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went hiking.”
    “Got lost in the woods,” Connie said.
    “Could have been there for days.”
    “Weeks even.”
    “Eaten alive by bears.”
    Wendell Senior motioned across the room. “And that man over there—spilling champagne on his hiking boots—saved you?”
    “Yes,” both girls said together.
    “Harrumph.” He cocked his chin sideways and appeared to be considering something. “Didn’t you girls just get back from the wilderness?”
    Linda rushed in. “Yes, but she met Mac weeks ago.”
    “This last trip was our second one.”
    “You’ve only seen the man twice and you’re engaged?”
    “Heavens, no.” Connie gave a little giggle like that was the most ridiculous thing she’d heard. “We’ve been dating for weeks.”
    “Where?”
    “There!” Linda said, overlapping with Connie’s words. “Here! In Napa!”
    Grandpa Oliver narrowed his gaze. “Here, there, and…everywhere?”
    “It’s been on the computer,” Connie said, thinking quickly.
    Linda didn’t miss a beat. “That’s right. Internet dating. I’m sure you’ve heard of it. It’s really big right now.”
    Wendell Senior studied both their faces. “And people get engaged this way?”
    “All the time,” Connie said.
    “Well, maybe if you’d dated him in person, you could have given him some tips on his wardrobe.”

    Mac returned with their champagne just in time for Connie to make their excuses and retreat from her grandfather. She didn’t know why he’d been so tough on Mac. It really wasn’t fair to judge him by his occupation…or appearance…or dress code. She sighed inwardly, knowing that was just the Oliver way. She accepted the flute Mac handed her with a grateful smile.
    “Thanks. I was just telling Grandpa we were about to take our seats for cake and ice cream.”
    “Sir,” Mac said politely. “It was very nice meeting you.”
    Wendell Senior twisted his lips and remained silent until Linda pinched him. “Ow!” He gave Linda a cursory glance, then returned his gaze to Mac’s. “And it was a…” He seemed to be struggling with the words. “…pleasure meeting you as well. I hope that you’ll enjoy the party.”

Chapter Five

    Thankfully for Mac, the meal portion of the evening passed a lot more pleasantly. They were seated at a table with Linda and her gregarious husband, Beau, as well as Ollie and his girlfriend, Trudy. Trudy had come in late, rushing over from her stint as an intern at a local television station. She hoped to work in broadcast news someday and had the pretty face and nicely even-toned voice to carry off being an anchorwoman. He learned that Ollie had gained entry into a prestigious film production master’s program near Los Angeles, and that Linda was an accountant and Beau was in medical school. The Olivers were one incredibly ambitious and educated family. On the way here, he’d learned that Connie was still figuring out what she wanted to do. While she’d majored in studio art with a concentration in photography in college, she’d never quite found the fit for her art. More than anything, she loved to photograph food, which Mac found both quirky and charming. Linda had assured him that Connie was also a fabulous baker. She made the most wonderful cakes and pies, very detailed too. She’d even styled a cake like a human brain for Beau’s birthday when he’d been studying anatomy, complete with a prefrontal lobe and all. Since she’d not yet found a market for her competing and unusual talents, Connie worked as a docent at a children’s museum in order to pay her bills.
    Especially after seeing the lavish lifestyle she’d come from, Mac couldn’t imagine Connie having difficulty with finances. He found it admirable she aspired to stand on her own two feet, even though she’d unmistakably come from money. All of the Oliver children appeared to share that trait. Elizabeth and Wendell Junior must have done something right. In Mac’s case, he’d never considered that