“So, how did it go?”
“How does she look?”
Jace wasn’t surprised his brothers were in his office waiting on him when he returned from his meeting with Shana. Tugging off his jacket, he glanced over at Caden to address his question. “The meeting went well, and she’s agreed to help. She’ll have a place here in the office just to be visible. Hopefully, that will put employees at ease.”
Then, answering Dalton’s question, he said, “She’s a beautiful woman who has a pleasant personality, but at the same time pulls no punches. She’s sharp and highly intelligent.”
Dalton grinned. “Boy, aren’t we full of compliments?”
“And she deserves every one. I think she’s going to get us through this.”
“Hell, I hope so. I’m missing Europe already,” Dalton said, smiling all over himself.
Jace sat on the edge of the desk and studied his younger brother for a second before saying, “I’m sure you are, Cocoa Puff.”
Surprise lit Dalton’s eyes. He then grinned sheepishly and said, “Hey, what can I say? When you got it, you got it. I guess your girl-wonder checked me out.”
Jace smiled. “Yes, she did.”
Caden laughed. “Cocoa Puff?”
Dalton frowned. “Well, I bet she can’t tell you where my tattoo is.”
“I wouldn’t be too sure of that. Like I said, she’s good.”
“And I bet you checked her out real good,” Dalton said.
The smile left Jace’s face as he moved around to sit behind his desk. “This is business, Dalton. I don’t see every female with a nice pair of legs as a sex object.”
Dalton rubbed his chin as his smile widened in approval. “So she has a nice pair of legs?”
Jace refused to be baited, so he changed the subject, asking, “Anything interesting happen while I was gone?”
Caden shook his head. “It’s been quiet. Almost too quiet. I think everyone thinks Caden and I are spying on them. When will your wonder-woman start working?”
“Tomorrow. So we need to make sure she has an office ready.”
“I’ll be happy to help her move in,” Dalton volunteered.
Jace gave that some thought. His brother was such a bullshitter, and Shana Bradford was just the woman to give Dalton a firm kick in the ass. But he didn’t want Shana to have to deal with drama on her first day. “There’s no need, Dalton. I’m sure she can manage just fine on her own.”
He didn’t say anything for a minute then added, “Warning, Dalton. We need Shana Bradford, so don’t make a pest of yourself.”
* * *
“Okay, Shana, you’ve been blowing up my phone. What’s going on?” Jules Bradford asked her sister as she tossed her backpack on the hotel bed. Today had been extra long. She was investigating a kidnapping that happened over two years ago. During a custody battle, the father had kidnapped his son and faked their deaths. The mother never believed her husband and son were dead and had hired Jules to prove otherwise. Her search had led her here to a small town in Mexico. She had spent an entire day trying to get information from some of the locals, and no one was talking.
“It’s about Dad.”
Jules stopped in her tracks and held the phone tight in her hand. “What about Dad?”
“He’s thinking about remarrying.”
I must have heard wrong, Jules thought, dropping down on the bed near her backpack. “What are you talking about, Shana? Dad isn’t even seeing anyone.”
“I know.” Then Shana gave her sister the details. The same ones her father had given her.
Moments later, Jules said, “Umm, probably a phase he’s going through. I’m sure most men his age have gone through it. Dad’s been a widower for over thirteen years with no serious involvements that we know of. He probably saw this woman a few times, thought she was hot, talked to her, decided he liked her and that was it.”
Shana, who was sitting in her office, having taken a break from doing more research on Granger Aeronautics, rolled her eyes. “That’s not it. You were not there when he was telling me about this Mona. I saw that sparkle in his eyes. It might be more than a phase, Jules.”
“Then we’ll stop it. Work up a plan, and we’ll implement it when I get back.”
“Just listen to what you said. Our father is happy, and you want to jeopardize it? Would it be so bad if he truly likes this woman and wants to marry her?”
“For crying out loud, Shana, just listen to yourself! What cloud are you floating on? Dad barely knows the woman, and he’s thinking marriage? And there is a big difference between happy and hot. I’m still going with the idea of him being in the hot prime of his life.”
It was times like this when Shana knew she needed to end the conversation with her sister. “You must have had a bad day,” she said.
Jules stood and began stripping. “Why do you say that?”
“Because you sound like you could chew a couple of people up and spit them out.”
Jules smiled. Her sister knew her well. “And I would begin with a number of the people I interviewed today. They were lying through their teeth about not recognizing a picture of Marcos Rodrigo. The man is hiding out here someplace with his son. I can feel it.”
“Then I’m sure you’ll find them,” Shana said, closing one document on her computer and opening another. “Look I’m in the middle of research and I—”
“Whoa! Wait! Research? I thought you were taking a month-long break!”
Shana wished she hadn’t been reminded. “I was, but I got a client who needs me.”
“Don’t they all, Ms. Fixer-Upper? What makes this one so special you’re giving up a month of fun and sun?”
Shana’s hands stopped stroking the keys, and she paused before entering a name in Google. “I didn’t say he was special.”
“He? Sounds interesting. I hadn’t said anything about a ‘he.’ I think you just told on yourself.”
Shana frowned. Leave it to her sister to grasp any little thing and run with it. “Mistake on my part that wasn’t intentional, but understandable since Jace Granger is now the CEO of Granger Aeronautics. I met with him earlier today and agreed to help bring his company around.”
“So, again, I ask, what’s so special about him that made you give up your time off?”
Shana thought long and hard about her sister’s question before saying, “A number of things, but most of all his integrity. It was a deathbed promise he intends to keep. You know how I am about those sorts of things.”
If anyone would know, it would be Jules. They had both promised their mother while she lay dying of cancer that they would be good girls and not cause their father any problems after she was gone. It was a promise they had both kept. Graduating from high school with honors, they had both finished college in three years instead of four, going practically year-round.
“Yes, I know. Is he good-looking?” Jules asked, picking her clothes up off the floor. Whether her sister knew it or not, her defensive tone was telling on her.
“Yes, he is good-looking. I’ll give him that.”
Jules laughed out loud. “And that’s about all you’ll give him. Jonathan ruined you for any other man.”
Shana frowned at the mention of her ex-boyfriend. “He did not ruin me.”
“Then why haven’t you dated anyone seriously since then? Makes me think you’re pining away for him.”
“You’re wrong. I want to focus on my business. Men aren’t a necessity for me like they are for some women. And I don’t recall the last time you went out on a date.”
“I went out with James last month, remember?”
“I mean a serious date and not one of your stakeouts, Jules. You were trying to bust a cheating husband.” Shana glanced up and waved as Joyce headed for the door. At least she made sure her workers went home at a decent time.
“And it was successful, I might add,” Jules said, grinning, sounding proud of herself. “And that’s probably one reason I don’t take men seriously. Most of my cases are about cheating husbands, which in my book makes a statement. Unless his name is Ben Bradford, no man is to be trusted.”
Jules headed for the bathroom with discarded clothes tucked under her arm. “I need to shower now. Don’t expect me back in Virginia for another two weeks. In the meantime, keep an eye on Dad and the veggie lady.”
* * *
Jace glanced at his watch, noticing it was nine o’clock already. He pushed the documents he’d been reading aside and stood to stretch his body. The office had closed hours ago, yet he was still here, reading as much information as he could. This was sort of like cramming for one of his law exams.
Caden and Dalton had moved into their offices down the hall and at six had quickly headed out for the bar and grill down the street. They had invited Jace to join them, but he had declined. He had received an email from Shana, asking that specific documents be available for her to review tomorrow, and he figured he needed to go over those documents, as well.
He glanced around the office that had once belonged to his grandfather. He’d decided not to change a thing for now, although the green drapes with the matching carpeting didn’t do anything for him. Jace smiled, recalling that green had always been Richard Granger’s favorite color, in all shades.
They would be visiting their father next weekend, and Jace was looking forward to it. Caden would leave to wrap up a few events he’d scheduled and would return in two weeks. Jace was grateful Dalton hadn’t made some excuse to fly to London and wondered if that receptionist downstairs had anything to do with it.
Jace was about to head back over to his desk and read the last of the documents when his phone rang. It was a number he didn’t recognize. “Hello?”
“You could have at least called to let me know your grandfather had passed.”
Jace drew in a deep breath. It was his ex-wife, Eve. “Why would I have bothered? It’s not like the two of you were close. And if you’re calling to see whether you were left in his will, you weren’t.”
“That’s cold, Jace.”
“Goes with the territory, since I recall your calling me a cold bastard the day you were served with divorce papers.”
As if she hadn’t heard his words, she said, “I hear you’re in charge of the place now that he’s gone. I’m happy, since that’s all I wanted for you.”
“That’s what you wanted for yourself, Eve. Let’s get that straight. You were never satisfied with the money I was making as an attorney when you figured I could be making millions working alongside my grandfather. That’s the truth, and you know it.” He dropped down in his chair and added, “And then there was the issue of your not getting your hands on my trust fund. That really teed you off.”
He couldn’t help but smile. She figured she had it all worked out just how much of his trust she would milk out of him. But thanks to his grandfather, things hadn’t worked out that way for her, which is why she couldn’t stand the old man.
“Why do you keep trying to paint me as a gold digger, Jace? When we married, I had just as much money as you.”
“The underlying word is had. By the time we divorced, you didn’t have a penny. You had spent all of yours and were trying to run through mine, as well.”
“I like nice things.”
“No, you like expensive things and then choose not to work to pay for them.”
“I was the wife of a Granger. There was no reason for me to work. Had I given in and stayed pregnant like you wanted, then everything would have been fine. Why can’t you understand that although you wanted a baby, I didn’t? I wasn’t ready, Jace. I was still—”
“Having too good a time to settle down and become a mother, I know,” he interrupted. “But was that any reason to have an abortion behind my back?” he asked in anger. It pained him every time he thought about it. And the sad thing about it was that she never planned to tell him. All the arrangements had been made while he was out of town. When he had returned unexpectedly, he had found out the truth.
“Eve, let’s end this call while we can remain civil. Goodbye, and do me a favor and delete my number.”
She clicked off the phone. It wouldn’t be the first time she’d hung up on him, but if she did what he’d said and deleted his number, then it would definitely be the last.
He had picked up another report when his cell phone rang again. He thought it was Eve calling his bluff by calling him back when he noted the call was from Shana Bradford. “Yes, Shana?”
Shana took a deep breath, thinking there was that sexy voice again. She hated admitting it, but she liked the sound of her name on his lips. “I figured you would still be at the office. Chocolate is known to boost your energy level, and I noticed that your slice of cake at lunch was a lot bigger than mine.”
She heard his rich, masculine laugh and thought it was sexy, too.
“You noticed, huh?”
“Yes.” She smiled, recalling how he’d devoured the entire slice. “I won’t keep you, but I was wondering if I need to bring my own computer or if you’ve got one there for me?”
Jace lifted a brow. “Some companies actually make you bring your own computer?”
“Yes, and it’s no big deal if that’s the case. I just like knowing beforehand.”
Jace leaned back in his chair, suddenly feeling calm and relaxed. Both feelings were much appreciated after his phone call with Eve. “Well, that’s not the case. In fact, I took charge of things myself.”
And he had. He had decided to give her the office next to his, the one that had a connecting door to his grandfather’s and his father’s offices. Since it was in the middle of both offices, it had served as a private meeting room for the two men. It was roomy and large enough for Shana’s temporary office and had a beautiful view of the Blue Ridge Mountains outside the window.
The maintenance department had already removed the huge conference table and replaced it with a desk, a couple of file cabinets, a bookcase and other accessories. His grandfather’s secretary, who was officially now Jace’s secretary, had gotten the office organized with supplies, including the latest computer. The receptionist from downstairs had assisted his secretary, which had probably made Dalton’s day. Fortunately, it was a task that hadn’t taken long to complete.
“I appreciate it and intend to be there first thing in the morning—around eight.”
“All right, and you have a spot reserved in the executive parking lot.”
“My-oh-my, don’t I feel special?”
She had a nice phone voice. Silky-sounding. He had thought that yesterday and was thinking it again today. “If a parking space does that, then wait until dress-down Friday. I understand that’s a big event here. They like to get out of their dresses and suits and go straight to the jeans.”
“Doesn’t take much to satisfy some people,” she said.
He wondered what it would take to satisfy her...or whether she was one of those women like Eve who couldn’t be satisfied. Nothing for her was ever enough.
“I almost forgot to mention something, Jace.”
“What?”
“I have my own computer expert, and I prefer using one of my own networks. So if it’s okay, he’ll be there tomorrow to put me on a different computer system than you have at Granger. It will be best for security for the work I intend to do there.”
“Okay, I don’t have a problem with that. I’ll let my technicians know.”
“No, I prefer no one knows but you and I. Bruce will make it seem like I’m still using the company’s server, but I won’t be.”
“Oh, okay.”
“I’ll be seeing you in the morning, Jace.”
“Sleep well.”
“I will.”
Jace hung up the phone. He’d heard her fighting back a yawn a few times during their conversation and wondered if, like him, she was still at the office. As he picked up the file he’d been about to read earlier, he couldn’t help but smile at the thought of seeing her again tomorrow.
* * *
A few hours later, Shana slid into her jacket ready to leave her office, confident that she was prepared for her first day at Granger Aeronautics. She found everything about it fascinating, even the fact that it was losing its place as one of the top leaders in aerospace engineering. Why? What she’d read was only out there for public consumption, and she couldn’t wait to delve into the real stuff.... Present clients. Past clients. Business models. PR focus. Product designs. Returns on workforce investments...
All those things made up the success or failure of any company, and she intended to see if any ratio of them might be hurting Granger. She appreciated the fact that, although she might have kept long hours tonight, Jace Granger had done so, as well. Not tit for tat, but because he was demonstrating a strong desire to move his company forward and was committed to doing so.
She turned at the familiar knock on the door. “Come in.”
Kent, who worked for her company as a troubleshooter, rolled in. A veteran of the Iraq war, Kent had been left paralyzed in both legs by the shrapnel from a missile blast. He didn’t let being wheelchair-bound stop him, and she found his tenacity and determination to succeed in spite of his injury truly admirable. Accepting his disability as a bump you could get in your life and not a death sentence, he was good at what he did. She considered him a key player in her organization. He worked hard, sometimes too hard, and Shana often had to conspire with Kent’s wife, Marsha, to slow him down at times.
“Figured you’d still be here,” he said, his ocean-blue eyes flickering in a smiling glance.
She frowned, or at least she tried to. “I know why I’m here, but why are you here? I gave you and Todd a month off, with pay. You deserved it, so why are you here working at this hour?”
He chuckled and pushed a lock of blond hair out of his eyes. “You took on another client. So that means we all took on another client. We’re a team, Shana. Besides, I figured I could at least give you the rundown on Granger Aeronautics’ top executives. I loaded the new info into Greta so you can listen to it on the drive home. A hard copy will be ready for download anytime you want.”
She nodded. That was one of the reasons she appreciated her team so much. “Anything interesting?”
“I’ll let you decide.”
She tilted her brow. That meant there was something interesting. “All right.”
Half an hour later, after listening to Kent’s report on the four men who were the top executives under Richard Granger—Titus Freeman, Cal Arrington, Shelton Fields and John Fulmer—Shana realized that Kent was right; there was definitely something interesting. Already, questions were taking root in her head, and whenever that happened, she was pushed to dig deeper. And she would.