Guarding His Fortune

by Stella Bagwell

  She turned in the seat so that she was facing him. “Well, this is intriguing. You have two brothers who are married to Fortune women. I had no idea that you were that connected to my family. It’s no wonder Dad hired you.”

  Actually, Chaz had four cousins and an uncle who had also married into different branches of the Fortunes, and a few more cousins living in Red Rock who’d also married into the Fortune family, but now wasn’t the time to go into all those family ties. He didn’t want Savannah getting the idea that every time a Mendoza got close to a Fortune wedding bells were destined to ring. Which, in his case, couldn’t be further from the truth. He wasn’t like his successful brothers. Allison had taught him that much when she’d moved on to a life without him.

  Trying not to let those bitter memories tarnish the bright Sunday morning, he said, “I have no idea if that had any impact on Mr. Fortune’s decision to hire me. But with us having mutual relatives—by marriage, that is—it does help me understand the situation much better.”

  “Situation?”

  “With Gerald’s ex-wife,” he explained.

  “Hmm. Yes, I can see where it would give you a better insight to the family connections,” she said after a thoughtful moment. “It surprises me, though, that the two of your brothers who are married chose to hook up with a Fortune woman.”

  At least she wasn’t asking him how he happened to have a half brother, Chaz thought. He wasn’t ready to explain how his father had had an affair with his brother, Orlando’s, girlfriend. The illicit union had produced a son and ultimately caused years of bitter estrangement between Chaz’s father and his uncle. Thank God, the two men had gotten past all the wrongdoing and forgiven each other. Still, it would be awkward to admit to Savannah that his father had once been an adulterer.

  “There are some very beautiful women in the Fortune family,” he reasoned. “And the Mendoza men are known for being attracted to beautiful women.”

  From the corner of his eye, he could see her brows arch with speculation.

  “Does that include you?”

  “I’m not totally immune to them,” he answered, then feeling a great need to change the subject, he pointed to a dingy brown building wedged between a warehouse and a barbershop. “If you like country music, that’s the place to go. Some of the best unknowns sing and play there.”

  She peered out the windshield at the row of buildings on the left side of the street. “Really? The building looks a bit ratty to me.”

  “That’s one of the reasons it’s the best night spot to visit. It isn’t jammed with tourists.”

  “I like country music but the blues is my first choice. In New Orleans, we have some of the best blues musicians and down in the French Quarter you can listen to them most any time of the day or night.”

  “Do you live anywhere near the French Quarter?” he asked curiously.

  “No. I still live with my parents—in the Garden District. That’s where—”

  “All the mansions and genteel people live,” he finished for her.

  Braking the car to a halt at a red light, he glanced over to see that a pretty pink color had washed over her cheeks.

  She said, “You make it sound boring.”

  “On the contrary. I don’t think anywhere in the city of New Orleans would be boring,” he told her. Especially with you for company, he silently added.

  “Well, to be honest, I’ve wanted a house of my own in the French Quarter. And someday I plan to buy one.”

  “Someday? Why not now?”

  She shook her head. “At this point in my life, my studies come before everything. But later, when I’m finished with my degree and I’m financially independent from my family, I’ll go house hunting.”

  Chaz could easily picture her in one of those three-story homes with a balcony made of scrolled ironwork overlooking the street. No doubt, she’d choose one with a private courtyard filled with tropical plants and hot, humid air that begged a person to sit and sip a cold mint julep. She had that southern mystique about her and New Orleans was where she belonged. Yet, Chaz was already wondering how he was going to feel once this job was over, and Savannah went back home to Louisiana.

  Chapter Five

  With the outskirts of the city disappearing behind them, Chaz guided the car off the main highway and onto a narrow farm-to-market road. The countryside swiftly turned to sloping hills and suddenly Savannah was gazing with amazement at acres and acres of carefully cultivated grapevines. Bright spring sunshine glinted off the dew-drenched leaves, while small bluebirds darted among the twisted vines. Here and there, large clusters of green grapes emerged from the leaves to bask in the warm sun.

  “This is so lovely, Chaz! That night when my siblings and I drove out here for Schuyler’s reunion, it was already dark, so I missed seeing the vineyard. Does this land belong to your family, as well as the winery?”

  “It does,” he replied. “Along with the vineyards, the winery and the restaurant, we also have a distribution center located in Austin Commons. We store much of our product there. And the family is currently working on plans to open a retail shop, a wine bar and a nightclub on a popular downtown street. In fact, Carlo and Schuyler have already purchased a nice piece of property for the nightclub.”

  “Wow, sounds like the Mendozas are not only hard working—they’re also an ambitious bunch.”

  “When my family first started the winery, I’m not sure that anyone believed it would be as successful as it’s turned out to be. Then as the wine began to catch on with the public, the business took off in all directions and one thing led to another. That’s one of the reasons I moved here to Austin.”

  “You had a chance to become a part owner?”

  His lips took on a wry twist. “No. But we’ve always been a close bunch and I wanted to be around to help with the family business.”

  Not only had he invited her on this trip, Savannah thought, but now he was talking about his personal life. Well, not exactly the private side of it, but he was talking about his family and she considered that to be personal. She didn’t know what had brought about the change in him from last night to this morning, but she definitely liked it.

  “And how is that working out?” she ventured to ask. “Are you glad you made the move?”

  “I thought long and hard before leaving the army,” he admitted. “After eight years, the military had pretty much become my whole life. And I had plans to become an MP. But then I started getting word from my dad and brothers about how the business here in Austin was doing handsprings and they needed my help with security. The thought of being with my family won out. Now it feels good to be contributing to the cause and being paid a nice salary, too.”

  “Mmm. That must be nice. To feel needed. By the time I reached middle school, I could see that Dad would never need me to contribute to Fortune Investments. He’d already made millions of dollars and had his own group of people to help run things. As I grew older, he never encouraged me to become a part of it. Frankly, it’s probably for the best that he didn’t. I’m not a business-minded person. I wouldn’t be happy dealing with money and investments and things of that nature.”

  “I’m not a business-minded person, either,” he admitted. “That’s why I do security. It’s what I’m trained for.” He gestured up ahead. “Here we are.”

  Savannah looked away from him and out the windshield to see a huge building partially hidden beyond a group of shade trees. A perfectly landscaped lawn sloped all the way down to the road.

  “Oh! Everything looks so different in the daylight. This is beautiful!”

  She glanced over to see he was scanning the grounds with a keen gaze, as though he were assessing every detail for the slightest hint of a change, or a problem. The security of the winery was his job. Yet, he now had her safety to consider, too. Clearly, his responsibilities were far more than stand
ing around looking strong and intimidating. Yesterday, she’d not fully understood that. Today, she was beginning to see everything from a different perspective.

  “My brother’s car is here, along with Dad’s,” he said. “Otherwise, it looks as though the place is quiet right now.”

  He parked the car in a graveled area shaded by a huge live oak, then skirted around to the passenger door to help her to the ground. The moment his strong hand came around hers, Savannah felt a surge of pleasure that had her wishing he’d continue to hold on to her. But the moment she was steady on her feet, he released her hand and she had to be satisfied with simply walking along by his side.

  “I am properly impressed,” she told him as she surveyed their surroundings. “Everything looks perfectly groomed.”

  He smiled at her and Savannah felt her breath catch in her throat. Looking at Chaz from any angle was a pleasure, she decided, but when he smiled, he was sinfully gorgeous. And far too much for her senses to handle.

  “I’m glad you approve. It’s all been a family effort.” He placed a hand on her elbow and guided her along a path of stepping-stones. “Let’s go around to the back of the building. When you were here for the reunion party, did you see that portion of the grounds?”

  “Only a glimpse. That night was rather cool and windy. Most everyone preferred to stay inside. Where the wine was flowing. Along with all the good food,” she added impishly.

  “Then you might be surprised at what you see today. In my opinion, the back area is the best part of the place.”

  They walked side by side to the corner of the building, then made a sharp left. Savannah instantly stopped in her tracks and gasped at the sight before her.

  “Oh, my. I don’t recall anything looking this incredible!” she exclaimed.

  “In the past few months, we’ve made a few additions and changes. There’s always someone in the family coming up with new ideas to make the place more appealing to customers.”

  Moving forward, Savannah walked among a grouping of intricately carved sculptures posed upon an immaculate carpet of St. Augustine grass. One in particular, a cavalry officer mounted on a horse, caught her immediate attention. Along with a frontier woman holding the hand of a small boy. Nearby, a Spanish-tiled fountain added the tinkling sound of moving water to the chatter of the mockingbirds flitting among the tree limbs.

  “We added the fountain a little over a year ago,” Chaz told her as they walked slowly through the garden of statues. “And we change the sculptures with the seasons so that it gives visitors a change of scenery throughout the year.”

  Savannah looked past a charming statuette of hugging cherubs to see splashes of red, pink, yellow and white blossoms among a wave of greenery. “Is that a rose garden? I don’t recall seeing it when I was here.”

  “It is a rose garden,” he confirmed. “Here lately, the weather has been perfect for roses, so they’re looking their best right now. And we’ve planted more shrubs and flowers around the grounds. The azaleas were exceptionally pretty this spring, but most of their blooms are gone now. Sorry, there aren’t any camellias.”

  So he remembered that she liked camellias. Was that a part of a bodyguard’s job?

  Oh, Savanna, quit analyzing the man’s every expression, every word. None of it means anything. He’s only making conversation and attempting to make an awkward situation more bearable. You need to do the same.

  Shoving away the reproving voice in her head, she smiled at him. “It’s too warm for camellias to bloom now. But they would add some nice color in the cooler months.”

  Their slow stroll eventually took them to the roses and as they grew closer, she caught a whiff of the delicate fragrance drifting on the late morning air. Bending at the waist, she sniffed at one of the pink half-opened buds. “Mmm. These smell heavenly. Like being transported to a fairyland.”

  He responded by reaching over and snapping off a long-stemmed pink rose. Handing it to her, he said, “Now you can take the fragrance with you.”

  Did this man realize he’d just done a very romantic thing for her? Or was pinching off a rose and handing it to a woman just a casual occurrence for him? Either way, the gesture felt like he’d just kissed her on the cheek.

  “Thank you, Chaz,” she murmured.

  “The rose—uh—matches your dress.”

  So why was he looking straight at her lips rather than her dress? Had he noticed the dusky pink lipstick she’d swiped on before they’d left the apartment? No! Her imagination was starting to run away with her. All these silly thoughts about kisses and lips were way out of her character. She didn’t know where they were coming from or why. The man was her protector. To him, she was a job and nothing more.

  “Hey, Chaz,” a male voice suddenly called out.

  Savannah looked around to see the man she remembered as Schuyler’s husband walking toward them. Tall and dark, he didn’t possess the same muscular build as Chaz, but there was a faint resemblance in their features.

  “Carlo. How’s it going this morning?”

  Carlo gave his brother’s shoulder an affectionate slap. “Great. We sold several cases of wine last night and took orders for at least a dozen more. We’re planning to ship those out tomorrow.”

  “Sounds like things were hopping. I didn’t realize you were putting on a tasting party last night,” Chaz said.

  “A food service convention was going on in the city,” Carlo explained, his gaze settling curiously on Savanna. “Schuyler managed to get us an invitation and it paid off.”

  At that moment, Chaz wrapped a hand around Savannah’s elbow and urged her forward. “Savannah, this is my brother Carlo. I think you two have met before.”

  “We have?” Carlo asked, then grinned and reached to shake her hand. “Only kidding, Savannah. I do remember you being at the reunion party. Along with the rest of your siblings.”

  Savannah smiled back at him, while thinking Carlo’s outgoing personality was much different than Chaz’s reserved nature. “I’m impressed that you remember me,” she admitted. “There are so many of us New Orleans Fortunes.”

  “Believe me, Schuyler is excited about her new cousin being in Austin. You can be sure she’ll be contacting you soon.”

  “It will be nice to see Schuyler again. Your wife is a lovely person. And very brave,” Savannah added with a little laugh, “to try to get all of us Fortunes together in one spot.”

  Carlo chuckled. “My wife isn’t just brave. She’s fierce.”

  “She has to be to live with my brother,” Chaz spoke up.

  Surprised by his dry humor, Savannah glanced at him. Other than a faint dimple in one cheek, his expression was unchanged. Which made her wonder even more what was going on behind that handsome face.

  “That’s the truth.” Carlo chuckled again before he turned a welcoming smile on Savannah. “I’m glad to see Chaz brought you along this morning. Hopefully, you’ll enjoy seeing the winery again.”

  She cast another brief glance at Chaz before she turned a smile on Carlo. “Thank you, Carlo. I’m glad I came, too. Even though I’m here because Chaz doesn’t want to take his eyes off me,” she said, then realizing how suggestive that sounded, she quickly added, “Uh—I mean for safety reasons.”

  Carlo’s grin deepened and Savannah wished she could kick herself for not phrasing her words more carefully.

  “Chaz is very dedicated to his profession,” Carlo reasoned. “Sometimes he can go overboard with safety precautions. But we love how he keeps everything protected.”

  The sound of a door opening and closing had all three of them glancing toward the building.

  “There’s Dad,” Chaz announced. “He’s come out to see what’s going on.”

  As Savannah watched Chaz and Carlo’s father stride purposely toward them, she gauged the man to be somewhere in his early sixties. A pair of dark trouse
rs and a pale blue shirt left open at the throat covered his tall frame, while thick salt-and-pepper hair was combed straight back from his face to eventually fall below the collar of his shirt. A smile flashed white against his dark complexion.

  “I should’ve known it was a beautiful woman keeping my sons occupied.” His brown eyes scanned Savannah’s face, then landed on Chaz. “Don’t you think you should introduce me?”

  “Give me time, Dad,” Chaz told him.

  Suddenly, Chaz’s hand settled against the small of her back and though she tried not to read anything into the contact, it made her feel totally connected to this man at her side.

  “Savannah, this is my father, Esteban Mendoza,” Chaz spoke. “And, Dad, this is Miss Savannah Fortune from New Orleans.”

  Smiling at the older man, Savannah offered him her hand. He promptly lifted the back of it to his lips.

  “I’m totally charmed to meet you, Miss Fortune. And how nice that you’ve come to visit Mendoza Winery. Will you be staying in Austin long?”

  “For several weeks,” she explained. “I’m a graduate student and here to do a research study at the university.”

  “Beauty and brains. That’s very impressive.” Esteban’s eyes twinkled with appreciation, before he turned a more serious gaze on his son. “I’m surprised you accepted the job of guarding a woman. You’ve never been a bodyguard to a woman before.”

  “This was different. It involved the Fortune family and since I have many relatives married to Fortunes, I didn’t want to refuse the job,” Chaz explained.

  Savannah got the impression Chaz was a bit uncomfortable discussing his bodyguard work with his father. Perhaps that was because it was something that took him away from the family business and he felt guilty about it, she thought. Or it could be that he and his father didn’t always see eye-to-eye.

  Frowning thoughtfully, Esteban looked at Savannah with a measure of concern. “Are you worried about your safety here in Austin, Miss Fortune?”