“Your . . . your what?”
“My attorney.”
“What do you need with an attorney?”
“Dad . . . you sent me to college. An expensive one. I graduated with honors. One of the first rules in business is to seek legal advice whenever in doubt. Especially with contracts.”
“R&R has plenty of lawyers.”
Emma smiled at Gio. For some strange reason she was getting a kick out of this entire exchange. “But Casa de Emma does not.”
“What in the hell . . . there is no Casa de Emma. Your property is an arm of R&R.”
Emma opened her mouth wide as if in shock and looked at Gio. Surprise!
But before she could say a thing, she heard her mother talking to her dad. “You told me Emma had control of that land.”
“It’s . . . she does,” her father stuttered.
“As an arm of R&R?”
Her parents continued to argue while Gio and Emma heard every word.
“Go, Mom,” Gio said quietly.
Emma raised her voice. “I wanted to believe that what my lawyer was concerned about was somehow lost in translation.”
“You expect me to hand you a fifteen-million-dollar piece of property without holding any rights to the wine?”
And there it was.
“Actually, Father . . . I didn’t expect that of you at all. I explained I wanted to start out on my own. I’m prepared to negotiate a sale from R&R to Casa de Emma.”
“I can’t believe you, Robert.” Beth was mad.
Emma continued. “Since I’ve already moved in . . . and the legal paperwork you provided gives me possession of the home and control over the vineyard as part of my trust, I’m sure you’ll be prepared for negotiations moving forward.”
“Negotiations for what, young lady?”
Gio made a cutting motion against his neck and mouthed the words Cut him off.
“I don’t have my computer in front of me since we’re on the way to the airport. Maybe you can have your secretary call me and arrange a better time to talk. I think my schedule is open Tuesday afternoon.”
Gio was holding back laughter.
“This is absurd,” Robert said.
“Give me that phone.” Beth took the call back. “I will take care of this.”
“Mom. I appreciate your help, but I can handle it.”
“For Christ’s sake, your father gave Richard fifty acres and an executive salary.”
Emma thought Richard only lived on those acres. He wouldn’t bark at actual ownership. Their father had his balls in his pocket.
“This is not on you, Mom. I have this.”
“I’ll be back next week. Earlier if your father shoves his foot any farther up his own ass.”
Emma’s eyes opened wide. She’d bet money her father had left the room.
“I love you.”
“I love you, too, honey. Give Giovanni a kiss. Make sure he knows I like him a hell of a lot better than I ever liked Kyle.”
Gio made a heart shape out of his fingertips.
“Bye, Mom.”
They hung up.
“She loves me more than she did Kyle,” Gio repeated.
“That entire conversation and that’s what you pick up on.”
“You don’t need anything on the rest of it. You were a rock star. You stated the facts, gave your father an out and a place to lie if he needed to . . . and then backed him into a corner.”
“And then shut him down so we can regroup.”
“‘I have room in my schedule on Tuesday.’ That was priceless.” Gio raised a fist in the air, to which Emma bumped it with her own.
“We talked to enough people last night to let them know that my father’s generosity is giving me a seat at the table. And hopefully that will be talked about. His ego is much too big to look like a two-faced liar. He’ll have to negotiate with me.”
Gio changed lanes to get around a semi. “People will be talking. I made sure of that.”
“How so?” Emma asked.
“I spoke with the editor in chief of the magazine running the event. I reminded them of your conversation and then added a love story to spice it up.”
Emma’s jaw dropped. “You did not.”
“I most certainly did. Wine and romance? What more could a magazine article want? Your father added the drama by inviting Kyle . . . and you know people will talk about that.”
Emma stared out the windshield. “That’s a spark of genius.”
Gio patted his own back. “I know.”
“Humble much?” Emma asked, joking.
“I am many things, amore . . . humble is not one of them.”
Hours later, Emma lugged two giant bags of food that Gio’s mother had prepared into the house.
She dumped the bags, her purse, and her keys on the counter and sighed.
Emma pulled out her phone and texted Gio. I’m home.
Good. You’re safe.
I feel good about today.
There was a pause and then dots flashed on her screen. You were a force.
Emma glanced at the food on the counter. Thank your mother again for me.
We’re Italian. Everything begins and ends with food.
And wine.
She glanced at her wine fridge, saw some of the bottles she’d purchased in Italy stacked and chilling.
If you start to doubt what happened today. Call me. Day or night.
Emma ran a hand down her face, her smile actually hurt. You know me too well.
Standing up to your father is huge. There is bound to be a recoil. Call me if that happens. Promise me, amore.
I will.
She sent a kissing emoji and he sent a heart.
Amore . . .
Didn’t that mean “love”?
An endearment. An Italian endearment.
Emma shook it off and grabbed her keys to shove in her purse.
She hesitated . . . tossed them in the air . . . twice.
Then picked up her phone.
“Hey, sis! How the hell are you?”
Emma loved how down-to-earth Ryan was. He was a symbol that her family could be normal.
“I have food . . . I have wine . . . and I need you to help me change the code on my gate and give me the name of a locksmith.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
Wearing a thin blue and white hospital gown, Emma sat in the exam room, waiting for Dr. Sandy to walk in.
She’d spent the previous night catching up with her brother, eating and laughing and dissing their father.
Ryan was understandably outraged and yet not surprised by Robert’s actions.
It was when Kyle was brought up that Ryan wanted to take a stand.
“I don’t care if Kyle walked the moon and the earth. He has no business keeping that man in his inner circle and you on the sideline.”
Emma couldn’t have agreed more.
“When can I meet this Giovanni guy? I need to approve before it gets any more serious.”
Emma’s heart melted.
Ryan didn’t think Kyle had been the right guy either.
When she called Ryan out on not saying something at the time, he reminded her that she’d been focused on one thing. Pleasing their father.
Now . . . Emma sat in a doctor’s office and realized she’d said nothing to anyone about this appointment.
So focused on her financial future, she didn’t think this was worthy of talking about.