Wiley didn’t recognize the woman in blue, although he couldn’t help but think they’d met before. There was nothing else that would explain the strange connection when he hadn’t even fully seen her face.
Then she turned, and the breath whooshed out of him on a long exhale. It was like a piece of a puzzle snapping together with its perfect match. His heart seemed to skip a beat. No, that couldn’t be right. The woman was a stranger. There was no question, because he would never forget his reaction to her.
She might be a stranger, but he had to meet her.
He made his way through the crowd. Mariana walked away, but Callum remained in conversation with the woman as Wiley stopped just behind his brother.
“Hey, Wi.” Callum glanced over his shoulder. “Have you met Grace Williams? She’s one of our management trainees. Grace, this is my brother Wiley. He’s our big-shot family attorney visiting from Chicago.”
Wiley barely registered the introduction as Grace smiled at him. Her eyes, the same bright blue of a clear summer sky, crinkled at the corners.
“Hi.” He struggled to regain control over the rapid cadence of his breathing. If he didn’t know better, Wiley would think he was having some sort of heart attack. There was no logical explanation for his reaction. He’d met countless beautiful women over the years and dated his fair share of them. But Grace Williams leveled him with just a smile.
Callum cleared his throat, and Wiley realized Grace had offered her hand to shake.
“It’s nice to meet you,” she said softly, a blush staining her cheeks.
He took her hand, almost expecting to feel the zap of an electric current when he touched her. No literal shock, which he realized was a ridiculous expectation in the first place.
“Hey, Wiley,” Steven called from a few feet away. “Come over here for a second. I have a couple hotel employees I want you to meet.”
Wiley had already met a dozen new people tonight, employees, local business owners and members of the extended Fortune family. He’d enjoyed the various introductions until this moment. Now he was done talking to people other than Grace.
“It’s fine,” Callum told him with a dismissive pat on the shoulder. “Grace and I are discussing some hotel business, anyway.”
Wiley wanted to argue, but that would be rude. He looked toward Grace once more and her breath hitched.
“I’ll be around all night,” she told him, darting a quick glance toward Callum before her gaze returned to Wiley. “I hope we can chat some more.”
“Definitely,” he told her, the band around his heart loosening slightly. He had all night to talk to Grace.
That thought calmed Wiley enough so that he could shift his attention to Steven as he walked away. He wasn’t about to lose his chance with Grace when they’d only just met.
* * *
Wiley Fortune was quite possibly the most handsome man Grace had ever seen. And in his family, that was saying something.
He shared the same tall, lean build as Steven and that innate Fortune spark, but Grace’s reaction to Wiley had been unexpected. As he walked away, she worked to regain control. The last thing she needed was to make a spectacle of herself in front of Callum.
She did her best not to fidget as she gave an update on the water heater that had leaked in one of the hotel’s main-floor utility rooms. She hated relaying anything that seemed like bad news, especially in the middle of a first birthday party, but hoped the fact that she had a solution for the potential dilemma would help.
“It sounds like you handled it perfectly,” Callum told her, and she let out a small sigh of relief. “Just like tonight. Larkin’s celebration has gone off without a hitch.”
“I can’t take all the credit,” Grace admitted because that was her way. “The Roja staff has done an amazing job. Everyone’s pitched in where they were supposed to. And a roomful of Fortunes isn’t as intimidating as you led me to believe.”
Callum grinned. “We’re on our best behavior.” He leaned closer. “It’s a bit of a surprise, I’ll admit. This night makes me feel like we’re actually on track for the grand opening next month.”
“Definitely,” Grace agreed. “By then, all the details will be ironed out. Everyone in Rambling Rose is going to be talking about the Hotel Fortune.”
“I hope you’re right. This venture has definitely given us the most headaches, although it will all be worth it when we have a full slate of guests.”
“You and your brothers and sisters have made sure every step of the redevelopment plan for the town has been thoughtfully crafted and executed. I’m honored to be a part of it.” Grace inwardly cringed, hoping she didn’t sound like a total suck-up, but Callum smiled.
“We’re glad to have you on the team. I’m sorry things at Cowboy Country didn’t work out, but their loss is our gain.”
Grace forced a smile, although mention of her previous job had her stomach tightening painfully. She didn’t think anyone in Rambling Rose knew the full truth of why she’d left the cowboy theme park run by another branch of the Fortune family in the town of Horseback Hollow. There was no way she was going to share her heartbreak and humiliation, not when her life was finally getting back on track.
“Take a break.” Callum gestured to the row of food tables. “Have a piece of cake or a drink or just enjoy the beautiful night. You’ve earned it, Grace.”
She nodded. “Thanks. I’ll have a piece of birthday cake. I’m glad things are going so well and Larkin’s enjoying the attention.”
Someone called to Callum, and she turned for the cake table but first detoured toward the empty balcony overlooking the hotel’s impeccably landscaped pool area. She needed to cool off as she could still feel her cheeks burning from the way Wiley had looked at her.
She wouldn’t jeopardize her future for any man, no matter how attractive. In some ways, she still felt like pinching herself, because despite all the things that had gone wrong in her life, the three and half months she’d spent in the Hotel Fortune management training program seemed to make all the trouble worth it.
Yes, she’d had to drop out of college to help take care of her older brother after he’d been seriously injured in a car accident almost a decade earlier. Yes, she’d struggled to fit in when she’d finally returned to school, unable to enjoy life in the way regular college students did. She’d been too serious and too focused, determined to get her degree but always guilty that she was able to have a life Jake couldn’t due to his recovery. After finally graduating with a degree in hospitality management, she’d landed a job in the Cowboy Country front office. At that point, Grace thought she was finally on her way. She’d had a good job, a handsome boyfriend and a fresh start in life.
Discovering that Craig had been cheating on her with a fellow employee—and that pretty much everyone at Cowboy Country knew it except Grace—had been a blow she hadn’t expected. One that brought her to her knees, literally and figuratively.
But she was leaving the past behind for her new future with the Hotel Fortune. Although members of the family had been taking the lead on running things during construction, they planned to promote someone from within the training program to the role of general manager as part of the grand opening. There might be other employees vying for the coveted position, but Grace was determined to earn it.
She stepped to the edge of the balcony, running her palms across the smooth wrought iron railing. She couldn’t remember ever feeling such a sense of anticipation as she did at this moment.
Drawing in a long pull of the fresh air from the open patio doors, she turned back toward the party. Pride swelled in her chest at the crowd of happy people. She’d had a lot to do with making this evening a success.
Her gaze snagged on Wiley once again as he moved away from the group where he stood. One corner of his full mouth tugged into a sexy smirk, like he could feel the way her body went
on high alert from across the room. Grace felt like she was on a roller coaster, climbing the track of the first giant hill. Her heart raced as she thought about the free fall to come.
When he started toward her, she turned and leaned forward, gripping the railing with rigid fingers. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to meet him. In fact, her body practically yearned to get close to him.
But she’d given herself to a man once before with disastrous results. No way would she fall again.
A loud crack split the air, and she stumbled as the balcony pitched forward. Then she was falling so fast she didn’t even have time to scream.
Chapter Two
“This doesn’t make any sense.” Callum dashed a hand through his hair as he paced the small waiting room in the Rambling Rose Medical Center emergency room. “In all my years of construction, I’ve never had something like that happen on one of our projects.”
“We’ll figure out what caused it,” Wiley said from where he sat on a patterned chair situated against the far wall. “But first we need to make sure Grace is okay. She’s the priority right now.”
Callum nodded. “You’re right. But what if it had been a hotel guest or one of the kids on that balcony when it collapsed? Can you imagine if there were people on the patio below?”
Wiley understood his brother’s train of thought but felt oddly defensive at the subtle suggestion that the accident wasn’t as catastrophic because a mere employee had been injured.
As if sensing his irritation, Callum held up a hand. He wore dark slacks and a button-down shirt that was covered with dust from the rubble of the mess that had been made when the balcony collapsed. “I’m not insinuating that Grace is disposable. I would never put her or any employee at risk. You know that, Wi.”
“She was unconscious,” Wiley muttered, his nerve endings pulling tight at the memory of the EMTs lifting her limp body onto a stretcher. “She could have died in that fall.”
The thought of losing her before he got to know her felt like a punch to the gut.
“But she woke up in the ambulance.” Callum continued to pace back and forth. “She was obviously in shock but seemed lucid. Her ankle was in bad shape, but I have to believe that’s the worst of her injuries. We need to believe Grace will be okay.”
Grace Williams.
Callum had shared the woman’s name with the first responders when they arrived at the hotel mere minutes after Nicole made the 911 call.
In the chaos that ensued after the balcony’s collapse, Callum had been designated to accompany Grace to the hospital while his brothers and sisters dealt with things on-site. Wiley couldn’t explain why he’d stalked to his car and followed the emergency vehicle, but he couldn’t seem to release the impulse to be near Grace, even if she didn’t want or need him there.
“You better hope she’s okay,” Wiley muttered.
Callum stopped directly in front of him, his eyes narrowing. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Wiley drew in a breath. How was he supposed to explain the fierce protectiveness he felt toward a woman he’d only just met? He didn’t understand it, so there was no way his brother would.
“The hotel bears a responsibility for the accident. If the construction was faulty or the building materials subpar—”
“Are you kidding?” Callum’s jaw tightened. “You know I don’t cut corners, Wiley. Everything I build is rock solid.”
“Other than the balcony that just collapsed with a woman standing on it.” Wiley rose from his chair to stand toe-to-toe with his brother.
“I’m going to assume you’re playing devil’s advocate because you’re an attorney and concerned about the family’s liability. I sure as hell hope you aren’t suggesting that we didn’t take all the necessary steps to ensure proper construction.” Temper flared between them, and Wiley wanted to kick himself in the family jewels for goading his brother at a time like this. The thought of Grace’s injuries made him want to lash out at anyone and everyone.
He gave a tight nod. “I’m sorry, Callum. You’re right. I’m worried about your employee and I’m concerned about the hotel’s responsibility and the potential negative press of this kind of accident. There’s no doubt about the quality of the work you do. I don’t want a single incident to tarnish your track record in town.”
Callum eyed him for a moment longer, then stepped away and began to pace again. “We won’t let it. Of course we’ll take care of any medical bills that aren’t covered by Grace’s insurance and continue to pay her salary while she’s recovering. Once she returns to work—”
“You don’t even know the extent of her injuries,” Wiley felt compelled to point out.
“I can help with that.”
They both turned as a tall man in light blue scrubs entered the waiting room. Callum strode forward and shook the man’s hand, reminding Wiley of his brother’s ties to the town.
“Mark, how is she?”
The man threw a glance in Wiley’s direction.
“This is my brother Wiley. He’s in town for Larkin’s party.”
“Quite an event,” the other man murmured, which to Wiley’s mind was the understatement of the new year.
“Wiley, this is Dr. Mark Matthews.” Callum gestured to the doctor. “Becky says he’s one of the best emergency room physicians she knows.” He turned his attention fully to Mark. “I’m glad you’re on duty tonight. How is Grace?”
“Good, given what she’s been through.” The doctor looked past Callum and Wiley to the empty waiting room. “Have you called her family?”
Callum nodded. “Ashley tracked down her parents’ number and spoke to her mom. They’re on their way here.”
“Can we see her?” Wiley demanded, crossing his arms over his chest when both men gave him a strange look.
“I suppose that would be all right,” Mark agreed almost reluctantly. “We’ve moved her to a room on the third floor for the night.”
“How bad are the injuries?” Callum asked as Dr. Matthews turned toward a bank of elevators.
“You’re not family, so I can’t share any details.” Mark jabbed at the elevator’s button. “Grace will decide what she wants to tell you. She was awake when I left, but if she’s fallen back asleep I don’t want you to wake her. She’s in room three sixty-five. I need to check on another patient, and then I’ll be up.”
Callum nodded. “Thanks, Mark. We won’t disturb her if she’s resting.”
The elevator doors swished open as the doctor turned away. Wiley followed his brother into the small space.
“I appreciate you being here,” Callum said as he pushed the button for the third floor. “But you don’t have to go with me to see her.”
Wiley kept his gaze on the carpeted floor. “I’ll stay.”
He could feel Callum studying him but didn’t answer. Let his brother think that his interest in Grace Williams was due to concern over the hotel’s liability for the accident.
It made sense, and not only because of Wiley’s career as an attorney. He’d never gotten particularly involved in the details of the lives of his siblings, at least as much as he could help it. After years of being part of such a large family, his identity as a separate individual meant the world to him.
He couldn’t figure out why Grace had changed that in a split second, and he wasn’t ready to examine it now.
* * *
Grace glanced up at the soft knock on the hospital door. Her head felt heavy and somewhat muddled, but now that the pain medicine had kicked in, at least her entire body no longer throbbed in agony.
She expected to see her parents’ familiar faces. Shock rippled through her as Callum Fortune entered. She couldn’t imagine that the man responsible for the construction of most of the new buildings in Rambling Rose would be too happy that one of his employees had managed to get herself practically killed in t
he middle of an important family event.
“Hey there,” Callum said gently as he came closer to the bed. “Are you up for a couple of visitors?”
Her gaze moved beyond his broad frame and shivers erupted along her skin as she met the intense gaze of the man who’d captured her attention just before the balcony collapsed. Grace stifled a giggle that she knew must be caused by the pain medicine at the thought that her body’s overwhelming reaction to Wiley might have caused the earth to move under her feet.
“Grace?” Callum gave her a strange look, and for an instant she worried she’d been singing the words to the classic tune out loud.
She swallowed and tried to pull together her tangled musings. “Thanks for stopping by,” she said, and immediately thought she sounded ridiculous. As if Callum Fortune had come to her hospital room for some kind of social call. “I’m sorry I broke your balcony.” Her voice sounded strange to her ears, thick and garbled.
Callum shook his head. “You didn’t do anything wrong,” he assured her. “There’s no reason to be sorry. I’m the one who owes you an apology, Grace. I don’t understand how or why that balcony collapsed. The county building inspector was out before the holidays and we passed everything.”
Wiley stepped forward, clearing his throat. “We’re glad you’re okay.”
The gentle gleam in Wiley’s brown eyes made her stomach flutter once again. When they’d been introduced, his eyes had appeared regular brown, but as he approached the bed she could see flecks of gold in their depths. His lashes were also outrageously long for a man. Cosmetics companies could build entire ad campaigns around the promise of achieving lashes like his.
She blinked and tried to focus, realizing she was staring at him like some cow-eyed teenager. “Hi,” she breathed, unable to form a more coherent greeting.
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