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“That’s that engagement excitement,” Heidi said.
Morgan coughed. “Well, I’m not attached to Patrick.”
Emery cracked up. “That’s because you’re not like other girls. You’re a cool girl.”
Morgan threw a pretzel at her face. “Shut up.”
Blaire passed me a drink, and I leaned back against my chair. I wasn’t feeling chatty, but it was nice to be among the Wrights. They took up so much space that I didn’t have to take up any. A nice contrast to being around my family.
The day passed by in a haze of booze, snacking, and laughter. I was half-involved with everything going on. The kids bustling around. The parents rushing to help boo-boos and watching as they made silly jumps into the lake. At some point, half the girls got up to go out on the water with the older set of kids. I reapplied lotion and rolled over. Blaire made more drinks.
The day was exactly what I needed.
Tomorrow, I had a decision to make. The one I’d never, ever planned to make. I’d gone into business at Tech because all I’d ever wanted to do was run my winery. Now, I was leaving it all behind. I was cast adrift, and I’d have to find somewhere else to work. Maybe for another vineyard. I didn’t have to figure it out today. In fact, I’d promised myself I wouldn’t think about it at all. Yet here I was, thinking about it.
I downed the contents of another drink, rolled back over, and closed my eyes. I needed to stop obsessing. Things would work out eventually. All I wanted to do today was sit here under the bright rays and do nothing but get a tan.
I was nearly asleep when everyone around me fell silent. The kids still yelled and cheered and ran around, but the girls stopped all their talking entirely.
My eyes popped open.
Then, I saw exactly what had forced them to quiet.
Hollin Abbey.
41
Piper
I jerked upright. “What are you doing here?”
“Hey, Piper. Can I borrow you a minute?”
Hollin wasn’t supposed to be here. He’d gotten the hotel for the entire weekend. There were still private events and such in Austin in the morning. This made no sense.
“Aren’t you supposed to be in Austin?”
He grinned down at me, and something stirred deep in my belly. He looked…fucking gorgeous. He was in jeans despite the heat and a white T-shirt that clung to all of his muscles and revealed all the glorious lines of his tattoos. He’d always been tall, but him hovering over me made it feel like he was massive. And I was in nothing but a teeny bikini.
His eyes crawled my body, appreciating the naked lines of me. Before he met my gaze again. “I was. I came back early.”
“Why?” I stammered out. “You won.”
“I did.”
“Congratulations,” Blaire blurted out.
“Yeah! We’re so proud of you,” Jennifer threw out.
“Thanks.” He shot them both a meaningful smile and returned to me. “So, can I steal you?”
“Uh…sure.”
I was too curious to say no. And this was coming one way or another anyway. I just hadn’t expected to see him today. In fact, I’d planned the day around not seeing him and dealing with it all after I quit tomorrow.
I snatched up my jean shorts and a crop top, drawing them on over the bikini. I stuffed my phone into the back pocket of my jeans as we walked to the lake house. Instead of heading inside, Hollin took the long way around the house. I followed him until we reached the front of the property and found his motorcycle sitting in the driveway.
“You drove your motorcycle in the canyon instead of the truck?”
He grinned. “It’s a perfect day.”
It was. I could only imagine how great it would be to disappear on that bike in this weather. Just ride around and have no cares in the world.
“So,” I prompted, “what are you doing here?”
“You withdrew from the competition.”
“Yeah, I did.”
“After all your hard work, you withdrew. Why would you do that?”
“I needed to take control back,” I told him. “I couldn’t see another way.”
“Daddy Sinclair was pissed. He was raging. You should have seen him. He planned to fire you.”
I rolled my eyes. “I don’t give a fuck about him. He can do whatever he wants. I’m done with it all.” I crossed my arms over my chest. “Is this the reason that you came to talk to me? Because Daddy Sinclair was mad?”
“No,” he said with a smile that I hadn’t seen in a while.
One that was so cocky and full of shit that I nearly leaned right into him. I’d hated that smile in the past, but now, it was all I could see. It meant that I was going to be thoroughly fucked until I passed out. It meant that he knew exactly how to take care of me. And God, despite how angry I was with him, I wanted that. I wanted him.
