The Granger brothers left behind their family’s Virginia estate—and the bad memories it holds—years ago. But their dying grandfather’s request brings them home:to a failing business, a legacy of secrets and a deathbed promise to make things right.

As the eldest brother, attorney Jace Granger is determined to take responsibility for Granger Aeronautics, his family’s failing business. But the years of mismanagement seem impossible to untangle. As CEO, he hires a consultant to turn the company around. Smart, sexy Shana Bradford is the right person for the job—and the right woman to turn Jace’s world upside down.

But the passion between them is jeopardized when old secrets begin to emerge. A woman from Jace’s past suddenly reappears. And an explosive discovery changes everything Jace thinks he knows about his mother—and his father, who was convicted of her murder.

Jace Granger tried to leave his family history behind once before. But this time he needs to face the past…or risk losing his future.

Three brothers. One legacy. A lifetime of secrets.

Praise for the novels of

“Readers can’t deny that Jackson knows how to bring the heat, and more. Her characters are multidimensional, tantalizing and charming.”

—RT Book Reviews on Texas Wild,

4 ½ stars, Top Pick

“Brenda Jackson is the queen of newly discovered love… If there’s one thing Jackson knows how to do, it’s how to pluck those heartstrings

and stir up some seriously saucy drama.”

—BookPage on Inseparable

“This deliciously sensual romance

ramps up the emotional stakes and the action

with a bit of deception and corporate espionage....[S]exy and sizzling.”

—Library Journal on Intimate Seduction

“Jackson does not disappoint…

first-class page-turner.”

—RT Book Reviews on A Silken Thread,

4 ½ stars, Top Pick

“Jackson is a master at writing.”

—Publishers Weekly on Sensual Confessions

A Brother’s Honor

Brenda Jackson

www.mirabooks.co.uk

To the love of my life, my husband and best friend, Gerald Jackson, Sr.

To everyone who will be joining me

on the 2013 Cruise to Alaska. This one is for you!

To my Heavenly Father

who gave me the gift to write.

Be devoted to one another in brotherly love.

Honor one another above yourselves.

—Romans 12:10

Contents

Prologue

PART I

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

PART II

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Five

Chapter Twenty-Six

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Chapter Thirty

Chapter Thirty-One

Chapter Thirty-Two

Chapter Thirty-Three

Prologue

“Foreman, has the jury reached a verdict?” the judge asked in the still, quiet courtroom, packed to capacity. The trial of the State of Virginia versus Sheppard Granger had lasted for five weeks, and the eight men and four women had deliberated for sixteen hours.

“Yes, we have, Your Honor.”

“Will you hand the verdict form to the court, please?”

Within seconds, the bailiff presented the form to the judge, who took a moment to read the document before handing it in turn to the clerk who faced those in the courtroom.

Sheppard Granger showed no emotion as the clerk began reading what would be his fate. At one point, he was tempted to glance over his shoulder to look at his three young sons—Jace, sixteen; Caden, fourteen; and Dalton, who would be turning twelve in a few days. He hoped and prayed that, no matter what the jury decided, they would believe he was an innocent man. There was no way he would have killed the mother of his beloved sons.

Instead, he listened as the clerk spoke the words... “Of the charge of first degree murder in the death of Sylvia Granger, we, the jury, find Sheppard Granger guilty.”

Sheppard suddenly felt his knees weaken, but he refused to go down, and he refused to glance back at his sons. His father, Richard Granger, would know what to do now. Richard would now become responsible for his grandsons, and he would be there for them since Sheppard would not.

The judge was talking, addressing the court. But whatever he was saying Sheppard couldn’t hear for the pounding in his head. As far as Sheppard was concerned, nothing else mattered. Only one thought repeated itself in his head with blinding clarity—his life as he’d once known it was over.

PART I

We do not remember days; we remember moments.

–Anonymous

Chapter One

Fifteen years later

Hoping it wasn’t obvious that he was watching the time, Jace Granger took a sip of his wine and looked straight ahead at the huge clock hanging on the wall, directly above the entrance of the upscale Los Angeles restaurant. He’d been there for exactly one hour and twelve minutes, and was biting at the bit to call it a night.

He appreciated his friend Alan Carter’s concerns about his solitary life, but blind dates had never been Jace’s thing, and he had known after the first ten minutes that he’d made a mistake by letting Alan talk him into one tonight. No doubt Angela Farlow was a looker—he would give her that, but so far it had been one hell of a night. For starters, she talked too damn much. She had a lot to say...a lot about practically nothing.

Jace took another sip of his wine and listened...or at least pretended to do so. The last couple of times he had tried interjecting his own thoughts and views, she had unabashedly cut them down, letting him know what she thought of any opinions other than her own.

Noticing a lull in the conversation, Jace shifted his gaze from the clock back to her and saw the sultry pout that touched her lips.

“Why do I get the feeling that I’m boring you?” she asked in a low tone.

Because you are, he was tempted to say. But being the gentleman that he was, instead he said, “On the contrary, I happen to find you anything but boring,” plastering a smile on his face. “In fact, I find you simply fascinating.” Now, that wasn’t a lie. He doubted there were many women like her. Hell, he hoped not.

“Well,” she said, smiling all over the place at the compliment. “I’ve talked enough about me. Now I want to hear about you. Alan tells me the two of you went to law school together and that, as a government attorney, you’re in charge of making sure the great state of California stays on a straight and narrow path.”

She rested her chin on her hands. “What made you want to work for the government instead of going into private practice? Alan said you graduated from UCLA at the top of your class.”

Jace forced his body not to tense, something that usually happened whenever he was questioned about his decision to work in the public sector instead of the private, where he could have become a millionaire if he’d set his mind to it. Little did she know he had been groomed for just that kind of life and had intentionally walked away a long time ago.

His shoulders mimicked a careless shrug before giving her the same spiel he gave anyone who had the audacity to inquire. Briefly and thoroughly, with a not-so-smooth edge, he basically told her that he preferred working for the people instead of kissing asses for any amount of money. He really didn’t expect people to understand and didn’t really give a damn if they didn’t.

He took a sip of his drink and smiled inwardly. The woman was finally at a loss for words, and he understood her dilemma, honestly he did. She thought the same way his ex-wife did. Eve’s belief had been that the more money you had, the happier you were. All he had to say to that theory was bullshit.

It didn’t surprise him when his date suggested they end the evening. That was fine with him, since the last thing he wanted was to become involved with another woman who had the same mindset as his ex-wife.

An hour later, he was entering his condo, grateful the evening with Angela had ended and that his path wouldn’t cross hers anytime soon. He figured she was probably on the phone with Alan at that very moment, giving him a piece of her mind about setting her up on a blind date with a man who evidently hadn’t any plans of making anything of himself.

Jace pulled off his jacket and was about to take it to the closet and hang it up when his cell phone rang. He wondered if it was Alan calling him already. He checked caller ID and saw it wasn’t Alan but his grandfather. It had to be past midnight in Virginia, and he wondered why the old man was calling so late.

“Yes, Granddad?”

“Jace?”

He frowned. It was not his grandfather’s deep, authoritarian voice but that of a woman. A woman whose voice he recognized immediately as the family’s housekeeper’s. “Hannah?”

“Yes, it’s me. You need to come home immediately.”

His heart nearly stopped at the thought of returning there, a place he hadn’t thought of as his home for years. “Why? What’s wrong?”

“It’s your grandfather. He’s had a heart attack, and it doesn’t look good. It’s serious, Jace.”

Jace drew in a deep breath. His strong, robust grandfather? Heart attack? But he knew Hannah. She had been housekeeper to the Grangers for years. She wasn’t one for theatrics or drama. If she said it was serious, then it was. He rubbed his hand down his face. “All right, I’m on my way.”

“What about your father, Jace? Can you get word to him?”

“Yes, I’ll contact Warden Smallwood right away.”

“All right. I tried calling Caden, but I couldn’t leave a message. His voice mail box is full, and I have no idea how to reach Dalton. He changes phone numbers probably more than he changes his underwear,” she quipped.

Jace couldn’t help but smile. Hannah was still Hannah. “I’ll get ahold of them, don’t worry.” He pushed to the back of his mind the memory of the heated argument between him and his brothers when they were together last year.

“But I am worried, Jace.”

He knew she was and he could hear it in her voice. The usual no-nonsense tone was diluted with distress. Something that was uncommon for his grandfather’s unflappable housekeeper. “Okay, just take it easy. We don’t need you in the hospital, as well. Granddad’s at St. Francis Memorial, right?”

“Yes, on the Ava Granger wing.”

“Okay,” he said, trying not to think about the fact that his grandfather was in the part of the hospital that had been dedicated to Jace’s grandmother over twenty years ago. Jace could remember that day well, especially the ceremony. They’d all been there. His grandfather, his brothers, his father...and his mother.

He immediately pushed the thought of his parents from his mind. To think about his mother meant remembering how she had died and that the law had decided his father had been the one responsible for ending her life.

“Jace, it will be good seeing you again, although I wish the circumstances of your coming home were different.”

He wished the circumstances were different, too. “I’ll catch the next available flight out, Hannah. Hold down the fort until I get there.” He clicked off the phone and immediately called the airlines. He knew how to reach his brother Caden, but getting in touch with Dalton would be a challenge.

Moments later, after securing a flight, he went into the bedroom to pack.

Chapter Two

“Ladies and gentlemen, let’s give a round of applause for the man who has become one of the greatest saxophone players of all time, Caden Granger.”

Caden emerged on stage amid bright lights and faced the crowd that had packed the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. This was a musician’s dream come true and a testimony that he had arrived. It seemed only yesterday when his first gig out of college had been at a small local watering hole in Austin. At the time, he’d been part of a band—The Depots.

The group disbanded a few years ago when most of the members decided to enter the private sector after marrying and starting families. Only Caden and two others continued to pursue their dreams, and now all three had become successful in their own right. Royce Billingslea was lead drummer with Unexpected Truth, a rock group whose last two records hit number one on the pop charts, and Robert Tyndale and his guitar were the opening act for Beyoncé.

Caden smiled for his audience before lifting the sax to his mouth to belt out the first soulful number and get them in the groove. Then he would play a string of medleys to loosen them up before ending with several numbers that would have them not only letting their hair down but getting out of their shoes, as well.

He loved this. Performing. Stimulating the crowd while he himself became energized. Being on stage was always invigorating. Never a dull moment. And the ladies who paid top dollar for front-row seats were determined to make it worthwhile. A real kick to the ego...if you were a man who needed it. Luckily, he didn’t. However, that didn’t mean he didn’t appreciate their efforts in getting his attention. Whether it was wearing tops that showed more than an ample amount of cleavage, sitting with their legs wide-open, proudly flashing the fact they’d left their panties at home, or boldly licking their lips and swirling their tongues in a way that gave him more than an idea of what they’d like to do with their mouths if given the chance.

Unfortunately, they would be disappointed to know that when he played his sax, he tuned all of them out since his focus was on his music. Everything else became secondary. His music was and always would be his primary focus.

And it was only at this time that he allowed himself to be overcome with the one emotion he didn’t want to feel until now. The people who crowded the MGM Garden Arena were only listening to the music. However, he knew the unsung lyrics spoke of a pain that wouldn’t go away. It was pain that had been a part of his life for nearly fifteen years.

He would give anything...everything...to feel an ounce of his previous happiness. That was a state that eluded him at every turn, and if the way his life was going was any indication, it wouldn’t be anything he found anytime soon. He knew it and accepted it, but that didn’t make it right.

His life of happiness had ended the day his father had been locked up for a crime he didn’t commit. No matter how many others believed differently, he knew Sheppard Granger was an innocent man, but he just couldn’t prove it.

Then there had been his teen years that had been snatched away from him—he and his brothers had been ostracized by people they’d known most all their lives. People hadn’t wanted their children to be friends with the sons of a criminal. And last but not least there was Shiloh, who had caused him the greatest pain of all.

So he played the music that went with his songs of lost love, lost friends and elusive happiness. The music always started out this way for him. Low-key with a melody that he felt all the way in his bones. But then it began stirring his soul, seeping through his bloodstream and becoming a cleanser, ridding his mind of so many painful thoughts. And as he continued to play his music, he found a semblance of peace from a past he couldn’t forget.

* * *

“You deliberately egged her on.”

“Excuse me?” Caden asked the woman who’d rounded on him. Chin up, spine straight, Rena Crews’s pupils flared with the look of a woman totally pissed. Caden had seen that look before, and frankly, he was getting tired of it.

He had brought Rena on as a guitarist in his four-piece backup band last year. The ensemble would join him on stage for a couple of songs midset. She was a damn good musician, and he admired her talent. What he didn’t like was her possessiveness.

They were lovers, and as far as he was concerned, that was all they were. She knew that, because he’d told her more than once that he wasn’t married to anyone, nor was he involved in a serious relationship. She claimed she understood, and if that was the case, then why the drama?

She crossed her arms over her chest. “That woman who was sitting in the front row, seat ten. You know the one I’m talking about.”

“Yes. What about her?”

“She had no right to sit there and all but strip in front of you. She unbuttoned her blouse nearly to the waist.”

Caden lifted a brow. “Is that why you were off-key?”

He saw her flinch and knew his observation had been a direct hit. Rena was a perfectionist, good at what she did. Being off-key even for a second wasn’t acceptable to her.

“Anyone would have...considering the circumstances.”

“I disagree. Neither Roscoe, Salem nor I were distracted. Only you.”

She was scowling when she said, “But surely you understand why.”

No, he didn’t, and he was a little confused as to why she thought he would. “If there had been a need, Rena, security would have handled it. The only thing I understand is what I assumed you understood, as well. We were lovers for a while and nothing more.”

She lifted her chin at an angle that more than told him she was pretty pissed. “Were lovers?”

“Yes. Were lovers.” He was letting her know that their affair was officially over, a thing of the past. “I told you in the beginning where I stood when it came to serious involvements or women who were looking for a commitment. You accepted my position.” Or so she’d claimed.

He rubbed his hand down his face, not believing he was having this conversation with her. It wasn’t as if he considered himself a playboy or anything; he just didn’t need or want a steady woman in his life for this very reason. It would take a special woman to put up with the long hours of practice, weeks of touring and groupies that came with those things. And then there was the fact that he didn’t want to share himself with anyone...other than in the bedroom.

She broke eye contact with him to snap closed her guitar case. “So now I know where you stand.”

“You should have known all along, Rena. So things end here and now. We go back to the way things were in the beginning. You stay in your bed, and I stay in mine.”

He paused a second and then added, “And what I do in mine and with whom is none of your business.”

He saw a flash of anger in her eyes, and when she started walking away, he fought back the feeling that he was behaving like an asshole. But he immediately convinced himself there was no reason for him to feel that way, since he’d told her up front how things were between them.

As soon as the door closed shut behind her, a little more forcibly than necessary, his cell phone went off. It was his private number. Few people had it.

Caden quickly pulled the phone from his back pocket and furrowed his brow when he saw it was Jace. It was unusual for his brother to call at this hour. Jace knew the best time to catch him was early in the mornings, before he headed out for the gym.

“Jace?” he said, after clicking on the call. “What’s up?”

“Hannah just called. It’s Granddad. He’s had a heart attack.”

Chapter Three

Dalton Granger sat by the bed, leaned back, stretched his legs out in front of him and sipped his wine while gazing at the naked woman. Lady Victoria Bowman had her curvy English ass reclining in bed, waiting for him to get a second wind.

If he didn’t know better, he’d wonder just what meds she’d taken, since it had been one orgasm after another since he got here. But he did know better. Victoria cared too much for her body to ever use anything that would eventually harm it.

Dalton couldn’t help but smile. He was twenty-seven to her forty-seven, and if she thought she’d gotten the best of him, she had another thought coming. Next time around, she would be the one getting her next wind and not him. He would guarantee it.

He took another sip of wine and continued to look at her. She was an extraordinary beauty with a figure that drew envious looks from much younger women. It was the norm for them to get together whenever he was in London, and it seemed over the past year that his business interests had brought him here a lot.

He glanced around the bedroom, staring at all the elegance around him. He bet that bedspread alone had cost a few thousand. The daughter of a wealthy businessman, Victoria was used to the best life had to offer and had grown up not expecting any less.

So had he.

The tragedies of life had spared her but not him...or the entire Granger family, for that matter. His brothers were doing okay. Jace was an attorney out in L.A., and Caden was a musician, performing somewhere in the States. They got together at least once a year, but the last time, around September of last year, hadn’t been pretty.

Caden and his group had been in Paris performing, and it was decided that Dalton and Jace would join him there. Things had been going great until that last night when Jace had suggested they surprise their grandfather and go home for the holidays.

Home?

Now that was a damn joke. He hadn’t thought of Sutton Hills, the Granger estates in Virginia, as home since the day he’d left for college. He was eighteen at the time and had no reason to return. He and his grandfather had never gotten along, and there was no need to pretend they had.

And then there was the fact that the old man had made sure Dalton hadn’t been able to touch his trust fund when he’d turned twenty-five like his brothers, claiming Dalton was too much of a playboy and would lose every cent within a year. If Richard Granger expected that to keep him down, he’d been wrong. Instead, Dalton had pushed himself, determined never to have to go to the old man for anything. He’d excelled in sports and had gone to the NFL straight from college. The signing fee alone had been nice, and the two-year stint had led to lucrative endorsement contracts.

Okay, he would admit he’d almost proven his grandfather right by nearly losing it all through a few shady investments and living in the fast lane. But in the end, he’d managed to pull his shit together and become the self-made billionaire that he was.

“Are you going to sit over there for the rest of the night, Dalton?”

He chuckled and slowly rose to his feet. Like Victoria, he was as naked as the day he was born. “And just what has you in such a horny state, Victoria?” he asked, sliding his naked body back in bed beside hers.

Instead of answering, she glanced away. But not before he saw the sheen of tears in her eyes. “Victoria?” he asked softly, pulling her into his arms. They went back a long way. Sometimes he thought too long. Three years ago, almost down on his luck, he had met her father at a party while in London. Stuart Hunter, Earl of Falmouth, was nothing short of a financial genius.

For some reason, the old man took a liking to Dalton and invited him to one of his seminars. A year later, Dalton became the owner of more than twenty million in investment properties, including a number of apartment complexes in Paris and several shopping malls in Switzerland and the United States.

Victoria looked back at him and he saw even more tears. “It’s Derek. Father told me today he heard Derek is remarrying,” she said in a broken voice.

“I see.” And he did, more than he cared to. He knew that although five years ago she had divorced the bastard for screwing around on her, Victoria was still in love with the man.

“I gave him twelve years of my life, Dalton, and I thought they were good ones. I assumed our marriage was solid. He showed me in the worst possible way that it was not. And then to make matters worse, the woman is young enough to be his daughter,” she added snippily.

He decided now might not be a good time to remind her that she was old enough to be his mother. His mother. He pushed the painful memories of his mother and father away...and tightened his hold on Victoria. “Forget him, Victoria. He’s caused you nothing but pain. You deserve better.”

He’d told her that a number of times before. So had Stuart. But she refused to let go of a love that evidently controlled her heart. He couldn’t imagine loving anyone that much and that deeply.

“I tried forgetting him, Dalton.”

“But not hard enough,” he said with irritation in his voice. He thought of everything she had going for her and figured she didn’t need this drama. Hell, when it came to her, he couldn’t help but feel protective. They weren’t just occasional lovers; they were friends.

In a smooth move, he shifted their bodies to ease her on her back and glide between her legs. “I promise not to dwell on that million I lost last week if you promise not to think about that prick of an ex-husband of yours.”

She looked up at him, eyes widened. “You lost a million dollars? Does Father know?”

“No, and I don’t plan to tell him. I had it to lose, Victoria. Besides, I don’t want to hear one of his damn lectures.”

She nodded. “All right. Mum’s the word.”

He lowered his mouth, ready to take hers, when his cell phone went off. He wanted to ignore it but recognized Jace’s ring. His brother never called him at this hour just to shoot the bull. Something had to be wrong.

Victoria had seen the concerned look on his face and had reached over to grab the phone. She handed it to him. “I think you should take this.”

He thought so, too. He clicked on, putting the phone on speaker. “What’s up, Jace?”

“It’s Granddad. He had a heart attack, and we’re needed at home.”

Dalton shifted off Victoria to ease back against the pillow. “And who the hell are we?”

“Damn it, Dalton. This isn’t the time to act like an ass. Hannah called. It’s serious.”

“And I should care...why?”

Jace didn’t say anything for a minute and then in an angry tone, he said, “Because he’s your grandfather.”

Dalton hadn’t meant for those words to affect him, but they did. “The old man never cared about me and wouldn’t care one way or the other if I were there or not. Everyone knows you were his favorite, like Caden was Dad’s. I only had...” A lump formed deep in his throat when he finished by saying, “Mom.”

He forced a smile through all the painful memories that suddenly emerged. Yes, he had been his mother’s favorite. He’d known it, and so had his brothers. But he had been the youngest, so it stood to reason he’d found a special place in Sylvia Granger’s heart.

“You won’t let things die, will you? You like holding on to crap,” Jace accused.

Yes, he did, mainly because years ago he’d decided to never allow anything or anyone get close enough to hurt him again, and clinging to crap made sure there was distance. As far as Dalton was concerned, he’d already lost both parents, so losing the old man wouldn’t destroy him.

“Look, Dalton, my plane is boarding now. I’m on my way to Virginia. I got word to Dad through the warden and I talked to Caden a few moments ago. He’s meeting me at the hospital, St. Francis Memorial.”

“Just keep me posted.”

“Is that all you got to say?” Jace asked angrily.

“Yes. Goodbye, Jace.” And then he clicked off the phone.

Victoria took it out of his hand and placed it back on the nightstand. “You should go, Dalton.”

He frowned at her. “Why?”

“Because he is your grandfather.”

His frown deepened. He had confided in her years ago, so she knew his family history. The good, the bad and the ugly. “And?”

“And if you think what he did to you all those years ago, denying you access to your trust fund until your thirtieth birthday, was so wrong, then go and let him see that in spite of what he did, you became a huge success.”

She paused a moment and then asked softly, “He doesn’t know, does he?”

Dalton shook his head. “No.” In fact, he doubted even his brothers knew of the vast amount of his wealth. His family assumed he was an American gigolo in England living off women.

“Then maybe it’s time he did, before it’s too late.”

He shook his head. “It doesn’t matter.”

“I think it does.”

He bit back a retort, one that would have burned the hell out of her ears. “You’re wrong.” He lay there a moment wondering who he was shitting. It did matter, and it bothered him that it did.

Wanting to force Jace’s call from his mind, he reached for Victoria, captured her mouth and hungrily began mating with it. And when he felt her passion beginning to stir, he lost himself in her incredible heat.

Chapter Four

The moment he entered the hospital room, Jace wrenched his gaze from the doctor standing by his grandfather’s hospital bed. And for a minute it was hard to believe the man lying there was actually Richard Granger. The once-tall, robust man looked as if he’d shrunk into an unconscious body that was now connected to various machines.

Jace had last seen the old man during the holidays. Although he’d tried talking Caden and Dalton into spending Christmas and New Year’s at Sutton Hills, both had declined. At least Caden had had an excuse with his holiday concerts being sold out. Dalton hadn’t needed an excuse. He’d simply said, “When hell freezes over.” Or words to that effect.

“Glad you made it, Jace.”

Jace moved his gaze from his grandfather and back to the doctor, who knew him by name. Jace didn’t recognize him, so he zeroed in on the name tag pinned on his medical coat. Sedrick Timmons. He remembered Sedrick and remembered when he’d always wanted to become a doctor. Over the years, his looks had changed. Gone was the tall, gangly male. This Sedrick, though still somewhat tall, was a little pudgy around the waist, wore thick-rimmed glasses and had a receding hairline.

The Timmonses had been a family of four and the Grangers’ closest neighbors, although their estate was a good five miles away. In addition to the parents, Sedrick had a younger sister named Shiloh. Jace and Sedrick had played together as kids and had pretty much remained friends until their teen years.

Then Jace’s mother’s death and his father’s trial had happened. After that, the Granger name had become a bad word to some, and the Timmonses had forbidden their children from ever associating with the Grangers again. The Timmonses had led the pack by distancing themselves, and even now, Jace could remember how being ostracized that way had felt.

Deciding there was no need for any “how have you been” dialogue, especially since their friendship had ended so long ago, Jace closed the door behind him and went right to the heart of the matter by asking, “How is he, Dr. Timmons?”

“Resting comfortably.” The doctor then motioned for them to step outside the room. He and Jace moved into the corridor, closing the door behind him.

Jace saw the grim look on Sedrick’s face and steeled his body for whatever news he was about to hear. “Well, how is he really?” Jace asked, needing to get it over with.

“Not good, Jace. The reason I wanted to step out into the hallway was that, although your grandfather hasn’t responded since he was brought in yesterday, there’s a possibility his hearing is still intact.”

Jace nodded. “I understand.”

Sedrick then rubbed the back of his head, a gesture Jace remembered from years past when Sedrick was about to do something that he really didn’t want to do. Sedrick then dropped his hand, looked Jace straight in the eyes and said, “He’s in pretty bad shape, Jace. Test results show severe damage was done to his heart. I’m surprised he’s still here. It’s like he’s hanging on for a reason. And because I figured you’d want one, I got a second opinion from Dr. Paul Hammonds. He’s the best in the field here at St. Francis.”

Sedrick paused a moment and then added in a solemn tone, “I suggest you call your brothers...and get word to your father.”

Because of the way Sedrick had said it, Jace could only assume Sedrick thought he hadn’t done either. “Everyone has been notified.”

That was all Jace intended to say on the matter. “Now, I want to spend time with my grandfather.”

Sedrick nodded. “Sure, and welcome home, Jace. It’s been a while.”

With a bland expression that showed none of the irritation he was feeling, Jace drew in a deep breath. How would Sedrick know how long it had been? And anyway, he had assumed incorrectly. “No, it hasn’t been a while, Sedrick. I was home for the holidays. In fact, I usually come home at least twice a year.”

Surprise showed in Sedrick’s eyes. “Sorry, I wasn’t aware you ever returned to Sutton Hills.”

Jace shrugged. “There’s no reason you would have known.”

Instead of saying anything, Sedrick shrugged and began rubbing the back of his head again. There was nothing he could say, really. Growing up, he and Jace had shared a close friendship. But that had changed, and Sedrick could tell their conversation—other than the important matter at hand—was rather awkward.

“Will you need to do any more tests?” Jace asked, thinking that getting the conversation back on his grandfather’s condition would be safer ground for Sedrick. Jace didn’t want him to nervously rub away the little bit of hair he still had left.

“No, not unless we detect an improvement of some sort. There’s a possibility he might regain consciousness, but it won’t be for long, and unfortunately, doing so might cause more damage to his heart.”

Jace frowned. “Why?”

“Because if he’s awake, he’ll run the risk of getting excited, which could overtax the heart muscles.”

At that moment, a nurse approached and offered an apology for the interruption before informing Dr. Timmons of an emergency in another patient’s room.

“If you have any more questions, Jace, just have someone page me,” Sedrick said, rushing off.

Jace nodded and moved to return to his grandfather’s room. He hated hospitals. Always had and always would. Pulling up a chair close to the bed, he sat there and stared at his grandfather, remembering better times. He had always understood the old man when Caden and Dalton had not. That was one of the reasons everyone claimed he’d been Richard’s favorite. People thought that, but Jace was fully convinced his grandfather loved all three of his grandsons the same.

Jace heard his phone tweet, letting him know he’d gotten a text. Pulling his phone from his back pocket, he saw the message had come from Caden.

Plane just landed. Should arrive at hospital in ½ hour.

After putting his phone away, Jace drew in a deep breath, leaned back in his chair and drew his gaze back to his grandfather. At that moment, he felt an enormous pain grip his gut. His grandfather had always been there for Jace, and now Jace wanted to be here for him. But he wasn’t sure how much he could take of seeing Richard lie there with tubes connected to his body and machines beeping out the only sounds in the room...except for that of his grandfather’s labored breathing.

Richard Granger had celebrated his seventy-fifth birthday last year, and both Jace and Caden had come home for the occasion. Dalton hadn’t, which had been no surprise to anyone.

Jace drew in a deep breath, not wanting to think about the animosity Dalton still had toward the old man. Instead, he shifted his thoughts to days past when he and his brothers were younger, happier. And their parents were together and both his father and grandfather ran the company...

His thoughts trailed off as he remembered the billion-dollar company his family owned and which his grandfather had practically run alone after his son had been incarcerated. It had been fifteen years now.

The shock of hearing about his grandfather’s heart attack was so great that Jace hadn’t given any thought to Granger Aeronautics. Had Hannah known to contact Titus Freeman, the executive vice president? If not Freeman, then surely Vidal Duncan. Vidal was not only the company attorney but also a longtime family friend. He would know what to do.

Any thought of Granger Aeronautics flew from Jace’s mind when he noticed his grandfather’s breathing had changed. It had become labored, forced. Fear gripped him as he stood to press the nurse call button. The change in breathing might not necessarily mean anything, but he wanted to be certain.

“Granddad,” he said, leaning close to the bed as Dr. Timmons and a nurse rushed in. “It’s Jace, and I’m here,” he said in a soft voice. “You’re going to get better. There’s still a lot left for you to do. And you’re not a person to half finish anything.”

He reached out and gently gripped his grandfather’s hand in his, ignoring how weak it felt as well as how frail it seemed. And he pushed to the back of his mind how unresponsive his grandfather’s hand was to his touch.

* * *

Jace was glad Caden was on his way, because he didn’t want to handle this alone.

* * *

“What happened?”

The sound of Caden’s voice was a welcome relief, and Jace turned and looked into his brother’s concerned face. Dr. Timmons and the nurse assisting him glanced up, as well.

“Jace brought it to our attention that your grandfather’s breathing had changed, so we’re making sure everything is okay,” Sedrick spoke up and said.

“And is it?” Caden asked, walking into the hospital room and placing his sax case against a wall.

“Yes. He’s resting comfortably,” was the doctor’s response.

Jace moved toward his brother and engulfed him in a fierce bear hug. “I’m glad to see you, Caden.”

“Same here.” Caden then glanced over at Dr. Timmons. “Good seeing you again, Sedrick.” Moving across the room, the two shook hands.

Jace raised a brow, surprised Caden had easily recognized Sedrick when he had not.

“Same here,” Sedrick said, smiling. Jace figured it was because Caden was definitely being friendlier toward him than Jace had been.

“Sorry about this situation with your grandfather,” Sedrick added.

“I am, too.” Caden then glanced over at Jace. “Did you reach Dalton?”

“Yes.” Jace pretended to stretch his body and knew Caden intercepted the code they’d developed years ago that meant...we’ll discuss it later.

“He’s back to resting calmly now,” Sedrick said. “If it happens again, let us know.”

He was about to leave the room with the nurse following in his wake when Caden asked, “How’s Shiloh?”

“She’s fine and back in Virginia. She returned six months ago when my father became ill and stayed to help out with Mom after he died.”

“I was sorry to hear about your dad’s passing,” Caden said.

“Thanks.”

Sedrick closed the door behind him, and it was then that Caden glanced back across the room at Jace, who said, “You handled that well.”

“What?”

“News that Shiloh is back in Virginia.”

Caden shrugged and his jaw tightened. “Doesn’t matter to me one way or the other.”

“Yet you asked about her,” Jace couldn’t help pointing out.

“Out of curiosity and nothing more.”

Jace decided not to also point out that curiosity didn’t mean a damn thing unless it mattered.

“So what’s going on with Dalton? Is he coming or not?” Caden asked brusquely.

Jace stretched once again, followed by an incline of his head toward the bed after pointing at his ear.

Caden understood and nodded. “Fine.”

Caden then moved toward the bed and settled down in the same chair that Jace had vacated earlier. Jace studied his brother. Although there was a two-year difference in their ages, Caden was an inch taller but somewhat thinner, especially in his facial features. He looked tired, through-to-the-bone worn, and in need of a lot of rest. Jace figured doing all those concerts and not eating properly in between, in addition to not getting enough rest, was taking its toll.

Caden reached out and took their grandfather’s hand in his. “If this was your idea of getting us all back in one spot, then it worked,” he said. “But just so you know, I don’t like seeing you this way, so knock it off.”

Jace couldn’t help but smile. Years ago, Caden had found a way to bypass the old man’s toughness to deal with him on a more playful level. Very few people could do that. A part of Jace wished Dalton had tried, but there had been too much anger, probably on both sides.

“His hand feels weak,” Caden said, shifting his gaze from their grandfather to Jace.

“I know.” Jace then glanced at his watch. “I know you just got here, but how about us going downstairs and grabbing a cup of coffee while Granddad’s resting? Besides, I need to call Hannah and let her know we’re here.”

Caden nodded. “It’s late.”

Jace chuckled. “Yes, but how much you want to bet she’s still up?”

Caden grinned as he stood to his feet. “You’re probably right.”

“You know I am,” was Jace’s reply as they headed for the door.

At two in the morning, the hospital’s break room was empty, and as Caden settled down in a chair at one of the tables, the only thing on his mind was that Shiloh was back in Virginia.

“Still take yours black?”

He glanced over at Jace, who was standing at the coffee vending machine. “Yes, that’s the only way to fly.”

“Only if you pull all-nighters as you’ve evidently been doing,” Jace tossed back.

Caden wasn’t in the mood to go any rounds with his brother about his late nights. Hell, he knew he needed to do better in the rest department, but doing Vegas was any entertainer’s dream come true. Luckily, it had been his last night, so he didn’t have to cancel any performances. But he did have that gig coming up in New York in a few weeks. It was only two weeks, but the pay and the exposure were awesome, not to mention he was already committed.

“Here,” Jace said, setting the coffee in front of Caden and interrupting his thoughts. Just as well. Caden didn’t want to think about the future until he knew his grandfather was out of the woods.

“Thanks. So what are the doctors saying about Granddad?” Caden asked.

He watched his brother slide into his chair and recognized that someone who knew Jace as well as he did would be sure that whatever he was about to say wasn’t going to be good. The words bad news were written all over Jace’s face.

“Not good. In fact, Sedrick is surprised he’s still here. The heart attack did a lot of damage to his heart muscles.”

Although Caden had inwardly steeled himself as much as possible against what was about to come, Jace’s words were still a devastating punch in the gut. “We’ll get a second opinion,” Caden said after taking a sip of his coffee.

“We got one, Caden. Results are the same.”

Caden held his brother’s gaze. “So what are you saying?”

Jace rubbed his hand down his face before saying, “We’re losing him.”

Caden closed his eyes and switched his gaze off Jace to some abstract picture on the wall. The thought of losing the old man was hard on him, almost as hard as it had been to lose his dad. The only difference was that his father hadn’t died, and Caden could go see him whenever he wanted...in accordance with the penitentiary’s visiting hours, of course. And he made it a point to visit his dad as often as he could. It had been fifteen years. Fifteen hard and lonely years without his father being free.

He looked back at Jace. “Have you told Dad?”

Jace nodded his head. “Yes, I contacted him before flying out here and spoke to Warden Smallwood. He promised to get the message to Dad. But Dad has no idea of how bad things are.”

Caden didn’t want to be the one to tell him and knew Jace didn’t want to be the one, either. He took a sip of his coffee and studied his brother. This had to be hard on Jace, since he and their grandfather were extremely close. Caden had always chalked it up to Jace’s being the firstborn grandson and all that. But later, as they got older, Caden realized just how much like Richard Granger Jace truly was. He had the ability to put everything in the proper order. He could be tough when there was a need. Uncaring, firm, rigid, inflexible...and all those adjectives that meant the same thing. But then there was a side of him that demonstrated he had to be the most caring person in the world. You just had to know how to work it to get that side exposed.

“Jace, are you okay?” Caden asked softly.

Jace, who’d been staring down into his cup of coffee, lifted a tormented gaze to him. “Not really. Remember how after Dad’s trial we thought our world had ended? After losing Mom, we had to hear all that bullshit about Dad killing her, losing our friends and seeing what asses our neighbors were?”

Caden recalled those difficult days. “Yes.”

“It was hard for me, but the one bright spot was Granddad. He was there, and I’m sure it wasn’t easy for a sixty-year-old man to take on raising three teenage boys.”

Caden agreed. It probably wasn’t easy. “And he did so while keeping a firm managing hand on Granger Aeronautics. Who’ll be looking over things now?”

Jace shrugged. “Probably Freeman. He’s vice president.”

“Only because the old man couldn’t convince you to move from out West and into the spot. He always wanted you to take his place, Jace.”

Jace’s dark brown eyes narrowed at his brother. “It’s kind of late for that, isn’t it? Besides, if I remember correctly, he wanted all of us to take a part in the company, not just me.”

“Yes, but with you being the first Granger grandchild, it would have been your place more than mine or Dalton’s. It was expected.”

And it had been. Richard had made sure all three of his grandsons worked for the corporation during their summer months of high school and college, whether they had wanted to or not. He had been crushed when all three told him they had no desire to work in the company their great-grandfather had formed. But that decision from Jace had disappointed him the most. He still held hope that Jace would change his mind and take his father’s place once he completed law school. When he saw Jace wouldn’t change his mind, Richard had finally left the matter alone.

“And it wasn’t expected of you?” Jace asked with an edge to his voice.

Caden refused to back away from the truth. “Not as much. He knew I was too much into my music to think of ever fitting in with the business suit crowd. I wouldn’t last a year. I would have been fired for playing my sax during work hours.”

Jace nodded. “And Dalton?”

Caden grinned. “Our baby brother wouldn’t have been able to keep his hands to himself when it came to a pretty woman.”

Jace threw his head back and laughed. “Now, that’s the truth.”

It felt good to hear Jace laugh, Caden thought. He wondered how often his brother laughed at all anymore. And what about Dalton? How many times did he laugh these days? Caden could only speak for himself, but his own laughter was a rare thing, with long stretches in between.

“And speaking of Dalton,” Caden spoke up to say. “Where the hell is he? And don’t tell me he doesn’t plan on coming.”

The amusement was immediately wiped from Jace’s face. “Okay, I won’t tell you.”

“Why?” Caden asked, and heard the disgusted tone of his own voice. “Did you not tell him how serious things were?”

“Yes, I told him, and it’s his feeling that the old man wouldn’t care one way or the other if he were here or not.”

“Bullshit.”

“I know, but Dalton has a hard head and is stubborn to a fault. He never forgave Richard for not letting him claim his trust fund when he turned twenty-five.”

Caden frowned. “Granddad had good reason for doing what he did, and you and I both know it. Dalton was chasing anything in a skirt and had already blown most of that endorsement money, which should have set him up for life.”

“Yes, but evidently Dalton doesn’t see it that way. Having to wait until he’s thirty to get what we got at twenty-five is a thorn in his side,” Jace said.

Caden didn’t say anything for a moment, and then, after taking another sip of his coffee, he said, “I could have waited since I haven’t touched mine, anyway. What about you?”

Jace shook his head. “I haven’t touched mine, either.”

Neither man said anything else for a while, and then Caden asked, “How much did you tell Hannah?” Jace had made the call before they’d stepped on the elevator. Hannah was glad they’d made it to Virginia but was disappointed Dalton hadn’t come.

“Exactly what Sedrick told me,” he said, standing. “She’s not handling it well.”

“I can imagine,” Caden said, easing from his chair while thinking just how long Hannah had been with the Grangers. Close to fifty years. They didn’t consider her a housekeeper but a member of the family. Their grandfather had depended on her a lot when he’d taken on the task of raising his grandsons. “So what are you going to do now?”

Jace glanced over at him as they headed for the elevator. “I’m operating on Pacific time, so I’m good. I plan to stay here so that if Granddad wakes up he’ll know one of us is here. You can go on home and—”

“Home?”

“Sutton Hills,” Jace clarified. “Keep Hannah company. I doubt she’ll get any sleep tonight anyway.”

“I’d prefer to stay, too,” Caden said. “Like you insinuated earlier, I’m a late-nighter.”

“All right.”

The two had made it back to their grandfather’s room and had pulled chairs close to the bed where they planned to park it for the night when a nurse walked in. She offered to bring in cots. After all, she’d said, their money had paid for this particular wing, so it was the least she could do.

She’d done more by bringing in fluffy pillows and blankets, as well. Since the room was pretty sizable, probably the largest one in the wing, Caden and Jace figured they could make themselves pretty comfortable.

Deciding to end all conversation so as not to disturb their grandfather, they settled in for the night. A few hours after they’d dozed off, they were awakened by the creaking sound of the door opening. They figured it was a nurse coming in to check on their grandfather. Suddenly, the fluorescent light burst to life overhead, nearly blinding them.

“Now why am I not surprised to find the two of you here, goofing off?”

Jace leaned up and his mouth dropped open in surprise. “Dalton?”

“Hell, yeah, it’s me.”

“I thought you weren’t coming,” Jace said, squinting against the bright light and inwardly downplaying just how good he felt that his brother was here.

“I changed my mind.”

Caden tossed off the blanket and sat up on the cot. “Fine time for you to show up, just when we were trying to get some sleep.”

“Go to hell.”

Dalton then glanced past them to the man lying in the hospital bed. And as if what he was seeing was way worse than he’d expected, he leaned back against the hospital room door and said, “Holy shit.”

Chapter Five

“Just what had you expected to find when you got here?” Jace asked his brother when he and Caden found themselves downstairs in the break room drinking coffee once again.

Dalton, his face still ashen from shock, shrugged. It was obvious he could have used something a lot stronger to drink than coffee. “Hell, I don’t know. But the last thing I expected was for the old man not to look like himself. Flat on his back. Shit. I don’t recall him ever being sick or looking this bad. He was always bigger than life. Strong as an ox. Unconquerable.”

Caden rolled his eyes. “He had a heart attack, Dalton.”

“Yes, and so did Victoria’s grandmother. But the old girl was up and about and back to playing bridge with her friends a few weeks later,” he explained, then took a sip of coffee as if it would calm his frazzled nerves.

“She probably had a light heart attack,” Jace said and had a sudden flashback of this Victoria, the older Englishwoman his brother had been involved with for a while. He’d had a chance to meet her when Caden had performed in Paris. She looked good for her age, he would give her that. But a twenty-year difference? Christ. As far as he was concerned, that was too wide a gap.

He took a sip of coffee, deciding the less he thought of his brother’s affairs, the better. “According to Dr. Timmons, Granddad suffered a massive one. It destroyed most of his heart muscles. I told you over the phone how serious it was,” Jace said, then sipped his coffee again.

“But I didn’t fully believe you. I thought you were just saying that to get me home,” Dalton responded.

“I’d never pretend about something like that. And if you didn’t believe me, why are you here?”

Dalton didn’t say anything for a moment and then, “I figured the old man and I had a few things to discuss.”

“Like you pressing him to lower the age for your trust fund?” Caden said, sitting upright and glaring over at his brother.

Dalton glared back. “And if I was, it’s none of your business. Besides, I don’t need the trust fund now.” He quickly decided to change the subject before he was asked to elaborate. “Did you get to talk to Dad when you called to tell him about Granddad?” he asked Jace.

Jace shook his head. “No. I spoke with the warden. He’ll get the word to Dad.”

Dalton nodded slowly. “And how is Dad?”

“You wouldn’t have to ask if you took the time to go see him for yourself,” Caden said angrily.

“Fuck you, Caden. I was talking to Jace.”

Caden leaned over the table, nearly in Dalton’s face. “And I was talking to you. When was the last time you saw Dad? Five years? You’re one damn poor excuse for a son.”

“Hell, you don’t understand. I’m not like you and Jace. I can’t handle seeing Dad that way. Locked up, talking to us through a damn glass partition and wearing that same blue outfit. We’re not talking about some street bum, gangster or drug pusher. We’re talking about Sheppard Granger, respected businessman, wealthy entrepreneur, law-abiding citizen, who never had as much as a speeding ticket.”

“So your infrequent visits had nothing to do with your thinking that perhaps Dad was guilty after all?” Jace asked calmly while watching Dalton with an intense gaze.

“What the f—? No. That’s not the reason,” Dalton said, looking first at Jace and then at Caden, who was staring at him just as intently. “How could you guys even think something like that?”

Jace shrugged. “Because it’s been fifteen years, and whether we want to discuss it or not, we of all people have reason to think Dad had the motive, especially after the argument we heard that night and what was said.”

Silence ensued for a few moments, and although no one said anything, they were each remembering that last night their mother had been alive and the heated argument their parents had had. They had heard it, yet when the authorities had questioned them together and then individually, they had denied knowing anything. They had refused to say anything that would have incriminated their father even more.

Even at their young age, they’d had enough sense to talk with Hannah, who had heard the argument, as well. She had encouraged them to discuss the matter with their grandfather, and the five had decided in their hearts there was no way their father could have done such a thing, no matter what threats he’d made against their mother that night.

“You never said why you stopped visiting Dad,” Jace said to break the silence. “Not to me, Caden or Granddad. And especially not to Dad. He never asked, but he wondered if that was why. That you had begun to doubt his innocence.”

“Well, that’s not it. Because I knew—” Dalton caught himself and stopped talking in midsentence. Not meeting his brothers’ gazes, he lowered his head to sip his coffee.

Caden wasn’t going to let him off that easily. “Because you knew what?”

“Nothing,” was Dalton’s quick response.

Jace had opened his mouth to say something when a nurse suddenly appeared seemingly out of nowhere and stood beside their table. “You have to come quickly. Mr. Granger is awake and asking for you.”

The three were out of their chairs in a flash. “He’s awake?” Caden asked.

“And talking?” Jace inquired, remembering what Sedrick had said about the danger of their grandfather regaining consciousness and then overexerting himself.

“Which one of us does he want to see?” Dalton asked as all three of them quickly followed the woman to the nearest elevator.

She waited until the elevator door swooshed closed before providing any answers. She turned to Caden. “Yes, he’s awake.” Then to Jace she said, “He’s talking, but we’re keeping him calm as much as we can.”

To Dalton, she simply replied, “He’s asking for all three of you, and Dr. Timmons sent me to find you.”

* * *

Sedrick was standing in the hallway near the door when the Granger brothers arrived on the floor. “We heard he’s conscious,” Jace rushed over and said.

Sedrick didn’t say anything for a second and then, “Like I told you earlier, it was as if he was holding on for a reason. Evidently, it was for the three of you to arrive, because he’s asked to see you.”

Jace frowned. “But I thought you said the less talking he does, the better it will be for him.”

Sedrick nodded. “Yes, but he’s determined to say what he has to say, and I think he should.” He then looked past Jace and Caden to Dalton. He stretched out his hand. “Dalton, you probably don’t remember me but—”

“I know who you are,” Dalton said, not bothering to accept the man’s hand. “You used to be a good friend of Jace’s.”

Dalton’s actions and sarcasm weren’t lost on anyone, and Sedrick blushed with embarrassment. “Yes, when we were teens.”

As if Sedrick’s words weren’t of any significance, Dalton said, “Whatever. Can we see the old man now? You’re blocking the door.”

“Certainly.” Sedrick moved aside. “I’ll remain in the area until after you’ve had your talk.” He then walked off.

Before Jace could say anything, Caden had pushed open the door to their grandfather’s hospital room.

* * *

Richard Granger’s body was racked with pain, and it hurt him to breathe. The doctor had given it to him straight. Surgery wasn’t an option. In other words, he had a lot to say to his grandsons but a short time to say it, so every second counted. Whether they wanted it or not, the legacy was now theirs. He had tried to do right by them and raised them as Sheppard would have.

Sheppard.

He drew in another painful breath. And that was another thing. He would have to make sure they succeeded where he had failed, in making sure their father was a free man. Fifteen years had been wasted already. It had pained his heart to know that his son, innocent of any crime, had been found guilty of murder. He had hired some of the best investigators to clear his son of the charges, but it seemed someone was out there, making sure Shep stayed put. Richard mustn’t lose sight of the fact that the real murderer had gotten away and was walking around free. And probably intended to stay that way.

And all of this because of the woman he hadn’t wanted his son to marry. It hadn’t mattered one iota that she was born a Gadling. He had known Sylvia was bad news from the first time she had been invited to his home. But Ava had wanted the union, thought Sylvia was the perfect woman to give her those grandchildren she’d wanted. So he had gone along with it. And he had regretted it every day since.

“Granddad?”

Richard heard his name and recognized the voice. Jace. His firstborn grandson. The one he had dreamed of one day taking over the family business for future generations of Grangers. He forced his eyes open and fought to keep them there as he stared up at the faces staring down at him. They were here. All three of them. Somehow, in his heart, he knew if he ever needed them, they would come. So sorry this time it was to say goodbye. But first...

“Jace. Caden. Dalton.” His voice sounded weak and slurred, even to his own ears. “I need to tell you something. I need—”

“Granddad. Don’t try to talk. You need to save your energy for—”

“No. Listen and let me talk.” He saw the defiance in Jace’s eyes and then he pleaded in a hoarse tone, “Please.”

Jace held his gaze for a second and then nodded. The three grandsons crowded closer to the bed. Richard forced his eyes from Jace to settle on Dalton. He wasn’t as close as the other two. The youngest even now wanted to be detached from the others. But no more.

“Dalton?”

He saw the surprised look on his youngest grandson’s face when he called Dalton’s name. It was only then that Dalton moved closer. “Yes, Granddad?”

Richard swallowed back both pain and regret. “I only wanted to make you a better man. You were Sylvia’s baby. She spoiled you rotten. Things came too easily for you, and you were beginning to act entitled. But I’ve kept up with you over the years.”

He saw the surprise that lit Dalton’s eyes. “Yes,” Richard said unashamedly. “I kept tabs on you even when you didn’t know I was doing so. You made your own way to success, and I can look you in the eye and say that I am proud of the man you’ve become...without my help or that of the Granger name.”

Richard paused a moment when he felt a sharp pain slice across his chest, and for a few moments he felt dizzy as the faces of his grandsons swirled around him.

“Granddad, you okay? Get the doctor, Caden.”

“No,” Richard said in as firm a voice as he could manage. “I need the three of you to listen carefully. First, the company. I know you all have your own lives, but Granger Aeronautics is your legacy, and I need you to claim it. Something is going on. I don’t know what. Promise me that the three of you will work together to bring the company back. I delegated responsibilities to the wrong people, and only the three of you can turn the company around.”

Richard coughed a few times, which caused Jace, Caden and Dalton to move closer to the bed and lean down to listen when Richard said, “I need your promise that you won’t let the company fall. Promise me.”

“We’ll take care of the company, Granddad,” Jace said. He glanced around at his brothers before adding, “We’ll do it together.”

“I need your individual promises,” Richard implored. “Caden?”

“I promise to do what I can, Granddad.”

Richard nodded. “Dalton?”

“Same here. I promise,” Dalton said.

Richard nodded. “And another promise I need is for you to try to free your father. Prove he’s innocent. Promise me you’ll try.”

Again, his three grandsons made promises.

A satisfied smile touched Richard’s lips. Now he could go. “Thank you. And remember everything I taught you. Always watch each other’s backs.”

And then Richard closed his eyes, never to open them again.

Chapter Six

Sutton Hills.

Jace stepped out on the porch in the early morning with a cup of coffee in his hand and glanced around. Although he wished he could deny it, it felt good to be back at Sutton Hills. However, he would be the first to admit it felt strange without the presence of his grandfather. The adjustment would be hard, just as it had been when he had to make peace with the loss of his parents. One through death and the other through incarceration. It hadn’t been easy during his teen years without them, and it wouldn’t be easy without the old man.

Sutton Hills encompassed over two hundred acres near the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. A thirty-minute ride from Charlottesville, the area consisted of the most beautiful land anywhere. The sunrises and sunsets were spectacular and could honestly take your breath away.

Located at the main entrance to Sutton Hills was the equestrian center where the horses were kept. His father’s and grandfather’s pride and joy. Even now, Sutton Hills was considered a horse ranch because of the beautiful Thoroughbreds here.

The acreage was divided into four major plots. First, there was the main house where his grandparents had lived, a mile down from the equestrian center and sitting on fifty acres of land. The two-story structure was an architectural masterpiece and backed up against Mammoth Lake.

To the east of that was what had been his parents’ homestead and where he had lived for the first sixteen years of his life. His grandfather had closed up the house after his father had been convicted. After the trial had ended, they had gone back just long enough to pack up their things to move to the main house with their grandfather.

Jace looked to the west to where the boathouse was located along with the entertainment center where his parents had hosted most of their parties. But his gaze stayed fixed on the boathouse because it was there, one noonday in late October, that his mother had been found dead. Shot to death. And according to the authorities, their father’s fingerprints had been on the murder weapon.

“Hannah still makes the best coffee,” Dalton said, opening the door to join Jace on the porch.

Jace turned, grateful for the interruption. He was about to travel too far down memory lane to suit him. “See what you were missing all those years you refused to come back here?”

“Yeah, I see.” Dalton got quiet, and Jace figured he was thinking, about the past, about the present and now the future. Jace pondered the future. They had made promises, but none of them had talked about those promises since making them at their grandfather’s deathbed.

Their grandfather had flatlined immediately after his last words to them, and they’d finally had to accept that Richard Granger was now gone from their lives. It had been hard going to Sutton Hills to deliver the news to Hannah and even harder to notify his father and make funeral arrangements without him.

Yesterday’s memorial services had brought out people Jace hadn’t seen in years, trickling in to pay their last respects to a man a few might have feared, others respected and some would have envied. What others thought of him didn’t matter to Jace. To him, Richard Granger was a man to be admired. A man who didn’t take crap from anyone, and he had raised his son the same way. Except that Sheppard had a softer side that he’d inherited from his mother.

One or two mourners who’d attended had asked about Jace’s father, but most made solicitous statements about the old man and avoided the topic of Sheppard Granger altogether. The services were short. That’s the way Richard would have wanted it. It was over, but the grief was still there for Jace. Every room in the house held memories.

“I wondered where you two had gone off to,” Caden said, stepping out on the porch, as well.

“Where were you?” Dalton asked, deciding to ease down to sit on a nearby step.

“Talking to my manager. I’m supposed to be in New York for two concerts in a couple of weeks.”

When his brothers just stared at him without saying anything, Caden said, “And no, I didn’t forget the promise. However, I made a commitment that the band and I need to keep. I do have a life.”

“You’re not the only one,” Dalton mumbled. “I can’t believe we made that promise. Shit, I haven’t done this kind of work in years.”

“You mean prostituting yourself to the oldest bidder wasn’t real work?” Caden sneered. “Being a boy toy has it benefits, evidently.” He had met Dalton’s lovers on two occasions, and both had been old enough to be his mother. Caden really shouldn’t be surprised. Dalton was thought of as the extremely handsome Granger with looks that could turn heads no matter the age. And because of those looks, women had always been his baby brother’s weakness.

“Hey, don’t hate me. And didn’t you hear what Granddad said before he died? He was proud of me because I had made something of myself.”

“Evidently, he knew something that we don’t,” Jace said, rubbing his chin as he gazed at Dalton. He had wondered about the old man’s words, but he’d been too occupied to dwell on them until now.

Dalton met his brothers’ gazes, smiled and then bragged, “I’m a billionaire.”

It seemed the air vibrated under Dalton’s words. Jace heard Caden’s chuckle of disbelief. But for some reason, Jace believed Dalton. “And how did you manage that?” he asked. “Did your duchess die and leave you a few castles, a number of pubs and a boatload of expensive jewelry?”

What Jace thought of as a devilish grin tugged at Dalton’s lips before he said, “Victoria’s not a duchess, she’s a lady—of English nobility—and she’s very much alive.” He took a sip of his coffee and then asked, “Have you ever heard of Stuart Hunter, Earl of Falmouth?”

Jace raised a brow at the name and before he could respond, Caden piped in and said, “If Jace hasn’t, I have. He’s a well-known English investor. Filthy rich. Invests in a lot of Hollywood movies as well as space travel.” Caden stared at his brother. “Why?”

“I met him while in England at a party. We hit it off. He became my mentor. He’s also Victoria’s father.”

When neither Jace nor Caden said anything, Dalton added, “So with Stuart’s help, I made a lot of nice financial moves that paid off. And for the record, Victoria and I are nothing more than friends with benefits.”

“How did Granddad know? About you being successful—not about Victoria and you being friends with benefits,” Caden clarified.

“Wouldn’t surprise me if the old man didn’t know that, as well. And I don’t know how he knew. He must have kept up with what I was doing,” Dalton said, staring down into his coffee as if analyzing the dark liquid. Had he been spied on when he hadn’t known it? And the sad thing was that he couldn’t be mad at his grandfather because that meant he cared. He then glanced up at his brothers. “How do the two of you feel about making those promises?”

Jace shrugged. “We made them, so there’s nothing we can do about it. We gave him our word on his deathbed.”

Dalton took another sip of coffee. “That might be true, but I don’t know a damn thing about running Granger Aeronautics.”

Caden rolled his eyes, knowing Dalton was about to start whining. “You worked there during the summers like the rest of us. Your mind should have been focused on the job instead of on every woman with big boobs who passed you in the hallway.”

Dalton smiled. “Okay, I admit I wasn’t focused.”

“At least not on work,” Jace said, brushing a fallen leaf off his shirt.

Dalton smiled and glanced over at Caden. “I saw Shiloh yesterday at the services. I checked her out for a good five minutes before figuring out who she was. Boy, she looked good. Who would have thought she would have filled out like that?”

Caden frowned over at his brother. “If you got something to say, then say it.”

Dalton chuckled. “I just did. And since I got a rise out of your ass, I guess that means you liked what you saw, as well. She was always your—”

“Best friend and nothing more,” Caden cut in, glaring at Dalton. “And that was ages ago.”

“And she defected like everybody else when the going got rough,” Dalton said, his voice tinged with anger and bitterness. “I want to know why half the people who came to the services yesterday were there. They acted as if the Grangers had HIV when Dad was sent to prison. You don’t know how close I came to telling a few of them yesterday to kiss my ass with their condolences. And it really pissed me off when a few approached me with that lie about how good it was to see me again.”

Jace didn’t say anything as he leaned back on his elbows. He momentarily tuned out Dalton’s angry ramblings and fixed his gaze on Caden, who’d seemed to tune Dalton out, as well. Instead, Caden was standing with his back to a post, sipping his coffee and looking as if his thoughts were a million miles away. He wondered what was on his brother’s mind. Had Dalton hit a nerve by bringing up Shiloh?

“Joe Crowder is supposed to be here at eleven,” Dalton said, reclaiming Jace’s attention.

Joe was the family attorney. Their grandfather’s will was to be read today. Vidal Duncan, the company attorney, was scheduled to meet with them, as well, after the reading. As expected, Titus Freeman had attended the funeral services. If he was aware of the promise the brothers had made to their grandfather, he hadn’t let on. Just as well, since Jace had no idea how the man felt about being ousted from such a high-level position.

Dalton stood to stretch his legs and, as if pulled by a magnet, his gaze moved across the pastures in the direction of the home where he had lived as a child. “Has anyone gone back there since the day we left?” he asked.

Jace and Caden followed his gaze. It was Caden who answered first. “I haven’t. Haven’t wanted to.”

“Neither have I,” Jace said, finishing off the last of his coffee.

Dalton nodded, tucking his hands into the pockets of his jeans while he continued to scan the area. “Just wondering.”

* * *

There were no surprises with the reading of the will. Everything Richard owned he bequeathed to his son, Sheppard. However, Jace, Caden and Dalton shared the handling of those properties and shared the inheritance in case of Sheppard’s death. Since Jace was the oldest, he received a higher percentage than the others, which everyone thought was fair.

Hannah received the deed to her small cottage on Sutton Hills as well as papers to the car she was driving and a horse she’d grown fond of over the years. And she got a very generous monetary gift that would take care of her for life should she choose never to work again. No one said anything while Joe read through Richard’s requests. On occasion, the sound of Hannah’s sniffing was heard. Richard had been generous to his favorite charities, including the wing at the hospital that bore his deceased wife’s name.

Joe had barely left when Vidal arrived. The two men were different in looks and stature, but both were born to be attorneys. They had that “this is the way Richard wanted it, so this is the way it is going to be” air about them.

“So, as you can see from the way your grandfather set things up, Freeman is to step down as vice president the moment you arrive in the office tomorrow.”

Jace jerked his head around. “Tomorrow?”

“Yes, the sooner you take over the better.”

Jace lifted a brow. “What’s the hurry? The company isn’t going anywhere, is it?”

“No, but it needs your leadership. Granger Aeronautics has been operating in the red over the past year.”

Jace frowned. His grandfather hadn’t mentioned anything like that to him. “Red? But why?”

“Richard didn’t know why,” Vidal said, shaking his head. “He wasn’t getting contracts like he used to and was being outbid on a number of projects.”

“That doesn’t make any sense,” Caden said. “I’m no business brain, but I would think someone as astute as Granddad would have found the problem and—”

“Whoa, wait a minute,” Dalton said, leaning closer to the table where they were sitting. “Are you saying that Granger Aeronautics is going under?”

“It’s headed that way unless the three of you can find a way to stop it from happening.”

Caden looked pissed. “And how are we supposed to do that?”

Jace heard the anger in his brother’s voice. Although they hadn’t said it, they were wondering the same thing. Had their grandfather made them promise to try to achieve the impossible? Try to save a company that was already failing?

“I say the three of us vote to get rid of it. Stuart may know someone who might be interested in a merger and—”

“No!” Jace said, turning on Dalton, with nostrils flaring and his gaze resembling a glacier. “Damn it, we gave our word, and we’re going to keep it.”

“By doing what?” Dalton stormed back. “Making things worse? What did a few summers teach us at that place? Not jack shit.”

Dalton drew in a deep breath and made an attempt to cool his anger before adding, “You’re talking about a corporation with close to a thousand employees, Jace. Last I heard, Granger Aeronautics was the fourth leading employer in Charlottesville. We owe it to those employees to do right by them and not screw up any pensions they have coming. If we don’t make things right, they lose it all. Do you want that?”

No, that wasn’t what Jace wanted, but he couldn’t understand how easily Dalton could give up without trying. “Granddad was right about you, Dalton. Things did come too easy for you, and you do act entitled. Now you’ve made your billions, but even with that, you didn’t work hard. It was through investments. I think you’re afraid of a little hard work.”

Dalton was out of his chair in a flash, knocking it over in the process. He got in Jace’s face. “I happen to believe in working smarter, not harder.”

Vidal moved forward to intervene before words were replaced with fists. However, Caden touched Vidal’s arm and shook his head. As far as Caden was concerned, if it came to Jace knocking some sense into their baby brother, then so be it. It was probably about time someone did. Apparently, Dalton’s billions had gone to his damn head.

“For once, will you think of someone other than yourself?” Jace asked. He was so angry he felt fury race through his bloodstream.

“And just who are you thinking about, Jace?” Dalton snapped. “Clearly not Granger’s employees. Maybe you see this as your break to finally leave that pissy job you hate back in California. Well, fine, you do that and move your ass back here. But how can you expect to run a company when you couldn’t even keep your marriage together?”

Now that was a low blow, Caden thought, shaking his head. Leave it to Dalton not to fight fair and bring in the personal. He was tempted to break things up, but he knew they both needed to let off steam...say what had to be said. Then he would have his say.

“My marriage has nothing to do with this.” Jace moved closer to Dalton.

“Doesn’t it? And by the way, I never liked your wife.”

“And she never liked you!”

“Okay, I think enough has been said,” Caden said, finally stepping forward. He stood next to Jace and faced Dalton. “Jace is right, Dalton. The three of us gave our word. Granted, when we did so, we weren’t aware of how bad things were, but Granddad loved Granger Aeronautics. He knew the situation the company was in, and if he died believing the three of us working together could fix things, then I plan to die trying. Now, are you in or not?”

Dalton faced off with his brothers. One against two. It wasn’t the first time, and he knew just as sure as there was a sun in the sky that it wouldn’t be the last. And the bitch of the matter was that he loved them more than anything else in the world.

He’d loved the old man, as well, and the two of them had squared up their differences in the end. But what Jace and Caden were planning to do was crazy. Hell, he’d assumed they would be walking into a company that already had its shit together and, in a few months, they could haul ass. Dalton had figured that Jace would stay at the helm, but Dalton would return to England and Caden to his music and concerts. Dalton had accepted that on occasion they would have to make trips back for board meetings or special events. But never in his wildest dreams had he expected to inherit a company ready to fold. The thought of remaining in Virginia and at Sutton Hills for more than a week or two was beginning to make him nauseated.

“Well?” Caden said, when Dalton hadn’t yet answered.

Dalton frowned, ready to tell them that, hell, no, he wasn’t in and planned to leave that night to return to London. But deep down, he knew he couldn’t do that...even as much as he wanted to. He, Jace and Caden had made a pact fifteen years ago, on the day their father was found guilty, that they would not let anything ever come between them, and today Dalton sure as hell wouldn’t let it be Granger Aeronautics.

He lifted his chin. “Yes, I’m in.”

“Good,” Caden said, fighting back a smile.

Dalton’s anger that had flared so quickly diffused just as rapidly. “Vidal wants us in the office tomorrow, and I refuse to wear the one suit I brought with me.”

“Stop whining,” Jace said. “We need to walk into the company meeting tomorrow and present a united front.”

“We have a problem.”

The three brothers turned to stare at Vidal. Jace and Dalton had forgotten he was in the room. “What kind of problem?” Jace asked.

“While the three of you were sorting out your little disagreement, I got a call. It seems Freeman has decided he wants to keep his position and is rallying the troops.”

Caden frowned. “What troops?”

“Stockholders he thinks he can win over,” Vidal said, his voice filled with irritation. “He’s called a stockholders’ meeting for tomorrow. He wants them to vote to keep him at the top, claiming the three of you lack experience and that he’s the one who can get the company back on solid footing.”

“Can he do that? Stay on as top dog?” Dalton asked, not sure just how that worked. He’d made billions by investing in companies, not trying to run any of them.

“Yes, if he has the right number of stockholders on his side. There are only a few, but those few hold enough voting shares that can be used against you.”

Caden frowned. “I don’t see how. Jace has inherited Dad’s voting shares and the three of us have a number of our own.”

Vidal loosened his tie, and Caden had a feeling he wouldn’t like what the man was about to say. “Yes, but last year, Richard sold off some of his shares for quick capital to compete against another company on a certain bid. He didn’t want a board of directors at Granger Aeronautics, and now there are stockholders whose shares might rival yours in numbers.”

“Umm, the plot thickens,” Dalton said under his breath, but loudly enough for his brothers to hear. Jace glared at him, but Caden decided not to even waste his time.

“And unfortunately, if Freeman can convince them that he can pull the company through this, they will back him and cast their votes his way,” Vidal added.

“Do you know who these shareholders are?” Jace asked, starting to pace.

“Yes,” Vidal said, nodding.

“How soon can you get me their names?” Jace asked, moving toward the table they’d been sitting at earlier. Caden and Dalton followed.

“In about an hour.”

“Good.”

Dalton felt a rush of adrenaline move through his veins. Shit, this crap wasn’t so bad after all. He liked excitement, and from the looks of it, there was about to be plenty. His big brother was about to do some kind of power play. He knew that look in Jace’s eyes. He was pissed, and when Jace got pissed, he got to thinking. And a Jace who thought too damn much was worse than a politician who was caught with his pants down. He would find his way out of it come hell or high water.

Jace glanced around the table at his brothers. “Okay, we’re about to hold our first executive meeting, right here.”

Caden nodded. “What’s the game plan?”

“For crying out loud, Caden, stick to playing your sax,” Dalton said while rubbing his hands together in anticipation. “Even a boy toy like me can figure that out. Jace plans to take that list of names and call those people. He’s going to buy up their shares.”

He then looked over at Jace and smiled, thinking that was a really smart move on his brother’s part. “That’s what you’re going to do, right?”

“Not quite,” Jace said, smiling back. “The only thing you’re wrong about is the part that I’ll be buying their shares.”

Dalton frowned. “But if you don’t buy them, who will?”

“For crying out loud, Dalton, even a saxophone player like me can figure that out,” Caden said, grinning. At Dalton’s blank look, he then added, “You will be buying them, Mr. Billionaire.”

Five hours later, the brothers, along with Vidal, were still at the table going over the results of their efforts. Hannah had served them a lunch fit for a king, since it had included slices of her mouthwatering peach cobbler.

Jace had been able to speak with their father personally, to let him know what was going on. Although the call was short, it had been productive. Sheppard Granger approved of their strategy. “Okay,” Jace said, leaning back in the chair. “Eight people have defected, but we won’t know until tomorrow if that will be enough to pull things off.”

“It better be,” Dalton said, grumbling. “My bank account is minus a few million dollars.”

“For Pete’s sake, stop whining, boy toy,” Caden said, studying one particular name on the list. Samuel Timmons. Timmons had owned over thirty shares of stock. More than likely, they all belonged to Mrs. Timmons now that Mr. Timmons was deceased. Jace had called to speak with Mrs. Timmons, but the housekeeper told him that she was out of town and wasn’t expected back until late tomorrow.

One of the stockholders who defected mentioned that Freeman had called earlier to ensure that everyone showed up for the meeting and voted in his favor. So the question was, had he reached Mrs. Timmons, and if so, would she vote by proxy in Freeman’s favor? Caden wouldn’t be surprised if she did. Samuel and Sandra Timmons had been close friends of their parents, and their testimony had been damaging in his father’s trial. And then once the trial was over, they’d forbidden their children to have anything to do with the Grangers’ sons.

“Caden?”

He looked up at Jace. “Yes?”

“So what do you think?”

A slow smile touched Caden’s lips. “I think we should show up for tomorrow’s meeting ready to kick ass and take names.”

“Now you’re talking,” Jace said, grinning with anticipation.

“Well, I hate to be the one to burst your oversize bubble,” Dalton said. “But there are four people on that list who could either be with us or with Freeman, and their votes might be the deciding ones.”

“And we can’t lose our hair over it,” Jace replied. “If we portray Grangers who’re ready to come in, roll up our sleeves and turn the company around, I think they’ll go our way. Most of them have been loyal to Granddad over the years and hopefully will want us to carry out his wishes.”

“May I offer a suggestion?” Vidal said, presenting a business card to them. “Her name is Shana Bradford, and she’s only twenty-eight, but she’s been getting a lot of attention since her company relocated here a few years ago.”

Jace glanced at the card. Shana Bradford, Bradford Crisis Management Firm. “Is she good?”

“Her firm has turned more than one company around, getting them out of the red very quickly. She definitely has a proven track record. I suggest you bring her on.”

Jace glanced at his brothers. “What do you think?”

Caden smiled. “It’s your decision to make, Mr. CEO.”

Dalton shrugged broad shoulders. “I vote we hire her only if she looks good.”

Jace rolled his eyes and glanced back at Vidal. “If things go in our favor tomorrow, I’ll give her a call.”

* * *

After hours of tossing and turning, not able to sleep, Jace got out of bed, slipped into his robe and headed downstairs to the kitchen for a glass of warm milk. He stopped when he saw Hannah sitting at the kitchen table, staring down at her folded hands.

He turned to go back to his room, not wanting to intrude on her private moments. But then he recalled something she had told him when his grandmother Ava had died and he had been filled with grief. At times it’s better to talk through the pain with someone else who cares. At that moment he made a decision.

“You couldn’t sleep either, huh?” he asked, moving to the table to sit across from her, while pretending not to see the tears glistening her eyes. Tears that she quickly swiped away before smiling over at him.

“I was just sitting here thinking about what I’m preparing for Sunday’s dinner. It’s so nice to have the three of you home again. I want it to be special.”

Jace nodded. He couldn’t speak for his brothers but deep down he was glad to be back. He hadn’t realized just how much he’d missed this place. Until now his visits had been brief, but this time he was back to stay. “Well, don’t get carried away, Hannah. The more we eat the harder it will be to work off later.”

She chuckled as she took a sip of her tea. “There’s more tea where this came from if you want a cup.”

“Thanks, I think I will,” he said, getting up from the table. “I came down for a glass of warm milk but I think the tea sounds better.”

As he poured the hot water in the cup he glanced over his shoulder at her as she stared down into her tea. Hannah had been with the Grangers for years. His grandparents had hired her as nanny and housekeeper just weeks after his father was born. And twenty-five years later she had gone to live with Sheppard and his wife when Jace came into the world, then remained to care for Caden and Dalton, as well.

Hannah’s husband, Raymond, had died years ago and she had taken the death hard. She and Ray had one child together, a daughter name Maretha, who’d made Texas her permanent home after attending college there.

He could not remember a time when Hannah had not been a part of their lives. She had been there when his grandmother had died, and had helped them deal with the loss of their mother and the incarceration of their father. And she was here for them now. But she was dealing with her own grief as much as theirs. He knew his grandfather considered her more than just a housekeeper. She was part of the family.

And Jace knew that his grandfather had loved her.

He hadn’t been surprised when his grandfather had confided in him the last time he was home. Jace knew neither Caden nor Dalton had a clue, mainly because they hadn’t come back to Sutton Hills as often as he had. He had been able to watch the two of them interact on a daily basis. But no one had seemed surprised with the generous bequest Richard had left for Hannah. Probably because they felt she deserved everything she got for putting up with the Grangers for as long as she had.

As certain as he was that his grandfather loved Hannah and she loved Richard in return, Jace knew the affair had only developed after he and his brothers had left for college. Loneliness had been a factor, as well as the fact that Hannah looked pretty good for her age. To Jace’s way of thinking, she had begun looking younger and prettier each and every time he came home to visit. And Jace more than anyone was glad she had been there as someone Richard could trust and spend happy times with.

He moved to rejoin her at the table. “He loved you, you know.”

She jerked her head up and stared at him and his heart twisted at the tears he saw swimming in her eyes. “You knew?” she asked in a shocked breath.

“Yes, he told me and I was glad,” he said, reaching out and placing his hand on hers.

She swallowed. “Do you think Caden and Dalton...”

“Know?” he finished for her. Shrugging, he released her hand. “Not sure if he told them, too, but it doesn’t matter. Granddad probably wasn’t an easy man for a woman to love so I believe what the two of you shared was special.”

“Thank you, and it was,” she said, swiping away her tears. She got up from the table to grab a tissue and then returned to sit across from him once again. “You boys are doing the right thing, Jace. Your granddaddy loved that company and he would not ask the three of you to take it over if he didn’t believe you could do it,” she said softly.

Jace didn’t say anything for a minute, then sighed deeply. “I hope you’re right, Hannah. I feel like the weight of the world is on my shoulders right now. I have big shoes to fill and I don’t want to let him down.”

She reached out and placed her hand on his. “You won’t. He believed you can do it, and I do, too.”

He couldn’t help but smile. It had always been that way with Hannah when it came to him, Caden and Dalton. She made them feel special in ways his own mother hadn’t. Sylvia Granger hadn’t been the easiest woman to get along with, and Jace had known it.

“Thanks.” He took a sip of his tea and then said, “Tomorrow is a big day but I think we’re going to get through it.”

She nodded. “You will get through it. Running Granger’s is in your blood. You’ll see.”

He didn’t say anything for a minute and then asked, “Did you know the company was in such a dire state?”

She shook her head. “No, Richard never talked about work with me. That was our rule. I wanted to be his escape from all of that. I wanted him to be able to relax without worrying about Grangers. I wanted only happy times for us.”

“And considering everything,” Jace said softly, “you deserved those happy times. You both did. It’s okay for us to grieve now, but I believe happy times will return for all of us one day.”

She paused a minute and then said, “Do you know what would make me extremely happy?”

He glanced over at her. “No. What?”

“For you to settle down one day, remarry and give me another generation of Grangers to raise.”

Jace chuckled. “Let’s conquer one thing at a time, please. I’ll be married to Granger Aeronautics for a while.”

Hannah snorted. “That company won’t keep you warm at night. Remember that.”

He leaned back in his chair and gazed at Hannah and smiled. He had a feeling she would not let him forget it.

Chapter Seven

Brandy Booker, the receptionist who was manning the spacious lobby of Granger Aeronautics, looked up from her desk and stared into three pairs of light brown eyes. She remembered seeing the three a few days ago at the funeral services for Richard Granger. They were his grandsons, and never had she seen such sexy, handsome men before. Sunlight filtering through the huge window seemed to shine directly on them, making them appear almost bigger than life and even more handsome.

They were impeccably dressed in expensive business suits, white dress shirts and fashionable ties. Two of the men wore serious expressions, while the third was giving her a flirty grin, which she was tempted to give back to him. She cleared her throat. “Yes, may I help you?”

“We’re the Grangers, and we’re here for the stockholders’ meeting,” one of the men said. She knew he was Jace Granger, the eldest. She recalled he had delivered his grandfather’s eulogy.

Rumors were going around that Mr. Granger had left the business to his grandsons, and she had a feeling things were about to get pretty interesting around here. Especially since Mr. Freeman, the VP, had been running around like a chicken with his head cut off all morning. He liked power and was fighting like hell to retain it.

“Yes, Mr. Granger, the meeting is about to begin.” She wondered if their timing was deliberate to make some sort of grand entrance, and she could certainly see them making one. “I’ll be happy to escort you in.”

* * *

Jace, Caden and Dalton walked into the huge conference room, and everyone seated at the table glanced their way. Seeing three empty seats, they took them. Jace saw the disappointed look that flashed in Freeman’s eyes and figured the man had been hoping they would be no-shows.

Once seated, Jace glanced around the room. Everyone who he figured would be here was, and since there were a few people he hadn’t expected, he could only assume they were voting by proxy. One in particular, he knew, was drawing Caden’s attention. Shiloh Timmons.

Jace glanced over at Freeman. His secretary had called to advise them of the meeting late yesterday, and Jace was certain it was a deliberate move on Freeman’s part. It would have been too late to form any type of strategic countermove. Freeman would be surprised to learn he didn’t have the upper hand he assumed he would.

At exactly ten o’clock, Freeman called the meeting to order. Since this was an unscheduled meeting, he asked for a motion that the secretary not read the minutes from the last meeting. His motion was seconded.

Freeman then addressed the meeting, once again offering his sympathies to the Granger family for their loss. He then, pretty elegantly Jace thought, indicated the reason for the meeting. Freeman stated that the company was about to change leadership and direction at the worst possible time. And that although he respected Richard’s decision in wanting a Granger to run the company, he had been vice president for two years and felt more than capable of taking the company where it needed to be. He offered to have the Grangers work under him for a while to learn the ins and outs of the company, after which time, he would gladly step down and let the brothers take things over. However, he stressed that now was not the time.

Jace glanced around the table. Everyone was listening attentively, a few were taking notes and some had nodded. He was glad they’d made the move to buy up stock yesterday. His keen sense of discernment allowed him to pinpoint the people Freeman already had in his pocket. So Freeman’s claim that he would only take over for a short while was a bunch of bullshit, and they all knew it.

After Freeman stopped talking, the secretary asked if anyone had anything to say before votes were cast. Jace knew it was his time to speak, and he stood up to do so. “This company was started by my great-grandfather over seventy years ago and was later run by my grandfather, father and then, in my father’s absence, my grandfather again. On his deathbed Richard Granger asked that my brothers and I take over the day-to-day operations of Granger Aeronautics. All of you know how much my grandfather loved this company, and he would not have made such a request had he not felt that we could succeed in what he was asking us to do and that it was in the best interest of this company. He had faith in us, and I’m hoping you do, as well. I am ready to take over as CEO and move this company in the right direction. I ask for your vote of confidence.”

Freeman then asked for a vote, indicating for his secretary to do a roll call. From the smile on his face, it was apparent he was fairly certain he would come out on top. However, Jace saw that smile turn to concern when, during the roll call, it was obvious that a number of stockholders had gotten rid of their stock yesterday.

The roll call had been done in alphabetical order, and Jace wasn’t surprised when Freeman had five times the number of votes Jace could cast due to proxy. He saw shock and then anger appear in the older man’s eyes when he saw how many voting shares Jace, Caden and Dalton had obtained.

It was a close vote, and the last person on the roll call was Sandra Timmons. Shiloh was her proxy. She had enough shares to cast the deciding vote. Jace refused to look over at her, figuring that Caden had been doing it enough for the both of them.

The secretary spoke up. “Shiloh Timmons, proxy for Sandra Timmons. How do you want to cast your vote?”

Jace literally held his breath. He didn’t release it until he heard Shiloh say in a clear voice, “I am voting for Sandra Timmons, thirty shares for the Grangers.”

* * *

“Your girl saved the day, man,” Dalton said after the meeting had adjourned. “I was sweating bullets there for a minute.”

“She’s not my girl,” Caden said as he stood at the window in the conference room and looked out. “And I wish you’d stop insinuating that she is.”

Dalton, who was leaning back lazily in one of the conference room chairs, shrugged broad shoulders. “You and Shiloh were close growing up.”

Caden turned around. “Yes, and if you recall, that was before...” He paused, knowing he didn’t have to go into any details. Dalton knew. Each of them had felt the pain of suddenly being ostracized by their friends.

“She was just a kid, Caden. A kid who had to do what she was told. Can you imagine her going against old man Timmons? If you remember, the man was an asshole.”

Caden did remember, but there was more to his and Shiloh’s history than Dalton knew. More than anyone knew. And he wasn’t about to enlighten his brother about anything now.

Jace entered the conference room. “I just talked to Vidal. He’ll make sure the transition is done as smoothly as possible. Everything is set.”

“Set how?” Dalton wanted to know. He had several million dollars in Granger shares, and he intended to get a return on his investment. Stuart would have a cow when he heard about what he had done. The first rule when investing is to make sure you don’t lose money. That meant he needed to stay on top of things so that rule was not broken.

“Freeman and I have reached an understanding,” Jace said easily.

Dalton sneered. “Understanding, my ass. I don’t trust him.”

“Neither do I,” Caden said, leaning against the wall. “Hell, Jace, the man was trying to take the company right from under our noses.”

“He didn’t think we were ready to take over things,” Jace said somberly.

“Can’t blame him, since I thought the same thing myself,” Dalton said. “But I still don’t like what he tried to pull. So now that we’re in, are you going to give Ms. Bradford a call?”

Jace pulled the business card Vidal had given him from his pocket. “I might as well. Vidal showed me a number of profit and loss statements, and this company is so deep in the red it’s not funny.”

That’s not what Dalton wanted to hear. “But it can be turned around?”

Jace heard the concern in his brother’s voice. “You’ll get a return on your investment.”

A hopeful look appeared in Dalton’s eyes. “Promise?”

Jace held his brother’s gaze. “You know I don’t make promises, Dalton.”

How could I forget? Dalton thought. The last time he had asked Jace to make a promise had been during their father’s trial. He wanted Jace to promise him that their father would not have to serve time, and that he would be back home with them when the trial ended. They’d already lost their mother, and the thought of losing a father had been unbearable to Dalton. Jace had refused him that promise, and Dalton was glad he had. It would have been a promise that was broken.

“Yes, I know,” Dalton said. “I forgot. I usually don’t get out of bed before noon, and my brain was not functioning so well this morning.”

“But I see your eyeballs are,” Jace said. “When you were checking out that receptionist this morning, I could swear you had X-ray vision.”

Dalton chuckled as he loosened his tie a bit. “Wish I had. Damn, she looks good. I want her for my office assistant.”

“If you do get an office assistant, I’m going to make sure she is not on the list.” Jace eased down to sit on the edge of the table. “Speaking of your own offices, they’ll be ready for you to move in before the end of the day.”

“I only want an office if I get to pick my office assistant, and I want her on the list, Jace,” Dalton said, grinning. “And I don’t want my office next to Caden’s unless it’s soundproof. You know how he has a tendency to play his sax at odd times.”

Dalton had expected Caden to come back with some ear-blistering retort, and when he didn’t, Dalton turned to gaze over at his brother. Jace looked over at Caden, as well. Caden had gone back to staring out the window, dismissing their presence.

“I think what Shiloh did at the meeting got to him,” Dalton whispered under his breath.

“You think so?” Jace asked. Personally, he thought so, too. And he had a feeling there was something else going on there but had no idea what. Why was Caden acting so uptight about a woman he hadn’t had any contact with for close to fifteen years?

“Which office do you get?” Dalton broke into Jace’s thoughts to ask, deciding to leave Caden to whatever thoughts were going through his mind.

“The one that was Granddad’s. I’m keeping Dad’s office the same way Granddad has kept it all these years. Intact.”

Richard had always assumed his son would be freed and had kept Sheppard’s office basically as he’d left it. Jace planned to do the same. That was another promise they’d made, the one regarding their father. And it was another he intended to keep.

“I want to go see Dad.” Dalton broke into Jace’s thoughts.

Jace looked at Dalton. He noted from the corner of his eyes that Dalton’s statement had also grabbed Caden’s attention.

“I suggest we all go see him,” Caden said, moving closer to the table. He dropped down in one of the chairs.

“Sounds like a plan. I’m sure losing Granddad was hard on him,” Jace said, glancing at his watch. “Getting out to visit him today or tomorrow might be difficult with everything that is going on. I’m trying to set up a meeting with Shana Bradford as soon as I can. According to Vidal, if anyone can get us out of the red, she can.”

* * *

Shana Bradford smiled up at the man who’d made her coffee. “The coffee is great as usual, Dad.”

He was the one man she most admired. Widowed, her father had raised her and her sister Jules alone, which hadn’t been easy while working as a policeman defending the streets of Boston. He had retired a few years ago, wanting a quiet life, and had decided to settle in Charlottesville, the place where her parents had first met while attending college.

Jules had been the first to follow their father to Charlottesville, where she established a private investigating firm. Shana had begun liking the area more each and every time she came to visit and, three years ago, after her breakup with her steady boyfriend, she decided to move her own firm here. She was glad she had. She loved Charlottesville and liked having her family close by again. And she made certain that she carved out time during her busy schedule to drop by to visit her dad and grab a cup of coffee, bring him lunch or show up for dinner.

She took a sip as she watched her father move around the kitchen. The space wasn’t all that large, but he actually looked lost. That was unusual, since her father generally exuded a strong presence. She immediately read the signs. Something heavy was on his mind.

“Dad, is there something bothering you?”

He quickly turned and looked at her, and she immediately noticed that his smile was tentative, nervous. He placed the dish towel on the counter, moved back toward her and sat down with her at the table. “No, there’s nothing bothering me, but there is something that I need to talk to you about.”

She lifted her brow as she set her coffee cup down. She couldn’t hide the concern in her features. “Okay, what is it?”

He didn’t say anything for a moment, and then he looked at her and gave her that same smile she’d grown accustomed to over the years while growing up. It was that smile that let her know everything was going to be all right and that he would be there for her, no matter what.

She waited...and then he released the bombshell by saying, “I’m thinking about remarrying.”

Shana was glad she had stopped drinking her coffee, because otherwise she would have choked on it. Remarry? Her father? She drew in a deep breath before saying, “I wasn’t aware you were seeing anyone.”

Had Jules known and just not mentioned it? No, there was no way. That would have been headline news in Jules’s book, and her sister would have had the woman thoroughly vetted by now.

“I’m not seeing anyone, technically. Mona and I run into each other every so often in the grocery store.” He chuckled. “We talk over the fresh vegetables, but haven’t gone out on an official date.”

Shana was trying desperately to follow him. “And already you’re thinking about marriage?” she asked. Those had to be some strange-idea-inducing vegetables in that grocery store. Her father had to be the most logical man she knew, and she was beginning to worry because he was thinking illogically.

“Yes, just thinking of the possibility. She’s the first woman I’ve had thoughts about since your mom, so that must mean something. You know the story of how your mom and I were attracted to each other at first glance when we met that day in class?”

Yes, she had heard the story and had always thought it was special that the two had begun dating in their sophomore year and married a month after graduation, two years later.

“So tell me, what is there about her that makes you think of marriage?” she asked, picking up her coffee cup and taking a sip.

“She’s pretty. Dresses nice. Smells good.”

He’d gotten up that close to the woman? “What do you know about her, Dad?”

Her father leaned back in the chair and the smile that appeared on his face at that moment was one she had never recalled seeing before. It was different somehow from the ones he had for her and her sister, Shana thought.

“I know she’s friendly with a pleasant personality, and I like that. She’s also kind and generous. Everyone at the store knows her. And she teaches.”

Shana raised another brow. “She’s a schoolteacher?”

“No, a college professor at the University of Virginia. Political Science. I never liked talking about politics until now.”

Shana leaned back in her chair, as well. She just couldn’t imagine her six-foot-three-inch, sixty-two-year-old father hanging around the vegetable stand in some grocery store talking politics with anyone, never mind a woman.

But, then, to be fair, in all the years since her mother died, Shana had never known Benjamin Bradford to be involved with a woman. Oh, she knew he’d dated once in a while—she could still recall the packs of condoms she and her sister had found in his drawer one year. But he had never brought any of those dates home for his daughters to meet. Their mother had died of pancreatic cancer thirteen years ago, right before Shana’s fifteenth birthday. Jules had been thirteen. Now they were grown women with lives of their own, so it stood to reason that if he was ever going to be seriously interested in a woman, it would be now.

But still... Marriage?

“So her first name is Mona. What’s her last name?” Shana decided to ask. There was no harm in Jules checking her out. This was their father they were talking about.

“Underwood. Her name is Mona Underwood.”

“How old is she, Dad?”

He chuckled. “Hey, I never ask a woman her age.”

“Yes, but I’m sure you have some idea. Take a guess.”

He scrunched up his forehead. “I recall she said she was thinking about retiring in a couple of years when she turned fifty-five. So I guess she’s in her early fifties.”

That meant he was anywhere from ten to twelve years older than this Mona Underwood. That wasn’t too bad. It could have been worse.

“Is she a divorcée, widow, never been married...?”

“Divorced. I do know that.”

Thank God. “How long ago?”

“For what?”

Shana rolled her eyes. “Since Ms. Underwood got divorced?”

Her father squinted his dark eyes at her. “Why do I feel like I’m being interrogated?”

She couldn’t help but smile. “Because you’re an ex-cop. Comes with the territory.”

She was about to ask a few more questions when her cell phone went off. “Excuse me a minute, Dad,” she said as she pulled her phone out of her purse. It was her office calling. “Yes, Joyce?”

“Potential new client. Jace Granger of Granger Aeronautics. He would like to talk to you in person and wants to know if you can drop by the office. And by the way, he has such a sexy voice.”

Shana smiled. “Calm down, single mother of three. Rein in those raging hormones.” Joyce, her office manager, was thirty-three and had been a divorcée for a year or so. Since she’d started dating, she seemed to be going buck wild.

A few moments later, after getting the information she needed from Joyce, Shana hung up the phone. “Okay, Dad, I need to go. I have an appointment,” she said, standing and heading for the door.

“Have I told you lately just how proud I am of you?”

Shana dropped her hand from the doorknob and turned around. Smiling, she walked back to her father, leaned down and placed a kiss on his cheek. “Not lately, but just knowing you are, is special.”

“I’m proud of Jules, too, although I worry about her sometimes.”

Shana nodded. Following in their father’s footsteps, Jules had been on the police force for two years before making detective. When it came to solving cases, she was a whip. Jules had finally fulfilled her dream and opened an investigation firm. Her cases took her all over the place and at twenty-six and single, her sister was loving it.

“Jules can take care of herself. We both can. We’re Ben’s girls, and he taught us how to fend for ourselves.”

* * *

A short while later, before starting her car, Shana punched in the phone number Joyce had given her. She leaned back, thinking of the conversation she’d had with her father. Jules was working a case in Miami, but as soon as her sister returned, they would talk. Ben Bradford remarrying? She wanted her father to be happy for the rest of his life, but she didn’t want him to settle for the first woman he found interesting, pretty, well dressed and good-looking.

“Jace Granger.”

The deep, masculine voice pulled her concentration to the phone call.

“Yes, Mr. Granger, this is Shana Bradford. My assistant relayed your message. I understand you would like to set up a meeting?”

“Today if possible.”

She glanced at her watch. That was unexpected, but it just so happened that her calendar was clear for the rest of the day as the Williams meeting had been canceled at the last minute. “I have some time right now as a matter of fact. Shall I meet you at your office?”

“No, not here. It’s almost lunchtime. Can we meet for lunch...that is if you haven’t eaten already?”

“No, lunch will be fine. Do you have a place in mind?”

“What about Vannon’s? Do you know where it is? If I recall, the food there is excellent.”

“It is excellent. It shouldn’t take me more than twenty minutes to get there.”

“It will be the same amount of time for me. I appreciate your flexibility, Ms. Bradford.”

“No problem. I’ll see you in about twenty minutes.”

She clicked off the phone. It wasn’t unusual for clients to want to meet somewhere other than at their offices. Ninety percent of the time she was called in when there was trouble. If there was a problem within the firm, it was best for the employees not to find out about it until management had it under control. Understandably, people became antsy over the possibility of losing their jobs when a company wasn’t performing the way it should be. That was her job, going into failing corporations and doing what could be done to turn their businesses around. And she was justifiably proud of her track record.

Shana wondered what the problems at Granger Aeronautics were. She remembered hearing that the CEO had passed away. That in itself could cause turmoil within a corporation. The prospect of change in any form had a way of getting to people.

As she turned the ignition in her car to pull out of her father’s driveway, she couldn’t help but agree with what Joyce had said earlier. Jace Granger had a sexy voice.

Shana then punched a knob on her console for Greta, her automated search engine. Bruce Townsend, a computer whiz who worked for both her and Jules, had invented the device, which was great for those doing investigative work. Shana had one installed in her car that shared her office network. All you had to do was tell Greta what info you wanted, and within minutes, she would recite all you needed to know.

“Greta, search your engines for information on Granger Aeronautics.”

“Affirmative,” was Greta’s quick, automated reply.

By the time Shana had turned the corner, Greta was reciting the history of Granger Aeronautics.

Chapter Eight

Jace arrived a few minutes early, so he sat near the restaurant’s window to enjoy the outside view. It was a beautiful summer day with a little breeze to offset the hot temperature. Traffic hadn’t been so bad coming from the office, and he had the opportunity to familiarize himself with the roads that hadn’t been there the last time he’d been in Charlottesville. It was progress that he appreciated, since they helped eliminate traffic buildup on the expressway, which was something he was used to in Los Angeles.

His thoughts shifted to the office he’d left. It surprised him that Freeman had suddenly decided that Jace, Caden and Dalton were the best thing for Granger Aeronautics and that he would be happy to work with the three any way he could. Jace shook his head. Did the man really have a choice?

On another note, someone had spread the rumor that the company was in financial straits, and employees were beginning to worry. Several who had worked for Granger for years, some before the day Jace was born, had cornered him in the hall and requested a private meeting. They had assured him he would have their loyalty the same way his grandfather had had through the years. He appreciated that. One even went so far as to warn him to keep an eye on Freeman.

Jace’s main concern was dealing with rumor control, since it was sending a panic wave through the company that the doors could be closing within a few months. Their biggest client was the federal government, and the last thing Granger Aeronautics needed was for the government to have a reason not to renew their contracts.

He took time to glance at the reports he’d reviewed right before leaving the office and noted they had not gotten as many jobs from the government as they had in the past, which was probably one of the main reasons for the decline in revenue. Over the coming weeks, he would have to roll up his sleeves and dive into every aspect of Granger Aeronautics to figure out why.

Jace rubbed the back of his neck, hoping he hadn’t bitten off more than he could chew. Over the years, his grandfather had kept him abreast of things going on in the company...although the old man had never told him about the recent turn of events in the company’s financial situation. But Jace was aware of their clients, the people depending on their products, and he wanted to make sure they were kept happy.

Granger Aeronautics had been one of the leading employers in Charlottesville for years. His great-grandfather, Sutton Granger, had been a Tuskegee Airman during the Second World War. At the end of the war, he and a fellow airman mechanic, Aaron Mann, had basically risked everything they had to form Granger-Mann Aerospace, located in Birmingham, Alabama.

Aaron Mann died unexpectedly in a boating accident, and since his family wanted no part of the company, Sutton bought them out and changed the name to Granger Aeronautics. A year later, the company moved to Charlottesville.

Jace knew the history; they all did. Their grandfather had drilled it into them and so had their father...although not quite as hard. He’d known it had been a disappointment to Richard when none of his grandsons had shown interest in continuing the legacy, but Jace figured their grandfather had known why, although he might not have agreed with it. It hadn’t come as any surprise to the old man that Jace, Caden and Dalton had wanted to move as far away from Charlottesville as possible. Their teen years after their father’s death hadn’t been easy, and the town had made it downright difficult at times. They had become known as the sons of a convicted killer.

Richard had planned to retire and leave things in his son’s capable hands before the murder happened. When Sheppard had been convicted, retirement had no longer been an option for Richard. He had worked tirelessly for the next fifteen years to keep the company afloat—for his grandsons, and for the return of his only son.

Jace, of all people, knew that his grandfather never gave up hope that one day the verdict would be overturned and Sheppard would walk out of prison a free man. When Sheppard had entered prison fifteen years ago, he had started positive programs for the inmates such as Toastmasters, Future Leaders of Tomorrow and the GED program. His efforts had been successful and were recognized by the media and even the governor.

Five years ago, upon the recommendation of the warden, the governor had approved Sheppard’s transfer to Delvers, a prison that housed less-serious offenders. For the past five years, Sheppard had worked closely with the warden as a trustee, initiating various projects to ensure that the less-serious offenders didn’t become serious offenders in the future.

Jace was not surprised. His father was a born leader who cared for others, which is why he knew that his father was not responsible for his mother’s death, not even as the crime of passion the prosecution had made it out to be.

“Jace Granger?”

He looked up into a very attractive face. The first thing he noticed was her eyes. They were oval-shaped and a deep, dark chocolate. Beautiful. And so were her other features. “Yes, I’m Jace Granger,” he said, standing.

She extended her hand to him. “I’m Shana Bradford.

* * *

Shana sipped her wine and recalled the stats Greta had provided on the man sitting across from her, Jace Granger. He was a thirty-one-year-old divorcé and attorney with a government agency in Los Angeles. He was highly respected and considered a hard worker. However, some thought he was limiting his abilities and questioned his lack of motivation. And something she found odd was that there was a million-dollar trust fund established by his great-grandfather that he’d become eligible to receive at twenty-five. Yet he hadn’t touched any of it. He lived a modest life, was a liberal and donated thousands each year to charity.

She also knew about his father, Sheppard Granger, as well as his brothers, Caden and Dalton. Greta had been very thorough during the twenty minutes it had taken Shana to arrive at Vannon’s.

Now that her brain had rehashed Greta’s info, Shana streamed through her mind what she was seeing for herself. First of all, Jace Granger was a very handsome man. She would even throw in sexy to match the voice. He had a beautiful pair of light brown eyes and creamy, caramel-colored skin, black, close-cut hair that was nicely trimmed and a pair of full lips. She figured to get teeth that white and perfect, a lot of money had to have gone into his mouth as a child. And he had a dimple in his chin and a strong jawline. His eyebrows appeared perfectly arched with long lashes, the kind most women would kill for. He had big hands and the long fingers of a piano player. When he stood, she couldn’t help but admire the way he filled out his suit. He was tall, with broad shoulders and a pleasing smile. Altogether, she thought he was definitely a nice-looking, well-built package.

“So you think you can help Granger Aeronautics?” he asked, taking a sip of his wine, as well. She was intelligent enough to know that while she’d been sizing him up, he’d been doing the same with her. She had no problem with that. Thanks to her parents’ strong genes and facial bone structure, she knew she wasn’t bad to look at. She had honey-brown skin, dark brown eyes and a head of healthy hair that she liked wearing straight in long graceful curves to her shoulders. Her lips were full, and she was blessed with a dimple in one cheek.

Although she and Jace were doing a good job of downplaying the attraction, it was there. But she was well aware that attractions came and attractions went. It was no big deal to her unless it got in the way of business, and she didn’t intend to let that happen. She was too focused for that. Too much of a professional.

There was never a time when she couldn’t control her hormones when it came to a man—even Jonathan Hickman. He was the last man she’d been seriously involved with and that was a few years ago. Shana had thought she was in love with him...yet he claimed she was too in control, a damn robot without emotions and feelings. He’d been wrong. She had emotions and feelings. Maybe had he known that, he would not have hurt her the way he had.

Both she and her sister were blessed with high IQs, and Shana had been told by a lot of her college professors that hers was too high for her own good. She was a curious soul by nature, and when things were wrong, she always liked making them right. The story of her life.

“I know I can help,” she said, setting down her wineglass. “I’ve familiarized myself somewhat with your company.”

He raised one of those arched brows. “You have?”

“Yes.” He was probably wondering when she had had time to do that. “I have Greta, a very high-tech search engine in my car. I was able to listen to the stats on the drive over here.”

“Oh, I see.”

She wondered if he really did. She had not only researched his company, but had obtained information on him, too. She liked knowing who she was dealing with.

* * *

Jace thought Shana Bradford was hot. The dark brown business suit looked great on her, although he was sure it was meant to look conservative. Instead, it deepened the color of her eyes and made her complexion that much smoother looking. And the conservative look did nothing to hide what a gorgeous pair of legs she had. And she was wearing panty hose, something few women still did these days. In L.A., he was used to seeing bare-legged women all the time, even in business suits, and he appreciated the lack of hosiery on any nice pair of legs. But seeing Shana in panty hose had him rethinking that position. The ones on her legs were flesh tone, barely noticeable, silky. For some reason, they managed to extend her legs’ beauty to a level of sensuality that he found breathtaking.

The woman was also candid. Some might think a bit cocky, conceited and way too sure of herself, but he wasn’t one of them. She believed in her abilities and knew what she could do, and Jace couldn’t help admiring that trait in a woman. He’d done a Google search on her company. She had an MBA from Harvard, graduating at the top of her class, two years earlier than the norm. Since opening her business a few years ago, she had reinvented several corporations, and her success ratio was astounding.

And Shana Bradford was a very striking woman. Any man would take a second look at her any day of the week. The total package, a combination of professionalism and sexiness, was doing everything to rev up his libido. He drew in a deep breath, knowing that he shouldn’t be thinking of her in those terms. What he should be thinking about was that she was someone who could help him. Unfortunately, she was making that task pretty damn impossible while sitting across from him looking as scrumptious as the wine he was drinking and just as appetizing. He was certain he would get his mind back strictly on business, but right now, he wanted to analyze her as the desirable woman that she was. He liked her looks, and she smelled good. Whatever perfume she was wearing she could claim as hers. And he liked her voice. She was articulate and looked you right in the eyes when she spoke.

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