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The Delancey Brothers #1
First Born Son
First Born Son by Muriel Jensen released on Dec 25, 1998 is available now for purchase.
304 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1999
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December 15, 2019Tate Delancey was the oldest of three brothers. His wife had left him and moved to Paris with her new husband and his two daughters. Tate lived in Boston and was an architect. He missed his family and felt he needed a change.
Mike Delancey was a police hostage negotiator. A recent negotiation had failed and the father had killed his family and then himself. Mike was put on leave and had just been back at work. He faced a bank hostage situation and after an hour, went into the bank and brought the hostages out himself. He was put back on leave.
Shea owned a restaurant until his partner was arrested for fraud. The bank seized the restaurants assets and Shea no longer had a job.
The brothers were all contacted by an attorney. Their uncle had been declared dead and the boys had inherited his winery in Oregon. They decided to give the business a try and called their new endeavor Delancey Vineyards. Tate went back to Boston to sell his part of the architect business to raise capital. He planned on converting one of the buildings into a restaurant for Shea and building a bed & breakfast for Mike to run. He would work with Armand Beauchamp and his daughter to build the winery. Colette Palmer lived with Armand after her husband passed away. He had been dead for two years and the youngest daughter, Katie, had quit speaking then. Megan was the oldest of the two girls. They seemed quite taken with the guys, especially Tate.
Armand was given 3 acres of land and his house in their uncles will. A woman who had lost her husband and had been keeping the books for their uncle was given a cottage on the property along with a promise that she would be able to keep the collection of stay animals that she took care of. One of those animals was a Llama called Victoria.
Tate went to see Colette to tell her he was leaving for a week to return to Boston to sell what he needed to there. She reached out to him and he kissed her good bye. She knew that she had asked for it but was reluctant to admit that she liked kissing him. It had been more an instinctive move on her part and Tate hadn't minded the kiss either.
Tate returned home and began working with Colette. Colette told him that she had met Ben when she was in college. Their dorm building had caught on fire while she was taking a shower. She hadn't known about the fire and was stuck in the building. A fireman saw her had came in to rescue her and then asked her out. They later married and had the two girls. Ben had been working in a fire and had been struck on the head. He thought he was okay but a blood vessel had burst in his head killing him the next night. Katie had been the one who found him lying on the floor. She had gone to Colette, pulling on her to follow and hadn't spoken a word since. Tate told her that he needed to let Katie know that Ben's death wasn't her fault. They also argued about her having not let Ben go either. Colette told him that she would never love anyone else so he needed to give up on pursuing her.
Tate soon met the female mayor of French River, Felicia Ferryman. Colette knew she was in trouble when she had trouble not thinking of Tate with her.
Tate and his brothers were given three kittens by the girls when he got back home. One of the kittens had climbed in Tate's drawers and pulled loose a letter written to their uncle Jack. It was a letter from a woman with a picture of herself and Jack's son, as explained in the letter. The day that Jack had disappeared was the date of his son's birthday. The brothers didn't think that was a coincidence and went in search of the woman. They found out her and the boys name. They decided that they were through searching and agreed to let Daniel be a silent partner in their enterprise until they located him.
The work started on the buildings and Colette called one afternoon because her daughters weren't at their bus stop. She was late picking them up. Tate knew all wasn't lost because she had turned to him when she needed help. Tate found the girls buying a birthday present for Colette. Colette was lecturing the girls and they were almost in tears until she found out why they had not waited for her. They hadn't realized the time. Tate took them all out for pizza to celebrate.
Colette was restless that night and put the girls to bed. Her father got home and she told him what happened. She then told him that she was going to see Tate and thank him for helping her find the girls. She ran into his arms when he opened the door and she told him she loved him. They then made love. The brothers had gone out to eat and weren't at home.
After they took a bath together, they argued about the next step in their relationship. Tate told her he wanted to get married and she told him that she had needed comfort after losing the girls and had come to him. Tate was angry and took her home. His brothers were there and had overheard some of the conversation. They told him to be patient with her. She had taken charge with Ben gone and didn't know how to let go. It was going to take time to adjust to letting someone else into their lives. Tate felt a bit better after talking to his brothers.
It was some time later that Armand asked Tate to come look into why his roof was leaking. Colette wasn't home because he didn't want her to know about it. She had tried to fix the leak herself but it wasn't working. She came home early and found him on the roof. They argued again about him not being allowed into their lives and help her and the girls. He told her that he would be back the next day to work on the roof and she was to leave it alone.
They had worked on the property and it was now June. They were ready to open the restaurant and begin showing off their place. They didn't have any wine of their own yet but they had the restaurant and their place to show off. Their first guests were to arrive the next day when Tate went to work on Armand's roof. Tate climbed onto the roof and heard a noise from the ground. He went to investigate and lost his balance. He fell off the roof and came to hearing Katie screaming, "Daddy". Katie had gone inside and gotten Colette and called 911.
Tate was okay but had a broken rib and a broken finger. He came back home from the hospital and they talked to Katie. She told them that she had overheard Colette talking to someone on the phone and had heard her tell someone that if someone had gotten to Ben sooner that he might still be alive. Katie had been blaming herself. Colette explained to her that their father most likely had a headache all day and hadn't said anything. If he would have said something, he might have gotten checked out and still be alive. There was nothing Katie or anyone else could have done by the time Ben passed out dead on their bathroom floor. It was too late by then. Katie accepted this and continued to talk.
The tour seemed to be a success. There were plenty of visitors for their opening. Tate was sore but satisfied that things were going well. He went home the previous night with the memory of Colette once again telling him that she loved him. Colette had come to realize that she was using Ben as a way of keeping Tate at a distance. She didn't want to give up her independence and control of her life to anyone. She needed to do that for her girls and for herself. She was willing to take a chance with Tate now.
She saw Tate at the wine tasting opening and he was talking to Felicia. His brothers had told him that the previous year, Felicia had too much to drink and was throwing up in a bathroom stall that hadn't been locked when Colette went in. Felicia had been pushed into the wall and knocked out. She said some bad words to Colette in the presence of Rachel and her girls. They hadn't gotten along since.
Colette walked up to Tate and told Felicia that Tate was hers and to back off. The toilet incident was an accident but Felicia ending up head first in the brothers nearby water fountain wouldn't be an accident. Shea and Mike came to escort Felicia away from Tate and Colette kissing.
The brothers stated that there were now only 2 bachelors in the family.
Colette had met and spoken to a visitor from Los Angeles who was looking for a job. She seemed a loose ends. Veronica Callahan gave her name and address to Colette on the chance that Colette might find something for her to do in the area for employment. She told Colette that she was a primary school teacher.
Mike Delancey was a police hostage negotiator. A recent negotiation had failed and the father had killed his family and then himself. Mike was put on leave and had just been back at work. He faced a bank hostage situation and after an hour, went into the bank and brought the hostages out himself. He was put back on leave.
Shea owned a restaurant until his partner was arrested for fraud. The bank seized the restaurants assets and Shea no longer had a job.
The brothers were all contacted by an attorney. Their uncle had been declared dead and the boys had inherited his winery in Oregon. They decided to give the business a try and called their new endeavor Delancey Vineyards. Tate went back to Boston to sell his part of the architect business to raise capital. He planned on converting one of the buildings into a restaurant for Shea and building a bed & breakfast for Mike to run. He would work with Armand Beauchamp and his daughter to build the winery. Colette Palmer lived with Armand after her husband passed away. He had been dead for two years and the youngest daughter, Katie, had quit speaking then. Megan was the oldest of the two girls. They seemed quite taken with the guys, especially Tate.
Armand was given 3 acres of land and his house in their uncles will. A woman who had lost her husband and had been keeping the books for their uncle was given a cottage on the property along with a promise that she would be able to keep the collection of stay animals that she took care of. One of those animals was a Llama called Victoria.
Tate went to see Colette to tell her he was leaving for a week to return to Boston to sell what he needed to there. She reached out to him and he kissed her good bye. She knew that she had asked for it but was reluctant to admit that she liked kissing him. It had been more an instinctive move on her part and Tate hadn't minded the kiss either.
Tate returned home and began working with Colette. Colette told him that she had met Ben when she was in college. Their dorm building had caught on fire while she was taking a shower. She hadn't known about the fire and was stuck in the building. A fireman saw her had came in to rescue her and then asked her out. They later married and had the two girls. Ben had been working in a fire and had been struck on the head. He thought he was okay but a blood vessel had burst in his head killing him the next night. Katie had been the one who found him lying on the floor. She had gone to Colette, pulling on her to follow and hadn't spoken a word since. Tate told her that he needed to let Katie know that Ben's death wasn't her fault. They also argued about her having not let Ben go either. Colette told him that she would never love anyone else so he needed to give up on pursuing her.
Tate soon met the female mayor of French River, Felicia Ferryman. Colette knew she was in trouble when she had trouble not thinking of Tate with her.
Tate and his brothers were given three kittens by the girls when he got back home. One of the kittens had climbed in Tate's drawers and pulled loose a letter written to their uncle Jack. It was a letter from a woman with a picture of herself and Jack's son, as explained in the letter. The day that Jack had disappeared was the date of his son's birthday. The brothers didn't think that was a coincidence and went in search of the woman. They found out her and the boys name. They decided that they were through searching and agreed to let Daniel be a silent partner in their enterprise until they located him.
The work started on the buildings and Colette called one afternoon because her daughters weren't at their bus stop. She was late picking them up. Tate knew all wasn't lost because she had turned to him when she needed help. Tate found the girls buying a birthday present for Colette. Colette was lecturing the girls and they were almost in tears until she found out why they had not waited for her. They hadn't realized the time. Tate took them all out for pizza to celebrate.
Colette was restless that night and put the girls to bed. Her father got home and she told him what happened. She then told him that she was going to see Tate and thank him for helping her find the girls. She ran into his arms when he opened the door and she told him she loved him. They then made love. The brothers had gone out to eat and weren't at home.
After they took a bath together, they argued about the next step in their relationship. Tate told her he wanted to get married and she told him that she had needed comfort after losing the girls and had come to him. Tate was angry and took her home. His brothers were there and had overheard some of the conversation. They told him to be patient with her. She had taken charge with Ben gone and didn't know how to let go. It was going to take time to adjust to letting someone else into their lives. Tate felt a bit better after talking to his brothers.
It was some time later that Armand asked Tate to come look into why his roof was leaking. Colette wasn't home because he didn't want her to know about it. She had tried to fix the leak herself but it wasn't working. She came home early and found him on the roof. They argued again about him not being allowed into their lives and help her and the girls. He told her that he would be back the next day to work on the roof and she was to leave it alone.
They had worked on the property and it was now June. They were ready to open the restaurant and begin showing off their place. They didn't have any wine of their own yet but they had the restaurant and their place to show off. Their first guests were to arrive the next day when Tate went to work on Armand's roof. Tate climbed onto the roof and heard a noise from the ground. He went to investigate and lost his balance. He fell off the roof and came to hearing Katie screaming, "Daddy". Katie had gone inside and gotten Colette and called 911.
Tate was okay but had a broken rib and a broken finger. He came back home from the hospital and they talked to Katie. She told them that she had overheard Colette talking to someone on the phone and had heard her tell someone that if someone had gotten to Ben sooner that he might still be alive. Katie had been blaming herself. Colette explained to her that their father most likely had a headache all day and hadn't said anything. If he would have said something, he might have gotten checked out and still be alive. There was nothing Katie or anyone else could have done by the time Ben passed out dead on their bathroom floor. It was too late by then. Katie accepted this and continued to talk.
The tour seemed to be a success. There were plenty of visitors for their opening. Tate was sore but satisfied that things were going well. He went home the previous night with the memory of Colette once again telling him that she loved him. Colette had come to realize that she was using Ben as a way of keeping Tate at a distance. She didn't want to give up her independence and control of her life to anyone. She needed to do that for her girls and for herself. She was willing to take a chance with Tate now.
She saw Tate at the wine tasting opening and he was talking to Felicia. His brothers had told him that the previous year, Felicia had too much to drink and was throwing up in a bathroom stall that hadn't been locked when Colette went in. Felicia had been pushed into the wall and knocked out. She said some bad words to Colette in the presence of Rachel and her girls. They hadn't gotten along since.
Colette walked up to Tate and told Felicia that Tate was hers and to back off. The toilet incident was an accident but Felicia ending up head first in the brothers nearby water fountain wouldn't be an accident. Shea and Mike came to escort Felicia away from Tate and Colette kissing.
The brothers stated that there were now only 2 bachelors in the family.
Colette had met and spoken to a visitor from Los Angeles who was looking for a job. She seemed a loose ends. Veronica Callahan gave her name and address to Colette on the chance that Colette might find something for her to do in the area for employment. She told Colette that she was a primary school teacher.
June 18, 2018
The Delancey brothers have inherited a dilapidated winery in Oregon, and Tate—the oldest of the three—couldn't be happier. This is the perfect chance for a new life. That was before he found out the winery came with a beautiful but prickly field manager named Colette. Her two daughters like him well enough, but she's fighting him at every step. Soon he realizes that fighting's the last thing he wants to do with Colette. The question is: How can he convince her?
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