by Judy Duarte
Taking a deep breath, she walked into the winery garden. She wanted to make a good impression tonight, even though she wouldn’t introduce herself as Julius Fortune’s granddaughter. Still, she was finally here—ready and eager for the night to unfold.
She was glad someone had already set up the portable bar, but the wines she’d be serving hadn’t been brought out yet. She was just about to go inside the tasting room to get them when Ricardo, the man who hosted the daily tastings at the winery, came outside pushing a cart loaded down with wineglasses. He also brought out bottles of Sunny Days, a chenin blanc, and Desert Sunset, a Syrah.
She wasn’t sure why he was here. Perhaps to pass out appetizers or serve dinner in the restaurant. Either way, she thanked him for setting things up.
“No problem,” he said, as he uncorked the bottles.
“Are we serving any other wines tonight?” she asked.
“I’m not sure. Carlo specifically asked me to bring out this cart. But there’s another one still in the tasting room. I’m going back for it. It’s possible that he has a few others in mind.”
Schuyler had yet to spot Carlo or any of his brothers. She assumed they were making last-minute preparations in La Viña. She was about to go in search of him, but when a car engine sounded out front, signaling that the guests had begun to arrive, her steps stalled.
She whipped out her cell phone, which held her Fortune family cheat sheet, and gave it one last read. It was impossible to ignore the Mendoza connections to them, which convinced her that she’d made the right decision by starting her quest at the winery distribution center in Austin Commons.
Okay, she told herself. You’ve got this.
Alejandro Mendoza, Carlo’s cousin, was at the top of the list. He owned the winery and was married to Olivia Fortune Robinson. Interestingly enough, four of Alejandro’s siblings were also married to one of the Fortune Robinson clan. Joaquin was married to Zoe, and Matteo was married to Rachel.
Several others of the Robinson Fortune clan would be here as well, including Ben and his wife, Ella, Wes and Vivian, Kieran and Dana, Graham and Sasha, Sophie and Mason... Wow. Would Schuyler be able to remember who belonged to whom?
It wasn’t likely. Still, she was glad to have the chance to meet them all.
As the guests began to enter the garden, dressed to the hilt and ready to party, she couldn’t help noting that all of the Fortunes and Mendozas were dazzling, good-looking and well dressed. It was an embarrassment of riches, both literally and figuratively.
She wasn’t sure whom she should approach first. Not that she’d forget to be a hostess. In fact, she’d walk up to them and invite them over to the wine bar for a tasting. She peeked at her phone once more. She’d scanned only the first few names on her list when Carlo came over and placed an arm around her shoulders.
“Don’t be so obvious,” he said. “If you’re not careful, people will become suspicious.”
“I’ll try, but this is a big night for me. And I’m a little nervous.”
He stroked her back, his fingers resting on her bare skin, sizzling her with his touch. “I know you came to work this evening, but I’d rather you were a guest instead of an employee. So I asked Ricardo to cover for you.”
Seriously? That was a sweet thought.
“How are you going to introduce me?” she asked.
He blessed her with a smile. “You’re my date tonight.”
Her heart spun like an ice skater about to score an Olympic gold medal, and she returned his smile with a confident grin. “I shouldn’t have any problem pulling that off.”
He drew her a little closer, and as she caught a tantalizing whiff of his sea-breezy cologne, she leaned into him. Pretending to be Carlo’s date was going to be an easy role to play.
Ricardo, who’d just returned from the tasting room with the other cart, gave her a thumbs-up. “I’m back, Schuyler. I’ll take it from here.”
“Thanks.” She turned to her handsome escort. It was nearly intoxicating to think of herself as his special lady. Would people think they were lovers? She wouldn’t mind if they did.
Carlo looked great tonight in that stylish black suit, crisp white shirt and red tie. In fact, they matched so well, one might think they’d gotten dressed together.
“Come on,” Carlo said, taking her by the hand. “I’ll introduce you to some of our guests.”
This was what she’d been waiting for, the chance to meet some of her cousins, and she had Carlo to thank for it. Yet her enthusiasm paled ever so slightly, making room for the swell of pride she felt at being with him all evening. His date. And, hopefully soon, his lover.
As they crossed the grass, Carlo squeezed her hand and whispered a soul-stirring compliment that bolstered any lack of confidence she might have had. “You look gorgeous tonight. I love that dress.”
She brightened, and her heart took flight once more. The only thing he could have said that would have made her happier was that he loved her, but that didn’t make sense. Why would something like that pop into her head? She shook off the silly thought as quickly as it crossed her mind.
They made their way over to Alejandro, who stood next to a pretty brunette. That had to be his wife. Schuyler had had the pleasure of meeting him only twice, since he’d been out of town all last week. But she’d been especially eager to meet Olivia, a bright young professional at her father’s company, Robinson Tech. A woman who had no idea that she and Schuyler shared the same grandfather—good ol’ Julius Fortune, who’d left a trail of illegitimate children in his wake.
Olivia had married Alejandro last year, and while her last name was now Mendoza, she was every bit a Fortune by birth. Just as Schuyler was.
Before Carlo could make any introductions, Alejandro reached out and shook Schuyler’s hand. “I’m glad you’re here. I want to thank you again for all you’ve done for us in a very short period of time.”
“It was my pleasure,” Schuyler said, reveling in the praise that made her sound like the Mendoza Winery employee of the week. “But to be completely honest, your wines practically sell themselves.”
“I’m glad you like them.” Alejandro turned to the brunette standing beside him. “Olivia, this is Schuyler Fortunado. For the past two weeks she’s worked for us as a brand rep at Carlo’s special tastings. And just a couple days ago, she scheduled our first wedding and reception.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Schuyler.” Olivia extended her hand in greeting.
Schuyler took it, but a customary response balled up in her throat. And she’d be darned if she knew why. She never found herself at a loss for words and rarely suffered any insecurity. But dang. Olivia was one smart cookie. What if she saw through the fake-date thing? What if Olivia figured out who Schuyler was and why she was here?
Finally, in what seemed like forever but had been only a couple of beats, Schuyler rallied her senses, tamped down her worries and blurted out, “You have no idea how glad I am to meet you.”
Okay, so that was way more truthful and sincere than she’d planned to be. She hadn’t meant to sound like she was having a fangirl moment, but the thrill of meeting her Fortune cousin had just tumbled off her tongue.
Luckily, Olivia didn’t seem to notice. Nor did she look the least bit suspicious about Schuyler having any ulterior motives. And even though Schuyler did, she didn’t mean anyone any harm.
Moments later, two other brunettes bearing a striking family resemblance approached them, and Olivia introduced her sisters, Zoe and Rachel, to Schuyler.
This was so cool. In one fell swoop, Schuyler had met three of her cousins. Counting Nathan, the reluctant Fortune who lived in Paseo, that made four. But she didn’t expect to see him tonight. He seemed to prefer living out in the boonies, which suggested that he wasn’t very social. On top of that, she doubted that he and Bianca would want to make that long drive.
The three Fortune Robinson sisters, all of whom were stylish, beautiful and smart, chatted about normal things. Family things. And Schuyler hung on every word. She wasn’t sure what she’d been expecting to learn when meeting them, but clearly some of the media accounts had been exaggerated—as they often were.
Maybe, if she played her cards right, they’d provide her with more information about the others who would be arriving soon.
Schuyler glanced across the garden, where Carlo and Alejandro stood. Did they really have something to talk about? Or had Carlo just given her another unexpected and thoughtful gift?
Girl talk with Olivia, Zoe and Rachel might prove to be sweeter and better than a pair of bunny slippers.
* * *
“What did you want to talk to me about?” Alejandro asked Carlo, as they crossed the lawn to a more private spot.
In truth, Carlo didn’t have much to say that couldn’t wait. He’d just wanted to give Schuyler some time to get to know her cousins. But that wasn’t something he would admit.
“There were a couple of things I wanted to mention,” Carlo said. “I didn’t get a chance to tell you that, while you were at that seminar, I drove by a few properties that might work out for us if we go forward with that nightclub project.”
“What’d you think of them? Did any of them have potential?”
Carlo related his thoughts and his opinions of all three. “I’m really interested in that bank building. It might be a little small, but we could expand it during a remodel.”
“What’s the asking price?”
“I have no idea. It hasn’t been listed yet, and I haven’t approached a real estate agent who can provide any comps. Schuyler suggested that we talk to her sister Maddie. If we want to go forward with this, I think that’s probably a good idea.”
Alejandro nodded his approval, then glanced over to where his wife, her sisters and Schuyler stood. Each smiling lady held a glass of wine and seemed to have found plenty to chat about.
“We lucked out when you stumbled upon Schuyler,” Alejandro said.
“Yes, I know.” But it wasn’t just the Mendoza family business that had scored with her arrival. Carlo felt as if he’d lucked out, too. Of course, the jury was still out on that.
“Your father seems to think that you’re serious about her,” Alejandro said.
Was he? He hadn’t planned things to get that deep, although he felt a lot more for her than he’d expected to. Yet to be perfectly honest, at least with himself, he was reluctant to ponder his feelings for her. “I admit that I enjoy being with her.”
Alejandro, who’d yet to celebrate his first wedding anniversary, nodded sagely, as if that’s exactly how he’d felt when he started dating Olivia.
Had he enjoyed her company so much that he would have let her rescue two stray mutts, then drive her all around town with them until she found a groomer and a vet? Would he have gladly helped her move into a temporary residence that she’d found on a whim and secured with a lease just as quickly?
Carlo doubted it. And if he listened to his better judgment, he’d realize that Schuyler might prove to be too flighty for him, too prone to change direction with a shift in the wind.
Yet he could just as easily argue against that assumption. Schuyler had found the perfect place in record time. Didn’t that imply that she had wisdom, determination and the ability to make things happen?
“So what’s holding you back?” Alejandro asked.
From what? “I’m sorry, I’m not following you.”
“You might have walked away from the ladies, cousin. But your gaze has been locked on Schuyler for the past five minutes.” Alejandro laughed. “Your dad was right. She’s got a hold on you. And you’ve got it bad.”
He wanted to object, but it had really begun to feel like that. And that worried him. If he was ever going to consider settling down with a woman, it would have to be one who’d make a lifelong commitment. And Schuyler had made no secret of the fact that she was interested in only fun and games.
But no way would he admit the truth, even to a man he respected to keep his secret. “No, you’re wrong. She just amazes me. That’s all.” Then he changed the subject back to business. “I also had another idea I wanted to run by you.”
“What’s that?”
“We both have our hands full already, and if we decide to go forward with that nightclub, we’ll be busier than ever.”
“Actually, if we decide to open that club, you’ll be the busy one. It’s what you do best. And with that being the case, I’ll be here most of the time, doing what I do best.”
That was a fair division of labor. And now it was Carlo’s turn to nod his agreement.
He took one last look at Schuyler, watched as she told her newfound cousins something that made them all laugh. It would have been nice to have been privy to whatever she’d said. He liked hearing the lilt of her voice, the melodic sound of her laughter.
Unwilling to let Alejandro make any more assumptions, Carlo shook off the distraction and again focused on business. “By the way, Schuyler impressed the hell out of that wedding planner who stopped by the winery a few days ago. The woman thought she was our on-site special event coordinator, and I didn’t correct her.”
“I see where you’re going with this,” Alejandro said. “If you think she’d be a good fit for us, I’m okay with it. She’s done a great job so far, and I have no reason to doubt her abilities to lock in other weddings and parties. She’d be working with you, though. Do you foresee any future problems?”
Actually, quite a few. But none of them had anything to do with Schuyler’s ability to take the ball and run with it.
“No,” Carlo said. “I think it’ll work out okay.”
Now all he had to do was to offer her the position and hope she’d say yes.
“You know,” Alejandro added, “if Schuyler wasn’t a rock star at representing our brand and so darn good for business, I’d think that you might be trying to strike up points with her for your personal gain.”
Carlo stole a glance at his cousin, who was eyeing his pretty bride and probably hadn’t realized that his comment had struck a chord.
It was true that Schuyler was a great hostess during those special tastings and a natural-born saleswoman, so it made good business sense to offer her a permanent position with the company, but Carlo’s motives were selfish, too. He wanted the opportunity to see her each day.
And there lay his problem. Spending that much time with her was a risky move for a man who didn’t make long-term commitments. So he’d better watch out.
The last thing he needed was to get too emotionally involved, especially if his efforts to keep her close for the time being led to a big complication in the future.
* * *
Schuyler had always thought La Viña was the perfect place to dine or hold a party. But she’d never guessed that, with a little careful decorating, it would look so festive and romantic. Each linen-draped table had been adorned with white tulle, vases filled with gorgeous red roses and flickering candles.
The string quartet Esteban had hired for the dinner hour had serenaded them all while they dined on oysters in the half shell, a lobster salad on butter leaf lettuce with a citrus vinaigrette, fingerling potatoes and filet mignon with lump crab and hollandaise. As if that wasn’t filling, the dessert was to die for: individual chocolate soufflés and long-stemmed strawberries dipped in white chocolate.
Schuyler had attended plenty of other classy parties in the past, each with lovely settings, great music, amazing service and a delicious menu. But none of them had ever energiz
ed her quite like this one, which was sure to become a memory she’d never forget.
As the waitstaff began clearing the tables and the disc jockey set up to provide the music for the dance, some of the intriguing people she’d met, as well as a few she’d been observing from a distance, began to mill about the dining room.
Moments ago, after spotting a business associate, Carlo had asked her to excuse him so he could greet the man. Schuyler took the opportunity to get up from the table where they’d been sitting with his father and brothers. She could have continued to chat with his family and gotten to know them even better, but she wanted a chance to not only stretch her legs but to scout the room. So she asked them to excuse her, as well. Then she took a stroll across the room, weaving through the tables until she reached the nearest window that provided a view of the vineyards.
Outside, seated on a wrought iron bench, an older woman with silver-streaked auburn hair seemed to be holding court with several other well-dressed women. She had enough diamond bling around her neck and on her fingers to light up the night sky.
When she turned around, Schuyler realized it was none other than Kate Fortune, the matriarch of the entire Fortune clan. Kate was fiercely devoted to her famous cosmetic company, although she’d recently handed over the CEO reins to Graham Fortune Robinson, a rancher. That move, from what Schuyler had read, had taken the entire family by surprise. But Graham apparently had a business background and just enough out-of-the-box thinking that he impressed Kate. And now that he was in charge, he was doing quite well.
Kate, who was in her nineties, was just as attractive in person as she was in pictures Schuyler had seen. She also appeared to be twenty years younger, thanks to very few facial wrinkles. Her skin had a healthy glow, something that came from having good genes, Schuyler supposed. Yet it was just as likely a result of the Fortune Youth Serum, which she’d developed and turned into a very successful company that had made her a billionaire.
Schuyler had been intrigued by the stories she’d read about Kate, so to see her in person, even behind a wall of glass, was unbelievably cool.
