LITMIR.BIZ

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      Dianne and Ted had been surprised when he’d arrived with Brenna earlier tonight, but after a few interesting looks he didn’t quite understand had passed between them and Brenna, they’d set another place at the table for dinner. The conversation had been stilted at first, but they’d warmed up and now treated him like a long-lost family member.

      Which, in a way, he guessed he kind of was.

      Brenna rescued another tile from Chloe’s mouth and handed her a soft toy to play with instead. “There’s no need to be a poor loser, Jack.”

      He looked at the board and at his tiles. Nothing he could play now that Brenna had used the L for her non-existent word. He shook his head and passed. “I’m wondering why Dianne doesn’t get a dictionary and shut you both down.”

      Her cheeky grin snared him. “Because then it wouldn’t be any fun. Would it, Chloe?” she asked the baby, burying her face in Chloe’s neck and making them both giggle.

      It was a nice picture. Brenna laughing, relaxed and glowing. Not something he could say he’d seen in a very long time. She was obviously happy, and he was glad he hadn’t listened to either his attorneys or his accountants when they’d expressed shock over his plans to give control of the vineyard to Brenna.

      “Brenna, I got a call from Charlie today. He says his Chardonnays are almost ready.”

      That perked Brenna’s interest, and she leaned toward Ted. “Wow, that’s sooner than expected.”

      “I’m going to go over tomorrow and test myself, but we could be getting grapes from him early next week.”

      “Charlie often wants to jump the gun,” Brenna cautioned.

      “I know, and I’d planned to get ours in first, but…”

      Ted and Brenna were just starting to get excited about their conversation when Dianne interrupted. “Stop it, both of you.” Dianne rolled her eyes and moved out of Ted’s lap. “Can we talk about something else for one night?”

      Jack rushed to back her up. “I’m with you, Dianne.”

      “Thank you, Jack. For once I’m not outnumbered by grape geeks at the table, and I’d like to take advantage of that.”

      Ted mumbled something under his breath and toyed with his glass. Bren flushed a shade of pink that clashed with her hair. They both looked like children who’d been caught playing with a favorite but off-limits toy. Ted looked so disappointed Jack almost relented to the conversation.

      But it was all he could do not to laugh out loud at them both.

      Ted cleared his throat. “Rumor has it a new winery is opening in Napa…”

      “Ted!” Dianne chastised.

      “What?” Ted spread his hands in innocence. “It’s not about our wine…”

      Brenna caught his eye then, and when he winked at her she smiled in return.

      Two hours later Ted carried a sound asleep Chloe to her room as Dianne wished them goodnight and he and Brenna started the walk back to the main house. A full moon lit the vineyard, and crickets chirped all around them. It was quiet otherwise, almost idyllic, and then Brenna slipped her hand into his as they walked. This was more than just a truce—it seemed he and Brenna had something else started. And, despite his words earlier, that idea was growing on him a bit.

      Brenna squeezed his hand. “You were a good sport tonight.”

      “Because I let you cheat at Scrabble?”

      “I don’t cheat.” Brenna smacked his arm playfully. “But that’s not what I meant. I know tacos and Scrabble aren’t your idea of a fun Saturday night, but…”

      “I had a good time, Bren.”

      “Really?”

      “Really.” Brenna fell quiet and he wondered what she was thinking. “But this is nice, too. I’d forgotten how quiet it gets out here at night.”

      “It’s not San Francisco, that’s for sure.”

      He stopped and pulled her close. “It has its own charms.”

      Brenna stood on tiptoe to brush a quick kiss across his lips. “It is a nice night. Feel like going for a swim?”

      A vision of Brenna, wet and slippery, flashed through his mind. He returned the kiss—a hungry one this time, that left Brenna swaying against him—and led her toward the house. “Later.”

      Brenna’s vineyard had one thing San Francisco didn’t: Brenna.

       Chapter Nine

      “YOU know, Brenna, I don’t know if this is such a good idea.” Dianne carefully unwound a lock of Brenna’s hair from around the curling iron and the hot curl landed against Brenna’s neck.

      Brenna met Di’s eyes in the mirror. Dianne shrugged and reached around her for a comb to section off another piece. Brenna sighed. “I know. I mean, me and Jack again? It’s crazy and it doesn’t make any sense at all, but I just can’t help it.”

      Dianne cleared her throat. “I was actually referring to this up do. I’m not sure your hair will hold the curl.”

      Brenna flushed. “Oh.”

      “However,” she said, as she twisted and pinned up another lock, “if you’d like to talk about this thing with Jack, I’m certainly willing to listen.”

      Brenna went back to filing her nails while she thought. Dianne didn’t say anything. Finally, unable to meet her eyes again, Brenna asked, “Do you think I’m making a mistake? Getting involved with him again?”

      “Are you two involved again? I mean, are we talking about just a little temporary thing or are you thinking this might be long-term?”

      Brenna tossed the file onto the vanity. “I wish I knew. This weekend was amazing. After we quit fighting, at least. It’s like all the old baggage is gone, and we’re kind of starting over.” That much was true, and the giddy, lighthearted feeling she remembered so well had her grinning so much most of her employees were giving her strange looks. If only she could shake that other, not-so-giddy feeling that sat low in her chest like a shadow of doom…

      “In bed?” Dianne twisted and pinned another piece of hair into place.

      “What?” She had to scramble to catch up with the conversation. “Oh. Well, that kinda is where we started from the first time.”

      “And that ended well.” Dianne snorted.

      “We were younger then. This time we’re actually talking, too. Ouch! Easy, there.”

      “Sorry,” she muttered. “Hold still, okay?”

      Brenna squared her shoulders. “There’s a lot to Jack—more than meets the eye—and he seems to understand me now.”

      “Well, it’s good someone does.”

      She made a face at the mirror. “You’re so funny. I’m not that complicated.”

      “So you say. I’d say the fact you’re running off to San Francisco to hook up with a guy you couldn’t tolerate last week falls smack into the ‘beyond-screwed-up’ category.”

      That same thought had occurred to her as well, even if she hadn’t wanted to admit it. “So you do think this is a bad idea?”

      Di shrugged and reached for the curling iron again. “I don’t know what I think. I don’t know Jack as well as you do, but I know you don’t have a history of making good decisions when it comes to him.” Her voice dropped a notch. “I just don’t want you to

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