by Judith Keim
“I wish I could help you, but I can’t. As I suggested earlier, I’d give Jamison Winkler, my lawyer in L.A., a call. She can provide you with more information than I’m willing to give. Good luck. By the way, Justine and George were here for a friend’s wedding recently. They looked terrific and are very happy together.”
“Yes,” said Howard. “It’s been a nice match. Thank you for taking my call. Goodbye.”
“What’s going on?” Rafe said, giving her a worried look.
“You’ll never guess who’s trying to buy Rod Mitchell’s place. Jonathan Knight and Bernard Arnaud and other buddies of Jonathan’s.”
His eyes rounded. “¡Ay Dio mio! What a disaster!”
“Yes, I know. It’s bad enough having Rod run the place. The two of them are ten times worse.” A heavy feeling tightened Cami’s stomach. “I suggested to Howard Dickinson he call Jamison Winkler. I want to keep a distance from any further conversation with him. He’s counseling Rod on the sale of his property.”
“ A wise idea to keep out of it,” Rafe commented. “Rod can be a very nasty person. And Jonathan and Bernard have already shown themselves to be that way. I worry about you.”
“No need,” said Cami with a new resolve to stay away from dealing with anyone at Lone Creek Winery. It was almost laughable to think that’s why Bernard and Vanessa had wanted joint advertising. He’d want people to think Chandler Hill and Taunton Estates would welcome them into the business.
Rafe called Drew and asked him to come to Cami’s house to discuss the situation.
Later, Cami called Adam Kurey. As her winemaker, he was a valued member of her team. His grandfather, Ben, had worked for Chandler Hill in the early years of Nonnee’s ownership and had stayed with her until her death. It was he and his son, Scott, who’d trained Adam.
When he heard the news about Jonathan and Bernard teaming up to run a winery, Adam laughed. “Jonathan thinks he knows about making wine, but he doesn’t. And Bernard might have been involved in making wine in France, but the grapes here are different and require a lot of care, as you well know.”
Cami paused before speaking. “Have they approached you to work for them?”
“As a matter of fact, they have. I couldn’t believe it and laughed in their faces. My family has been allied with yours for almost fifty years. And, as far as I’m concerned, that isn’t going to change.”
Cami let out the breath she’d been holding. “Thank you. I appreciate that very much. I consider you family.”
“The wife, the kids, and I appreciate all Lettie and you have done for us—stepping in to pay hospital bills when we couldn’t. I’m not going anywhere. Besides, you and I have some fun in store, coming up with a few new wines.”
Cami felt a smile spread across her face. “Yes, we do. We can’t let Taunton Estates wines get ahead of us.”
“Damn right,” said Adam, chuckling. “I’ll let you know if I hear anything more about either one of those guys.”
“Thanks,” Cami replied, so relieved she wanted to cry. Competition in the valley was usual, but the cutthroat antics of Rod, Bernard, Jonathan, and Vanessa were out of line.
###
Two days later, Jamison Winkler called Cami. After they exchanged pleasant greetings , Jamison said, “I just got off the phone with Howard Dickinson. I’m glad you gave me the heads-up on him and the deal he’s thinking about because he peppered me with questions.”
Cami tensed. “And?”
“And I think I pretty much convinced him that these are not reputable people. I told him I wouldn’t want to deal with them on a professional level. He sounded grateful to get the straightforward information I gave him.”
“Thanks for doing that. I appreciate it,” Cami said. “When are you and Wynton coming for a visit?”
“Not for a while,” Jamison said. “The girls are looking at different colleges, and we’re taking a lot of trips with them. But as soon as we can, we’ll return to Chandler Hill. Uh-oh. I’d better go. I have a call on the other line. Thanks again for including Wynton in your art show. Next year, he’ll plan to be there again.”
“Fabulous,” Cami said, hoping Bernard wouldn’t continue to try to undercut her efforts to make the show bigger and better next summer.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
August entered the summer season in a storm cloud. Outside, rain and wind swept the area. Inside her office, Cami was nervously awaiting her visit with Edward Kingsley, who was arriving incognito under the name of Ned King. They’d agreed to meet at the inn that evening, and though the meeting was over eight hours away, Cami couldn’t stop her nerves from twanging like the strings on an old banjo. Realizing that actually seeing him would probably keep her tongue-tied, she’d prepared a list of questions to ask him.
Restless, she got up from behind her desk and headed to the kitchen for another cup of tea to settle herself. The lobby was full of guests waiting for limousines or vans to pick them up for trips to the different wineries. Inclement weather didn’t prevent a visitor from imbibing a sip or two of wine. On days like this, with nothing better to do, more than one guest had stumbled into the hotel at the end of the day and gone directly to bed, their heads spinning.
Cami swung into the kitchen. Liz, was overseeing cooking staff.
“How’s the new mother?” Cami asked her, giving Liz a teasing smile.
“Oscar and I are doing fine.” Liz beamed at her. “But dachshunds sure are stubborn, aren’t they?”
“Oh, yes,” Cami replied, remembering all the tussles of will with Sophie. “Okay, if I grab a cup of tea?”
“Sure thing,” Liz said and turned back to rolling out pie dough.
Cami carried her cup of tea into her office and turned on the TV for the morning weather, hoping last night’s storminess had cleared the way for some beautiful days ahead.
Sighing at the paperwork that lay on her desk, Cami sat and took a sip of the hot tea.
“More on Congressman Edward Kingsley after the break,” came the announcer’s voice.
Cami groaned, “Not again.” She wondered what it must be like for Lulu to hear stories about her father’s infidelities. Lulu had defended him so fiercely.
Seconds later, the television flashed a picture of Edward Kingsley on the screen. “Fifty-four-year-old Edward Kingsley is dead of a heart attack he suffered early this morning in Portland, Oregon. Doctors at the Provident St. Vincent’s Medical Center assured us they did everything they could to revive the congressman, but it was of no use. An autopsy is planned. Right now, all we know is that he came to Portland to attend a meeting of strategic advisors to deal with the charges he faced. As some of you may know, Congressman Kingsley had hopes of campaigning for president, but in light of the recent allegations, he was struggling to hold onto his office.”
Cami’s teeth began to chatter as chills ran through her body, numbing all thoughts but one. Now, I’ll never know the truth.
The screen pulled up a picture of a stately home and showed pictures of Lulu and a pretty blond woman, who was Edward’s wife. “We haven’t been able to talk to any of Congressman Kingsley’s family. His assistant, Paul Gardener, will issue a statement later this morning.”
Another series of ads came on the television.
Someone knocked on her door, and Cami turned from the television.
The door opened, and Becca stuck her head inside. “Did you hear the news? Lulu’s father is dead! A heart attack.” She glanced at the television and then turned to Cami.
“I’m so sorry. I know you wanted to meet him someday.”
Cami burst into tears. Her hopes of talking to him were gone. She’d never know if he was her father or why he’d agreed to talk to her. At the deep sense of loss that swept through her body, she felt as if someone had cut her open.
###
Like a mosquito bite that someone couldn’t leave alone, Cami sat in her office watching the bad news on television over and over again, unable to stop the disappointm
ent that kept surging through her. When Paul Gardener came on, he spoke with genuine sorrow.
“Congressman Kingsley’s wife, Rosalie Stockton Kingsley, expresses her appreciation for the support that is already coming in for her and her daughter, Louise. She requests that in lieu of flowers, all donations be given to the American Red Cross. Some of you may remember that Edward and Rosalie’s only son drowned at the age of ten. Some say it was this sudden loss of her son that has kept Rosalie withdrawn from society.”
The television screen showed a picture of Rosalie and Edward together and then a clip of Lulu with her father. Tears came to Cami’s eyes when she realized how devastated Lulu must be with all the rumors about her father and then his sudden death.
She picked up a pen and wrote a note to Lulu, not stopping to edit, but simply to tell her how sorry she was and that if she needed a break, she was welcome to use the facilities at Chandler Hill.
Before she could change her mind, she addressed the envelope, sealed it, and put a stamp on it. Dabbing at her eyes, feeling as if every bone in her body had turned to rubber with grief, she told Sophie it was time to go home.
The little dog, who accompanied her to her office most days, marched to the door and waited for her to catch up.
Glumly, Cami picked up her purse and headed out. The day that had promised so much had turned into a disaster.
###
When she pulled into the driveway, Drew’s silver truck was already there. She felt her throat thicken with emotion. She needed him—his strength, his love.
Sophie barked and wiggled to get out of the SUV. Cami opened her car door and Sophie rushed into her lap to be lifted down onto the ground. As soon as her paws touched the driveway, Sophie was off and running.
Drew caught the dog and lifted her up into his arms. Tail wagging furiously, Sophie licked his cheeks and then wiggled to get down.
Laughing, Drew grinned at her and said, “Next?”
“You haven’t heard the news?”
Drew’s expression grew serious. “What are you talking about?”
She started to fill him in on Edward Kingsley’s death and paused, unable to speak for a moment. Her vision clouded with tears.
“Go on,” he urged her. “He was in Portland with supporters and what happened?”
“He’s dead! He died of a heart attack! They tried to revive him and couldn’t!” Tears slid down her cheeks in woeful, silvery trails.
Drew wrapped his arms around her and rubbed her back. “I’m sorry, hon. I’m really sorry. I know you hoped to talk to him one day.”
She pulled away from him. “You don’t know the worst part. He was going to meet me here at the inn tonight. He made a reservation under a pseudonym. I was finally going to find out if he was my father.”
“What? Coming here? When did you set that up?”
Heat colored her cheeks. “I know I should have told you, but I thought you and Rafe might object.”
Drew studied her, his expression thoughtful. Then he slowly nodded. “You’re right. I would’ve discouraged you. Rafe too. And now you have to go through this. I’m sorry, honey.”
Cami nestled against his solid chest, wishing there was a better way to get an answer. If Edward hadn’t been forthcoming, she’d planned to take a glass or a coffee cup that he’d used and try to get his DNA from that. She already knew Lulu wouldn’t cooperate. Especially now.
“Let’s go inside,” said Drew. “It’s hot out here. I’ve been working in the fields all day, which is why I haven’t been near a television. When I got home, I took a shower and came right over here.”
She looked up at him. “I’ve watched hours and hours of the news, stuck to the television like a magnetic screen saver, too interested to walk away. Too disheartened to try.”
Drew gave her a squeeze of encouragement. “Aw, Cami, life is full of unanswered questions—'what if’ and ‘what now’ things. It takes a certain amount of faith just to get through a day. Sometimes, it’s best to forge ahead and let things play out on their own. You know?”
Cami nodded, but didn’t mention that one of the reasons she wanted to know about her father was to have the medical history knowledge he could give her, because she was beginning to think of having children someday. With Drew.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Over the next few days, Cami continued to watch the news for any updates on Edward Kingsley. Lulu had talked about her father’s plans to run for president, but Cami had no idea how much of that had already been put into motion. And she wondered how the changes in plans affected Lulu. It was one thing to be a president’s daughter, living in the White House, and quite another to be the daughter of a man defamed by his actions.
She thought back to Justine’s wedding. Lulu had been so self-assured, so in control until Cami had questioned her. Had she known or suspected that something was off with her father? Was that why she’d lashed out at Cami? To protect him?
The press camped outside the Kingsley home hoping for any tidbit they could grab. And when Lulu and her mother refused to meet with them, the rumors started and were perpetuated by speculation and hearsay. Even in these days of irresponsible press reporting, this seemed beyond cruel. Lulu’s mother was described as an alcoholic, her daughter as a spoiled brat. Cami fumed at the portrayals. Lulu had graduated from college, and, as Cami had overheard at the wedding, was planning on taking a break as a substitute teacher to work on her father’s campaign. And even if Lulu’s mother had a drinking problem, it wasn’t right to make it public.
###
While the inn was running smoothly and the grapes were ripening, Cami worked with Adam in the winery, cleaning out barrels, and making arrangements for the harvest and crush. As predicted, it looked like a very bountiful year.
Rafe met with Cami and Drew to work out a distribution of duties while he was away on his river-cruise vacation. He was sticking to his decision to go to Europe ahead of the scheduled cruise to take part in some of the pre-cruise travel specials.
“I just need to be sure everything will be taken care of while I’m gone,” said Rafe. He turned to Cami. “You’ll handle my personal finances, and Drew will take care of the books for the winery.”
“Right,” said Drew. “Just like we’ve talked about.”
Cami and Drew exchanged looks. As the time of departure for him grew near, Rafe was both excited and worried about being away.
“I think it’s great that you’re doing this, Rafe,” said Cami.
A smile spread across Rafe’s face. “I think so too. I dreamed about Lettie the other night. She and I were sipping wine in a Paris café. Strange, huh?”
“No. Sweet,” said, Cami, returning his smile.
###
Feeling as excited as he, Cami helped load Rafe’s luggage into her car. His morning flight from Portland would take him to Seattle and then a non-stop directly to Paris.
Of all the trips Cami had taken to and from the airport, this was one of the most exciting. She felt Nonnee’s presence as she slid behind the wheel. The trip she and Nonnee had planned was finally taking place. More than that, she and Drew were being trusted to take over for Taunton Estates Winery. For Cami, it was more than a challenge for doing that; it was an excellent indicator of how the two of them could work together in business. Though neither had brought up the subject of marriage, Cami knew that marriage to Drew would mean working together to maintain both Chandler Hill and Taunton Estates. If they couldn’t do it well, the relationship would never last.
Uncharacteristically chatty, Rafe carried on a conversation about the list of things he intended to see in Paris. The Louvre and the Eiffel Tower were right at the top of it. Cami added a few things to his list, remembering how romantic, how wonderful Paris had been when she’d spent time there with Bernard. Despite the disappointment with that relationship, Paris remained one of her favorite places.
Cami pulled up to the curb and waited while Rafe removed his luggage from the car. Turning
to her, he waved, his smile wide.
Cami fought the unexpected sting of tears as he entered the terminal. He’d always been a person she could turn to when she needed someone to talk to without judgment. Even more since Nonnee’s death. Now, with this gift, he was free to have fun away from the pressures and worries of his business.
Back home, Cami checked in with the inn and then went about preparing dinner. Drew was not only coming for a meal, he was bringing a few of his things to her house so they could try living together for a while.
A bark of excitement from Sophie announced Drew’s arrival. Smiling, Cami went to meet him.
Drew set Sophie down beside his suitcase and swept Cami into his arms. “This is how I want to end all my days.” His lips met hers, soft and demanding, sending excitement racing through her. His kisses never failed to arouse her. And now, he was hers to enjoy with a new freedom.
When they pulled apart, they simply stared at one another. Then, without a word, they headed for her bedroom. Sophie followed, her feet tapping the wooden floor behind them. When they reached the room, Cami stared down at the dog.
“No, Sophie. You stay here.”
The dog looked from her to Drew and back to her again, then lay down with a soft groan.
Cami and Drew smiled at each other. In the several weeks they’d been together, Sophie had learned they meant what they said.
Inside her bedroom, Cami turned to Drew. “Welcome home, dear.”
He chuckled at her humor. “Music to my ears.” He lifted her into his arms and carried her over to the bed. “Now let me show you a proper welcome.”
Cami’s body grew hot with anticipation. Drew was such an exciting, generous lover.
###
Later, lying naked beside him, Cami traced the planes of his muscled chest with her fingertips. Brown hair was lightly scattered across his skin. Placing her hand over his heart, Cami could feel the wild thumping of his heartbeat begin to slow. Their lovemaking was free. And afterwards, Cami liked cuddling with him while they talked softly to one another.
