Free CABERNET ZIN (Cabernet Zin Wine Country) by J Gordon Smith

names, what are all of you studying?”
    “That’s pretty funny. I see where your kids get their cuteness,” she said. “We came home for the weekend. Like a big girl’s sleepover.”
    “That is a good weekend – which I should let you get back to. The temperature may drop more and make bike riding unpleasant.”
    She sighed, “Yeah. We have a big schedule planned.”
    Zack said, “Noah and Grace, get your bikes. Time to ride home.”
    The girls laughed, “Bye kids!” They blew kisses at Noah and Grace as they picked up their bikes and rode back. Zack waved, “Have a great weekend girls.”
    The children finished their candy before they came home. Zack heard them crunching the candy off the sticks in the car. Zack put the bikes away. The children raced ahead and made a whirl of coats and boots and mittens. Zack picked everything up. He hung up the last of the coats and Grace ran back to Zack.
    She hugged Zack in a big full-body grip, “Daddy, I had a lot of fun riding bikes!” 
    Noah said from the other room, “Yes Dad! It was fun! We need to go back next weekend!”
    “Sure, we can go back. Now we know where it’s at we’ll have to go more often. There are other trails in the area we can go on too. Did you know those used to be old train tracks they converted in the park?”
    “That’s nice, Dad.” Noah asked, “Can we have hot chocolate?”
     
    -:-:-:-O-:-:-:-
     
    Nick’s arms wrapped around Lydia as they lay on the bed. Her mind still buzzed with sex. She felt Nick’s body relax around her as the hotel room clock ticked over to four in the afternoon. She turned over in Nick’s arms and kissed him. She playfully ran her finger nails across his chest hair, “I can’t believe Zack hasn’t figured out it’s not all work.”
    Nick ran his fingers from her shoulder up her neck and pulled her head closer, “Stacy is clueless too. It’s good though.” He kissed Lydia. Then his fingers stroked down her chest until it touched her hardening nipple.
    “Yes,” Lydia’s eyes closed, “and yes.” She ran her fingers down Nick’s stomach and tugged at him, splaying her legs apart and rolling her hips against him, whispering, “I want you in me –”
     
    -:-:-:-O-:-:-:-
     
    Zack pumped the floor jack raising his ten year old Taurus. Long strokes of the jack handle lifted the car in surges. The tires scrubbed on the garage cement floor until the front of the car appeared to hover. He pushed stands under the vehicle and backed off the floor jack until the car settled on the stands. He stacked wood blocks under the frame as backup in case something happened with the jack stands.
    Noah banged through the garage door, “Dad. Can we watch television?”
    “What do you want to watch?”
    “The four o’clock cartoons – on PBS!”
    “Ok, until I get done here.”
    “Thanks, Dad!” Noah ran back inside, the door banged and shook the wall.
    Not having Lydia’s car next to him made his work easier. She had a new car and a much more expensive car than his. She argued for needing a fancy car for her job – couldn’t drive some old beater as an executive of a national corporation. Zack didn’t want the payments but had relented. She had been less argumentative after getting that car – for a few weeks.
    He tugged the oil catch tray under the crank drain then wrenched off the drain plug and the filter. He popped the hood and inspected the wiring and fluid levels while the oil drizzled out of the car like smooth dark honey. He teased the rubber boots from the nipple tips of the spark plugs. He slid his deep well socket carefully into the engine cavities around the fragile ceramic plugs and ratcheted each of them out. He checked the tip gaps and burn residue left on the plugs. The light combustion products on the plugs indicated the engine burned clean. He finger-tightened each of the plugs to ensure the fine threads chased their intended tracks and then cinched each down with the socket. He buttoned