“No, he was that kind of man,” Jonas assured her. “You should be very proud of him and the legacy he left behind.”
“I am,” Maggie said. “Thank you so much.”
No one spoke for a moment, until Christy patted her father’s strong, weathered hand. “That was a very sweet tribute, Dad.”
He squeezed her hand but said nothing.
Maggie broke the silence, anxious to move on from the somber topic of her deceased father. “Paul, Connor tells me that you’ve started growing grapevines and plan to make wine. How is that coming along?”
“Yes, I’ve turned traitor to my heritage,” he said, and his wife and father both laughed. “I’m having a great time with it. It’s similar to brewing in that it’s a tricky blend of science and art. But the real bonus for me is that picking grapes is so much more fun than picking hops.”
“Not quite as many thorns,” his wife added.
Everyone at the table chuckled at that.
“Have you bottled anything yet?” Maggie asked.
“We’ve scheduled our first official bottling next month at the winery. You know, we’re just over the hill in Glen Ellen. You should all come join us for the celebration.”
She glanced around at Connor and his brothers, who were grinning, no doubt pleased with Paul’s offer.
“We’d love to join you,” Connor said, speaking for everyone. “Thanks for the invitation.”
Paul’s wife Dana spoke up. “We’ve hired a chef for the winery who serves these fabulous little snacks with the tastings. I’m telling you, it’s the most fun we’ve had in years.”
“Sounds like you’ve got quite a setup,” Jake said. “I’m looking forward to our visit.”
Maggie suddenly wasn’t sure if she was included in that group invitation, even though Paul had been responding to her question. It shouldn’t matter. She could drive out to their winery any time she wanted to, but it would be so much nicer to go with this group of people she was starting to consider friends.
“Wineries.” Jonas sighed. “Another reason why I’m selling the brewery, boys. My own son is deserting the company.”
“Aw, come on Dad,” Paul said guiltily.
He grinned. “I’m just teasing you, boy. I’m glad you’ve found something you enjoy as much as I love my brewing.” His gaze slid from Jake to Ian to Connor. “Gentlemen, that’s why I insist that whoever buys my company should love this business as much as I do. I don’t want some buttoned-down pencil pusher running my plant and pissing off the loyal employees who’ve worked there all these years. I want someone who walks in every morning and takes a deep breath of that hoppy smell and actually gets excited at the possibilities.”
Maggie smiled, knowing exactly what the old man meant.
“Who knows what can happen when you blend all those bitter herbs and malts together?” Jonas’s eyes sparkled as he spoke. “Why, throw in a slice of lemon peel or some odd bit of vegetation and you could come up with something completely new that might dominate the industry for the next five years. I’m telling you, if you can’t appreciate the scent, the shades, the taste, the…” He paused, then chuckled. “Hell, I sound like I’m talking about a woman.”