Buttons and Grace (Buttons 6)

Chapter 21

Crow

We met with the contractors and got the permits so we could begin construction. We knew exactly where we would create the warehouses and the main building. It would be similar to my winery, so people would know they were related. Cane and I both wanted the same architectural style as my winery, so that meant cobblestone pathways, stone walls, and large windows that let in a lot of natural light. It would be a fine piece of Italian culture, something tourists would take pictures of if they drove by.

When the meeting was over, Cane and I entered the warehouses, and I went over the things that needed to be done. Since he needed something to do, I let him handle all the shipping and accounting. We had lots of barrels to keep track of, and we needed to give big clients the attention that they craved.

Cane was easy to work with. When we focused on the task at hand, he didn’t seem so miserable. He was distracted enough so he didn’t think about Adelina. Seeing him move around and get stuff done brought some life back into him.

He hadn’t been this down since Vanessa.

And his response was exactly the same—to stay busy.

We walked up to the storage area for barrels that were packed with red wine. “We have regular big shipments to our biggest vendors in Florence and Rome. Most of our resources are used to fill these orders. Having that second location will be helpful since our production is maxed out right now.”

Cane nodded in agreement. “Makes sense.”

We walked through the warehouse then returned to the main building where my office was. My assistant had been working for me for years. She was a mother of three, and she liked having a low-stress job because her life was focused on being with her family. She never had any encounter with my illegal activities, and she had no idea who I truly was.

We walked past her and entered my office.

Cane sat across from my desk and rested one ankle on the opposite knee. “Everything seems pretty straightforward. So, you want me to manage the property?”

“I think it’s a good idea. That way, when the other winery is done, you’ll know exactly what to do. Besides, I could use the help around here anyway.” Now that Pearl was having our first kid, she was my priority. I wanted to be there for her when she needed me. Work would come second now that my family was growing. I couldn’t just put someone else in charge when I couldn’t monitor them, but with Cane, I didn’t need to worry about that.

“I think I got everything down. I wonder how long it’ll be before the winery is finished.”

“At least a year, unfortunately.”

“I could still start the crop process. I’ll have to haul everything back and forth, but at least we’d have more grapes for pressing.”

“True.”

He nodded then tapped his fingers against the wood of the armrests. His eyes scanned my office, seeing the paintings on the wall and the picture I had of Pearl on our wedding day. His eyes sat there for a long time before he finally looked out the window.

I could see the misery written across his face. “How are you?”

“A little overwhelmed but I’ll get into the swing of things. I’m smarter than you give me credit for.”

“I wasn’t asking about work,” I said quietly.

Cane’s eyes shifted to me, knowing exactly what I was referring to.

I hated putting my brother on the spot, but I couldn’t ignore his devastation. No matter how hard he tried to hide it, I could see it.

“There’s nothing to say,” he said. “I’m fine.”

“You don’t seem fine.”

He shrugged. “Okay, I’m not fine. But it doesn’t change anything. No need to talk about it.”

“Have you spoken to her?”

“The other day, actually.”

I couldn’t hide my surprise. I’d assumed she would never call him, and he had too much pride to call her. “What happened?”

“She called me because her mom wanted to speak to me.”

“And what did she say?”

His eyes shifted to the picture of Pearl and me again. “She thanked me for rescuing Adelina and returning her home.” He spoke without emotion, like the memory of the conversation meant nothing to him. “Later, Adelina called me when she was in her bedroom. We talked for a little while, about her life and the attention she was getting. When we got off the phone…she told me she missed me then hung up.”

Adelina didn’t seem like someone who would just say something without meaning it. She wouldn’t torture Cane for no reason. “Pearl was right. She’ll come back.”

He released a heavy sigh that was burdened with sadness. “I hope so. Talking to her just…makes me miss her even more. I try to stay busy so I don’t think about her, but when I’m in my bedroom at night…it’s hard not to.” Instead of projecting his tough-guy image, Cane was vulnerable with me. He obviously didn’t care what anyone thought of him anymore.