Page 48 of One Week Wingman

“To visit, yes,” Natalia says with a twinkle. “But once you’ve had to harvest those vines by hand, it loses some of the allure.”

“Never,” Seb vows. “Getting your hands dirty, that’s the best part.”

I have to hide a smile. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Seb dirty—aside from the other day at the orchard. Usually, he’s all about the crisp tailoring and a clean shave.

“I can see, you’re going to get along with my father,” Natalia chuckles. “He’s out in the vines right now. I could take you down. But if you’d like to get settled first…?”

“I’d love to get right out there,” Seb says immediately.

“Fine with me,” I agree.

Natalia leads us over to a golf-cart-like vehicle, and we hop on. “Do you know much about wine?” she asks me, driving along a bumpy dirt track, down into the valley.

“I know I like to drink it,” I offer. “But I’m no expert. Not like Seb,” I add. “He’s built an incredible wine list at the bar. Even our snootiest customers can find something to love.”

“You work there?” Natalia asks, and I realize, I don’t know what Sebastian’s told her about me. Or us. Damn, do I have to come up with a whole new cover story for our relationship? I’m not sure I can keep another one straight, after all the Stefano storytelling back with my family.

“Roxy’s a bartender at Mavericks,” Sebastian answers for me. “It’s how we met.”

I exhale, relieved. OK, this I can manage.

“And let me guess, Sebastian swept you off your feet right away?” Natalia gives him a look behind us, like she knows his seduction routine.

I can see why Seb needs to change his reputation.

“No, actually,” I say brightly, hanging on beside her. “He tried, and failed, and tried some more. To be honest, I didn’t think he was for real. I mean, I see a lot of bachelor playboys in my line of work. You know the type, hitting on a new girl every night of the week.” I beam at Seb, and he tries not to glare.

“But I convinced her I was a changed man,” Seb says quickly. “I was just waiting for the right woman.”

“And I made him wait, alright,” I add merrily. “He showed up every night for a month, just to hang out at the bar in the hopes of changing my mind.” I’m warming to the story now, this amazing alternate reality where a man goes out of his way to win my heart. “In the end, I took pity on him, and let him take me to dinner.”

“Where we clicked, and knew, we belonged together,” Seb jumps in, leaning forwards between us from the backseat. “And since then, we’ve never looked back, isn’t that right, honeybun?”

“Don’t ever call me that again,” I say, laughing. Something tells me, Natalia isn’t the kind of woman to buy into pet names and fake affection. “What about you?” I ask her.

“Did I make a total pussy-hound fall at my feet and reform their commitment-phobic ways?” she asks. “Yes, her name is Lexi, and she’s allergic to wine.”

“Really?”

“No,” she laughs. “She’s just allergic to the dust, and dirt, and lack of good takeout food around here. Hence we’re entertaining offers for the vineyard.”

“Strong offers,” Sebastian says. “Solid, passionate offers.”

“Hmm, we’ll see,” is all Natalia says, as we pull up in a little hollow. We climb out, and she leads us to where her father is examining some of the vines. He’s a small, wiry-haired man in an old sweater that’s fraying at one cuff. He has that mad genius look about him, and when Natalia calls him over, he blinks at us, like he never even noticed us arrive.

“This is Sebastian Wainwright,” she says, presenting him. “The man I was telling you about?”

Franco looks him over. ‘I’m sorry you came all this way,” he says shortly.

“It was no trouble,” Seb says immediately. “A lovely drive. I would have crossed the country to see this place for myself. Your 2015 Merlot is incredible. So complex, with the notes of—”

Franco turns his back and walks off.

Natalia sighs. “Dad?” she calls after him.

“I need to finish here,” he calls back. “I’ll talk to him later.”

“I’m sorry,” Natalia says, turning back to us. “I warned you, he can be… Prickly.”

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