A Brother's Honor

by Brenda Jackson

  “Now that we’ve gotten that matter taken care of,” she said, moving back around to her desk, “I wonder if I can have a short meeting with you thirty minutes before we meet with everyone else. I’d like to go over the items I’ll be requesting from them.”

  “That will be fine. Let me get settled in for today, and we can meet in my office.” He checked his watch and then glanced back at her. “Let’s say, in around a half hour?”

  “That will be perfect. And your brothers. I’d like to meet with them afterward.”

  “That can be arranged, as well. I’ll let you get back to your work.” He turned to leave, and she watched the well-muscled body move toward the door. He opened it, and without looking back at her, he walked out and closed it behind him.

  * * *

  Jace stood at the window in his office. Although he had agreed to Shana’s request, he knew mere words couldn’t block out the attraction he felt toward her. But it would be a start, because he did agree with her that it was an attraction that would not go anywhere. They had bigger, more important things to deal with than physical attraction.

  He turned when he heard the buzzer on his desk and walked over to press it. “Yes, Melissa?”

  “Your brothers are here to see you.”

  He smiled to himself as he spoke. “Send them in.” Before leaving that morning, he had told them to be at the office at eight. It was close to nine, but at least that was a start. Neither of his brothers was used to keeping banker’s hours. And Dalton wasn’t used to keeping any hours at all.

  The door swung open and Caden walked in smiling, but Dalton had a fierce frown on his face. “How are things going?” Jace ventured to ask.

  “Fine.”

  “Lousy.”

  Both answers came simultaneously. Jace sat down after seeing his brothers head toward separate corners of the room. Caden stood to glance out the window to enjoy the view, and Dalton dropped down in a chair. Jace resigned himself that it would be one of those days and figured it best to start with Caden since he was smiling. “So, what’s going on with you?”

  Caden’s smile widened. “I got a call from my manager. Cameron will use a few of the pieces off my last album as part of the music score for the movie he’s filming now.”

  Jace’s lips curved into a smile. “That’s great news. Congratulations.” He had seen James Cameron and Caden speaking briefly at his grandfather’s memorial service. Afterward, Caden had mentioned that Cameron might be interested in using some of his music for a film soundtrack. Cameron and Richard had become friends over twenty years ago when Richard had been one of the investors for Cameron’s earlier films.

  He then turned to Dalton and shot him a curious look. His brother’s frown had worsened. “And what’s up with you?”

  “Not a damn thing.”

  Jace glanced over at Caden, who merely shrugged with that I don’t know and really don’t care look. He decided to follow Caden’s lead and take that same approach. Dalton would unload when he was good and ready.

  “I’m glad the two of you made it in at a reasonable hour. There’s an important meeting I’d like you to attend in ten minutes. Shana wants to meet with everyone.”

  Dalton raised a brow. “Shana?”

  “Yes, Shana Bradford of Bradford Crisis Management.”

  Dalton rolled his eyes. “I know who she is, Jace, I just wasn’t aware the two of you were on a first-name basis.”

  Jace leaned back in his chair and gazed at his brother intently. “She’ll be working closely with us for the next month or so. Any reason I shouldn’t?”

  “No, I guess not.”

  Dalton’s disdainful expression was unnerving, but Jace was determined not to let his brother’s foul disposition bother him this morning. Jace was about to brief them on his meeting with Freeman yesterday when his administrative assistant buzzed. “Yes, Melissa?”

  “Ms. Bradford is here for your meeting.”

  Jace stood. “Send her in.”

  Dalton murmured as he and Caden stood, as well, “Can’t wait to meet the wonder-woman.”

  Jace shot his brother a warning glance before the door opened. Afterward, his gaze became fixated on Shana, but he heard Dalton’s low whistle before he said, “Be still my heart.”

  * * *

  A nervous little shiver ran down Shana’s spine, and she forced it away. It was bad enough to have to confront one incredibly handsome man, but now she had to somehow deal with two more. It was easy to see that Caden and Dalton were Jace’s brothers. With the three of them in a room together, the similarities were striking. Although she was sure there were aspects of their personalities that set them apart, all three were ruggedly handsome and powerfully built.

  Caden, she thought, appeared smooth and laid-back. Although it wasn’t obvious, she could tell he was sizing her up both physically, because he was a man, and then mentally, because he was curious about her. His preoccupation appeared more with the latter than the former.

  Dalton, however, was another story. The flirty look in his eyes and the buttery smile told her everything. All three men were impeccably dressed, but this one’s suit had a designer touch. There was no doubt in her mind that he was a man used to getting whatever he wanted easily and he would try his moves on her. He jauntily tilted his head to the side and openly checked her out as his gaze roamed up and down her. His lips were full and sensual when he said, “I wish I had met you first.”

  She smiled back. “It would not have mattered if you had. I’m here for business reasons and not entertainment purposes. It will behoove you to remember that.”

  Jace stood on the sidelines, bracing himself for his brother’s response. Shana had put Dalton in his place and rightfully so, but he knew his baby brother. Dalton assumed that coming on to every woman was his birthright.

  The beginning of a smile touched Dalton’s lips even after being put in his place, albeit in a diplomatic way. He wasn’t mad at her, just even more intrigued. And Dalton wasn’t stupid. Jace could claim indifference all he wanted, but there was an interest there, and Dalton would willingly bet it was on both sides. He had picked up on something he recognized as strong sexual tension between them. And it amused Dalton that Jace and Shana were evidently fighting it. He inwardly chuckled, thinking it was their fight and not his. But he didn’t have a problem shaking things up a bit. If he had to be stuck here in this city for a while, he didn’t have anything better to do.

  “Are you sure that’s what you want?” he asked, taking a closer step.

  She took one also and looked dead into his eyes. “Positive.”

  Dalton’s smile deepened. She was as tough as she was hot, and he hoped like hell that Jace could handle her. He took a step back. “Then I concede.”

  “You, Dalton Granger, have no choice.”

  Dalton threw back his head and laughed, and it felt good to do so. He had awakened that morning pissed at the world in general, mainly because he preferred being anywhere other than Sutton Hills. Shana was a bright spot in his morning.

  Vidal arrived, and Jace introduced him to Shana. She thanked Vidal for the recommendation that had brought her to Granger Aeronautics. “No problem,” Vidal said, smiling. “On occasion, Jerome Haler and I play golf, and he couldn’t stop singing your praises about how you were able to pull his company out of that slump. He said it would take a miracle, and in the end, you were it.”

  “Thank you,” Shana said, smiling.

  “Now that introductions are out of the way,” Jace said, “Shana and I will be going over a few things before our meeting this morning, and you’re invited to stay,” he said to his brothers and Vidal.

  Jace thought that would be Caden’s and Dalton’s cue to quickly skip out, but to his surprise, both chose to remain. Caden wore a serious expression, but Dalton’s lips twitched as if he were amused by something. Shana took the chair in front of Jace’s desk. Over the next twenty minutes, she went over the items she would be requesting from each executive and
department head and why. “Your company is paying each of these individuals a good salary to do their jobs, and I want to make sure they are doing so as efficiently as possible.”

  “I have no problem with that, and they shouldn’t, either,” Jace said, checking his watch and then standing. He tightened his tie before reaching over to get his jacket to slide it on. “It’s about time for our meeting,” he said, gathering up the papers on his desk.

  As much as she didn’t want to, Shana felt a stirring in her stomach when Jace had eased his jacket over massive shoulders rippling with virility. Then, of all things, her heart began pounding furiously in her chest. She knew what was bothering her, and it irritated her immensely that she wasn’t practicing what she had preached a couple of hours ago.

  She drew in a deep breath while thinking that, okay, she had weakened and broken down her defenses this once, but it wouldn’t happen again. The thought that she was back in control sent her spirits soaring until she glanced over at Dalton Granger. He gave her a smile that sparked, revealing his amusement, before he flashed a huge grin. She had a feeling he was up to something but had no idea what.

  Her gaze left Dalton and returned to Jace to find him watching her. “Ready?” he asked, and to her way of thinking, a huskiness seemed embedded in his tone.

  “Yes, I’m ready.”

  “I’ll go on ahead,” Vidal said, smiling. He moved close to Jace and whispered privately, “I told you she was good.” He then quickly left the room.

  Coming around to the front of his desk, Jace escorted Shana out of his office with Dalton and Caden bringing up the rear.

  Chapter Eleven

  When they arrived for the meeting, it appeared that all of the key players were in the conference room waiting with a mixture of curiosity and expectancy on their faces.

  Jace glanced around the room while escorting Shana toward the front with him. He would be sitting at the head of the table, and he had asked his administrative assistant to reserve a chair for Shana at his right and two chairs for his brothers on his left. This would be the first official meeting he would hold as CEO. He had made his rounds yesterday morning and met briefly with every man and woman in the room at the time. All had kind words to say about his grandfather, and Jace recalled having seen many of them at the memorial service. However, he knew they were all wondering what was on his mind. The rumor mill was hard at work, and Jace needed to get control quickly and decisively.

  “Good morning. I appreciate your flexibility in changing your schedules to accommodate this meeting. However, we have an important matter that needs to be discussed,” he began, glancing around the table.

  “To put it bluntly, Granger Aeronautics has lost a number of major clients over the past twelve months, and I intend to find out why so that we can reclaim our position as the number one provider of aerospace products and services. To do so, Shana Bradford of Bradford Crisis Management will be working with us in the coming weeks. Her firm has a stellar reputation for reinventing companies.”

  A hand rose, and Jace recognized the tall man with the bald head as Cal Arrington, third VP and currently in charge of the products and designs division. He had held that position for close to fifteen years. “Yes, Cal?”

  “Honestly, Jace, do you think such a move is necessary? I agree we need to consider better ways to market our products, but the clients we do have are firm. I don’t believe your grandfather would have considered such a move.”

  He saw several department heads nod, agreeing with Cal. Jace had known he wouldn’t get everyone to buy into what he was doing. “Yes, I think the move is necessary and is one my grandfather would have considered. In fact, he had planned to do so before his untimely death.”

  He hadn’t mentioned it to Shana or his brothers, but when he worked late that night, he had remembered the code his grandfather had given him years ago to access a special folder in Richard’s computer—it was Jace’s name spelled backward along with Sheppard’s date of birth. The folder contained Richard’s thoughts and concerns that he would jot down for future use. Jace had seen Richard’s notes that outlined the idea of bringing on Shana’s firm because he suspected someone had shared trade secrets with a rival company.

  He looked over at Freeman, who was sitting at the table with tight lips. Jace figured the man was probably annoyed that Jace hadn’t run the idea by him first. “I’m giving the floor to Ms. Bradford, who will advise you about what information she needs from each of your departments. She will be working in the office next to mine, and I’m hoping her presence will assure every employee that I am taking steps to regain Granger’s position as number one in the aerospace industry.”

  He glanced around the room. There were those who, like Cal, hadn’t bought into the idea, and the expressions on their faces made it obvious. But then there were others who, by their nods and smiles, clearly agreed with his bold move.

  Shana stood. “Good morning.”

  Jace leaned back in his chair, confident that Shana was capable of handling things from there. He knew she would win some over, and others she would not. But in the end, she had a job to do, and there was no doubt in his mind that she would do it and do it well.

  After her presentation, the questions began in earnest, and she fired back the answers. He glanced around the room, and he saw a level of respect in some eyes and wariness in others. One or two tried being forceful with their thoughts and ideas, and she stood her ground, the authority and confidence in her tone putting several on notice that she was not a pushover. His admiration of her went up another notch.

  He felt Dalton’s eyes on him and glanced over at his brother, who appeared to have an intense yet secretive expression on his face. Jace stared back at his brother before switching his gaze to Shana once more, wondering what game Dalton was playing.

  Twenty minutes later, the meeting ended with the executives and managers heading out the door with muttered remarks, both approving and disapproving. Shana glanced over at Jace. “I didn’t expect to win them all over.”

  He nodded. “Neither did I, but you’re here now, and one day the naysayers will appreciate your presence when the company moves forward.”

  Caden patted Jace on the back. “Both Granddad and Dad would have been proud of how you handled the old guard today, Jace. When it comes to this kind of stuff, you’re a true leader. I bet Cal is concerned because he hasn’t brought on a new project in years.”

  Jace lifted a brow. “And how would you know that?”

  Caden chuckled. “You aren’t the only one spending his time reading. Thought I would do as much as I could before I left next week.” Caden would be leaving for a couple of weeks to perform at two previously scheduled concerts in New York that were too costly to get out of.

  Jace glanced over at Dalton, who was still sitting at the table and not saying a word. “So how do you think the meeting went, Dalton?”

  Dalton didn’t say anything for a while and then stood. “Caden’s right, you’re the right one to come in here and kick asses into shape or out the door. Freeman’s pissed, although he’s trying not to show it. I could hear the sound of his teeth grinding when you introduced Shana. He doesn’t want her here. I think he feels threatened again. And I agree with Caden. Dad and Granddad would have been proud of how you handled things. Caden’s right. You’re a true leader.”

  “Thanks.”

  Dalton then turned his attention to Shana and smiled. “For some reason, they see you as a threat, Ms. Bradford, and I’m curious as to why. I understand that no one likes change, but I felt it was more than that.”

  Jace lifted a brow, intrigued by his brother’s observation. He hadn’t truly expected it. “Why?”

  Dalton shrugged, and then his smile widened. “Not sure, but I’m sure Ms. Bradford will make it her business to find out. Won’t you?”

  Shana returned his gaze. “Yes, I will definitely find out.”

  It didn’t take long for word to spread through Granger Aeronautics t
hat Bradford Crisis Management was not only on board but intended to bring the firm back up to snuff. Jace had encouraged all his department heads to meet with their teams to squash any rumors that needed addressing. Freeman had sought him out after the meeting, claiming the stockholders’ meeting hadn’t been his idea but had been initiated by a concerned stockholder. Jace knew that wasn’t the case but hadn’t called the man out on it. All he cared about was getting Grangers back on top, and he felt he had a chance with Shana’s help.

  * * *

  During the following week, Jace noticed an improvement in morale among the employees. Smiles were in place, and he was met with friendly greetings when he passed through the halls to visit various departments for cross-training. Not surprisingly, Freeman had resigned, and as far as Jace was concerned, he had done the right thing since he could no longer be trusted.

  Jace worked late every night, and so did Shana. He was well aware that she was still in the office, hard at work, when he left each day. He made a habit of sticking his head in the door to bid her good-night, and usually she was so buried in the various reports she was reading that she didn’t bother to glance up. She would merely throw her hand up to acknowledge she’d heard him.

  * * *

  At the end of the day, Dalton walked into his office and dropped down in the chair across from his desk. “We need to talk, Jace.”

  Jace pushed aside the papers he’d been reading, giving Dalton his undivided attention. “All right. What’s going on?”

  “I can’t handle being at Sutton Hills and will look for a place in town.”

  Jace didn’t say anything for a few moments as he nodded slowly. Then he said ruefully, “To be honest, you lasted longer than I thought you would.”

  Dalton met his gaze and then released a deep sigh. “I was worried you would think I wasn’t going to uphold my end of the promise.”

  “No, I don’t think that. Besides, thanks to you, we were able to buy back all those shares, which put us in a good position. Even Dad said it was a good move on our part when I talked to him on the phone.”