Seducing the Lost Heir--A wrong brother romance

by Yvonne Lindsay

  “Lucky? Keaton hates me and Kristin is totally on his side. My birth mother has just lost the man she’s been in love with for more than thirty-six years and barely knows me. She didn’t even try to include me today—instead she reached for you.” He shook his head again. “I’m an outsider here. And I’m afraid I always will be.”

  “Logan, no. It’s still early, and you’ve all suffered a terrible shock. Nancy is a compassionate woman and I know she loves you—has always loved you. She’ll be wondering where you are right now. It wouldn’t have occurred to her to ask you to join them at the house, she would have expected it. But Keaton—” She winced. “With how he’s feeling at the moment, I would guess it’s best not to bait the bear in his den. I’m persona non grata, too. I feel like there’s a massive void in my body. Like I don’t belong anywhere, either.”

  “Which leaves us where?”

  “Together, Logan. It leaves us together. For now, anyway.”

  Together sounded mighty good to him right now. More than anything else he wished they could embrace and simply find comfort in one another. He would have moved toward her, offered her comfort in his arms, but she had looked away and he could see she was struggling to hold onto her composure. As intimate as they’d been, she obviously wasn’t ready to let him in and share her true emotions and, as much as that hurt him, too, he could understand it.

  “We’re a fine pair, aren’t we?” he commented wryly.

  She attempted a smile, but it was little more than a grimace. It was then that he realized she had tears slowly rolling down her cheeks. Logan pushed a strand of hair from the side of her face.

  “Douglas meant a lot to you, didn’t he?”

  She nodded, and when she spoke her voice was thick and choked. “He taught me so much. I started at Richmond Developments straight out of college in the lowest-paid administrative role they had, and I worked my way up. He was the one who pushed me to always strive to reach further and work harder. And when he saw I was worthy, he didn’t hesitate to put his weight behind me as I applied for better roles within the company.

  “My dad left us when I was young. Cut off all ties to my mom and me. Douglas Richmond was more of a father figure to me than my dad ever was. I know Douglas’s style didn’t suit everyone, but it suited me and I owe him a lot.”

  “I’d say that was true of a lot of people at Richmond Developments. I didn’t have the opportunity to work with him for long, but I could see how his focus brought out the best in many of the teams he had working for him.”

  “Keaton wouldn’t agree with you there. He felt his father’s methods were draconian and autocratic. They were often at loggerheads.”

  Logan thought about that for a moment. In the short time he’d known his brother, the only times he’d seen Keaton blow up in anger or frustration were when they were with their father. Even his anger toward Logan over Honor was a quiet seething thing. Kristin, too, had always had an air of suppressed irritation around their father at work.

  “How about Kristin? She seemed really annoyed that he’d never considered her for the CEO role within the company.”

  “She’d make a great CEO. But that was never Douglas’s plan.”

  “And what about you? If I’d never turned up, where would you be?”

  “Where I am now, I guess, except probably still engaged to Keaton and planning a wedding.”

  There was a note of bitterness in her voice that he couldn’t ignore.

  “I’m sorry. I’ve really stuffed things up for you, haven’t I?”

  “No, I can’t blame anyone but myself for where I am right now. In fact, I was in the middle of giving Douglas my notice when he collapsed.” Her eyes filled with tears all over again. “I can’t help but feeling that his stroke was my fault. He was arguing with me, telling me he didn’t want me to leave the company.”

  Logan felt his gut clench in a knot at her words. She’d resigned? It was obvious that their relationship had brought her to this and knowing that filled him with frustration and regret. He hated that he’d been instrumental in making her want to leave a job that she clearly loved.

  “Honor, you can’t honestly believe you’re responsible for him having a stroke. He was under the care of several doctors. I overheard the conversation between the police and the vascular neurologist. Douglas had been cautioned to take his condition more seriously and to make changes to his lifestyle. From what I understand, he just asked the doctor to fill his prescriptions and carried on in his inimitable way. He made his own choices, Honor. The way we all do.”

  She went still as she processed his words. He was surprised when she abruptly stood.

  “I don’t know about you, but I need something to eat. Frozen pizza and soup work for you?”

  He looked at her in surprise. She wanted to eat? He suspected she just wanted to be busy, doing something that might distract her from her thoughts.

  “Sure,” he replied. “Let me help.”

  “Not much to reheating a pizza and opening a can of soup,” she said dismissively.

  “Hey, I’ve opened a lot of cans in my time. I’m expert at it,” he said, rising from the sofa.

  He followed her into the kitchen, where they heated the food then sat at the breakfast bar to eat it. For all her profession of hunger a few minutes ago, Honor was doing a good job of pushing her food around without eating it.

  “This is going to destroy Nancy,” she said abruptly. “She lived for Douglas.”

  “They certainly seemed close,” Logan commented. “Do you think she’ll keep working?”

  “I don’t know. Nancy is old-school. She always deferred to Douglas’s wishes, barely expressed an idea of her own that he hadn’t preapproved. She’s going to be lost without him.”

  Logan considered Honor’s words. It didn’t sound like a terribly great way to live your life, but who was he to judge?

  He wondered how Nancy was doing now, so he slid his phone from his pocket and dialed her home number before he could change his mind.

  “What are you doing?” Honor asked.

  “Calling to see how she is. They might have shut me out at the office, but I need my mother to know I’m thinking about her.”

  The phone rang several times before Keaton answered. “Richmond residence.”

  “Keaton, it’s Logan,” he said awkwardly. “I just wanted to check on you all, especially Nancy. How’s she holding up?”

  “As well as can be expected. Is there anything else?”

  Logan tried not to be angered by his brother’s tone. The man was grieving. Hell, they were all grieving.

  “I would like to be there, to help support Nancy, if you’ll let me,” he said carefully.

  “That won’t be necessary. Mom’s been sedated and she’s in bed. Kristin and I are here.”

  We don’t need you hung silently in the air between them. Logan had to accept what Keaton said. The last thing he wanted to do was create more strife by inserting himself into their grief.

  “Okay, when she wakes, would you please pass on a message from me? Please tell her I’m thinking of her.”

  “Anything else?”

  Logan closed his eyes and counted to three. His brother’s tone was so dismissive. Could he not even put his anger with Logan over Honor aside for one moment and allow them to be brothers united in the loss of their father? It seemed not. Logan sucked in a deep breath.

  “When do you expect to meet with the funeral director? I’d like to be a part of that meeting.”

  “I imagine that would be acceptable. He’s coming to the house at ten thirty tomorrow morning. Is that all?”

  Keaton obviously couldn’t wait to be rid of him and, if the circumstances had been any different, Logan would have thought up something else just to tick him off in true brotherly fashion. But this was not the time.

  “Tha
nk you, no, there’s nothing else. I’ll see you tomorrow. And, Keaton?”

  “Hmm?”

  “I’m so deeply sorry for your loss.”

  There was silence on the other end before his brother replied.

  “Yours too. See you tomorrow. Come alone.”

  The message was loud and clear this time. Honor was persona non grata. It was unfair. She’d been a part of the Richmond family longer than him. Before his involvement, she would have been a natural part of their family group and she deserved to be a part of it now. A fierce need to stand up for her right bloomed from deep inside him. Could he push it? Honor caught his attention and shook her head, as if she knew what he was thinking.

  “Sure,” he said succinctly. “See you in the morning.”

  Logan disconnected the call and felt his shoulders relax. At least he wasn’t going to have to force his way into planning his father’s farewell. But he still felt it was wrong that Honor be excluded as well. Maybe he could speak on her behalf tomorrow.

  Honor looked at him as he put his phone back in his pocket.

  “You okay?”

  “As well as can be expected. I’m going over to the house tomorrow to meet with the funeral director.”

  “They don’t want me there, do they?”

  “I’m sorry, Honor. I’ll talk to them tomorrow and—”

  “No, I understand. Please don’t feel bad on my account and please, don’t say anything.”

  He saw her eyes film with tears again, but she stoically blinked them back. His being here was making things worse for her than they needed to be. Hell, his coming to Seattle had turned her life upside down. Maybe he should just go.

  He pushed his plate away, all appetite now gone.

  “Look, thanks for the meal. Sorry I couldn’t do it justice. Let me help you clear this up and I’ll be on my way.”

  “No need. I can do it. It’s hardly a lot of cleaning up to do.”

  She bit her lip as if she was considering saying something else.

  “What is it?” he asked.

  “Nothing, I... I just wondered if you’d stay tonight. I don’t really want to be alone.”

  Her words tumbled over one another in a rush and he couldn’t help but feel a spark of relief that she still wanted him here.

  “Are you sure?” he asked.

  She put a hand on his arm and looked directly into his eyes.

  “Please, stay. We don’t have to...you know. I just think we could both benefit from the comfort of company.”

  “Thank you,” he answered solemnly. “I’d like that.”

  The thought of leaving her right now was torture. She was right. They were all each other had and they needed each other right now.

  They tidied the kitchen together and Honor showed him where to find the bathroom.

  “There’s a new toothbrush in the drawer, and you’ll find fresh towels on the shelf there,” she said.

  When he was done, Logan walked into the bedroom and lay down on top of the covers while Honor used the bathroom. It was all so civilized, he thought. And unlike their stay in Portland, at least it wasn’t fraught with the sexual tension that had driven them into one another’s arms. Honor came through from the bathroom and saw Logan on top of the bed.

  “You can get under the covers. I won’t attack you this time.”

  “I know,” he answered.

  But even so, he remained exactly where he was.

  Unable to trust himself.

  Thirteen

  Logan woke the next morning, curled around Honor’s form beneath the sheets. Surprisingly, they’d both slept well. It felt so right to wake with her in his arms, but at the same time it brought a lot of conflicting feelings and life didn’t look as though it would be getting any less complicated soon.

  Honor stirred and turned to face him.

  “Thank you for staying.”

  “It was what we both needed,” he said with a smile before untangling himself from her and rising from the bed. “Don’t get up. I’ll let myself out.”

  “You don’t want breakfast, or at least a coffee before you go?”

  “I might get something at the hotel, but thanks. I’ll see you later, okay?”

  “Sure.”

  Back at the hotel he showered and changed, then asked the concierge for directions to a florist where he chose cut flowers for Nancy. Then he hailed a cab and headed to the Richmond home. The cab let him off outside the gates. The firmly closed gates, Logan noted as he walked toward the pillar with the intercom.

  “Yes?”

  Logan recognized his brother’s voice immediately. “Keaton, good morning. Can you let me in?”

  “You’re early.”

  Logan bit back the response he was itching to make. Now was not the time to enter into a pissing contest with his brother.

  “Yes, I am,” he said quietly. “And I’d like to speak with Nancy.”

  There was a long pause before the gates hummed and began to smoothly open. Logan shivered in the damp, cold morning air and wished he’d thought to grab a scarf as he started down the long driveway toward the house. The gates clanged shut behind him. Keaton was waiting at the door when he reached the house.

  “Nice flowers. Mom’s favorites,” he commented as Logan stamped his feet on the mat at the front door.

  “That’s just good luck,” Logan admitted. “But I liked them, so it’s nice to know she’ll like them, too.”

  He looked his brother straight in the eyes. Keaton’s gaze had the weary strain of someone who was still shell-shocked and yet needed to be the one everyone could turn to. More than anything, Logan wanted to share the load, but would his brother let him?

  “You’re looking rough, man,” Logan said as he entered the house and passed Keaton the flowers so he could remove his jacket. “What can I do to help?”

  Tension filled his brother’s shoulders for a moment, then bit by bit, Logan saw Keaton begin to relax.

  “You want to help?”

  “That’s what family is for, right?”

  “I guess,” Keaton admitted and passed the blooms back to Logan. “Mom’s in the breakfast room. She’s holding up pretty well today, so far at least.”

  “That’s good to hear. And Kristin?”

  “Distraught but hanging in there. She wanted to go in to the office today, but I told her we needed her here more.”

  “Good move. I can understand why she’d want to lose herself in work, though. It’s a constant. Something you can rely on to stay mostly the same day in, day out. When you’ve had a big shock like this, you crave everything that’s the old normal.”

  Keaton looked at him with a deeper understanding reflected in his gaze. “I keep forgetting you’ve been through this already this year. Are you okay?”

  “I’m all right. Shocked like the rest of you. Sad I didn’t have the chance to know Douglas as well as you and Kristin. I feel cheated, to be totally honest.”

  “Understandable. Logan, I should have included you in our family circle last night, too. It must have been shitty to have to go back to the hotel on your own.”

  “Actually, I stayed with Honor last night. She was pretty upset.”

  “Honor?” Keaton’s face set in implacable lines and Logan realized that the slight softening of his brother’s manner a second ago had now set into solid ice. “You know she’s looking out for herself, don’t you?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “By attaching herself to you, she’s ensuring her position. I never really saw it before, but she’s a corporate climber. She’s solely focused on getting up that ladder, no matter what, and she’ll do whatever it takes to get there.”

  “That’s pretty harsh.”

  “It’s the truth. You may have slept with her a couple of times, but remember I ha
ve known her for years. Looking back, I don’t know why I didn’t recognize it sooner. The drive that pushes her to constantly make something of herself.”

  Logan fought to keep the flash of anger that Keaton’s words had initiated out of his voice. “Isn’t that an attribute to be commended? After all, if no one wanted to better themselves, how would anyone or any corporation ever get ahead?”

  “Just be wary, Logan. That’s all I can say.”

  “With all due respect, I think you’ve got her wrong. Whatever bitterness you may feel over what happened the night I arrived in Seattle—and yes, you’re entitled to that bitterness—it’s misplaced. She thought I was you.”

  “And when she knew you weren’t? In Portland?”

  “Yeah, well in that instance, we were equally to blame. Look, I know you, and we might never be as close as we could have been if we’d been raised together, but I really want to apologize for allowing Honor to become a wedge between us.”

  “And yet you spent last night with her?” Keaton looked at him incredulously.

  “She needed someone. She watched our father die right in front of her and she worked damn hard to try to bring him back. You know why she was in his office, don’t you?”

  “I assume she was having a meeting with him.”

  “She was. To give him her resignation.”

  “What?” Keaton sounded shocked.

  “And you want to know why?”

  “I’m sure you’re about to tell me.”

  “Because she felt guilty about what she’d done and how it was making it impossible for us to get along. Does that sound like the kind of thing a corporate climber would do?”