Page 6 of For Always
He nodded. “That’s how I like mine. My dad used to say I was doing the ranch a disservice by overcooking the meat he worked so hard to create.”
“My mom says she doesn’t want to eat meat that’s still mooing at her from the plate,” Gabriella added with a chuckle.
He smiled in return. A real smile that she was certain gave his eyes a little glimmer. Her excitement was short-lived as he motioned for her to move to the table.
“Pour the wine and uncover the rolls. I took them out of the oven just before you arrived,” he told her.
Again, she did as he directed, noting that he had gone through a lot to prepare a business dinner. The table was set for two, no candles or flowers, or any type of romantic frills which made sense. Still, there were cloth napkins, silver cutlery and wine glasses, as opposed to paper plates and Styrofoam cups which usually accompanied meals on the grill. She was overthinking this, she knew and she warned herself to stop. By the time Tyler came to the table with the plate of steaks in one hand and the vegetables in the other, Gabriella was sitting and placing her napkin in her lap.
He shocked her once more by bowing his head to say grace before doing anything else. The Bennetts were a blend of Beatriz’s Brazilian heritage and Marvin’s African American lineage. As far as religion went, that just meant that even though Beatriz had been raised Catholic, their family had been raised in a Baptist church, just as Marvin had when he was young. So the blessing of her food before she ate wasn’t foreign, it was, on the other hand, not something she saw frequently when on dates. But this wasn’t a date, she reminded herself.
“Why are you here?” Tyler asked after about three bites of food.
Gabriella had been just finishing another sip of wine. It was an excellent choice, she noted, full-bodied and spicy with a touch of oak.
“This wine is excellent,” she told him as she set her glass down and looked at the wine bottle. “But I don’t think I’ve heard of the vineyard before.”
“It’s local,” he said. “Are you a wine taster as well as an interior designer?”
“No,” she replied. “But I did attend a double wedding at Basset Banks Winery in Napa Valley. While I was there, I took a tour and learned some things about wine. Since then I’ve been tuned in to different pairings and tastes.”
“I’ve heard of Basset Banks,” he said.
“Oh really? Wade Banks married Brynne Donovan and Bailey Donovan married Devlin Bonner. The Donovans are my extended family through marriage. That’s why I was invited. The scenery combined with the food and wine at the reception was glorious.”
“And you still haven’t told me why you’re here,” he said before spearing another chunk of steak with his fork.
“Yes. I did when I came by yesterday,” she told him. “But I can start over. My name is Gabriella Bennett and I work for The Proctor Group. They specialize in the sale of ranches and wineries all over the world. I was hired by Dessie Gwynn to stage the house and resort in preparation for sale.”
He set his fork down slowly as he finished chewing. Then he picked up his glass and took a sip. Gabriella sat back in her chair after speaking and now watched and waited for his response.
“My parents have only been gone for three weeks. Clyde Gwynn was my father’s lawyer for as long as I can remember. He read my father’s will soon after I returned. Ownership of the ranch and resort came to me and my brother, Jagger. To date there has been no decision on whether or not we intend to sell.”
That meant she shouldn’t be here. Disappointed and a little irritated that this key point in the deal hadn’t been hashed out before she flew all the way down here, Gabriella picked up her napkin and dabbed the sides of her mouth. She wiped her fingers and dropped the napkin onto the table.
“Thank you for clearing that up. I will be going now,” she said and moved to stand.
“Wait,” he said and stood as well. “I don’t know why Dessie hired you. To tell the truth there’s a lot going on around here that I don’t know about. But I intend to get to the bottom of it.”
“As I suppose you should. So I will just get out of your way and let you handle that.”
“I feel bad that you came all this way for a job that doesn’t exist,” he said.
“It’s fine. The company paid for the trip and the resort is rather nice. I may just stay another day to relax at the pool.”
She picked up her bag and was heading toward the door when he touched her arm. She stopped immediately and looked down to see his hand on her bare skin. Actually, she was trying to figure out why that particular spot now felt so warm and that weird warmth was easing through her.
“I’ll pick up the tab for the resort. Stay as long as you like,” he told her.
He was looking at her intently as if there was something else he wanted to say. It was strange. This whole meeting, dinner, not date, whatever it was had been strange and Gabriella was ready to get back to normal. Actually, she’d been striving to get to that point for the past few months.
“Thanks,” she said. “And thanks for dinner. It was delicious.”
“You’re welcome,” he told her and walked her through the house once more.
It wasn’t until she was in the car heading down the driveway that Gabriella looked into her rearview mirror. He was standing on the porch, hands thrust in his front pockets, watching her drive away. After a few moments he looked desolate standing there. Alone and confused, she thought as she continued to drive. It was none of her business. She’d stay at the resort for one more day and then she was going home. She’d just have to wait for another opportunity to prove her worth to The Proctor Group.
Chapter 3
