by Judy Duarte
Carlo had done that once. And it had blown up in his face. “Some people might be able to have a committed relationship, Alejandro. And you’re one of them. But I’m not.”
After his divorce, Carlo had poured himself into his work, managing restaurants and a nightclub in Miami. And his move to Texas hadn’t changed that.
“Listen,” he said, nodding toward La Viña, “I’d love to stay here and chew the fat with you guys, but I’ve got work to do.”
Yet as he walked away, a beautiful blonde had him thinking about sexual fun and games. And he’d be damned if he’d let it become any more than that.
* * *
Formal invitations had gone out more than two weeks ago for the Valentine’s party that would take place in just three short days, and the entire Mendoza family—at least those living in Austin and involved with the winery—had been busy, pulling out all the stops for what was sure to be an impressive event.
Carlo and Bernardo had put together a tantalizing menu. Esteban had negotiated a special deal with a talented string quartet to provide the music during dinner, as well as a popular local DJ for the dance to follow. And Alejandro, with the help of Carlo’s brothers, was planning to go all out decorating the grounds and the restaurant.
True to his word, Carlo had announced that they would have a special wine tasting during the cocktail hour, and Schuyler would be the hostess. That would allow her to meet the many Fortunes who would be in attendance. Needless to say, she was delighted to have the opportunity to see them up close and observe them in a social setting. So she’d offered to help with the party preparations.
The evening weather had been unseasonably temperate for February, and if it continued, they planned to hold the tasting in the sculpture garden.
Schuyler intended to bring the puppies with her to the winery today, which she often did. She liked giving them a chance to play outdoors. But Dottie, her landlord, had taken a real liking to Fluff and Stuff. She’d also been helpful in housebreaking them and teaching them to walk on a leash.
“When my Punky crossed the rainbow bridge,” Dottie had said, “I swore I’d never get another dog. It’s too painful to lose them. But these little rascals have made me reconsider that decision.”
So it was no surprise when Schuyler was heading for her car, Dottie caught her in the yard.
“Oh.” The older woman’s smile faded. “You’re leaving. I was going to invite you and the puppies to the dog park today. It’s Bailey’s birthday.”
“Bailey?” Schuyler asked.
“You know, Donna Mae’s Pomeranian mix? I introduced you to her last week, when we took Fluff and Stuff on a walk.”
“Oh, yes.” In Schuyler’s defense, they’d met several dogs and owners along the way. “If you want to take them to the park, it’s fine with me. But I could be gone until later this evening. Do you mind keeping an eye on them that long?”
“Not at all,” Dottie said. “I used to take Punky to the park all the time. And I met a lot of really sweet people there. I miss not chatting with them, but after Punky died... Well, it was a little...tough.”
“I understand.” Schuyler handed her landlord the leashes. “Go ahead and take them. I’m sure you’ll all have a great afternoon.” Then she climbed into her car, knowing the pups were in good hands.
If she wasn’t so determined to check things out for that Valentine’s Day tasting, she might have gone with Dottie. She’d never attended a dog’s birthday party, and it sounded like it’d be a hoot.
Twenty minutes later, as Schuyler arrived at the winery, she spotted several of the Mendozas’ cars in the parking lot, including Carlo’s. But she didn’t see anyone milling about. She supposed she’d run into them soon enough. So she headed for the sculpture garden to determine the best place to set up the portable wine bar.
She’d no more than decided on a spot near the new fountain, when a car engine sounded out front. Curiosity got the best of her, and she went to see who’d arrived. She circled the perimeter of the tasting room, entered the yard and spotted three women getting out of a white late model Cadillac.
Schuyler didn’t recognize the driver or the two others with her—a redhead in her twenties and a middle-aged brunette. Since no one else seemed to be around, she embraced her inner hostess and greeted them with a friendly smile.
“Hi there,” she said. “Can I help you?”
The woman who’d been driving, a forty-something blonde who was professionally dressed in black slacks and a tailored white blouse, reached out her hand in greeting. “I’m Betsy Wilkins, a wedding planner with White Lace and Promises, and these are my clients, Joelle Pearson and her mother, Mavis.”
Schuyler introduced herself, saying she worked for the winery, which was true, albeit temporarily.
“We’ve been checking out several possible venues,” Betsy said. “But we haven’t yet found a place that hits the mark. One of my colleagues mentioned that the Mendoza Winery might be scheduling special events in the near future, so I thought we’d drop by and see if we could get a tour of your property.”
Schuyler would love to show them around and schedule the very first Mendoza Winery wedding, which would be a real feather in her cap. But she didn’t want to step on anyone’s toes.
Wow, now that was a first. She didn’t often tamp down her enthusiasm—or the compulsion to act quickly. But she’d come to respect Carlo and his family. All of them—even Esteban, who’d assumed that she and Carlo were romantically involved and liked to tease them about it every chance he got.
“I’m a hostess for special...events,” Schuyler said, pumping up her actual title. “I’d be happy to show you the property. And if we’re lucky, we’ll run into Alejandro or Carlo, who can provide even more details about the winery’s calendar. When is the wedding?”
“Saturday, July eighteenth,” the bride said. “I know we’re getting a late start, but my fiancé and I are going to attend graduate school in August, and we want to get married here before we have to move.”
“Congratulations on all counts,” Schuyler said. “I’m not sure what you’re looking for, but I have to tell you, if I were getting married, I’d love to have an outdoor ceremony here, followed by a dinner reception. Follow me, and I’ll show you what I mean.”
When she led them to the sculpture garden, the mother let out a little gasp of surprise. “This is lovely!” Then she turned to her daughter. “What do you think, honey?”
“I like it. And I love that fountain. The blue Spanish tile matches the color of the bridesmaids’ dresses.”
“There are a lot of possibilities,” Schuyler said. “If you should decide on an evening ceremony, we can put up twinkly white lights on the trees.”
“Oh,” the bride said. “That’s a great idea.”
“We also plan to add a permanent gazebo in the very near future,” Schuyler added.
Okay, so that wasn’t entirely true. No one had mentioned anything to her about that, but she’d certainly push for one if the Pearsons decided to hold the wedding here.
“Why don’t you come with me,” Schuyler said. “I’ll take you to see La Viña, our restaurant. And if we’re lucky, I might be able to introduce you to Bernardo, our chef.”
“That would be awesome,” the bride said.
The women followed Schuyler. All the while, they chattered to themselves about guest lists, dinner menus and cake flavors.
When they entered La Viña, which had already been set up for the dinner hour, Mavis, the mother of the bride, made her way to the nearest window, which reached from the hardwood floor to the arched oak-paneled ceiling. “Oh my gosh. Would you look at that view of the vineyard?”
“It’s absolutely gorgeous.” Betsy reached into her purse, pulled out a business card and handed it to Schuyler. “I have several other clients who are also looking for a wedding venue. So I’ll
be calling you to set up a couple of tours in the next couple of weeks.”
Schuyler hoped she wasn’t overstepping her bounds, but Carlo had told her that he wanted her to be the winery hostess for special tastings. Maybe he’d also meant special events. At any rate, that would be her response when they broached the subject.
“If you’ll give me a minute,” Schuyler said, “I’ll check and see if the chef is available to meet you.”
Sure enough, when she entered the kitchen, Chef Bernardo was hard at work, seated at his desk and sketching out a list of some kind. But it was Carlo who caught Schuyler’s eye.
He was dressed casually today in khaki slacks and a white button-down shirt, the sleeves rolled up his muscular forearms. When she approached, he turned away from Bernardo and flashed a dazzling smile her way. “Hey, I’m glad you’re here. I wanted to go over a few things with you.”
She was delighted to know he was as happy to see her as she was to see him. “Me, too. I was checking out the sculpture garden a few minutes ago and I had an idea to add twinkly white lights on the trees for the party. But before we get into that, I ran into some people you need to meet. They’re in the dining room.”
He scrunched his brow. “Who is it?”
“A bridal consultant and her clients. They’re interested in having a wedding here in July.”
“That’s great. And the timing should work out perfectly—if they’re interested in having it here.” Carlo followed Schuyler through the swinging doors and back to the restaurant.
The women, who were still standing at the window gazing at the lush vineyard that grew on the hillside, turned around at their approach.
“Betsy,” Schuyler said, “this is Carlo Mendoza, the vice president of the winery.”
“It’s nice to meet you.” Betsy shook his hand. “We were just marveling at the view. This would make a lovely backdrop for a wedding.”
“Thank you,” Carlo said. “You should check out the sculpture garden while you’re here.”
“We’ve already seen it. Your special event coordinator was very helpful. She also gave us some ideas to consider.”
Schuyler stole a glance at Carlo, wondering how he would accept the title Betsy had given her. But he didn’t even blink.
“Betsy is a wedding planner with White Lace and Promises,” Schuyler added. “And these are her clients, Mavis and Joelle Pearson. Joelle is getting married in July.”
Carlo moved toward the women, reached out and shook their hands. “It’s nice to meet you. I’m glad you stopped by. And yes, we’re scheduling special parties and events beginning in June.”
“Do you have a brochure we can take with us?” Betsy asked.
“I’m afraid it’s still at the printer,” Carlo said. “We’ve just begun to take reservations.”
Schuyler hadn’t realized that they’d started booking events. But then again, she really wasn’t privy to those kinds of things.
“Would your chef be willing to talk to us about possible menus? We’d also like to set up a tasting for the bridal party.”
“Absolutely.”
“Great. We’ll need to talk things over when we get back to my office,” Betsy said. “I’ll let you know once we’ve made a decision.”
“I’ve already made my decision,” Joelle said. “I want to get married here. I want an evening wedding in the garden, with white lights adorning the trees, followed by a dinner reception.”
“That can be arranged.” Carlo reached into his pocket, pulled out a business card and gave it to Betsy. Then he and Schuyler followed them back to their car.
“We’ll need a deposit to hold the date,” Carlo told them. “Give me a call and I’ll get you a contract with all the details.”
“I assume that means we’ll be working with Schuyler as your on-site coordinator.” Betsy turned to Schuyler. “Can I have your card, too?”
Schuyler wasn’t sure what to tell her. I don’t have any business cards because I was just blowing smoke when I told you my position with the Mendoza Winery. Before she could come up with a response, Carlo spoke for her.
“Schuyler is a new hire,” he said, “so her cards are still at the printer, along with the brochure.”
Bless his heart. He’d played along with her white lie. She was so grateful, she could kiss him.
Of course, kissing him would only make things more complicated, since she had every intention of returning to Houston.
Or had her plans begun to shift?
She’d told him that she’d give lovemaking some thought. And she’d done just that. Day after day, she’d relived their heated kisses. And night after night, she’d slept on his suggestion to let passion run its course.
And each morning, she’d awakened to the same conclusion. They really should see how a short-term affair would pan out. Like it or not, she wanted to make love with Carlo.
Of course, becoming intimate could complicate their working relationship. Then again, her position at the winery was only temporary. So scratch that complication.
But there was also another consideration. She’d begun to feel more for Carlo than she’d felt for any other man. And while she’d never thought of herself as marriage material, she might reconsider a more serious relationship with a guy like him.
Carlo continued to charm the women as they discussed further details. Then, as they watched Betsy drive away with the Pearsons, he turned to Schuyler. Truthfully she was a bit nervous to hear what he had to say now that they were alone. Would he be angry at the way she’d inserted herself in winery business? She braced herself for a dressing-down. Instead, his face lit up with a smile.
“You’re amazing.”
Her heart soared at the compliment. “I am?”
“You’re the perfect hostess for our tastings. And now you’ve pretty much locked in our first wedding. Betsy was obviously impressed.” He slowly shook his head, that dazzling smile still stretched across his lips. “For a woman who’s sworn off romance and marriage, you have a real knack for this sort of thing.”
“Yeah. Well, a wedding celebration and a reception is just another kind of party, right?”
“Good point. Either way, I’m going to talk this over with Alejandro, but I think he’ll agree to offer you a permanent position at the winery.”
“Seriously?”
“Absolutely.”
Wow. She hadn’t seen that coming. Usually words like permanent made her want to cut bait and run. But she didn’t feel that way now.
“Thank you,” she said. “I’d have to think about that, but I don’t mind you two talking it over.”
“Good. I’m glad to hear that.”
Was he? She hoped there was more to the offer than the service that Schuyler could provide the family business. Was he hoping to keep her around so they could strike up a romance?
“Have you seen Jersey Boys?” he asked, throwing her for yet another loop.
“No, but I love Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons.”
“Good. It’s playing at the Paramount Theater, and I have two tickets for the show next Saturday. Would you like to go with me?”
She’d have to ask Dottie to dog sit for her, but there wasn’t anything she’d rather do than go out on a real date with Carlo. “That sounds like fun.”
“Good. I’ll pick you up around five o’clock so we can have dinner first.”
“I’ll be ready.” That date was sounding better and better. Dinner and a show and...
She wondered if he’d be ready for a romantic wrap-up to their date. She certainly was.
Chapter Nine
The Valentine’s Day party at the Mendoza Winery was sure to be everything Schuyler hoped it would be and more. It was also the kind of elegant event she would have loved to attend as an invited guest. But she was content to serve the Mendoza wines and
discreetly observe the Fortunes.
As Carlo planned, the evening would kick off with a wine tasting in the sculpture garden so the guests could see the impressive improvements he and Alejandro had made to the property. Soon the winery would be bursting with happy chatter, but the only sounds now came from the water gurgling in the new fountain.
The sun had just set, and the white twinkling lights gave the grounds a festive and romantic ambience. There seemed to be a magical aura, too. As if something special was about to happen.
And wasn’t it? Schuyler had dreamed about meeting some of her Fortune relatives, and she was about to do that tonight.
Alejandro had invited Mendozas galore to celebrate, and from the many RSVPs that had rolled in, it seemed that quite a few had jumped at the chance to attend. Several would be coming from Horseback Hollow, including Alejandro’s brother, Cisco, and his wife, Delaney nee Fortune. Their sister Gabriella and her husband, Delaney’s brother Jude Fortune Jones, would be traveling with them. Counting those from Red Rock—and the ones living in Austin—it would make a full house.
Schuyler might have read Ariana Lamonte Fortune’s articles in Weird Life magazine, but she was afraid she wouldn’t be able to keep everyone straight. Still, she’d do her absolute best to match every face to a name and remember every family connection.
Carlo had done his part to help her with that by giving her a primer on which Fortunes would be in attendance, although Schuyler wasn’t sure she’d be able to pick them out of the crowd without his assistance.
Eager to see the Fortunes, she’d spent way more time getting ready than she usually did.
She’d worn her red dress tonight, which had both a scooped neckline and a low-slung back. It was stylish and flattering, and while she’d worn it before at other tastings, she thought it would be especially appropriate for Valentine’s Day. Her hair was swept up into a stylish twist that revealed her diamond stud earrings, a birthday gift from her parents. And as a final touch, she’d used a bit more makeup than was her usual habit. When she’d taken one last look in the mirror at home—or rather her temporary Austin residence, she’d been pleased with her appearance.
