The Secret
Butler Ranch Book 3
Heather Slade
Butler Ranch Book 3
Heather Slade
Release Date October 16, 2017
Blurb
Can Naughton Butler risk letting Bradley Saint John into his heart, or will his brother's secret ruin his one shot at love?
Naughton Butler is a loner, partially by choice, but also because the secret his dead brother left with him could tear his life apart. When he and his brother Maddox inherit four hundred acres of prime vineyard property, they must decide how to manage Butler Ranch Winery, along with starting a new winery on Demetria Estate.
The solution is to hire the new kick-ass, hotter-than-all-get-out, winemaker who just landed on the Central Coast. When Naughton meets Bradley St. John, he's expecting a man—and she is anything but. Thinking it's a joke, he refuses to take her seriously. Bradley leaves, forcing him to follow and apologize. He watches as she makes her way through the vineyards, she was born to them, just like he was.
Getting a job with Butler Ranch Winery right out of college, is more than Bradley could've dreamed of. When Maddox Butler interviews her for the position, he warns her that Naughton could be difficult, but once he recognized her abilities, he'd back off. The burning question now was, would she want him to?
Naughton can't stay away from her, even knowing being with her is impossible.
Naughton Butler is a loner, partially by choice, but also because the secret his dead brother left with him could tear his life apart. When he and his brother Maddox inherit four hundred acres of prime vineyard property, they must decide how to manage Butler Ranch Winery, along with starting a new winery on Demetria Estate.
The solution is to hire the new kick-ass, hotter-than-all-get-out, winemaker who just landed on the Central Coast. When Naughton meets Bradley St. John, he's expecting a man—and she is anything but. Thinking it's a joke, he refuses to take her seriously. Bradley leaves, forcing him to follow and apologize. He watches as she makes her way through the vineyards, she was born to them, just like he was.
Getting a job with Butler Ranch Winery right out of college, is more than Bradley could've dreamed of. When Maddox Butler interviews her for the position, he warns her that Naughton could be difficult, but once he recognized her abilities, he'd back off. The burning question now was, would she want him to?
Naughton can't stay away from her, even knowing being with her is impossible.
The Secret Excerpt
Naughton, the dark and broody Butler brother, has always been the loner of the family. Like his oldest brother, Kade, Naughton keeps his feelings to himself. He doesn’t talk unless he has something he deems important enough to say—until he meets the new kick-ass, hotter-than-all-get-out, winemaker who just landed on the Central Coast. When Naughton meets Bradley St. John, he’s expecting a man—and she is anything but.
The Secret is the third book in the series set at Butler Ranch in the hills of California wine country—where winemaking, lovemaking and mischief-making abound.
_______________________________________________________________
When Bradley saw a fisherman’s knit throw and a basket of books on the floor near it, she switched off the light near Naughton’s bed, turned the floor lamp on by the chair, and settled in to read.
That’s the way he found her a few hours later, with a book open on her lap and her head resting against the arm of the chair.
He didn’t remember a lot from the night before, other than asking her to stay with him, which he felt like a complete ass for doing. He should wake her, but he couldn’t bring himself to. She looked like an angel with the glow of the soft light streaming through the window, resting on her.
The headache he’d anticipated didn’t materialize, and he vaguely recalled her or Alex giving him a couple of pills before they helped him climb the stairs. He wondered how Mad was faring this morning; his brother had as much bourbon as he’d had.
Bradley stretched her arms above her head, opened her eyes, and sat up in the chair. “Hi,” she murmured.
“You caught me staring. Good morning, beautiful.” Naughton ran his hand over her silky hair. “Doesn’t look like a very comfortable place to sleep.”
Bradley set the book back in the basket. “How are you feeling this morning?” she asked, moving to get up from the chair.
“Stay where you are. I love how you look with the light coming in the window. If I had a sketchbook, I’d draw you this way.”
“Do you draw?”
“Not as much as I used to.” Naughton pointed a grapevine painting. “I did that one about five years ago.”
“It’s gorgeous. I was looking for an artist’s signature. I love it.”
“Thank you. Maybe I’ll show you some of my other work one day.”
“I’d like that.”
When she tried again to stand, Naughton knelt in front of her and ran his fingers down the side of her face. “You stayed.”
“You asked me to.”
“Not exactly the way I imagined us together in my bedroom for the first time.”
When she closed her eyes, leaned against his hand, and her cheeks turned that perfect shade of rosé, he leaned forward and covered her lips with his.
“Maybe you’ll come back again sometime,” he whispered.
She smiled. “Maybe.”
“How about if I cook a big breakfast to make up for last night?”
“You don’t have to do that.”
“I want to.”
He caught her sneak a glimpse at her phone.
“Work’s a no-go today. It’s Labor Day, and the winery is closed.”
“But there’s so much to do.”
“Not today, there isn’t. We’re not even opening the tasting room.”
Bradley looked from him to the bedroom door.
“Come on, sleeping beauty. Let’s get some breakfast.” Naughton took her hand and walked down the stairs and into the kitchen. He pulled the chair out from the table and motioned for her to sit.
“You don’t have to do this. I can go home.”
“I don’t want you to go home.”
“I can help.”
“That’s an offer I’ll take you up on.”
Naughton showed Bradley where he kept the coffee and pointed to the coffeemaker. “You can use that, or there’s a French Press in that cupboard.” She opened the cupboard, took out the press, and filled the tea kettle sitting on the stove with water.
He smiled. “My preference too.”
That’s the way he found her a few hours later, with a book open on her lap and her head resting against the arm of the chair.
He didn’t remember a lot from the night before, other than asking her to stay with him, which he felt like a complete ass for doing. He should wake her, but he couldn’t bring himself to. She looked like an angel with the glow of the soft light streaming through the window, resting on her.
The headache he’d anticipated didn’t materialize, and he vaguely recalled her or Alex giving him a couple of pills before they helped him climb the stairs. He wondered how Mad was faring this morning; his brother had as much bourbon as he’d had.
Bradley stretched her arms above her head, opened her eyes, and sat up in the chair. “Hi,” she murmured.
“You caught me staring. Good morning, beautiful.” Naughton ran his hand over her silky hair. “Doesn’t look like a very comfortable place to sleep.”
Bradley set the book back in the basket. “How are you feeling this morning?” she asked, moving to get up from the chair.
“Stay where you are. I love how you look with the light coming in the window. If I had a sketchbook, I’d draw you this way.”
“Do you draw?”
“Not as much as I used to.” Naughton pointed a grapevine painting. “I did that one about five years ago.”
“It’s gorgeous. I was looking for an artist’s signature. I love it.”
“Thank you. Maybe I’ll show you some of my other work one day.”
“I’d like that.”
When she tried again to stand, Naughton knelt in front of her and ran his fingers down the side of her face. “You stayed.”
“You asked me to.”
“Not exactly the way I imagined us together in my bedroom for the first time.”
When she closed her eyes, leaned against his hand, and her cheeks turned that perfect shade of rosé, he leaned forward and covered her lips with his.
“Maybe you’ll come back again sometime,” he whispered.
She smiled. “Maybe.”
“How about if I cook a big breakfast to make up for last night?”
“You don’t have to do that.”
“I want to.”
He caught her sneak a glimpse at her phone.
“Work’s a no-go today. It’s Labor Day, and the winery is closed.”
“But there’s so much to do.”
“Not today, there isn’t. We’re not even opening the tasting room.”
Bradley looked from him to the bedroom door.
“Come on, sleeping beauty. Let’s get some breakfast.” Naughton took her hand and walked down the stairs and into the kitchen. He pulled the chair out from the table and motioned for her to sit.
“You don’t have to do this. I can go home.”
“I don’t want you to go home.”
“I can help.”
“That’s an offer I’ll take you up on.”
Naughton showed Bradley where he kept the coffee and pointed to the coffeemaker. “You can use that, or there’s a French Press in that cupboard.” She opened the cupboard, took out the press, and filled the tea kettle sitting on the stove with water.
He smiled. “My preference too.”
About the Author
My books are filled with things that bring me joy: music, wine, skiing, families, artists, and cowboys. Not always in that order.
I’m an Amazon best-selling author, and a PAN member of Romance Writers of America. I speak, teach, blog, am an executive sommelier, and all-around entrepreneur.
I grew up an east coast girl, and then spent half my life on the west coast. Now my husband, our two boys, and I happily call Colorado home.
