Page 33 of White Wedding
Victoria beamed. “He’s co-owner of Maverick Winery. It’s off the De Portola Wine Trail, near Danza Del Sol.”
This must be the brother she’d mentioned on Monday—the one who’d left Blackwood Cellars to start his own business. The name Maverick Winery also rang a few bells. Rafael had read a review of it on a local foodie blog. The reviewer had raved about the wine and cheese pairings. “Nice. I’ve heard great things about it.”
Connor grinned. “Thanks. It’s been a ton of work to get it going, but it’s a thousand times better than being stuck at Blackwood Cellars.” He gave Victoria a sheepish smile. “Sorry. I know you don’t have a choice.”
Victoria crossed her arms. “Not at the moment. Speaking of which, Dad wouldn’t be pleased if he knew you were here.”
“I’m well aware,” Connor said. “But I also know Wednesday night is his cigar club. And Mom called me on Monday to tell me she was leaving for New York. I figured the coast was clear. Unless you’re planning to rat me out?”
She laughed. “Are you kidding? What do you need?”
He gave them a sly look. “Jess has this recipe for brandy eggnog that I’ve been dying to try. Dad keeps a few cases of Valois Brandy in the wine cellar.”
Valois Brandy. That was high-end stuff. Rafael had only tried it once, but it blew him away. Loads better than Paul Masson or Korbel or any of the cheap shit.
Victoria raised her eyebrows. “Dad also keeps a detailed inventory of all the booze in this house.”
“I know. So, if he notices a few bottles missing, you’re going to tell him Dickhead Darren dropped by and took them for a Christmas event.”
“Our older brother,” Victoria explained. “Even though he has his own wine cellar, he comes here to stock up on the expensive stuff.”
Araceli sprang to her feet. “Are you going down to the wine cellar? Can I see it?Please?”
“Sure,” Connor said. “I’ll give you a tour of the whole house if you want.”
“Yes!” She pumped her fist and followed him out of the great room.
At the thought of being alone with Victoria, Rafael’s pulse sped up. Even without makeup, with wisps of hair escaping from her messy ponytail, she looked beautiful. And relaxed. Working under her father’s supervision had to be a huge strain.
“Sorry about Araceli,” he said. “She looked up your house on Zillow and worked herself into a frenzy.”
Victoria sat back on the couch, putting a little space between them. “It’s fine. I’m glad I could set up a time when my father wasn’t here. He…”
“He didn’t think too highly of me, did he?” Rafael didn’t hide his annoyance. “Is it because I work in a restaurant? There’s no shame in being a part of the service industry.”
“That’s not it. It’s…more because you can’t offer him anything. He’s only interested in people in terms of what they can do for him. Like politicians or investors. And he holds a grudge like you wouldn’t believe. Ever since Connor started his own winery, he’s been banned from the house. He wasn’t even allowed to come over for Thanksgiving dinner.”
Rafael couldn’t imagine anyone in his family carrying a grudge that far. But he needed to tread carefully with his criticism. Even if Victoria didn’t like her father’s attitude, she still worked for him. He decided to switch topics. “How are you feeling about the wedding? Still overwhelmed?”
“Not as much. Thanks to you and your family. I can’t tell you how grateful I am to have you on my side.”
Her smile looked so genuine his heart all but melted. He scooted closer and spoke in a low voice. “I’ve been thinking about you.”
She put her face in her hands. “Don’t say that.”
“You haven’t felt the same way?” He shouldn’t go down this path. Not after the talking-to he’d gotten from his brothers. But he couldn’t help it. He’d spent the last two nights revisiting old memories.
She lowered her hands, revealing her flushed cheeks. “Maybe? But we can’t do anything. If my father ever learned about Baja, he’d be furious. So would Ben. He’d never let you cater his wedding.”
Rafael frowned. “Ben doesn’t own you. He left you for Missy.”
“It doesn’t matter. He’d still go all alpha.” She bit her lip. “I’m sorry. There’s too much at stake.”
Feeling bolder, he took her hand, marveling at how smooth and delicate it felt. When she didn’t pull away, he leaned in closer. “I get it. My brothers would flip if they knew. Martin’s worried I won’t be able to handle this job. He suggested I switch weddings with my brother Tony.”
Victoria’s eyes widened. “You’re not going to, are you?”
Her concern gave him a momentary ego boost. Three days ago, she’d been horrified to see him. Now she didn’t want anyone taking his place. “No. Tony’s going to help out, that’s all. But I still shouldn’t let on that anything happened between us. I have too much of a reputation.”
