And yet when he called me City, I liked it. It was intimate. Something only him and I shared.
I examined the documents the group had sent Rafe. I smiled at him when I found something I could use close to the bottom of the list. “Look at that. The sign-off on the water survey matches a name on the list.”
“Fuck.” He stared at the document then at the laptop screen. “Cal and I went to school with this asshole. I thought he was a good guy.”
I dropped my head, took a deep breath, then faced Rafe. “He probably was, and made one mistake. Argent likely blackmailed him. It’s what they did with my father.”
“Okay. I see how that works in the long term.” He leaned against the desk and crossed his arms. “But unless they reinstate the water contract, I won’t have the money for the taxes.”
He had a point. Everything hinged on the water contract. I brought up the pdf copy of the county’s bylaws I had downloaded earlier in the week. “According to this, land can only be sold if it has a viable connection to water, power, and access to the main road. So, we make them sell. If I’m right then they currently have no viable connection to water. It solves two problems. They have to reinstate the contract. And with them gone I stay safe for a little longer.”
In fact, I was willing to bet if their investors pull out, they wouldn’t be back in the area for a very long time.
His lips twitched, his face softened. “And how do we make them sell?”
“Details.” I waved my hand at him because I hadn’t quite thought everything through yet. “For starters. We’re going to host Calvin’s end of harvest event. We’ll call it the Coastal Crush. Get it. Because we’re crushing grapes at the coast.”
The small smile was barely there. “Yes, City, I get it.”
“You will be the major sponsor.” Her eyes turned glassy as she spoke.
I frowned at her. “Sponsorship implies cash. The one thing I don’t have, remember?”
“Yes, but you’re providing the venue.” The ideas of how to run the event started forming in my head. “We invite the right people and the event could become an annual thing. Remember, Grouchy. I do two things well. I can follow a money trail, and get us the information we need. And I can host a party, and get us exactly what we want.”
He pulled me out of the chair and tightened his hands on my waist before lifting me onto the desk. “As I recall, there are other things you do really well.” He sat in the chair and positioned us so he was between my legs. “Now lean back on your elbows. I haven’t had breakfast yet.”
CHAPTER 13
Rafe
The Wedding
I wasin awe of how quickly a party could be put together. Rory’s argument was that ninety-percent of a big event was the venue and the food. Since we had the venue sorted, all we needed to think about was the food and the guest list.
The way she worded the invitations differed depending on who she was inviting. On the one hand, she discovered who the investors in the resort were, and sent them a “welcome to our lovely town” invitation telling them about the inaugural crush event and how Vierra Ranch was the sponsor. Then she invited potential buyers for the land. Property developers and resort conglomerates. All of whom were definitely interested in making a profit, but did not mess with anything illegal.
She had a file on almost every person who had RSVP’d. Including local business owners. She was leaving nothing to chance as she planned. She still fed the animals each and every morning, they still followed her and those yellow boots as she walked around the ranch.
With colder weather settling in, she spent more time indoors. Technically, the cabin was still her home. She went back each morning to shower and change, and whatever else she needed to make sure she remained independent. But I sure as fuck hoped her independence was not determined by where she lived. When the sun went down each day, she was in my bed, and when it rose she drank coffee at my table. She hadn’t officially moved in but the lines got blurrier each day.
And yet, I had never seen the ruby red longsleeve dress she wore to Cal and Allie’s wedding. The dress had a high neckline and lightly skimmed over all those curves. Her hair was down in softer waves than she normally wore. She also wore more make-up. I enjoyed how low maintenance she was most of the time, but I had to admit, City cleaned up well.
I stood beside Cal, as his best man, and Susie, Allie’s sister, was the maid of honor. The only other people in attendance were Allie’s mom and brother, and his woman, Alabama. As well as Cal’s farm hands and their partners. Allie had vowed she would do it all over again for their tenth anniversary with a wedding dress and a massive reception. For now, they wanted to be married and get the winery off the ground.
The ceremony was quick and as the couple repeated their vows, I couldn’t help but smile at Rory. The vision of her standing next to me as we exchanged vows came out of nowhere. She was a game changer for me.
My eyes caught hers and I winked at her, causing the prettiest blush to tint her cheeks. God she was beautiful. I was so enthralled, I completely missed the part where I needed to hand over the rings.
“Pay attention brother.” Calvin shook his head as he waited for me to hand over the gold bands. “Your turn will happen soon enough.”
I didn’t argue with him. And for the first time since I got the original notice about the water, Something lightened in my chest. I nodded at Calvin, who had agreed to the crush idea without hesitation. And then I looked over at the woman who was making it all happen, and I knew what the warmth in my chest was. It was more than hope, it was fucking everything.
“Ladies and gentlemen, may I introduce Mr. and Mrs. Calvin Sterling.” The Justice of the Peace turned to Calvin. “You may kiss the bride.”
Calvin pulled Allie toward him and held her face in both his hands before planting a kiss on her lips. A kiss that definitely involved tongue and went on long enough for Abe to clear his throat and glare at my friend.
“There is nothing you can do now.” Cal smiled at Abe. “She is all mine.”
