Falling For The Wrong Brother. Michelle Major

are a few things I’d like to tweak, but it’s a solid design.”

      “We still need to get approval from the town council’s development committee.”

      Griffin nodded. He’d worked with enough building departments over the past couple of years to understand what hoops they’d need to jump through.

      “Everyone knows the fire was an accident.” Marcus opened his fingers and the blade of grass fluttered to the ground. The words were a direct echo of what Maggie had told him.

      “Dad didn’t,” Griffin muttered, repeating his stock answer. “I still can’t believe he never rebuilt the tasting room. Using the lobby of the office for all these years makes Harvest Vineyards look like an amateur operation. Visitors expect an experience when they tour a winery, not being shoved into a cramped room.”

      Marcus sighed. “Your dad was too stubborn for his own good. We can thank Trevor for pushing the idea of building a new tasting room. It’s part of his overall branding strategy.”

      “My brother’s not stupid,” Griffin said. Then he added, “At least when it comes to the business. His personal life is another story.”

      “I thought Maggie called off the wedding?”

      “Let’s just say she had more reason than just cold feet.”

      Marcus groaned. “Then Trevor’s a fool. He isn’t going to find a better woman than Maggie Spencer.”

      “Agreed.” Griffin pressed three fingers to his chest where it tightened at the thought of seeing Maggie again. He had no business with her, and it was stupid to go anywhere near her for a dozen reasons, not the least of which was the canceled wedding. But erring on the side of caution was never his strong suit.

      “I’ve got a conference call in a few minutes with one of our distributors.” Marcus glanced at his watch. “Let me know if there’s anything you need to move things along with construction. And when you’re ready for more, my office is open to you.”

      Griffin huffed out a laugh. “You’re like a dog with a bone,” he muttered.

      Marcus smiled. “Whatever it takes.”

      * * *

      Brenna practically jumped out of her chair when the door to the main office opened. She breathed a sigh of relief as Marcus Sanchez walked through. Marcus was not quite six feet tall, with the lean frame of a man who’d spent most of his life working the fields.

      She knew he missed the vines now that he was in the office most days. He favored pressed jeans or khakis with tailored shirts but had extras hanging in the hall closet since he often returned to the office after lunch with dirt stains on his shirts.

      Whether clean or rumpled, Marcus had the air of a man who tolerated nothing less than perfection, which made him all the more intimidating to Brenna. She knew she was outwardly pretty but her inside was a jumble of insecurity and downright fear. Fear that she’d disappoint her daughter. Fear that she’d mess up her life more than she already had. Fear that she’d never find the happiness she so desperately craved.

      “Are you okay?” His gentle brown eyes searched her face like he could read her innermost thoughts.

      Terrified at the idea, Brenna pasted on a bright smile and tapped a finger on the edge of the computer monitor. “You startled me, that’s all. I’m working on the schedule for the rest of the month. Trevor sent an email adding a few events.” She pressed her lips together, forcing herself to stop babbling to Marcus.

      The vineyard’s serious CEO didn’t need Brenna blathering on about her duties. But she was so worried about a possible confrontation with Trevor that adrenaline spiked through her, making her stomach jittery and her nerves strung tight.

      Marcus gave her a warm smile. “How much coffee have you had this morning?”

      “Oh, my gosh.” Brenna popped out of her chair, banging her knee on the corner of the desk in the process. “I’m sorry. I forgot to make a fresh pot,” she said, turning and hurrying down the hall toward the small kitchenette that was the company’s break room.

      She made coffee every morning, often pairing it with homemade muffins or sweet bread. Her official title was office assistant, but for the past six months she’d also managed the makeshift tasting room set up on one side of the Harvest Vineyards lobby.

      Trevor had been the one to promote her into that position, and she was grateful for the additional responsibility and bump in pay. They didn’t get a ton of tourist traffic like some of the larger vineyards, although the plan was for that to change with the opening of the new tasting room. But Brenna made sure the visitors who did find them got not only samples of their best vintages but also a warm welcome to the area.

      Most of her work was with Trevor or the winery’s operations manager. Although he was the CEO, Marcus liked to schedule meetings and handle personal correspondence himself. She tried not to take it personally but secretly wondered if he didn’t ask for her assistance because he didn’t trust her to do a good job.

      Now she wished she had the tall, handsome leader in her corner. She hadn’t spoken to Trevor since Maggie had walked out of the church. But he must know Brenna had been the one to confirm that the kiss was more than a onetime lapse in judgment. Why hadn’t she told Maggie about his cheating before?