Free Too Close to the Sun by Diana Dempsey Page A

again and like a
Hollywood starlet, racing around L.A.'s canyons dreaming of how
rich and famous she would someday be. She and Max even raced up an
isolated mountain road to Max's favorite overlook, then barreled
back down again at a marvelously insane speed.
    She had such a good time, she forgot to tell
Max who was coming to visit them at Suncrest that very
afternoon.
    *
    Will arrived at the winery for his meeting
smack on time at 4 o'clock, dressed for the occasion in khakis,
dress shirt, and navy sport coat. He didn't mind working on a
Saturday—his wasn't the sort of job that hewed to 9 to 5—and
besides, he was damn curious why Ava had scheduled this little
get-together.
    It seemed too much to hope for that she'd
done an about-face and was now considering selling Suncrest to GPG.
But what else could it be? Their other meetings had all been at his
behest, Will Henley a flannel-suited beggar offering her millions
on bended knee. Was it possible that her son's absence at his own
homecoming party was less noble than Ava had made it out to be?
Maybe now she didn't want to hand him control of the winery? That
was plausible.
    It would save his own ass nicely, too. For
Will had pinned all his hopes on Suncrest. He knew that if he could
get his hands on that winery, with its unique attributes of brand
name and prime vineyard property, he could expand it and earn GPG's
investors the millions they were expecting from a Napa Valley
acquisition. Suncrest was such an attractive prospect that Will had
cast his net no wider—a risky strategy if ever there was one.
    If it paid off, LaRue and everybody else at
GPG would brand him a hero. But if not …
    Will refused even to consider that
possibility. He cooled his heels on the curvy path in front of the
winery. The building was locked, and he saw no one around, though
on this sunny June weekend many of Napa's other wineries were
buzzing with tourists. Suncrest was elite enough that it didn't do
visitor tours except by appointment.
    Gabby might be around though, right? he wondered. No doubt she was putting in extra hours filling in for
her father. Then again, she could just as easily be at the
hospital. The idea of running into her—here, now—made him jittery.
He was eager to see her— beyond eager, really—but didn't want to
have to explain his business at Suncrest. In fact, his professional
code barred him from doing so. Loose lips killed deals. But if he
wanted to get to know this woman, as he most assuredly did, the
nature of his employment at least couldn't remain a mystery for
long. He found, though, he wasn't looking forward to getting into
that, either.
    He shook his head, irritated with himself.
What was he, embarrassed about his work? That was nonsensical. GPG
was a prestigious organization, filled with high-caliber
individuals who did valuable work, resuscitating companies that
might well have gone under otherwise. True, those restructurings
always came at some cost, but what change didn't? GPG was a bastion
of free enterprise, in which he ardently believed. His fervor was
almost patriotic.
    Yet . . . Gabby might not share his view.
Many of the people who worked for the companies that GPG acquired
didn't grasp the bigger economic picture, particularly if the
change in ownership landed them on the unemployment line. He
thought it was highly unlikely that would happen to Gabby, though.
In fact, if GPG acquired Suncrest and ramped up its operations, her
fortunes might well improve. No doubt she'd make more wine, lead an
expanded staff, earn more money.
    "Will," Ava called, sailing toward him on the
winery path, a vision in a peach-colored sweater set and slim white
pants. She looked as cool and elegant as a parfait. Max followed in
her wake, freshly shaven this time, in much the same outfit as Will
minus the blazer. He looked considerably more presentable than he
had at the hospital, where indeed his garb had belied the notion
that he'd spent the afternoon in a business