Page 98 of Sherry and Sunflowers
"Don't feel bad about it. You know she's only yanking your chain."
"Yeah, I do. When she finished giving me a hard time, she offered to spend some time with us before the Sterling Hartman meeting. Bentley told me she likes to mess with Caleb."
Ollie laughed at that. "Now that I want to see. Caleb strikes me as a real stickler."
"And Willow won't let anyone get the upper hand."
"You can say that again. Bentley and Jacob have both said she's the best COO in the business. It'll be good to get her guidance."
Ollie paused before they went over to the table where the rest of the gang were sitting. "We're going to do great, you know."
Reaves smiled at him. "Of course we are. We make a good team."
"Yeah. We always have. But this whole wine business thing—you know damn well I never wanted to be part of it. That was more about resenting my dad than anything else. Plus, we were having too much fun flying. But now we both have reason to be part of it. And we're pretty damn good at anything we set our minds to." He grinned. "Maybe once we get the hang of it and put House of St. James back on the map, we'll want to run Stratton Wines ourselves too."
Reaves stared at him. "You'd want to do that?"
Ollie shrugged. "Maybe. I own the business, after all. But that's for down the line. First, and most importantly, we turn things around for your dad."
"Yeah. He loves it, you know. Having us both there, working, learning from him."
"I think it's working out great for all of us." Ollie clapped him on the back. "But let's go get the girls their drinks."
Reaves sat next to Alara while they ate dinner, and he was grateful that Callie sat on her other side. He wanted her to feel comfortable—but he needn't have worried. Delaney chatted to her from across the table. Willow pleaded with her to do the flowers for her and Slade's wedding, and as soon as she started that, half the other girls jumped on the bandwagon too. He kept checking in with her, but she wasn't worried, and it was easy to see she could hold her own.
Delaney spoke over the other girls. "Sorry, ladies. I got first dibs. I've asked Alara to work with me. She's done such a fantastic job with the rebrand for House of St. James."
Reaves turned to Alara when she tensed at his side, but Delaney just laughed. "Don't look at me like that, girlfriend. I didn't say you've accepted. I'm just trying to throw this bunch off your case." She looked around at them. "What I mean is, Alara has options. And whatever she ends up doing, she's going to be in demand."
Alara smiled at that.
"What is it you enjoy doing most?" Becca asked her.
She considered the question for a few moments before she said, "I enjoy all of it. I loved doing your flowers—I've done awhole bunch of weddings like that. But…" She thought it over. "I think what I enjoy most is doing what matters to people. If that makes sense." She smiled at Jacob, who was sitting beside Becca. "It's like—you guys. I didn't know you. But I knew how much it meant to you, right from the beginning. The cornflowers, the whole story of it. It was perfect. And when I met you, it was obvious how much you loved each other. That's what made it special." She turned to smile at Reaves. "And then the rebrand for Charles. He's such a wonderful man."
"And his son is as well." Ollie chimed in.
She laughed at that. "Yeah, I'd have to agree with you there. But as wonderful as Reaves is—" her hand found his under the table and she gave it a squeeze "—it's so much more than that, too. It's Charles himself, and the estate. The history there. The legacy. It all means so much." She let out a breath, looking a little embarrassed. "Anyway. I guess what I'm trying to say is that it's the meaning that makes a job enjoyable. More than what kind of work it is. I love to do anything creative. The flowers, the branding—"
"And the painting," Reaves reminded her.
"What kind of painting?" Bentley asked.
She shrugged. "Anything, really. At the moment, I'm painting the view from the house for Charles."
Bentley exchanged a look with his fiancée, Alyssa, who smiled at Alara. "I didn't know you painted. I might have to have a word with you about that—after I’ve convinced you to do our wedding flowers."
Alara laughed. "I'd be happy to work on anything you guys want. You've all been so good to me. And Alyssa—the meaning'sthere, if that makes sense." She smiled around at them. "And of course, I’d charge you friend rates."
"Oh no, you won't." Delaney interrupted her, shooting Callie a quick glance. "I'm going to need your help explaining how things work to Alara."
Callie laughed. "Okay. You can count me in."
"What do you mean?" Alara asked, looking puzzled.
It was Becca who answered. "I think what Delaney means is that you and Callie are a lot alike. Callie wasn't charging enough for her work either. But Delaney's been setting us all straight about that."
Callie let out a short laugh. "And I wasn't exactly gracious about it in the beginning. But…" She blew Delaney a kiss across the table. "I get it now. And I'm forever grateful."
