Chapter 29
Twenty-nine
The library was a cosy room with shelving on three sides and a huge window overlooking the side rose garden.
In front of the window was a comfy-looking window seat and Kenzie considered setting up her call there—she could stretch out and soak up the warm morning sun—but then remembered it was a business call and she was supposed to be working.
There was a small desk in the middle of the room that looked antique.
She thought back to Callum’s massive mahogany desk and realised the two rooms were decorated for two very different personalities.
Whereas Callum’s office screamed masculine energy, this one was feminine, with sleek, almost dainty furniture and light colours.
Ewan tugged her hand and pulled her close, lowering his head to kiss her. She should have jumped back and reminded him they weren’t supposed to be doing this out in plain view, but he could so very easily make her change her mind without even trying.
‘Can I change your mind about work and take you back to bed instead?’ he asked against her lips. The lazy, sultry tone sent goosebumps along her arms and she leaned into his warm body, briefly, before common sense prevailed.
‘I can’t. I have meetings.’ Yes. That’s right.
Meetings. Because she was a professional business owner and that’s what professionals did.
They didn’t ignore their responsibilities to go and have mid-morning sex with handsome men on a whim.
But … you’re the boss, a little voice pointed out. You could.
‘Fine,’ he sighed. ‘Well, I’ll leave you to it then.’
She hadn’t expected him to give up so easily and, for a moment, she was almost disappointed, which would normally have her rolling her eyes. ‘Thank you. I’ll just run back up to my room and grab my laptop.’
She waited till he left the library before letting out a shaky breath.
The effect he had on her was undeniable.
When he was near, her body reacted instinctively.
How on earth was she supposed to keep this thing quiet when she was sure anyone with half a clue would be able to spot how she felt about him?
After returning with her laptop, she was in a better state of mind to start work.
She brought up her emails and found the link she’d need for the online meeting, clicking it and waiting for the others to log on.
She opened another email while she sat there, deciding she could get a few things done while she waited.
The computer made a sound when her bride-to-be logged on, and she got back into wedding planner mode.
An hour later, as the meeting ended, all she could think was, Thank God. She hadn’t lost her touch … just her mind, apparently.
She waited until the bride had disconnected herself from the group meeting before turning her attention to Michelle. ‘How are things going?’
‘Everything’s under control, boss.’
‘Where are you at with the EnoVision launch?’
‘Everything’s been done at our end. I’ve double-checked with the venue and catering, and I’ve got another meeting with Harvey, the CEO, and his assistant, Jason, tomorrow to go over the last-minute details.’
‘Great,’ Kenzie smiled. ‘Sounds like you’re on top of it all. Have there been any other problems?’
‘None that I’m aware of. Tara and Cee Cee have got everything else under control.’ She’d been keeping in constant contact with Cee Cee, who always had everything under control. The woman was a human dynamo.
They wrapped up the call, and Kenzie went back to the list of emails and paperwork she needed to do.
Sometime later, Peggy silently appeared, quietly placing a plate with a sandwich and a mug of coffee beside her on the desk before leaving.
When Kenzie glanced at the clock on her laptop, she was surprised to see it was after one.
It felt good to be productive after the last few days of feeling like she was completely out of her depth.
This working remotely thing was actually kind of cool, especially if this was the kind of place she got to work out of. She loved everything about this old house, and the library was up there as one of her favourite rooms.
She got up from her chair, needing to stretch her legs, and picked up a sandwich half.
She paused beside the cluster of framed photos on the desk that she’d been trying to focus on throughout the call earlier but couldn’t quite see clearly.
One photo in particular caught her attention and she picked it up: two boys wearing dusty jeans, long-sleeved shirts and hats.
They had their arms draped across each other’s shoulders and wore almost identical wide grins, the camera catching some kind of triumphant moment of glory.
She looked up as she heard footsteps enter the room, and saw Ewan’s step falter a little as he approached her and caught her holding the photo. ‘This is you and your brother?’ she asked. ‘Uh, yeah,’ he said, his gaze leaving her face to rest briefly on the photo.
‘What was the occasion?’
‘We’d just won the open team sorting at the local show.’
‘You both look really happy,’ she said softly, looking back down at the photo.
‘Yeah,’ he said quietly, before clearing his throat quickly. ‘It was a pretty big deal, for our age.’
‘How old were you there?’
‘Fourteen.’
Kenzie saw a series of emotions flicker across his face briefly and her heart broke a little bit. ‘You must miss him?’ She couldn’t imagine what life would look like if something had happened to Brook.
‘Yeah. It’s always there, in the back of your mind.’
‘I’m sorry I never got to meet him.’
‘Yeah. He was great. There wasn’t anything he couldn’t do,’ he said, smiling faintly down at the picture for a few moments before he lifted his gaze to her face and blinked.
‘I came to tell you Floss just called and asked if we’d like to come over and take a look at the winery.
I was checking to see if you were done in here. ’
‘I just finished,’ she said, carefully replacing the photo on the table.
‘Mum’s happy to watch Poppy, if you’re okay with that?’
‘Of course, if she’s sure she doesn’t need a break?’ Poppy’s never-ending questions could be a lot sometimes.
‘That woman thrives on activity. It takes a lot to make her need a rest.’
Kenzie headed back upstairs to put away her laptop and to change into something a little nicer for a winery visit.
Her wardrobe was limited, mostly because she’d only planned to be away for a long weekend, but her always-prepared-for-an-emergency tendencies that her family teased her about had actually come in handy this time.
On top of how many days she would be away for, she always packed for the possibility of an unexpected night out, unseasonal weather and a natural disaster that would require more pairs of underwear than you’d normally need.
Thankfully, this gave her at least one option of an outfit suitable for an unexpected vineyard tour.