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I turned, ready to lay into her too if need be. I needed to talk some sense into them. But the look in her eyes, so loving and warm, full of concern, broke me. I inhaled through my nose and let my breath out slowly the same way.
I knew I had gone overboard, but I just couldn’t take it. I raised my arms, let them fall. “All right.” I took a deep breath. “Okay. I’m okay.” Calmer now, but still angry, I turned to glare at Michael.
But the shocked expression on his face—eyes wide and bugging out of his head—like I had just slapped him, stopped me.
“What?” I clasped my hands in front of me.
His eyes softened as he seemed to consider what exactly had just happened.
What was this?
Did Michael Blaire actually have a heart?
Siena
“Damn,” Michael said, his facetwisting and contorting, as if he was trying to recover from a physical blow, from intense pain. “I don’t even know what you said. But I can feel the animosity.” His voice sounded wounded, strained, and full of anguish.
His words struck me. I hadn’t intended to make him feel like I hated him. I was upset and frustrated at his lack of empathy, especially after our run together. “I got a little carried away. I’m . . . I’m sorry.” It was so damn hard for me to say those words. I realized I was lucky he hadn’t been able to understand me.
Pops sat quietly, like he always did when he was in deep contemplation. Having a hotel with a name like Blaire attached could be of great financial benefit to them. It could generate more business without a ton of extra work. Maybe they’d have to hire more employees, but that was a good thing if it meant an increase in revenue. We’d discussed this at length several times. I knew they weren’t jumping up and down doing celebratory dances over the elaborate designs though. They were keeping their mouths politely shut, perhaps hoping for a better outcome, but ready to accept whatever Blaire was planning. After all, it wasn’t their money.
But itwastheir future.
Grams’s face was unreadable to Michael. But the link she and I shared made it easy for me to read. She appeared relaxed, but her face was etched with worry. She needed me to keep the peace with the Blaires. There was no room for error here. We had to work together to keep the winery and our legacy intact. I knew we didn’t have the money to outmaneuver someone of Allan Blaire’s business prowess, so we would do best to partner with him rather than turn him against us. But this hotel sucked. It was wrong. All wrong.
“Siena’s being overprotective, Michael. It’s in her nature to defend those she loves,” Grams explained with a small smile, trying to smooth the waters.
“I have no idea what you were going on and on about. I could barely understand a single word,” Michael said, addressing me. “But I could feel your passion. And . . .” He took a breath and held up his hands in surrender, probably to make sure I wasn’t going to jump down his throat again. “I get the gist that you’re . . . angry?” The last word was a question, and he was waiting for me to reply.
“I don’t know what I’m feeling exactly.” My arms flailed up again in frustration. How did I put into words what I was feeling so he would understand?
He reached out and tentatively put his hand on my arm. “Why don’t we start over? In English this time, so I can understand what it is you’re saying.”
“Oh, I don’t think that’s necessary,” Grams piped in, knowing precisely what had come out of my mouth. And for all intents and purposes, she didn’t want me repeating verbatim what I had said or what I had called him and his entire family.
“You can tell me whatever it is you feel I need to hear.” He cocked his head, his words sincere. “Okay?”
“I think maybe I should just leave this to them.” I jerked my head to my grandparents.
Pops turned his mug in circles on the table. “Siena, this is a family decision.”
“And we have to work together as a team,” Grams agreed.
“I should just butt out. Or at least take a breather. I’m obviously too worked up about this to think straight.”
“Siena, your grandparents are right. We all need to work together. Just tell me what you think. What youreallythink.” Michael’s words pulled at me.
“You are not part ofwe.”
He flinched at my words. “Okay, let me rephrase. I care what each of you thinks. So, I want you to be one hundred percent honest.”
I lifted my chin. “And you’ll listen to what I have to say?” My challenging stance dared him to say anything different.
“Yes.”
“Without judgment?” I cocked my eyebrow.
He cocked his in response, his mouth lifting into that damn sexy smile. “I’ll try my best.”
