Page 76 of Falling for the Bad Boy
“That’s great. Any idea what her projected P&L might look like at the end of year one?” Dad asked.
I used the edge of my fork to carve out another bite of dessert. “Sorry, Dad. No spoilers. You’ll have to wait.”
He grinned and shook his head. “I’m just so proud of you for taking a chance. Can’t blame me for wanting to mitigate the risk.”
“That’s a lot of money you’re working with.” Mom nodded and took a small sip of her coffee.
“I know, Mom.” I felt the pressure every day. Not only was I risking Grandma’s money—I was also trying to preserve her legacy. It was a lot for someone who still didn’t even have a permanent address.
“Should we talk about the party?” Dad asked.
“Sure.” I set my fork down on the side of my plate. No more tiramisu or I’d end up in a sugar-and-wine coma. Between the carbs, dessert, and expensive red, I was already getting sleepy.
“Your mother and I talked about having a private cocktail reception right there in your shop. Passed hors d'oeuvres, a full bar. What do you think?”
“I think that would be great. But totally unnecessary.” I tried to picture my family, decked out in suits and cocktail dresses, standing among mannequins and bins of yarn.
“We want to do this for you,” Mom said, her eyes taking on that dreamy look she got when she felt nostalgic. “We never got to throw you a graduation party.”
“Here we go,” I muttered under my breath, just loud enough for Oliver to hear.
His hand tightened around mine.
“And who knows if we’ll ever get to have an engagement party or a wedding reception.” Mom skipped her coffee and finished the last sip of wine in her glass.
“I appreciate it. If you’d like to plan a party, that would be fantastic.” If I gave in a little here, maybe I’d earn some karma points for whatever crisis came next.
“Oliver, I’d really like to get some of your family’s wine to serve at the party. It would mean a lot to us if we could figure out a way to make that happen.” Dad nodded, like he’d just willed it into existence.
Oliver stiffened beside me. “Oh, um, I can check, but I don’t know that we’d be able to make arrangements in time.” His spine straightened and his chest puffed out as he drew in a breath.
“Money’s not an object. You’re part of Trinity’s life and we want to celebrate that along with her grand opening. Just give her the vineyard’s contact info, and I’ll have my people take care of everything.”
“I’ll have to look that up when I get back. Thank you.” Oliver let go of my hand and picked up his wine.
The server dropped off the bill and Oliver reached for his wallet.
“I’ve got this, son.” Dad slid his platinum card into the sleeve, not even glancing at the bill. I was used to him covering everything, but for Oliver it probably came as a bit of a surprise.
“Thank you for dinner, Mr. and Mrs. Ryan.” He pushed back from the table. “If you’ll excuse me for a moment…”
“Of course.” Dad nodded.
I watched Oliver wind his way through the tables toward the restroom, wishing I could go with him. I could really use a kiss right now. Or maybe even a quickie in the back hall. My cheeks flushed as I remembered who I was sitting with. Still, he’d gotten under my skin, cracked open the shell of my heart. This wasn’t just physical anymore. I was falling—headfirst and without a safety net—for Oliver Martin.
“What do you know about that boy?” Dad’s voice snapped my attention back to the table.
“What do you mean? He’s from New Zealand. Just finished his MBA. If he doesn’t find a job, he’ll have to go home. What else do you want to know?” I frowned, confused.
“He’s hiding something.”
“Now, Patrick,” Mom cut in. “I know you’re not used to Trinity having a boyfriend…”
“It’s not that. I checked up on him. There’s no Martin family involved with any vineyards in southern New Zealand.”
“What do you mean you checked up on him? Maybe it’s under a different name. Could be his mom’s family, not his dad’s.” My chest tightened. I thought they finally respected me. That they trusted me. “Is that why you asked us to dinner? To grill him?”
“Of course not. I just want to make sure he’s not trying to use you. You’ve got a lot of money tied up in that business. There are men who prey on women?—”
