Free Out of the Blue by RJ Jones

We’d always enjoyed time with Jake’s Aunt Cece and her wife, Brenda, and the chance to relax and reconnect would be a good place to start.
    Jake came home after work, and after putting his bag down, he came into the kitchen and kissed my cheek. “Smells good,” he said, rummaging in the fridge as I tossed the vegetables in the wok.
    “Your day okay?” I asked.
    Closing the fridge, he leaned against it and watched me cook. “Got another large client today so that’ll keep me busy for a while.”
    “That’s a good thing, right?”
    “Yes.”
    A lot of the big clients went to Jake, and although we didn’t share much about our jobs, I knew he enjoyed the larger clients.
    “So, you know I’ve got this weekend off?” I asked.
    “Yeah?”
    “Well, I thought about spending the weekend at Napa. I called Aunt Cece and Brenda, and they’re preparing the guest cottage for us. It would be good to get away and relax for a bit, you know, help clear our heads.” Given the strain between us lately, I didn’t think he’d want to share our problems with his aunts, so I was a little worried what his answer would be. But as I stood there, stirring the vegetables, his lips quirked until they became a wide grin. I breathed a sigh of relief.
    “You know what? That’s the best idea you’ve had in a long time. We haven’t seen Aunt Cece or Brenda in a while, and I could do with getting out of the city for a bit.” Jake’s eyes narrowed in thought. “You’re off Friday, right?” I nodded. “Why don’t we go up on Friday morning and spend a long weekend instead. I’ll ask Jenny if I can take Friday off and we can have three days instead of two.”
     
     
    Jake and I left home after breakfast on Friday morning, and the hour and a half drive was comfortable and easy. Although we had argued briefly that morning about who was going to drive—there was no way I was going to let him—we talked like we used to, about everything and nothing, and the tension that had hung around us disappeared with each mile.
    The weather was warm with clear blue skies, and the farther we traveled, the more fragrant the air became, smelling of freshly cut grass and blossoming grapevines. My skin tingled and I smiled when Jake turned to me with a huge grin on his face and placed his hand on my thigh, making my blood hum. He seemed to feel it too, a turning point for us. At that moment, we both knew we were going to be okay, and whatever problems we had, they were fixable. Jake’s hand stayed on my thigh for the remainder of the drive, his thumb moving in tender circles against the denim of my jeans.
    Pulling into the driveway of the winery, I saw Aunt Cece and Brenda as they stood on the porch waiting for us. We grabbed our bags from the back and made our way up the front steps, and soon enough we were enveloped in warm hugs.
    “Ah, my boys are here,” said Aunt Cece, stepping back to look at us. “I’ve missed you both. You don’t visit often enough.”
    “If we lived here, you’d still complain you didn’t see us enough,” Jake said, rolling his eyes.
    “She probably would too,” Brenda said with a chuckle.
    “C’mon inside. I’ve got fresh cinnamon rolls and coffee. We have a lot to catch up on and only three days to do it.” After Aunt Cece ordered us inside, we sat around the small breakfast table as we talked and ate.
    This was like a homecoming for Jake, and conversation was easy. He’d always called the Napa vineyard his second home, and I knew why. Aunt Cece and Brenda were happy, easygoing people, never in a rush and always willing to help. Their vineyard was small with few staff, enough to keep the business profitable but not making a fortune. They only sold their wine in stores, never from the cellar door, as this was their home and hosting tours was costly and time-consuming.
    Talk revolved around Jake’s work, his promotion, and how he was enjoying the new role. Then Brenda turned her attention to me. “Cam,