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Marcos flipped the burgers. He’d called Chelsea and told her that she should go ahead and do as she’d threatened—invite everyone over to Molly’s for a barbecue. She’d laughed at first, thinking he was calling her bluff, but when he’d explained that Molly wasn’t feeling so great, she’d stepped up and helped him organize getting everyone over—and bringing enough supplies that no one would go hungry. Now she was sitting with Molly, chatting with Mary Ellen and Piper.
“How long do you think you’ll have to live here?” asked Antonio.
Marcos looked up as his brother came to join him at the grill. He held out a beer. “I thought you might want one of these, while you’re on cooking duties.”
Marcos took it with a smile. “Thanks. You’ve always been one of the people who knows me best in the world, but it seems you have a little catching up to do.”
Antonio raised an eyebrow.
“I don’t mind living here. In fact, I love it.”
Antonio smiled through pursed lips. “Is that the official line?”
“No. It’s God’s honest truth. I know it’s not exactly the kind of place you’d imagine me in. It’s not the kind of place I ever imagined I’d end up in. But it’s right. All that stuff I had in my head about a legacy and the family name. I had it all screwed up. I thought it was all about money and wealth and …” He shook his head. “I thought it was about having the best that money can buy—and passing that on to my children. Now I see that the important part isn’t the money—it’s about having and passing on the most love the heart can give. This place …” He swung his arm out to take in the house, Molly’s patio, the neat yard and the fields beyond. “This place is Molly’s family legacy. It’s been in her family for generations. They might not have amassed a fortune in monetary terms, but they built their own little empire. That little orchard—it represents years of love and hard work.”
Antonio chuckled. “You really mean all that, don’t you?”
“I do. My priorities have changed.”
“Good for you. Then I hope you will both be very happy here.”
“We are.”
“Are you still thinking about buying some land—planting some vines—or was that just a passing whim?”
Marcos smiled. “I am. When I first talked to you about it, I thought it might be just a passing idea, so I’ve been sitting on it, waiting to see. And every day I like the idea more. I need to think it through—bide my time and wait for the ideal property to come up. I don’t want to go over to Sonoma; it’s too far from here. I want something that’s close to home.”
“Have you been keeping an eye on the listings?”
“I have, but not every day. I’m trying to keep myself in check.”
“Do you want me to keep an ear out for anything that might be coming up for sale?”
“Yes. If you hear of anything, let me know straight away.”
“Okay. Will do.”
They both turned as Cameron came to join them. “What are you two scheming over here?”
Marcos smiled at him. He didn’t see any reason to keep his plans a secret. “My little brother is trying to encourage my fledgling interest in the wine business.”
Cameron looked shocked. “He is? You have an interest?”
Marcos nodded. “I do. I thought it had died, but it seems it was merely dormant for a while.”
“Wow. And what does Molly think?” He cast a glance over to where to she was sitting with the girls. “I can’t see her being thrilled about leaving this place.”
Marcos smiled. “I wouldn’t ask her to. I’m not thinking of anything large scale. I want to play, not make it my whole life again. I wouldn’t ask her to leave here. This is her home, and I’ll make it mine. I’m not looking to buy one of the estates—just a few acres and some vines.”
Cameron chuckled and looked at Antonio. “Is he shitting us? Is he trying to lull us into a false sense of security while he buys up half the valley and puts us out of business?”
Antonio shook his head and grasped Marcos’ shoulder. “No. He’s showing us the man he’s become. He wants to make wines for the love of it, not for the money, and he wants to live here for the love of his woman, not in some big house for how it looks.”
Cameron grinned. “That’s awesome.” His grin faded, and he rubbed his hand across his chin. “So, you’d only want to buy the land?”
Marcos nodded. “I don’t expect I’ll be able to. I imagine the kind of land I want will be attached to a fairly expensive house, but I can either sell the house or put it in some kind of rental arrangement.”
Antonio laughed. “And knowing you, you’ll make a fortune on it as an investment property.”
