My Fair Fortune

by Nancy Robards Thompson

  When her father heard of the plan, he’d balked and blustered—even through the tubes and the admonitions of nurses who sedated him when he wouldn’t calm down. So Caitlyn did what any loving daughter would do. She told her dad that she loved him, but she wasn’t coming back to see him until he promised that he could remain calm.

  “Dad, I’m your best chance for making this project successful,” she’d said.

  “Well, that’s not very good news,” he’d said. “You’re a beautiful girl, and I’m sure you’re good at all that animal research you do, but Caitlyn, this is the real world.”

  “Dad, I’m not a girl. I’m twenty-nine years old, and I’m more than capable of handling this. I mean, everything is in place. The park is practically ready to open its doors. I can do this. You have to trust me.”

  By that time the sedative was kicking in. Through heavy eyes that were threatening to close, he said, “We’ll see. Make sure you keep the appointment with Hayes Consulting. They can help you. They’re expensive and hard to land an appointment with. So whatever you do, keep that appointment. Janie will tell you when it is. And listen to this Hayes guy, Caitlyn. He knows what he’s talking about.”

  With that, he drifted off to sleep. Her mother had smiled at her through watery eyes. Validation that she was doing the right thing, the only thing in her power that would allow her to take some of the pressure off her father so that he could focus on healing.

  Little did she know what she was actually getting herself into. To the uninformed eye, the park may have looked like it was ready to open, but the reality was, things were a mess. As of now they hadn’t passed the necessary inspections and they didn’t have the permits needed to open their doors. If they didn’t make the grade on this latest inspection, there was no way they’d open on time.

  It was little things like this episode with Clark Ball that kept threatening to set them back.

  “Jason, I’m sorry. I told Clark he could leave early today. I ran into him yesterday when I was making my rounds and he asked. I believe his wife is having medical issues. He said he needed to be there for her.”

  “Ms. Moore, ma’am, I’m very sorry if his wife is sick. Truly I am. But he’s been cutting out early at least once a week for the past three months. Besides, he may have asked you yesterday, but he asked me on Monday, and I told him he could not leave early today. He knows it’s all hands on deck this week if we are going to get the work done.”

  “Are you sure there’s no other way?” she asked, immediately regretting the question.

  Heavy silence hung on the other end of the line. “I wouldn’t be making this call if there was another way. I don’t have time for this. None of us do if we’re going to meet these deadlines. However, I have to say I’m disappointed that you seem to be missing the point that by asking you after I told him no, Clark has deliberately defied my authority. That’s insubordination.”

  “I understand that, Jason, and no, it’s not right. I will speak to Clark. We will come to some kind of understanding. I’m sure he will be reasonable once he understands the situation.”

  Again, her words were met with silence before Jason murmured a stiff, “Thank you, ma’am.”

  Somehow, Jason always seemed a little disappointed when he talked to her. She could offer him a fifty percent raise, and she was certain he’d greet the news with the same stony stoicism followed by and unemotional, thank you, ma’am.

  He wasn’t the only one. The crew leaders did their jobs well, but they all had a way of making Caitlyn feel as if they were simply tolerating her, as if they could see right through her bravado. Maybe she needed to give them more credit, because she wasn’t at all sure that Clark Ball would be reasonable and eager to work things out. Jason had been too polite to call her bluff.

  She squared her shoulders. She was the boss. Her number one objective was to make sure Cowboy Country passed all necessary inspections so they could open the park as scheduled on Memorial Day.

  “Where can I find Clark right now?” she asked.

  “He’s supposed to be working on the wiring over at the Twin Rattlers Roller Coaster. I don’t mean to tell you what to do, ma’am. But if you plan on talking to him, I wouldn’t wait much longer because he says he’s leaving at noon.”

  “Thanks, Jason. I’ll head over there now. I’ll let you know once I’ve talked to him.”

  “Thank you, ma’am. I’d appreciate it.”

  She hung up the phone and sat back in her chair for a moment. She hated being the bad guy. She really did. That’s why she preferred working in the lab, doing research and development for Moore Entertainment. She was a zoologist by training, and she’d been perfectly prepared for the low entry-level salary that came with most R&D positions, but her father had hired her just out of college. Despite his reputation for being a hard-nosed, take-no-prisoners kind of businessman, he’d brought her on board. His version of the story was that he fully intended to make her fall in love with the family business. Despite her zoology degree, he intended to put her through the Alden Moore school of business, which included several years of courses like Hard Knocks and Trial by Fire.

  Her father was doggedly determined that she would fall in love with the business and someday take over.

  What her dear old dad didn’t understand was that the research and study of animals wasn’t just a passing fancy. She wanted to make it her life’s work. When she graduated, she’d been hard-pressed to find a job. So when Alden offered her the job as vice president of research and development for Moore Entertainment along with a healthy salary and benefits, she’d been tempted, sure, but it was the bonus that had sealed the deal: he offered her the chance to make her dream come true. If she stayed on and helped make Cowboy Country USA a success, then there was a chance they could develop a second phase of the park, a zoo park featuring animals indigenous to Northwest Texas.

  But then her father had gotten sick, and all thoughts of zoo parks and resentment for his herding her into the family business gave way to what was really important: her dad’s health.

  When he’d suffered a nearly fatal heart attack, she’d stepped in to make sure her father’s dream didn’t founder while he was fighting for his life. She’d felt so helpless when she saw him lying there in that hospital bed hooked up to all those machines. This man, who’d always been larger than life and twice as fierce, was facing a challenge that might best him. Rather than sit by his bedside wringing her hands, she vowed to step up and see Cowboy Country through the way he’d want so he could focus all his energy on getting better.

  Well, in a perfect world that’s what he would do, but the other side of the coin was that he had little choice but to have faith that she could pull it off. Relinquishing control would be difficult. Believing that Caitlyn was capable to lead the park through a successful opening was another matter altogether.

  This was her chance to prove her worth to her father, and she intended to succeed.

  She knew the longer she put off talking to Clark, the more difficult it would be. She gathered herself mentally, sat forward in her desk chair and buzzed her assistant, who was really her father’s assistant. “Janie, I’m going into the park to take care of something.”

  “Ms. Moore, before you head out, I wanted to let you know that Mr. Hayes of Hayes Consulting is here to see you.”

  Oh, that’s right...Hayes Consulting.

  Caitlyn glanced at her watch. He was twenty minutes early. She decided to go out and greet him and then ask Janie to show him around while she put out the most recent fire. She’d only be gone thirty minutes, tops. Then she’d come back and get Mr. Hayes whatever he needed to get started with whatever it was he did to work his magic.

  If she had a dime for every time her father had reinforced how important working with Hayes Consulting was to Cowboy Country, she could retire a wealthy woman. Apparently, the firm was very good at fixing the images of businesses that had managed to do something to sully their reputation. Or, as in Cow
boy Country’s case, had simply gotten off to a bad start in the community.

  Her father had a lot of faith that this Hayes guy could fix things. He’d underscored how expensive and difficult it was to book time with this outfit. Keeping this meeting had been one of the few mandates her father had given her.

  “Please tell Mr. Hayes I’ll be right out.”

  She stood and slid on her navy jacket because it was one of the few pieces of business attire that she owned that made her feel professional and pulled together. Fake it until you make it, she told herself and strode out into the reception area. All the blood drained from her head when she saw Brodie the Brit—that guy from the quadruple Fortune wedding—standing in the middle of the room.

  “What in the world are you doing here?” She immediately regretted her tone and the words. Good grief. Way to finesse it, Caitlyn. Or Cait. He’d only known her as Cait. And he’d never called. So how on earth did he find her here, two and a half months later?

  For a moment, he looked as surprised to see her as she felt, but then his handsome features hardened into a mask so different from the way he’d looked that night. His eyes were cold and guarded. Wait a minute, neither one of them should be cold and guarded because they were adults and they both had known what they were getting themselves into.

  “Hello, Cait,” he said, offering her a hand to shake. A hand. What was it they’d said that night at the wedding? That they were way past shaking hands. And that was before they’d left the reception.

  She looked at his outstretched hand but didn’t shake it. She was tempted to tell him to put that thing away, but she should’ve thought of that two and a half months ago. Now she had more important things to worry about—like an employee who was about to cost them the inspection they desperately needed to open and a costly consultant who was... Speaking of... Where was he? She glanced around the waiting room. Restroom, perhaps?

  His absence was a stroke of luck. She’d have time to get rid of Brodie before the situation became sticky.

  “Walk with me,” she said to him.

  “I’d love to. However, I have an appointment.”

  “What a coincidence. So do I. Could you please tell me why you’re here?”

  He narrowed his gaze at her. “Do you work here?”

  She quirked a brow at him. “You might say that. I’m not usually in this office, but my father is ill, and I’m filling in for him. Who is your appointment with?”

  She watched the color drain from Brodie’s formerly tanned face. “You wouldn’t happen to be Cait Moore? Er...Caitlyn Moore?”

  “The one and only.”

  “Fancy that. I’m Brodie Hayes, Hayes Consulting.”

  Caitlyn opened her mouth to say something and then closed it, because what was there to say? Nothing. Or at least nothing they could say out loud or discuss out here in the open, with Janie’s eyes on them, mentally recording everything they said and did.

  “Can we please go into your office?” Brodie asked.

  “Not right now. I have a situation I need to take care of. You can wait for me in there, though. Make yourself comfortable, and I’ll be right back. Janie, please show Mr. Hayes into my office.”

  “A situation?” Brodie asked.

  Caitlyn glanced at her watch. She needed to hurry; she didn’t want to end up chasing Clark Ball down in the parking lot. “Yes, a situation. So you’ll have to excuse me.”

  Brodie’s large body blocked her path, and when she looked up at him to send the you need to move message, she remembered how that body felt moving on top of her that night nearly three months ago. Heat started in her cleavage, which was modestly covered up today—as it should’ve been that night—and crept up her neck, spreading to her cheeks.

  He crossed his arms. The body language was so defensive that she couldn’t help but glance up at his face, which was stone cold and lacking any hint that he might be glad to see her.

  She groaned inwardly, silently admonishing herself.

  Of course he wasn’t glad to see her. This wasn’t a date. This was...awkward.

  For God’s sake, how was it that the one and only one-night stand she’d ever had in her life would turn up again—not because he’d been so smitten that he’d tracked her down. Oh, she could’ve handled that. But this...having him show up right now, right here. In the last place in the entire world she wanted to be reminded of her indiscretion.

  “If there’s a problem, I should come with you.” His voice was all business. “You can brief me on the way.”

  She bristled, but before she demanded for a second time that he go into her office and wait for her, she remembered he father saying Hayes Consulting was expensive and in demand. Even if he had arrived early, she had him for one afternoon, and she intended to get Moore Entertainment’s money’s worth.

  “Okay, Brodie Hayes, if you’re willing to hit the ground running. Prepare to show me what you’ve got.”

  He smirked.

  Oh, God. He could take that a couple of different ways. She imagined him thinking, honey, you’ve already seen everything I’ve got. But that was inappropriate, and she wasn’t about to let him know his appearance here today was fazing her in the least.

  She turned to Janie. “Mr. Hayes and I are going out into the park. I have my cell phone if you need to get in touch with me.”

  Caitlyn kept walking toward the door without looking back to make sure Brodie was following her. He could keep up on his own. Plus, there was the problem that every time she looked at him, all she could think of was how he’d made love to her so thoroughly that night. There went the heat bomb, exploding in her lower parts and raising the temperature in her entire body.

  Damn him.

  Damn her for not having more self-control.

  He was walking beside her now. She would not say another word about that night. Not on company time.

  “Since I only have you for an afternoon, I’ll start bringing you up to speed with all that’s happening.”

  She dared a glance at him, if for no other reason than to prove that she was a professional...and immune to those broad shoulders.

  Stop it.

  Stop thinking about shoulders.

  He was looking at her as if she had two heads. It knocked any wayward thoughts of broad shoulders and meteor showers right out of her head.

  “What do you mean you only have me for an afternoon? Alden Moore booked me for the entire month of May.”

  * * *

  Bloody hell.

  How could he have been so stupid to not realize what he was walking into?

  Brodie prided himself on never being surprised. How had he not known his client—the client he’d worked so hard to land—the client whose business could make or break the Tokyo deal—had a daughter.

  He would’ve never slept with her if he’d known Cait from Chicago was even remotely related to Alden Moore, much less his daughter.

  Way to get off to a rocking start.

  He needed to get a hold of this situation and fast, before it blew up in his face.

  He drew in a deep breath to steady himself. How was he to know Cait from the wedding was Caitlyn Moore?

  They hadn’t exchanged last names. In the moment, it had seemed sexy and edgy. One night of bliss with no strings attached. Or so they’d agreed.

  A few days ago, after he’d learned that Alden Moore had fallen ill and his daughter would be standing in, he’d done a cursory internet search of Caitlyn Moore, and all he’d turned up was a very private Facebook page with a profile picture of a very large dog—or maybe it was a pony?—and a dated photo with Alden Moore and a little girl who looked to be five or six. The photo looked like it was taken in the early 1990s. Nothing that would’ve cued him in to the fact that Cait from Chicago was not only Alden Moore’s daughter, but also the executive in charge at Cowboy Country.

  Still, what was done was done. His only choice now was to regroup and move past this unexpected turn of events. After all, that was how he
made his living, helping people spin bad into good.

  “We seem to have a miscommunication here,” he said to Caitlyn as they left the office. “Your father had contracted me to work with Moore Entertainment until Cowboy Country opens successfully.”

  She was speed walking slightly ahead of him.

  “Wonderful,” she said. “Just wonderful.”

  “Hey, will you please stop for a moment and talk to me?”

  She stopped walking so fast, he nearly ran into her. When she turned, she looked him square in the eyes. It was almost as if she were looking through him.

  “Look, I need to be on the other side of the park in about five minutes to deal with a personnel issue. I don’t have time to talk about what happened between us. Frankly, this isn’t the time or the place. If you’re going to be here for a month, I say we just move on and forget the Fortune wedding. Okay?”

  The last thing he wanted to do was talk about them.

  “That’s perfectly fine with me,” he said. “I give you my word of honor that I won’t speak of it. Actually, what I had in mind was your briefing me on this urgent personnel issue so that I understand the situation before we arrive.”

  “Of course.” She smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes.

  As they resumed walking, past various pavilions, cowboy-themed gift shops and refreshment stands, she filled him in on Clark Ball, the employee in question.

  “He deliberately defied his supervisor when he asked you for the time off,” Brodie said, wanting to make sure that he understood the situation correctly.

  “That’s right.”

  “Since he’s made a habit of leaving work early, has he been formally counseled about the unacceptable behavior?”

  “Yes, his supervisor told me he wrote him up last week. In fact, there he is.” Caitlyn nodded toward a tall, thin guy who looked to be in his early twenties. He had his keys in his hand and his cell phone pressed against his ear.

  “I’ll handle this, okay?”

  He nodded, hanging back to watch her take care of the situation. As he watched her walk over to Ball, he couldn’t help but notice the way her sensible navy blue suit hugged her in all the right places. Just like the red dress that she’d worn to the wedding. Of course, her business suit was much more conservative, but still no less tempting. He pressed his lips together, as if doing that might extinguish the attraction simmering inside him. It was the same magnetic pull that had drawn him to her the night of the wedding. The same force that had drawn him away from the twin blondes he’d been talking to before he’d glimpsed her across the room and excused himself to meet her.