by Cat Schield
Trent approached JT’s executive assistant. “Is he around?”
Nina nodded. “He has a meeting in half an hour, but he’s free until then.”
“Thanks.” Trent stepped into the doorway that led to JT’s office and knocked on the frame. “Nina said you have a couple minutes.”
“Sure, come on in.” JT stood and came around his desk to shake Trent’s hand. “What’s up?”
“I have a little business dilemma I’d like to talk to you about.”
JT’s expression lit with interest. He’d dealt with more than his share of business dilemmas in the last two years. Gesturing toward the comfortable sitting area near the large windows that overlooked Cobalt’s extensive grounds, JT grabbed a couple bottles of water and joined Trent.
“What’s going on?”
“You know how things are with me and the family company.”
“Sure.”
“My sister-in-law came to me a few days ago wanting my help. When my brother died, he left his controlling interest in the business to his son. That puts Savannah in a position of overseeing the majority shares.”
“Let me guess—she asked you to step in as CEO.”
“Not exactly. Both of us know there’s no way my father would go for that. But she needs my help sorting out the company’s various problems.”
“Such as?”
“For one thing, they’re not paying their artists all the royalties owed to them.”
“Because they don’t have the money?”
“The company has been doing poorly for years, but things got worse once my brother got sick.” Trent cracked the seal on the bottle of water and drank. “Then there’s the problem of embezzlement. West Coast Records’ general manager has been stealing for quite a few years.”
JT arched an eyebrow. “And you know this how?”
Trent gave a little shrug. “I might have had Logan digging around in their computers.”
JT and Logan were related through marriage. Their wives were two of the three Fontaine sisters, who ran resort and hotel properties on the Strip. Trent had often wondered what it was like for JT to be married to his competition. His wife, Violet, managed two of the three Fontaine properties.
“Did Logan find anything else troubling?”
“I haven’t spoken with him in a couple days, but it’s possible.” Trent rubbed his eyes, noting a mild twinge in his temple as he considered what else might be going wrong. “In the meantime, Savannah is deep in debt thanks to her husband’s reckless spending, and the only asset she has is her major stake in a failing company.”
“She should try to dump the company now before the word gets out.”
“Unfortunately the way the corporation was set up, she has to get approval from the board in order to sell. And since my father controls the board, he’s making things difficult for her.”
“Why?”
“He wants control of his grandson and Savannah out of the picture.”
JT nodded his understanding. “She’s not willing to let that happen.”
“Siggy isn’t going to let Dylan go without a fight. He already made an attempt to kidnap his grandson.”
“You’re kidding, right?”
“I wish I was.” Trent went on to share the details of their visit to the company and how they’d come back to find Savannah’s hotel room empty. “She and Dylan are staying with me at the house. The whole thing really spooked her. She hasn’t left the property since she arrived.”
“But he can’t actually force her to give up her son.”
“No,” Trent agreed, his mind running through all the things Siggy could do. “But he knows how to play dirty, and I wouldn’t put it past him to take her to court over some sort of manufactured evidence that makes her appear as if she’s a bad mother.”
“But she could fight him.”
“She doesn’t have the resources for a prolonged battle.”
JT was assessing him through narrowed eyes. Trent could read his thoughts easily enough. The owner of Cobalt was wondering why Trent wasn’t doing everything in his power to help his sister-in-law fight.
“I’ve offered financial help,” he explained, preempting the man’s question. “She’s being stubborn about taking money from me. I don’t think she’d be living in my guesthouse if Siggy hadn’t spooked her by having the nanny bring him Dylan without Savannah’s permission.”
“You guys go back a ways, don’t you?”
“We dated.” As much as Trent liked JT, he wasn’t about to open up about his complicated relationship with his brother’s widow.
But that didn’t stop JT from asking. “And yet she married your brother?”
“Yeah.” Trent would’ve liked to leave it at that, but JT was staring at him and didn’t appear as if he was going to take Trent’s brief response as a hint to drop it. “She wanted family. Kids. You know.”
“Seems pretty cold of her to take up with your brother after you two stopped seeing each other.”
Trent would never describe Savannah as cold. “I don’t know that she chose my brother to spite me. She’d always liked Rafe. And she got pregnant.”
None of this showed Savannah in a flattering light, which didn’t strike Trent as being fair. And yet, wasn’t this exactly what he’d been thinking about her for the last year and a half? What was with his sudden urge to defend her?
“She’s been through a lot,” he concluded.
“She’s pretty lucky to have you.” JT’s demeanor went from curious to brisk and businesslike. “So it sounds like the problem you’re facing is this. Her son owns a majority share of a company that’s going under and she has no way of selling the shares and raising the money she needs to pay off her husband’s debts.”
“You summed it up perfectly.”
“But if I know you,” JT said with a smile, “you’ve plotted half a dozen ways to get her out of her predicament.”
“Actually, I’ve only come up with three. And I wanted to run them by you to see which you think might work out the best.”
“Fire away.”
Seven
Courtney Day’s unflappable smile concealed Savannah’s disappointment as she carried a glass of wine across Trent’s enormous living room to Scarlett Fontaine. All afternoon Savannah had been alternately nervous and giddy about the upcoming alone time with Trent. Instead of an intimate dinner between just the two of them, Trent had shown up a half hour late with Logan Wolfe and his wife in tow. To hide her disappointment, Savannah had donned her alter ego and was playing the perfect hostess, the way she’d done a hundred times as Rafe’s wife.
“It’s really nice to meet you,” Savannah said, in awe of Scarlett’s beauty. She’d seen her dozens of times on TV, but the real woman was so much more charismatic. “I’m a huge fan.”
“Ditto.” Scarlett gave a little laugh at Savannah’s expression. “What? You don’t think I know who you are? I’ll have you know Loving New York has been a total obsession of mine for years. I thought you were great on it.”
“Thanks. It was an interesting three years.”
“Do you miss it?”
“Sometimes. I thought about getting back into acting, but I’m not sure LA or New York is where I want to be.” Savannah recognized she might not have a choice.
“I totally understand where you’re coming from. I’m lucky I’ve been able to coordinate my filming schedule so I only have to be in LA once a week. It’s been a bit of a challenge balancing the management of Fontaine Richesse with my acting career. Fortunately I have an amazing husband who supports me one hundred percent.” Scarlett shot a heated glance toward the two men standing out on the terrace.
“Fontaine Richesse? You mean the hotel on the Strip?” Savannah’s admiration for the woman went up several degrees. “You manage that and have an acting career?”
Scarlett’s husky laugh echoed around the two-story living space. “I have excellent people in place to help me with the hotel, and my sister Viol
et is always on call if something comes up when I’m not around.”
“Still.” Savannah was feeling woefully inadequate. What had she done in the last year and a half? “I’m feeling overwhelmed and I’m not even working at the moment.”
“But you have a baby to take care of, and you just lost your husband. Plus from what Logan tells me, the company your son inherited is having all sorts of problems.”
Savannah wasn’t surprised Scarlett knew some of her background. After all, Logan was helping Trent. Obviously the couple would have talked on their way here, and Logan would’ve explained what the meeting was about.
“It’s a bit of a mess,” Savannah agreed. “I don’t know what I’d do if Trent hadn’t agreed to help me.”
“How long have you two known each other?”
“My aunt is his father’s housekeeper. I moved in with her when I was eleven.”
“So you grew up with him?”
“Sort of. It’s weird living in someone else’s house and being separated by the whole employer/employee thing. I probably shouldn’t have gotten to know Trent and his siblings as well as I did.”
“Had you always been in love with his brother?”
“No.” It was an awkward situation to try to explain. “Actually, Trent and I dated for a few years while I was living in New York.” Perhaps dated was not quite the right term for what they had done. She knew he’d seen other women when they were apart. But every time they got together, he’d made her feel like she was his only one.
Scarlett’s eyes widened a little at Savannah’s confession. “That explains a lot. You sure know how to make things complicated.”
“I don’t try to complicate things,” Savannah said, “but they often seem to end up that way. I’m not very good at getting what I want.”
“Maybe you just don’t believe that you deserve to get it.”
“You might be right.” She’d never really believed that Trent would give up his bachelor ways for her. And that had kept her from fully committing to their relationship, as well. “I’ve always shied away from disappointment. It’s kept me from going after what’s really important.”
“It’s not too late.”
“No, I suppose it’s not.” But she was lying.
Savannah glanced in Trent’s direction once again. She’d really blown it with him when she’d agreed to marry his brother. If she’d chosen any other man, Trent might have been willing to give their relationship another chance. But Trent’s resentment of his brother ran deep and her desperate decision had built an insurmountable wall between them. There was no going back from that.
Trent might be willing to help her, but that was because he had his own agenda when it came to West Coast Records. The chemistry between them might be as hot as ever, but in her heart she knew what had happened in his office last week and had almost happened today was more about looking backward than moving forward.
“I was planning on moving to Tennessee once I found someone to run West Coast Records,” Savannah said. “But lately I’m not sure I belong there or that I belong anywhere.” Her gaze drifted toward Trent.
“You should give Las Vegas a try. If you’re still interested in acting, it’s a short plane ride to LA.”
“When I left New York, I intended to continue acting, but then Rafe and I got involved and he didn’t want his wife to work.”
“Do you have an agent?”
Savannah shook her head. “I had one in New York, but we parted ways when I moved to LA. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to work in film or TV and figured I would do something about representation once I got to there. Only...things happened and I never did.”
“I’ll put you in touch with a couple agents I know. Either one would be great to represent you.”
“Thank you.”
To her surprise, she felt a flutter of excitement in her chest. She’d connected working as an actress with living in LA. Savannah had opened her eyes to other possibilities. If she worked in film, she might go on location anywhere in the world. Lots of actresses balanced children and careers. No reason why she couldn’t.
“I’ll bet Trent would like it if you stuck around Las Vegas.”
“Once we get things sorted out with the company, I’m not sure he’ll notice if I stick around or not.” But was she being honest with herself or was this another attempt to protect herself from getting hurt again?
“You don’t believe that.” Scarlett regarded her somberly. “When my sisters got involved with JT and Ashton, I knew before anyone else that they belonged together. I get the same vibe when I look at you and Trent.”
Savannah shook her head. “You’ve seen us together for less than a minute. How could you possibly tell anything about our relationship?”
“I’ve known Trent for two years, and Logan and I have been to his club a lot. I’ve never seen him look at any woman the way he looks at you.”
Afraid of how much she wanted to believe Scarlett, Savannah gave a little laugh but decided not to argue. It didn’t really matter how Trent looked at her. Two years ago, he hadn’t wanted a future with her. In the meantime, she’d married his brother and given birth to Dylan. Trent might desire her—and that’s probably what Scarlett was picking up on—but he most certainly was not going to give up his lifestyle and ask her to marry him.
And since that’s what she wanted, wasn’t she a fool to let herself get caught up in him once more? She needed to move out. That meant she had to stop burying her head in the sand, get a job and a place for her and Dylan to live.
“I’m really glad I met you,” Savannah said. “I need to get back to work, and I’m thinking the sooner the better.”
“I’m heading to LA in a couple of days. If you’d like to come along, I’d be happy to introduce you to some friends who could get you started on the right path.”
Maybe by the time she got herself reestablished in LA the situation with Siggy would be less stressful. And if not, a new source of income meant she could afford to fight him and keep her son safe.
Savannah smiled at Scarlett in appreciation. “That would be terrific.”
* * *
Trent glanced over his shoulder and saw the two women engrossed in their conversation. “You were right,” he told Logan, delighting at the rare smile curving Savannah’s beautiful lips. “Savannah looks a lot more relaxed.”
“My wife is like that. She has a knack for making people feel better. And if Savannah wants to go back to acting, Scarlett can help her out. She has some great contacts in Hollywood.”
That made Trent frown. He hadn’t considered that Savannah might return to LA so soon. It had only been a week since Siggy had pulled his stunt, and there was no reason to think he wouldn’t try something equally despicable if Savannah and Dylan returned to LA.
His concern grew over dinner as Scarlett and Savannah chatted about the industry. It was apparent that his sister-in-law intended to return to work.
The two couples lingered over the meal and then moved outside for dessert. Trent hadn’t done a lot of this sort of entertaining. A low-key evening with another couple was a nice change from the sort of parties he usually threw here. Between the game room in the upstairs loft that overlooked the living room and the big backyard with the pool, slide and outdoor movie screen, he usually hosted groups that liked to dance, drink and get a little crazy.
Savannah had taken a couple minutes as everyone moved outside to go check on her son. She came back with the baby monitor and explained she’d sent Rhoda home. The conversation between the women changed then to talk of babies and future plans for children.
Scarlett patted her husband’s knee and shot him a sly smile. “We’ve decided to put off having children for at least another year. He’s not happy about it, but I don’t think my husband has any idea how demanding I’m going to get when I’m pregnant.”
“It can’t possibly be any worse than you are right now.” Logan’s words didn’t match the tenderness in his eyes as he
gazed at his gorgeous wife.
“Then you’re in for a rude awakening. Violet was the sweetest thing until she got pregnant with Rowan. Poor JT was beside himself.” Scarlett rolled her eyes in dramatic fashion.
“Beside himself with joy, maybe.” Trent recalled JT being nothing but thrilled in the months leading up to becoming a father. He laughed at the sharp look Scarlett shot at him. “And Logan will be no different.”
“You’re not helping,” Scarlett said, turning to Savannah. “I suppose you’re going to side with them, too.”
“I used to want a big family,” Savannah said, not letting her gaze stray anywhere near Trent. “But now that I have Dylan, I’m content.”
Trent felt an awkward whump in his chest. If he hadn’t known better, he would’ve thought it was his heart breaking. Savannah was trying hard to spin her situation into something positive, but Trent had known her a long time and didn’t believe for one minute that she would give up on her dreams unless they’d been crushed by disappointment.
“Melody and I are your family, too,” he reminded her.
“I haven’t forgotten. Which is why I’ve decided not to move to Tennessee.”
“That’s great.”
“I’m glad you’re okay with it,” Savannah said, giving him a weak smile. “And if I can swing a few acting jobs in LA, I can afford a little house for Dylan and me here.”
She made it sound as if she was intended to move out as soon as possible. “No need to rush. You can stay here as long as you want.”
“I appreciate your generosity, but I think I’ve relied on you far too much already.”
How did he explain to her that he liked it when she relied on him? When he came to her rescue she always gazed at him as if he was larger than life. In her eyes he was a hero, not the troublemaker everyone had to watch out for.
Trent kept an eye on the clock as the evening wound down. He’d hoped for some alone time with Savannah before she turned in, but the hour grew later and later. At long last, Scarlett patted her husband on the knee.
