******
Austin, Texas
“Welcome back, Eric.” Keith Vance extended his hand then indicated a chair. “Have a seat and I’ll grab us coffee, then we’ll go over the details of your offer.”
Eric relaxed in the comfortable leather chair in Keith’s office and looked around, noticing the incredible view to his left. The wall behind the desk held credentials, university degrees, and certifications. A large bookcase spanned the entire wall to Eric’s right. He glanced behind him to see a large wooden file cabinet, the entire wall above it covered in pictures of what appeared to be family and friends. He stood and walked over to it, bending closer when he spotted a picture of Keith and two women—one was Jax Perry.
“I understand you and Jax had a chance to get acquainted.” Keith held two cups of coffee and kicked the door closed as he approached Eric.
“We did.” The last person Eric wanted to speak with Keith about was Jax. He’d considered calling her, arranging to see her while in Austin, but he’d never made the call.
“She’s a talented marketing person. Her company has grown by double digits since she came back to Austin, focusing on development and construction clients. You might want to consider her for MacLaren projects.” Keith picked up the offer Eric had emailed him a few days before and glanced over it.
“I have no doubt her ideas would prove to be quite inventive. However, we’ve just hired a Director of Marketing. She’ll be handling marketing for all of our groups.” Eric assumed he’d been introduced to Jax for the purpose of learning more about her work. He estimated they’d discussed her professional work for perhaps five minutes of the ten hours they’d spent together.
“At some point all companies need an infusion of new ideas. You might want to keep her in mind. Well, shall we start?”
Eric drove back to his hotel, confident their offer would be accepted with few negotiations. They’d offered the seller a fair price and terms, plus Keith had an excellent relationship with the other broker. He expected to hear back from Keith the following morning, leaving him with a free night and wondering how to fill his time.
He pulled out his phone, found Jax’s number, then hovered over the call button. They’d had a great time before and both were single. Whatever happened would stay between them. He had nothing to worry about. Then why didn’t he push the button?
Eric scrubbed a hand over his face and scanned the view of downtown Austin through the large picture window. By all accounts, it was a happening city with popular clubs along Sixth Street and restaurants and bars on South Congress. Any other city, at any other time, he’d jump at the chance to check out the nightlife. It didn’t take much for him to know what had changed. Amber.
He’d avoided her all week, missing the weekly management meeting to take a conference call with Jace and Rafe, then leaving for Austin. His plane would take off Friday at two, in time for him to land in Fire Mountain for a date he’d scheduled weeks before with a woman he’d gone out with several times. She’d moved to San Francisco months before, coming back every six weeks to visit her family, and him. Their arrangement had always been casual. She’d stay at his place a night then fly home. No entanglements. Funny how she no longer held any appeal to him.
Eric picked up the phone and dialed. Room service and a movie would have to do.
Chapter Seven
Appleton, Texas
“You were right. He’s in Fire Mountain. Seems he left the DEA and works on a ranch owned by some wealthy locals—the MacLarens. And get this, he married the woman he’d been protecting.” Swinger tossed a cigarette to the dirt and ground it under his boot.
They stood under a large tree several yards from the old house used as their headquarters on the outskirts of town. The land and buildings had been purchased years before and sat in the middle of forty acres. They’d built an underground bunker, complete with separate rooms with bunks, a kitchen, and bathrooms. Years before, Robbie designed a secure room where weapons and extra ammunition were kept. Few people knew the access codes to the double door entry and Swinger made certain the codes were changed on a regular basis.
The location in the middle of nowhere assured them of spotting anyone who approached uninvited. Unmarked graves at the outermost section of the property testified to the club’s commitment to keeping their affairs out of public view.
Swinger looked to the ground, noting the hundreds of cigarette butts littering the area around the tree, a testament to the years it had been used as the unofficial spot for private discussions. He glanced up, letting his gaze roam the area. Although few of the brothers or club whores were outside, Swinger shook his head at anyone who ventured too close.
“Married.” Robbie thought this over, his mouth twisting in a wry grin. Men with old ladies were more vulnerable than those with no ties. “Where’s he living?”
“Some place on the ranch. Don’t know specifics, but I’ll find out.”
“Do I have to tell you he can’t find out we’ve located him? We don’t want the DEA to send agents out like the last time.”
“How were we supposed to know the woman was connected to some drug cartel and they’d sent extra agents to help? We lost brothers in that mess,” Swinger spat out, his expression feral. Another reason he and Robbie wanted Kade in the ground.
“Forget it. Find out where he lives on the ranch and get back to me. And start tracking his old lady. I want to know everything he does, if he travels, who his friends are, if he has a whore on the side—everything.” Anger welled inside Robbie, fists clenching at his sides as he remembered the way the club had been worked by the shithead they’d called brother. The betrayal would not go unpunished and that included anyone close to Kade. They’d take them all out to get to him—women included.
“Hey, Robbie!”
Joker, one of Robbie’s bodyguards, motioned to them.
He nodded toward the man then turned back to Swinger. “I want you to handle this personally. We can’t afford any fuck-ups.”
“Whatever you want, Robbie. When do you want me to leave?”
“Tomorrow. And take Joker with you.”
“Who’ll protect you if both of us leave?” Swinger and Joker were Robbie’s primary protection from anyone who wanted to get to him. Anyone who knew Robbie understood the two men would lay down their lives protecting him and killing whoever got in their way.
Robbie crossed his arms and glared at Swinger. “You don’t think I can take care of myself while you’re gone?”
“Look, Robbie—”
Robbie dropped his arms and slapped Swinger on the back. “I want my two best men, plus the ones you already have in Fire Mountain on this. Nothing can go wrong.” He turned toward the house then looked back over his shoulder at Swinger. “I expect you and Joker to be on the road at first light tomorrow.”
******
Fire Mountain
“What did you think?” Annie asked Amber as they both left the MacLaren Foundation monthly board meeting. She’d been invited as a non-voting member to observe and offer suggestions. Heath and Jace planned to get her involved in their foster care community outreach, the main focus of the foundation’s efforts.
“It’s impressive. Everyone’s prepared and the programs are much better than what I’d expected.”
Annie glanced at Amber, her mouth tilting up. “You mean for being an out of the way town?”
“I don’t mean it as a slight. It’s just I’ve been involved in different foster care support groups in big cities, and they aren’t half as together as you are. How long have you been on the board?”
“Heath brought me on not long after Jace’s wife, Caroline, recommended me. She and I have been friends for years, and she knew I had a passion for helping foster care children.”
“Were you and Heath already dating?”
“Not at all. He was enjoying his single status too much and dating women several years younger to notice me. Kit had been gone a couple of years and I wasn’t
looking for a relationship. We did become good friends, though. About a year later we discovered how much we wanted to be with each other.” Annie shrugged. There was quite a bit more to it, but that would be a story for another time.
“I was sorry to hear about Mr. Sinclair.”
“You were at his service but didn’t come to the reception.”
Amber’s eyes widened at the comment. “You saw me?”
“Eric pointed you out. I think he was disappointed you didn’t come up afterwards.”
“It’s complicated, Mrs. MacLaren.”
“Please, call me Annie. I’m sure it was as complicated then as it is now.” Annie saw something pass across Amber’s face. Regret, perhaps? Or maybe resignation that the past couldn’t be reclaimed. “Well, you have a good start here. Heath is quite impressed with you, and that’s saying a lot.”
“I’ve been here just two weeks.”
“Oh, I think you’ll find he’s a pretty good judge. It’s not often people fool him.” Annie glanced at her watch. “I’d better get going. It was good to see you and I’m thrilled you’re taking an active role in the organization.”
Amber sat in her car, thinking back to Kit Sinclair’s funeral. She hadn’t thought any of them had noticed her. She’d stayed near the back, not wanting to interfere. He’d passed not long after she’d left for New York and she still felt raw at the sight of Eric. Kit and all three of his children had been close, but Eric had a special bond with him. He’d looked so lost that day, sitting between Annie and Brooke. Cam sat on the other side of their mother, holding her hand and looking as desolate as the others.
Within a year of Kit’s death, her own parents had their accident, changing their lives and the lives of Amber and her two brothers. Even with their ongoing medical needs, her parents insisted their three children continue on with their lives and not worry about them.
Her stomach growled and she realized how late it had gotten. She could head to the store or grab dinner out. Her stomach rumbled once more, making the decision easy. Brooke had told her about a family restaurant favored by locals.
She figured it would be crowded on a Friday night, and it was. She put in her name and waited until a booth near the back became available. The waitress brought her a glass of wine and took her meal order when she heard a familiar laugh, causing her stomach to tighten and her breath to hitch.
Amber shifted enough to see the hostess showing a pretty young woman to a table across the room. The hostess set down another menu and turned to leave when Eric walked up, taking a chair next to the woman, his back to Amber. She stared a moment longer, a lump forming in her throat, then looked away. At least he hadn’t seen her. She’d eat her dinner and leave before he had any idea of her presence.
******
“Hello, Eric, Marion. I haven’t seen either of you in a while.” A man about Eric’s age came up and shook his hand.
“Marion just got in this afternoon, so we thought of your place.”
“Glad you did. What can I get you?”
They ordered then Eric sat back and picked up his drink, taking a sip before broaching the subject he’d tried to address on their way to the restaurant.
“I—”
“You should’ve seen the chaos at the airport. The weather was horrible and there must have been at least ten planes circling to land.” Marion took a hearty swallow of her red wine. “Then they had to escort someone off the plane. I didn’t hear what happened, but I could hear the man complaining all the way out the door.”
He’d forgotten how Marion loved to talk. Cute and feisty, she could be entertaining or frustrating, depending on his mood. Tonight he fidgeted, having a hard time keeping his mind on the conversation. When their meal arrived, Eric dove in, letting her continue talking until she’d wound down and picked up her fork. He let her eat a few minutes, enjoying the silence, then decided he had to let her know his change of plans.
“We won’t be going to my place tonight.”
Her brows shot up at his words and she set her fork down. “Oh? What’s come up?”
“Nothing’s come up. I guess some things have changed with me, and, well…” he didn’t know how to continue.
She sat back and crossed her arms. “Sounds like you may be over us.”
He took a breath and leaned forward. “I think that may be the case.”
“I see.” She offered a weak smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “It’s all right. We’ve had good times and there’s never been any expectations.” She scrunched her eyes as if thinking. “Have you met someone?”
“Perhaps. It’s amounted to nothing so far.”
“But you’d like there to be something?”
He took another sip of his drink, swirling the ice in the glass. “Yes, I would.”
She reached over and placed a hand on his arm before leaning over to kiss his cheek.
“Then I hope it works out for you. You deserve someone special.” This time her smile did reach her eyes and Eric felt a sense of relief.
He’d made a decision. Now he’d have to see if it would go anywhere.
******
Amber watched the interplay, feeling as if she were snooping on his private life. Uncomfortable, she ate a few more bites, paid, and walked outside, hoping Eric didn’t spot her. He deserved his privacy and she needed to get far away from him and his date.
She almost made the turn to go toward her apartment when she spotted a café specializing in coffees. The latte she’d planned on after dinner evaporated with the turn of events at the restaurant. She’d passed by this small, intimate coffee house a few times, never having the time to stop. Inside were large, comfortable lounge chairs, small tables for two, dim lighting, soft music, and a mix of couples and singles. The latte came up within minutes. Picking it up, she saw the one spot left was a table with two chairs and grabbed it.
Amber took a sip, then grasped the cup with both hands, needing the warmth to counter the chill she’d felt at the cool night air. She pulled her phone from her purse and scrolled through emails and texts, answering some, ignoring others. Dana sent a text with an image of her new apartment, then a selfie with her standing in the kitchen, holding a glass of wine and smiling.
“Excuse me. There don’t seem to be any seats left. May I join you?”
She looked up to see a nice looking man standing across the table from her, his hand on the extra chair.
“Be my guest.”
He took a seat, setting down his cup, and shirking out of his coat. “This is a great spot, but there are never enough chairs.”
“This is my first time coming in and I had to hurry to grab this after a couple left.”
“I’m Dylan Newcastle.” He reached his hand across the table.
“Amber Anderson. Nice to meet you.” She sent a quick text to Dana then slipped the phone into her purse.
“I’m guessing you haven’t lived here long if you haven’t been here before.”
“A few weeks. I moved from Denver to accept a new job. What about you?”
“I came here almost a year ago. Moved from the valley to join my uncle in his orthopedic practice.” Dylan glanced over the rim of his cup. He guessed Amber to be a few years younger than him and one of the prettiest women he’d seen in a long time.
“What do you think of Fire Mountain?” Amber asked.
“It’s a wonderful town, good people, and lots to do, especially if you like being outside.” Dylan sat back and stretched his legs out. “So where did you accept a job?”
“MacLaren Enterprises. I’m doing their marketing, or at least trying to get my arms around their different companies,” she joked.
“I’ve met Mrs. MacLaren a few times, as well as her husband and sons.”
“Oh?” Amber should’ve known. Seems everyone knew the MacLarens, and by extension, the Sinclairs.
“Through my uncle, Dr. Barry Newcastle. Are you settling in all right?”
“So far. I work a lot so haven�
��t had much time to get to know the area. I’d love to find a group that hikes.” She finished her latte, ready to leave and yet wanting to learn more about Dylan. “I guess it’s time I head home.”
“Would you mind if I called you sometime? I do some hiking and perhaps we could meet when we both have a free day.”
“I’d like that. Here’s my card.” She scribbled her personal phone number on the back. “I’m free most weekends unless I’m traveling. It was nice to meet you, Dylan.”
“Likewise, Amber. I’ll look forward to seeing you again.”
She drove home feeling much better than when she’d left the restaurant. Dana had been harping at her for months to get out, like tonight, where she might have a chance of meeting other single people. Perhaps Doctor Newcastle would call. A sense of anticipation washed over her at the prospect, something she hadn’t experienced in a long time. Maybe Fire Mountain would turn out to be the place where her life finally came together.
Chapter Eight
“One more time.” Kade watched as Amber made a forceful, upward motion with her hand, palm up. “That’s it. Now do the series of moves we practiced today.”
She learned fast, making it possible for him to cover more exercises than planned. They stopped for lunch then reviewed what she’d learned in the morning. Kade glanced up at the clock on the mantel.
“Do you have time for some target practice?”
“Definitely. I’ll get my coat.” She dashed toward the entry, feeling energized, then stopped when Brooke walked in, covered in snow. “It’s snowing?”
“Started on my way over here. It’s almost a blizzard out there now.” She slipped out of her coat.
“Well, darn.”
“Why?”
“Kade and I were headed out for target practice. Guess it’ll have to wait until tomorrow.”
“Or the storm could pass by, then clear up. We’ll wait it out.” Kade walked up to Brooke and wrapped an arm around her before pulling her close for a kiss. “Hey.”
Always Love You (MacLarens of Fire Mountain Contemporary series Book 5) Page 6