Page 58 of A New Year In The Presidential Suite

“You feel so good,” Griff murmured, rubbing her back.

She leaned against him, liking the strength of his healthy body. She now knew why it would never work with her and Guy. What she was experiencing was genuine, easy, and natural.

“Guess we’d better keep moving, huh?” said Griff.

Lori stepped away and grinned. “It’s not too far to my cabin. You’re welcome to come in for an after-dinner drink.”

He took hold of her hand and led her down the road.

“How is the cabin? Is it comfortable? Do you agree it’s a unique way to raise money?”

“The cabin is lovely, with every convenience. Advertising it as a honeymoon or special escape for wine lovers to learn about the business, sharing home-cooked meals with the owners is a unique experience that I think many people would be willing to spend money on. But how would your family feel about having meals with strangers?”

“Maybe if we limited it to a first-evening opportunity, it could work. We wouldn’t want that every night. It’s different with you,” said Griff, smiling at her.

“I was afraid to let you know I was coming, afraid you’d tell me to stay home,” said Lori. “It worked out well that Guy couldn’t make it.”

“Who is this other man? Someone you care about?” asked Griff.

Lori shook her head. “Guy is my high school boyfriend who moved back to town. We recently went out two times, but neither of us was seriously interested in anything more. But it was the first time I’d dated in a while. Being with you in Florida helped me realize there was still fun ahead for me if I made the effort. That’s why I’m here.”

He stopped walking, faced her, and drew her into his arms. “There was something special about our meeting at that hotel. Let’s go back there for New Year’s this year.”

Lori couldn’t help laughing. “Whoa! Let’s take this one step at a time.”

“A step or two or more,” said Griff, giving her a sexy look.

A shot of desire stopped her from reacting.

He gave her a sympathetic look. “You tell me if I’m going too fast. Okay?”

“Alright,” she replied, knowing he wasn’t going fast enough.

They continued to the cabin, where the front porch light welcomed her home. She unlocked the front door and held it open for him to go inside.

He stepped into the entrance area and looked around. “Rosie did an excellent job of fixing the place up.”

“The kitchen is small but well laid out with excellent appliances,” said Lori. “I think anyone would be happy to work there.”

They walked through the rest of the cabin and entered the living room.

“Would you like a cup of coffee, beer, or water?” asked Lori. “Not much choice, but I’ve been too busy to get back to the grocery store after I arrived here.”

“A cold beer sounds great,” said Griff.

Lori got him a beer, a glass of water for herself, and carried them into the living room.

She handed Griff his beer and took a seat on the couch facing him.

“Here’s to Adeline Hills Winery and vineyards,” she said, hoisting her glass. “The vineyard and the operation are much larger than I’d imagined. I looked it up online, but pictures there don’t do it justice.”

“Rosie is working to upgrade our website,” said Griff, “but it’s hard to put into words and photos all the aspects of vineyards and the parts of the winery that we open to guests,” said Griff.

“It seems to go on forever,” said Lori. “I see a lot of workers traveling on a variety of carts, including special vineyard ones, and regular Go-Karts for farms. I guess with this much acreage, they’re needed.”

“Yes, they are,” said Griff. “Around the house, we walk. But in the fields and down by the barn, they’re often used. Carlos takes care of them. We have a catering cart to get food and drinks out to the field staff. We’re as modernized as we can afford to be. Still, we depend on people to do the work.”

“It’s a lot of responsibility,” said Lori. “Are you happy about taking it over one day?”