by Cindy Kirk
“Eric’s baby sister is never an interruption.” Miguel sat down, an easy smile on his lips.
Lia couldn’t figure out why she was so nervous. This was Miguel, for goodness’ sake. Growing up, he’d spent as much time at her house as he had at his. Back then, her friends had told her she was crazy not to try to get something going with him. But how could she when he’d always seemed like another brother to her?
“What brings you out this way?” he asked.
“Eric mentioned that you might be in the market for an accountant.” Lia clutched the straps of the purse in her lap but managed to keep her voice casual and offhand. “If you remember, I got my degree in business with a concentration in accounting and finance. I’d been working as an accountant but got laid off in February. I could start immediately and—”
“Whoa.” Miguel held up a hand. “Let me stop you before you go any further.”
Heat shot up Lia’s neck. She’d been chattering; just what you weren’t supposed to do in an interview. Let the prospective employer take the lead. That was what all the articles she’d read had told her. Yet what had she done? Barged in without an appointment, then tried to control the conversation.
“I’d hire you in a second, Lia.” Miguel’s dark eyes met hers. “But I’m not looking at opening the doors until later this summer.”
Lia thought of mentioning all the ways she could help until then, but she kept her mouth shut. Miguel was a smart guy. If he thought he’d be able to use her skills before the nightclub opened, he’d have said so.
“I understand.” She cursed the slight quiver to her voice that she couldn’t quite control. “Thanks for your time. I’d appreciate it if you’d keep me in mind when the job does come open.”
She rose to her feet and headed toward the door, seeing no need to waste any more of his time.
“When would you be able to start?”
Lia’s heart stopped. She turned slowly. “Today. I could start today.”
“While I don’t have anything, I was talking to Sawyer Fortune this morning.”
He paused as if waiting for her response to the name.
“I don’t know him.” Though the Fortune name was well-known in Red Rock, Lia had never personally met any of the family. Not surprising since they hardly ran in the same social circle.
“Sawyer is the former director of publicity and marketing for JMF Financial. He’s now running New Fortunes Ranch. It’s out on the edge of town. Apparently his bookkeeper is on medical leave and he needs someone to replace her for a couple months. Perhaps longer.” Miguel’s eyes turned warm. “I could call and get you an interview. Put in a good word.”
Lia blinked back unexpected tears. “I’d appreciate that very much, Miguel.”
“It probably won’t be the salary you’re used to getting as an accountant,” he warned. “But it would be a regular paycheck and good—”
“I’m sure it will be fine,” Lia said quickly. “I need a job.”
“Let me call him now.” Miguel picked up his cell phone.
As they waited for Sawyer to answer, Lia hoped her luck had finally changed.
* * *
With the roar of planes landing and taking off in the background, Shane stowed his suitcase in the back of the extended-cab pickup then climbed inside. It was strange that returning to Red Rock should feel so much like coming home.
“Natalia has made life so much easier for me at the ranch,” Sawyer told his older brother as they left the Red Rock airport. “Marjorie is a good bookkeeper but Natalia has a background in accounting.”
When Shane had asked his brother how things were going at New Fortunes Ranch, he hadn’t expected him to start raving about his temporary bookkeeper.
Shane smiled at his brother. “Speaking of women, are you still dating—”
Shane searched for a name but came up empty.
“No.” Sawyer’s voice was flat. “That was over long ago.”
Just like him and Lia, Shane thought. Except that whatever was between them had been over without really getting started. Yet strangely, ever since their New Year’s Eve encounter, she hadn’t been far from his thoughts.
“Do you ever think of her?” Shane asked.
“Not at all.” Sawyer cast him a glance, apparently puzzled by his brother’s sudden interest in his social life.
“What about Natalia?” Shane teased. “You mentioned she was young and single. You’re obviously smitten...with her work.”
Sawyer chuckled. “You’re forgetting one important fact. She’s an employee. Even if she wasn’t working for me, she keeps it all business.”
“Meaning, you don’t appeal to her. Perhaps she doesn’t like men who smell like horses. Or perhaps she’s immune to your newly acquired Texas charm?”
“Go ahead, rub it in, big brother.”
Shane laughed. It was good to be home.
“What did you find out about Jeanne Marie?”
The smile disappeared from Shane’s lips.
It had been the first question Sawyer had asked when he’d picked him up at the airport. Shane had put him off then and he planned to put him off now.
“Like I said, we’ll get into all that when the entire family is together.” When Shane had uncovered the truth about Jeanne Marie and her relationship with their father, he’d called Sawyer and asked him to get all their siblings together. “What time will everyone be at the ranch?”
“Eight o’clock.” The irritated look on Sawyer’s face told Shane his brother didn’t appreciate being kept in the dark.
The truck slowed to a stop in front of the ranch house where Sawyer lived, a place Shane would now call home, too. The white clapboard structure, sheltered from the midday sun by the leafy branches of a mammoth cypress tree, projected an air of welcome that eased the tension in Shane’s shoulders. He’d just stepped from the vehicle when Sawyer’s cell phone beeped. He glanced down at the text then up at Shane. “Natalia has a question regarding an account. Would you like to come with me and meet her?”
Shane really wasn’t in the mood to socialize but he was curious about the woman who’d impressed his brother. “Sure.”
“Just leave your luggage in the truck.” Sawyer tossed the words over his shoulder as he hopped out. “We can pick it up on our way back to the house.”
Shane followed his brother to a small nondescript building between the main house and the bunkhouse. Someone had planted wildflowers out front and had hung several hanging planters of bright red geraniums from the eave. He lifted a brow. “Flowers?”
“Natalia asked if she could plant them. Apparently she likes to garden and she lives in an apartment. I figured as long as I don’t have to do anything with them, she can plant an orchard if she wants,” Sawyer replied in a somewhat defensive tone.
“They look nice.” Shane found himself even more intrigued by the woman who was his brother’s new bookkeeper. The one who’d been unmoved by Sawyer’s easy charm.
Sawyer pushed open the door and a tinkling of bells sounded.
“I got your text,” Sawyer said.
“You didn’t need to rush over.” The muffled female voice that responded sounded oddly familiar.
Shane followed his brother into the room. The woman’s back had been to them, but then she swiveled in her chair to face them. When he saw those big brown eyes, he felt as if he’d been kicked in the chest.
“Lia,” he managed to croak out. His heart leaped the same way it had when their eyes had met across the crowded ballroom all those months ago.
She looked just as beautiful as he remembered with all that thick dark hair and red pouty lips. Instead of a formfitting dress like she’d worn the last time he’d seen her, she wore lots of multicolored layers that gave no hint of the curves beneath. But Shane knew those curves well. Remembered how they’d felt beneath his fingers.
Lia shook her head as if trying to clear it. “Shane?” She blinked once. Then blinked again. “Is it really you?”
Clearly confused, Sawyer’s gaze remained focused on her. “You know my brother?”
Lia’s mouth opened then closed. Shane could almost see the wheels in her head turning, trying to decide how much to divulge.
“Lia and I have met.” Shane kept his tone easily matter-of-fact. “In fact, you could say we’re old friends.”
His eyes dared her to disagree.
She stiffened. A smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes formed on her lips.
It was apparent she hadn’t forgiven him. Heck, he hadn’t forgiven himself. There were so many other ways he could have handled the situation. Rather than just abruptly telling her he was leaving Red Rock and wasn’t sure he’d be back, he could have told her he had family business to handle. Important business that would keep him away from Red Rock for an indeterminate amount of time. But he could have assured her he was interested in seeing her again when he did return.
He could have asked for her contact information so they could keep in touch. Could have explained he would eventually be moving to Red Rock and had only booked the hotel room for convenience. But he hadn’t. He’d let her walk out of that room as if the night they’d shared meant nothing, as if she had meant nothing to him.
He wanted to make it right. He wanted to explain himself.
“I’m tied up with some stuff tonight,” Shane said. “But I’d like to take you to dinner tomorrow. We could go to the Red Rock Country Club and catch up.”
Shane could feel his brother’s curious stare. Once they were alone Sawyer would be demanding answers. But Lia was his focus right now, not his brother.
He sensed her unease. He wished he could reassure her that there was no way he was sharing details about what had happened between them on New Year’s Eve with his brother. When they had dinner, he’d make sure she understood she could trust him to keep his mouth shut.
“What do you say, Lia?” Shane prompted. “Will you go to dinner with me?”
For a second he thought she might decline his invitation. Then she smiled. “Sounds like fun.”
But when her eyes met his, the silent message in those dark depths warned that, before there would be any “fun,” he had a lot of explaining to do.
Chapter Four
The family summit that night was held in Sawyer’s living room. Shane’s three other brothers and sister had arrived shortly before eight and now gathered in the large room with the whitewashed walls, open beams and oversize comfortable furniture.
The simmering tension slapped Shane in the face as he walked into the room. There was a lot at stake tonight for all of them. Not only in terms of the family business but personally, as well.
Their parents, James Marshall and Clara Fortune, had been married for over thirty years. While the marriage had not been without strife, Shane’s mother had always seemed to understand and tolerate his father’s moods.
Clara had recently gone back to school to finally earn her college degree and with her five children now out of the nest, she seemed relatively happy and content. She was also, as far as Shane knew, oblivious to the fact that her husband had sold off a majority share of JMF Financial stocks and given it to a woman named Jeanne Marie.
As the oldest, Shane had thought about telling his mother what he and his siblings had discovered. But when he had discussed doing that with his brothers and sister, they felt they should keep quiet until they had more answers.
While Shane still didn’t know what was really going on, he knew a heckuva lot more now than he knew back in January. The news he brought with him tonight would rock his siblings’ world.
His brother Wyatt had shown up tonight in jeans and boots, looking more like a cowboy than a vice president of JMF Financial. When Shane had razzed the easygoing Wyatt about his upcoming marriage to Sarah-Jane Early, his brother had responded quite seriously he hoped Shane would one day be so lucky.
Asher, the second oldest, sat quietly talking to Sawyer. He had chimed in that it was all about finding the right woman. For Asher, that woman was his fiancée, Marnie McCafferty. After his divorce last year, he’d gotten full custody of his four-year-old son, Jace, who was now being entertained by the housekeeper in the other room.
Though Sawyer was still ostensibly the director of publicity and marketing for the family firm, he, too, had embraced ranching and his new life in Red Rock.
Victoria was the youngest of his siblings. Now living permanently in Red Rock, Victoria had married Garrett Stone last year and together they ran Pete’s Retreat animal sanctuary.
“What did you find out?” Victoria demanded, fixing her gaze on him. Even as a little girl, she’d never been known for her patience.
The other siblings stopped talking and focused on Shane.
His heart felt like a leaden weight in his chest. He’d always looked up to his father. While his dad was by no means perfect, Shane had admired and respected him.
He’d believed his father to be an honorable man. Now it appeared that his trust had been misplaced.
“You’re not going to like this.” Shane raked his hand through his hair. “I found Jeanne Marie.” The name felt awkward on Shane’s tongue.
Wyatt’s brows slammed together. “Did you speak with her?”
“What does she look like?” Victoria asked.
Asher leaned forward in the large chair, resting his forearms on his thighs. “How old is she?”
Shane raised his hand and waited until they quieted and all eyes were on him. He reminded himself this wasn’t about money. It was about family.
“She’s living in Arkansas. She goes by the name Jeanne Marie Fortune.” Shane took a deep breath. “It appears our father is a bigamist.”
“Did you see a marriage certificate?” Wyatt asked.
Shane shook his head. “But what other explanation could there be? She’s using his last name.”
Victoria gasped. “There has to be some mistake.”
“It’s dangerous to make assumptions, Shane,” Sawyer warned, though his brows were furrowed with worry. “We need to talk to Dad. Hear what he has to say.”
“Mother needs to be told of this right away,” Wyatt asserted.
“It’s going to be hard to speak with either one.” Shane stood, unable to sit any longer. “They’ve been out of the country for several weeks. I’m sure Dad taking Mom away isn’t a coincidence. I think he figured out I was close to learning the truth and that’s why they left on this vacation.”
“Do we know when they’ll be back?” Asher asked.
“The last time I checked with Dad’s personal assistant she insisted she didn’t know.” Shane hadn’t believed Beverly, but he could hardly call her a liar. “Their absence may actually work to our advantage.”
“How do you figure?” Sawyer looked confused.
“I’ve invited Jeanne Marie to come to Red Rock for a visit.”
“Are you crazy?” Wyatt’s voice rose.
Victoria’s eyes flashed. “If she’s having an affair with Daddy, I don’t want her here.”
“We should talk with Dad before we speak with this woman,” Sawyer insisted again, his jaw jutting out in a stubborn angle.
“Look—” Shane kept a hold on his temper with both hands, reminding himself he’d had time to sort all this through in his head. He needed to give his siblings time to process this, as well. “I think we can all agree that we’ve gotten nowhere trying to get information from our father.”
He glanced around the room and waited until he saw each of them reluctantly nod. “That’s why I felt it was imperative to go to the source. Once I located her, I called and told her I was James’s son. I said the family wanted to get to know her.”
“How did she react?” Wyatt asked quietly.
“Yes.” Victoria leaned forward in her seat. “What did she say? Was she shocked to hear from you? Apologetic? I hope she was embarrassed.”
“She seemed surprised and strangely happy to hear from me.” Shane had been amazed when she’
d greeted him like a long-lost relative.
“That’s weird,” Victoria said.
His sister was right. It made no sense. Shane began to pace, the unsettled feeling he got whenever he thought of Jeanne Marie welling up inside him. “She accepted my invitation immediately. Not one bit of hesitation.”
“When will she be here?” Sawyer asked in a quiet voice Shane had to strain to hear.
A knot formed in the pit of Shane’s stomach. “A few weeks.”
“What if Mom and Dad are back by then?” Victoria asked, an uncharacteristic tremble in her voice.
“Then they’re back,” said Wyatt with a grim look on his face. “I don’t like the fact that we’ve kept this from Mother as long as we have. She has a right to know.”
“But know what?” Sawyer’s blue eyes flashed. “We aren’t certain who this Jeanne Marie is or what she wants.”
“We know she’s calling herself a Fortune,” Shane said through gritted teeth. “We know that our father gave her half of the shares of JMF Financial at the beginning of the year.”
“And we know he won’t talk to us about her,” Victoria added quietly, “even when we ask.”
“The way I see it, we have no choice but to find out what we need to know from her,” Shane continued.
“Shane is right,” Asher said in a soft, Southern drawl. “We have to discover the truth. We can’t go on not knowing.”
“In just a few weeks, we’ll have our answers,” Shane said. And when he glanced around the room at the worried faces of his siblings, he realized that day couldn’t come soon enough for any of them.
* * *
Lia dressed carefully for her dinner with Shane. Though she had a lot of fashionable clothes in her closet, several suitable for dinner at the country club, most of them didn’t fit.
She’d barely gained any weight yet, but the tiny pooch had rendered most of her formfitting clothes unwearable. After trying on a dozen dresses and skirts, she finally settled on a chic tunic dress in navy. For tonight, she grabbed a pair of low-heeled sandals in silver, glancing wistfully at all the higher-heeled ones in her closet.