Crystal Caress by Zuri Day

Author:Zuri Day
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2015-05-20T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 14

The next day, Tuesday, Atka’s Paradise Cove tour by way of Drake family homes continued.

“Okay, which brother is this again?”

“Warren. You sat next to his wife at brunch, and talked about horses.”

“His wife’s name is Charlie.”

“Right. They met when he decided to build a ranch and vineyard next to her property. He’s always been the one most like you and Grandpa—hunting, fishing, farming—and has always had a connection and love for the land. We call him the cowboy.”

“He lives out here, in the country?” Teresa nodded. “I like him more already. He works in the family business?”

“Yes. But he also runs a full-on ranch and winery, producing grapes for Drake Wines.”

“Your family is in real estate and owns vineyards?”

“Warren owns a vineyard. He was talked into it by one of our Southern California cousins, whose family owns a very successful winery. It’s my father’s brother, our first cousins, who live near Temecula, Southern California’s wine country. They own the vineyard, which also includes a resort and spa.” She glanced at him, her eyes shining with excitement. “It would be great if we go there, too, maybe in the helicopter you rented, so I can vet your flying skills.”

“Sounds interesting. I’ll have to call the office and see what’s going on. I need to spend at least one more day in San Francisco. I’m not like some people who own the town and can work at their leisure.”

“I resemble that remark.”

“Ha!” He’d expected a fiery retort. Her nonchalant answer both surprised and threw him. She was something, his papoota princess, like peeling an onion to try to figure her out. In that moment he was struck with an unexpected realization. He wanted to do that—unlock the mystery, solve the puzzle—even if it took a lifetime.

They reached a vast flatland within the hilly surroundings. Atka looked to his left and saw row upon row of grapevines. To the right was a large expanse of land surrounded by a tall, white picket fence reinforced with some type of wire.

“I’ve never seen fencing like that before.”

“It’s a type of smart wire that’s connected to Warren’s elaborate surveillance system. We had an incident involving his wife that led him to installing it. Anyone gets within a half mile of their place and his security team knows about it.”

“Security team? Wow. You guys live like celebrities.”

“We have our reasons. Does that make you uncomfortable?”

“Quite frankly, yes.”

They enjoyed another lively, yet different kind of evening than the one last night with Niko and Monique. The bone china and Waterford crystal on display at Niko’s house were replaced by stoneware bought on clearance at a discount chain and glasses that didn’t all match. A hearty roast with vegetables prepared by Charlie’s uncle, an older man named Griff, kicked five-star salmon filets back into the ocean. Atka acquiesced to a shot of brandy, but at Warren’s warning passed on Griff’s homemade hooch.

“I’m serious,” Warren warned him. “That stuff will put hair on your chest.”

“No hair,” Teresa interjected.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.