Page 3 of Taken With You
“Impossible, so I’m told.”
“Nothing is impossible.” She shook her head. “I know, I grew up on a farm in Western Massachusetts that was more rock than soil.”
He frowned with a tilt of his ear. “Where’s the accent?”
“Teased out of me in college. I only drop my r’s when I’m on the phone with my mother.”
He leaned in with a ghost of a grin. “Please tell me you’re not a Red Sox fan.”
“Guilty as charged.” In her memory, she smelled summer dust off a baseball diamond, the warmed-cotton scent of her father’s cap.
Oh, the things you can’t give up.
“My family is from Brooklyn,” he said. “We’re Yankee fans. This might be a problem.”
Ha-ha,she thought. The real problem was her limited experience, but the light in his eyes said he was teasing, so she played along. Was this impossible interview going well, or was this guy just making a pass of a different sort? Neither was possible. She was unqualified, a wine nerd, a lab rat, still the little girl entranced by a chemistry set. And he was waaaay out of her league. Any woman who rested a hand on Garrick’s impressively honed arm would be the kind who wore designer clothes and scheduled manicures every week.
She mentally shook herself. What was she going on about?
“You asked me if I like challenges.”Back to solid ground.“I do, but I also understand limitations. I wouldn’t dream of making this place into another Windsor. I’d keep it a boutique winery. Magnificently updated.”
He planted those muscle-ripped forearms on the table. “Could you get that done this season?”
“You mean bynextseason—”
“No, I mean right now.”
She blinked. He couldn’t be serious. The whole winery was as quiet as a monastery! Every other winery was in chaos, preparing for the upcoming crush. Had he hired harvesters? Was the lab stocked? Were the fermentation tanks cleaned and sterilized? She had so many questions she didn’t know where to begin.
“Are you up for that, Amanda?”
A dare twinkled in his eye. Had he used the same charm on Miguel? “I…don’t know what to say.” She shook her head. “It’s a crazy idea.”
“Yes, it is.” He grinned. “But if you’re game for the challenge, I’ll offer you a partnership.”
She stilled, the word bouncing through her mind “You mean a job.”
“No,” he corrected. “I mean apartnership.I’m offering you one-third ownership in the Cedar Ridge Winery.”
CHAPTER TWO
She was the one.
Garrick was sure of it.
He watched the shock of his offer ripple across Amanda’s sun-pinked face. Clearly, she hadn’t anticipated being hired on the spot…never mind being offered a stake in the venture. Hell, he’d surprised himself, too. He hadn’t been sure he was going to make her an offer until he saw her standing in the backyard, sun glinting off her ice-blond hair, perusing the land and the winery with an air of hope and wonder.
“You’ll have to repeat that,” she said in her distracting, throaty voice. “Are you hiring me?”
“No.” He leaned over the island to tip her bottle upright before she spilled water all over herself. “I’m offering you a stake in the business.”
Dreams surged bright in those green,Alice-in-Wonderlandeyes. The struggle manifested in every blink, every shift of her jaw. He was more used to dealing with big-city financial investors or corporate hacks who knew how to hide behind stony expressions. This woman was a Nordic goddess who’d fit in lounging on the deck of a luxury yacht, yet she sported an impressive list of degrees on her résumé. Gorgeousness plus intelligence equaled a stimulating, combustible mix. Add a dash of unfiltered honesty, and his brain wasn’t the only thing lit up.
Hell. He’d have to douse that if she became his business partner. No mixing business with pleasure.
“Wait a minute.” She held up a palm and breathed in deep. “You saw my salary on my résumé. I’m in no position to invest in a winery.”
“I don’t expect you to provide capitol. That part is coming from me. I want your time, management, and expertise. Owning a piece of the winery gives you a real stake in its success.”
