Page 96 of Vodka and Violets (The Hamiltons)

A wave of relief washed over Xander. Jade was right; his protective streak was a mile wide when it came to Tori, but he had nothing to worry about here.

“So, what do you think, do you want to give this a try?”

“Hell yeah!” Jade said with a grin.

“Can you be here at noon on Monday?” Xander asked. “We’re making that our training day, and we can sort out all the paperwork then.”

“I’ll be here with bells on,” said Jade.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Tori leaned her head back against the headrest and looked up through the sunroof at the clear blue sky. “This was such a good idea, thank you.”

Xander reached across and took her hand. “We needed this, sprite. It’s been a crazy few weeks, and things are only going to get crazier when we open.”

“Do you think so? I’ve been looking at it that things will settle down when we open. I mean, I know we’ll be busy with work, but we won’t have all the crazy running around to do with getting things set up. And once we close on the house, we won’t have to keep driving back and forth around the lake.”

“Yeah, I guess I’m just thinking of this first week while we figure out our routines and of course, next weekend’s going to be craziest of all. Our big opening is going to be busy – at least, I hope it will be – and everyone’s going to be here for it, too.”

Tori smiled. “I’m so glad that they’re all coming. It’s funny, I lived in Nashville all that time and I didn’t miss them. That sounds bad, and I don’t mean it like that. It’s just that I was living my life, and I knew that they were living theirs. Now, maybe it’s just since I’ve seen them all recently, or maybe it’s because I feel closer to them now…” She shrugged. “Either way, I’m glad they’re coming.”

“Me too.” Xander laughed. “I’m even more glad that they are all sorting themselves out.”

She gave him a puzzled look.

“I mean, that no one’s expecting to stay with us. They’re all finding their own places to stay. Half of them already know people here anyway.”

“True. Most of them know Smoke, and he’s helping with accommodations from what Laura said.”

“And Antonio and Marcos have friends here as well.”

“Oh, they do, don’t they? Jack and Pete, who own the development, right?”

“That’s right. They all went to school together – Antonio and Marcos, Jack, Pete, Smoke, and I don’t know if I told you this, but Nate did, too.”

“Wow! What a small world!”

Xander laughed. “Kind of. It’s more that they all kept in touch. Pete grew up here. He and Jack own Phoenix Corporation. Nate’s worked for them since college, and Smoke worked as their chief pilot and leases them his plane.”

Tori shook her head. “I haven’t kept in touch with a single person who I went to college with.”

Xander shot her a quick grin. “I didn’t even go. I went straight into the Navy.”

She nodded. “Have you been in touch with any of your old teammates?”

“No, but I keep thinking that I should give them a shout.”

Tori stared out of the window as Xander drove them up West Shore Road. She’d been wanting to take a drive around the lake, and they hadn’t been out this way yet. It was just as beautiful on this side of the lake, and the farther they drove up out of town, the fewer houses there were.

“It is lovely out here,” she said.

Xander shot her a quick glance. “You’re not having second thoughts, are you? Do you like it better over here?”

She laughed. “No! I love the house. I love that side of the lake. For one thing, we’ll be so much closer to the bar there. It’ll take us less than five minutes to drive home. I’m looking forward to that. And besides, Smoke and Laura will be our closest neighbors. I love that. Oh, Xander, look!”

Her heart pounded in her chest when she spotted it. It was beautiful. It was a quaint little chapel, standing all alone down by the water’s edge. It was absolutely perfect. She could already see wedding photographs with the chapel and the lake as the beautiful backdrop.

Xander didn’t say a word as he turned the truck off the road and onto the driveway. She couldn’t figure out what the look on his face might mean – he didn’t exactly look happy.

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