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Because Jewel believed in Rogen enough to know that he would never cheat her out of a transaction. She had a lifetime of reasons to rely on that intuition, and one more that had occurred this evening because he’d come here to warn her about his father’s intentions. Rogen had sacrificed a bit of family loyalty for her sake. That couldn’t have been easy for him, a man who prided himself on loyalty and integrity.
Clearly, he felt loyalty toward her as well.
“Rogen,” she said insistently. “We could both create our own legacies. There’s no reason why we can’t do this together.”
“Aside from our parents not signing on the dotted line?”
“My father agreed. If there’s some way to keep your father from double-crossing me, then all you have to do is provide the final signature and we’re in business.”
He mulled this over. She could practically see his brain churning. With possibilities. Hope. Excitement.
Jewel’s pulse raced.
“We could totally do this,” she assured him. “I’ll dump the golf course in lieu of a vineyard. Think of the events we could host with an inn and a winery!”
Rogen nodded. “You’re right. It’d be a great combo.”
“And the perfect location.”
He gave it further thought. A slow grin spread across his tempting lips. “Damn, Jewel. It’s a fucking incredible idea.” His enthusiasm grew with every passing second. His hands cupped her face. He stared deep into her eyes. Still grinning. Then he said, “We’re gonna need Vin’s help.”
Jewel’s racing pulse came to an abrupt halt. Her stomach took a serious dive south.
“No,” she said. “Not Vin.”
“We need legal counsel, Jewel,” Rogen said. “Someone who can free that property from all the restrictions placed on it and ensure we execute a solid, loop-free deal all the way around.”
“Rogen…” She shook her head. “Not him.”
Rogen’s brow furrowed. The snapping of the fire filled the quiet room as he seemed to wade through her adamant response. Finally, he asked, “Why not Vin? We’ve been friends with him since we were kids. It makes total sense.”
“I don’t trust him!” she blurted. Then pressed a hand to her mouth. Tried to collect herself. Dragging her hand away—stepping away—she attempted to explain. “It’s not that I don’t trust him in general. I do.”
For God’s sake, she’d let him fuck her ass in the bathroom at Bristol’s. Knowing he’d be careful. And hadn’t he been concerned when he’d first entered her? Then worried over whether he’d hurt her?
It was that whole broken-hearts thing that she couldn’t get past. How had she broken Vin’s heart? Had he actually been in love with her back then? He’d never once said the words. But that could have been because of her association with Rogen. And for that matter …
She pinched the bridge of her nose with her finger and thumb. She was going in wayward directions. So she told Rogen, “I just don’t think I can trust him with my future plans. He’s got some serious issues with me that I can’t even begin to dissect or fix.”
Rogen frowned. “That might be my fault, sweetheart.”
NINE
“No,” Jewel asserted. “It’s circumstance and teenage drama. Let’s face it. We were kids who grew up fast and did some mature things we weren’t exactly mature enough to handle or understand. I’m not even sure I’m experienced enough right now to reconcile all the intricate nuances when it comes to the three of us.”
Rogen looked a bit taken aback. Because he didn’t know the extent of her involvement with Vin?
She said, “I’m bei
ng honest here. There is so much spiraling out of control inside me from seeing you and Vin the other night … and these subsequent meetings.”
“You two need to work this all out. Especially if we’re going to move forward with our plans.” Rogen extracted his iPhone from his front pocket, hit a contact in the list, and handed over the device.
Jewel stared at a smirking Vin onscreen, knowing he’d probably flipped Rogen off after Rogen had taken the photo. Again, she thought of how well the two men complemented each other and how close they’d always been, even with her thrown into the mix.
“Do it, Jewel. You two can’t go on like this. I can see it’s tearing you up as much as it is him. And, damn it, we do need him.”
She took a deep breath. Her heart picked up several extra beats. It took a hell of a lot of courage, but she connected the call. Wholly uncertain of how much more conflict she was about to create for the three of them. How much more she could take.
