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He’d spent seven years of his life battling ghosts It was a war he could never win And if he did, ould he have? A few acres? The right to use a label? He would still be alone He would still have to look at himself in the mirror He would still not have Brenna

He dropped his chin to his chest and closed his eyes Brenna She had reappeared without warning, offering what he thought was the perfect way to ensure his plan worked He’d loaned her e, but was that the only reason? Hadn’t he also done it so that she would be nearby?

Of course, he thought, wondering why he hadn’t seen it before Brenna, whoet She’d exploded into his life like a shooting star, her light reaching all the way into the dark corners of his soul He’d tried to hate her, but couldn’t He’d tried to forget her, to love someone else Anyone else He’d failed Brenna, who had told him she loved him

She wouldn’t now Not when she learned the truth

Nic’s eyes opened Panic seized hiet to Brenna as quickly as possible and tell her everything If he was able to explain, to apologize, to take it all back, then maybe she would understand Maybe she would still love hiain, but she didn’t have a choice Mia dragged her into the house and found hi at his desk

"We have to talk," Mia said "You’re not going to believe what I found out"

"I aze settled on Brenna

She had the thought that he looked old Concern threaded its way through her until she re to sell the winery and destroy her world

"Grandpa, this is important," Mia protested

"So is this It’s about the sale"

Mia’s mouth dropped open "What sale?" She sucked in a breath "No You can’t Brenna’s going to run the winery"

Brenna appreciated the support Unfortunately it wouldn’t have any influence on her grandfather She ached everywhere As much as she wanted to crawl in bed and pull the covers over her head until this all went away, she refused to shoeakness again She braced herself for the next blow and vowed she would handle it just fine

"Have you already signed the papers?" she asked, pleased when her voice didn’t shake

"No The men who approached me aren’t the ones interested in the winery They are a front Very respectable, very generous Asuch a fine offer"

Brenna didn’t know if he was trying toShe sed the lump in her throat "So?"

"So I do not deal with faceless corporations I made a few phone calls to the bank ould handle the loan A friend talks to another friend Eventually I have a naination, but she would have sworn his hard expression softened a little She didn’t think that was good news

Brenna clutched the back of the chair in front of her She repeated to herself that she would handle it Everything would be fine There was no narandfather could say that would hurt her more than she’d already been hurt

No narandfather nodded "You already know"

She shook her head It couldn’t be possible

"Nicholas Giovanni"

18

"No!" Mia cried, her voice thick with outrage "Not Nic He couldn’t We were just…" She thren the diary "He just can’t be the one"

Brenna didn’t knohat to think Or hts She wouldn’t have guessed it was possible to bethan she’d been before Nic buying the winery? Nic going about it in secret, hiding?

Betrayal was both bitter and cold, she realized as ice swept through her Muscles treht She leaned heavily against the chair she’d been holding, before she staggered around so she could drop onto the seat

Her vision blurred as she covered her face with her hands No He couldn’t Over the past feeeks they’d spent so hed and asp of horror She’d apologized for her behavior She’d said she loved hirandfather

"I’ ti"

But…it couldn’t be

"I trusted hi Her heart and her dreams Oh, no The loan--in the form of a callable note Her wine, her plans

"Oh, Grandpa, it’s even worse" She forced out the words when all she wanted to do was run so far and fast that she could forget everything that had happened in the past few hours "I’ve done so"

Mia looked at her, then her eyes widened in comprehension "Brenna, you don’t think…"

Brenna nodded slowly "It had to be part of his plan"

"What was part of his plan?" her grandfather asked

"I was a fool," she said "I’m sorry He made it so easy and I wanted it sobut kind and generous"