Dancing with Deception

by Avery Gale

  Sitting beside Joelle’s bed watching the gentle rise and fall of her chest was the only thing keeping Brandt from going out of his mind. His guilt felt like an elephant sitting on his chest. He’d been so focused on getting as much on tape as possible to ensure Helen Rodrick’s conviction, he’d held the team back too long. Threading his fingers with hers, Brandt let the soft beeping of her heart monitor push back the darkness threatening to overtake him again. He’d been so lost in his thoughts he hadn’t heard the door open, but he’d known immediately the large hand resting on his shoulder belonged to his dad.

  “I can almost feel the guilt pouring off you, son. And damned if I don’t understand exactly what you’re going through. I’ve kicked myself a thousand times for not taking the initiative to help you when you first moved home. You proved yourself capable of fighting your way out of the pit you’d fallen into, but damn it—you shouldn’t have had to do it alone. I’ll always feel like I let you down. But son, I’m telling you right now—I’m not going to stand back and watch you slide down that slippery slope again.” His dad pulled a chair close and when he’d settled, his eyes met Brandt’s. For the first time in his life, Brandt saw vulnerability in his father’s eyes, and it shocked him to realize the man he’d considered a tower of strength thought he’d failed to help one of his sons. When he started to speak, his dad shook his head. “No, it’s true. Morgans don’t let one another down and I was so focused on getting your brother set up in his new role I let you flounder. Hell, I even managed to convince myself I was doing you a favor by letting you work through it yourself.”

  His dad swiped his hand over his face in frustration. “Well, it’s in the past, I can’t change it but I can damned well make sure I don’t make the same mistake again. I’m telling you right now, I might be older than I was when you were a kid, but I’m still your father. And I’m not going to sit idly by and watch you tear yourself up over this. That gorgeous woman deserves all of you, not just the guilt-ridden bits you’ll have left to share until you pull yourself through it again.”

  “Dad.” Brandt’s voice was pitched low and sounded ominous even to him, but his dad shook his head.

  “I’m not backing down on this, son. You need us and we’re here for you. But you need to pull yourself together because Joelle is a brilliant young woman who isn’t going to want your guilt or pity. You think about that, boy. Cherish the gift you’ve been given, because I promise you there is nothing like the love of a good woman to make your life worth living.” His dad didn’t give him a chance to argue, he just made his way quietly out of the room.

  Ryan slipped in as his dad stepped out. Moving to the other side of Joelle’s bed, he brushed the back his fingers down Joelle’s pale cheek. “She’d going to be fine, you know. The damage wasn’t as bad as I’d originally thought, but we’re still damned lucky we were here. Don’t beat yourself up, hell, Mitch was standing a few feet away and didn’t have time to stop her. For an old broad, Helen Rodrick is damned quick with a knife.”

  “Mitch? Is that the reporter’s name?” They both looked down at Joelle, her eyes alight with mischief. “I wondered. It took me a few minutes, but I’d figured out she wasn’t really a woman. I’m grateful you’d thought ahead and he was close by. He saved my life and if you hadn’t put him in place who knows what might have happened.” Brant felt the guilt he’d been fighting burn off like a morning fog, and his heart filled to the point of bursting.

  Ryan grinned as he looked at Joelle. “You’re amazing, baby. And don’t think for a minute we’re letting you out of our sight again. Just so you know, I went toe-to-toe with the head surgical nurse over your collar. She wasn’t at all pleased I wouldn’t tell her how to unlock it.” Brandt laughed because he’d heard a couple of nurses discussing the battle of wills they’d watched take place outside the operating room. Ryan had won the war, but he’d gotten a few verbal battle scars in the process—the older nurse hadn’t gone down without a fight.

  Brandt leaned over to press a kiss against Joelle’s forehead. “You own my heart, minx. I know we should wait and give you the romantic setting you deserve for this—but the truth is I don’t want to wait.”

  “I agree. This way she can pick out her own ring. Marry us, baby.”

  “Jesus, Ry—that wasn’t a proposal, it was a command.” Brandt looked at his cousin and shook his head.

  Ryan shrugged off the criticism. “Of course, it was a command. If we ask, she might say no. I didn’t want to take a chance.”

  Looking down, Brandt saw tears pooling in Joelle’s soft gray eyes. “Love, I hope those are happy tears because we aren’t going to take no for an answer.”

  “I know it wasn’t a question, but I still want a chance to say yes. But don’t think you’re off the hook for the hearts and flowers proposal. As soon as my fiancé—the doctor—springs me, we’re going shopping. I’m really looking forward to finding something worthy of the two best men a woman could ever dream of finding.” From your lips to God’s ears, minx. We’ll do our best to make your every dream come true.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Three months later…

  Joelle stuffed a handful of cash through the window of the taxi before dashing into the airport terminal. She’d barely gotten through the revolving door when a security guard stepped into her path. “Are you Joelle Phillips?” She nodded and his harsh expression immediately softened, a small smile curving the corners of his mouth. “Come with me, please.” She had no clue what she’d done to be in trouble, but she also knew better than to argue. When she hesitated to get into the golf cart, he looked at her with a raised brow. She recognized the look and even though she might not know why he was whisking her across the terminal, she damned well recognized a Dom when she met one. He simply nodded, “Good girl. They told me you’d know.”

  Oh, she knew all right. She’d been living with first one Dom and then another for the past four months. Brandt and Ryan had been traveling back and forth between Washington, D.C. and Montana while she’d struggled to wrap up the endless string of hearings associated with her discovery and Helen Rodrick’s indictment. Joelle knew the woman would never spend a day behind bars, but her political career was in shambles. Knowing the woman would never hold political office again was enough for Joelle, but her men didn’t seem to agree. The Morgans were calling in a lot of favors to ensure the woman paid for targeting Joelle.

  What was supposed to be a six-week hearing had stretched into three months when Joelle’s father died suddenly before he could testify before the Senate committee investigating the Phillips Pharmaceutical’s board of directors. The sell-off of stock had set off similar runs in other drug companies. It had taken Joelle weeks to find out who’d been buying up the stock, but all roads finally led to her future fathers-in-law. Between the stock she’d already held and the shares she’d gotten after her father’s death, Joelle held thirty percent. But with Dean and Don Morgan’s twenty-two shares, they now held majority-voting interest, something that pleased her very much.

  Today was the first board meeting since the shift in power. She’d enjoyed being the one to introduce the board’s newest members even if they hadn’t been in the room. They’d participated via a video link and hadn’t hesitated to share their vision for the company’s future. Any board member who didn’t share their vision was given the opportunity to sell their shares. It had taken every ounce of self-control she’d been able to scrape together to keep from laughing at the mortified expressions when Dean had stated their terms. Damn, she’d wished Dean and Don had been able to personally attend the meeting. They’d both sworn they had something more important scheduled, but for some reason, she’d gotten the impression she was being bamboozled.

  When the golf cart she was riding in passed through the gate for private arrivals and departures Joelle cast a questioning look at her driver. He grinned and pointed to the large white jet with Morgan Holdings emblazoned on the side. Shaking her head, Joelle’s heart swelled with j
oy. She was marrying Brandt and Ryan the day after tomorrow and evidently they hadn’t wanted to risk her missing her flight. Climbing on board, she was surprised to see both Dean and Don standing beside an intricately carved wooden bar. Dean was the first to see her, setting his drink down he stepped toward her and grinned.

  “As you can see, we had something far more important to take care of.”

  Don moved to his brother’s side, hands shoved deep in his pockets and rocked up on his heels grinning. He looked like an older version of Ryan and in that moment she knew she’d just seen a glimpse of her future. “It’s true. Neither of us has a daughter and we didn’t want to take a chance on you changing your mind. After all, you asked us to walk you down the aisle.”

  “And we’re looking forward to that honor. So we wanted to make sure you arrived in Montana safely.” Their impish smiles were more than she could resist. She hugged them both before looking around appreciatively the aircraft’s luxurious interior. Dean laughed. “It was part of the incentive package to keep Sage on board as CEO when we merged. Now that I’m going to be a grandfather, there will need to be some more changes made to our original plan, but this will make the commute a lot easier.” Oh, indeed it will. Holy shit, this isn’t your average commuter’s idea of a ride to work.

  “We’ll let the boys tell you all about what’s been happening while you’re lying on the beach soaking up the sun.” Don’s grin told Joelle he knew exactly where they were going on their honeymoon and she’d be willing to bet her Phillips stock it wasn’t anywhere near a beach. Ryan and Brandt had refused to tell her their destination. She’d been told she only needed to bring her purse, that they had everything else covered. Personally, Joelle would have preferred to find a nearby flat surface and sleep for a week. The past four months had been positively grueling. Hell, she hadn’t even been able to plan her own wedding. Thankfully, her future mothers-in-law had been thrilled to step in. Coral had been charged with making sure they didn’t get too carried away, something that had, according to her friend, taken a Herculean effort.

  Knowing her best friend was also going to be her sister-in-law was enough to make Joelle jump up and down for joy. She was getting two amazing husbands and the large, loving family she’d always dreamed of. Brandt and Ryan had been sending her pictures of the lab Morgan Holdings was building but they’d refused to send her any pictures of the home they were scrambling to finish.

  Dean’s voice brought her back to the present. “You know, she doesn’t look as happy as I’d hoped she’d be. I wonder if we showed her the pictures we took of the house if they’d earn us any extra points?”

  Oh, they had her attention now. Joelle bounced on the balls of her feet as the fatigue she’d been feeling morphed into excitement. Settling between them, she fastened her seat belt when they began taxiing down the runway. They passed her picture after picture sharing in her happiness in a way her father never would have been able to do. And while she missed him, she wasn’t going to waste a moment of her time languishing in sadness while she was with her future dads. She’d grieved and vowed not to let anything in her past hold her back. She’d done a lot to help others live the long, happy lives they deserved, and now it was time for her to enjoy the best of what life had to offer as well.

  Don Morgan brushed a tear from her cheek. “What’s the matter, sweetheart? Feeling a little overwhelmed?” How did he know?

  “You know, for a couple of guys who didn’t have any daughters, you’re really acing this dad thing.”

  “Damn, darlin’, I think that’s one of the nicest compliments I’ve ever gotten. And I’m sure it’s one of the nicest things a woman’s ever said to my brother because frankly he’s just not as nice as I am.”

  Dean looked at his brother and rolled his eyes. “Don’t listen to him. You’ll find out soon enough, I’m going to be the better father-in-law. Hell, everybody knows this except my kid brother.”

  Joelle couldn’t hold back her laughter. Suddenly, every hurdle she had to maneuver to get to this moment faded into the background. She was finally on her way home to the men who hadn’t taken no for an answer.

  Epilogue

  Colt Morgan pulled into the alley behind O’Donnell Hardware, parking his large truck beneath the carport behind the store. He hadn’t seen any lights in the small apartment, but somebody evidently had or he wouldn’t have been called out at this ungodly hour. Fuck, he’d only been in bed an hour when Brandt’s deputy called saying he’d had a report of a light on in the unoccupied apartment. He loved his hometown, but there were times having everyone up in your business was enough to make him want to pull his hair out.

  His new sister-in-law had lived in the small apartment above the store before marrying Colt’s oldest brother, Sage. Of course, his damned brother had taken Coral on a cruise to celebrate their four and a quarter month anniversary, or some such shit, so he wasn’t available to go on this particular wild goose chase. Sage bought the store when Charlotte O’Donnell decided traveling sounded more appealing than another Montana winter—wise woman. Coral spent a lot of time at the store where she’d worked, making a lot of improvements while keeping the charm of a building who’d served the people of their sleepy mountain town for almost a hundred years.

  He might be exhausted, but Colt was also relieved the last of this season’s hay crop had been cut, baled, and safely stored around the ranch well ahead of the coming winter. Other ranches routinely did another cutting late in the season, but the Morgan Ranch left that growth in place hoping to catch more snow. The extra snow meant precious moisture for next year’s crop. He’d fallen into bed relieved to finally be looking at a full eight hours of sleep before trying to catch up with the outside world. He hadn’t seen a television for more than a week—hell, World War III could have broken out for all he knew. Fuck! I should have shut my damned phone off.

  Moving the large clay pot at the base of the stairs, Colt picked up one of the spare keys he knew was hidden there and started up the stairs. Swearing to himself as one of the steps moved under his foot, Colt vowed to stop by later and secure the loose step—he didn’t want to take a chance Coral might slip and fall. Even though no one was currently living in the small apartment, they had been making improvements hoping to have it ready to rent soon and she made the trip up the outdoor staircase several times each day.

  Sage was interviewing managers for the store even though his pregnant wife didn’t know what her husband was planning. He’d tried to warn his brother that excluding his new bride from such an important decision was a whole new level of stupid, but Sage had never been big on taking advice from his younger brothers. Colt laughed to himself, his big brother was fixin’ to be taken down a peg or two by his sweet wife and his younger brothers were all looking forward to the show.

  When the door opened without the key, Colt swore under his breath. Kip had been the last one working up here and Colt wondered where his head had been that he’d failed to secure the door. Fuck it, they were all wondering if the youngest Morgan brother was ever going to grow up and become a responsible adult. Slipping inside, Colt stifled a curse when he saw the door of the refrigerator was open. From the muffled ramblings and sound of the contents being moved around it was obvious someone was desperately looking for something to eat. What the hell? What kind of burglar takes time to make himself a snack? Stepping closer, he was about to yank the door further open to confront the refrigerator bandit when an unmistakable feminine voice made him freeze. Without moving so much as a muscle, he listened as she chattered softly to someone she thought had stolen her orange juice.

  Leaning over he spotted familiar light blonde hair and had to hold back his chuckle at the brilliant streak of neon blue falling along the right side of her angelic face. Coral’s friend Josie—known to the rest of the world as pop singing sensation Josephine Alta was frantically looking for a bottle of juice. Why the hell was a woman who made millions each year holed up in an unfinished apartment in Pine Creek, Mo
ntana?

  She’d shown up for Sage and Coral’s wedding—rocked his world and then vanished as quickly as she’d appeared. He’d followed her online as she’d done shows all over the country during a tour so successful they’d been adding dates in every city. Stepping silently behind her, Colt simply waited patiently for her to find the bottle of orange juice she was frantically looking for.

  “Hey, refrigerator fairy, where did you hide the damned orange juice? I know I left one of those little bottles in here. Don’t tell me you shared with your sprite buddies because that’s just gonna suck. Damn it, nobody asked me if they could drink the last bottle. Coral warned me this place was under construction but she didn’t say anything about it being overrun with juice steeling wee folk.” Josie leaned her forehead against the fridge and groaned. That’s it. I’ve officially lost my mind. I should have known I’d tip over the edge if I didn’t learn to say no. Damn it, where is that freaking juice?

  “Come on, come on. I know it’s in here. I can’t go to the damned store…somebody will recognize me and splash my damned picture all over the internet, then he’ll find me again. Coral will be home in a few days and then she can help me figure out what to do. Fucking hell, I need that juice. If I don’t have it, I won’t be able to sleep. And, I really need to sleep.” And wasn’t that the understatement of the decade. Damn, she hadn’t had a good night’s sleep in weeks. The notes left in her dressing rooms around the country had been frightening enough to keep her awake at night, but returning to her home in LA to find it gutted had been terrifying. Who steals everything and then tears out entire walls, for heaven’s sake?

  Sagging in defeat, Josie was losing the battle to hold back the hot tears of frustration burning at the back of her eyes. Everything had spiraled out of control during the last few weeks. Her final shows seemed more like a slow slide into some b-rated horror movie than the end of a hugely successful music tour. She’d lost so much weight her wardrobe assistant had been forced to rework every one of her stage outfits, but she’d been too unsettled to eat. Damn, I really wanted that juice.