My Fair Fortune

by Nancy Robards Thompson

  “Yes, I have, dear.” Jeanne Marie’s lips thinned as she secured Brodie with her gaze. “I understand congratulations are in order. Ms. Moore was telling me that the two of you are working together. I didn’t realize you had landed the Cowboy Country account. In fact, I’d wager that our entire family will be just as surprised as I.”

  Surprised being the operative word. It was clear that she wasn’t happy for him. He should have told her that was the reason he’d come back to Horseback Hollow. Or he should’ve at least confided in his mother or his brother Oliver. Of course, his mother would have, no doubt, shared the news with the rest of the family.

  Bloody hell, now he’d stepped in it deep.

  He’d been busy, and frankly, he knew how his family felt about Cowboy Country USA, and didn’t want them to deliberate on the merit of his client. In the past, they had never taken an interest in his client list. Why should they get involved now?

  He knew this spelled trouble. He needed to fix it.

  And fast.

  “Ah, well, Caitlyn, dear, you spoiled my big announcement.”

  Caitlyn shot him a don’t-you-dare-try-to-blame-this-on-me look. His only defense was to redirect and redouble his efforts toward his aunt.

  “I was going to tell everyone at the barbecue tomorrow night. May I trust you to keep my secret? It would be such a shame to spoil the surprise for everyone else.”

  Jeanne Marie sighed and shook her head.

  He turned back to Caitlyn. “My aunt Jeanne Marie and uncle Deke throw the best barbecues you’ve ever seen in your life. No one does authentic Texas barbecue the way they do. The best you’ve ever seen.”

  He was speaking the truth, even if he was laying it on a little thick.

  “Auntie, I was serious when I said I wanted to tell everyone at the barbecue tomorrow. Will you please keep this revelation between us until I have a chance to make my announcement?”

  The woman didn’t suffer fools lightly. She knew when she was being played, even if that wasn’t his intention. She had backed him into a corner. It was his only available move.

  Jeanne Marie put her hands on her slim hips. “I’ll tell you what, Brodie. I will let you break the news to the family on one condition.”

  “Sure, what would that be?”

  “I would like for you to bring Caitlyn to the barbecue. I think she might do a better job of helping you win the family over for Cowboy Country USA than you will explaining yourself on your own.”

  Chapter Five

  Caitlyn Moore was better at charming his family than he was, Brodie thought as he pulled open the door to the rehabilitation center in Lubbock where Alden Moore was convalescing.

  It shouldn’t come as a surprise. She was passionate about Cowboy Country, well-spoken and beautiful. Oh, yes, she was a beauty, Caitlyn Moore—with her long, dark hair, green eyes and that flawless face of fine-boned porcelain.

  She was the type of woman who haunted a man’s dreams, the type who inspired a guy to cross the room to meet her. Once he got there, he realized she was so much more than a pretty face.

  That so much more was the reason her mixing with his family was a problem.

  He’d been ruminating on it for the past two days since his aunt Jeanne Marie had invited Caitlyn to the family barbecue. Brodie knew winning over the locals was crucial to improving Cowboy Country’s profile, but accomplishing this through his family wasn’t the route he wanted to take. He needed to keep work and family separate.

  While he’d been blessed with this new group of close-knit relations, beneath the surface, everything was not as bright and shiny and perfect as it appeared.

  Make no mistake, he adored his mother. He had nothing but the deepest respect for his late stepfather, Sir Simon Chesterfield. After all, the man had raised him as one of his own. In fact, he was the only father figure in Brodie’s life. He and his natural brother, Oliver, understood each other because they were cut from the same cloth—literally. Oliver and Brodie were spawns of their mother’s first marriage to Rhys Henry Hayes, an abominable man who was best forgotten. A man who abandoned his wife and turned his back on his children because he didn’t deserve the energy that it would take to hold a grudge.

  Then there was the matter of the Fortunes. His relationship with his extended family was complicated.

  A couple of years ago, his mother had discovered she had been adopted when she was very young—too young to even remember—and was reunited with her American siblings, one of whom was none other than James Marshall Fortune, the American business tycoon. All of a sudden she had a branch of American family. Actually, the Fortune side of the family was more like an entire forest than a branch due to the vast number of them. There seemed to be a Fortune on every corner in Horseback Hollow.

  His mother had enthusiastically embraced her new family, and she had expected her children to follow suit. Out of respect to Josephine, Brodie had taken the Fortune name when his mother had asked her children to do so.

  Sometimes when Brodie Fortune Hayes was alone with his deepest, darkest thoughts, he mused that bearing the surnames of a man who had made it perfectly clear he did not want to be a father and a clan he really didn’t even know, was it any wonder he didn’t feel as if he had a genuine place in this world?

  When he felt himself sliding down that slippery slope, he redoubled his focus on work and his determination to succeed. He was a self-made man, after all. He had built Hayes Consulting from the ground up, with no help from anyone.

  That was his place, his identity, his armor.

  Even though he cared deeply for his family, sometimes their enthusiasm only complicated things.

  They were human. Humans were fickle and self-serving. In this dog-eat-dog world, when it came down to it, wasn’t everyone out for himself?

  For what other reason would salt-of-the-earth Jeanne Marie mean to interfere in his business? He didn’t need to ask her permission. That’s why he wasn’t keen to elaborate on the reason that had brought him to Horseback Hollow.

  Family could get inside your head, under your skin and cause you to second-guess yourself. They could change everything, and they didn’t always have your best interest at heart. He’d let that happen once. Once. Now he subscribed to the theory Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice— Well, that would simply make him a jackass.

  Businessmen like Alden Moore didn’t hire jackasses.

  The rehabilitation center was nicer than some private clubs Brodie had visited. An attractive young woman greeted him from a polished dark wood desk in the center of the marble entryway.

  “Good morning, sir, how may I help you?”

  “I’m here to see Alden Moore. He’s expecting me.”

  The woman typed something into a computer and then picked up the telephone.

  “Your name, sir?”

  “Hayes. Brodie Fortune Hayes.”

  It still felt odd including Fortune in his name, but if there was any place in the world that he could get mileage out of it, surely it was in Texas. He might as well take advantage of it.

  As the woman murmured something into the telephone receiver, Brodie glanced around the posh surroundings. The place looked new, with its high ceilings lined with crown molding and large windows that let in just enough light to show off the Persian rugs and expensive-looking furniture. Not that he’d had the occasion to visit many rehab centers, but this one seemed more like a luxury hotel. It also allowed him to glimpse the type of service Alden Moore expected. He would get nothing less from Hayes Consulting.

  “Mr. Moore is expecting you. You may go on back. He’s in room 222. Take the elevator up to the second floor and follow the posted signs.”

  The luxury didn’t stop at the reception desk. The elevator also had marble floors. It carried him to the second level where tasteful artwork adorned walls with wainscoting. Alden Moore’s room was at the very end of the hall. The door was shut, just slightly ajar, as if someone had just left. Brodie knocked and pushed it open
a hair.

  “Brodie Hayes, my man,” said Moore. “Come in, please.”

  The last time Brodie saw Alden, the man had been the picture of robust health. It was shocking to see him lying in a hospital bed hooked up to tubes and machines. He knew Alden wouldn’t want his pity, so he made sure to keep his face neutral.

  An elegant older woman with dark hair pulled back away from her face and beautiful green eyes sat in a leather chair at his bedside. Brodie had a vision of what Caitlyn might look like in about twenty-five years. Something flared in his chest for the briefest second, before he got a hold of himself.

  Alden Moore introduced his wife, Barbara. After a moment of polite small talk, Barbara excused herself.

  “It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Hayes. I’ll leave you and Alden alone to talk business. I’m trusting that you will keep things light and short. My husband is still recovering. He’s not supposed to get upset about anything.”

  She smiled at Brodie, and he understood where Caitlyn got her quiet strength.

  “Of course,” he said. “I’ve simply come to update him on the progress Caitlyn and I have made. No upsetting news to share.”

  Unless you counted the fact that three months ago he’d had a one-night stand with their daughter. Brodie did not kiss and tell, so that was not even on the agenda. However, it struck him hard... He had slept with the man’s daughter, and it just didn’t feel right.

  Well, actually, it had felt right. It had felt better and more natural than just about any other sexual experience he’d had. He and Caitlyn had been two consenting adults who had entered into their night of passion willingly—enthusiastically—but standing here in front of her father, it felt wrong. Until this very moment he hadn’t given much thought to having a family. However, if someday he had a daughter like Caitlyn, any guy who disrespected her in any way would have a hefty price to pay.

  “How is everything? What have you and that daughter of mine been up to?”

  Reflexively, Brodie wanted to say, nothing. But he knew that was simply his guilty conscience speaking. Brodie knew Alden was speaking in terms of business.

  “What progress have you made?” Moore continued.

  “We are working together well.”

  “I’m sorry I didn’t have a chance to brief you on my situation before you arrived.” Moore gestured to his chest. “This was a bit unexpected, as you can imagine. I appreciate you being so flexible and willing to work with Caitlyn.”

  “It’s not a problem, sir. In fact, we make a good team because she sees things from a different perspective than I do.”

  Alden surprised Brodie by waving off his words. “I’ll be honest with you. Caitlyn is at Cowboy Country because it’s where she feels like she’s doing the most good. There wasn’t enough room for two women to sit by my bedside wringing their hands. So when she came up with the idea of working at the park while I recovered, frankly, I was in no physical condition to protest. As long as she’s not in the way—not keeping you from getting the job done—just work around her.”

  Brodie didn’t know what to say. He and Caitlyn certainly didn’t see eye to eye, but she did have some good ideas. He was sincere when he said they balanced each other.

  “Or if you feel you can work better without her there, I’ll have her mother talk her into going back to Chicago,” Alden continued. “Obviously, I’m out of danger. There’s no sense in her hanging around. She’d probably be happier going back to her animal research.”

  Brodie was weighing his words, looking for the right response when he looked up and saw Caitlyn standing in the doorway holding a large vase of flowers.

  * * *

  “Excuse me?” Caitlyn said. She’d always heard the expression seeing red, but this was the first time she’d experienced it. She took a deep breath before she said anything else, because she knew her father’s condition was serious, and fighting was the last thing he needed—even if he’d just marginalized her and hurt her as she’d never been hurt in her life. Not even when she was in college and he’d tried to talk her out of majoring in zoology. Not even when he’d told her it was a worthless degree and she’d be wasting her time and his money. Not even when he’d created the research position for her and she’d had to endure his barbs about that job being the only place she would be able to earn a decent wage.

  Now he was telling Brodie Fortune Hayes that she was extraneous? That she could simply be shipped off and put back in her office in Chicago if she were in the way?

  “Ahh, there she is,” her father said, as if she’d walked in and overheard them singing her praises.

  She pinned Brodie with a pointed look.

  But she looked at her father—really looked at him. He looked much smaller, almost frail, lying there in that hospital bed with all those tubes stuck in his body and all the blinking and beeping machines registering his vitals. Dear God, he’d suffered a massive heart attack. He’d undergone major surgery not even two weeks ago.

  He could’ve died.

  That was the tipping point. The reality.

  When it came down to it, family was the only thing that mattered.

  The best way to prove that she wasn’t simply his little princess who could be dismissed and kept out of the way was to prove that she was strong enough to handle even the toughest situations.

  Situations like this.

  She let the hurtful words roll off her and mustered her bravest smile. “I’m so sorry I’m late for the meeting. Maybe next time you’ll let me know. How are you feeling, Dad? These are for you.”

  She placed the vase on his nightstand and leaned down to kiss him on the forehead.

  “I’m fine. Just fine. In fact, as soon as I can get the nurses to unhook me from these contraptions, I’ll go start training for a triathlon. Can you think of a better way to test the improvements being made to my old ticker?”

  He laughed, but it sounded so hollow and sad to Caitlyn.

  “Are you behaving yourself for the nurses?” she asked.

  He waved her off. “What fun would that be? But Caitlyn, Brodie and I were just talking about Cowboy Country. Since I am on the mend, there’s really no reason for you to stay in Horseback Hollow. It sounds like Brodie has everything under control. If you want to go back to Chicago, he can work with the staff we have in place to get the park up and running. That way you won’t have to be inconvenienced.”

  “Inconvenienced? Is that what you think? Because it couldn’t be further from the truth. I really want to stay.”

  Caitlyn took extra care to keep her tone light yet businesslike. She wasn’t going to spar with him, even though verbal jousting sometimes seemed like their language of love.

  And she refused to look at Brodie, even though she could feel his gaze on her—staring right through her, boring a hole with those maddeningly blue eyes.

  It wasn’t fair that one man could be so attractive and such a double-crossing rat fink. Stronger words came to mind, actually. But she refused to lose control.

  He was good at that—making her lose control—but she wasn’t going to think about that right now. If she knew what was good for her she wouldn’t think about it ever again.

  “I thought you would be eager to get back to your research,” her father said.

  “Sir, if you don’t mind my saying so, I could use Caitlyn’s help. We’re a good team.”

  She did a double take to make sure she was hearing him right.

  She had. Apparently.

  What was he up to? He even had the audacity to look sincere.

  She had to bite her tongue to keep from telling her father the reason she didn’t want to leave was because if Brodie were left to his own devices, they wouldn’t be able to open because he would probably fire the entire Cowboy Country workforce.

  How would he explain that to his Fortune family? Better yet, how would the Fortunes explain to the community that it was one of their own who had taken jobs away from the locals and given them to people from Lubbock or God o
nly knew where else?

  But she doubted her father would have much sympathy for a guy like Clark Ball.

  It dawned on her that Brodie and her father were cut from a similar cloth. She was the lone wolf here. But she would stand her ground.

  Her gut told her she could prove to the citizens of Horseback Hollow that Cowboy Country USA and Moore Entertainment would be good neighbors.

  She would start proving that at the Fortune barbecue on Friday night.

  “Dad, Brodie and I do bring different strengths to the table. So don’t worry about Cowboy Country. We have it under control. We will open the park on time. I promise.”

  Her dad didn’t argue. That, more than anything, worried her. As he lay there in a hospital bed, he didn’t seem to have any fight in him.

  “Okay,” he said. “I will leave it to the two of you.”

  The door opened. “Caitlyn, darling, I didn’t realize you were here.”

  Her mother walked over and enfolded her in a hug.

  “Hi, Mom. Have you met Brodie?”

  Her mother smiled her gracious smile. “Yes. We met a few moments ago. As happy as I am to see you, I am afraid the two of you will have to leave because your father needs his rest.”

  When Caitlyn glanced back at her dad, he was lying there with his eyes closed.

  Barbara walked Brodie and Caitlyn to the door and ushered them out into the hallway. She pulled the door closed, but took care so that it didn’t make noise.

  “May I bring you anything, Mom?”

  Her mother had been practically living at the rehabilitation center since Caitlyn’s father had been released from the hospital. She hadn’t felt up to the task of caring for her husband on her own in these critical post-surgical days, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t attentive. She spent every waking moment with him, only going home to sleep. And those brief breaks had only come after she was sure he was stable.

  “No, thank you, sweetheart. It’s so nice of you to offer, but I have everything I need right here. They bring me a dinner tray when they bring your father’s. The food here is delicious. I know, who would’ve thought? But that was one of the criteria on your father’s list before he would agree to come here. You know how he is about his food. I’m just glad he has agreed to change some of his ways so that the triple bypass will take. The doctor warned him that surgery alone would not be enough. He needed to make some major lifestyle adjustments.”