Loving Deep: Steele Ridge Series

by Tracey Devlyn

  Was the entire town aware of her impending financial doom? That she was about to lose her business? About to lay off over a dozen people?

  “Do I have your authorization to sweeten the deal by twenty percent, if necessary?”

  Scalding anger burned deep into her stomach like a big glob of wasabi. The delicious food she’d eaten tasted like dirt on her tongue. Who the hell were these people? And why did they want her thousand acres so badly?

  She was missing something. Something important, and it annoyed her to no end.

  “Very well, sir. I’ll give you a call after the meeting.”

  The space behind her went silent. Then papers shuffled and the hollow sound of glass thudded against the table. Leather squeaked a moment before Randi saw the figure of a man out of the corner of her eye.

  She busied herself by digging around in her purse, counting to one, two, three, four, five before lifting her head and looking toward the exit. Yep, even from the back, she recognized Keith Gaviston’s long, lean elegance. Such sophistication would be right at home in the boardrooms glutting Wall Street.

  Realizing Gaviston was on his way to meet her, she glanced at her phone and released a slow breath. Plenty of time. She would give him a ten-minute head start so there would be no possibility of running into him as she left the restaurant. He could just wait for her on the other end.

  What to do? As much as it irked her, he was correct. She’d be stupid to turn down the club’s offer with no other viable buyer lined up. If only she had enough time to put it on the market and see what other offers came her way. But she didn’t, which meant her hands were tied if she wanted to save her business and protect her employees. Which she did.

  But Gaviston’s arrogance gnawed at her common sense and logic. Tore at them until raw emotion reared its impulsive head. How she’d like to take the club’s lucrative offer and shove it into Gaviston’s pretty mouth.

  The need to chuck it all—the offer, the responsibility, the guilt—and move to some remote location and do nothing more stressful than mix drinks was strong. What would her life be like if she didn’t have Triple B consuming her thoughts 24/7? Would she actually be able to have fun from time to time? Unfortunately, her getaway plans would bore the hell out of her after a few months.

  Decision made, Randi paid her bill and left the restaurant—only to come face-to-face with Gaviston, when she stepped outside.

  His intelligent emerald-green eyes glanced between her and the restaurant, adding two plus two. A damn flush crept up her neck.

  “Miss Shepherd.” He greeted her in a diamond-edged voice. “Did you enjoy your lunch?”

  “I did. Be sure to try the Tom Yum Goong soup. It’s the best in the area.”

  “I’ve already dined, thank you.” His attention sharpened. “I forgot my sunglasses inside. Did you notice them when you left your booth?”

  She could barely think beyond the rhythmic pounding in her ears. Why did she feel like she’d done something wrong when he was the one plotting against her in such a public place? “Booth? Not here. They’re rather dark and gloomy, don’t you think? I chose one of the window seats that face the courtyard. Much more enjoyable.”

  “Ah, well, I had best go find them. They’re my favorite pair, and I don’t want to be late for an important meeting I have at three.”

  Pasting a teasing smile on her face, Randi said, “Indeed not. See you soon, Mr. Gaviston.”

  Could anyone’s luck be worse than mine? She hadn’t fooled him one bit. Even if he bought the booth BS, all he had to do was set those jewel-toned eyes on their server, ask a few innocent-sounding questions, and wham, he’d know she lied.

  And what would he do with that knowledge during their upcoming conversation?

  When she returned to Triple B, she barely had time to stash her purse in a side drawer of her desk before a harried Kris McKay skidded inside.

  “Where have you been?” Kris asked. “I’ve been calling you for over an hour.”

  “Sorry, Kris. I set my phone to silent. What’s up?”

  “Sometime last night the cooler housing the food shut down.”

  “Shut down? How?”

  “The electricity went out.”

  “What about the backup system?”

  “The electrician is checking it now.”

  A stampede of wild horses raced over Randi’s chest, kicking the air from her lungs, filling her mouth with dust.

  “None of the staff noticed the problem until now?”

  “The new staff we’ve taken on for the summer aren’t in tune with things like that yet, so they didn’t notice the temperature change.”

  Blood drained from her face, and a cold slap of failure threw Randi into the nearest chair. Her heart stuttered to a stop before it began a slow slog to life again. Her hands shook and her stomach soured.

  “What’s the damage?”

  “Health Department said it’s a total loss.” Kris crossed her arms over her middle. “I’m sorry, Randi.”

  A total loss.

  No way could she recover from this. She’d already been hanging off the ledge by her fingertips.

  Her business, her employees’ jobs, her livelihood—gone.

  Randi peered at the clock on her computer.

  2:25 p.m.

  Gaviston would be here soon. She recalled the unhappy lines around his mouth and the hard glint in his eyes.

  Shit, shit. Double damn shit.

  16

  “Stop being a jerk.” Jonah slumped down in the passenger seat of his Tesla. “I knew you wouldn’t like the idea, but I didn’t realize you would be this mule-headed.”

  Britt continued his surveillance of Triple B. His grip tightened on the steering wheel with every new word that came out of his brother’s mouth. “I could never pay you back.”

  “That’s good, because I wouldn’t be buying the property for you. It’s an investment. An expansion of the Steele Conservation Area.”

  “Grif would not agree.”

  “Probably not.” Jonah yawned. “But that doesn’t mean it’s not a sound decision.”

  Britt propped his elbow on the window ledge and pinched the bridge of his nose as if that simple action could make everything clearer. It didn’t, though the pressure did dull the throbbing.

  “Jonah, if you keep throwing millions of dollars away on this town, you’re going to wind up a damned pauper before you’re forty.”

  His brother laughed. “You have no idea of my net worth, do you?”

  Of course he did. He didn’t call him the baby billionaire for nothing. Even so, at the rate Jonah was spending money, his stash would eventually run out, wouldn’t it?

  “What about you?”

  “What about me?” Jonah folded a piece of gum into his mouth.

  “Aren’t there other, I don’t know, technology things you’d rather purchase?”

  “Dude, I have everything I need and more. If there’s something I don’t have, I’ll buy it. I just finished designing something that will make me even more money. Adding a few acres to my assets won’t stop me from getting things I don’t need.”

  “It’s more than a few acres, Jonah.”

  He sent Britt a cocky grin. “Have I mentioned that I’m filthy rich?”

  “Shithead.”

  “Don’t you know it.”

  An unholy mixture of dread and excitement poured over Britt. If he accepted Jonah’s offer, he would feel beholden to his little brother for the rest of his life. Not accepting would place the Steele-Shepherd pack in the hands of trophy hunters. Pride versus salvation. Was there really any choice?

  “Jonah, I—”

  “There’s something else,” Jonah interrupted, resting a hand on the back of Britt’s seat. “Something you’re going to like even less.”

  Dread surged, dousing his excitement to a low hum. “Spill it.”

  “I’ve been thinking about the future of the conservation area.”

  Britt angled his head ar
ound to face his brother. He did not like the tone in Jonah’s voice. When the town had purchased the property for the sports complex, they had taken on ten thousand additional acres with grand plans for future expansion. Twenty thousand acres in total.

  However, his brother Reid had no desire for expanding the center beyond its original footprint. With everyone’s attention focused on the center’s renovation, the conservation area, as Jonah had dubbed it, had taken a back burner. To everyone except Britt. He’d spent the past six months exploring the land, getting to know its contours and inhabitants.

  Grif had made it clear that the extra acreage was nothing more than a bleed on Jonah’s finances. None of his brothers were active outdoorsmen like Britt. They liked the occasional fishing, camping, or hunting excursion, but none of them gave nature a second thought when their outing was over.

  So Britt had been careful not to get too attached. With the area’s uncertain future, he’d have been a fool to do so. A real fool. Finding the wolf pack on the property changed everything.

  “Grif has been speaking with a number of developers,” Jonah said, confirming Britt’s fears. “He’s leaning toward a proposal to construct a hotel and a mini mall. Thinks it’ll create a more attractive package for the center’s participants, especially since we don’t have lodging established.”

  “He’s always had an eye for the big picture.” The words cut like diamonds over his tongue. “If you’re set on buying the Shepherd property, I would appreciate it if you’d build your hotel on the far east side, away from the wolves.” It would help, but in the end, the red wolves would move on. At least he’d maintain their sanctuary for a couple more years before mankind yet again pushed them out.

  “Yeah, he’s annoyingly accurate, sometimes.” Jonah stretched the bright green gum over his tongue and drummed his fingers against Britt’s seat. “But I don’t think the center will suffer if participants have to commute the mile and a half to the Bayberry Spa and Inn, which has a convenience store within walking distance. We could work out a shuttle system with the inn.” He blew a bubble until it popped. “Or we could just build the damn thing adjacent to the center. Reid had safety concerns with the hotel’s original placement, anyway. What would it take? Twenty acres? Thirty acres, at the most?”

  “What does this have to do with the conservation area?”

  Britt was pretty sure his heart stopped beating while awaiting Jonah’s answer.

  “Even before today, I had balked at destroying the conservation area for development purposes. Our meeting with those pampered rich boys reaffirmed my decision to protect the ten thousand acres.” More finger drumming. “And I think it needs a research center.”

  Britt stared at his brother, uncomprehending. “For what?”

  “How should I know?” Jonah flicked his hand in Britt’s direction. “Whatever it is you wildlife people research.”

  Yep, his heart had stopped, because after Jonah’s comment, the organ jolted back to life with a powerful kick to his chest.

  Jonah continued, “You can do what you always wanted to do, and I can get a nice write-off at tax time. Win-win.”

  The opportunity Jonah presented was too enormous for Britt to process. All he could think to say was, “I’ve had no formal education or training. Everything I know is self-taught or through volunteer opportunities I’ve landed.”

  “You forget I never went to college either, and yet my self-taught skills have allowed me to amass a fortune.” He grinned again. “You’re aware that I’m filthy rich, right?”

  “You’re also a damned genius. I’m not.”

  “But you’re passionate about conservation and too stubborn to fail.”

  “And you’re a reckless idiot with no financial acumen.”

  “Guilty. The very reason I surround myself with good people, so they can advise me—and I can ignore them when I want.”

  Britt frowned at his brother. “You’re frightening, you know that?”

  “Does that mean you’ll do it?”

  “I’ll have full authority over the construction and operation of the center?”

  “Just like Reid has over the training center.”

  “You want no say in how your money is being spent?”

  “Grif will bring the major purchases to my attention.” He pulled out his phone. “Outside that, I trust you to make the decisions.”

  “Why?”

  Jonah gave him one of those WTF are you talking about? looks. “I told you why—”

  “Don’t feed me your tax bullshit. Grif, Reid, and now me. Why?” Frustration, anger, and a million other emotions buzzed through Britt’s veins. He didn’t understand them and didn’t care. But the answer to his question seemed vitally important in that moment.

  Smartphone forgotten, Jonah stared out the passenger side window. His expression appeared lost. Not in thought, but in being. Like a part of him was missing.

  Britt swallowed hard against a familiar though rusty emotion. “Forget it,” he said in a thick voice. He grasped the back of Jonah’s neck. If they weren’t parked on Main Street in the middle of the afternoon, Britt would have pulled him in for a bear hug. “You don’t have to explain.” He gave his brother’s neck a squeeze and released him. “Your offer is too generous, but I accept. For the wolves.” His gaze turned toward Triple B. And Randi.

  A giant hand thwacked him on the chest. “Good decision, bro. Hand over my key.”

  With some reluctance, Britt relinquished the Tesla’s key fob to his brother.

  Jonah’s cocky grin was back. He nodded across the street. “I’ll leave it to you to break the news to Randi.” He exited the vehicle and shut the door. Resting an arm on the open window ledge, he peered inside. “Don’t screw it up. I’ll be back in thirty.” He smacked the inside of the door and flipped him off before strolling away.

  “Jonah?”

  “Yo?”

  “Try not to pop your gum in anyone else’s ear.”

  Jonah jettisoned the gum like a spitball. Given the size of Jonah’s grin, you’d think he’d been given a behind-the-scenes pass to the filming of the next Star Trek.

  “The birds, Jonah.”

  His brother’s full-of-himself smile sagged. He peered up and down the sidewalk before retrieving his gumball from the pavement.

  “Good, bro.”

  Jonah flicked the gum at Britt’s head.

  “Damn punk,” Britt grumbled, but his gaze followed his brother’s retreat.

  Jonah carried with him a host of secrets, masking them all behind a distracted, can’t-be-bothered-by-life mien. Though they tended to forget, every one of the Steele clan was aware of the emotional scar Jonah carried. They bore the same one, but none so deep as Jonah’s.

  After checking his sideview mirror, Britt push the door open and made his way inside Triple B. He spotted Kris McKay cleaning off a table in the lounge area.

  “Hey, Kris.”

  “Hey, Britt. How’s it going?”

  “Not too bad.” He glanced around the coffee shop. “How about you?”

  “Our main cooler failed overnight.”

  “What happened?”

  “The electricity shut down. A faulty wire or something.”

  “Just to the cooler?”

  “Yeah, it’s on a separate system from the rest.” Kris sent a worried look toward the back of the shop. “I thought maybe a mouse got into the wiring, but the electrician didn’t think so.”

  “What’s his theory?”

  “The wire didn’t look gnawed on, and he didn’t find a fried rodent. The electrician’s choosing his words carefully, but it sounds like someone might have tampered with the wire.”

  “Any idea who?”

  “No, everyone loves working for Randi.”

  “Isn’t there a warning alarm on the cooler?”

  “A very loud backup generator. But the gas tank was empty.”

  “Any sign of forced entry—damaged lock, broken window?”

  “
Everything looks normal—except the ruined food and broken wire.”

  “What’s the damage?”

  “We lost all our food stock. The insurance adjuster is on his way. Grady said they’ll probably investigate, given the electrician’s assessment.”

  Which meant no payout for a while.

  “How’s Randi?”

  “Upset, but she’s already working on a solution.”

  “She here?”

  “Next door meeting with some hottie in a suit.”

  Britt checked the time. 2:40. He’d cut it close, but what attorney was thirty minutes early? Shit!

  He raked a hand through his hair, fighting the urge to barge into her meeting. If he did, he risked embarrassing her and she might tell him to get lost. If he didn’t do something rash, the red wolves would lose. Big time.

  “Everything okay, Britt?”

  He stared at the wall separating Randi’s coffee shop and bar, undecided. Peering down at Kris’s concerned face, he said, “I have something important to discuss with her, something that could affect her decision in that meeting.”

  “Would you like me to get her a message?”

  “I would owe you a huge favor, if you could.”

  A sexy, impish grin appeared. “I like having one of the Steele boys in my debt. Give me a moment while I dump this stuff behind the counter.”

  “I’ll do that.” He took the tray from her. “See if you can get Randi to meet me in her office. What I need to say should be in private.”

  “Her office door is probably locked.”

  “I’ll wait in the hallway.”

  “Let me see if I can pull her away.”

  “Try hard, Kris.”

  “You’re going to owe me a very big favor for this.”

  “Done. Now haul ass.”

  She hurried away, laughing.

  Britt took the tray of mugs and plates to one of the baristas and made his way to the back of the shop. In the same hallway he’d used to find Randi in her stockroom last week he came across another stockroom. She probably kept her supplies for the coffee shop and bar separated. He wondered if that meant she had two different accounting systems going, or if it was just easier on her staff to find what they needed.