Page 39 of Blue Hawaiian
A risk that could leave him broke and make him the laughingstock of the family. The thought of it twisted his insides in knots.
“But…you’re a Blackwood. You must have cash lying around, right?”
He took a long swig of brandy. In hindsight, he should have started setting aside the seed money much sooner. “I’ve got enough to put a dent in the down payment. Trouble is, land in Temecula is unbelievably expensive. And our plans include a lot of renovations.”
“Maybe your dad would want to sign on as an investor in return for a percentage of the profits?”
“I wish. But even if he wanted to make this kind of investment, he doesn’t trust me. If I was still pulling the same old shit, I’d get it. But about a year ago—right after Natasha and I got serious—I started putting in the work. Long hours, weekends, whatever it took. Dad wanted to acquire a bunch of vineyards in the Willamette Valley, so I stepped up. I did all the legwork and the site visits, and it went great. But when it came time for the presentation to the board, Darren took all the credit. Of course, Dad believed him over me.”
Jess scrunched up her brow. “What a shithead. I’ve never liked him. He always acted like Gabi and I weren’t good enough for the Blackwoods.”
He grimaced, remembering the handful of times Darren had muttered a few racial slurs about Mrs. Chavez. Only the threat of a beatdown had shut him up.
“There were other times, too, when I came up with ideas during our brainstorming sessions,” he said. “My suggestions probably needed fine-tuning, but Darren always shot me down.”
A few times Connor had sought out Darren alone, hoping he’d be more receptive if he wasn’t surrounded by his underlings. But his older brother was so determined to maintain his alpha status that he never gave an inch.
“I can’t believe your dad never called him on his behavior,” Jess said.
“Dad’s always favored him. Hell, if Darren wanted to open his own winery, Dad would be all in, but he’s never had much faith in me.” He finished his brandy and set down the glass.
“What about your mom? She always seemed more understanding. Could she help you out?”
“Dad would never let her. He likes controlling the family.” For years, his father had belittled his mother, treating her as though her opinion meant nothing. “That’s partly why I dread the thought of facing him. He hates it when anyone slips out from under his control.”
“But you think he’s going to want to talk about ithere? At your cousin’s wedding?”
“That’s on me. Last Sunday, I left my business proposal on his desk, outlining my two-year plan. I told him I was doing it, with or without his help, but I’d appreciate his support.”
“What did he say when he read it?”
“I…ah…timed it so he’d get the proposalafterI left for Maui.” Even as Connor said it, regret cut him to the core. He’d been such a fucking coward. “I know he got it because Darren texted me right after I arrived here. He said Dad read it, and he wasn’t happy.”
An understatement, if ever there was one.
“So, you’re dealing with it now?” She gave him a playful shove. “Because everyone knows weddings are the most non-stress situations on the planet.”
He placed his arm around her shoulder, pulling her closer. “Fair point, but I thought my dad might be less uptight if he was on vacation.”
“I hope it goes okay. It’s great you’re going after your dream.”
“Thanks.” Having Jess at his side made the situation a little more bearable. “I’ve had days when I think it’s never going to happen. But talking to you inspired me.”
“Iinspired you?”
“Yeah, because you’re doing what you love. In college, you majored in journalism, even though your mom told you it wasn’t practical. You proved you could make it work when you found a job as a writer. Not only that, but you had the guts to move to a brand-new city.”
Jess traced her fingers around the rim of the glass. When she spoke, her voice was small. “Moving to Chicago wasn’t that bold. I only went there because of Simon, and he turned out to be a big mistake.”
Clearly, he’d hit a nerve. But he didn’t want her to agonize over her shitty ex. “Don’t be so hard on yourself. Even if Simon turned out to be a loser, you still took a huge risk, career-wise, and it paid off. Right?”
“I guess.” But she still couldn’t manage a smile.
He took the glass from her and set it beside his on the nightstand. The last thing either of them needed to do was dwell on their mistakes. Natasha and Simon were in the past.
He sought out her lips, capturing them in a sweet, tender kiss. Though his only goal was to console her, she responded with passion. She pulled him down until his body was flush against hers. The feel of her bare skin, so warm and soft, made him ache with desire.
She reached down and stroked him. “Do you think we could sneak in a quickie before dinner?”
