They laughed and agreed. I cut the line and took an offered drink. There was a big gala event after the award ceremony. I was close enough to the end of the thing that they weren’t allowing us to go back to our seats. I thought about calling Piper, but if she hadn’t answered my texts, I doubted she’d answer a phone call.
Finally, the ceremony ended with a huge round of applause. The lights came back up all the way, and everyone entered the next ballroom for the dance portion. I should go mingle, but I was more confused than anything.
So, I took my trophy with me as I made my way toward the judging panel. A few people stood around, discussing the different medal placements. I wanted to know where Piper had ended up. And how it was that she hadn’t even placed.
But Daddy Sinclair beat me to it.
I interrupted his ranting. “What’s going on?”
Daddy Sinclair whirled on me. He looked ready to rail at me, too. “They said I withdrew.”
I blinked. “What?”
“Sinclair Cellars withdrew from the competition,” the poor stone-faced woman at the judging table said.
“That’s absurd.”
“Precisely!” Daddy Sinclair snapped. “I would never withdraw from the competition. I had it under good authority that we were going to place highly in this event.”
“I’m sorry, sir. As I said before, you can file an appeal, but the judging is done in secret, and a withdrawal is typically considered final.”
“Oh fuck,” I whispered as it all became clear to me.
Piper had been raving last night about how terrible Daddy Sinclair had been to her. How he’d called it “our” award and not hers. She’d done all the work, and he was going to take the credit for it. She’d been mad enough and stubborn enough. Even if it meant hurting her place at the winery, even if it meant losing the thing she had been working for all year, she’d do it.
“How could this have happened?” Daddy Sinclair demanded.
The woman looked down at her paperwork. “Officially, Sinclair Cellars withdrew from the competition by the organizer of the vineyard entry, Piper Medina, last night, sometime after eight p.m.”
“Shit, Piper,” I hissed.
Daddy Sinclair appeared to turn almost purple with rage. “That bitch,” he snarled.
“Watch your fucking mouth.”
But he was long past gone. “After all that I did for her family. After I spoke with her last night, assuring her that nothing was going to change. She goes behind my back and pulls this shit. There will be consequences for this deceitful, underhanded behavior. Forget tolerance. The old ways are out, and the new ways are in.” He punched his fist into his other hand. “There will be restructuring after this stunt, and Piper will find herself out of a job.”
I took a menacing step forward. “You will do no such thing.”
“Excuse me,” he snapped. “You have no say in the matter.”
“No, but you haven’t even talked to her. Maybe she was saving you from embarrassment because the winery was going to crash and burn.”
“No,” he said. “I know a judge, and they informed me that we were placing.”
“Isn’t that outside of the bounds of the award?” I pushed right back. “Couldn’t you be disqualified for tampering?”
“Certainly not,” he said, bristling at the implication.
“Piper must have had a reason for withdrawing.”
“Insanity. She was mad that I’d purchased the winery and wanted to get back at me. I can’t imagine any other explanation. So, you’ll forgive me if I don’t want to hear about your infatuation with the girl. She might need your defense, but she’ll find only justice from me.”
“Oh, I don’t think so.”
He looked half-ready to hit me. “You have no power here.”
I smirked at him. “I think I do.” I pitched my voice low, so only he could hear me. “Sugar daddy.”
He narrowed his eyes at me. “You don’t have anything on me.” He looked me up and down with disgust. “You’re just a boy. Congratulations on your win. Now, get the fuck out of my way.”
He dropped his shoulder into me as he passed. Of course, I was a head taller than him, so it did nothing but push him backward. I watched him with a fire-breathing dragon rippling through my chest.
He wouldn’t get away with this. Not after the shit he’d pulled on Piper. A man like him always won. He was sure of it. But he’d never dealt with me before.
And I knew just how to break him.
40
Piper
“You ready, Piper?” Blaire called from the living room.
I was seated at my desk bright and early Monday morning, reading through the winner list for the award ceremony. I’d forced myself not to look all day Sunday as I drove back home. I didn’t want to feel anything but sad that I’d been forced to withdraw from the competition.
It had been the only reasonable thing I could do. It wasn’t giving up. It was taking back control. It was saying that all of my hard work wasn’t in vain. I couldn’t stand it if the thing was attributed to some asshole who hadn’t done the work. So, I did the only power move I had left.
And Hollin had won.
If I couldn’t, at least it had come back to Lubbock somehow. It hurt, not being there, not knowing how I would have done. But less than if I’d had to share the award with that bastard. I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction.
“Piper,” Blaire said, sticking her head in my door. “You coming?”
“Yeah. Just…finally checking the results.”
“Hollin won!”
“You already knew?”
She laughed. “Uh, duh! It was hard as fuck not to tell you.”
“I’m happy for them.”
Blaire plopped down next to me. “You sound really sad when you say that.”
“I know. But I am happy. I’m also…sad about everything.” I huffed and finally revealed my plan. “I’m quitting.”
Blaire gasped. “What?”
“The winery. I’m quitting. I decided on the drive home that I’m not going to work there anymore. I just…I can’t do it. I can’t work for that man. I’d rather find something else to be passionate about.”
“Wow.” Blaire’s eyes were wide in horror. “But, Piper…it’s your dream.”
“Trust me, I know. I’ve thought about it. Dad’s going to be pissed, too. I can’t stay either.”
“I’m sorry.” Blaire stood and hugged me. “You still want to go to the Memorial Day party?”
I nodded, swiping at my eyes. “Yeah. It’ll be good to be out. Plus, Hollin won’t be there.”
“Okay. Well, you look hot,” she said.
I looked down at the pink bikini she’d thrown at me this morning. “I’m wearing your clothes.”
“Exactly.” She winked at me. “Let’s go.”
I followed her out of my room, grabbing my beach bag and heading out to my Jeep. I spent a few minutes removing the top, and then we drove out of town and toward Ransom Canyon. Jensen Wright had a lake house right on the water at the bottom of the canyon. It was tradition for him to have a giant party to celebrate the start of summer.