctantly slide into the last open seat.

“Oh, ’allo. I’m Manon.” She holds out a hand for me to shake, her accent even more gorgeous close up.

I’ve only ever seen her in photos or from afar, but it’s the same aquiline nose, tanned skin, and dark brown hair that’s been etched into my memory for years.

She genuinely doesn’t seem to know who I am, and I can’t tell if I’m upset or relieved.

Taking a deep breath, I hold out my hand.

“I’m Kel’s sister. Sydney. Nice to meet you.

” There’s the tiniest squint of recognition around Manon’s eyes, but she clears it immediately.

Again, I’m not sure how to feel about it, other than a bone-deep need to understand what was so charming about this woman that had Nate wrapped up in her arms not even a month after he’d told me he would never love anyone else.

“So lovely to meet you. Greg and Jackie have told me so much about you.” Her smile seems genuine, but I don’t believe it for a second. Greg and Jackie? Not Nate?