“Follow me,” he said softly. He took my hand gently and led me up the flagstone path toward the tasting room, which seemed to be glowing. Garrett opened the door, and I followed him inside the candle-lit room. Every surface imaginable was covered with thick pillar candles.
“Are you trying to burn the place down?” I joked.
“No, I’m trying to tell you I want to get married too.”
“Oh.” I grinned excitedly. “You do?”
“More than anything, Cami. And I realized it the other day when you told me the only thing you wanted was to get married.” Garrett grasped my left hand and brushed his thumb over my engagement ring. For over two years, that ring had remained on my finger. We rarely discussed a wedding or marriage even though we considered ourselves engaged. But it seemed like we were both ready to take the next step.
“I don’t want to wait anymore,” I whispered as Garrett brushed his lips across mine.
“I know,” he murmured.
“I mean, I want to get married soon.”
“I figured you would. You already bought a dress.”
I gasped. “You know about that?”
“Of course, I do, and I can’t wait to see you wearing it.”
I melted into him as he wrapped me in his arms. This one simple promise, to get married soon, felt like a heavy weight had been lifted from my shoulders. It was a weight I hadn’t noticed until this very moment.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Cami
Before we could plan a wedding, we had to celebrate the official opening of Sorenson Cellars. The wine Garrett’s uncle had aging at the time we bought the property from him was ready for release, and we were ready to introduce Sonoma County to Sorenson Cellars.
“I cannot believe how many people are coming,” I said in shock, looking at the guest list. My mind swirled with a million ideas. Where was everyone going to park? We finally had the parking lot paved, but there were only twenty-two spots! And the tasting room held a maximum of fifty people. Where were we going to put everyone?
“Relax, baby,” Garrett whispered in my ear. He placed his hands on my shoulders and kneaded them gently. “Everything will be fine.”
I turned around and laughed in his face. Not a mock laugh but a real honest to goodness, are you fucking kidding me right now laugh. Because, was he fucking kidding me? We had over a hundred people RSVP that they were coming to the party.
“We hired a party planner so you didn’t have to stress over all of this,” he gently reminded me. “Besides, your sister and mother will be here tomorrow to help out too.”
Garrett was wise to stay out of my way for the rest of the day as the event planner arrived to coordinate the delivery of the tables, chairs, and linens we had rented for the event. It was organized chaos, but it was all for a well-deserved celebration. Garrett achieved his dream, and Sorenson Cellars was ready to open its doors to the world.
In the early evening, a sleek black sedan came down the driveway and stopped right in the middle, essentially blocking everything. Garrett stormed out of the house.
“Hey, asshole! You’re blocking the drive!” His arms flailed madly as he gestured toward the open parking spaces. But the car didn’t move. Instead, the back doors opened, revealing Nikki and Palmer.
“Jesus Christ,” I muttered under my breath.
Palmer had been a thorn in Garrett’s side since he’d acquired ten percent of Sorenson Cellars from Avery. He showed up unannounced whenever he wanted and asked Garrett questions about the business that he had no right asking.
“What the fuck are you doing here?” I heard Garrett growl. This was the first time he’d seen Nikki. I hadn’t bothered to tell Garrett about my run-in with Palmer and Nikki a few weeks ago, so seeing her probably caught him off guard.
“Nikki is my guest,” Palmer said coolly as he placed a hand at the small of her back.
“I don’t recall inviting you over,” Garrett said through clenched teeth. He finally noticed me and reached his hand out toward me. “And the party isn’t for two more days.”
“Well, I wanted to give Nikki a little behind-the-scenes tour,” Palmer said smugly.
“You own ten percent of Sorenson Cellars, Palmer,” I said exasperated. “Stop acting like you own the whole goddamn place.”
Palmer took a step toward me, but Garrett moved swiftly, stepping right in front of him. “Watch yourself,” Garrett growled. “Why don’t you just get back in your fancy-ass sedan and go?”
Palmer tugged on his jacket and looked back at Nikki, who looked unimpressed. “Get in the car, we’re leaving.”
When Palmer and Nikki left, Garrett stormed toward the production room. The sound of glass shattering filled the air, and I hurried to survey the damage. Red wine dripped down the walls and shards of green glass glittered against the concrete floor.
“I hope that wasn’t the last of Uncle Charlie’s good stuff,” I said.
“Can I see the guest list?” Garrett asked, holding out his hand toward me. I placed my clipboard in his hand and walked forward, prepared to pick up the larger pieces of broken glass, but Garrett caught me by the arm and stopped me. “Don’t. You’ll hurt yourself. I’ll clean it up later.”
He turned his attention to the guest list and made various noises depending on how he felt about the name listed. “Anderson Clark? How did his name get on the list?”
“Who is he?” I moved to stand next to him and scanned the page looking for his name.
“He’s kind of a friend. More of a pain in the ass than anything.”
“Well, I went through your contacts list and invited a bunch of people I thought were friends. Maybe you should update it,” I chided him.
“When did you get such a smart mouth?” He set the clipboard aside and pressed me back against the nearest wall. He nipped playfully at my bottom lip before scorching me with his kiss.
“I’ve always had a smart mouth,” I whispered breathlessly.
Garrett reached behind me and grabbed my ass, squeezing and kneading it. “Maybe it’s time you get a spanking for being such a smart ass.”
I bent forward slightly, pressing my behind against his hand. “Do your worst,” I challenged him. He bent, wrapping his arms around my legs and slinging me across his shoulders. He carried me up to our bedroom where he showed exactly how smart my mouth really was.
The next forty-eight hours passed in a blur as the vineyard was a flurry of last-minute party preparations. My mother and Valerie arrived, and we worked tirelessly the day before the grand opening to organize and arrange over a hundred gift bags containing the first bottles of wine under the Sorenson Cellars label. I also worked with a local bakery to create a champagne macaron and a half-dozen of them were placed alongside the wine in each bag.
Garrett had been out at the production facility almost every day for the past few months supervising the bottling of our first release. When Garrett returned with the first cases, he grabbed a bottle, and we celebrated in what we considered “our spot” – the highest area on the property that provided us with an amazing view of the Russian River and the Fitch Mountains.
“We did it,” he said, clinking his glass against mine.
“You did it,” I corrected him, taking my first sip of zinfandel. I hummed appreciatively because it was so deliciously yummy. “I just helped a little.”
“You helped a lot,” he told me softly before taking his first sip. “Damn, that’s good!”
We both laughed and finished off the bottle before heading back to the house to tick off more items on our never-ending to-do list.
The morning of the party, Garrett sent Valerie, my mom, and me to a local spa for an entire day of pampering. I was appreciative of this gift since Valerie had been in Paris for almost a year, and I only saw her when we FaceTimed every few weeks. We returned to Sorenson Cellars refreshed and happy, ready to celebrate Garrett’s accomplishment.
When Garrett stepped out of the bedroom wearing a tailored
tuxedo, I nearly fainted. His hair was styled to perfection and gelled into place, which was quite the departure from his everyday look. The stark white shirt he wore popped against the pristine black jacket. And his shoes ... Lord have mercy, the shiny black patent leather dress shoes made his entire look sheer perfection.
“You look amazing,” I breathed out, in awe of him. Meanwhile, I stood in the middle of the hallway in my old robe and a pair of bunny slippers Valerie had sent from Paris.
“I feel stiff,” he complained, shaking out his arms.
“Well, you don’t even have to play your cards right tonight because as long as you look like that, you’re going to get fucked.”
Garrett’s eyes widened in surprise, and I covered my own mouth, embarrassed.
“Oh my god,” I moaned. “I can’t believe I said that.”
“I look forward to getting fucked later,” he said with a smirk before walking past me.
I hurried into the bedroom to get dressed. The sooner we got this party started, the quicker it ended, which meant getting Garrett alone where I could appreciate him in all his tuxedo-clad glory.
I chose a plum colored sleeveless gown with crystal encrusted epaulets on the shoulders and a plunging neckline. The layers of delicate chiffon swirled around my legs as I walked, searching for Garrett.
I found him talking with his father and brothers, who all looked dashing in their suits. Garrett caught sight of me and stopped talking midsentence. “Excuse me,” he murmured, heading in my direction. He stopped in front of me, and said, “You’re absolutely stunning.”
My normally unruly curls had been tamed into glossy waves that cascaded down my shoulders. And my normally minimal makeup had been replaced with a smoky eye and nude, glossy lip.
“Am I going to get fucked later?” I joked.
“No,” Garrett said firmly, his hand reaching out to wrap around my waist and pull me in close. He leaned down and brushed his nose along my collarbone before nipping at my ear. “I’m going to make love to you slowly.”
“Damn.” I sighed.
“And then I’m going to fuck you,” Garrett whispered into my ear. His hand brushed across my dress and along my heated core as he left me to greet the first of our guests.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Garrett
The opening of Sorenson Cellars was in full swing. The tasting room was filled with guests, and there was a jazz band playing softly on the patio. It was the perfect way to reintroduce myself to Sonoma and Healdsburg. And to show my father I could succeed on my own.
I kept one eye on Cami the entire night. She was the belle of the ball, entertaining the locals who had come to sniff out the competition.
“Is Cami talking to Howard Jameson?” I asked Oliver.
Howard Jameson ran one of the oldest wineries in Sonoma County. He was a grizzled old man with stark white hair and tanned, leathery skin. And he was currently being charmed by my fiancée.
“Yep,” Oliver said.
“She’s got him eating out of the palm of her hand.” I marveled at the way people flocked to her and how comfortable she was with engaging them in conversation.
From the corner of my eye, I saw a familiar black sedan pull up to the valet line and watched Palmer step out with Nikki right behind him. He was out of his league in this crowd, and that was clear the moment he entered the party. The locals regarded him with a cool curiosity; he was new and unfamiliar. They were sniffing him out before accepting him.
Palmer looked uneasy as his eyes darted around, seeking out someone willing to take pity on him. Nikki was out of place too. Her dress was too tight and too short for this crowd. All the women were dripping in jewels and casual elegance. Nikki’s unease forced her to stick close to Palmer. I watched them both closely for a moment before I decided they weren’t worth my time.
“Garrett Hammond!” a familiar yet annoying voice yelled out among the crowd. I turned to see Anderson Clark rushing toward me. “You son of a bitch! I save your life and what do you do? Buy a goddamn winery!”
“It’s a vineyard,” I corrected him.
“What the fuck’s the difference,” he bellowed. “Where’s your girl?”
As if on cue, Cami appeared at my elbow along with Valerie. “I guess I’m the girl,” she said, extending her hand to Anderson. “I’m Cami.”
“Anderson Clark,” he replied, taking her hand and bringing it up to his lips to kiss the back of it. I snatched Cami’s hand away before his lips made contact.
“Jesus,” I mumbled.
“Settle down, Hammond. This is a party.” Anderson’s eyes landed on Valerie, who smiled shyly. “I’m going to guess based on the striking resemblance that you’re Cami’s sister.”
“I’m Valerie,” she said with a nod. “And I don’t have an overbearing fiancé.”
“Music to my ears,” Anderson said with one of his smug smiles. He offered Valerie his arm, which she took, and they disappeared into the crowd.
“Make sure you tell Valerie to get tested for every STD imaginable,” I muttered.
Cami reminded me that this party was to celebrate my achievements, and I shouldn’t let Anderson’s antics ruin a perfectly good evening. Luckily, plenty of people were waiting their turn to talk to me about my plans for Sorenson Cellars.
“Where do you think you’re going?” I said, grabbing Cami’s hand as she tried to disappear again. I held her firmly to my side as I talked to an owner of one of the co-op tasting rooms downtown. Since Sorenson Cellars wasn’t quite a winery, we needed a place to showcase our wines, and a co-op in town was ideal. We agreed to meet in the next few weeks to discuss an arrangement.
“This is amazing,” Cami gushed. “You’re amazing! And everyone is raving about the wine.”
“It’s quite good.” Cami and I both turned toward my father who stood in front of us, clutching a glass of red wine. “It’s too bad Charlie isn’t here to enjoy it. This is some of the best wine he’s ever produced.”
The backhanded compliment stung. “I sent him a case,” I informed my father.
“Show me what you’re planning for the production room,” he insisted. I left Cami, who insisted she would be fine, and headed to the half-finished room with my father.
He didn’t say much as he scanned the area. The equipment wasn’t the best and could definitely be upgraded, but I still wasn’t sure that producing here was the best idea. I didn’t want to waste the money if the plan failed. My father walked around, inspecting the equipment before making some noises of dissatisfaction.
“Your uncle Charlie clearly didn’t know shit about production,” he commented. “The destemmer is too small for what you’re going to yield. You need something bigger, but that’s going to cost you.
“How much?”
“The one I’m thinking about runs around forty grand.” I whistled low, but my father held up a finger and looked at me pointedly. “Spend the money, son. It will save you a hell of a lot more in other areas in the long run.”
I was mentally taking notes while he told me which machines were the best and which were nothing more than shiny pieces of shit. Whatever advice he was willing to give me, I was willing to take.
“I would suggest producing off-site for a while. Use the best facility you can and save your money, so you can really build this production room up. Don’t do it half-assed like Charlie.”
I nodded. “I want to get Palmer out of my business,” I told him bluntly. I had been working up the courage to talk to him about this, and the only way I knew how was just to say it.
“How much is he in for?”
“He’s got a ten percent share, which isn’t worth much right now, maybe a million.”
“Then buy him out first before you do anything else,” my father seemed to warn me.
“I was thinking maybe you could buy him out.” My voice was hesitant, and I avoided making eye contact out of fear that he would laugh right in my face.
“Don’t have the capita
l right now to do that. My money’s tied up in Hammond Winery and McGregor. You’ll have to endure his presence a little longer,” he said with a firm hand on my back.
He left me standing in my lackluster production room. I was seeing it all through his perspective, and all I felt was disappointment. The wine produced from the grapes harvested from this land was impeccable – some of the best I’d ever tasted – but we were using one of the best off-site production facilities with some of the best, and most expensive, equipment. Equipment I didn’t dare to even dream about purchasing. But my father gave me real advice that I would take. Keep doing what I’m doing and wait to invest in the right equipment.
As I turned to leave, I spotted Nikki waiting for me in the doorway, holding two glasses of wine. She held one out for me, but I declined.
“Oh, come on, Garrett,” she whined. “What will all of your guests think if you’re not enjoying your own wine?”
“There’s too much going on tonight. I need a clear head,” I told her.
“One sip isn’t going to hurt, Garrett.” She wiggled the glass slightly, so out of annoyance, I took it from her.
She stepped into the room and walked slowly around the equipment, occasionally stopping to take a drink of wine. “I thought you were getting married.”
“I am,” I said firmly. “We agreed to wait after Sorenson Cellars officially opened for business.”
“That’s a shame.”
“Why are you here, Nikki?”
Nikki glanced up and smiled; it was a fake sentiment. “Because I was invited.”
“No, I mean why are you here with Palmer?”
She approached me slowly and took another sip of wine, her eyes planted firmly on me. “Palmer and I have quite a few things in common that turned our friendship into more.”
The mask she had been wearing slipped slightly, and I saw the ugly emptiness inside her. What exactly had I seen in her when we first met? Nikki’s mask returned almost instantly, and she placed her hand beneath mine, the one that still held the wine I hadn’t yet touched and pushed it up. “Have a drink with me. For old time’s sake.”
Just Like Love (Just Like This Book 2) Page 15
