Read Online Seduce Me Sweetly (Heron's Landing Book 1) by Iris Morland - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Iris Morland
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he knew he was right. He didn’t want him to be right, but such was life. Memories of the disaster of the last time they’d tried to do events filled his mind, and he rather wanted to say no and end it there. Couldn’t they find another way? A voice in his head niggled. Something, anything?
But looking at Jaime, who had an eyebrow raised, Adam knew that denying the obvious would be absolutely foolish. He sighed inwardly—his last sigh of defeat—and pushed all of his misgivings aside. Doubts wouldn’t help anyone, and they sure as hell wouldn’t help River’s Bend survive.
“You all know events aren’t my strong suit,” Adam said. Jaime snorted; Adam glared. “So I’ll need everyone’s help with planning and getting it running. Unfortunately, we don’t have the cash flow to hire a full-time events manager, so it’s going to fall on all of us to do bits and pieces and make it work.”
“I’m not an events manager,” Leah said bluntly. “I can teach the wine-tasting like usual, but working with brides and such? No way.”
As if to cushion Leah’s words, Kerry said quickly, “I can help with any social media and marketing, and reach out to any local blogs and sites to get things rolling.”
“Thank you, Kerry,” Adam said. They needed more than a few Facebook posts to get this started, but having at least one employee on board was helpful.
The afternoon and evening waned on as the team put together a competent strategy, going over what went wrong the first time around and how to avoid such mistakes again. Each employee—including Leah—was given tasks of a sort; even Chris, who preferred to be outdoors at all times had things he needed to do. The majority of it landed on Adam, though, which he had expected as the vineyard’s manager. If he needed to work eighty hours a week and never go home, he’d do it.
Afterward, Jaime met Adam at his truck, everyone else had already gone home for the night. It wasn’t dark yet, but twilight was settling in. Adam saw that Jaime looked tired, and he hated that in the next coming weeks, he and everyone else on staff would only have to work longer hours with no overtime pay. He’d explained that he couldn’t pay them and that he didn’t expect them to work, but all four had agreed without protest—even Leah.
“You think it’ll work?” Jaime asked.
Adam leaned against the driver’s side door of his truck, rubbing his forehead. “If I were honest? I don’t know. I want it to. I want to hope that we can get out of this black hole. But it’s a long shot.”
Jaime stuffed his hands into his pockets. “I didn’t want to say this in the meeting, but I talked to Joy this morning when she came by, when you were still out in the field.”
At the mention of Joy, Adam stilled, memories resurfacing. All of it flooded back in an instant, and he was reliving that kiss—every facet of it. He hadn’t intended to kiss her when he’d found her down by the creek. But she’d looked so beautiful, almost ethereal, standing amongst the blinking lightning bugs, that it was like he’d had no choice. He shifted, feeling himself react to the memory of that kiss, of Joy’s sweet smell and taste and the silk of her skin.
Jaime just watched him, and Adam coughed, embarrassed by his daydreaming. “Why was she here?”
“Well, she wanted to talk. To me.”
Adam raised an eyebrow. “To you? Do you even know her?”
Jaime smiled. “She’s the type of person who knows everyone. I think she knew everyone’s names—first, middle and last—by the third day after she’d arrived.”
A bite of jealousy burned in Adam’s gut, and, annoyed with himself, he pushed it away. What did it matter that Joy was talking to other people in Heron’s Landing? Even if it was Jaime Martínez, blindingly handsome chef extraordinaire (per Grace, earlier that week).
“So, she did what? Told you her life story and then you guys sang around the campfire?”
“Not exactly. She
But looking at Jaime, who had an eyebrow raised, Adam knew that denying the obvious would be absolutely foolish. He sighed inwardly—his last sigh of defeat—and pushed all of his misgivings aside. Doubts wouldn’t help anyone, and they sure as hell wouldn’t help River’s Bend survive.
“You all know events aren’t my strong suit,” Adam said. Jaime snorted; Adam glared. “So I’ll need everyone’s help with planning and getting it running. Unfortunately, we don’t have the cash flow to hire a full-time events manager, so it’s going to fall on all of us to do bits and pieces and make it work.”
“I’m not an events manager,” Leah said bluntly. “I can teach the wine-tasting like usual, but working with brides and such? No way.”
As if to cushion Leah’s words, Kerry said quickly, “I can help with any social media and marketing, and reach out to any local blogs and sites to get things rolling.”
“Thank you, Kerry,” Adam said. They needed more than a few Facebook posts to get this started, but having at least one employee on board was helpful.
The afternoon and evening waned on as the team put together a competent strategy, going over what went wrong the first time around and how to avoid such mistakes again. Each employee—including Leah—was given tasks of a sort; even Chris, who preferred to be outdoors at all times had things he needed to do. The majority of it landed on Adam, though, which he had expected as the vineyard’s manager. If he needed to work eighty hours a week and never go home, he’d do it.
Afterward, Jaime met Adam at his truck, everyone else had already gone home for the night. It wasn’t dark yet, but twilight was settling in. Adam saw that Jaime looked tired, and he hated that in the next coming weeks, he and everyone else on staff would only have to work longer hours with no overtime pay. He’d explained that he couldn’t pay them and that he didn’t expect them to work, but all four had agreed without protest—even Leah.
“You think it’ll work?” Jaime asked.
Adam leaned against the driver’s side door of his truck, rubbing his forehead. “If I were honest? I don’t know. I want it to. I want to hope that we can get out of this black hole. But it’s a long shot.”
Jaime stuffed his hands into his pockets. “I didn’t want to say this in the meeting, but I talked to Joy this morning when she came by, when you were still out in the field.”
At the mention of Joy, Adam stilled, memories resurfacing. All of it flooded back in an instant, and he was reliving that kiss—every facet of it. He hadn’t intended to kiss her when he’d found her down by the creek. But she’d looked so beautiful, almost ethereal, standing amongst the blinking lightning bugs, that it was like he’d had no choice. He shifted, feeling himself react to the memory of that kiss, of Joy’s sweet smell and taste and the silk of her skin.
Jaime just watched him, and Adam coughed, embarrassed by his daydreaming. “Why was she here?”
“Well, she wanted to talk. To me.”
Adam raised an eyebrow. “To you? Do you even know her?”
Jaime smiled. “She’s the type of person who knows everyone. I think she knew everyone’s names—first, middle and last—by the third day after she’d arrived.”
A bite of jealousy burned in Adam’s gut, and, annoyed with himself, he pushed it away. What did it matter that Joy was talking to other people in Heron’s Landing? Even if it was Jaime Martínez, blindingly handsome chef extraordinaire (per Grace, earlier that week).
“So, she did what? Told you her life story and then you guys sang around the campfire?”
“Not exactly. She
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