Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 86808 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 434(@200wpm)___ 347(@250wpm)___ 289(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86808 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 434(@200wpm)___ 347(@250wpm)___ 289(@300wpm)
“A reasonable conclusion.”
“Now you’re forced to play nice with Gabe Mardraggon.”
“So it seems.” He sighs before tipping his beer up. After he swallows, he says, “I have to give the guy a bit of credit though. Sylvie has a dog back home in France and I want to get it sent here. I asked Gabe about it and he said he’d get me the contact information of the winery manager to help facilitate it on that end. Turns out… he went ahead and set the whole thing up. Emailed me the details yesterday and the dog will be flying in next week.”
“That was kind.” I sip my wine, having forgotten it was in my hand. “While it will be difficult for you to forge a working relationship with him, that’s a good start. Sylvie will be watching it all unfold.”
“Yeah, I know. I haven’t told her any of this yet but I’m going to explain it all to her. I need to let her know that they offered money for her shares. I mean… she’s a kid, but she has a say in things. It’ll be confusing for her.”
“And emotional,” I add. “You know I’m here to help you navigate those things with her if you need guidance.” I give him a pointed look. “I’m a child expert, after all. Well, at least compared to you.”
Ethan bursts out laughing and tilts his head in validation. He slides into a chuckle and then his expression turns thoughtful as he stares at me. “There is actually something you can do to help.”
“Sure. Be glad to.”
“Be my date to the charity bachelor auction tomorrow night.”
I feel the insane need to stick my fingers in my ears to see if they’re plugged up because surely I heard him wrong. “Your date to the auction?”
“Yeah,” he replies with a casual shrug. “I don’t necessarily trust my mom not to try to get me on the block and you can be my shield.”
My mouth falls open. “You want me to be your shield?”
He grins. “No, not really. I can handle myself. But I thought if for some reason you didn’t want to actually go on a date with me, you would be more amenable to just helping a fella out.”
“So, you’re asking me on a date?” I’m flummoxed. Ethan Blackburn, confirmed bachelor, asking me out?
His eyes spark with amusement and he teases, “You’re such a sharp, put-together woman. I wouldn’t take you for dense.”
I flush hot but readily come to my own defense, shooting him a very teacher-like look of warning. “I’m incredibly sharp and maybe I’m just a bit wary of you. You don’t seem like the dating type.”
He frowns sheepishly. “Yeah… I suppose I’m not, so admittedly, I’m a little out of my element. It’s not easy asking a beautiful woman out when you’re not sure what she’s going to say.”
He thinks I’m beautiful?
I blush, knowing it isn’t a good look with my red hair. I take a sip of wine to quell my nerves, but it does nothing.
Ethan bends slightly to peer at me. “Is that a no?”
“It’s not a no,” I manage.
“Then that’s a yes.” His tone is confident, his smile radiant.
God, he really is beautiful and, at that moment, I feel like I could be in trouble.
“I haven’t dated in a really long time,” I admit.
“Same,” he replies matter-of-factly. “But I’m sure we can figure it out.”
“Okay, then… we’ll try a date and see how it goes. We can evaluate after whether we’re compatible—”
To my complete shock, he places a finger over my lips, causing me to stop talking. “Let’s not worry about things that have no cause for worry. Okay?”
I nod, not willing to speak and dislodge his touch. I like it too much.
CHAPTER 16
Ethan
In general, I hate dressing up, but as CEO of Blackburn Farms, I need to do so on occasion. I’m most comfortable in jeans and work boots but admittedly, I took extra care in picking out my suit for tonight’s date with Marcie. I chose a dark navy with the most subtle gray pinstripes and paired it with a white shirt and silver tie. I resist the urge to tug on the knot because I know that’s nothing more than nerves.
I wasn’t underselling it to Marcie last weekend when I asked her out. I don’t have a lot of experience with dating. It’s not that I’m shy or relationship averse, but since adolescence, I’ve been groomed to become the next patriarch of Blackburn Farms. One might think that means to become the father of the family’s legacy by furthering our lineage, but to my modern family, it means keeping our operations not only going but growing and expanding. It’s an eighty-hour-a-week job, fifty-two weeks a year, and marriage has been the last thing on my mind.
Granted, things eased up as my younger siblings reached adulthood and became solid spokes in the familial business wheel, but the personal responsibility and drive to succeed never relented.