Lattes and Lilacs - The Hamiltons Book 11 (ebook)

Callie finally has the life she wanted. A small cottage tucked into the trees in Fort Bragg. A kiln out back. Quiet. Space. And nobody reminding her she was supposed to marry a farmer and have kids by now.
All she has to do is make enough money before her family back in Kansas figures out she didn't move to California for the job she told them she had.
The last thing she needs is a romance that pulls her into the wine-country world she's been carefully skirting since she arrived.
Good thing Ollie's just a pilot.
Isn't he?
Ollie learned young that money — and a famous name — come with expectations he never asked for. Flying for one of Napa's most powerful wine families lets him stay in the background, where he can just be himself.
Then he meets Callie. A ceramic artist who's uncomfortable around wealth and privilege — and who likes him for who he is, not what he has.
Ollie knows he should tell her the truth. He's just not sure what will happen when she realizes the man she trusted isn't nearly as uncomplicated as she thought.

The Hamiltons Series
This series follows the Hamilton family in California wine country. If you recognize the name Hamilton from the Summer Lake Series it’s because this is Smoke’s family who own one of the largest wine growing and distribution businesses in the country. In this set of connected stand-alone books you will meet Smoke’s brother and sister as well as a couple of cousins.

Chapter One

Ollie ran his hand through his hair. What was he thinking? This was possibly the dumbest idea he'd ever had.
Butter came and nuzzled his hand.
"I know, big fella. You can tell this is off, can't you?"
Reaves stuck his head out of the kitchen. "Anyone with any sense knows this is way off. Butter has more sense than a lot of people — and a whole lot more than you do right now. It's not too late, you know. You could call Callie and tell her to come to your place."
Ollie blew out a sigh. "But then I'd have to explain why I gave her your address instead of my own. On second thought, I wouldn't even get the chance to explain. As soon as she saw the place, she'd turn right around and drive away again."
Reaves came into the living room and sat down. "Are you sure it'd bother her that much?" Peanut jumped up beside him and pinned him to the back of the sofa with her paws on his shoulders while she licked his face.
"I love you too," he told her with a laugh, "but be serious, would you? Ollie needs to figure out what he’s going to do — and fast."
Ollie checked his watch. He had twenty minutes left before Callie was supposed to arrive. He'd finally gotten her to agree to see him — although she still wasn't calling this a date. The trouble was, she was adamant that she didn't fit in with people here — the wealthy wine families. And he'd shot himself in the foot from the moment he met her. When he'd gone to collect her from Fort Bragg to bring her to Napa for Jacob and Becca's wedding, he'd done his best to put her at ease. He'd done that by assuring her that he wasn't one of the so-called wine royalty. Sure, he was a pilot — he flew for the DuPont family. But...
Reaves gave him a stern look. "If things are going to go anywhere between the two of you, you're going to have to come clean at some point. I'd say you should do it now. Right now. Up front."
"It's too late already. I should have been upfront with her from the moment I met her. It's just that she was so nervous about meeting everyone, you know, thinking that she doesn’t fit in because she’s a Kansas farm girl..."
"And you reassured her that you’re not like them. I get it. I do. But you need to be honest with her."
"I didn't lie. I'm not from one of the wine families."
"Yeah, but we both know it's not the wine she's uncomfortable with, is it? It's the wealth. The money. And you, my friend, are wealthier than the rest of them put together."
"It's not that bad."
"I'm not saying it's bad. But you can’t deny that you could probably buy most of the wineries around here without even putting a dent in your savings." He shrugged. "It's up to you. If you're only going to see her a couple of times, then I guess it doesn't matter. But even then, she's friends with Becca. Becca's been talking about getting her to come visit more often. It's not like you'd never see her again — not like she won't ever find out."
Ollie looked around. "Yeah, but maybe I can ease her into it. Maybe if we get to know each other better, once we're friends, or hopefully more, then she'll understand why I did it. That I only wanted to put her at ease. She was nervous and she needed a friend. I knew if I told her who I was, she wouldn't see me as a friend. She'd see me as just another one of the wealthy wine people she was wary of."
"You don't need to justify it to me — I get it. But I doubt that she will. Maybe if you tell her right now... You already said she was suspicious about why you didn't want her to come to your place. Tell her why. You can explain why you gave her my address instead of yours — that your intentions were good. But if you go through with this, I don't know if there'll be any coming back from it."
Ollie looked around Reaves's apartment. He’d brought the dogs’ things over with him, but in his mind, it was obvious that this wasn’t his place. "You're right. I'm going to have to tell her the truth, aren't I?"
"Yeah. It's not in your nature to deceive her, and she needs to know. I think if you do it as soon as you see her, she might even respect you for coming clean."
His heart sank as he reached into his pocket for his phone. He'd known when he gave her Reaves's address instead of his own that it was all wrong. He'd almost taken back the napkin he’d written it on, but it was already too late. One moment of panic had led to a couple of sleepless nights — which wasn't ideal since those nights had come between busy days when he and Reaves were flying Jacob and Becca’s wedding guests back to the airport in San Francisco.
"I don't know how people survive living double lives. Or cheating — it's only been forty-eight hours, and the stress is killing me."
Reaves chuckled. "That's because you're basically a decent human being who only had a momentary lapse of judgment. Call her. You still have time to pack up the hounds and get back to your place before she arrives. Maybe meet her at the gates and explain yourself before she spooks and drives away."
"Yeah."
Just as he was about to call her number, his phone rang in his hand.
"Shit! It's her!"
Reaves laughed. "Stop panicking! You can still tell her. Answer it!"
"Hey, is everything okay?"
"It is. I'm great. It's just that I'm a little early. I gave myself more time than I needed since I'm not used to Xander's truck and I don't know my way around here. I'm outside already, but I thought it was only fair to give you a little warning." Her laugh sounded tense as she added, "You know, give you the chance to usher your wife and kids out the back door."
His stomach dropped.
What's wrong? Reaves mouthed.
She's here! he mouthed back.
Reaves covered his face with his hand as Ollie said, "That's okay. Reaves is here, but he was heading out anyway. No wife or kids to worry about."
"I'll see you in a minute, then."
"I'll come down and meet you."
He ended the call, and Reaves grabbed his keys and phone from the counter. "Let me know when it's safe to come back. I can stay at my dad's if you want me to, but I highly recommend..."
"Thanks. I know you're right. I'll figure it out."
He pointed to the beds that he'd set up in the corner between the sofa and armchair. Peanut and Butter shot to them and sat, eager and alert, their ears pricked, tails sweeping back and forth in perfect sync with each other.
"Wait there, guys, and be good."
As they rode down in the elevator, Reaves punched his arm. "You look like a man going to the gallows. Cheer up — you'll be fine. Just tell her." He gave Ollie a sideways glance. "You know the way to the park from here, don't you?"
"Yup."
"You could take her there to walk the dogs and explain as you go. Although, you’d have to keep them on their leashes, so people don’t run away screaming."
"Yeah."
"Or even better — you could pack her and the dogs into your SUV, drive over to the estate, and walk there. The dogs will be more comfortable on their own turf, and Callie won't be able to storm off or run away. You'll at least have the drive back here to explain yourself."
Ollie gave him a rueful smile. "I don't think that holding her hostage while I apologize is the best way to make up for lying to her."
"Yeah, maybe not, but..."
The elevator dinged when it reached the ground floor.
"Text me if I can help — or if I can come home."
"Thanks, bud. You're the best."
"I always have your back, you know this."
~ ~ ~
Callie looked up at the apartment building. It was pretty fancy, but then it seemed like everything here was. She shouldn't hold it against him. It was a Napa thing, not an Ollie thing. She came from Dodge City, Kansas, and lived in Fort Bragg. Everything about Napa felt kind of upscale to her by comparison.
She should probably get out and go meet him, but she needed a minute. She wanted to remind herself that she really shouldn't be so excited to see him. They were just going to hang out. Walk his dogs. Have something to eat later — and if she got her way, that would mean takeout of some kind; she’d rather hang out with his dogs than go to some restaurant where she’d no doubt feel underdressed. She'd insisted that they were better off as friends, but... but she found him so attractive that she was having trouble remembering why that seemed so important.
On a logical level, she knew why. He lived here; she lived in Fort Bragg. He had a busy career as a pilot; she was happy as a clam in her little cottage with her kiln in the cabin out back. She didn't need to go turning her life upside down trying to fit a guy into it.
But Ollie was a good guy.
She'd watched him over the course of the wedding weekend. People liked him — not just some people. Everyone. From Elena and Walt, who worked for Jacob, through all of their friend group, to Alexandria DuPont — the highest of the mighty. Callie didn't feel too bad using that term, since it was the one Alexandria’s own daughter, Willow, had used.
Even Alexandria seemed to think the world of Ollie. More than that, she talked to him like an equal. That said something. Callie had watched her with Xander and Slade too, since those two were with Alexandria's daughters. It was obvious that she liked them and got along with them, but there was something different about the way she was with Ollie — like the others were the next generation and she cared about them, but Ollie was more like... an equal. That was the only word she could come up with. And it seemed strange, because Ollie worked for her. Well, her son Bentley was the boss now — Alexandria was kind of retired — but still, he'd worked for her family for years.
There was just something about him.
She looked up when the front doors to the building slid open and Ollie and Reaves stepped out into the sunshine. What was she even thinking? The two of them could have stepped right out of the pages of a magazine. They were good-looking enough, dressed the part, and... she pursed her lips. And Ollie was as sexy as sin.
To be fair, Reaves probably was too, in his own way, to some women — just not to her. She could see the appeal; he had the dark hair and square jaw, he was more solidly built — muscular — than Ollie, but he just didn't do it for her. And ever since she'd heard little Zia call him Prince Daddy, that was the only way she could think of him. He was a daddy in her mind — and she had no desire to ever have kids, and she sure as hell wasn't looking for a daddy.
She watched them on the wide steps in front of the building. She was kind of hoping that Reaves would leave, but they stood there chatting, Ollie scanning the road, no doubt wondering where she was.
As much as she was enjoying the view from the spot where she'd parked across the street — she could look at Ollie all day — she needed to make a move.
She climbed out of Xander's truck and locked it behind her. A shiver ran down her spine as she let her gaze travel over Ollie. He was fairer than Reaves, taller, leaner — more of an athletic build. His hair was the kind of brown that looked like he'd spent time at the beach — sun-kissed, honey-blond highlights.
She made a face, hoping that they were natural. She could just imagine the crap her brothers would give her if she told them she'd dated a guy who had highlights in his hair! Their idea of a haircut was to grab the clippers when someone told them they needed to — and not worry about who or what they'd been used on last.
She hitched the strap of her purse higher on her shoulder and backtracked to the crosswalk so that she wouldn't have to parade up and down the street in front of them to get to the one closer to the building.
When she was on the other side of the road, Ollie spotted her. Damn! Goosebumps raced over her skin when he smiled and lifted his hand in greeting. He was gorgeous. He was dressed casually enough — a red T-shirt stretched over his lean chest, his jeans the kind of blue that reminded her of a summer sky. He was wearing a ball cap, but he took it off as he trotted down the steps to greet her.
She waved back but didn't hurry. As much as she was looking forward to spending some time with him, she felt a little nervous now that she was here. She felt like the country mouse come to visit the town mouse. He might think she was a hick by the time the evening was over. She didn't know how these apartment dwellers lived — what was important to them. Sure, she liked him so far, but they really were from different worlds.
She inhaled deeply just before she reached them. She needed to forget all that and just focus on spending a fun couple of hours with a nice guy — and his dogs. She pursed her lips. Although, what kind of guy confined two Dobermans to living in an apartment in the middle of town? His priorities had to be at least a little screwed up to—
"Hey, Callie."
She froze when he came straight to her and rested a hand on her shoulder as he leaned in to kiss her cheek. Pretty forward!
"Hi." She gave him a tight smile as he stepped back.
Then Reaves did the same thing! Okay, so maybe this was apartment-dweller, Napa Valley, California normal? She'd seen movies where people in Europe greeted each other with two kisses on the cheek. Maybe that was where it came from.
"Hey." She forced herself to relax and stop judging them as she smiled. "Are you coming to walk the dogs too?" she asked Reaves. Ollie had said that he was just leaving, but maybe it'd be better if he came along.
He gave her an odd smile. "No, I needed to talk to Ollie about a couple of things. I'm just leaving."
Callie nodded.
"I'll call you later," Ollie told him.
Reaves nodded. "Yeah, or tomorrow. Whatever."
She felt like there was some weird vibe between them, but maybe it was just her.
"I hope he's not leaving because of me," she said as they watched Reaves walk away down the street.
Ollie made a strange sound, and she raised her eyebrows. "Does that mean yes, he is?"
"It's all good." He met her gaze and smiled. "What do you say — do you want to load the dogs up and take them out to a place where they can get a real run? There's a park close by if you'd rather go there, but they'll have to stay on leash, and..."
She smiled. "I'm more than happy to be the reason they get to go somewhere else — somewhere they can run free. I think you already know that I can relate. I don't do well when I'm kept on a leash either."
"Yeah."
She felt bad when she saw the look on his face. She hadn't meant to accuse him of anything, but he looked as guilty as hell.
He gestured for her to come with him up the steps and into the lobby of his building. Once they were inside, Callie tried to look all around without looking like her head was on a swivel. It was beautiful in here. The floors were shiny, polished — marble, maybe? She didn't know. There was artwork on the walls, but it was nice — you could tell that it was of the rolling hills and vineyards, even though the colors were blurry. It felt like golden light on beautiful countryside — not the kind of artwork that you'd swear was a kid's finger-painting but that rich people paid millions for.
The man sitting behind the desk nodded at them, and Ollie nodded back before ushering her toward the elevators.
"Thanks for coming."
"Thanks for asking me."
He shifted from one foot to the other while they waited for the elevator, and she started to wonder if this was maybe a bad idea. They hadn't spent much time together since he'd picked her up last Wednesday to bring her to the Jacobs estate so that she could be with Becca in the run-up to the wedding, but the little time they'd been around each other had been easy and fun. This felt stilted and... weird. She fiddled with the strap of her purse, wondering if she should cut her losses and tell him that it wasn’t going to work, that she should go.
Just as she opened her mouth, the elevator dinged and the doors slid open.
"After you."
She only hesitated for a moment before stepping inside. She was eager to meet his dogs, if nothing else. There had always been dogs around at home on the farm. She missed them since she'd moved to California. She'd enjoyed playing with Hannah's dog, Sir Spots-a-Lot — oops, no, that was Zia's name for him. Scooter. At worst, she'd get to spend the afternoon with a couple of Dobermans and go back to spend the evening at Jacob and Becca's place. There was a massive tub in the private bathroom attached to her bedroom there. She could soak away the ick if this turned out to be a disaster.
Ollie turned to face her with a smile that looked more like what she thought of as normal for him.
"Sorry. I guess I'm a bit tense about this."
She smiled back, relieved. "Don't apologize. I'm the same. But even if this turns out to be a bad idea, at least your dogs will get a run. Where are we taking them?"
He let out a short laugh. "There's a place I know where they can run through the vineyards."
She raised her eyebrows. "Is it private property? You're not suggesting that I go trespassing with you, are you?"
"No. It's okay. I know the guy who owns the place, and I can assure you I have his permission to be there."