Page 39 of The Forbidden

“I think I’d rather suffer,” I say with a smile and then turn to Sylvie. “Good drink?”

She shrugs and picks it up, forgoing the tiny straw to take a delicate sip. “Think I can have some more cherries?”

Gabe says yes at the same time I say no.

I pin a hard look at Gabe. “Those are full of sugar and bad for the body.”

Gabe inclines his head with a smirk. “Touché.”

We’ve only been in the air for about twenty minutes and Sylvie is finally starting to unwind from the excitement. She’s been chattering nonstop about everything she wants to show us in Saint-Émilion, including her friends, her favorite shops and most importantly, the château and winery. She’s a child who had utter freedom inside an idyllic lifestyle. She was a girl who ran among the vineyards with her dog on her heels and while I know her life with us will be just as amazing, I find myself drawn to the magic of Sylvie’s enthusiasm.

It makes me immensely grateful that Ethan decided to let her do this. I’m also grateful that my brothers agreed to take over my duties, enabling me to take this trip. Granted, they still grumbled about what an asshole Gabe is every time I ran into them the last few days. But nothing can dampen my anticipation of seeing France for the first time.

“I think I’m going to watch a movie,” Sylvie announces and then reaches over to her backpack. Pulling out an iPad and a set of headphones, I watch as she puts on The Hunger Games. She’s read the books and is now completely obsessed with the movies, having watched them all more than once.

Gabe and I share a smile, a silent agreement of our mutual happiness for this experience for Sylvie. It’s a rare moment of connection and one that does not go unnoticed over how good that makes me feel. I know I should feel guilty for such thoughts, or perhaps I should be chastising myself for getting drawn back to this man in a personal way. But the truth is Gabe and I have rekindled a personal connection that transcends the feud and even our bitter breakup. Sylvie’s obviously the catalyst and I have no choice but to see where this goes.

“Are you interested in going over the schedule of events?” Gabe asks.

I blink at him, a little confused, but then I realize he’s talking about all the things we have to accomplish on this trip.

“Sure,” I reply easily.

“Why don’t you come sit on this side,” he says, pulling his laptop out of a leather satchel. “That way you can see my computer.”

Sylvie doesn’t even look up from her movie as I undo my seat belt. Gabe slides over to the chair closest to the window and fires up his laptop as I take the seat next to him. The smell of his cologne is a little too tantalizing and evokes strong memories of our times together. He still wears the same scent, something I noticed when I fell off Shadow and found him hovering over me in the barn.

“You need to buckle up,” he says, and before I can even think to slap his hands away, he’s fastening my belt.

He’s so nonchalant about it while my pulse races, but then he’s pulling up his calendar and launches into what we have planned for each day, including a tour of the winery and vineyards with Esteban, the general manager. We will also be tasting the various products and meet with the potential investors Gabe has lined up, an impressive feat since this trip was so spur of the moment. Apparently, though, Alaine had been working on this for the last year before her death.

The day after this investor meeting is most important as we’ll be sitting down with the winery’s board of directors to discuss the plans for expansion. They apparently have a big presentation for us to consider and depending on how the investors shake out, it could be something we need to move on quickly.

Of course, none of this is my call but rather will be a joint decision for Ethan and Gabe to make for Sylvie’s benefit, but my brother is depending on me to analyze this carefully to determine if it’s something he can do. He told me the other day that he’ll trust my judgment on this and I almost puked from the added responsibility.

It’s funny, though. I’ve decided that I’ll have to lean on Gabe’s business savvy to make any decisions, and it has never once crossed my mind that I shouldn’t trust him where the business is concerned. It appears that even though he’s a Mardraggon and he’s hurt me in the past, it hasn’t turned me against him completely.

Gabe’s interrupted by a phone call and I’m startled that he actually gets cell coverage at thirty thousand feet. I presume that’s one of the benefits of flying privately. I try not to eavesdrop but he doesn’t make any effort to hide his conversation as I’m sitting right beside him. I surf my phone, which is connected to the plane’s Wi-Fi, but as I listen, it doesn’t take me long to realize the call has something to do with his capacity as the head of Mardraggon Enterprises. There’s a lot of high-level talk that I don’t understand, once again reiterating my lack of business experience and the mounting pressure upon me to make sure I understand things. Regardless, it’s fascinating… and admittedly a little sexy to see him in his element.

His tone is decidedly formal, each word reflecting the weight of the decisions on his shoulders. “We need a thorough analysis of the current tariff impacts and potential market disruptions in the next quarter. It’s imperative we align our production forecasts accordingly,” he states, his voice a mixture of command and contemplation. “Also, let’s expedite the review of our aging inventory. Optimal turnover is crucial, especially with the upcoming summer demands. Ensure that the finance team prepares a detailed forecast by next week.”

Gabe pauses, listening intently as his gaze focuses out the window. “Regarding the partnership with the UK distributors, ensure all contractual agreements are vetted for compliance with both our standards and local regulations. We can’t afford to overlook anything there. And yes, please schedule a follow-up with the branding team. It’s time we pushed forward with the new marketing strategies we discussed.”

My head spins at how he keeps all of this straight. Gabe’s voice fades slightly as he shifts topics. “Lastly, update me tomorrow on the status of the water sourcing issue. I want that resolved before it affects production. Keep me in the loop with any developments.”

When Gabe hangs up, he looks at me with apology. “Sorry about that. I’m going to have to conduct some Mardraggon business here and there while we’re on this trip.”

“So… chairman of the board now, huh?” I try to sound casual. “You’ve kind of been thrown into the deep end, especially considering why you had to take over.”

Gabe’s eyes glitter with confidence. “Make no doubt, I ousted my father because that was what was best for the company, but I’m not thrashing around in the deep end. I know exactly what I’m doing.”

I have no doubt he means that, but I am curious. “No regrets about removing Lionel from the board?”

“It had to be done, Kat. I had to protect the company.”

“Just like you had to protect Sylvie,” I murmur, a flush of gratitude surging through me at the reminder of how Gabe’s life has changed in many ways because of what his father did. But one way that’s rarely acknowledged is that Gabe was a hero when it mattered.

I’m surprised when he turns the table on me and asks, “And you? How are you handling everything on your plate? I know you have your own duties at the farm, but taking on the winery business with me has got to be stretching you thin.”

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