THE FORTUNES OF TEXAS
Follow the lives and loves of a wealthy family with a rich history and deep ties in the Lone Star State
THE HOTEL FORTUNE
Check in to the Hotel Fortune, the Fortune brothers’ latest venture in cozy Rambling Rose, Texas. They’re scheduled to open on Valentine’s Day, when a suspicious accident damages a balcony—and injures one of the workers! Now the future of the hotel could be in jeopardy. Was the crash an accident—or is something more nefarious going on?
Wiley Fortune is a big-city attorney who doesn’t like to lose—in the courtroom or in life. So far, he’s found little to like about the sleepy Texas town most of his family has made their home...until Grace Williams falls (literally!) into his arms. But Wiley’s visit is supposed to be temporary—and he knows better than to date a family employee! The last thing he needs is a relationship that makes him want more...
Dear Reader,
Happy 2021! I hope this is a wonderful year for you, and I’m thrilled to kick it off with the first book in the latest Fortunes of Texas series.
My favorite heroines are the ones who aren’t actually looking for romance but instead want to find their place in the world—and they find a love that helps them get there. Grace Williams has returned to her hometown of Rambling Rose after a few hard knocks. But she’s determined to make a new start at the Hotel Fortune. And when she—quite literally—falls for Wiley Fortune, Grace discovers the perfect man for her.
Big-city attorney Wiley Fortune can appreciate that his siblings are happy in the small Texas town, but he doesn’t plan to stay. Wiley values his independence and has worked hard for his career. But when Grace is injured minutes after their first fateful meeting, Wiley learns that when you fall for the right person, fighting to make a love that lasts is more important than anything else.
I hope you enjoy reading Wiley and Grace’s story as much as I loved writing it.
Please come say hi on Facebook or at michellemajor.com.
Happy reading!
Michelle
Her Texas New Year’s Wish
Michelle Major
Michelle Major grew up in Ohio but dreamed of living in the mountains. Soon after graduating with a degree in journalism, she pointed her car west and settled in Colorado. Her life and house are filled with one great husband, two beautiful kids, a few furry pets and several well-behaved reptiles. She’s grateful to have found her passion writing stories with happy endings. Michelle loves to hear from her readers at michellemajor.com.
Books by Michelle Major
Harlequin Special Edition
Welcome to Starlight
The Best Intentions
The Last Man She Expected
Crimson, Colorado
Anything for His Baby
A Baby and a Betrothal
Always the Best Man
Christmas on Crimson Mountain
Romancing the Wallflower
Sleigh Bells in Crimson
Coming Home to Crimson
Maggie & Griffin
Falling for the Wrong Brother
Second Chance in Stonecreek
A Stonecreek Christmas Reunion
The Fortunes of Texas: Rambling Rose
Fortune’s Fresh Start
Visit the Author Profile page at Harlequin.com for more titles.
To the Fortunes of Texas team—thanks for making this journey so much fun.
Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Excerpt from What Happens at the Ranch... by Christy Jeffries
Chapter One
“I wouldn’t drink that if I were you.”
Wiley Fortune plucked the glass from his sister’s hand and placed it back on the polished mahogany bar.
Nicole gave him a funny look. “It’s water, Wi. Roja is providing the food for this party. I may be a guest, but I’m also still on the clock.”
“I know it’s water.” Wiley tugged on the end of Nicole’s long blond hair, the way he used to do when they were kids. “That’s my point.”
Nicole, Ashley and Megan Fortune—the triplets—had been born seven years after Wiley, miracle babies in every sense of the word. Their parents, David and Marci, had married after a whirlwind courtship, blending four sons from their respective first marriages in a way that would have made Carol Brady’s head spin back in the day.
The boys had gotten off to a bit of a rocky start as they attempted to figure out their roles in the new family. Everything had changed when his mom gave birth to Stephanie five years later. One thing all four boys could agree on was how much they adored their baby sister. Mom had hoped to add another sibling to the mix right away, but she’d had trouble conceiving. Although she’d tried to hide her emotional pain and physical exhaustion, Wiley knew that season of loss had taken a toll on her.
Wiley loved every member of his family, but he’d been a quiet, introverted kid and it was a lot to grow up in such a big, boisterous family. Maybe that fact had something to do with the distance that had seemed to grow between him and the rest of his siblings.
He was the only one who hadn’t migrated to the quaint town of Rambling Rose, Texas, although they’d convinced him to visit over Christmas and return for his cousin Adam Fortune’s son’s first birthday party.
“What’s wrong with the water in Rambling Rose?” Nicole asked, scrunching her perfect nose.
“It’s obviously tainted,” Wiley said, keeping his features neutral and using the same tone with her that he did for contract negotiations in his law firm back in Chicago. “Look around at all the nauseatingly happy couples here tonight. Something happens when a Fortune drinks the Rambling Rose water. They lose all sense and succumb to Cupid’s arrow.”
Nicole rolled her bright blue eyes toward the tile ceiling that had just been installed in the restaurant. “I guess that explains why you’re on your second whiskey of the night.”
He lifted the etched-glass tumbler in her direction. “Much safer. Can I buy you a drink?”
“I’m running the restaurant and bar tonight,” Nicole said with a delicate sniff. “I don’t need you to buy me a drink.”
She swatted his arm, then grabbed the water and made a show of drinking down half of it in a few gulps. “Besides—” she delicately dabbed at the corner of her mouth with the flowing sleeve of her batik-print dress “—what’s wrong with love?”
“It’s a distraction,” he answered without hesitation.
“That’s cynical, Wiley, even for you.” Nicole climbed onto the bar stool next to him and swiveled so that they were both facing out toward the crowd. “Look at how happy Callum and Dillon are.”
She pointed toward their brothers, who stood near the front of the banquet room greeting guests. Dillon stood close to Hailey Miller, his fiancée, whom he’d met because she worked at the local spa the family had opened in town last year, while Callum and his wife, Becky, held hands. They’d met and quickly married after Callum moved to Rambling Rose and fell in love with the sweet nurse and her adorable twin toddl
ers, Sasha and Luna.
“It’s the water,” he repeated. “Or they’ve all been stricken by the Texas heat. Even Steven is all googly-eyed for his lady. I barely recognize my own brothers.”
A second sister, Megan, let out a mild laugh as she approached from the other side of him and helped herself to a sip of his drink. “If you don’t recognize your brothers, it’s because you spend too much time on your own.”
“I’m here now,” Wiley muttered.
“Because Mom guilted you into it,” Megan reminded him. She, Nicole and Ashley looked almost identical with their shiny hair and delicate features. They’d followed their brothers to Rambling Rose and opened a farm-to-table restaurant, Provisions, to a great deal of success. Megan was the most serious of the trio and handled the finances for both Provisions and Roja, located inside the Hotel Fortune, which was due to open in just over a month. Nicole was the more flamboyantly creative and was using her culinary skills to create an innovative menu for Roja as the restaurant’s executive chef. Ashley took on the role of bossy micromanager in the best way possible, and as the general manager for Provisions.
“Wiley thinks Rambling Rose is a bad influence on all of us because the Fortunes are falling in love here.”
“You could use some more love in your life.” Megan poked a finger into his biceps. “You work too much.”
“How would you know? I live in Chicago. Don’t tell me you’re keeping tabs on my life from halfway across the country.” Wiley felt heat prick the back of his neck as his sisters exchanged a knowing glance. He didn’t think he’d sounded defensive, but this was the reason he skipped so many family gatherings. There was no privacy to be had once his brothers and sisters got involved.
“All you talk about is work,” Megan answered, smoothing a hand over her cream-colored sweater.
“I like my job.” Wiley took a long drink of whiskey, welcoming the burn of the liquor in his throat. “It’s fascinating.”
“Contract law isn’t fascinating.” Nicole laughed. “The restaurant business is fascinating. It’s always evolving.”
“Not to mention there’s no shortage of yummy food to taste,” Megan added.
“Being an attorney is fascinating to me,” Wiley grumbled.
“Because you need more excitement in your life.” Nicole turned to him. “Don’t you long for a change, Wi? For years, you’ve been at the same firm in the same position—”
“And living in the same condo.” Megan fist-bumped her sister.
“I’m stable and consistent,” Wiley told them.
“Boring,” Nicole countered.
“When was the last time you did something spontaneous?” Megan demanded, placing a hand on his knee and pinching like she used to when they were kids.
“What the hell?” Wiley squirmed and then shooed away her hand.
“You’re still girl-crazy,” Megan told him with a laugh. “You always have been.”
“You just need to improve your taste,” Nicole advised.
Megan nodded. “Maybe then it will last beyond a couple of months.”
Wiley resisted the urge to growl or to stomp away the way he had when his baby sisters bothered him when they were younger. He pointed to their cousin, Kane, who’d joined Callum’s construction company last year once Callum moved the operation to Rambling Rose. “Go bother Kane with your meddling,” he said.
Nicole laughed. “What are we, the Scooby-Doo gang?”
“Those meddling sisters,” Megan said, making her voice low like a cartoon villain’s.
“You have so many choices of Fortunes to annoy here tonight.”
“But you’re our current favorite.” Megan leaned in and placed a smacking kiss on Wiley’s cheek.
“The rest of them aren’t half as much fun now that they’ve found love,” Nicole admitted, resting her head on his shoulder as her tone turned wistful. “They’re all so blissed out from true love.”
“You’re still an easy target.” Megan smiled at him, but it didn’t quite reach her blue eyes.
“Why doesn’t that sound like a compliment?”
“We want you to be happy,” Megan told him, but Wiley wasn’t sure if she was truly talking about him or thinking of herself. He wasn’t about to point out that neither Nicole nor Megan had found love in Rambling Rose.
Nicole handed him her nearly empty glass of water. “You should have some of this. If there really is something in the water, it will be good for you.”
“You know that was a joke.” He took the water from her and finished it in one swallow. “First, I don’t believe in true love. It isn’t pragmatic, and the odds of it being successful are ridiculously bad. Besides, whatever my future holds, I’m pretty sure it doesn’t include finding my perfect match in a town that’s no more than a tiny speck on the Texas map. I’m here temporarily to support all of you. Nothing more.”
“You have to keep your heart open,” Megan told him. “You never know when love will find you.” She gestured toward Callum, who lifted one of the twins into the air. “When Callum and Becky met, he wasn’t looking for love.”
“Now he’d tell you he couldn’t imagine his life without Becky, Sasha and Luna.”
Wiley sighed. His sisters were right about Callum. It still felt strange that his brother had taken on the role of father figure to the pretty widow’s daughters so seamlessly. Not that Callum wasn’t great with kids. He’d had plenty of experience with Stephanie and the triplets. But up until he’d met Becky, Wiley had been certain Callum didn’t want kids. The same went for Dillon and Steven. In fact, it had been the change in each of his brothers that made him feel like even more of an odd man out in his family.
He glanced between Nicole and Megan, at the similar wistful expressions as they surveyed the crowd. No way would he rain on their romantic parade, even if he knew their unwavering belief in true love might have more to do with youth and inexperience than anything else. Wiley had been around the dating block enough to know that some people weren’t cut out for love. People like him.
His siblings had a lot to be proud of. They’d accomplished so much in their time in Rambling Rose. He’d watched from a distance with fascination over the past year and half as they’d transformed the sleepy community into a thriving small town.
Wiley smiled as Ashley, the third triplet, approached, wagging her finger. “You three need to mingle.”
Ashley had always been the bossiest. Now that she was settled in Rambling Rose and happy with her fiancé, Rodrigo Mendoza, and the success of Provisions, she was even more confident in her ability to order her siblings around.
“We’re doing important work here,” Megan told Ashley with an arched brow. “Convincing Wiley to move to Rambling Rose.”
“He’s about to agree.” Nicole nodded.
“That’s wonderful.” Ashley gave Wiley a tight hug.
“And a total lie.” He extricated himself from her embrace and held up his empty glass toward the bartender, silently requesting a refill. He was staying out at the Fame and Fortune Ranch where several of his siblings lived, so Nicole had given him a ride to the hotel tonight. Might as well take advantage, especially with his sisters on a mission.
“Larkin is a cute baby,” he said casually, then smiled to himself as the triplets began to talk over one another, extolling the virtues of the birthday boy.
Nothing distracted them like an adorable kid.
He thanked the bartender when the man brought him a fresh glass and took a step away from the triplets. Time to make a quick exit from that conversation.
Steven waved to him, and Wiley started in that direction, then paused when a flash of blue caught his attention. A beautiful woman wearing a tailored cerulean sheath dress.
The party was being held on the second floor of Roja, the signature restaurant that was part of the Hotel Fortune. The boutique
hotel, with its Spanish architecture and Western decor that was a nod to the town’s history, was the crowning achievement for his brothers. Callum, Dillon and Steven had successfully opened various businesses in town over the past year, from the medical clinic to a spa to several upscale retail shops. He knew they’d received the most pushback from the community about the initial plan for the hotel, and it had been Kane who’d smoothed over the waters in town, convincing Callum to rescale the project to be smaller and more intimate.
The Hotel Fortune was set to open in just over a month, and Wiley had no doubt it would be a huge success. His brothers and sisters wouldn’t settle for anything less.
There were at least fifty people in attendance for Larkin’s birthday. In addition to his parents, Adam and Laurel, and his immediate and extended family, the private banquet room on the restaurant’s second floor was filled with friends and hotel employees. The community had banded together last year to support the baby when he needed a bone marrow transplant. Everyone was thrilled to celebrate the little boy who’d overcome so much. And to Wiley’s surprise, based on how his siblings had talked about the celebration, all the different Fortune factions seemed to be getting along.
He turned toward the wall of windows and patio doors that had been opened for the evening. It was unseasonably warm for this time of year, even by Texas standards. In the center of the exterior wall was a stamped concrete balcony with wrought iron railings that overlooked the patio and pool below.
His gaze snagged on the same woman who’d caught his attention a few moments earlier. She had long, bourbon-colored hair, a slender build and creamy skin from what he could see of her arms in the sleeveless dress she wore. She spoke to Callum and Mariana, one of the town’s most illustrious residents, who was working with Nicole as the sous chef in the Roja kitchen. For years, Mariana had run a successful outdoor market in downtown Rambling Rose, with vendors selling all kinds of food and wares. And her food stall had been one of the most—if not the most—popular stand of all. It was in no small part thanks to her influence with the local vendors that the Fortune family had been able to go ahead with some of their most successful new projects, all because Mariana understood that they would bring new life to her hometown.
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