by Jan Moran
Leticia was absolutely certain that they hadn’t been expecting any such delivery today, but she’d do what Anita asked of her. “Okay, then. Are you coming with me?”
“I’ve got to meet with the wait staff, so you go on without me.”
Leticia turned around to leave, but Anita had one last thing to say.
“You just make sure it’s a shipment that’s good for you, all right?”
What an odd thing to say, but Leticia nodded anyway, heading for the hallway then the door to the cellar. Even stranger, the light was already on in the wine room, and although Liz used sodium vapor bulbs, which didn’t alter the flavor or aromas of the wine, she generally left them off. Maybe Anita had left the cellar in a hurry.
Leticia got to the bottom of the stairs and was just rounding the corner to the racks and the long table when she realized that there was no shipment—but there was something waiting for her.
Or someone.
Colin Burton stood at the end of the table among the stored wine bottles and stone walls. He wasn’t wearing his hat, leaving his dark hair tousled, but he had on the same kind of shirt and jeans she’d seen him in yesterday—the same type that she’d stripped off of him last night. The only difference between then and now was that he was also wearing an expression that made her heart stop in her chest, as if it had jumped and didn’t know how to land.
Then she saw the lone bottle of pink wine in front of him, its hue reminding her of a new sunrise.
“So,” he said, gesturing toward what she suspected was a rosé. “It turns out that if I walk into a good liquor store, I really can find a blush that doesn’t empty my wallet.” He shrugged. “I wanted to at least give this to you in appreciation for…”
His words faded off. Had he been about to say “the education you gave me last night”? Was he thanking her for everything else they’d shared otherwise?
Or was this his way of apologizing?
It was as if a lone birthday candle on a simple cake had been lit inside Leticia. She’d never had anyone go through the trouble of tracking her down like this, not unless they wanted to hire her for consulting.
They’d never wanted her.
She started to speak, then realized that her voice was balled up in her throat. She cleared it. “That’s thoughtful of you, Colin.”
He still seemed ill at ease, as if he expected her to dismiss him at any moment. But how could she? Even if he was the opposite of her in so many areas, he was the same, too, and in ways that truly counted.
He nodded at the bottle. “It’s got some French fancy name that I can’t even begin to pronounce, but the clerk told me that the grapes they used for this are sin-saw and grenache.”
Leticia’s heart warmed. He hadn’t pronounced cinsault exactly the way they did in the circles she normally ran in, but she didn’t care.
And, when he went on, her heart pumped out more warmth, because he was here.
With her.
“The clerk said it was ‘dry and crisp,’ and it’s got lots of fruits in it: strawberry, guava, peach. And it’s got that wet stony thing going on, too.”
“It sounds perfect,” she said. Perfect for a start. Perfect for two people who might have a shot with one another, even though the conditions weren’t perfect.
He stuck his hands in his pockets, as if preparing himself for some harsh words from her. When they didn’t come, he shrugged again. “I still have a hell of a lot to learn about wines.” He hesitated. “And a lot to learn about how to restrain my pride and treat a lady.”
“Colin…”
“I’m so sorry about what I said to you, Leticia, and I couldn’t let you leave town thinking that it came from a true place.”
She remembered the last thing Anita had said to her. You just make sure it’s a shipment that works for you, all right?
Leticia was pretty sure that this guy would pass muster, given half a chance.
She took a step toward the table. “There’s something I forgot to mention to you about wine, Colin. Something general, but so important. Vines do better when they’re planted in tough conditions. If they struggle, the quality of the grapes are better. Have you ever heard that?”
“No.”
But she could see from his expression that he understood what she was getting at, and she continued.
“Maybe we got off to a rough start, yet there’s something about us. I felt it, and I think you did, too. It’s something I don’t want to leave behind.”
His lighthearted smile was emerging, the tips of his mouth lifting enough to make her own spirits rise. “Are you sayin’ what I think you’re sayin’?”
“I think I am. But, then again, I’m not very good at this kind of relationship thing.”
“I’d dispute that.” His smile leveled out into a look so intense that her belly flipped. “Is there a future here?”
“Yes.” She let out the breath she’d been holding. “And I say we give this some time, some air, just like…”
“You’d give to a wine when you’re tasting it.”
He already knew her. There were roots connecting the two of them, mostly having to do with family, and those roots could be strengthened. Would be strengthened.
“I’m off to New Orleans next,” she said. “And…”
She lost her train of thought when he started to walk around the table, slowly, toward where she was standing.
“Go on,” he said.
“If you can get someone to take your place running the ranch for a few days, maybe you could…”
“Send a postcard to the Rough and Tumble from the Big Easy?” he asked, coming to stand in front of her.
They were face to face, their gazes locking, the entire world in front of them. And when he lowered his mouth to hers, she closed her eyes and kissed him back with all the passion she had in her, knowing that this was a vintage that would only get better and better.
That this was definitely the first step in cultivating what was bound to be something as pink as a new sunrise.
Rough & Tumble Saloon
Rough & Tumble, NV
Looks like it’s my turn to send
you boys and gals a postcard
from the great beyond. And,
by the great beyond, I do
mean that a trip to a place like
New Orleans is beyond expectation.
Believe it or not, I’m getting a
real taste for wine. Don’t give me
any shit about it when I get back,
though. Tucker will be in town,
and he’ll have my back. And
Jonsey? He’d better be sitting his
ass down and singing some
kumbaya while drinking a soda pop
from the general store.
He’s promised to turn over a new
leaf, but keep an eye on the kid
for me until I get back.
Buzz
Author’s Bio
Crystal Green is a RITA nominated romantic fiction author who tries her best to avoid international incidents whenever she takes a break from her first love, writing, and cheats on it with her other true love—traveling. She’s the author of the Rough and Tumble romances and the Heroes of the West sweet Western romance novellas for Debra Holland’s Kindle Worlds. She has two alter egos, one named Chris Marie Green, who writes mystery thrillers (The Final Girls Books), the paranormal thriller Ghost for Hire series, and the urban fantasy Vampire Babylon series. The other, CrystalOh, is the author of the dark billionaire drama House of the Satin Glove: Scarlet.
If you’d like to join her newsletter so you know when she has new releases, click here. She’d also love for you to hang out with her on Twitter at @CrystalGreenMe!
http://www.crystal-green.com
Titles in Crystal Green’s Rough and Tumble Romance Series
(Sexy Bad Boy Romance)
Wet and Wild – Reece and Talia
Rough and Tumble – Cash and Molly
Down and Dirty – Ben and Liz
Hot and Bothered – Gideon and Rochelle
Naughty and Nice (novella) – Jesse and Ivy
Rattled and Rolled (novella) – Cruz and Sophie
Corked and Screwed (novella) – Buzz and Leticia
Harmony in the Vineyard
Annamaria Bazzi
Copyright © 2016 by:
Annamaria Bazzi
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the Publisher, excepting brief quotes used in reviews.
This book was built at IndieWrites.com. Visit us on Facebook.
160805.212400
Acknowledgements
Warm thanks go to Ada Frost who designed the book cover, bringing to life the image in my mind.
To Laura Garland, my wonderful editor, it’s great working with you.
To Wizards in publishing and Kate Richards for all the help in getting the story published.
My special thanks go to Patricia Zick my wonderful coach and Bill Bartlett for his help in writing a superb blurb.
Thank you, Sharon Coady, for being such a great beta reader partner.
All my love goes to the members of my family who support my writing career.
Synopsis
Alicia Giordano struggles to learn the wine business from her crusty Granddad Contrino, but if she's to be ready to run the family vineyard, she has to follow his directions. Alicia dutifully complies with everything, but the old man may have gone too far when he hires a new accountant, Anthony Gallo, son of the famous corporate raider. Uncertain of how much Granddad Contrino knows of her past with Anthony, she discovers that ACI, the company his father uses for his legal pillaging, has targeted the family's Contrino Vines for acquisition. Alicia must confront her runaway feelings and decide if Anthony is being honest or if he's only playing with her heart to help his father. And she must decide before her Granddad makes an irrevocable choice.
Chapter 1
Alicia
Alicia leaned forward in the posh chair in her grandfather’s office. Excitement pulsed through her veins. “So, when do I start?”
“After your last final exam.”
Excessive energy had her bouncing her knee, her Prada heel tapping against the carpet. Everything was about to change. “Summer is going to be wonderful.”
His bushy gray brows dipped as the corner of his weathered mouth kicked up a notch. “Someday, you will take over the wine business I’ve spent a lifetime building. But there is more for you to learn, the finer details of wine making, grafting for example. You need to start down at the vineyard.” He caressed his scruffy chin. “Yes, you’ll learn a great deal at the vineyard.”
“I thought I knew all that already. Besides grafting, what will I be learning and will you be teaching me?”
“Some things you can only learn through experience.”
This was too easy.
She rested her elbows on the dark wood. “Nonno, you know what would be great? If you moved back to the big house, as Daddy used to call it.”
He rolled his eyes. “You don’t want an old man like me around all the time.”
“Nonno!” She furrowed her brows for greater emphasis. “You’ve been my father figure since Dad died. Even Mom misses you.”
“I’ll give it some serious thought.”
She rose from her chair, rounded his massive desk and bent to kiss his wrinkled cheek. “It’s settled, then.” Straightening, she smoothed the front of her blouse and headed toward the door. “Can’t wait to have you back at the house and starting work in a few weeks.”
Waltzing down the hall, she strode through the lobby, noting the receptionist was nowhere to be seen. That girl is so unreliable. Finding the elevator doors sitting open, she rushed inside.
After pushing the button for the lobby, she stood in the middle of the elevator, tapping her foot to the rhythm of the music. Now that she had things settled with Nonno, she could concentrate on her final exams.
Never losing focus of the career path she’d chosen and the goals she wanted to achieve early on, and after her first horrible boy experience during her second semester in college, she’d banned boys from her life and didn’t care about the many admirers she had.
Pathetic!
“Hey, babe, whatcha doing tonight?”
“So, John, tell me, what’s your major?” She’d fold her arms.
“Business.”
“What’s your specialty?”
She’d walk away after receiving a blank stare.
What the hell’s the matter with guys today? Doesn’t anyone know what they want to do when they grow up?
Did losers follow her around because of her grandfather’s money?
But then things changed. She met Vincenzo, a handsome Italian sophomore. So many girls fawned after him. He’d been the only guy who had approached her and knew exactly what his degree and career path would be—accounting and pursuing my CPA. She’d never forget. Things had been perfect until what’s her name came along, throwing herself at him like a slut. Thank God the campus at Virginia Commonwealth University was so big because, even though they attended the same university, she’d managed to avoid the worm.
Anger built inside her while remembering her foolishness, and pain stabbed at the pit of her stomach, right below her ribs. In her four-inch Prada heels, she pounded down the sidewalk toward her car. But all of the sudden, her foot twisted and the heel snapped.
“Damn!” She went down, yelping in pain as she scraped her knee and bruised her shoulder. She stared at her palms. Scraped and bleeding. She plopped on her rump. From her purse, she pulled out a tissue and wiped the droplets of blood away.
Still on the ground, she searched the street; the odd sensation of being watched caused the hairs to stand up on her nape. She gathered her belongings then pushed to her feet. Putting all her weight on her right foot, she managed to stand, wavering. Where is Prince Charming when you need him?
A car door slammed. She looked in the direction of the noise. Oh my God! Heat rushed to her face. She took a deep breath. What the hell is he doing here?
She put some pressure on her left foot to test it as Vincenzo hurried toward her. No pain. She placed all her weight on it. She hadn’t sprained it after all.
“Alicia, are you all right?” The familiar voice rattled her brain.
Tightening her fists, she ignored him and examined the pavement for cracks or anything else her heel could have caught. Nothing. But the ugly scuffs in the suede leather drew her attention. She frowned. Just my luck! My favorite shoes, ruined. Clutching the heel in her fist, she raised it in the air then dropped her arm to her side with a huff.
“For a minute there, I thought you were going to stab me with the heel.” He bent and wiped the droplets of blood from her scraped knee with his handkerchief. He always carried one in his pocket.
“Don’t touch me.” She staggered back a step and glared at him. “What are you doing here, anyway?”
“I have a job interview.”
“Yeah. Well, good luck with that.” Unable to get away fast enough from the man who’d broken her heart, she spun away, wobbled toward her car, going up on her right foot and down on her left. Oh hell! She stopped and removed her shoes, rushing barefoot the rest of the way.
Sensing his gaze on her, she peered over her shoulder. Sure enough, he stood, arms hanging, mouth gaping as he stared after her. Before reaching her car, she pushed the fob to unlock it. Opening the door, she slid onto the driver’s seat. How sad he had to look so hot. Grrr! It’s so unfair.
Chapter 2
Alicia
Alicia stepped out of the elevator and into the reception area of her granddad’s office, stopping at the receptionist’s counter. Julia, the administrative assistant, sat at her desk, earphones on, thumbing through a fashion magazine. Alicia glowered at the girl whose music played so loud she could hear it clearly.
The
phone rang. Julia didn’t seem to hear it. On the fourth ring, Alicia reached over and grabbed the handset.
“Hello, Contrino Winery, how can I help you?”
“What are you doing answering the phone?” Nonno’s angry voice pierced her ear.
The phone went dead, and he stomped down the hall and into the waiting room. He stood behind Julia and pulled the earphones from her head. “I think it’s time for you to go home, young lady.”
The bewildered girl gaped at him, probably wondering where he’d come from. Then she gawked at Alicia with the receiver still in her hand. “Did I just miss a call?”
“Who knows how many calls you’ve missed? Now, please gather all your belongings and go home.”
“Am I being fired?” With wide eyes, Julia stared from Alicia to Nonno.
“Yes, my dear,” he growled. “You are being fired for negligence on the job.”
“But this has never happened before,” she whined.
He cleared his throat. “On plenty of occasions I’ve called you, and you’ve never answered.” He shifted his weight. “I don’t have all day. My granddaughter will escort you out.”
Alicia sighed in relief. Leaning against the wall near the elevator, she crossed her arms over her chest, scowling at her as she gathered her belongings. Lazy girl. How many warnings did Nonno give her? She’d never liked Julia who’d apparently wanted to be paid for doing nothing.
As Julia shuffled toward her, a box full of her stuff in her arms, the elevator doors slid open and Vincenzo stepped out. Steel eyes appraised her.
What the hell is he doing here? Alicia glared at him in his khaki pants, starched shirt, and blue tie, his disheveled, brown hair falling over his wide forehead.