The Reluctant Heir

by HelenKay Dimon

  He shrugged again. “Makes sense.”

  The casual acceptance threw her off. He came from inconceivable wealth. Growing up he only ran with other kids from the same background. He’d segregated himself as if money did matter. Went to a private boys’ school, then off to an expensive college. Spent the last year playing in California. She knew because his photo showed up on gossip sites now and then with this beautiful woman or that one on his arm. And it always pricked at her.

  “I’m not ashamed of what I do.” She wanted to be absolutely clear about that.

  “You shouldn’t be.”

  Okay, he said that but nothing in his past or looking at him now suggested he actually believed it. “I work hard. I don’t get to play much, and I certainly can’t just hop off to Virginia.”

  “Then open the envelope.”

  He made it sound so simple, but it wasn’t.

  “Your father is trying to manipulate me. He’s done it before. Sends letters and expects me to jump to his commands.” And she had...sort of. When she’d emerged from the fog surrounding her sister’s death she’d made a promise. She would never again let Eldrick intimidate or scare her. That meant not letting him in to her life. Not letting him in her door or reading his letters.

  Carter sighed. “Tell me why and I can try to help.”

  “No.” Part of her still believed Carter knew and this was some sort of game. He was the one who had a relationship with Gena. He’d lured her in with promises of a future then left. Everything that came after—the threats and bribery attempts by Eldrick—related back to Carter. How could he not know?

  But that expression seemed so genuine. The offer of coming to Virginia opened a door she’d thought she’d closed. The possibilities whirled around in her head until she had to lean against one of the tables.

  “I’m staying at the Virginia estate, so I can pack up whatever may belong to your dad and get it to you. Or, hear me out.” Carter held up a hand. “Come to Virginia yourself. Get whatever property, whatever closure, you need.”

  She snorted. It came out before she could stop it. “Because you know so much about closure.”

  “I’ve been hunting for it for years where my father is concerned. If I can’t find it for me, maybe I can at least hope you get it.” A new emotion moved into his eyes. Behind that determination something else lingered. A note of sadness, maybe. “My father isn’t in the country. My brothers don’t go to our estate except for special events. I’m there, but I’ll stay out of your way.”

  The idea of taking a look at her father’s possessions, of figuring out once and for all if something else happened that sunny afternoon when he died, tugged and pulled at her. But the offer also tripped the silent alarm in her head. The internal warning wail almost had her wincing.

  “I can’t just walk away from my responsibilities.” Like some people.

  “You’re not the only one who is sick of my father’s constant maneuvering.” Carter hesitated for a few seconds before continuing. “I can help you with whatever he wants from you, but if you don’t want that I still can make sure you get access to the house you once lived in. Stay a few days and do what you need.”

  Common sense battled with curiosity. She’d never bought the story about her dad’s death. Being there might let her take a peek and move on...or she could uncover the truth, and she owed her dad that.

  But there was still the problem of the newest envelope and whatever Eldrick intended to threaten her about now. “What makes you think your father wants something? I know why I think it, but what do you know?”

  “The man doesn’t make a move without an ulterior motive.” Carter shook his head. “Look, the easiest thing to do would be to open the envelope. But it’s your life, not mine. You want to keep your secrets? Fine.”

  He actually sounded like he did get it. That eased some of the tension zipping through her.

  “I don’t want to be manipulated by my father either. Honestly, I’m only here because my brother, you probably remember Derrick, only gets the family business if certain conditions are met. My brothers have a list of things we must do for that inheritance to happen and this is what I have to do.”

  She didn’t like that at all. “You mean me. I’m your ‘thing to do.’ How flattering.”

  Carter frowned. “I don’t really understand why or what any of this means or how you fit in, which is likely how my dad wanted it.”

  He didn’t exactly speak about his father with love and respect. That piqued her interest, made her want to ask questions, but she refrained. Getting sucked into a big Jameson family mess was not on her agenda today...or ever. “So, you need me to open the envelope.”

  “I don’t need anything. My brother does. But if Derrick had seen the look of panic on your face last night when I mentioned Dad, Derrick would have torn up the envelope and told you to never worry about any of us again.”

  If true, she liked Derrick way more now than she did when she was a kid and was kind of afraid of him. “And you?”

  “We both know you and my dad have unfinished business of some sort.” When she started to deny it, he interrupted her again. “I’m not asking what it is, but I’m giving you a chance to do some exploring on your own, without his knowledge or interference. To come back to his home turf of Virginia and figure it all out, then decide if you want to confront my dad.”

  She never wanted to see the man again. She’d tucked away in this corner of New York, far away from the bribery and warnings specifically to avoid having to see him. “What do you get out of all of this?”

  “Honestly?” He winced. “The idea of going behind my dad’s back and letting you on the property where he didn’t want you to be gives me an odd satisfaction. Plus, I liked your dad. You deserve to go through his things and visit the place you stayed one last time.”

  “You sort of sound reasonable.” Which immediately made her skeptical.

  Carter took in a long, deep breath. “My offer is for housing and food, if you want it.”

  So smooth. He knew exactly what to say to get her thinking. There was no way he could have guessed from his investigation into her background that there were doubts swirling in her head about that Virginia estate and what really happened to her father there. This offer might be her one chance to look around without a bunch of people following her or chasing her off the property. She might be able to uncover the truth.

  The only problem? Nothing ever turned out to be free.

  “Who did you say would be at the property?” Not that she was conceding. This was all part of a big plan Carter’s dad had worked out. She was sure of it and equally determined not to be a pawn. But if she could get the upper hand, then maybe...

  “I’ll be in the main house. I’m living and working there.”

  Her stupid heart jumped. She had no idea why that deep voice affected her. She should know better, learn from her sister’s mistakes. “I thought you didn’t work for the family.”

  His head dipped to the side for a second. “It’s a complicated story.”

  “It always is.” Because there was nothing easy about the Jameson family.

  “Does this mean you’re coming back with me?”

  He looked far too satisfied with himself. That didn’t sit right with her at all. She had the sense that once Carter thought he’d won, he would become impossible.

  “I didn’t say that.”

  He smiled. “You kind of did.”

  That look. His face. It was so handsome it bordered on annoying. “You leave and I’ll think about the offer.”

  “Not exactly a people person, are you?”

  Not the first time she’d heard that. She’d been tagged as the quiet sister. Not as pretty or outgoing or charismatic but steady. She got a little tired of playing the role of forgotten sister.

  She’d grown up and grown apart f
rom Gena. Hanna moved away and worked as an administrative assistant. Had a good job. Friends. A life. When Gena’s world came crashing down after Carter, she’d begged for help and Hanna came rushing in. She pushed aside the mix of jealousy and hurt that swamped her at the idea of Gena and Carter together when Gena had known all about the old crush. But she’d arrived too late to save her sister. Even now as she tried to rebuild her life and find a job to replace the one she’d lost, the guilt over not doing enough or the right thing still beat down on her every day.

  He rocked back on his heels. “You do know I’m not getting anything out of this, right?”

  No way did she believe that. “You poor thing.”

  His gaze slipped back to the espresso machine. “I’d settle for something with caffeine in it.”

  “You could open a bag and suck on a bean.”

  He laughed and the rich, genuine sound washed over her. He moved and it mesmerized her. He spoke and her brain replayed every word.

  “I would have been disappointed if you’d offered to make me coffee,” he said.

  “I’m happy we understand each other.” She glanced at the clock and dread pummeled her. Employees would start showing up in about fifteen minutes and she still had to deal with that puddle on the floor. “I need to get back to work.”

  “Here.” Without another word, Carter went over the counter and grabbed the mop. “I can take care of the spill.”

  She would have been less surprised if he’d made a cup of coffee magically appear in his hand. “You’re going to clean something? You...?”

  “I have skills.”

  She could feel her mouth drop open and her eyes bulge. “With a mop?”

  “I’m not my father, Hanna.”

  The words shook her out of her stupor because she was starting to believe him. “That’s the only reason you’re still standing here.”

  That and his eyes. And those impressive shoulders. That cool voice. Okay, she might have let him inside the shop to look at him for a while. She hadn’t expected him to offer a way for her to settle the past.

  No, Carter Jameson was not what she expected at all. Problem was she didn’t have a defense against this Carter and that made him potentially more dangerous to her than Eldrick.

  Three

  Carter walked into Jackson’s Jameson Industries office two days later without knocking. Since he carried sandwiches and everything else they needed for lunch, Carter doubted Jackson would mind the unscheduled intrusion.

  He’d volunteered to pick up the food because he needed a distraction from his phone and its lack of messages.

  There was exactly one reason for his frustration: Hanna. She still hadn’t gotten in touch with him. No call. No message. No text. He’d made a point of giving her his contact information after making his big come-to-Virginia offer, convinced she wouldn’t refuse...and yet, nothing.

  The hours ticked by and he tried to forget her and their odd meeting, write off her apparent mix of disdain and disinterest. Not dwell on the secrets she hid and her relationship, whatever it was, to his father. Not think about how she’d grown up, about her legs or the gentle sway of her hips as she’d tried to rush him out her door. That face. Those curves.

  Yeah, he definitely needed to find something else to think about.

  Carter glanced up as he shut the office door behind him. Jackson sat at his desk, studying the contents of the file with such extreme concentration that it looked as if he expected to be tested on the details. Carter got three steps across the room before Jackson started talking. He didn’t lift his head but his voice rang out loud and clear.

  “Are you ever going to tell me why you needed the information?” Jackson asked while flipping pages.

  Carter froze in midstep. “Did we start a conversation before I entered the room? Because I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  With a long, exaggerated sigh, Jackson finally lifted his head. After a quick look up and down, he frowned. It was the kind of once-over Jackson did before he launched into a Jamesons-are-impossible speech. The same kind of look that made Carter self-conscious, and he was rarely that.

  After the prolonged visual inspection, Jackson rested his elbows on the desk in front of him. “The Wilde sisters.”

  “Oh, right.” Knowing this topic could lead to trouble, Carter tried to deflect. A shrug usually worked, so he went with that. “That was nothing.”

  “Uh-huh.” Jackson closed the file almost in slow-motion before lounging back in his big leather seat. “I’ve worked for this family for years. I’ve investigated many people and businesses. It’s never nothing and it usually causes trouble that rolls downhill to my desk to fix.”

  Carter started to shrug a second time, then stopped because Jackson would notice multiple shrugs and take it as a sign of...something. “I just wondered what happened to them.”

  “Right. So, your dad sends you on this errand. You go and while you’re there you just happen to need emergency intel on the daughters of the man who used to be the caretaker of your family’s Virginia property. A man who died on the job, though you know that part.”

  Carter dropped the bag filled with food on the edge of the desk and sat down across from Jackson. “See? Perfectly reasonable.”

  “That’s not a word I would ever use to describe your family.”

  The bag rustled, making a crinkling sound, as Carter unloaded the sandwiches and what looked to him like two child-sized bags of chips. “Do people really only eat seven chips at a meal?”

  He threw one of the bags in Jackson’s general direction. Instead of catching it, Jackson stayed still. The chips crunched as they landed on his keyboard. The only reaction he gave was the slight lift of an eyebrow. Carter took that to mean Jackson was not ready for a new topic.

  “So, when you asked me about Hanna and Gena—and yes, I remember their names because I remember everything—that was just a coincidence?” Jackson asked.

  “I sense you’re not going to let this go.”

  “Want me to give you a list of all of the other people who worked at the Virginia property?” Jackson ripped open the bag of chips and shoved two in his mouth.

  The room filled with the sounds of munching, shuffling and sandwich unwrapping. But Carter knew it was only a brief reprieve. Jackson had an annoying habit of holding on to a question and unloading it later, just when Carter relaxed his guard. “It’s kind of freaky how much you know about our family.”

  “I like to be ready.”

  “For?”

  Jackson handed over one of the two water bottles sitting by his phone. “Anything. It’s a good trait in an employee, so feel free to give me a raise.”

  “If I had that power, I would.” Hell, he’d sign over part of his interest in the company and bolt. The day-to-day monotony of desk work didn’t appeal to him. And being here reminded him that his father thought he wasn’t worthy to even have an office.

  If Derrick didn’t need him and if his sister-in-law-to-be Ellie’s pregnancy eased into a safer rhythm, he might. Of course, then he’d miss seeing what would happen as his other brother, Spence, tried to negotiate a new stage of his relationship with his fiancée, Abby. And that was just too funny to miss.

  Poor Spence had it bad and Abby was not the type to make it easy for him. Carter loved her for that. Loved both of the women his brothers managed to convince to date them. They were smart, beautiful and strong. Very different from each other, but perfect for Derrick and Spence.

  Which for some reason got Carter thinking about Hanna. She had the smart, beautiful and strong combination down. She also looked at him like she wanted to backhand him with a mop handle, so it was good he wasn’t interested. Not in anything permanent anyway. There was no way to have a few private, discreet hookups just for fun with his family nearby. Someone always seemed to be watching. And sometimes it wa
s the guy sitting right in front of him.

  Jackson. Friend, invaluable asset to Jameson Industries and all-around smart-ass.

  “Stop acting like you’re not management.” Jackson finished unwrapping the sandwich and crumpled the paper underneath it. “You could write me a check tomorrow. In fact, you should. You know, just because.”

  Carter knew Jackson was kidding but he’d hit on a sore spot. One Carter couldn’t exactly laugh off since it guided everything he’d done for the last year. “My father ran me out of the family and the business a year ago, remember? No power to do anything here.”

  Jackson swallowed the bite he’d been chewing. “When did you get so dramatic?”

  “You weren’t here, but he did.” Carter grabbed for his food. He fiddled with the paper, trying to untuck the edge, but finally gave in and ripped it open. The smell of tuna fish salad hit him a second later.

  “I missed the actual office fight between you two, but I do remember the fallout. You refused to talk. Derrick was pissed because your dad refused to listen to your ideas about what to do with the Virginia property.” Jackson shook his head as he whistled. “It was a hell of a welcome back from my vacation.”

  “I believe the exact phrase Dad used was that my ideas were beneath the Jameson name.” The dismissive tone echoed in Carter’s brain. No matter how he tried to write off his father and erase the memory, it kicked up every now and then. “He pointed out that I was an embarrassment and should go out and prove myself or not bother to step in his office again.”

  “That is some interesting Jameson tough love.” Jackson took another bite, almost devouring half the sandwich in only a few minutes.

  Carter glanced at the tuna fish, then to his unopened bag of chips. The idea of food suddenly didn’t appeal to him. He blamed the office and the city. Being this close to what his father viewed as the center of his power made Carter want to be anywhere else. To not be a Jameson or have to deal with the steady stream of disappointing everyone. It was easier to be away and just be Carter, not the rich kid who didn’t live up to the family standard.