Wiley would have thought the Fortune name garnered extra approval in Texas, where the expanded family had such a long and illustrious history. He knew better than to take Mike’s and Jake’s animosity personally. The idea that someone might have sabotaged the balcony’s structural beams worried him, especially given what could have happened to Grace in the fall. But he was determined to prove that he only had Grace’s best interests in mind.
Callum waved to him as he stepped out into the bright sunlight of the mid-January day. Wiley glanced at the workers on ladders affixing new lumber to the hotel’s exterior. Once local law enforcement and the insurance company finished their investigations, the crew had wasted no time in cleaning up the fallen balcony and starting to rebuild.
“You’re making great progress,” he said as he joined Callum.
His brother gave a tight nod. “We need to have the balcony reconstructed completely before the opening. I want this place to look like an accident never happened.”
Wiley drew in a deep breath. Callum was right, of course. It wouldn’t do them any good for the hotel’s reputation to be tainted even before they had their first paying guest. Hell, that was the whole point of the event Grace was coordinating. But it bothered him that they had no idea what or who had caused the problems with the beams. Their insurance company and the police might suspect sabotage, but they couldn’t prove it.
Plans for the opening were moving ahead despite the shadow of potential foul play hanging over them. The fact that Kane had already begun the process of upgrading the property’s security system gave Wiley a measure of comfort. Kane was also recommending that they take increased precautions at the other businesses in town, although no one wanted to believe the balcony collapse had been personal.
“I’m not saying I want to ignore what happened to Grace,” Callum said, hands on his hips. “The safety of our employees and potential guests is the first priority.”
“I know,” Wiley agreed. “But I don’t like loose ends. If we knew for certain what had caused the accident—either way—I’d feel better.”
“I feel the same, but we can’t let that derail us from our goal.”
They both turned as a feminine voice called a greeting. Mariana approached from the far side of the pool, her bleached blond hair pulled into a loose ponytail and reading glasses resting on top of her head. Her smile faltered slightly as she glanced up to the second floor, but it was bright once more when she returned her gaze to the brothers.
“Good morning, Fortunes,” she said, holding up several brown paper bags. “I’ve brought lunch for your crew.”
There was a resounding cheer from the men, who’d all turned to watch Mariana. The woman truly was a force of nature and well-loved in the Rambling Rose community.
“That’s the best thing I’ve heard all day,” Callum said, returning her grin as he took one of the bags. “To what do we owe the pleasure?”
She placed a bejeweled hand on his shoulder. “Ah, Callum. I’m here spreading sunshine and light in the form of my famous empanadas.”
Wiley chuckled. “Food that makes everything better. That could be your new tagline.” And he had no doubt it was true. Mariana had run her popular food truck for years at Mariana’s Marketplace, Rambling Rose’s busy flea market. Last year, she took an active role in the town’s future businesses and even discovered a connection to the Fortunes through the town’s old Foundling Hospital.
His brothers and sisters had been wise to involve Mariana in the hotel’s development. She helped Nicole run the Roja kitchen and brought her usual enthusiasm and style to that role. Everyone on staff seemed to love her, and Wiley felt like she might give additional credibility to the venture. Not many people in town would go up against the formidable Mariana.
“How is Grace Williams?” she asked Callum.
Wiley forced himself not to answer, although his brother sent him a curious look. On the way home from dinner, Grace had told him she wanted to keep anything other than friendship strictly between them. He rubbed the heel of his hand against his chest to ease the ache that suddenly appeared there. It made no sense that he felt disappointed at the thought of not being able to publicly claim Grace as his, even temporarily.
He understood the rationale, given her position in the training program and the impending announcement about the general manager promotion. Although he would never try to influence his brothers or sisters based on his personal feelings, there was no need to in this case. After spending more time with the other trainees, particularly Jillian Steward, Wiley felt even more certain that Grace should earn the new role. Jillian rubbed him the wrong way, always trying to make it seem like she was in charge. He liked one of the other trainees, an easygoing man named Jay Cross, well enough, but Jay seemed more interested in filling in wherever needed than adept at running the entire hotel.
“From what she tells us, she’s doing better.” Callum nodded. “The event she’s putting together is going to be a huge success. We had a phone meeting yesterday, and she’s gotten the whole thing coordinated in less than a week.”
“She was always such a hard worker,” Mariana murmured thoughtfully. “I hope she’s not overdoing it.”
“Me, too.”
Wiley could feel Callum’s gaze on him but ignored it.
“She did look a little worn down on the call,” Callum continued, turning to Mariana.
Wiley sucked in a breath. Worn down? He hadn’t seen Grace since their date, but they’d been texting regularly, and he was supposed to pick her up for dinner after work tonight.
“The accident could have been so much worse,” Mariana said. “She needs to make rest a priority.”
Callum nodded. “Agreed, although it’s hard to convince her of that. I’m going to ask Nicole or Megan to reach out, as well. We scheduled a physical therapist to work with her on any lingering soreness or potential back issues. The ankle is the most obvious injury, but she mentioned the doctor was worried about mobility and her range of motion.”
“She told you that?” Wiley ran a hand through his hair and tried to mask his reaction. Grace hadn’t talked to him about other injuries.
“Yeah,” his brother answered. “But she hasn’t returned the PT’s calls. Knowing Grace, she feels like she’s taking advantage since she knows we’re paying for it.”
“The money doesn’t matter,” Wiley said, realizing the harshness of his tone when both Callum and Mariana startled.
“I understand,” Callum told him. “We all do. Someone just needs to convince Grace of that. I’m sure one of the triplets can—”
“I’ll handle it,” Wiley said.
Mariana shook her head. “Grace has always been determined to make her own way. She’d probably respond better to one of your sisters since she knows them.”
“She knows me,” Wiley said, making his voice gentle. “We’re friends.”
“Friends?” Mariana murmured while Callum shook his head.
“You don’t have friends,” his brother said. “You have us, coworkers and the arm candy you date.”
“Wow. That’s a real shot in the arm. Trust me. Grace and I are friends, and I’ll convince her to work with the physical therapist.” He looked between the two of them. “For the record, she’s not the delicate flower that everyone around here assumes her to be. She’s strong and capable, and it’s about time people stop underestimating her.”
When both Callum and Mariana appeared to be shocked into silence, Wiley turned and stalked away.
* * *
“You saw Wiley a couple of nights ago. I thought we were going to hang out tonight.”
Grace paused in the act of applying mascara and looked at her brother in the mirror that hung above the dresser in her childhood bedroom. It still amazed her that their parents hadn’t changed either her bedroom or Jake’s since they’d moved out. She vaguely remembe
red that her mother had been planning on a whole house clean-out just before Jake’s accident. Everything had been put on hold in the months after that as they all rallied around him to support his recovery.
“I know you have something better to do than watch movies with your little sister.” She pointed the mascara wand at Jake. “I heard you were becoming pretty chummy with Melissa Wagner.”
Jake made a face. “Shouldn’t you be busy resting and getting better? Why do you have time for petty gossip about my love life?”
“Because I’ve been doing very little other than resting.” She placed the mascara tube on the glass charger that held her simple supply of cosmetics and turned. “I need to get out more.”
“That’s not true.” Jake adjusted the pillow he’d propped behind his head as he sprawled across her comforter. “Mom and Dad are already worried about how much time you’re devoting to this hotel event, and it’s not good for anyone—especially you—to be spending time with some big-city attorney.”
“We’re friends.” Grace hopped over to the closet to pull out a jacket, not wanting her brother to witness the heat she could feel crawling up her cheeks at the thought of Wiley. They’d agreed to keep their relationship secret, so she couldn’t give her feelings away to her brother. Feelings that were probably not wise, given that Wiley was leaving town after the grand opening.
She might have suggested a short-term arrangement with her mind dizzy from his kisses, but in the past couple days she’d realized that wouldn’t stop her heart from wanting more.
Jake gestured to the arrangement of flowers that sat on the taller dresser. “Why does a friend send you flowers? And cheesecake?” He snorted. “Who sends a woman cheesecake?”
“Um...you better not complain after I saw you scarf down a huge slice when Mom told you about it.”
“Well, I love cheesecake.”
“Me, too.” Grace pulled on her jacket. “I happened to mention it to Wiley, and he told me about some bakery in New York City that makes the best.”
“And then had it sent to you? Classic rich-boy move.”
“Don’t be a jerk, Jake. This whole business with the accident has been hard. I hate having people look at me with pity or reminding me that I’m lucky to be alive.”
“Trust me, I get that.”
She heard the bitterness in her brother’s tone and immediately regretted her comment. “I know you do. So I hope you can also understand that I like Wiley. He’s nice, and he doesn’t treat me like I’m weak. He helps take my mind off of what happened.”
“I get it.” Jake sat up straighter with a sigh. “But that’s what I’m worried about, Gracie. I don’t trust the Fortunes, and especially not the attorney. Don’t you think it’s a little too convenient that he just happened to decide to stay in Rambling Rose after the balcony collapsed?”
“He wants to make sure everything goes smoothly with plans for the opening. He’s supporting his family.” She drew in a deep breath and added, “He’s supporting me.”
Jake studied her for several moments, and Grace decided she wasn’t going to hide her emotions from her brother. She was a grown woman and could make her own choices about who she spent her time with.
“Don’t let him take advantage of you,” he warned, his gentle tone almost harder to handle than the snarky remarks he’d made earlier.
“I trust him,” she said, because that was the only truth that mattered to her at the moment.
The sound of the doorbell had her turning for the hallway. “Come back tomorrow night, Jake. I’ll kick your butt in Scrabble.”
“You wish.” He climbed off her bed and followed her out of the room. “I don’t suppose you want me to greet the Fortune with you?”
“Can you be nice?” she asked over her shoulder.
He pounded a fist to his chest like she’d wounded him. “Of course I can. I just prefer not to.”
She smiled despite her annoyance and made her way down the hall. Once again, she’d left her crutches in the front entry. Although she didn’t enjoy hopping around her parents’ house, the hallway was narrow, and the rooms were filled with furniture that made it difficult to maneuver with crutches.
Her parents were in the backyard discussing plans for a garden bed her mom wanted in the spring. She desperately needed to get to the door and away from the house before they realized Wiley had arrived to pick her up. She knew her mom would be nice but couldn’t say the same for her dad. He was almost as bad as Jake as far as doubting Wiley’s motives. She could only imagine what they would think if they knew she was dating the handsome Fortune.
She opened the door and smiled at him, anticipation curling in her belly as she waited for his greeting.
“Hello, Grace,” he said in that smooth tone, and she felt her grin widen. Did he even realize what those two words did to her?
“Hi.” She groaned in frustration when one of the crutches slipped from her hand and clattered to the floor. “I swear I’m going to get better with these before I get to the hotel.”
Wiley bent and retrieved the crutch, handing it to her. “I have a better idea.” He reached to one side of the door and pulled a black scooter into view. It had foam handles and a wide pad clearly meant for her injured leg. “I brought you a gift.”
Grace’s mouth dropped open. “Oh, my gosh. My own set of wheels?”
Wiley nodded. “I called a doctor friend, and he suggested it. Apparently, it’s a lot easier to maneuver and can help with your mobility. Not that you aren’t doing great with the crutches.”
“I hate the crutches.” She put her hands on the scooter’s handle and then lifted her leg onto the long black cushion. It was so easy to push herself to the far side of the porch and then turn the scooter to head back toward Wiley. “I’m a natural on this.”
When she got close to the door, she called for her brother. It didn’t matter what Jake thought about Wiley. He had to see her scooter.
He appeared in the doorway a moment later. “Wow. That’s cool, Gracie. Where’d you get the spankin’ new ride?”
“Wiley brought it for me. It’s amazing, right?”
“Yeah.” Jake crossed his muscled arms over his chest as he glanced at Wiley. “Nice work, Fortune.”
“Thanks,” Wiley muttered.
Grace laughed at the two men, who looked equally uncomfortable exchanging even the most basic pleasantries.
“Tell Mom and Dad not to wait up,” she said to her brother. “Now that I actually get around, who knows what fun we can find.”
“It’s Rambling Rose,” Jake said with a wry laugh. “We all know there are limits to the fun you can have in this town.”
“I don’t know about that.” Wiley lifted the scooter when Grace took hold of the staircase railing.
Grace was glad she had her back to her brother, because she couldn’t prevent the wide grin at the thought of all the fun she and Wiley could have together.
Chapter Nine
“I’m not sure this is such a good idea.” Grace leaned forward to look at the entrance of Provisions, the farm-to-table restaurant Wiley’s sisters ran in town, along with Ashley’s fiancé, Rodrigo Mendoza. “I thought we agreed to keep our relationship between us.”
“We’re friends,” Wiley assured her. “Everyone in my family likes you, and they don’t need to know more than I’m helping you out with a ride. I haven’t had a chance to do more than stop by the restaurant. Ashley won’t quit giving me grief.” He flashed what he hoped amounted to a convincing smile. “You’d be doing me a huge favor.”
“I guess,” she relented after a few seconds of chewing on her bottom lip. “I’ve wanted to eat here since they opened Provisions last year. Plus, I need to be familiar with other restaurants in town so I can make recommendations to hotel guests. Right?”
“Exactly. This is a perfect excuse for that. But if
you aren’t comfortable with it, we can drive out of town and—”
“Let’s eat here.” She reached out and squeezed his arm. “But no kissing.”
He chuckled. “That’s a bummer. Can we find some place to park after dinner so we can make out in my car like a couple of teenagers?”
“You joke, but I’m serious. I don’t want anyone in your family to know we’re dating.”
“Our secret is safe with me.” Wiley kept his smile on his face as he climbed out the car, ignoring the pang of disappointment that stabbed his gut knowing that Grace wanted to keep what was between them hidden. Her insistence on secrecy was an unwelcome reminder that their relationship was temporary. Of course, he knew it. After all, he’d be returning to Chicago in a matter of weeks, and Grace would be busy with the hotel. He should be feeling relief. Normally, he was the one placing parameters on his dating life about what he was and wasn’t willing to offer. A few weeks was plenty of time to get a woman out of his system, but somehow Wiley knew Grace wasn’t like other women.
He thought back to that moment he’d spotted her across the Roja banquet room and the word that had whispered inside him like trace of a melody he couldn’t quite place. Mine. The idea was ridiculous, and he knew it. Grace didn’t belong to anyone but herself. That didn’t stop Wiley from wanting her. From wanting more.
As he retrieved the scooter from the trunk, he tried to shake off his disturbing train of thought. Obviously, he was just reacting to being away from his regular life. He didn’t have his work and his hectic schedule to keep him busy, so he had too much time to think about Grace. Once he returned to Chicago, things would get back to normal. No way was he falling under the spell of this sleepy Texas town the way his siblings had.
Grace was already standing next to the car, using the open passenger door for balance, when he got there.
She smiled up at him, a teasing light in her eyes. “You might have all the willpower, but it’s going to be hard for me not to kiss you.”
Her Texas New Year's Wish Page 10