Page 39 of A New Year In The Presidential Suite

After getting to know Rosie, he trusted her to fix up the little cottage on the property. Kayla had suggested renting it out for a week at a time, allowing guests to see the operation, taste the wines, and purchase them. It could be an extra source of income and was worth trying.

There were moments when he felt lonely, but he reminded himself that he needed time to get over Cassandra and the damage she’d done to his ego.

Sarita fussed at him like the mother that she was to him. “Keep busy but have some fun, too. All work and no play makes for a boring man.”

“I know,” Griff responded. “But I’m worried about this year’s grape harvest. It needs to be an outstanding one. Grandad hasn’t done his usual job of managing our money, and I need to pay off some debts. They’re not outrageous, just worrisome, if you know what I mean.”

“Your grandfather is a stubborn man who’s losing some of his mental ability,” said Sarita. “But I have to be very careful about what I say. I don’t want to hurt or upset him. Years ago, he took in Carlos and me when we had no place to go. We’ll always be grateful to him.”

“Me, too. You were the parents I didn’t have,” said Griff.

Sarita gave him a quick hug. “I’ve loved having two boys, not just one. And I know Pete has enjoyed having a brother.”

“He also enjoys dating one of the most popular women in the area,” said Griff.

“She’s not who he’s going to marry,” said Sarita with confidence. “Wait until Cristina Estrada comes for a visit. Her mother and I have it all planned. He’s going to find his soulmate. Ssh. Don’t tell him.”

Griff gave her a wide-eyed look. “I wouldn’t dare to even mention it to him. You know how independent he is.”

“He’s very strong-minded, but then, she is too,” said Sarita. “When they were little, Cristina used to follow Pete around like a puppy. Remember?”

“Yeah, I do. She was very cute. Good luck with matching them up.”

“How about you, Griff? Are you ready to meet a woman? I know the trick you and Kayla are playing. I promise you I won’t say anything to your grandfather about it. But you need to do more than fake a relationship.”

“There’s no one here I want to date,” Griff said. The only woman who had interested him lately was Lori Hamlin during his brief stay in Florida, and they both understood that was never going to work.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

LORI

Lori lay in bed reviewing her evening with Guy, remembering the chemistry between them. She wasn’t ready to go to bed with Guy, even though she was pretty sure he’d be a kind, considerate lover.

There was a lot to like about Guy, but she couldn’t help remembering how easily he’d cut off any communication with her all those years ago, leaving her to wonder if she’d just been a convenience for him, a date to the senior prom. Or maybe, as she’d once worried, the problem back then was that in his parents’ eyes, she wasn’t good enough for him.

Her sisters would tell her those were old concerns, that both she and Guy had done a lot of growing up since then, and she should let bygones be bygones. But they wanted things to work out for her so much that they were willing to avoid probing too deeply into her feelings of doubt.

One thing she knew for certain. If Guy couldn’t go with her on the trip to California wine country in April, she was definitely doing it alone. She was going to pencil in vacation time for that week at work.

Lori climbed out of bed and gazed out the window at the dusting of snow on the ground. It was a precursor to a winter storm on its way.

She decided to use her day off to clean the house, prepare for the workweek ahead, and do some baking and meal preparation. Incoming snowstorms always brought out nesting instincts in her, she thought, chuckling at the memory of Nick saying those exact words to her.

In the kitchen, she poured herself a cup of coffee and sat down at the kitchen table where she could watch an assortment of birds fluttering around her bird feeder. The way they gobbled the seed made it appear as if they, too, wanted to be prepared for bad weather.

The phone rang. Flo.

“Hi, Flo. What’s up?”

“I’ve just put Eloise down, and Hudson isn’t awake yet, so, spill. How did last night go? I bet you looked beautiful in that red dress.”

“Thanks,” said Lori. “Last night was fun, and the dress was perfect even if Cynthia announced in front of another woman that it had belonged to a friend of hers.”

“What? Cynthia actually said that. It was cruel of her. Didn’t you tell me you saw her at your favorite Thrift store?” asked Flo. “Then, why is she saying something like that?”

“Cynthia and I have never gotten along. Now, she’s after Guy. She and a friend are meeting him sometime today. Apparently, Cynthia’s friend is an interior decorator and is hoping for some work. But Cynthia just wants time with Guy.” Lori shook her head. “I’m not about to get into a battle with her. What will happen will happen.”

“It sounds as if the evening was fine, but you weren’t swept off your feet,” Flo said. “Am I right?”