The Crush (Oregon Wine Country #1)(68)

“Okay. You win. What’s going on with Junie?”

“She paid off Tom Alexander. But Storm still owns the half of the vineyard he bought from their mom. Junie naturally assumed he’d sell it to her, now that she’s in the black, but instead of playing nice, he jacked up the price. When Junie balked, Storm offered it to Tom Alexander.”

Manolo was seized by fury. “How do you know this? Did Junie tell you?”

“Poppy overheard Jed Smith telling Junie about it.”

The Clarkston gossip mill is alive and well.

“What was Alexander’s response?”

“He hasn’t responded yet, far as I know. And when he does, who’s to say Storm won’t turn right around and jack the price up again, to see if he can bid Junie up?”

“Storm could play this game forever. That’s not right.”

“No, it’s not. Junie doesn’t deserve this, after all she’s been through. You haven’t talked to her?”

Manolo looked at his hands, which were lying impotently in his lap. “She won’t take my calls. My bad. I never used to call her. Now it looks like it’s too late.” Filled with regret, he pressed his lips together. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Don’t think it didn’t cross my mind. A certain counselor advised me to stay out of it.”

“Or,” said Manolo, “you thought you’d invite me out here to go skiing, and should it happen to come up in the course of conversation. . .”

Sam grinned. “Something like that.”

“Well, at least Junie got herself a distributor. That was the reason I built her that bistro.”

“Uh, think again.”

“What do you mean? I was there when you introduced him to her at the grand opening!”

“If you remember, Dan said Northwest was offering her a proposal. It wasn’t a done deal. They don’t want her unless she owns a majority of her operation. Think about it. Northwest can’t be signing deals with someone who isn’t in control of her business.”

Manolo’s head fell back against the seat. “I can’t believe this. I thought everything was good when I left. It was all supposed to be settled.”

“One more thing. Do you remember Junie’s mom’s mystery boyfriend?”

“Kind of.”

“You won’t believe who it is.”

“Let me guess. Tom Alexander?”

The look Sam gave him was his answer.

“I never liked that guy. And that Storm character may be Junie’s brother, but he rubs me the wrong way, too.”

“Remember what I said about him back in April?”

“Soup sandwich.” Manolo scrubbed a hand over his face. “Too bad he’s not here instead of Colorado. I’d like to wring that little twerp’s neck.”

“He is here.”

Manolo whipped his head around. “Storm’s here? In Clarkston?” He set his jaw. “Sorry to break it to you, Cap’n, but doesn’t look like I’ll be making that ski trip after all. I got some business to take care of.”

Sam grinned gleefully. “I was hoping you’d say that.”

“You didn’t invite me out here to go skiing, did you?”

“Like I always say, we take care of our own.”

“Mind if we stop by Junie’s on our way to your place, Cap’n?”

“Roger that,” Sam replied.

*

When Manolo knocked on Junie’s front door, her mother answered.

“What a surprise! Is Junie expecting you?”

“No, ma’am. She around?”

“She’s out in her office with her brother. Let me grab my coat, and I’ll walk you out.”

They heard Junie’s raised voice before they even entered the building.

Manolo hastened his steps. Instead of holding the tasting room door for Junie’s mother he rushed past her and headed straight for the office.

Behind her desk stood Junie. In front of it, with their backs to Manolo, were Tom Alexander and Storm.

Junie thumped her fist on her desk’s wood surface. “Manolo Santos and I worked our asses off to get this property in shape for the crush so that I’d have a better venue to sell my wine out of. You know how much it means to me, Storm. Meanwhile, you haven’t worked here since you were eighteen years old. You never cared what happened to this winery. Why are you wielding your share like it’s some kind of trump card?”

Tom lifted his chin haughtily. “Storm can sell his portion to anyone he wants.”

“That may be true. But why can’t he do the decent thing and sell it back to me?” She turned from Alexander to Storm with a pleading look on her face. “For God’s sake, Storm. I’m your sister.”

“Because I’d be stupid to not get as much as I can out of it, now that it’s the hottest little property in the valley, that’s why,” Storm replied with a snide chuckle.

Jennifer Jepson-Hart marched straight past Manolo, into her daughter’s inner sanctum.

“What’s going on here? Storm, what have you done?”

Storm shrank under his mother’s question. “Nothing. Don’t worry about it.”

“Is what I heard true? You won’t sell Junie’s land back to her?”