Page 48 of Taken With You
Needing a moment to put a leash on herself, she turned away, pretending to check for personal belongings, before swiveling her legs out of the car. She tossed the keys to the valet, hoping the casual gesture would make her appear calm and confident while her bones were rattling with every step. She ran a hand down her hip to smooth the wrinkles of the demure red sheath dress. Underneath, she wore a pair of lacy panties in the hope that Garrick would slide them off later…if they could steal a moment alone.
“Amanda!” Shelley Weintraub tore out the door of the cabin and made a beeline down the stairs. “There you are!”
“As promised,” Amanda said, checking her watch. “Should I ask where the valet is taking my car?”
“Every vehicle is getting parked on the lower terrace by the winery.” Shelley met her halfway, clipboard aloft. “Classier that way.”
“I see.”
“I’m thrilled you’re early.” Shelley flipped through pages on her clipboard. “As the first partner here, you’re officially the host now—”
“Wait. What?”
“No worries. I’ll give you the guest list—”
“I don’t need it.” With a tingle of panic, Amanda scanned the crowd on the veranda. “Where’s Garrick?”
“Garrick’s ten minutes out.” Shelley checked her phone for the time. “Or so he says.”
Her stomach did a looping drop. She’d hoped to surprise him, not and the other way around. She was afraid her first look at him might shatter her control. “I thought his plane landed this morning. I thought he was already here.”
“It did and he’s not.” Shelley pulled a face. “He had some meeting in San Francisco that he forgot to tell me about. Why the heck he couldn’t push that off until tomorrow—don’t ask me.”
Amanda clasped her hands, pinching the skin between her thumb and forefinger. Garrick’s phone calls had been brief and unnervingly harried for the past week. Every call had come with news of a new shift in schedule. Not even his low, rumblingI can’t wait to see youand his late-night texts ofI just wanted to say good nightcould stop her from wondering if he was deliberately putting three thousand miles of distance between them.
“Amanda,” Shelley said, weaving in search of her attention. “Did you hear me?”
“Sorry.” She noted the clipboard in Shelley’s hand and tried to rewind what she hadn’t heard. “I’ll be happy to greet new guests, no problem.”
“Start by introducing yourself to that crew.” Shelley jerked her head toward the veranda. “That’s a good portion of the Kane family right there. They’ve been arriving in groups all afternoon. Without you or Garrick here, I’ve had to play the host, but I’ve—”
“Go.” Amanda glanced up at the family. A lovely middle-aged woman gave her a wave. “I’ll manage here.”
“You’re a peach, Amanda.”
Then Shelley was gone. Mentally gathering her wits, Amanda climbed the stairs, approaching the woman who’d waved—the matriarch, Amanda guessed with a quick glance at the other guests.
“We couldn’t help but overhear Shelley,” the woman said with a faint Italian accent. “You must be Amanda Karlson.”
“Yes. Garrick’s partner.”
“And the master vintner!”
The woman held out her hands and turned a cheek in a way both affectionate and breezily continental. Amanda lowered her face into a cloud of floral perfume to accept a peck on each cheek.
“What a pleasure to meet you,” Amanda said, straightening up. “You must be Mrs. Kane.”
“Maria. May I call you Amanda?”
“I’d forget to answer to anything else.” The woman’s luminous brown eyes glowed with welcome and Amanda suddenly knew where Garrick got his charm. “When did you arrive?”
“Oh, hours ago. Shelley showed us in, got us settled in our rooms. The family’s not together as often as we like to be, so we prefer to arrive early to such things to catch up.” The petite woman grasped her by the arm. “Come, let me introduce you to my rascals.”
Amanda stepped into the crowd as Maria introduced her to the family. Garrick might have inherited charm from his mother, but he got his handsomeness from his father. The patriarch of the Kane family sported an impressive head of salt-and-pepper hair and the kind of features meant for squinting at far horizons. Two grinning sisters about her age raised glasses of iced tea in her direction. A burly brother-in-law waved from the other end of the veranda, where he corralled two young boys. Garrick’s brother Luke sat with a hip on the veranda rail, doing his slouchy best to appear world-weary in a way that Amanda knew would pique Maggie’s interest when her friend arrived later. The introductions done, Maria peppered her with questions about the winery and Amanda did her best to relate the history. Garrick’s father broke in to chide his wife, with affection, into giving Amanda time to answer. Garrick’s sisters rolled their eyes in synchronized amusement that brought a laugh to her throat that hitched with a sudden pang. How long had it been since she’d hung out with her sisters, wordlessly sharing an inside joke? How long had it been since she’d been among her own family?
Saved by the sound of crunching gravel, Amanda caught sight of a black sedan pulling up the hill. Her ribs tightened as it stopped in front of the cabin, the rear door swinging open before the driver could get out and grab it. Garrick emerged from the vehicle like he was exiting Air Force One.
She drew in a long, slow inhale as he strode toward the stairs, buttoning the suit jacket that cut from wide shoulder to narrow waist with such precision that it could only be custom made. His hair ruffled in the breeze of his passing. Shouts rose all around her, his family teasing.
