Chapter 14

Jay leaned back in his chair and touched the snifter of brandy to his lips, taking a slow sip. He had work to do, calls to make, even at… he glanced down at his phone… 10:23pm. He'd spent the afternoon in his spacious office conducting long distance meetings. His evening had been spent down at the vineyard offices meeting with the estate manager. The vineyard itself was marginally profitable and run entirely by the manager with Jay handling only minor details. Jay used the vineyard to clean up several sources of income. Sources that would soon become legitimate. Now that Allie was in his life he was less willing to associate with his dirtier business dealings. There would be fewer profits, but he was already an extremely wealthy man several times over. Their future was secure.

His thoughts inevitably drifted to the woman slumbering peacefully in one of his guest rooms. After her storm of tears had passed that morning she had exchanged her moccasins for running shoes, thrown open the p