Page 60 of A New Year In The Presidential Suite

“I think he’ll be happy to hear you’re not trying to keep anything from him. And he isn’t going to react badly to Kayla’s relationship with Rosie,” said Lori.

“I agree,” said Griff. He helped her out of her chair. “Let’s get down to the winery. I’ll give you a ride down the hill on my golf cart.”

“Thanks. It’s another beautiful morning,” said Lori.

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As they traveled down the hill, a breeze ruffled Lori’s curls and caressed her cheeks. Lori kept her eyes on the land around her, admiring the patterns of the vines following the contours of the hills.

A large yellow Lab ran up to them, barking and wagging his tail.

“This is Rex,” said Griff. “He stays with one of the staff in a house near the winery reception building.”

“You don’t own a dog of your own?” asked Lori.

“I used to before I left to go to college and began traveling for the business,” said Griff. “Sarita has a little Dachshund we all love, but she’s getting very old. I suppose when we replace her, I’ll go ahead and get a dog of my own, now that I’m more settled here. But oddly enough, grapes are poisonous for dogs, so we have to be careful.”

They pulled up outside the winery reception building and climbed out of the cart.

“Before we go inside, let me show you around,” said Griff. He led her to an enormous private patio at the back of the building. The space was surrounded by lovely landscaping that would be beautiful when the flowering bushes bloomed in the warmer months.

“This patio has many uses,” he explained. “In the storage shed over there, chairs are kept, along with a portable arch that can be decorated with flowers for weddings. We’ve hosted small concerts here and receptions of all kinds. Most of our weddings, however, take place at the main house on a side lawn overlooking the valley. Some even take place inside, in the formal living room.”

“Who handles those?” Lori asked. “I didn’t think you had the staff to do that.”

“We rent the space out to a wedding planner in the area. It works well for both of us,” said Griff. “We don’t want to be in the wedding business ourselves.”

“I like the idea of smaller weddings anyway,” said Lori.

“Me, too,” said Griff, whose grin sent a hot streak of longing through her.

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

LORI

Lori and Griff walked to the front of the two-story stone structure. With what looked like a round tower at one end, the commercial building reminded her of a castle. Double wooden doors welcomed people inside on the lower level. A long balcony off the second floor protected those entering with a wide overhang.

“Tell me about the tower at the end. What’s inside that?” Lori asked Griff.

“The corporate offices are there. Pete, Grandad, and I have spaces on the second level. The lower level is reserved for staff, serving both the vineyards and the winery reception area. That’s where we’ll probably find Rosie because we’re not open to the public yet.”

“Are you open year-round?” asked Lori.

“No. We close right after New Year’s Day for January, except for special requests. As you can imagine, January is a slow time of year for us. In fact, if it hadn’t been for Grandad’s stroke, I could’ve stayed longer at The Beach House Hotel.”

“I wish you had, but I totally understand,” said Lori.

Griff studied her. “I guess we’d better not keep Rosie waiting any longer.”

They entered the tasting room.

A long counter with bar stools sat along the back wall, with racks of wine bottles behind it. To the left sat a group of small tables surrounded by chairs. Next to the area, a glassed-in cooler offered a variety of cheese boards and charcuteries.

To the right was an opening to a shop. Lori headed there.

The usual T-shirts and hats were there, but nothing out of the ordinary. Lori thought of all the opportunities for foodie gifts. She wondered if Sarita could come up with enough recipes for a small cookbook. Wine and tasty food went together. And where were the books?

“Okay, what are you thinking?” asked Griff.