Page 5 of Let It Breathe (The Can’t Have Hearts Club #1)

“No!” shouted the three women.

Clay froze, phone in hand, wondering if they’d all lost their minds.

June took a step forward, shaking her head. “No police. Please don’t make this worse than it is.”

“But if Albert—um, Axl—needs help?—”

“No one’s hurt,” June said. “Not yet anyway. Reese, come on, hurry.”

Reese moved to follow her mother out the door, and Larissa scurried after them, clearly not wanting to miss anything. Clay hesitated. No one seemed distressed in the way he might have expected if Axl were having a heart attack. Still, maybe they’d need help lifting him or something.

The whole family helped you out when you were at your worst. The least you can do is lend a hand now.

He fell into step behind them, though it was obvious they’d forgotten he was there.

They trudged up a grassy slope past several rows of spindly vines just beginning to sprout for the season.

At the end of the rows stood a thick forest buzzing with insects.

Clay remembered Eric telling him Reese nurtured certain bugs to keep the less desirable ones off the vines, and he wondered if that’s what he was hearing.

Between the forest and the vines stood Axl, with a shovel in one hand and a tape measure in the other.

“Gramp—dammit, Axl!” Reese yelled. “Stop it right now. What are you doing?”

The old man whirled around and frowned. “What does it look like I’m doing? Planting. Been doing it on this land since before you were born, and I can still?—”

“What are you doing to the goddamn vines?”

The heat in Reese’s words was enough to halt even Axl in his tracks.

“Figuring out where to put my plants, that’s what,” he huffed.

“ What plants?”

June touched her daughter’s elbow, looking grim. “That’s what I was trying to tell you. Your grandfather wants to grow marijuana next to the Muscat vines.”

“Not all of them,” Axl protested, looking like a defiant teenager. “Just this section right here. It’s an experiment.”

“An experiment,” Reese repeated, looking incredulous.

“An experiment,” Larissa said, looking eager.

“Hell, yes,” the old man said. “Don’t you remember back when June planted lavender beside the Riesling vines, and for a few years after that, all the wine reviewers went on and on about the ‘delectable hints of lavender in the bouquet’?”

Reese stared at her grandfather. Even from three feet away, Clay could see the muscles in her jaw clenching and unclenching.

“Okay, Axl, not to split hairs or anything,” Reese said slowly, “but last time I checked, it was legal to grow lavender.”

“It’s legal to grow weed, too!” Axl insisted. “This is Oregon, remember?”

“I’m aware of that, but I also know you need special permits to grow large amounts. It’s regulated by the government, and there are all kinds of rules for growing it. You can’t just start a pot plantation in your backyard, and definitely not at a commercial operation like a vineyard.”

“I got that covered, sweet pea.” The old man grinned and reached into the back pocket of his pants, pulling out a folded piece of paper. He held it out triumphantly, shaking it in front of his granddaughter.

Reese just stared at it like he held used toilet paper. She finally took it, and Clay watched her eyes travel back and forth over the page.

“Medical marijuana?” she said.

“That’s right,” Axl said. “It’s big business these days.”

Larissa tried to peer over her cousin’s shoulder at the words on the page. “Why is ‘medical’ spelled with two L s?”

“Because it’s a forged form,” Reese said, handing it back to Axl, who scowled as he took it. “And even if it were legit, there are limits on how much you can grow and where you can grow it. I really don’t think a vineyard is the best place, and right here next to the forest and my Muscat vines?—”

“Well, where am I supposed to do it, then?” Axl snapped. “I thought you’d be happy about infusing your wines with a little extra somethin’-somethin’, if you know what I mean.”

The old man tried to wink, but the gesture seemed to throw him off balance, and he started to tip. Clay caught him by the arm before he could go toppling down the hill.

“Hands off the goodies, son,” Albert said, stepping back and brushing off the arm of his jacket. “But thanks.”

“No problem, sir—uh, Axl.”

The old man sighed. “All right, then, where am I going to put my doobage?”

The cracking of twigs snapped everyone’s attention to the edge of the woods. An older man stood there with his arms folded over his chest and an expression Clay would’ve called a “shit-eating grin” before he gave up swearing.

Reese’s jaw clenched. “Dick,” she snarled.

Clay looked at her, surprised at the curse until he realized it was probably the guy’s name.

“Reese,” the guy replied. “Planting a new crop?”

“No,” Reese said. “Just checking the progress on the Muscat this season.”

“Hmm,” Dick replied. “You’ve never had much luck with Muscat here, have you? Such a shame, seeing how it seems to grow so well in my vineyard.”

Larissa snorted and took a step closer to her cousin. “Too bad your Pinot comes up short.” She sent a pointed glance at the guy’s crotch, effectively doubling the insult.

“My Pinot is none of your concern,” Dick snapped. “What is my concern is what you’re planting in this area, seeing how my property abuts yours right along that ridge over there.”

“Abuts,” Axl grunted. “That’s definitely the first word that comes to mind when I think of you, Dick.”

June put a hand on her father’s shoulder as Dick glared at them. Reese folded her arms and matched the glare with one of her own.

“I’m aware of the property lines between Sunridge and Larchwood, Dick,” Reese said. “As you can see, we’re safely on our side.”

“And at the moment, you’re on our property,” Axl added. “Those woods are ours—always fuckin’ have been, always fuckin’ will be, and if you’re here to badger us about selling again, the answer is no. ’Scuse me, the answer is fuck no .”

Dick ignored him and sneered at Reese. “I’m watching you. Don’t think I don’t know about that little event you’re hosting out here later this month.”

Larissa rolled her eyes. “ Everyone knows about the event. We sent out a press release. It was on the front page of the newspaper.”

“Well, I certainly hope you know how to contain your guests. And your plantings, whatever they may be.”

He cast a dubious look at Axl, who spat on the ground at his feet. Then he turned on his heel and stomped back into the forest.

“Asshole,” Larissa muttered before the guy was out of earshot.

Reese sighed and waited a few more seconds for Dick’s footsteps to retreat before turning back to her grandfather. “Look, you’re not planting medical marijuana here. No way. Not with Dick watching and questionable paperwork. It’s too close to the property line.”

Axl stood glaring into the woods after Dick. “Asshole better not step on my ’shrooms,” he muttered before turning back to Reese. “So where the hell do I put my weed?”

Reese waved an arm down the hill. “There’s the pole barn where we used to do the grafting. I think I’ve even got some old grow lights down there. Why don’t you go do some research on indoor grow operations? And find out exactly how much you can have and where you can put it and?—”

“I’ve got all that, Peanut Butter Cup. I’ve been doing my research on the interspace.”

“Internet,” June said with a sigh.

“That’s great, Grandpa,” Reese said. “I’ll do some research, too, okay? Just to make sure everything’s legal.”

Axl frowned a little at that but didn’t say anything else. June reached out and took the shovel from him. “Come on, Dad—I’ve got some brownies in the oven down at the house. What do you say we have a few of those with some milk?”

“Brownies?” Axl perked up at the suggestion. “I was just reading up on a new recipe for brownies with a special ingredient , if you know what I mean.”

Clay braced himself to catch the old man if he tried to wink again, but Axl was apparently done.

He allowed June to take him by the elbow and steer him down the hill.

Reese and Larissa and Clay stood staring after the pair as they headed into the house that had stood at the edge of the vineyard property for more than forty years.

The sound of an approaching car drew their attention to the gravel road beyond the house. They all watched as a blue hybrid SUV crunched its way toward the winery.

“Someone’s here for wine tasting,” Reese said. “Larissa, could you?—”

“I’m on it,” she said, already wobbling down the hill in a pair of ridiculously high heels.

Clay’s mind flashed back to the first time he met Larissa, fresh-faced and eighteen and teetering in the same sort of silly shoes.

She’d been a new college freshman, while he’d been gearing up to drop out of school, already hell-bent on fucking up his life with booze and bad decisions.

Larissa had stood there smiling and earnest, gripping her cousin’s arm like her whole world revolved around Reese.

Clay could relate. Both then and now.

“See you at dinner later, Reesey?” Larissa called over her shoulder as she moved down the hill.

“Maybe,” Reese said. “I might be working late on some contracts. Don’t forget to top the bottles with the argon gas when you close up, okay?”

“I know, I know.”

Larissa made her way toward the winery, and Reese stared after her for a moment. When she turned and looked at him, Clay felt the full force of those blazing green eyes like an electric jolt to the spleen.

“Still sure you can handle this?” she asked.

It took him two beats to realize what she meant. “You mean being surrounded by alcohol, drugs, and possible illegal activity conducted by members of your crazy family?”

“Right.”

“I think I’m safe.”

Reese smiled, not a huge smile, but enough to make Clay want to make her do it again.

Dude, get a grip , he reminded himself. Your best buddy’s ex, remember?

As if hearing his thoughts, Reese cleared her throat. “Shall we get down to business?”