A Lover's Vow

by Brenda Jackson

Dalton watched a huge smile spread across Caden’s face. “No, you can send her in here,” Caden answered for Jace. Then to Dalton and Jace he said, “We have a lunch date. She’s early.”

  “Then she should wait it out in your office,” Dalton said, deciding to rib his brother. He’d pissed Jace off, so he might as well get Caden, too.

  “Go to hell, Dalton,” Caden said.

  Dalton couldn’t help but laugh. His brothers were so effing protective of their women. He was glad he wasn’t involved like that. His mind drifted to Jules. He would admit he’d been possessive of her, which was so unlike him. That had been proven last week, especially on those days when they had gone out on the beach and she’d worn probably the skimpiest bikini she could find. Men stared, and the women gave her hateful looks for grabbing their men’s attention. He’d been giving the men brooding looks for even glancing at Jules, but what man in his right mind would not have? However, that was then. He was back on familiar ground, and the only thought he was having of Jules was just how good she’d been in the bedroom. Now that she was out of his system, it was out of sight, out of mind. He was over his obsession with her.

  He and his brothers stood when the door opened and Shiloh Timmons Granger walked in. Dalton would admit she was a beautiful woman. But Caden had fallen for the woman when the two of them were kids, wearing braces, climbing trees and doing all those things kids do on Sutton Hills. Both families had known the two were destined to get together when they were older, and it had been okay with everyone until Sheppard was sent to prison for killing Sylvia Granger. Then the Timmonses had forbidden Shiloh and her older brother, Sedrick—who had been Jace’s best friend at the time—to have anything to do with the Granger children. They hadn’t wanted Shiloh and Sedrick to associate with the offspring of a criminal. That hadn’t bothered Dalton one iota, but it had bothered Caden and Jace because they’d lost their best friends. Shiloh’s bastard of a father, Samuel Timmons, had been a holy terror, threatening her over the years with what would happen if she and Caden ever reconnected. And he probably made the same threats to Sedrick. Their mother, Sandra Timmons, had been a weakling, just like her children, doing anything Samuel had said. But Dalton would at least give Shiloh credit for taking a stand against her father and seeking Caden out when they got older.

  “Sorry I’m early. I didn’t mean to disturb the meeting,” Shiloh said, smiling brightly.

  “No problem, baby, we were through, anyway.”

  Dalton frowned. They were? When Caden headed to the door with Shiloh, Dalton asked, “Hey, what’s next? Did Marcel say how they’re going to find out where the key came from and how Brandy got hold of it?”

  Jace shrugged. “I’m not sure, and he didn’t say. I’m hoping Bruce Townsend will be able to locate all the information that was wiped off Brandy’s hard drive. Marcel also mentioned they had checked surveillance videos from around Brandy’s apartment to see if any gentlemen had visited her in the past six months or so.”

  “I hope you won’t be one of them,” Caden said, grinning at Dalton.

  Dalton rolled his eyes. “I told you what the deal was with Brandy and me. Shiloh, you might want to get him out of here before he makes me mad enough to hit him.”

  Shiloh laughed. “Then, by all means, let me get him out of here. Did Caden remind you both about his concert at the end of the year?”

  Dalton chuckled. “He didn’t have to. An announcement was made on radio and television like he’s some kind of celebrity or something.”

  Of course, he’d meant it as a joke, because his brother was a celebrity. Caden was a Grammy-award-winning saxophone player, who had sold out concerts worldwide. He’d given it up temporarily to keep their grandfather’s deathbed promise. Shiloh had talked him and his band into headlining Charlottesville’s annual Live-It-Up Ball to benefit cancer research.

  “He is a celebrity,” Shiloh said, grinning. “My celebrity.”

  Dalton hoped Caden and Shiloh weren’t about to get all mushy on him now. He could handle only so much of such nonsense. “So where are you two going for lunch?” Jace asked the couple.

  “We’re meeting Sedrick and Cassie at Shelburne,” Shiloh said.

  Dalton glanced inquiringly at Caden. It was no secret that Sedrick hadn’t taken the news of his sister marrying Caden well. “Sedrick?”

  “Yes. Sedrick and I are trying to work out our differences,” Caden said easily.

  Too easily, Dalton thought. “Why bother?”

  “Well, enjoy your lunch,” Jace said, obviously hurrying them along. As soon as his office door closed, he turned a deep frown on Dalton. “What was that about?”

  Dalton rolled his eyes. Shiloh’s father, Samuel, had died last year of cancer, but as far as Dalton was concerned, her mother and brother were bad enough. “I don’t like Shiloh’s family, and I’m surprised you and Caden can even try to get along with them. They treated us like crap when Dad was sent to prison. Damn it, Jace, Sedrick was your best friend, and he didn’t defy his father when he ordered them not to have anything to do with us. The only one who acted like she had any sense was Shiloh.”

  Jace rubbed his hands down his face. “Have you ever thought that maybe there’s another side to the story?”

  “Yeah, right. What other side is there? Sedrick’s father gave the order, and he obeyed by dropping your friendship like a hot potato. And as far as Sandra Timmons being a victim, I’m not buying it. She could have left the old geezer. She could have walked away and taken Sedrick and Shiloh with her. I believe she was just as bad as he was, and I don’t trust her, either. As much as I like and admire Shiloh, I can’t stand her family.”

  Jace didn’t say anything for a long moment. In a way, Dalton was right; Jace had felt utterly betrayed when he was sixteen and lost his best friend without a fight. He truly hadn’t expected Sedrick to toe the line like he had. Shiloh certainly hadn’t. She sent Caden notes, secret messages and birthday cards every chance she got.

  “I’ve gotten over it, Dalton, and so should you.”

  Dalton wished he could, but he and his brothers had been made to feel like shit during that time, and all because people wanted to believe his father had been guilty of a crime he hadn’t committed. That would make finding his mother’s real killer all that much sweeter.

  That automatically made him think of Jules. Why was she back in his mind? Hadn’t he just said she was out of his system? “I have work to do,” he said, standing to his feet. “It was nice to take a few days off, but I need to catch up on some things.”

  Before he reached the door, Jace asked, “Did you notice Stonewall on your trip?”

  Dalton glanced over his shoulder and couldn’t help but smile. “He was there but stayed inconspicuous as much as possible, which I appreciated.”

  Jules had appreciated it, as well. The man was the only one who knew their secret. Well, it really wasn’t a secret, just no one else’s damned business. There was a difference. “See you later, Jace.”

  Twenty-One

  Jules glanced across her desk at Manning and smiled. “You’ve been busy.”

  Manning leaned back in his chair. “Just doing what you’re paying me for.”

  They both knew that was a lie. He was an over-achiever. When you gave Manning an assignment, he always went above and beyond. She looked at the stack of files on her desk. “I need to begin reading.”

  “And I need to get out of here in a few hours. Dad has a doctor’s appointment today.”

  She lifted a brow. “He’s okay?”

  Manning smiled. “Yes, he’s doing great. This is just a routine checkup. Getting them to move from Boston was the best thing I could have done.”

  Jules agreed. Making the decision to move to Charlottesville from Boston had been hard on Manning, because that meant leaving his parents behind, with the responsibility
falling on the shoulders of his younger sister and older brother. He’d soon discovered his frequent trips back home hadn’t been enough, and when he saw the opportunity to make his parents’ dream of one day owning a restaurant a reality, he made it happen. Now the senior Carmichaels were happy and so were Manning and his siblings. His sister, Deborah, had even relocated to Charlottesville and was working on her master’s degree at the University of Virginia.

  Two hours later, Jules stood to stretch her muscles, specifically to get the kink out of her neck. It was her opinion that the police officer that’d been called to the scene had done a terrible job recording details. The impact of Imerson’s hitting that utility pole had been so great that he’d been killed instantly. One thing she found interesting was the officer’s notation of there being two sets of tire tracks at one point. That could have meant a couple of things. Either someone had tried dodging Imerson on the road if he’d been driving erratically, or Imerson might have been trying to flee from the second car and lost control of his vehicle. Of course, for now, the latter was just a theory.

  Another thing she found interesting is that no one had tested Imerson’s blood-alcohol content. It had been the officer’s opinion that testing was unnecessary since the victim’s body reeked of alcohol and a half-empty bottle had been found open on the front seat of the car. It was merely speculation on Jules’s part but for her, the entire scene was too tidy. What if someone had staged things to appear as if Imerson had been drinking heavily? According to the police report, an unidentified caller had reported the accident but hadn’t stuck around until the police arrived. She found that interesting, too. As far as the police were concerned, the case was pretty cut-and-dried, so there had been no investigation into the anonymous caller. In that case, why had the police report been sealed? The only reason that made sense was to hide the number of red flags that should have been investigated more.

  She refilled her coffee cup and glanced out the window. She couldn’t help but take a moment to daydream, remembering her time last week in Miami. The state attorney’s office had called earlier that day to let her know the jury had found Marcos Rodrigo guilty. As far as she was concerned, there was no other verdict that could have been delivered. The prosecution had presented a fantastic case, but when the mother, Carla Rodrigo, had taken the stand with her heart-wrenching testimony, that had pretty much nailed it.

  Jules went back to her desk and sat down. She wished those were the only thoughts she had about Miami, but they weren’t. She couldn’t forget the days and nights she had spent with Dalton. Once they had finally gotten out of bed that first morning and showered, she was able to see that he didn’t have just a hotel-room suite like she had. The man had the penthouse that could have held at least three suites the size of hers comfortably with room to spare. Needless to say, that’s where she had spent most of her days and nights. There was no need to let all that space go to waste. It had been his suggestion, and she saw no reason not to go along with it.

  Pretending had been nice. It had given them a chance to put out of their minds their dislike for each other and concentrate on satisfying their bodies’ hunger. And that hunger had bordered on being downright greedy. Ravenous. To the point where they had made quickies a very fashionable pastime. She had to hand it to him; the man definitely knew how to please a woman between the sheets. Although she still didn’t care for arrogant men, at least he could back up the attitude with skill.

  Jules took another sip of her coffee, consumed in her memories. Hot. Racy. Sexy. She figured it wouldn’t hurt to give in to them a few minutes longer, and she leaned back in her chair. Not only had her nights been spectacular, but her days with Dalton on the beach had been pretty fantastic, as well.

  She wondered what he was doing now. More than likely he had returned to the office today as she had. And...more than likely he had moved on...like she should be doing. They had agreed that Miami was not to be repeated, and she had no reason to think he wouldn’t keep his end of the deal, like she intended to keep hers.

  But still, the memories were nice, and nothing was wrong with indulging in them.

  * * *

  “I’m glad we could all get together and do lunch,” Sedrick Timmons said, smiling over at Shiloh and Caden. “My hours are crazy at the hospital.”

  “I can imagine,” Caden replied, taking a sip of his wine and studying his brother-in-law, the heart specialist.

  He would admit that he had been surprised when Shiloh mentioned her brother’s invitation to lunch today. Growing up, Sedrick had been Jace’s best friend, just like Shiloh had been his. Yet when Shiloh had chosen to defy her father’s orders, Sedrick had not.

  In fact, Jace admitted to not even recognizing Sedrick at first, when he’d arrived at the hospital after their grandfather’s heart attack. And then, only a couple of months ago, Caden could clearly remember attending the open house for Shiloh’s wine boutique and the discomfort of Sedrick staring him down with blatant dislike and hostility in his eyes.

  But, to be fair and to give the man credit, the animosity could have stemmed from the fact that Sedrick hadn’t wanted Shiloh to get back with him after what he’d done all those years ago, which Caden would admit had been shitty. But he and Shiloh had worked out their differences and put the past behind them. Caden hoped this invitation meant Sedrick was ready to do the same.

  “Before the waitress comes back with our meal, there are a few things I need to clear the air about, Caden. And an apology to you tops the list.” Sedrick paused a moment. “As you know, I was upset by the way you treated Shiloh when you were to be married the first time, but the two of you have worked things out and are finally happily married. All I have to do is look at my sister to see how happy she is, and if she’s happy, then I’m happy.”

  “And I am happy, Sedrick,” Shiloh said, taking Caden’s hand. “I couldn’t be happier.”

  “I can tell,” Cassie Mayfield, Sedrick’s girlfriend, said, with a huge grin on her face. “You’re practically glowing.”

  “Thank you,” Shiloh said, smiling.

  “Your apology is accepted, Sedrick. And I promise to take care of Shiloh, and to always make her happy.”

  “That’s all a big brother can ask.”

  The conversation then went to other areas until the waitress brought their food. The atmosphere was pleasant, but although Caden had accepted Sedrick’s apology, there was something that still bothered him about that night at Shiloh’s grand opening. He could understand Sedrick’s hostility toward him somewhat, but what was up with the Greene family? Namely Michael Greene, his wife, Yolanda, and their son, Ivan, who was currently running for mayor. Granted, at the time, Caden hadn’t known about his mother’s affair with Mr. Greene, but even if he’d known, why would the family hold animosity toward him for what his mother and Michael Greene had done? Hell, he’d only been fourteen at the time. Had the hostility he’d seen in their eyes had anything to do with the affair, or was it something else altogether?

  “How’s your father doing?”

  Caden lifted a brow and glanced over at Sedrick, surprised he’d asked. “Dad is fine. We go see him fairly regularly.”

  “That’s good. I understand he’s doing great things while in jail.”

  Honestly, his father’s imprisonment was a topic he didn’t want to discuss with Sedrick. His bitterness wasn’t as deep as Dalton’s, but he hadn’t yet let go of the way the Timmonses had treated them when their father went to prison. “That might be true, but he doesn’t belong in prison.”

  “Oh.”

  Caden heard doubt in that Oh. “And we plan to hire someone to prove his innocence.” Sedrick nodded, and for a brief moment, Caden thought he saw an odd expression cross Sedrick’s features.

  Caden turned to his meal, convinced he’d just imagined it.

  * * *

  Dalton reached for his cell
phone when it rang. He glanced at it quickly, not recognizing the number, but that didn’t mean anything. “Dalton Granger.”

  “Mr. Granger. This is—”

  “I know who this is,” Dalton cut in, recognizing the voice. “Percy, I thought we agreed that you would drop the ‘Mr. Granger,’” he said, leaning back in his chair.

  “It’s hard. You own the company.”

  “My family owns the company. How are things working out for you in the systems and technology department?”

  He and Percy Johnson had attended the same high school, and although they hadn’t been what one would consider close friends, they had played on the same football teams since middle school. Percy had been a damn good quarterback in high school and had gotten a scholarship to attend South Carolina University. He surprised everyone and turned it down when his girlfriend Tina got pregnant. He’d done the honorable thing by staying here and getting married.

  Dalton had run into Percy waiting on tables in a nightclub he often frequented, the same club where he’d met Jules the first time. He had been holding a conversation with Percy, catching up on old times, when Percy mentioned he had recently gotten a degree in computer technology, graduating at the top of his class, but was having a hard time finding a job. Percy had been working during the days at Cullum Meat Plant as a forklift operator and moonlighting at night as a waiter.

  The one thing Dalton would never forget was that Percy had been one of the few kids at school who hadn’t given him a rough time about his dad being in prison. In fact, Percy told him that he thought Dalton’s father was innocent. That had meant a lot to Dalton at the time and was something he would never forget. That was the main reason he’d given Percy a job at Granger Aeronautics, right there on the spot. That had been a few months ago and, from what he heard, Percy was a hard worker and an asset to the company.

  “Things are just wonderful, Mr....” Percy cleared his throat. “I mean, Dalton.”

  Dalton shook his head. “Let’s agree that it’s okay for you to call me Mr. Granger while at work if that makes you comfortable. But otherwise, it’s Dalton.”