The Prodigal Son

Excerpt:

Still fuming over his conversation with his mother, Matt walked into Aidan’s office only to skid to a stop as if he was a dog and had reached the end of his leash. “What is this, the Tom Sheppard shrine?”

Sitting behind their father’s enormous desk, Aidan didn’t even look up. “I’m working.”

Matt shook his head as he slowly took in the large room. A room he’d managed to avoid since his father’s death—which was easy to do seeing as how his longest trip home since college topped out at four days.

But why did the room look exactly as it had when Tom was still alive? Same dark colors, oppressive furniture and—he narrowed his eyes—was that…yeah…same ugly bronze frog on the bottom shelf of the built in bookcase.

“I hate this room,” he muttered.

“How can you hate a room?” Aidan asked as he continued to work on a financial report or inventory sheet or some such mind numbingly boring item.

“If I ever end up behind that desk, do me a favor and just shoot me.”

And he did hate this room. Not just the decorating, although if he ever got stuck playing desk jockey, he wanted a space that was all his. Not the leftovers from someone else. No, what he really hated about his father’s office is how stepping into the room was like stepping back in time. He couldn’t count the number of times his father had called him in here only to rip him up one side and down the other. Hell, he’d spent most of his teenage years slouched in the leather chair facing the desk being forced to listen to his old man lecture about responsibility, making good choices and the importance of doing his best no matter what the situation.

All important lessons, Matt acknowledged grudgingly. And ones he deserved to hear, just as he probably deserved most of the punishments his father had doled out in response to his youngest son’s wild ways.

Then again, maybe if Tom hadn’t been such a hard-ass, Matt wouldn’t have rebelled so much.

Aidan finally set his mechanical pencil down. “Don’t tell me, you hate that chair, too.” Matt raised an eyebrow and Aidan continued, “You look like you’re ready to rip it apart with your teeth.”

See why he’d avoided this room ever since his dad died? It was too full of memories. And memories only caused problems. Better to focus on the present. And the current hell he was living through.

“We need to discuss this….situation we’re in,” Matt said, smoothing his expression, keeping his tone neutral.

“I take it you’re referring to our conversation earlier, the one that caused you to take off like the devil himself was riding your ass.”

He’d rather deal with the devil. Old Satan had nothing on Aidan Sheppard. “I needed some fresh air. Time to clear my head. I went back to the cottage but you’d already cleared out.”

Aidan leaned back in his chair. “Once again, I’m working. Some of us can’t get by logging in twenty hours a week then spend the rest of the time climbing some mountain or jumping off a cliff.”

He wished his brother would jump off a cliff. Preferably without a bungee cord. So what if he took some time off now and again? Life was an adventure. One he planned on getting the most out of.

Matt shoved his hands into his pockets and walked to the window to stare out over the backyard. But that didn’t mean he didn’t take his jobs seriously. His family had no idea what his life was really like. Up at 4 a.m. logging up to eighty hours a week in order to help the wineries who hired him produce the best wines possible.

“I realize your time is valuable—more so than that of us mere working stiffs,” Matt said, “but I’d think you could spare a few minutes to discuss the future of the Diamond Dust.” He faced him, leaning back against the wall. “What’s Mom trying to prove?”

“You’d have to ask her.”

“I did. She admitted she’s doing this for dad. I bet he put some stipulation in his will so this would happen.” Matt wouldn’t put it past the old man. Even dead he was running Matt’s life.

“He didn’t.”

“How do you know?”

“Because I, unlike you or Brady, was actually there for the reading of Dad’s will.” Aidan rolled his head from side to side. “Trust me, this is all Mom’s idea.”

Matt’s hands fisted. The betrayal was like a punch to the chest. Why would she do this to him? They’d always been close. She’d been the one person he could count on to see the real him. She’d known, better than anyone, how badly he’d wanted to escape Jewell. How he’d wanted nothing more than to go out and make something of himself. Something important.

He crossed to the leather sofa against the opposite wall. Guess her reasons didn’t really matter. Not when all he could do now was deal with this situation.

“So what’s it going to be?” Aidan asked.

Matt lied down, propping his feet on the arm rest. “I need time to think it through.”

“We don’t have time. Mom wants our decision today.”

“Yeah, she told me. Eight hours to decide my entire future? How generous.”

“Suck it up. Some of us only got five minutes.”

True. Both Aidan’s and Brady’s futures had taken turns neither had expected but that didn’t make the possible annihilation of his own plans any easier to swallow. Especially since they both seemed to be doing just fine now.

“Well since I do have eight hours, I’m going to take them. I’ll let you know my decision then.” Maybe he could talk his mother out of this insane idea before this evening. Or at least, get her to agree to let him be a partner in name only. There had to be a way out of this. He just had to figure out how.

His jetlag catching up to him, he linked his fingers together behind his head and closed his eyes. It wasn’t much time and he had a lot to think about. Damn it, he had plans. Commitments. His reputation as a world class vintner was growing, proof of that was his contract with Queen’s Valley.

But as much as he didn’t want to be in Jewell, he also didn’t want to see his father’s business sold to some stranger either.

More than that, he didn’t want to let his brothers down.

And he’d French kiss Aidan’s dog before he ever admitted that out loud.

He yawned. His brothers might think he slid by in life but the truth was, he’d busted his ass building his reputation as a winemaker. He wasn’t afraid of hard work and along the way learned from some of the best winemakers in the world about running a winery.

He just didn’t want to use that knowledge to run the Diamond Dust.

“I have a proposition for you.”

Matt’s eyes flew open at the husky feminine voice. Too bad he wasn’t the one being propositioned. Which was probably a good thing, he realized, as Connie Henkel walked past him without so much as a glance, her long legs eating up the distance.

Long and lean with sharp features, her dark hair was shorter than his with messy layers on top and wisps around her ears. She didn’t wear jewelry or make up and in her usual uniform of faded jeans and a T-shirt, if you didn’t take the time to look carefully, she could’ve passed for a teenage boy.

One side of his mouth kicked up. Luckily, Matt always looked carefully. So he noticed the subtle curve of her hips, the slight rise and fall of her small breasts, the feminine arch of her dark brows.

He noticed, he just didn’t linger.

“I’m not sure whether to be flattered,” Aidan said, “or terrified.”

“First of all…eww. You’re like the brother I never had and never particularly wanted,” she said. “Second of all, if you were that lucky, you wouldn’t be terrified. You’d be grateful.”

Quietly sitting up, Matt couldn’t help but grin. He’d always enjoyed Connie’s smartass ways. “I’d sure be grateful if it was me.” He winked at her. “And believe me, so would you.”

Connie didn’t move. Her face was white, her mouth open. Hell, she didn’t even blink.

It was that blank stare and the fact that he’d known Connie since he was twelve and he’d never seen her stay still for more than a few seconds that had Matt standing and walking towards her. “You okay?” he asked. “You’re not having some sort of seizure or anything, are you?”

And just like that, she snapped back to life. Before he could decipher the play of emotions over her face, she smiled, though it seemed forced.

“Hey. I didn’t know you were in town.” She stepped forward as if to give him a hug only to tuck her hands, and the bright purple folder she held, behind her back.

“Got in Saturday night,” he said, leaning against Aidan’s desk, his hip hitting a pile of papers and causing them to slide. He could’ve sworn he heard Aidan grinding his teeth into dust as he straightened the pile. Knowing it would drive his brother crazy he slowly slid his gaze over Connie. “Did you miss me?”

“It was all I could do to get through each day,” she said somberly.

Even with the weight of his pending decision sitting on his chest, making it difficult to take a full breath, he couldn’t help but enjoy her. “What say we leave Aidan to his paperwork and go catch up over a cup of coffee?”

What better way to pretend his entire future wasn’t on the line than the distraction of a smart, funny, attractive woman?

“You’re embarrassing yourself,” Aidan said before Connie could respond. “Besides, Connie had something she wanted to discuss with me so why don’t–”

“No,” she blurted, her cheeks turning pink when he and Aidan stared at her. Taking a step back, she cleared her throat. “I mean…that…that was nothing. The thing I wanted to discuss. It can wait.”

“Are you sure?” Aidan asked.

“Believe me, I’m positive. I don’t to interrupt your discussion so I’ll just…go.”

And she turned and walked out.

“How do you do that?” Aidan asked.

Lips pursed, Matt watched Connie’s backside as she walked away. “Do what?”

“Flirt with my vineyard manager when I know what you really want is to rip someone’s head off.”

Straightening, he shrugged, making sure the gesture seemed casual despite the tightness in his shoulders. “None of this is Connie’s fault,” he said heading back to the sofa. “Why take it out on her?”

Never let them see you sweat.

He laid down and closed his eyes, shutting out the searching look Aidan was giving him. His brother’s unspoken questions. Matt knew what his family thought of him. How they perceived him. To them he was just a charming playboy—albeit one with a small amount of talent. Talent he used when he wasn’t busy white river rafting, mountain climbing or seducing women into his bed.

All he did was give them what they wanted to see.