too.”
“I’m feeling pretty good,” he admitted with a chuckle. “It’s nice, isn’t it?”
“Nice?” Beatrice said as she opened the glass doors that led out to their private balcony. “It’s glorious.”
“I’m glad you think so.” After showing them the button that would automatically light up the fireplace, then pointing out the secluded walkway that led to the spa facilities, Brandon headed for the door. “I’ll leave you to unpack and relax. If you need anything, including me, just dial the front desk and ask.”
Sally rushed over and wrapped her arms around him in a hug. “Thank you, Brandon. This is wonderful.”
“You’re welcome, Mom. I just want you all to relax, pour yourselves a glass of champagne and have a great time.”
His mother laughed. “Believe me, sweetie, that’s exactly what we had in mind.”
Two hours later, Brandon had finished up a short meeting with his brothers and the restaurant staff. Adam was on his way back to his room to check on Trish, who’d been taking a nap, while Cameron and Julia had decided to pour themselves glasses of wine and stroll through the vineyards to enjoy the sunset.
Brandon headed back to his office, but as he crossed the lobby, he spied Marjorie and Bea in the gift shop located next to the wine bar on the opposite side of the lobby from the front desk. Marjorie clutched a box of expensive chocolates and Bea held a bottle of good red wine and they were deep in conversation with the clerk. He grinned as he imagined them discussing the best wine to drink with chocolate. Glancing around, he looked for his mother, but she wasn’t in the shop. A movement caught his eye and he glanced out at the terrace where Sally stood talking animatedly with Kelly.
For a brief moment, he stopped and simply enjoyed the sight of Kelly’s short skirt wafting in the soft breeze and let his mind wander to what she might be wearing underneath. Another thong, he hoped, allowing himself to imagine the feel of featherlight lace against her silky—
He snapped back to reality. That was his mother talking to Kelly. And knowing his mother and what she was capable of in the name of matchmaking, Brandon’s mood shifted immediately into suspicion. His mother and Kelly chatting? This couldn’t be a good thing, so he strolled outside to put a stop to whatever mischief Sally Duke was up to.
“Hello, Mother,” he said.
Sally whipped around. “Oh! Brandon, dear, you snuck up on me.”
That was exactly what he’d meant to do, but he wasn’t about to say so. “What were you two talking about?”
“I was just telling Kelly how marvelous she looks,” Sally said. “Don’t you agree?”
“Yeah, she looks great,” Brandon said warily. “So what?”
Sally gave him a perplexed look. “Are you feeling all right, sweetie?”
“He’s probably wondering what I’m doing away from the office,” Kelly said lightly. “Which means I’d better get going. It was lovely to see you again, Mrs. Duke.”
“You, too, Kelly.” Sally gave her a quick hug. “I’ll see you tomorrow night, if not sooner.”
“I’m looking forward to it,” Kelly said, then rushed through the lobby toward their offices.
“What’s tomorrow night?” Brandon asked cautiously.
“Kelly’s joining us for dinner.”
His eyes narrowed. “Mom, what are you doing?”
“I’m not sure what you mean,” she said, straightening her shoulders and meeting his gaze head-on. “Kelly does so much for all of us, I thought it would be a nice gesture to include her. My goodness, I haven’t booked my own travel in over a year, thanks to her, and she helped me track down that fabulous imported baby gym for little Jake’s birthday. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. She works wonders, but all that is beside the point. Kelly is simply a delightful woman and I’ve come to think of her as a member of our extended family. So I invited her to dinner. Frankly, I’m surprised you didn’t invite
“I’m feeling pretty good,” he admitted with a chuckle. “It’s nice, isn’t it?”
“Nice?” Beatrice said as she opened the glass doors that led out to their private balcony. “It’s glorious.”
“I’m glad you think so.” After showing them the button that would automatically light up the fireplace, then pointing out the secluded walkway that led to the spa facilities, Brandon headed for the door. “I’ll leave you to unpack and relax. If you need anything, including me, just dial the front desk and ask.”
Sally rushed over and wrapped her arms around him in a hug. “Thank you, Brandon. This is wonderful.”
“You’re welcome, Mom. I just want you all to relax, pour yourselves a glass of champagne and have a great time.”
His mother laughed. “Believe me, sweetie, that’s exactly what we had in mind.”
Two hours later, Brandon had finished up a short meeting with his brothers and the restaurant staff. Adam was on his way back to his room to check on Trish, who’d been taking a nap, while Cameron and Julia had decided to pour themselves glasses of wine and stroll through the vineyards to enjoy the sunset.
Brandon headed back to his office, but as he crossed the lobby, he spied Marjorie and Bea in the gift shop located next to the wine bar on the opposite side of the lobby from the front desk. Marjorie clutched a box of expensive chocolates and Bea held a bottle of good red wine and they were deep in conversation with the clerk. He grinned as he imagined them discussing the best wine to drink with chocolate. Glancing around, he looked for his mother, but she wasn’t in the shop. A movement caught his eye and he glanced out at the terrace where Sally stood talking animatedly with Kelly.
For a brief moment, he stopped and simply enjoyed the sight of Kelly’s short skirt wafting in the soft breeze and let his mind wander to what she might be wearing underneath. Another thong, he hoped, allowing himself to imagine the feel of featherlight lace against her silky—
He snapped back to reality. That was his mother talking to Kelly. And knowing his mother and what she was capable of in the name of matchmaking, Brandon’s mood shifted immediately into suspicion. His mother and Kelly chatting? This couldn’t be a good thing, so he strolled outside to put a stop to whatever mischief Sally Duke was up to.
“Hello, Mother,” he said.
Sally whipped around. “Oh! Brandon, dear, you snuck up on me.”
That was exactly what he’d meant to do, but he wasn’t about to say so. “What were you two talking about?”
“I was just telling Kelly how marvelous she looks,” Sally said. “Don’t you agree?”
“Yeah, she looks great,” Brandon said warily. “So what?”
Sally gave him a perplexed look. “Are you feeling all right, sweetie?”
“He’s probably wondering what I’m doing away from the office,” Kelly said lightly. “Which means I’d better get going. It was lovely to see you again, Mrs. Duke.”
“You, too, Kelly.” Sally gave her a quick hug. “I’ll see you tomorrow night, if not sooner.”
“I’m looking forward to it,” Kelly said, then rushed through the lobby toward their offices.
“What’s tomorrow night?” Brandon asked cautiously.
“Kelly’s joining us for dinner.”
His eyes narrowed. “Mom, what are you doing?”
“I’m not sure what you mean,” she said, straightening her shoulders and meeting his gaze head-on. “Kelly does so much for all of us, I thought it would be a nice gesture to include her. My goodness, I haven’t booked my own travel in over a year, thanks to her, and she helped me track down that fabulous imported baby gym for little Jake’s birthday. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. She works wonders, but all that is beside the point. Kelly is simply a delightful woman and I’ve come to think of her as a member of our extended family. So I invited her to dinner. Frankly, I’m surprised you didn’t invite
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