One to Win

by Michelle Monkou

  Leo headed for home. He had a lot to do before he got on the road. Fate had a way of paving the path with opportunities. But opportunities weren’t always a good thing; they were merely a chance to make a decision. A part of him, where feelings, emotions and possibilities resided, craved the idea of a second chance.

  His feelings, however, were hung up on his first fall into real love. The tumble was hard and the wounds ran deep. Frustration that he’d let go so easily drew bitterness. And disappointment certainly had a way of following him through his life. After his heart was broken by Fiona, he’d understood the lesson—to avoid any more strong emotional entanglements. But his mind wouldn’t let go and he hated to admit that his heart hadn’t moved on.

  He turned into his driveway, activated the garage door to open and eased his car into the space. To his right was a spot for another car. His empty house had enough rooms for a large family and pets. Everything was in place, except the woman who’d torn his heart in two. He’d lived a rough and poor life as a child where forgiveness was a sign of weakness and trust was not to be given so easily. His lessons had been learned the hard way. And no matter how his defenses could crumble at the sight of Fiona, his head was in charge for this go-round.

  Pride, resolve and the bitter taste of rejection had more power than the desire to cave in and be grateful that he’d be sharing the same space with her. He shook his head in response to his weakening resolve. There would be no second chances.

  Chapter 2

  Fiona didn’t wait until Sunday to drive to the Hamptons. Her nerves wouldn’t allow her to reach a relaxed state to wait out the weekend. By Saturday afternoon, she was in her car heading south on the highway. The long drive gave enough time for her to mentally prepare for the arduous tasks of dealing with her grandmother, enjoying a vacation forced by her boss and holding field advantage for Leo’s arrival. The last item held the most importance.

  To be held in those arms, tight against his chest, close enough to hear his heart beat its deep, pulsing rhythm—she sighed over her fantasy. Anticipation grew as she gazed at the mileage signs toward New York City that steadily decreased as she neared her destination. Her foot pushed on the gas pedal in a coordinated effort with her desire to hasten her arrival.

  By nightfall she’d reached the family estate. It felt good to have her feet on solid ground.

  “Good evening, Miss Fiona. Welcome back. Hope you had a good drive.”

  Fiona nodded and entered the house. “Thank you, Mrs. Finch. The drive had some teeth this time. Heavy traffic. Roadwork.” Fiona torqued her body to work out the kinks along her back and hips. Seven hours and then some, driving over and through the mountains with tractor trailers for company, did challenge her reflexes. She looked forward to a long soak in the pool-sized bathtub in her room to find her Zen.

  “Your room is ready. Denton will park the car and take up your luggage. Don’t worry about a thing. Will you be dining in your room?”

  Fiona nodded with an apologetic scrunch of her nose. “I hate to be a pain.”

  “Grilled cheese with bacon. Tall glass of milk. Two chocolate chip cookies.” Mrs. Finch’s rosy cheeks bunched with the wide smile.

  “You know me so well.” Fiona hugged the house manager, whom she’d known since she was ten years old. “Anyone else crashed early?”

  “Mrs. Grace and Mr. Henry are here. They arrived on Thursday. After a full day in the vegetable garden today, they both headed up early.”

  Despite the brilliantly lit entry room, the sitting rooms on either side of the area were dim. A comfortable silence hung over the house. Well, all of that would change when her cousins invaded the castle walls.

  “And my parents?” Fiona looked toward the staircase that stood as the prominent fixture in the middle of the black-and-white-marbled entryway.

  “They haven’t arrived. But their room is ready for whenever they do.”

  Fiona didn’t expect her mother to show up tomorrow. If Fiona felt reluctance to come to the vacation home, her mother experienced dread, an emotion that she barely concealed, and the source was a fairly new annoying mystery. If Grace was the cause, there was no evidence to prove the case. When Fiona asked her mother if she was okay or invited her to share why she was troubled, she was usually pointedly ignored. Yet Fiona couldn’t pretend that she didn’t care if her mom showed up. They were all in this family reunion, for better or worse.

  “You look like you need a good night’s rest. Go on to the room and I’ll have your dinner sent up.”

  “Thanks, Mrs. Finch. Can’t wait for those cookies.” Fiona left the car keys with her to pass on to Denton to park the car. Then she ran up the grand staircase that curved off to the left and right. Its polished walnut banister accented the crisp white stairs. Her hand glided along the wood with appreciation for the perfect slide it had made back in the day for her and her cousins. The prohibited activity was also the reason for her many time-outs when she was caught by Mrs. Finch or, worse, by her grandmother. She smiled at the memories.

  Fiona opened the bedroom and entered her personal space. All three cousins would stay on the same floor in side-by-side rooms. The aunts and uncles and her parents would stay in the other wing on the same level. But she wondered where Leo would lay his head. How hospitable was Grace feeling? The house was large enough for him to stay in one of the many guest rooms, but there was also the cottage off to the side of the property that could be used.

  A knock on the door interrupted her reacquaintance with the room.

  “Come in.”

  A maid entered with the tray. “Hi, Miss Fiona, I’m Shawna. I’m new here.”

  “Hi, nice to meet you. I’ll take the tray.” She crossed the room and retrieved the platter with all the tasty indulgences that Mrs. Finch had promised. She put it down on her bed.

  As soon as the maid left, Fiona stripped off her clothes, grabbed the tray and headed for the bathroom. In no time, Fiona prepared her bath. The water steamed the mirrors and the suds were pleasantly thick, filling the room with a wonderful vanilla scent. After a bit of maneuvering, she had the tray set on a small table next to the tub.

  Fiona sank down into the tub until the water covered her breasts. Her sigh was loud and full of her satisfaction. She reached for the sandwich first and bit into the warm bread and welcomed the gooey cheese. No doubt she’d be spoiled by Mrs. Finch’s staff before her two weeks ended.

  Her phone rang. She gingerly pushed the talk button with her pinkie finger.

  “Fiona? Where are you?” Dana’s question had a shrill edge.

  “In my favorite bathtub. Eating my favorite sandwich—”

  “I can’t believe you headed out early. And didn’t tell us. You’re wrong for that.” Dana carried on with her complaints.

  “It’s not as if we were riding together.”

  “Yeah, but you’re in that fab house. And I’m eating a Chinese dinner by myself. I miss Kent.”

  Fiona took another bite of her sandwich. “Stop whining. Just come out early in the morning.”

  Dana mocked her by echoing her statement.

  “Uncalled for. And I’m about to hang up.” Fiona eyed the other half of her sandwich, which she wanted to consume in peace.

  “Wait. I’ve got some details about your guy.”

  “Not my guy.”

  “Then you don’t need to know. Never mind.”

  Dana’s teasing irritated Fiona’s resolve to maintain indifference under her cousins’ scrutiny.

  “What’s going on?” Fiona gritted her teeth over Dana’s laughter.

  “The reason for him being at the Hamptons is definitely a big secret.”

  “You are really messing with my vibe.” Fiona put down the sandwich that she’d just picked up and waited for her annoying cousin to cough up information. “So Grace
told you why Leo will be there?”

  “I did ask and was told that it didn’t concern me. When it was the appropriate time, she would tell me. Then I got the dial tone.”

  Fiona chuckled. “I give you points for going straight to Grace. But that’s not really clarifying anything.”

  “I didn’t say that I was done. I asked Grandpa Henry.”

  “So now you’re ready to get him kicked to the couch.” Fiona reached for a cookie instead. This conversation was getting better.

  Dana laughed. “Grandpa knows how to handle his wife. Anyway, he said that Grace was meddling in stuff that she shouldn’t be. He also said that we’d need to remember that we are a family.”

  “That sounds ominous.”

  “He looked worried, but I’d say that he was more...um...introspective, and a bit sad.”

  Fiona didn’t like secrets. The burden to hold them close could be unbearable. And her grandmother was the perfect type to have a bank vault of secrets. The Meadows matriarch was a planner and oftentimes a manipulator, but she was also a woman who’d had to work her way up in a man’s world. No doubt Grace had probably seen and done her share of the unmentionable.

  “And what has that got to do with Leo?” Fiona didn’t bother to shade her curiosity with subtlety.

  “Is he good with secrets?”

  Fiona didn’t have to ponder the question. She had firsthand knowledge of their secret relationship and how Leo had done everything to keep it under wraps. He was always so concerned about his career and doing something to mess with his plans to fast-track the career ladder. “Good luck with trying to find out anything from Leo.”

  “That’s why you’re the one to pry it from him. This is important.” Dana would not let her interrupt. “I’m not doubting Grandpa Henry’s feelings. Whatever is going on sounds as if it involves the family.”

  Fiona felt a momentary pulse of panic. “I don’t need you giving me a job while I’m here. I’ll probably barely see Leo. And we don’t know when he’ll arrive.”

  “Grandpa Henry clamped his mouth shut when I pushed about Leo. Can’t tell if he likes the man.”

  “What’s there not to like?” Fiona blurted with a heavy dose of defensiveness.

  “I don’t know, Fiona—tell me. You walked away from him.”

  “My bathwater is cold. Time for me to get ready for my comfy bed. Enjoy the drive.” Retreat was a wiser choice.

  Dana sucked in a breath. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to pinch your nerve. See you tomorrow, cousin.”

  “Drive safely.” Fiona hung up.

  Her mood, like her once-heated water, had cooled, turning stormy and restless with what was to come. Instead of wondering how her first meeting with Leo would turn out, now she was wondering more about why he had been invited to the family retreat. If Grandpa Henry was troubled, then the problem had to be a doozy.

  “Leo Starks, what have you gotten yourself into with the Meadows family?”

  After dressing for bed, Fiona parted the thick drapes at the window with her hand and peered out into the inky darkness that blanketed the wide expanse of land. The house sat recessed from the main road with its backside close to the bay. Tomorrow she’d catch up with her grandmother. Then she could take a quick walk around to see what had changed or been updated. But she hoped that here, at her perch, she’d have the ideal view to see everyone pull up to the front door. Staking her position at this perfect lookout gave her a smidgen of confidence for the eventual meeting between her and Leo.

  * * *

  “Well, damn, and well, damn.” Leo slowed to a stop and shifted the gear to Park.

  He needed a moment to take in the sight in front of him. Not only was the sunrise a vivid fusion of color and brilliance, but its position just over the rooftop created a postcard effect. The house was something out of a movie. If he didn’t think Eric would lose his mind and do something idiotic, he’d take a photo with his cell phone and send the image to his coworker for the sheer pleasure of witnessing his ugly fall into deeper envy.

  Leo’s own admiration had nothing to do with jealousy. The architecture soaked up his appreciation, thanks to a youthful pastime of studying the great builders in history. Though this impressive home had all the modern amenities and an expansive structure, he recognized the basic design from the 1920s, when industrialists flaunted their wealth from the blossoming American industrial economy with opulent family homes.

  The Colonial Revival was typical of this area. Despite the contemporary touches, the British Georgian influence made its bold mark on the house with the symmetrical shuttered windows placed on either side of the door. Although the land was relatively flat, the house, with its two floors and broad, gabled roof, stood on a raised dune. Parked at the curve of the mile-long driveway, Leo understood why the original owner had chosen this parcel of land to show off this jewel. Every morning, the residents probably enjoyed the pleasure of seeing the sun’s rise with a fiery dawn kiss on the landscape. He looked forward to sharing in the experience.

  After a few more seconds of staring at the view, Leo shifted the car into Drive and steered toward the most important assignment of his career. As he approached, other cars parked in front of the house came into sight. He pulled up behind the last one, stopped the engine and got out. His gaze took in the surrounding area and the close-up version of the estate.

  “You must be Leo Starks.”

  Leo nodded to the woman who emerged from the car in front of his. He waited for her to reveal her identity.

  “Belinda.” She stepped away from her car with her outstretched hand. The warm smile eased his nerves. “I’m one of the granddaughters. And that’s Dana.”

  He gave Dana a wave in answer to hers. This was cousin number two, the CEO. He recognized her from afar. So where was the third cousin? Where was Fiona?

  “Come, let’s go in.” Belinda had her arm hooked in Dana’s as they marched their way to the open door.

  “And I’m Jesse.” A man who was left behind by the women stepped up to shake Leo’s hand. “You’ll get used to being ignored by them.”

  An older woman stood in the front doorway. “Please leave your luggage inside, near the door. And come in, come in, all of you.”

  Leo followed the woman’s orders. She reminded him of his visa sponsor, Freida Elderhaus, the woman who was like a second mother to him.

  After all the introductions, he stayed put, not sure what his next order of business would be.

  “We’re heading up to Fiona’s. I know she’s up. I saw her looking out at us from her bedroom window.” Belinda was halfway up the stairs when she turned and looked directly at Leo. “I wonder who she was waiting to see.”

  “Couldn’t be us,” Dana offered.

  Leo cleared his throat. He wasn’t sure, but it felt like the cousins had marked him to be teased and taunted about Fiona. That was not what he wanted with Grace somewhere in the vicinity.

  “Jesse, you are upstairs to the right. You’re in the last room at the end of the hall.” Mrs. Finch was clearly in charge of the operations. “And Mr. Starks—”

  “Please, call me Leo.”

  She nodded. “Leo, you will be staying upstairs on the left.”

  “Oh no, he’s with the adults,” Belinda yelled down from where she hung over the rail.

  “Now, that should make things interesting.” Dana cocked an eyebrow as she needled him with her remark, but it was more about the pointed tone. “Fiona, aren’t you going to come out here and greet your cousins?”

  Mrs. Finch tsked and walked away shaking her head. “This house is about to get rowdy, Leo.”

  Jesse had long since gone, leaving Leo on his slow walk up the stairs.

  A door opened behind him from the second floor. He continued up the stairs, knowing that when he rounded the curve of the
staircase, he’d see who had emerged.

  “Leo, meet our cousin Fiona.” Belinda chuckled.

  “But I think you know each other.” Dana’s face was turned toward Fiona.

  And so was his.

  Fiona, his Fiona, stood outside what he presumed was her bedroom. He immediately looked into those big brown eyes assessing him. He returned the favor, checking out and appreciating her beauty. Thick black hair framed her face and hung down past her slender shoulders. Her brown skin glowed under the natural lighting. His fingers itched to reacquaint themselves with its smooth softness.

  He had to concentrate to quell the desire to run up the stairs and nervously wait for the okay to embrace her. Instead he gripped the rail and concentrated on each measured step. His gaze stayed put on her face, gauging her stoic expression for any clue to her thoughts.

  Did her excitement match his?

  Did her pulse pound in anticipation of the first moment that they would have to talk to each other?

  Did she suffer from the same anxious twitches in the stomach, rapid breathing and sudden dryness of the mouth?

  His foot took the last step onto the second floor. Time to act unfazed. He took a deep breath and exhaled. “Hi, Fiona.”

  She nodded, curt and unsmiling. Her lips pressed tight with no twitch of a smile to acknowledge him.

  “We’ll be off so you can catch up.” Again Belinda took off with her cousin, arm in arm, heading down the hall away from where he and Fiona stood like statues.

  The woman, although standing still watching him, was no statue. Three years might not be a significant length of time relative to a decade or a century. But face-to-face with her beauty—natural and exquisite—those thousand-plus days stretched out like eternity. His gaze covered her entire body, and he noted that not much had changed. Average height, hair styled into gentle curls that fell just past her shoulders. Slender frame. More on the thin side, which he knew was due to her forgetfulness about eating rather than vanity. In her dress, arms bare, legs were free to be admired. He drank in the sight of her smooth skin.