AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Cord nodded like Sam had. “Let me know if there’s anything I can do to help.” He scrubbed his face a second time. “I know this is a lot to ask, especially since we’ve just met, but if there’s any way I can stay on here, I’d appreciate the opportunity.”
“Of course,” I said. No doubt, he knew Sam keeping him on was dependent on many things, none of which we could determine tonight.
When I stood, Cord did as well. He said good night to Sam, and I walked him to the door.
“I guess I don’t need to warn you to be mindful what you say to Hoss,” he said.
“You do not.”
He grabbed his hat and walked out the front door.
“Things are getting weirder,” Sam said when I returned.
“Agreed. About our conversation earlier, when I asked how you’d feel about relocating from the inn here, I’d like to hold off doing so for now.”
“You called Burns, didn’t you?” While the man’s expertise in security and technology wasn’t exactly public knowledge, working for Alex Butler, who was married to Burns’ son, she was likely privy to more than most.
I grinned. “I did, and his response when I asked for help with security was, ‘Samantha is one of our own.’”
Her eyes filled with tears, and one ran down her cheek. I brushed it away with the pad of my thumb.
“They say you don’t know who your real friends are until you need them. I certainly have learned who mine are. Starting with you.”
“I’d say what we learned is our feelings go beyond friendship. I love you, Samantha.”
She leaned up and kissed me. “I love you, Beau.”
“What do you say we check on Wanda?”
“I’d say you’re a good cat dad.”
Was it crazy that I found myself wanting to be more than a father to a feline? I’d never thought much about having a family in the past. Now, I longed for just that with her. Not only starting a family. I wanted to marry Samantha Marquez. Sadly, if I told her so, I doubted she’d believe me.
19
SAM
Listening to Beau talk to Mr. Creola the following morning made me realize again how lost I’d be without him. For one, I probably would’ve ignored the letter the attorney sent or at least procrastinated long enough that it seemed like I was ignoring it.
I studied him while he spoke, not listening to what he was saying as much as wondering if this thing between us would last. Yes, Beau had told me he was in love with me, but in the back of my mind, I still wasn’t sure he knew what that meant. Or if I did.
How long would it be before he got bored? Or realize I didn’t have the allure he thought I did? And what about the things in his life he was neglecting because he was with me?
He oversaw the vineyards at his parents’ estate, where their wine business generated millions of dollars each year. He couldn’t just walk away from that. Yes, this was the slowest time of the year for him, but what about when the growing season got underway? He couldn’t turn his back on it to help me.
The idea that he’d leave, no matter how much he’d assured me he wouldn’t, was like a bucket of cold water dumped over my head. If I was going to accept this inheritance, I had to figure out how to manage it on my own. I couldn’t sit back and passively let Beau take over. I had to learn to do this like I’d had to do with everything else in my life.
My degree was in agricultural business, and while that hadn’t taught me how to run an estate like Cena’s, there were certain parts of it I could handle. Like the vineyards and winery. Maybe not right away, but if Beau was able to stick around long enough to mentor me, I felt confident I’d learn enough to eventually run things myself.
When I heard Beau mention the contract between Lilac Lane and the Schultz winery, I sat up straighter. “Do you have a copy of it?” I asked.
My cheeks flushed when Mr. Creola said it was included in the packet he’d sent to me.
“Yes, but do you have one here?” I asked.
“Of course,” he responded, shuffling through the contents of a folder. “Here it is.” He handed it to me.
I read through it and looked at him with wide eyes. “This says the contract was signed two years ago and extends another eight.”
