by Tawny Amaya
Wine Heir
Bad Boy Billionaire Romance
Tawny Amaya
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Copyright © 2017 Tawny Amaya
www.tawnyamaya.com
www.facebook.com/AuthorTawny
All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, dead or living, is coincidental and not intended by the author.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior written permission of the author and publisher.
DEDICATION
To the belief that you can find love where you left it.
Contents
CHAPTER 1: Jackson
CHAPTER 2: Bree
CHAPTER 3: Jackson
CHAPTER 4: Bree
CHAPTER 5: Jackson
CHAPTER 6: Bree
CHAPTER 7: Jackson
CHAPTER 8: Bree
CHAPTER 9: Jackson
CHAPTER 10: Bree
CHAPTER 11: Jackson
CHAPTER 12: Bree
CHAPTER 13: Jackson
CHAPTER 14: Bree
CHAPTER 15: Jackson
CHAPTER 16: Bree
CHAPTER 17: Jackson
CHAPTER 18: Bree
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Thanks to all my family, friends, colleagues and readers for their support and encouragement.
CHAPTER 1: Jackson
I gulped my coffee as I picked up my cell, seeing mom’s number blink on the screen. She never called me during work hours, which meant something was wrong. Holding it up to my ear, I pressed the button. “Hey, mom.”
“Jackson, honey, I know I’m bothering you at work,” she breathed. I grinned. It wasn’t like I was going to get into trouble or anything because of her phone call. I was the district CEO for my family’s corporation, Temple Enterprises. We owned a number of restaurants that spanned over two states and one vineyard that produced damn good wine. “It’s fine mom,” I said. “What’s up?”
“I’m getting remarried.”
Well, that wasn’t what I was expecting. “Excuse me? Who the hell is he and why haven’t I met him?”
She giggled into the phone, sounding far from her fifty-nine years. “You have met him. In fact, he’s your father.”
Again, I was speechless. She and Dad were getting remarried? They had divorced when I was sixteen, and for the next two years, I had spent it shuffled between two households. It hadn’t been horrible by any means, but I had always thought my parents’ marriage was stable. I guess all children did. “Um, okay. This is weird.”
“I know,” she sighed. “But your father and I have been seeing each other for the last year, and we realize we still love each other very much. He’s such a romantic and wants to make it official again.”
I sat back in the chair, a grin on my face. “Well, I guess I have to give my blessing on this one.”
“I’m not asking for your blessing,” she laughed. “But I am telling you that your ass better be at the estate, with a girl preferably.”
I sighed then, rubbing a hand over my face. “Monica and I broke up last night.”
“Oh, I am sorry honey,” my mom said, turning on her motherly concern. “I can’t say that I didn’t see it coming. She was such an airhead. You need a strong woman.”
I grinned. Leave it to my mom not to mince words. Hell, she was right. Monica was more concerned about her fingernails than she had been about our relationship. I was twenty-nine, far too old to be thinking about nails. She had cried of course, and I had high tailed it out of there before she could say anything. While she was blowing up my phone today, I knew I wasn’t going to return any of her calls. I was done with her. “When are these happy nuptials taking place?”
“Next weekend.”
“What?” I asked, surprised. What was the hurry? “Scared you will get cold feet or something?”
“Oh, you so have your father’s dry sense of humor,” she sighed. “No, I want to get married at the vineyard, and we want to do it before the leaves turn brown.”
I thought about the vineyard that was on my family’s large estate, a place I had lived until I was eighteen, first with my parents and then with my mom before she moved into a smaller house closer to town. It was a large place and was where much of our product came from. “Well, at least you don’t have to worry about availability.”
“Actually, it was difficult to get on the calendar,” she chuckled. “The wedding venue is pretty popular.”
I nodded. I hadn’t seen the place in person, but the new vineyard manager had talked my mom into building an open wedding venue there. With the floral garden and the vineyard, it was a pretty impressive place. “I guess I will be seeing it next weekend then.”
“Oh good,” she said. “Not that I expected you to say no. I think your father wants you as a best man. You might want to call him. I have enough to worry about.”
“I will,” I promised. “And I am happy for you guys.”
“I love you, son,” she stated before hanging up. I chuckled as I put the phone on the desk. My parents were getting remarried. It was crazy to even think about it. Their divorce had been an amicable one, and I had never even known what had caused them to divorce in the first place. Sure, they had both dated, but never serious enough to take the next step.
Looking at my calendar on my computer, I buzzed my secretary. “Judy, clear my calendar for next weekend.”
“Yes sir,” she said promptly before clicking off. I stretched my arms behind my head, wondering what the old estate looked like. I hadn’t been there since I had left for college, finding no reason to ever go back. God that had seemed like so long ago.
And now we were going to be one big happy family again. I wasn’t disappointed by any means, but the entire thought just seemed absurd. Oh well, I wasn’t the one walking down the aisle, so if they wanted to get married, well, I wasn’t’ going to stop them.
Straightening, I looked down at the new figures for the restaurants on my end, satisfied with their profits. I had been groomed to take this position, my MBA just a pad to ensure I was qualified. While my father ran the restaurants and other properties in my hometown, I was in New York, running and buying up the ones here. Since I had taken over, I had doubled our profits and amassed quite a fortune. Now I had a nice apartment in Soho and a vacation home in the Hamptons, with an excellent view of the shore. I liked my life here, loved the city, and was already thinking about expansion into the South with the wines, knowing my father would be all for it. Especially since he would have my mom to keep him busy. I figured he had another five, maybe ten years before he gave it up completely. It didn’t matter, I wasn’t going anywhere. This was my family’s legacy.
With the shake of my head, I grabbed my coat and stood, shrugging into it. It was time to make some more deals and more cash flow into the company.
Life was good.
******
CHAPTER 2: Bree
I fingered the green leaf of the vine, frowning as I saw some discoloration starting to show. We had experienced a dry summer, and while we watered them frequently, there was nothing like a good, solid rain.
“Don’t fret,” my father said beside me, pushing up from his crouching position. He had been feeling the soil at the base of the vines, a practice I hadn’t yet mastered. “Rain is on the way.”
I laughed, watching him wipe his hands on his pants. “Alright, Mr. W
eatherman. We will see.”
He winked, a grin on his weathered face. “Have faith Bree, have faith.”
I just shook my head, a grin on my face as well. For decades, my family had been in the wine business, caring for vineyards all around the country. The knowledge had been passed from generation to generation and most recently, me. Being an only child, my father really didn’t have much of a choice, but I loved the work. I loved the smell of the grapes, the feel of the soil through my fingers, the way the vines snaked up the arbors in the morning sun. For the last twenty-eight years, I had known this place, Sunrise Vineyards and couldn’t think of anywhere else I would rather be.
“I’ve heard some interesting news,” my father said as we walked down the rows of vines, stopping every once and a while to inspect their growth. “The Temples are getting married.”
“Married?” I asked, surprised. The Temples were a wealthy couple that owned the vineyard where my father had been employed his entire career. And recently, I had been as well, taking over the operations of the vineyard. With my father’s knowledge and my thoughts of what could be brought to the vineyard, we ran a successful business for the Temples.
He chuckled. “Apparently they have found love once more. I received word yesterday that the plan to do it here, at the estate next weekend.”
A spurt of excitement coursed through my veins as I thought of this opportunity. Recently, I had, with Mrs. Temple’s blessing, erected a barn of sorts on the backside of the property, overlooking the rows of grapes in the distance. I wanted to turn the place into a wedding venue and drive more people to come to the vineyard. It was elegant, the barn like structure very misleading from the interior. “I wonder if she would be interested in being the first ceremony?” I asked aloud, wondering if that was beneath her or not.
My father threw his arm around my shoulders and squeezed them lightly. “I believe you can talk her into it. You’ve done a great deal of work, Bree, and you should be very proud of what you have done. I know I am.”
“Thanks, dad,” I said, giving him a smile. He nodded and walked ahead, leaving me to my thoughts. It had been the two of us since I was born, my mom died in childbirth. I liked to think that their love was forever, considering he had never married another since her death. He had been the one who had helped me through my awkward years, been there when I needed a shoulder to cry on, and tended to my many scrapes and bruises.
So, it was only natural for me to want to follow in his footsteps and here I was, about to embark on this journey that could become a career. I had no interest in anything else, really. Moving forward, I thought about the Temples and this wedding. They had divorced years ago, not living on the estate since, well, since Jackson had gone to college. “Oh my god,” I whispered, a hint of a smile on my face as I thought about the handsome son that had lived here before the divorce. Was Jackson coming? Of course, he was. These were his parents. I hadn’t seen him in ten years at least. We had been the best of friends growing up, as the only two kids on the estate, there wasn’t much of a choice. Instead of being the stuck up kid that he could have been, Jackson wasn’t, and despite our social classes, he had treated me like I was his equal. His parents had never objected, and I had never seen them as the billionaires they were.
Perhaps that was part of the reason I hadn’t left to pursue my own career. Here my father and I were treated as equals, not employees of the estate. The Temples paid us well and had left the vineyard up to us as long as we were making money. Why would anyone leave with those kinds of perks?
With a sigh, I moved down the row, my thought drifting back to Jackson. Would he even remember me? What if he brought someone? Was he married? “You’re being silly Bree,” I muttered to myself, shaking my head. I was an adult now. He was an adult now. So, what if he brought someone? It wasn’t like we had been pining for each other all this time anyway. I mean, I hadn’t seen him in ten years!
One thing was for certain. I needed to show the Temples where the money had gone regarding the wedding venue. The last thing I needed was for them to be disappointed in my idea and take it out on my father. He had been a loyal employee for them, and I would hate to be the reason that he lost his job or his reputation. We knew everyone around the estate and the workers under him respected his opinion and expertise. He would not find that anywhere else.
Straightening my shoulders, I set out for the wedding venue, wanting to ensure that everything was perfect for the Temples’ to inspect and hopefully use. If everything went right, I would have made a great move. If everything went wrong, well, I could only hope it didn’t.
******
CHAPTER 3: Jackson
I maneuvered the car around the tight curves that led to the countryside, enjoying the bright sunshine on my face and the wind whipping through my hair. After a rough week at the office, I was glad to have this break, even if it was my parent’s wedding. The drive to the estate was long and boring, leading out to the middle of nowhere, but with the top down on the car and the music up, I could even overlook that fact.
I turned at a four way stop, admiring the wooden sign that depicted the vineyard’s direction and few miles that were left to go. The estate itself had been in my family for generations, making some of their money on the wine that was produced there. Growing up, I had hated the place, not wanting to be so far away from what I called life. There had been no private academy for me, but private tutors that had stayed at the estate during the school year. Weird, I know, but my parents fucking loved the place.
Now I probably learned a great deal more that way, jet setting to another part of the country at least twice a month and truly immersed in the culture that was shown in the textbooks. But even with that opportunity, I had missed out on the usual high school drama, the girls, and sports. Not that I resented my parents for that, but college had been a shocker, hard to adjust at first.
Running a hand through my hair, I turned down the long drive that led to the estate, glad to see the rows of green vines on either side of the drive. It looked like they were having a good season, which would make my parents happy. The large mansion rose over the vines, and for a second I felt the stresses of work melt away. Maybe it won’t be so bad coming home for the weekend. I was going to miss out on my normal weekend routine and the sights and sounds of the city, but I could stand it for the next four days at least.
A flash of white caught my eye, and I slammed on brakes, dust flying up at my tires turned over on the drive.
“Can’t you see the sign? What were you doing anyway?”
I watched as a tall woman unfolded herself from the golf car that had been crossing the road, her hair bobbing around her shoulders as she marched over to the car. She was dressed in a simple shirt and shorts, smeared with what looked like blood and I instantly became alarmed. “Did I hit you?”
She stopped not far from the side mirror on the car, her hands on her hips. “What?”
There was something vaguely familiar about her. I tore off my sunglasses and pointed to her shirt. “Are you bleeding?”
She looked down and then let out a laugh, swiping at the stains. “This is grape juice. No, you stopped in time but watch out, okay?”
She turned to go before I realized who she was. “Bree?”
Turning back to look at me, she nodded. “Yes?”
I pushed open the door to the car, not believing it. Bree was the daughter of the vineyard manager, but no longer the gangly girl I remembered her to be. No, she was tall, with legs for miles. Her green eyes looked at me curiously as I stood by the car, crossing my arms over my chest. “Jackson?” she finally asked, her eyes widening.
I nodded as well, a grin splitting my lips. “Damn we both have grown up, haven’t we?”
A smile appeared on her lips, and I felt my groin tighten. “Yes, yes we have. Oh my god, it’s been like ten years at least.”
“At least,” I echoed, taking her in. And those ten years had been especially good to her. “I thought
you would have already moved on from here.”
She gave me a shrug, her eyes shifting to the rows on either side of us. “I decided to stay here and learn the family business.”
“Yeah, me too,” I said, surprised at seeing her. She and I had nearly grown up together, the only other person I had to talk to outside of my family and the servants. Bree had been there when I had expressed my frustrations at not having a normal childhood, sharing her own childhood with me even though my parents were her boss.
“So,” she finally said, looking slightly uncomfortable. “I should be getting back to work. It’s terrific to see you, Jackson.”
“You too,” I murmured, watching her as she quickly hurried to the golf cart and climbed in, speeding off through the rows. I certainly hadn’t anticipated her being here or looking like that. Put her into a designer outfit, and she could be walking the catwalk in the fashion shows.
Chuckling, I climbed back into the car and started back down the drive toward the house, still picturing her in my mind. Would she participate in the activities? Surely so. Her family had worked for mine for as long as I could remember and I doubted my parents would exclude any of their long term employees from the wedding. After all, they were like family.
So, what was I going to do about Bree? Hell, I knew what I wanted to do with her. God, I was a sucker for long legs. Monica had called me this morning, begging for me to take her back and I had almost relented, thinking that it wouldn’t hurt to have a woman on my arm for this weekend. If I knew my mom, she would be attempting to set me up.
But now that I had run into Bree, I was glad I hadn’t brought Monica. Call it fate, call it just luck, but I was glad that I had decided to come alone. That wasn’t going to be the last I saw of her, I was going to guarantee it.