Page 204 of Taken Away

A slow smile touched her mouth.

"Yep."

Savannah glanced up. "What?"

"That's Burton Scott's son."

Then Anne headed deeper into the winery, leaving Savannah and Chloe grinning behind her.

The Conference Room

The conference room fell silent.

Vanessa Mercer clicked to the final slide.

Projected revenue. Expanded distribution. New market penetration.

Growth.

Lots of growth.

She set the remote down.

"We believe this positions Blackwood for the next twenty years."

Aubrey glanced around the table.

Walter sat with his arms folded. Lockwood's expression was unreadable. He studied the numbers.

Bennett sat motionless, eyes on the proposal.

Vanessa rested one hand on the remote and waited.

"So," Aubrey said. "Thoughts?"

Lockwood spoke first. "Where's the fruit coming from?"

Vanessa didn't miss a beat. "We've identified three partner growers."

"Contract fruit?"

"Yes."

Lockwood nodded slowly. "And when one of them has a bad year?"

"We diversify."

Lockwood leaned back. "That's not really an answer."

"It is from a business standpoint."

Walter finally spoke. "Blackwood built its reputation on controlling quality."

Vanessa turned toward him. "And Blackwood can continue doing that."

Walter didn't look convinced. "Maybe."

Vanessa faced Bennett. "What do you think?"