“So you’re solo.”
“Yes. And it’s, well, it’s too much work for a single-man operation.”
Barrett lowered his glass to the table. “Selling seems impulsive.”
Cameron shrugged.
“Why not stick with the company and hire someone to take up the slack?”
“You available?” Cameron joked.
Barrett shook his head. “Afraid not. But Brooks?”
Cameron thought about his older brother, who was presently at home for a couple of weeks to help with Jessica’s wedding. But Brooks spent more time with his sailboats in Maryland than he did in Philadelphia.
“He’s an athlete. Brooks was never into finance.”
Barrett nodded, familiar with Cameron’s ex-Olympian older brother. “Pres?”
Preston, Cameron’s second-oldest brother, had recently gotten his act together after moving home mysteriously last year and spending a few months drinking Scotch and being belligerent. He was finally working at a reputable entertainment law firm in Philly, and Cameron had no interest in distracting or derailing him.
“He’s working at Clifton, Jackson & Webb. On track for partner.”
“That’s right.” Barrett paused like he was weighing something in his head. “Cameron, I hope I’m not out of line, but I think of you like family, and I can’t let you do this without talking it over seriously. C & C Winslow is a legacy. Don’t get me wrong, we’d be crazy to pass up your clientele list alone, and if you’re hell-bent on selling, you know we’d offer the same level of service that you and Chris give your clients—”
“Which is why you’re the only potential buyer for this sale, Barrett.”
“But that’s the thing. Are you sure you want to sell? How about a merger instead? English & Sons could buy a seventy percent interest in C & C Winslow, and back up your deals. You’d have Fitz and Kate for legal and Stratton for financials. Alex could handle international and new business for you. After Alex and Jess are married, we’ll be family, so a merger would be an organic transition for all of us. You don’t need to sell.”
You don’t need to sell.
Barrett’s words knocked around in Cameron’s head as the waiter came over to take their order. You don’t need to sell The very words lifted a weight from Cameron’s shoulders as he imagined the English brothers and their cousin, Kate, stepping in to share the burden of C & C Winslow’s clients and deals. He’d be able to have a normal life.
Except.
He’d still be bound to C & C Winslow, which made his heart feel heavy because he was more and more ready to move on to the next chapter of his life.
This morning, he’d taken a break from his business to surf the Internet for more ways to make a regional winery a profitable business venture, and his research had taken him to the largest and most well-run vineyards in the United States, in Napa Valley. Checking out the different business models, he started to realize that if he and Margaret were able to buy adjacent Harrell Reserve, they’d have three times as much growing space and the opportunity to build another couple of hospitality-style buildings for tastings, group events, and weddings. If The Five Sisters became a popular destination, they could then offer to buy the land on the other side and build an inn or bed-and-breakfast, where guests could spend a weekend.
He’d been so excited about the prospects, so enamored by the possibilities, that the morning had slipped away and he’d almost missed his appointment with Barrett. Even with the support of English & Sons, he couldn’t muster an ounce of the enthusiasm he’d felt for Margaret’s vineyard when it came to keeping his hand in C & C Winslow.
You don’t need to sell.
Hell, deep in his heart, he wanted to sell. In fact, he wanted to unload C & C Winslow for the specific purpose of taking the money he’d make on the sale and offering a partnership to Margaret Story: You handle the grapes and wines. I’ll handle the tourism, groups, events, and tastings. And if all went well? They didn’t have to stop at Newtown. They could apply their business model to any region of the United States where Margaret wanted to grow grapes and Cameron felt that the tourist trade could be solid.
Business partners.
But there was a problem with that, as well.