I don’t know. Should we call Mom?

Fate? Ugg, her eyes rolled, he was annoying.

How had one run in spiral into seeing this jerk everywhere now?

"If you must know." Her hand gestured to her outfit, it wasn't her usual attire. A casual romper with a deep V that left very little to the imagination about what was there and sandle wedges. "Date." Was the simple word she offered as she made her way to the door. "Wow, you got one right, agent. I'm more an old fashion kind of girl." A small pat on his shoulder as she passed him. Not wanting to entertain him any more than she already had. The last thing she'd want him to think is that he was welcomed to just pop up wherever she was.

Hazel eyes narrowed at him, as she stepped to the side. Arms crossed as she tried to decide what to do about this. "What trial are you chasing and I might tell you which trail I'm chasing. It's wrong to assume that we're chasing the same one, when there are so many here." Which was true, in her short time here already, she had found plenty of leads and people here at the Whiskey Crate.

"Date," he repeated like he didn't believe her. "I knew it. You're not a margaritas girl. Won't be seeing you at Jimmy buffets' restaurant. Old fashioned? Huh. Kind of have that take whiskey straight so it burns down your throat type."

A hum was his only response. The door opened and he got a white folded letter. Wally smiled and tipped his hat. Looking over at the woman, he sighed. "Tell you what, in twenty minutes, when your date doesn't show. Meet me at the nearby park. I'll show you mine."

He pushed his back off the wall and wiped his casual attire. Rolled up sweater sleeve and an unbuttoned magneta shirt. "It's Wally, by the way. You watch too many movies."

He was coming to fast for her to react and a soft grunt came from her as she was knocked to ground with him. The wind being knocked out of her. "What the hell!" She sputtered out as she began to take a deep breath in. It wasn't angry, she saw him take that stumble, it wasn't on purpose, right?

An old familiar feeling began to ball up in the pit of her stomach, an ache in her heart at this. His eyes, his body, this close to hers. She found her hand reaching up to tuck his hair behind his ear as she had so many times before. It was as she had been possessed by an old version of her. The one that still longed for him every night.

Her lips parted to ask if he was okay, if he could get up, aware of what this would look like to others if they were to find them. A situation that didn't seem to matter much to her in the moment. Nor the fact that her boyfriend was here somewhere in the fray either, a concern that left her mind that moment his lips met hers. Arms moved involuntarily to wrap around his neck and pull him closer as the familiarity of this, of him came rushing back in. The past she was trying so hard to forget, to move on from. Mouth moved in sync, kissing him back. God, she had missed him.

Flashes and quick images scrolled through his head of their time together. The good, the bad and the ugly times. Hazel eyes bore into his own emerald pools. There was love there and he knew it in his heart, she was putting a wall. With good reason. He had hurt her. But, this was exhilarating enough to kiss her twice before pulling away. Her breathing making a symphony with his own erratic and rapid breathing.

Opening his eyes to look into hers. He saw it. That small little flicker. He knew his features showed he still loved her. Although brief, this kiss changed everything between them but that didn't seem to make him care. Staring down at their crushed bodies, he lifted himself up and off as he began to apologize.

"I'm sorry," he spoke softly but before anything else could be said from her end, he finished. "For not regretting the kiss." He left it at that and nodded as he wiped his hands and let her get up. He was about to ask if she was okay when his arm shot out to prevent a balloon coming for her face from smacking her. The balloon did a loud thud as it burst into colors against his arms and fell flat by his feet.

"I was so scared Max," she hadn't admitted this to anyone besides Eli when he was still in his coma. But, she'd also never kept something from her brothers. "The thought of losing him frightened me like nothing else. The future got blurry." She nodded happily, proudly even. Growing old with her husband was a dream. "Have you been reading my diary? Because that's exactly my vision. Can you imagine grandkids? If my kids are cute, my god...extra cute grandkids." Now she was getting carried away.

"Yeah, Santa Barbara. It's one of the places we're considering. With a new business venture. Look at you, Santa Barbara advocate! I'm...half sure, we're still discussing, and it's also kind of tied with whether we get the place we're looking at." Max had such a nice way to talk about how he'd pivot. Laurel loved the idea, the picture of her brother taking the reins of the family winery looked so beautiful in her mind. "I do love it," she said with a longing sigh. Leaving the winery was difficult, and something she couldn't stay away from (clearly, given her new job). "Dad would throw a party if you said you wanted to learn. More dad and son time, he'd say. I would love to show you everything I know, like you said, if it's not out of duty. I know you and Izzie would love it there! And you wouldn't be on your own, you know Eduardo will help show you the ropes." The team was so close to the family that they would be more than happy to welcome him into the fold.

Max nodded his head as he looked at his sister. It was the first time ever he didn't know how to help her. Pulling her into a hug, he kissed her forehead. "I know. Scarier even not knowing how to help you move forward. Not without doing a weekends at Bernie's thing where we pulled Eli along like he was awake. Traumatizing the kids in the process. For what it was worth, you were the strongest person. No one lost hope but you held onto that like a rider on a bull." A slight eye roll emitted from him as he laughed. "Rub it in with your cute ass kids. I'm sure your grandkids will be just as cute. I wonder whose genes they'll get?"

"That's why I'm not nervous to step into this new venture. So, hang on. Is Santa Barbara the place we are going with? Why aren't you fully sure? Are there more places on the table?" Before he even said anything she cleared up the question he had. Not bartenders, okay. "Though that venture would be new for him. Anyway, okay. What's the deal with the bar? Whose is it?"

Laurel hated the thought, but there was no denying it. If there was someone who resembled her mother, it was the Hendersons. If she'd gravitate to someone, it'd be them. "Yeah, we can find out," she gestured towards the basement where she kept a few boxes in storage. Some reluctant mementos on behalf of her dad. Grabbing one of the boxes, she set it down on the floor and pulled it open, filled with items from her childhood and a smaller box that contained her mom's things. Sorting through a set of pictures, she saw her and Max as kids, pictures of her parents when they were younger, and pictures of...her mother's side of the family, she assumed. Flipping the picture, she saw the handwritten note in the back. "Look, I guess this is my aunt," she handed him the photo before sifting through a few more. "You were right...it's them. Look, Claire and my mom. Some kind of party, they're pretty dressed up. Shit, my mom never mentioned friends. Or family, I didn't even know about that aunt I showed you either."

Olivia was someone she didn't think of too often, only because it hurt to think there was a sibling out there that she didn't know. The thought that she knew some townspeople more than her own sister. "Do you think that's what it is? My sister making a claim on the place, and that somehow benefitting them. If she doesn't care about the place, she'd probably agree to sell." Her smile inevitably widened with her brother's mention. She was visibly excited at the thought of working with her brother, to teach him what she had learned. "As always, you are very right," she conceded, giving him a gentle kiss on the cheek. "I'll get that started asap."

Basements were always creepy and even more so when he had to see the bane of his existence in photos. Following after his wife though, he was careful to watch her steps and glided his hand out just in case. In his split second caveman mentality, he smirked watching her back. Those jeans really were a godsend for him. Long legs really made him thankful she did those thirty minute work outs for her lower half. Chuckling to himself he shook out of that and focused on what she'd showed him. "You have an aunt?" His eyebrows knitted together. "I thought she was always an only child." Upon further inspection of the photo in question he hummed. "Not for nothing but you and your aunt look scarily alike. Like you and Cece. Can chalk it up to family resemblance. Looks like a Halloween party," his eyes narrowed and remembered the sign. The Rolling Gambler. "That's that bar that guy hit on you in. Remember? Older dude. Seemed like he thought he was the hottest piece around. Couldn't take a no for an answer til you clocked him in the nose."

"So Claire knew your mother. Enough to party on like teenage girls. Nick may have been onto something. So, let's see," his brain had worked out two possible scenarios in under thirty seconds. "If they were friends. We can assume she told her everything. Which means there's leverage if she wanted to give a last fuck you to your dad. Which also means their angle of winery means they think they can take it because they know something like your ghost sister is somewhere out there getting prepped to take it."

"Hey hey, you got me last year! It even got in my bangs." No one could say Wally didn't go all in. "It was only fair I returned the favor. Do you think we can all sneak off to nap? We could snuggle in the one bed, see if we still fit," she joked, knowing the likelihood was very slim. "Before we build this baseball team, the better question is what team does Rome cheer for? I think Sam will get a heart attack if we get another Bluejays fan."

Wally snapped his head back up as he saw his feet move side to side. "No waiting on these puppies. The kids wanna keep their limbs. Hey, if their second favorite aunt promises them these matching sets, they'll be patient." Wally was cozy and that shit was priceless. "I'm so ready for hallmark movies and my hoodies which by the way, which one of you has it, that dark black one?"

"God, a nap sounds so good right now. We can swing it but we put wombat in the middle. I don't feel like getting kicked in the balls again by the sleep kicker." Wally laughed as he watched their sister's reaction. "Poor Benji. He chose the wrong team. Rome, I think goes for LA but an Angel's fan. Poor dude never gets a chance to watch the post season. His team gets eliminated real quick."

Baseball was like a bat signal for Basty, it was a bright neon sign that he happened to respond to as he grabbed his last drink for the night. "If you had said Yankees or Mets, I think I'd gouge my eyes out. Lets not threepeat the absolute insanity it was having a Yankees fan be in our midst with Janny's ex from high school. Ya'll remember Alicia?" Basty shuddered. That poor girl was misguided. "I think even mom asked Janny if he was okay."

Subbing was easy money and low commitment. Usually it was a day or two, max a week before she moved on to the next classroom or even the next school. Valentina didn't mind teaching. The easy days were okay, and the bad days were just a stark reminder of the dream that got further and further away each time. This had been one of her longer assignments, subbing for months at a time was something she did not plan for. She was glad, however, that subbing for this class had been okay, all things considered.

Valentina had already cleared the desk of the few belongings she kept there, so she was a bit confused when she was called back into the classroom. "I didn't miss something, did I?" A heavy sigh followed, her disdain for teaching was not too concealed. Most teachers related, to some extent, for one reason or another. "Again, your class was surprisingly well-behaved, nothing too outlandish to report. They did ask a lot about you, but I just sent them to the other teachers. I didn't really know what to tell them."

A well behaved class made him laugh. "My bribe worked. They are menaces every other day. I'm glad they treated you kindly. No one tried to do the dog ate my homework?" Kike liked teaching, it was like doing what he loved and his hobby all in one.

"Okay, that sounds good, but please let us know if you need to go. We can come back asap." But knew that Wally would insist on them keeping their date night. Seeing her brother with the kids made her smile.

"Isn't it crazy? Having another child," intertwining her fingers with his. "I hoped, but I just wasn't sure if it would work out." But, she was really glad that it did. "I was thinking about it. I want to, probably sooner rather than later, so that I have time to train them. I'm just not sure who, maybe I need to start with an ad on the paper," she half-joked. It was a real concern though, who to bring on to the shop. "Especially with Sam's wedding looming over us. That floral order is no joke. Any chance you know someone? I was also going to ask the family, if they know someone, before I resort to an ad."

He laughed as his green eyes sparkled at the mere thought. "I was thinking of raiding Wally's bin. Unbelievable but he is even worse than you and Sammy when it comes to mementos saved." A bunch of hoarders were their lot. "Is the fourth storage even filled yet?" Curiosity filled him as the last he knew, his brother's things went to storage number three.

If Ivette was an owl, her head would've already done a complete turn. She was sitting in bed, watching him just speeding through the room - from the closet to the suitcase, and back again. Peering over to the suitcase, she smiled widely. "Any chance the bed and the hacienda fits in there?" She was definitely just teasing him, enamored by the way he immediately took to preparing everything for both of them. Standing up, she made her way to him and cupped his face with her hands. "I think we will be okay. I will take the extra sweaters, and um," looking back at the items, "I think so, yes. I'm also not a stranger to buying clothes once there. My version of souvenirs."

Now, Ivette was also just as nervous as he was. Even more maybe. The thought of meeting more family had her spooked since the first time they broached the subject. Her track record with his family had not been all that great so far. "Lunch is a yes, a long plane ride awaits. Hm, no...no pizza, sorry. Can we do pasta? Maybe like an Alfredo sauce. I know it's not very traditional, but kinda hard to ignore the super rich cream."

As he flipped them over, a quiet chuckle escaped her. "I knew I'd be a bad influence on you, trying to get you to run away." It wasn't the place to be joking around, but Mikey was also a level of insane that she couldn't quite fathom. She was sure if she told anyone else all of this, they'd give her one of three reactions: run for the hills, report her immediately to the bureau, or take her out. He was upset, understandably so, Gia knew she was not exempt from that...but the fact that he didn't react the way she expected and was now taking lead to get her out. Well, it left no room for doubt that she was hopelessly in love with this insane man. She agreed, no more work, even if her mind was riddled with it. "I could work with that," her brown eyes looked into his, that gleam flickering, fighting to return. "Third base? Aren't I a lucky girl?" Undoing his buttons as she spoke, gently pushing the shirt off him. It was eager, but not rushed. Each action, each breath bring committed to memory. It took her longer than it should've, the realization that this was their last night together. But, knowing it now, she had to savor each moment. Her world was slowing down, centering was more, and it was because of him. "We'll make this a good one."

The morning came way too quick, Mikey shut his eyes as he felt her naked body against his side. Her fingertips trailed over his stomach as he knew she was awake but didn't make an effort to move. They had about an hour before they needed to leave. The room was quiet and dark despite the sunlight hitting the bedroom. His breathing was even as he looked over at her and smiled softly. "We gotta go." He didn't need to say where but that she would know. "Wanna shower first? I gotta text Alvaro. See if he's where I told him to be at."

He crumbled the fax paper from Karina and went on his way. Of course, he stopped by the room and opened it. He was sitting near the wall as he tried to figure out how many dents the ceiling had.

He was right. The themes presented were no good. Nothing that she loved either, but presented for the sake of having a starting point. "They're not great, I think we can scrap these. Put them in the vault for next year, if anything. The aquatic one seems fine, but feels kind of odd given the space." Looking back down at her folder, she mulled over the half-baked ideas she'd been tossing and bringing back to her mind. "Another option, risky if not done right though, is to lean into the venue. Observatory, planets, celestial themes - all that fun stuff." Laying the folder out, she pulled a few color options. "Like here, some silvers and royal blue. You ever seen those vintage sun and moon pictures? Could be something like that. Or, silver stars, like the wishing star. Um..if we wanted art inspired, Starry Night is always a classic."

On any other occasion, she would've knocked before entering, but he had mentioned sleeping babies and she did not want to startle them with an echoing knock. "The holiday gala not letting you sleep? It is a bit of a rollercoaster this year, the venue is the star," a grin following at her own lame connection. Throwing the gala at an observatory was a bold one for her, but no one could deny the beauty of the place. Downside? Finding a theme for it has been proving difficult, and without that, not much else could progress.

“You know what I mean,” she said through gritted teeth, her patience running thin. Then again, she supposed they were both acting fools right now. Playing mind games with each other. “What you’re doing here, in this room. How’d you find me?” Referring to how concerned he looked when he barged in here, saying he had found her. Still, she was grateful for the keys, moving quickly to undo the cuffs. “Thanks,” looking back over at him, she crossed her arms over her chest (because she could do that again), “an escape? Here I thought my date would be a gentleman and just let me out. But, what the hell, sure let’s talk.” Because talking might just help her figure some of this out and think of how to get to Matty. “Do we need to talk here, or is there some place more comfortable?”

"You think I don't know what goes on in my department? Not everyone is you, sweet cheeks. It depends on what you choose. If you gonna play the dumb card, I am afraid we won't get much out of it. If you want to be smart then I am all ears. You got time to choose. I'll be back. Oh, by the way. If you're thinking he's in this building, better think again."

Emma grinned at the mention of her brothers. "Absolutely, but I love it. My brothers are the best, they mean well. You'll probably see them around here, sometimes they come pick me up." Not because she couldn't drive or get to her place on her own, but it was a good opportunity to catch up or head to family dinners together. "I joined so much, let's see - theater, dance, cross country. Oh, and the most fun one, the school's radio station. We partnered with the local community college to run it, it was super fun. Definitely my favorite. How did you spend your college days?"

It was super close, and Emma really did think she had beaten him, but soon after, from the corner of her eye, she saw him surpass her with ease. Bold of her to think she'd win. "Dinner's a good motivator huh. I do keep my word though, real fancy? How's the Cheesecake Factory looking?" She followed his lead and hopped down, gently holding on to the rope and following after him. "Beautiful," now Emma would need to do a more detailed exam to determine where this beautiful creature stood. But, at first glance, it seemed like it could work. "It's very minimal though, I'll need to examine in further detail, but if Rome sees no concerns, I don't anticipate this affecting this gorgeous boy long-term. Proper trims and if we get someone really qualified, they can help set him up for success, reducing the risk of pain. But doable, with a good, balanced diet."

Landon was curious and so when her brothers were mentioned, he couldn't help but ask. "Your brothers are protective? How much of an age gap is there between you? Do you ever feel the gap when you're hanging out together?" Being an only child, he had to wonder if people who had siblings ever felt like a fish out of water. "The radio station as a radio host or what were you working as? I spent them here at the ranch. Helping out or just being a shadow for Rome. I didn't actually work here until way later."

She leaned into his lips, soft peppered kisses following as he spoke. "Yes you're right, I'm-" about to say she was sorry again. "I'll be fine, by the time we do this. I promise." Guilt ridden would likely remain, but he was right. She couldn't jeopardize what he was doing for her, just because she wanted to feel bad for herself for a while longer. "I'll follow your lead entirely." Gia heard the soft thud as the phone was set down. She tried to push all the thoughts out of her mind, "somewhere between first date and running away together," she answered quietly, her hand tangling up in his hair as she pulled him down to bed while she laid down. This definitely made for one hell of a first date.

"You promise," he caressed her skin with his lips. "I need you to be focused. We can do this. We can beat her." Did he know for sure? No. But he also knew who Gia was as an agent. If she wasn't good at what she did, Karina would have relieved her of her duties a long time ago.