Her mother let out a gasp, and Wiley reached for her.
“Don’t touch my daughter.” Her father’s voice seemed to reverberate through the room.
Grace felt her face color with humiliation as Wiley drew back his hand and took a step away from her. Barbara put the tray of drinks and snacks on a side table and moved closer to her husband. Grace wasn’t sure if it was to lend silent support to Mike or to protect Wiley from him.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Williams. I just wanted to help.”
“By putting her at risk again? Not going to happen.”
“I want to work.” She lifted her hands, palms up. “I can’t sit around here for the next month. I’ll go stir-crazy.” She bit down on the inside of her cheek when her voice caught. No way was she going to start crying in front of Wiley.
“Did he tell you that someone’s out to get the Fortunes?” Mike asked Grace the question but looked at Wiley as he spat out the words.
“What are you talking about?”
“Sabotage.” Mike said the word like it was poison on his tongue.
“We don’t know that yet,” Wiley argued, then turned to Grace. “The building inspector said it’s possible someone tampered with the balcony’s support beams. The investigation is ongoing, but that could have contributed to the collapse.”
“Definitely is more like it,” her father said. “Why is someone messing with the hotel construction?” he demanded of Wiley.
“We don’t know, sir.” Wiley scrubbed a hand over his jaw. “But I promise you we’ll get to the bottom of it.”
“Not by making my daughter a potential target.”
“I promise I would never—” Wiley cleared his throat. “I won’t let anything happen to Grace. I’ll keep her safe. You have my word.” He turned to her fully, and her breath caught in her throat at the ferocity in his gaze. “I’ll keep you safe.”
“I know,” she said softly. Somehow she had no doubt that Wiley, a man she barely knew, would do everything in his power to ensure her safety. It baffled her why she felt so confident in that, but her heart remained certain.
“He’s using you,” her father said through clenched teeth.
“Mike, don’t.” To Grace’s surprise, her mother stepped forward and placed a hand on her husband’s arm. “What happened to Grace was an accident. The Fortunes didn’t intentionally put her in danger. I agree that she should take it easy.” Barbara glanced at Grace. “You need to rest so that your recovery isn’t impacted.”
Grace opened her mouth to argue, but her mother held up a hand.
“I also understand that you’re accustomed to being busy, and your job means a lot to you.” She squeezed Mike’s arm. “She’s an adult capable of making her own decisions.”
“I know what I’m doing,” Grace said, looking between her parents. “Going back to work will actually be helpful to my recovery.” She ignored her dad’s snort of disbelief. “I mean it. I can’t do nothing for a month. If the Fortunes are willing to let me make my own hours and work remotely when possible—”
“We are.” Wiley nodded. “Whatever you need.”
“I want to try.” She got to her feet again, this time careful about her leg, and hopped the short distance to where her parents stood. “I understand you’re worried, and I have no idea who would want to sabotage the hotel or why. But it has nothing to do with me.”
“You’ve got a cast on your leg that tells a different story,” Mike said, but his voice had gentled. Grace knew he wasn’t going to fight her on this any longer.
“I’ll be careful.”
Mike turned to Wiley. “My daughter is old enough and smart enough to make her own decisions. But I’m holding you to the promise to keep her safe. I understand you don’t have skin in the game in Rambling Rose the way some of your brothers and sisters do, but consider my girl your number one priority while you’re in town.”
“Dad, that’s ridiculous.” Grace cringed even as longing threaded through her like a needle binding two pieces of fabric. What would it feel like to be a priority for Wiley? “Wiley has plenty of other—”
“Done,” Wiley said, and held out a hand to Grace’s father. They shook and suddenly Grace felt like some sort of Victorian spinster who’d just been promised to the roguish hero. She needed to lay off the historical romances for a while.
“Can Wiley and I have a few minutes alone?” she asked her parents. “To go over next steps.”
Mike looked as though he didn’t want to leave them, but Barbara tugged him toward the hall. “Let us know if you need anything. It was nice to see you again, Wiley.”
“You as well, Mrs. Williams. Thank you.”
When her parents were gone, Grace turned to Wiley, ready to give him a litany of excuses for her father’s behavior. Instead an enormous yawn stretched her lips and exhaustion made her limbs grow heavy.
“This is too much,” Wiley said without hesitation. “I promise that wasn’t my intention, Grace. Or to upset your father.”
She waved away his concern. “I’ll be fine,” she told him with a wobbly smile. “I probably need a tiny nap first. My dad’s worry has more to do with what happened to my brother than this situation. Although I wish you would have told me about the possibility of the beams being tampered with.”
“I’m sorry.” He squeezed her fingers. “I should have brought it up right away but didn’t want to upset or worry you. I meant what I said about protecting you, Grace.”
“Thank you,” she managed, even though her throat had gone dry. It was difficult to remember that her relationship with Wiley was only professional when he touched her with such exquisite sweetness and looked at her as though he wanted to kiss her. It had to be the exhaustion making her imagine that. “I appreciate the opportunity to coordinate an event for the hotel. I’m going to take a short rest, and then I’ll put together my ideas and email them to Callum and Nicole. We can schedule a call to discuss their thoughts and go from there.”
“All business,” Wiley murmured, dropping his hand. If Grace didn’t know better, she would have sworn she heard disappointment in his tone.
“Not all.” She flashed a smile and gestured to the pile of puzzle books on the table. “You’ve given me a lot to keep myself busy. I appreciate it.” She covered her mouth when another yawn escaped.
“We’ll talk soon.” Wiley stepped away from her. “Enjoy your nap, Grace. Sweet dreams.”
Butterflies fluttered across her stomach as he walked away. If Wiley Fortune was a part of her dreams, they’d be sweet indeed.
* * *
“I’m still not sure why we couldn’t have taken one of the ATVs,” Wiley grumbled the following night as he tugged on the reins of his horse when the animal once again veered off the path to munch on a nearby bush.
“We wanted to give you the full Texas experience,” Megan said, glancing over her shoulder with a wink.
“Besides, your boots are too shiny.” Their cousin Kane rode up next to him on his chestnut mare. “You need some more dust to make you look like a legit cowboy.”
Wiley barked out a laugh at the absurdity of that statement. “I’m nowhere near a cowboy. Attorneys aren’t cowboys. It’s mutually exclusive.”
“Not in Texas,” Megan told him. Her horse came to a stop at the edge of a low rise, the surrounding property spread out in front of them like a postcard.
“How much of this do we own?” Wiley asked, somewhat overwhelmed by the wide-open space and big sky. He knew this part of Texas was expansive, especially compared to the crowded high-rises of downtown Chicago.
“As far as the eye can see,” Megan told him softly. There was something about the moment and the vista that called for quiet. Wiley suddenly understood what had drawn his siblings to this part of the country. Maybe it was something in the Fortune DNA that made Texas appeal to so many of them.
> He thought Callum had lost his mind when he’d moved to Rambling Rose over a year ago and then convinced Dillon, Steven and Stephanie to go with him. By the previous spring, the triplets had joined them. Wiley had stayed in the Midwest, telling himself he was content with his big-city life far away from his family. He loved each one of them, but growing up in a house with so many kids had made him savor his independence and stake it out with all the dedication of a dogged adventurer. His career and his life belonged solely to him, and that seemed like enough.
But spending time with his siblings and the cousins he was enjoying getting to know planted tiny seeds of doubt in his mind. Although he was keeping up on his regular workload remotely, he didn’t miss the bustle of the city and his busy professional life the way he assumed he would. He’d been going on full tilt for as long as he could remember, never pausing to reflect whether the path he was so intent on taking was the right one.
Of course it was right. He’d chosen it. He couldn’t let a few weeks of fresh air and the sweet smile of a woman derail him. Yes, it was fun to be involved in the family business, but that didn’t mean it would be better to return to the life he knew.
“I’m happy for you guys.” Wiley leaned forward and patted the horse’s strong neck. “You all seem to have found your place here.”
“It’s an easy town to call home,” Megan said, a trace of wistfulness in her voice. “Also easy for some people to find love, apparently.”
Kane snorted, adjusting the brim of his hat. “You don’t need love to be happy.”
Wiley nodded. “Amen, cousin.”
“You are two peas in a pod.” Megan wrinkled her nose. “What do you have against falling in love?”
“Not a thing.” Kane shrugged a big shoulder. “It’s just not for me.”
“Me, neither, yet,” Megan conceded, “but I’m not opposed to Mr. Right walking into my life. The hotel is going to open right around Valentine’s Day. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a romantic date with the perfect girl to share it with?”
An image of Grace popped into Wiley’s brain, and he shifted in the saddle. “I think we need to keep our focus on making sure the grand opening goes off without any more problems. That’s way more important than romance.”
Kane nodded, a muscle ticking in his jaw. “I’d feel a lot more confident if we could get to the bottom of whether or not someone tampered with the balcony’s support beams.”
“I want to believe there’s some explanation for the collapse.” Megan blew out a frustrated sigh. “It’s too scary to think that someone has it out for us or that we might be putting our employees or potential customers in danger.” She adjusted one of her stirrups and glanced between Wiley and Kane. “Everything is going so well with the businesses, especially Provisions. The reservation book is filled almost every night, and the online reviews are excellent. I know Roja will be just as much of a success, assuming nothing else happens.”
“It won’t,” Kane promised. Their cousin was taking the lead on hotel security, and Wiley had been impressed with his attention to detail.
“How do you know?”
“I met with a security company earlier today,” Kane confided. “Another firm is coming in to look over the property tomorrow. I’m going to fast-track the process of getting bids so that we can have an updated system installed by the grand opening. There won’t be any loose ends.”
“I’ve started meeting with employees,” Wiley said. “Everyone seems positive so far. No hint of discontent, which is good. It could be that the balcony was just a fluke or someone looking for attention.”
“I hope you’re right.” Megan gave her horse a soft kiss, and the animal turned toward the path again. She met Wiley’s gaze as she passed him, and he hated the anxiety in her cornflower blue eyes. All the brothers were protective of the triplets. He wanted his sisters to be able to focus on the positive aspects of their new business ventures without worrying about potential sabotage.
Wiley brought his horse abreast of hers. “It’s going to be okay, Meggie.”
“You make me believe that.” She gave him a warm smile. “It’s your commanding attorney presence. I was on the call with Grace this morning. We videoconferenced, and it was the first time I’d seen her since the accident. She looked good.”
“What did you expect?”
“I’m not sure,” she admitted. “I thought maybe she’d seem bitter or angry that she was dealing with a broken ankle.”
“Grace has always struck me as a practical girl,” Kane called from behind them. “All of the trainees are great, but she shines under pressure.”
“Pressure is one thing,” Megan answered. “Falling from the second story of the hotel is quite another.”
“True,” Kane admitted tightly. Wiley knew the accident weighed heavily on everyone’s mind.
“How did the call go?” he asked, trying to sound casual. “I felt bad that I couldn’t be a part of it, but a client meeting came up that my assistant wasn’t able to reschedule.”
“It’s fine,” Megan told him. “We appreciate you pitching in here while managing your regular life at the same time. No doubt you’ll be glad when the hotel opens, and you can be rid of us and our troubles for a while.”
“You aren’t a trouble,” he told her.
“That’s nice.” She laughed. “But you aren’t fooling me, Wi. I remember how crazy our full house drove you when we were younger. You’d hide in the basement with the water heater just to get a little privacy.”
“Nothing wrong with a teenage boy wanting privacy,” he muttered, earning a loud chuckle from his cousin. He leveled a stare at Kane over his shoulder. “Not for the reasons you’re thinking.”
“Gross.” Megan snorted. “Enough about teenage boys and privacy. The call went well. Grace put together a really comprehensive time frame and plan for a preopening reception aimed at local business leaders. We’re going to suggest a Rambling Rose partnership, where restaurants, shops and other local businesses actively work to promote each other. It’s a short turnaround, with her idea to put the event on the calendar for the last week of January, but it will be a perfect lead-up to the grand opening.”
“Her parents are worried that she’s going to do too much and compromise her recovery.” A knot formed in his stomach as he recalled the look her father had given him, like Wiley was the lowest form of scum he could imagine. Wiley prided himself on his moral compass but should probably to do a little more research into the accident Grace’s brother had a few years ago.
He could tell by the comments Grace made that Jake’s situation had impacted everyone in the Williams family, and he wanted to understand how traumatic it had been for them.
“We won’t let that happen,” Megan said as the horses approached the barn at the ranch. “You won’t let that happen.”
He arched a brow and kept his features bland, hoping to hide the thrill of anticipation that pulsed inside him. Keeping an eye on Grace was the easiest assignment he could imagine.
“I mean it, Wiley.” The three of them dismounted, and Megan wagged a finger at him. “We’re counting on you to take care of her.”
“Not exactly a chore,” Kane said as he took the reins of Wiley’s horse and started toward the barn. “Grace is fantastic.”
Wiley didn’t like the bolt of jealousy that zipped through him at his cousin’s words. He had no reason to believe Kane had designs on Grace. They worked together, just like she and Wiley did. Ugh. That thought didn’t make him feel any better.
“I’ll make sure she’s taken care of,” he told his sister as they followed Kane into the barn, reminding himself to keep his attraction to her under control. It would be best for everyone involved—but more difficult for him than anyone would imagine.
Chapter Six
Grace sat on the porch swing looking out over her parents’ front yard the ne
xt day. Her leg was elevated and her other foot bare as she swung gently in the cool afternoon air.
She’d had to put on a heavy jacket, but it was worth it to escape her mother’s fussing, her father’s silent admonishment and her brother’s outright agitation at the fact that she was already back to work less than a week after the accident.
The doctor had told her to take recovery at her own pace, she’d reminded them, and she was being careful not to spend too much time on the phone or at the computer. She’d even napped for an hour after lunch, even though it frustrated her how weak she still felt compared to her normal energy level. Grace liked moving and working. From the time she’d gotten her first babysitting job as a teenager, the ability to make her own money and her way in the world had always appealed to her. Her parents had provided a great life for Jake and her, but finances had always been tight. As a girl, she remembered hearing her parents argue about the monthly budget. Her father had a tendency to spend beyond their means, a constant source of worry for Grace’s mom.
Grace had grown up with the deep desire to never be a burden on anyone. She knew Jake felt the same, and that was part of the reason why his accident had been so difficult. His recovery had taken months and had been a challenge for every member of their close-knit family.
That didn’t make it any easier to hear him degrade Wiley and the Fortunes. The hotel was one of the best things that had happened to Rambling Rose, and certainly for Grace, so she was already tired of having to defend her employer.
She blew out a breath and hit Send on the email she’d just written to Nicole, making suggestions of potential offerings for the business reception that would showcase Roja’s planned menu. The Fortune triplets certainly had a way with food, and Grace envied their confidence and the bond they obviously shared. She’d met their other sister, Stephanie, as well, and although she wasn’t involved in the hospitality industry, she was helping to coordinate a booth for the local vet clinic where she worked.
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