Chapter 14 - Can't Win, If You're Not Afraid To Lose

As he takes off his life vest, Jon can see this amazing image walking toward him, with two cups of juice in her hands.

 "I was beginning to wonder if you were ever going to wake up."  He gets in her personal space and deeply kisses her good morning.  She responds, handing him his juice.  "How did you sleep?"

"Comparable to the dead.  How long have you been up?" she hands him his juice and takes a seat on his towel.  "Why didn't you wake me, it's 12:30?"

"You were in a deep sleep, with a smile on your face.  No one would wake that up."

"Did you go on a run?"

"Five miles."  he downs the ice cold orange juice and takes a seat next to her.  "Did a little paddle boarding and some swimming.  Needed to keep myself busy, so I wouldn't be tempted to climb back into bed with you and have my way with you."  He laughs, leaning over and kisses her bare shoulder.

"Well, thank you for not doing that.  I feel so refreshed and ready to go.  What ya got planned for us for today?"  Her head rests on his shoulder.  She looks out over the clear blue water, watching people surfing, paddle boarding, swimming and sailing.  Life is perfect at this very moment.  

"Today is all up to you.  I did get us a car, just in case you wanted to hit some shoppes, a few vineyards or whatever.  We're going to do whatever you want to do."

She looks at him and smiles.  The smile reaches her eyes and he can see that she is completely relaxed, enjoying their time together.  "Can we do this?"

"Spend the day at the beach?  Kick back and do some reading, maybe you could write?"

"We can do that."  He reaches over and grabs the sunscreen.  He knows that she needs it on, so he offers to rub it on her.  She lets him.  "Are you sure you don't want to go into town and take in the sights?"

Beth looks at him and grins, "This is a me and you trip.  We do what we want to do.  If you don't want to beach lounge, we don't have to babe."

They sit in a moment of silence and thought of what each other said.  She can see that he has had some exercise and he's now raring to go.  He likes to go, go, go - even more so after he's exercised.  "I will love whatever it is that you want to do."

Beth laughs at her thought, "Can we lay here and make out?"

"YES!"  he pulls her closer as the last bit of lotion is rubbed in.  "This is our private part of the beach, we can run around naked, should we choose.  And for the record, I'll make out with you anytime that you want."

"Did you eat?" she questions her husband, knowing the answer before she even asks.

"No."

"Let me order us some breakfast and we can make a plan while we eat."

"Sounds good."  he leans back and slides his shades on.  "Please don't forget my decaf coffee."

"JON!"

"What?" he gives her a cute look.

She reaches over and slaps his hand, "You're on vacation, have a little caffeine."

"No.  Please order decaf hun."

Beth takes the phone that's in their cabana and orders beach breakfast, with lots of fruit, pastries, Jon's favorite eggs, toast and french toast.  She needed her white toast, lightly toasted with an organic strawberry jelly. and caffeinated coffee.  "It will be about 15 minutes.  Do you want the rest of my juice while we wait?"

He simply shakes his head no.  "I have something to tell you and you have to promise to not be mad at me when I tell you."  he gives her a crooked smile, and her favorite 'you love me' wink.

She waits, holding her breath.  "What?  What happened?  What did you do?"  She lays back in the lounge chair, slides on her shades and asks again, "What?"

He reaches over and takes his hands in hers, "I went into town very early this morning and toured a small vineyard that needs some help."

"Okayyyy?" she replies.  "Help?  What kind of help?"

"It's owned by a family and has been for over 200 years. Their sales have quickly tanked and they need to either sell to save the family assets or they need to find an investor."  he turns his head slightly aware from her, not wanting to look her eye to eye.  She may turn him to stone. 

Beth sits up, spins herself so her feet are on the floor and she's facing him.  "What did YOU do?"

Jon pauses for a moment, looking for the right words, "I bought it."

"YOU WHAT?"

"I made them an offer that they couldn't refuse and even agreed to allow them to run the business, 100%, under your direction, of course."

She's in shock!  "Why would you do that?"

"It felt like the thing to do.  They are such an amazing family.  I usually see them and visit their vineyard when were over here.  They're friends and needed our help and your guidance.  If anyone can pull them out of the hole, you can."

"You should have consulted me, specially after how you used to feel about all the work and travel that I did for the other ones and now you buy one in Italy."

He can see that she's not happy about it at all, but once she sees it, he knows that she'll fall in love with the vineyard and the Vincennes.  They will love her as well.  "Let's go up there this afternoon so you can see it.  If you hate it, I'll just invest instead of purchase it."

She leans back in the chair again and reminds him, "Do you remember how mad you were when I bought the one in Jersey.  You were pretty livid when you found out."

"You were crazy over worked and had too much on your plate with the kids and the house."

She rolls her head, takes her glasses off and tries to look him in the eye.  She couldn't see, as he had his glasses on, "Please take off your glasses." He obliges her, "We are on vacation, there isn't supposed to be any work going on."

"Fair enough."

"But this isn't over, just so you know."  she gives him a playful wink and they just made small talk waiting for their breakfast to arrive.

They spend the early afternoon planning the rest of their day.  Beth finally decides to let him take her to the vineyard, the vineyard that he made a solid offer on.

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As she walked up the stone step walk way, she was aghast.  The place far beat her expectations of that she thought it might be.  She had imagined it to be run down, vines either strangled or overgrown, but she never imagined how beautiful and healthy the place was.  "Jon, how can this place be failing.  It's perfect."  she says as she squeezes his arm, "This is a vintner's dream."

"So you like it?"  he chuckles, kissing the side of her head.

She smiles, "I love it.  How can it be failing?"

"Alot of competition, I guess.  They don't have the backing for marketing, market research - you know what I mean."  He can see Mr. Vincennes walking in their direction, so Jon whispers in her ear, "Mama Vincennes has cancer and the treatment has eaten up all of their savings, but don't say anything."

Jon makes the introductions.  Papa Vincennes takes them into the family home that sits in the center of the vineyard.  They are welcomed by their large family and treated as if they belonged.