Page 40 of The Wedding Toast
Jacob grasped his shoulder.“We’ll figure something out.Maybe we could even set up some kind of partnership.This could grow beyond just Annalise’s Montclair wines and Ollie’s Stratton estate.”
Bentley laughed.“I love the idea.But I’m not sure everyone around here would.”
Jacob shrugged.“We can talk through the details.”He turned back to the runway as the plane touched down.“Do you mind if I have a word with your mom before you guys leave?”
“I don’t mind.Is everything okay?”
“It is,” said Jacob.“I just need to have a word with her.”
They watched as Smoke’s jet touched down and thundered to the end of the runway before turning around and taxiing back to them.
“It’ll be good to see him,” said Bentley, when Smoke raised his hand in a wave through the cockpit window before bringing the plane to a stop.
“It will,” said Jacob.“And Laura, too.”
Bentley narrowed his eyes at him.“Do you have something up your sleeve with Laura?”
“I do.You know the story with Becca’s engagement ring.I had wanted to ask Laura to design it for me, but with the way things went, I bought it in Kansas.”He chuckled.“But the way this whole cornflower thing has worked out, I had to ask Laura to help me with some blue stones.”
When Smoke let the steps down, Xander and Tori came out first.Tori bounded over to Bentley and hugged him while Xander came to shake Jacob’s hand.He laughed when Jacob pulled him into a hug and held him tight for a moment before stepping back with a grin.
“It’s good to see you, too.”
Jacob chuckled.“What can I say?I’ve missed you.”
Xander held his gaze for a moment.“I miss you, too, brother.But we’re here now.Are you all ready for your big day?”
“We are, everything’s under control.”
“I wouldn’t expect anything less.Listen, I know you’re going to want to spend a bit of time with these guys.”He looked over his shoulder to where Ria and Russ were now coming down the steps.“We were thinking that we should go and check into the place we rented and get out of your hair for now.We’ll come back over this evening to meet up with you guys before everyone goes out.How does that sound?”
“It sounds good,” said Jacob.“As long as you come early enough that I’ll actually get to see you for a while.”
Xander punched his shoulder.“You can bank on it.”He turned to Tori and Bentley, shaking Bentley’s hand as he said, “I’ll catch up with you later.”
Tori stepped forward and gave Jacob a quick hug.“I’m so excited for you guys.”
“If you want to know the truth, I’m excited too.”
Tori smiled.“That’s awesome, Jacob.I don’t think I’ve ever heard you say that before.”
He chuckled.He liked Tori, and she was probably the only person he knew who’d point out a detail like that.
Xander took hold of her hand.“Come on, Sprite.We’ll catch up with everyone later.”
“What are you going to drive?”Jacob asked as they started to walk away.
“We’ll walk to the garage and pick up my truck,” Xander said.
Bentley laughed.“If you’re going in the garage, you’re both sworn to secrecy about anything you see in there, okay?”
“Ooh.”Tori’s eyes grew wide.“There’s a secret in there?”
“There is,” said Jacob.“Although I think at this point Becca’s the only one who doesn’t know what it is.But it needs to stay that way.”
Xander and Tori both nodded.
“You know you’ve got no worries with us.”
