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Word had reached hi’s nu for Bennett Wines It did his heart good to learn that his ungrateful arrogant younger brother was about to receive the justice he so a to choir practice tonight, aren’t you?" Sandy asked as she pulled out the chair across frohts, Phil didn’t hear her right away "Choir practice?" he repeated as he helped himself to a warm-from-the-oven biscuit

"Phil!"

"Of course I’"

She relaxed "Good We need all the practice we can get"

Phil had recently joined the choir It was his way of being part of the church co to the service

So far, he knew only a few of the other choir h, especially now that they were hts a week to prepare for the Christmas cantata

Unlike his brother, Phil was personable and generous--if he did say so hi didn’t Oh, his younger brother had certain talents, no question He’d noscenti He had a single- when it was to his advantage

And he was a ruthless bastard

Phil had been waiting years for his brother to get as co California’s wine industry had dominated the local news channels for weeks Fan leaf virus was causing the ruin ofBut he hadn’t heard anything definite until that very day What he’d learned

After all these years, it was payback ti had deserted a woman in need; Phil hadn’t known Catherine well, but he’d liked her…and he’d heard ru had ignored his own mother on her deathbed, and when Phil had confronted hienuine reious beliefs, Phil tried not to hate his brother He illing to ad, not to leeful about his financial woes

He hadn’thadn’t come to apply for a loan was Pacific Union A wise decision Given the opportunity, Phil would have relished personally refusing his brother’s application More than that, he’d done everything he could toActually, he’d handled that situation in a pretty clever way He’d sent word through the banking community that when an application caiven the i his brother

If Sandy learned about this, she’d be furious She’d accuse hi’s business, but that wasn’t how Phil viewed it All he’d done washe didn’t deserve It’d probably be the first ti had been the favored son His fascination with that dauaranteed his special position with their father And perhaps because he was the youngest, Greg had been coddled by their , she’d made excuses for him It was now ten years since they’d buried their ht about the funeral, the fury he still felt toward his brother threatened to consu had shoas as phoney as a three-dollar bill If he’d cared even a little about their mother, he would have come to the hospital when she asked for hi could have beenshould have kept hi had chosen to attend the settle on his divorce case instead, he’d completely lost his temper

The two brothers had nearly corieving-son act Greg had put on for faht

Phil had been appalled by the nu’s act Phil had been hurting, too, but he’d disciplined himself not to show his erown accustomed to the reality of her death, because he’d been there His mother’s illness had lasted several months, and Phil had been the one to sit at her bedside, to read to her and comfort her

Sure, his brother had come to visit on occasion, but he always had a convenient excuse for not staying long In the beginning it was because he was harvesting the grapes That was followed by the wine-production period, which he said de the lasthad been involved in his divorce, too His second divorce

As far as Phil was concerned, his brother’s marital problems were exactly what he deserved The first wife, who’d lasted ten years, was bad enough The second one, who looked shockingly like the first, had stayed around three years, possibly four, he couldn’t re Bennett, and he couldn’t help wondering if she’d go the way of her predecessors

"Phil, hurry, or we’re going to be late," Sandy called from the kitchen

They’d finished dinner and washed their few dishes, and while Sandy was collecting the sheet music, Phil watched the last of the national news

"I’ off the TV Preoccupied with thoughts of his brother, Phil hadn’t heard a word of the newscast

The church parking lot was only partially filled when they arrived The choir director s, but didn’t allow anyone to waste time The Christmas cantata was only teeks away, and there remained plenty of rooathered on the bleachers; as a tenor, Phil stood in the back row behind the wo first soprano It wasn’t until they started the first song that he noticed the blonde standing directly in front of him He’d never heard anyone with a more spectacular voice It was hard to re voice was so stunning he was completely distracted

"I don’t believe we’vethe break

She turned around and smiled "We haven’t"

"Phil Bennett," he said

"I know"

"You do?"

"Oh, yes I know quite a bit about you, Mr Bennett"

This was soht flattered by this lovely woman’s interest

The director was pleased with their perforht

"We sounded quite good, didn’t we?" Sandy said on the drive hoht so, too By the as the wo in front of me?"