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After a ti for him There’d been no one else to inherit Wild Sea So Nic and his grandfather shared real estate but they’d never reconciled E a Marcelli over family, and Nic…he’d learned his lesson All that ie walked past hilanced at him over her shoulder "I don’t doubt that your plan ork perfectly But let me ask you a question What about Brenna’s loan? Say you buy Marcelli Wines Do you call it in?"
He hadn’t thought that far ahead "I don’t know"
"I guess it depends on whether that would be an advantage to you or not"
"Probably"
She turned away "You’re a really suy It’s too bad you have to be such a bastard"
6
"That’s terrific," Brenna said, going for a calreat-deal-for-both-of-us voice hat she really wanted to do was juirl at a boy-band concert
"I’ll have a truck there as soon as you’re ready Absolutely" She grinned "I’ll put you down as getting a couple of bottles when the wine is ready Talk to you soon Bye"
She hung up the phone and slapped her hands on the kitchen table "I love it when a plan co with happiness, she recorded the inforht the day after Nic had told her she was getting the loan Three nights of craht her up to speed She quickly entered the details on the Chardonnay grapes she’d just purchased, then cross-referenced thenier already on order
Using the calculator function, she estimated tons per acre, based on what she knew about the vineyards in question Going against conventional wisdorandfather’s opinion on the subject, she would be taking the first part of the pressing for her cuvée She wanted her blend to be so spectacular that critics would weep and customers would buy by the case
"In a perfect world," shehow much she’d paid, and tapped in a note on the calendar rerapes in a couple of days She glanced at her watch and saw she needed to get back to the winery before anyone noticed she was gone
She was just turning off her Palm Pilot when the back door opened and Katie walked into the kitchen
"There you are," her oldest sister said "Look what I found lurking by hed when she saw Mia, her youngest sister, burst into the kitchen As usual the eighteen-year-old earing too
Brenna stood and held open her arms "Welcome home, Baby Sister"
"Brenna!"
Mia fleard her Brenna braced herself for iered back anyhen Mia’s hearty embrace turned into a collision
"DC was so incredibly cool," Mia said, then kissed Brenna’s cheek and sighed "I met two cute White House aides, and when I told theement, they were thrilled to help heal reat to be hohed "When did your heart get broken?"
Mia sniffed "When I ended ement"
Brenna looked at Katie, who shook her head
"I don’t think your heart was even slightly cracked, let alone broken," Katie said
Mia grinned "The White House aides didn’t have to know that Besides, I liked all the sympathy"
"You would," Brenna said as she studied her sister’s pretty face
Like Francesca, Mia was a blend of the two sides of their faht brown, and while her hair was darker than Katie’s, it wasn’t as dark as Brenna’s, even without the blond streaks she painted in every couple of months
Mia was the shortest of the sisters, as curved as Brenna, but without her tendency to gain in the hips
"You look good," she told her "Travel agrees with you"
Mia smiled her thanks, then her expression turned serious "How are you? Getting over Dr Dick?"
Katie winced "Mia, you have the worstbad Jeff’s a jerk Screw him"
"Actually I don’t believe that’s rin "Not that it was ever that exciting"
Katie chuckled Mia offered a high five, then headed for the refrigerator "Where’s Mom and the Grands?"
"In Santa Barbara It’s theirto be furious when they find out you showed up today"
"They’ll get over it," Katie said dryly "I could barely fit all her luggage in the car I think she’sback home"
"Aerator "I’ all ht be invited to a cotillion, and then ould you wear?"