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“I’m not being generous. You’re doing me a favor.”
I knew he was lying. He was just saying whatever needed to be said to get me to agree.
“It stays in the family this way. That’s what we all want. Your old profession seemed to be solely based on money. It doesn’t seem like you’re passionate about anything else.”
Except Vanessa.
“So the winery is perfect for you.”
“I suppose…”
“If you really aren’t interested, there’s no hard feelings. But I would like you to seriously consider it.”
“If I do, I have a stipulation.”
“Let’s hear it,” Crow said.
“You can’t pay me.”
He tilted his head slightly, surprised by what I said. “What?”
“I don’t want your money. I’ll work there for free.”
“I don’t feel comfortable with that.”
“And I don’t feel comfortable taking a dime from you. I can take care of Vanessa on my own. I’m not taking her father’s money.”
He sighed. “That’s not how it is—”
“When you and Cane retire, I’ll start taking a cut. But not before.”
He held my gaze, his arms crossed tightly over his chest. He didn’t like that offer at all, but he didn’t know how to circumvent it.
“I have no need for money. I own real estate, investments, all kinds of things. Honestly, the last thing I need is money. Vanessa can live out the rest of her life as a queen if she wants to. I worked hard for those earnings, and I’m proud of it—regardless of how I earned it. I’m a self-made man, going from living on the streets to living in mansions. Taking your money would undermine all of that.”
He shook his head slightly. “I don’t agree with that at all, but I respect your opinion.”
“Those are my terms. Take them or leave them.”
“So when we retire, you’ll start keeping the profits?”
I nodded. “When the two of you are really ready to let it go, then yes. But mainly because that money is Vanessa’s. It’s her inheritance that I will take care of. And when we have our own children, I’ll pass it on to them…from their grandfather.”
The second I spoke my last sentence, his eyes watered noticeably. Legacy was obviously important to him, leaving behind something for a future generation. All he wanted was to protect his family, selflessly. “That’s exactly what I want.”
“Then do we have a deal?” I extended my hand.
He glanced at it before he took it, a soft smile stretching across his lips. “Yes. We have a deal.”
Ten
Carter
My family came over for dinner that night, my parents and Carmen.
Mom walked into the house first and squeezed me so hard, she seemed to possess Father’s strength. “I’ve barely stepped inside, and I love it already. The landscaping is beautiful. The ivy on the wall…gorgeous.” She pulled back and cupped my cheeks, looking at me with the same fondness in her eyes that was always there. “It’s perfect. I don’t even need to see anything else.”
I chuckled. “Thanks, Mama.”
She kissed me on the cheek before she let me go. “But I definitely want a tour anyway.”
My father embraced me next, a slight look of disapproval in his eyes. He resented me for lying to my mother—and for bringing him into the lie. “Carter.” He patted my back then stepped off to the side.
“Father…”
Carmen came next, wearing a long blue skirt and a ruffled white top. Her hair was in long curls, and her eyelashes were thick with mascara. She always looked like a beauty queen. When we were growing up and she didn’t wear makeup, she still had a natural beauty that couldn’t be denied. She whistled under her breath as she looked around. “Jesus, this place is fancy. The Queen of England could live here.”
“I don’t think she would like it very much.”
“Because you’d be here?” she teased, wearing an arrogant smirk.
“So glad you’re here…”
She chuckled then patted me on the back. “Seriously, I love it. When we pulled up to the gates, I screamed a little bit. And the drive up to the house is like something from a movie. Mama was freaking out the whole time because she was so excited. She might move in.”
“Not gonna happen.”
I showed them the downstairs living room, the backyard with the pool, and the bedrooms and personal gym on the first floor. I didn’t bother taking them up the stairs since it was more of the same. I took them into the kitchen next. “This is the kitchen and dining area.” When we stepped inside, Mia was working at the kitchen island in her apron. With her hair pulled back in a nice ponytail, her pretty face was revealed. She wore heels and a blue dress, looking more like a housewife than a maid. Ever since she’d moved in with me, she’d started wearing nice clothes and did her makeup. She didn’t seem like a woman who would try to impress a man, so I assumed she did it just because she wanted to. “Good evening, sir. Dinner will be ready shortly.”
