Page 45

“Yes, hi.” I clear my throat, trying to play it cool.
Who would have thought this woman would make me nervous?
“Ms. Flores, I just wanted to check on you. How are you feeling?”
What was that about?
Yes, I’ve definitely become an idiot when she’s involved.
“Um, I’m fine. Thanks?” she replies, clearly just as confused as I am.
“Right, great to hear. Have a good weekend.”
And like a complete moron, I disconnect the call before I can keep making an arse out of myself.
I take a shower and change before calling an ambulance on my way out.
Sliding into my car, I start driving without thinking. My fingers tighten around the steering wheel as I make the next call.
The phone rings twice before I hear a familiar voice.
“Son, what a pleasant surprise. How are you?”
“If your ultimate goal was to sell the vineyard, why did you tell me you’d give me time to think about it?” I say in lieu of a greeting.
I can’t believe he would talk about selling the vineyard behind my back. I hear him sigh on the line, and my heart squeezes.
Was he counting on me not hearing about it?
“You might be an adult, but I’m your father, and you’ll refer to me with respect,” he says, his voice stern.
I take a deep breath as I squeeze the wheel and accelerate.
“Father, hello. How are you? It just came to my attention that there’s a rumor that you are selling the vineyard. I thought I had until August to give you an answer. It’s only March,” I say slowly, trying to calm myself down as I speak.
“Son, I’m just covering my bases. That’s all. I simply put out some feelers in case I had to sell the hacienda, it shouldn’t come as a surprise,” he answers simply.
That irritates me more than it should.
“Well, as it turns out, it did catch me by surprise,” I say with a sigh.
No matter how much I think I understand him, there’s still so much to learn.
“I agree that perhaps I should have warned you, but there was no doubt in my mind you would always have the first option. I was just trying to put a plan B in place.”
As a seasoned businessman, I know that was the right move. I just never thought I’d have real competition while trying to come up with a plan to find a wife and inherit the vineyard.
“I understand where you’re coming from, but now people will speculate the vineyard is in trouble and will offer you less,” I explain, breathing easier.
“But if you’re so sure you’ll keep the vineyard, then what do you care about speculation? We can shrug it off as a misunderstanding.”
“You’re right, Father. You’re always right,” I say, not feeling the need to fight with him anymore.
I just need to focus on convincing him I’m the best option to take charge of the hacienda.
I continue driving around the city until I start feeling tired, the weight of the day finally setting in.
I decide to be smart and drive home before I can do more stupid shit—like fall asleep at the wheel.