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“Do you still miss her?” Paige hadn’t meant to blurt it out, but there it was.
His eyes flew open and the way he took a half step back anyone one would think he’d been the one hit with a two by four.
“Sorry.” She shook her head. “That’s none of my business.”
For a short moment, his eyes closed and she could hear the ragged intake of breath as he slowly blew it out. Once his eyes opened it was easy to see all the love and hurt inside him. Apparently so could Honey and Moon as they’d quickly abandoned her to sit at Mitch’s side.
“Only every day.” He patted each dog’s head then looked at her. “I’m checking on a new calf, let’s walk.”
He led her to a stall where a calf that could only have been born hours ago, walked on shaky legs. And just like that, all the pain seemed to slip away as a smile pulled at his lips.
Paige leaned over the low railing. “This never gets old.”
“I know.” His gaze remained on the calf. “I’m guessing this line of questioning has something to do with our recent hockey guest?”
She nodded. Silence reigned for a short while.
“So it’s serious?” His gaze remained focused on the calf now latched to his mother’s underside.
“I’m starting to think so.”
Now his head turned and he looked at her. “Starting?”
“Okay. Yes. For me. I think. Maybe.” She sucked in a breath and nodded her head. “Definitely. Yes.”
The laugh that reached Mitch’s eyes had not been the expected response. “If anyone is asking for my vote, a definite yay.”
“So what do I do about it?”
“Aw, kid.” His shoulders dropped, his eyes squeezed shut, and he blew out a sigh. “Sorry. Why is it so hard to remember you’re all grown up?”
That made her laugh. “I feel the same way some days.”
He nodded. “I can’t tell you what to do. All I can say is follow your heart and don’t waste any time. Every minute is precious.”
Of course he was right, but… “The winery has been my whole world. I don’t know if there’s enough of me for my own family too.”
This time Mitch shook his head. “Paige, I’ve watched you take a batch of wine that had no hope and turn it into a great vintage. You’ve taken a run down and forgotten winery and put it on the map again.”
“I think wine is easier than human beings.”
“That’s not the point and you know it. I’ve never seen you walk away from a challenge. You can do anything you want. That is, if you want.”
She smiled up at her brother. “I want.”
Suddenly, all the floundering and confusion seemed to fade away. Mitch was right. She was a Baron, after all. And she did want Daniel and all the trappings. Very much.
Where there’s a will, there’s a way. Almost a family motto. And the first hurdle to overcome would be that Daniel didn’t live in Houston. She didn’t like the idea of a long-distance relationship. She’d tried that the last few days and didn’t care for it one bit. Which meant they had to make sure the Comets moved to Houston. After all, it wasn’t like she could up and move the winery to another state.
Staring down at what had now become a sprawling spreadsheet, Daniel did his best to focus on the details instead of wondering what Paige might be doing right about now. The wine competition had been frenetic, he’d been totally out of his skill set, but he couldn’t have imagined being anywhere else.
None of which changed that he still had a job to do. Under different circumstances, like not spending every spare minute with a captivating brunette, he would have been better prepped for this city as well as he had been for the previous ones he’d visited. Rubbing his hand down his face, he wondered what the hell was wrong with him. He’d only been gone from Houston for two days, but it seemed like a lifetime. Talking on the phone and exchanging texts with Paige had helped make her feel closer, but not as close as being in the same room able to hold her hand, or brush a wayward lock of hair behind her ear and steal a kiss while he was at it.
He sighed and paced the room. Earlier today he’d spent hours on a video call with the committee. They’d agreed with his report narrowing the field of contenders down to only a few, Houston being in the lead. Now it was up to him to determine where, or if, these last two cities fit in the ring. Neither city had given him anything close to the same welcome as he’d received in Houston. Then again, he hadn’t really expected it.
At this point he was so tired of looking at stadium sizes, finances, and fan demographics, he was ready to draw straws merely to get the entire process over and return to Texas.
His phone dinged. He glanced at the name and smiled. “Hey, Henry.”
