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Chapter One
Bentley stood in front of the window of his hotel room and looked out at the lake. The resort here in Summer Lake wasn’t up to the same standard as the Lodge over at Four Mile Creek, but he liked it. In fact, he liked it better. It might not be as upscale, but it had its own vibe. It was comfortable and homely, and the views were just as spectacular from this side of the lake.
He checked his watch and pursed his lips. If he wanted, he could go and meet up with his mom and Russ. They were having dinner with a bunch of their friends at Giuseppe’s tonight. The idea didn’t hold much appeal. He was looking forward to seeing them, but he was going to spend the whole weekend with them, and even though he was here in a small town like this, he’d rather go out and have some fun on a Friday night than hang out with his mom and her friends.
He rolled his eyes at the thought, wishing for at least the fourth time since they’d left that he’d asked Ollie and Reaves to stick around. They were the company pilots, and this was a personal trip, so he’d felt bad about asking them to give up their weekend and wait here for him when they could fly home, and enjoy their own weekends, and come back for him on Sunday night. They’d said that they wouldn’t mind; the three of them hung out often enough when he was away on business, and right now he wished that they were around to come down to the bar in the resort with him.
He went and checked himself in the mirror. It wasn’t as though he needed them. He was perfectly capable of taking himself out for the evening. The guy in the mirror smirked at him. Lately, it seemed that he was the only person he did takeout. It wasn’t for a lack of interest – or a lack of offers – but it was difficult to date in his position. He’d been the COO of DuPont Wineries for most of his adult life. Until a few months ago, his mom had been the CEO. He’d always had a certain image to portray, a reputation to live up to — and that reputation was hers.
Things were different now that she’d moved out here to Summer Lake to live with Russ. Bentley had stepped up into the role of CEO. His mom had encouraged him and reassured him that this was his time, now. That he was free to run things as he saw fit, and she would support him in however he chose to do that.
He turned away from the mirror and collected his wallet and key card from the dresser. It was one thing for her to say that when it came to running the company, but he doubted that she would be so supportive when it came to his personal life. Although perhaps that wasn’t fair. She’d mellowed since she met Russ, and she’d never made any secret of the fact that she’d love to see Bentley meet someone and settle down.
The trouble was, he wasn’t thinking about settling down. In his mind, before a guy settled down, he should play the field a bit — have some fun. It wasn’t that he didn’t haveanyfun, but he’d always felt that he had to be cautious about the women he got involved with.
His friend Jacob Jacobs had gained a reputation as something of a playboy. Until recently, he’d been a regular in the gossip magazines, always out with a different beautiful woman on his arm. Bentley wouldn’t deny that he had envied him, but he just hadn’t felt that he could go down that route. His mom would’ve been appalled. He smiled to himself as he closed the door behind him and headed down the hallway. She was more relaxed about things these days; she might not even have a problem if hewanted to start dating around some, buthewas more interested in just having some fun before he met someone who he might consider even telling his mom about.
~ ~ ~
Alyssa wrapped her arms around her legs and pulled her knees up to her chin. She wiggled her toes in the sand, but even that was starting to turn chilly. It was time to go. She was so grateful that she’d managed to get out here onto the beach in time to watch the sunset, but now she was hungry. It had been a long drive up here after a long week. She couldn’t wait to see her dad and Ria, but she was glad that things had worked out this way. Instead of spending the whole weekend with them as had been the original plan, she had tonight to herself. She was going to meet up with them and Ria’s son in the morning, but tonight she got to enjoy her own company. That didn’t happen often enough, and she planned to make the most of it.
She pushed to her feet and huddled deeper inside her sweatshirt, surprised at how quickly the chill had settled in once the sun went down. She smiled to herself as she walked back up the beach; she was going to treat herself to a glass of something sweet and alcoholic later. She didn’t drink very often, but tonight felt like a good night to let loose. She loved Summer Lake resort; it was a bit rustic and felt very homey. She wasn’t the kind of girl who normally felt comfortable going out alone, but the bar and restaurant here felt safe and welcoming.
As she ran up the steps to the lodge, she was happy to know she’d get a warm welcome from the bartender, Kenzie. That girl was a hoot. Alyssa had felt a little intimidated when she first met her, but she’d soon learned that Kenzie had a heart of gold. She might give the impression of being tough as nails, but she had a soft center, especially for people she cared about. And she caredabout Alyssa’s dad so, by extension, she’d welcomed Alyssa into the fold, too.
Alyssa was hoping that the bar wouldn’t be too busy tonight so that she could sit and chat with Kenzie. As she trotted up the stairs heading back to her room, she crossed paths with a guy coming down. He looked up and met her gaze, and all her breath caught in her chest when he smiled at her.
Wow! He was hot! If he was going to be in the bar later, she wouldn’t mind spending some time chatting with him.
She smiled back at him and nodded. Knowing her luck, he was probably heading out somewhere else for the evening. Even if he was going down to the bar, he was probably going to meet his girlfriend or his wife. Guys who looked like that were usually already taken.
She chuckled to herself as she continued up the stairs. Even if he wasn’t taken, she wouldn’t know what to do with him anyway. He was good-looking; from the way he was dressed, he was no doubt wealthy, and he looked kind of sophisticated, too. She wouldn’t know how to talk to him.
She laughed again as she reached her room and unlocked the door. To be fair, talking wasn’t at the top of the list of things she’d want to do with him. Her smile faded as she headed to the bathroom to take a shower and get ready. The only reason she was here this weekend was to visit her dad. She could just imagine what he’d have to say if he could hear what she was thinking. She shuddered. Actually, no, scratch that. That wasn’t true; shecouldn’timagine, and she didn’t want to.
It didn’t matter, anyway. She’d probably never see the hot guy from the stairwell again.
~ ~ ~
“Are you doing okay there, sugar? Can I get you another?”
Bentley smiled at the bartender – Kenzie – she’d said her name was. She was quite a character. He pushed his glass toward her and nodded. “Please.”
She came to the end of the bar where he was sitting and poured him another bourbon. “So, what brings you to Summer Lake?” She raised an eyebrow at him. “You’re here by yourself, right?”
“I am.” He wasn’t sure that he wanted to tell her who he was and why he was here. Not that he minded her asking, just that he was enjoying being anonymous. He couldn’t remember the last time that he’d sat in a bar feeling like he was just another guy. Even when he was away on business trips, Ollie and Reaves were usually with him – at least one or two of the guys from the sales team were, too.
He must have taken too long to come up with any further explanation. The bartender smiled at him and said, “Sorry, I’m not being nosy.” She let out a raunchy-sounding laugh. “Well, I guess I am, aren’t I? What I mean is that you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to. I guess I judged you wrong; I was thinking that it looked like you could do with a chat.” She looked along the bar, which was getting quite busy. “But I should go and see to these good folks. Just holler if you need me.”
Bentley watched her go to serve a couple who had just arrived. She was good; she kept the banter going with the patrons as she quickly fixed their drinks and moved on. And she hadn’t been wrong, she’d guessed right that he could do with a chat. It was just that he didn’t feel comfortable chatting with her. He didn’t know how well she knew Russ and his mom.
He swung his stool around and looked out over the bar and restaurant. It was starting to get crowded now. Kenzie had told him that there would be a band playing later. She’d also told him that her husband was the lead singer. He smiled to himself; he imagined that she made that point clear to every solo guy who came to sit at the bar.
He liked the vibe of this place. It was busy, but it still felt laid-back. The patrons were an odd mix; some were clearly tourists, while he guessed that others were locals. No matter which group they belonged to, they ranged in age from kids who looked like they probably weren’t old enough to be here, to couples who looked as though they were retired.
He liked it. He was more used to going to bars and even restaurants where the clientele was a much more homogenous group. That gave him pause – it made him wonder when the last time was that he’d been out to a place that wasn’t full of young professionals like himself. He smiled when the answer to that question came – it was when he’d gone into Molly’s restaurant recently back at home in Napa. He didn’t go in there often, and after that last visit, he’d wondered why not. It was a great restaurant, and Molly was one of the gang of friends he’d grown up with and who mostly still hung out together. He’d drifted too far away from them, spending most, if not all, of his time working.
He’d been scanning the restaurant area and froze when his gaze landed on the brunette he’d crossed paths with on the stairs on his way down here. Damn! She’d caught his attention in a big way, looking all windswept in her sweatshirt and cutoff jeans. Now, in a casual-looking, but still figure-hugging, long dress, she had his full attention; she was hot!
