by Dani Wade
“No, Bill,” she snapped. “It’s not like I have alerts set up or something.” She’d finally turned them off. She was tired of knowing about it the instant bad news made its way out into the world.
“You might want to take a look at this one. I’ll call you in a little while.”
Trinity rolled her eyes as she ended the call. She’d thought women were melodramatic. They had nothing on silver-haired Southern lawyers. She stared at her phone for long moments, unable to force herself to open the internet browser. Her mother had taught her to face life head-on. Trinity was fast losing that lesson these days.
Maybe she could hide in her cave for another five or six hours?
The doorbell rang, providing a welcome distraction. As she and Madison headed for the front foyer, the weight of her phone in her hand reminded her of everything she was avoiding. Had they gone to the gossip blogger with stories of her virginity? How she’d duped Michael out of his inheritance? Why was no one willing to believe that she’d done all of this to help a friend?
She needed to stop hiding and at least arm herself with the knowledge of what she would be facing over the next few weeks. Pausing on the edge of the foyer, Trinity forced herself to unlock her phone.
Just as she clicked on the app, Madison opened the front door. Trinity couldn’t look up from her search. Now that she’d determined what needed to be done, she had to do it immediately. She didn’t hear the steps approaching her. Instead, when the blog opened on her phone, she scrolled down to the first picture and was shocked to see Rhett Brannon.
Then his voice intruded, “Hello, Trinity.”
Looking up, she found herself staring into those gray eyes in person.
Eighteen
Rhett followed Trinity into the sitting room attached to her bedroom at Maison de Jardin and slid the door closed behind him. He wasn’t taking any chances on anyone overhearing them. What he had to say was too important, too personal.
When she reached the slim side table near the window, literally as far from him as she could get, she stopped and turned to face him. “If you’ve come to talk to me about the blogger, save your breath. I see you’ve done some kind of interview...just like my father.”
He wouldn’t admit to anyone how much it hurt to be lumped into the same category as her abuser. “Have you watched it?”
“Not yet.”
Well, he had been impatient to see her again. Maybe he should have waited another hour or two, but he hadn’t been able to stay away. Her closed expression and short answers weren’t giving him much hope.
“Do you plan to?”
“Why? What will I hear? A first person account of how I threw myself at you to lose my virginity? That would make for really sensational gossip, wouldn’t it?”
A spark of frustration lit inside him. “I would never do that to you.”
“I don’t know you at all,” she argued. “How would I know what you’re capable of?”
How could he prove he was trustworthy? He’d done the only thing he’d known to do. Now he needed her to watch it.
“I’ve always been me, Trinity. Yes, I hid things about myself, especially in the beginning. But I strive to give as much of the truth as possible.”
“So you don’t slip up?”
He couldn’t really refute it. That’s exactly why he’d done it in the past. “Given the nature of my job, what do you want me to say to that?”
“I honestly don’t know.”
He did. She was angry and lashing out, and she had every reason to. He should be soft and accepting but that wasn’t Rhett. If there was a playbook for winning back the woman you loved after being a complete horse’s ass, he hadn’t read it. But he wasn’t about to let her shut him out with anger.
“I’m not going to apologize for doing my job, but I am sorry for how it ended up hurting you.” He took a deep breath. “Now let’s move on to something more productive.”
Oh, she didn’t like that. Her body tensed and she wrapped her arms around her stomach. “Okay, then answer some questions for me,” she demanded. “How in the world do you make a living doing this?”
Wow...from shaky ground to even shakier. “Since I don’t need the money, it’s not really a true living.”
“You do this for fun?”
From her tone, her anger was growing. “No. I do it to keep people like me from being taken advantage of. From being lied to and stolen from.”
That softened her just a little. At least, her voice. “Your fiancée?”
“It happened to me. It happened to my father. People lie and steal all the time.”
She thought about that a moment. “So you run a sort of undercover security company.”
“Not anymore.”
She shook her head. “What?”
“First, no one is gonna hire me once they watch that.” He gestured to her phone. Her eyes widened as the implications started to take hold. “And second, I don’t think I have the stomach for it anymore.” He couldn’t take his eyes off of her, even though she refused to look at him directly. “A sweet Southern woman taught me a better way.”
She shook her head, squeezing her eyes closed. “I can’t. I can’t do this, Rhett.”
“Yes. You can.” He stepped closer. “I know you’ve been hurt. I know I hurt you. But I’m trying to fix this, to make it right.”
“By spilling even more of my secrets?” The fear and sadness in her eyes made his stomach churn. “Did you tell them about Michael? About how sick he was? That was a confidence I gave you. I promised him I wouldn’t tell—”
“I didn’t.” Rhett grabbed her shoulders and gently shook her. “I promise I did not tell them anything you wouldn’t want me to.” He wanted nothing more than to end the panic and pain on her face. “Watch it,” he said. “Now.” He needed her to see.
Rhett cringed as his voice on the recording filled the room, but he refused to move away from Trinity. He would be here with her through this, even if she didn’t want him, until he knew she was safe. Safe from the Hyatts and safe from him.
Even though he couldn’t see the screen, Rhett recognized the tinny distortion of the interviewer’s disguised voice asking, “Can you introduce yourself, please?”
“I’m Rhett Brannon, currently contracted as a business consultant for Hyatt Heights, Inc.”
“So you were requested to help Trinity Hyatt learn to run the businesses she stands to inherit from her late husband, is that correct?”
“Through Hyatt Heights, yes.”
“Are you employed by anyone else?” the interviewer asked.
“I’m not at liberty to say.”
“Are you contractually obligated to deny answering that question?”
Rhett hesitated before he answered. “Yes. I’ve signed a nondisclosure agreement with another entity who required me to work closely with Trinity Hyatt. Something she was unaware of at the time.”
“Since we are very concerned here about whether this woman is qualified to carry on Michael Hyatt’s enterprises, can you tell us whether you believe she duped her dead husband into giving her his businesses?”
Rhett remembered how this part of the interview had made his blood pressure rise, though he couldn’t hear any anger in his response. It had probably shown on his face, though.
“I’ve interacted extensively with Trinity Hyatt, with her lawyer and the staff at Hyatt House who knew Michael Hyatt after years of working with him. There was no duplicity on her part. She and Michael were very close friends for many years, and I believe that’s the reason he asked her to marry him.”
He paused a moment before going on. “People get married for many different reasons. We assume, in this day and age, that it’s either for love or for money. But that’s not always the case. I believe Michael saw in Trinity someone who could complement him in business, in
social situations and in companionship. That was his choice to make. Unfortunately, he passed away before he could make the world understand why he made that choice.”
Rhett went on to talk about his experience with Trinity in business matters. He’d kept it as general as possible, to avoid any legal trouble for himself or Trinity. He and Bill had briefed the blogger on what he could say, which hadn’t stopped the person from asking him, “If Trinity Hyatt is such a good person, why do you think so many bad things have come out about her?”
Rhett remembered the punch of sadness that had accompanied his answer. Trinity had never deserved the things dished out to her since Michael’s death.
“Two things. First, money talks. Greedy people will say whatever they want to get people on their side. Especially if saying those things profits them in some way. We can’t change that, only counterbalance it as best we can. In the end, people will believe what they want. Second, drama sells. There’s a reason why controversy is what you end up posting about on your blog and social media channels. Because more people will click on it, read it. We don’t need more drama in our lives.”
He took a deep breath before he went on. “We need love. Trinity taught me that.”
Rhett tensed, recognizing the moment the interviewer went off script.
“I’ve heard a rumor that Michael and Trinity Hyatt’s marriage wasn’t consummated. Can you confirm that for us?”
Trinity abruptly paused the recording. “I can’t. I just can’t hear this,” she said.
He laid his hand over hers, aching as he felt the slight tremor beneath his palm. “Trust me, Trinity,” he said. “Trust me to do right by you.”
She didn’t, he knew that. He deserved it. But she didn’t deserve to live without faith. Doing this interview had been just as much about giving that back to her as setting the record straight. “Please.”
It took a few seconds. But like the strong woman he knew, she finally pushed the button so she could listen.
On the video, Rhett said, “I’ve heard that rumor, too, and it makes me sad.”
“How so?” the interviewer asked.
“Michael Hyatt was a trusted member of this community, held in high esteem by his fellow members of society, the members of his board and by his employees. Why can we not trust his judgment? He chose Trinity. For whatever reason, he chose her. Why do we not believe he knew exactly what he was doing when he made that choice?”
“People get duped all the time,” the interviewer insisted.
“Not by people they’ve known for over fifteen years,” Rhett said, his own experiences with Trinity bolstering his confidence. “He knew Trinity since she was a child. He knew what he was doing. Trust that.”
Trinity gave a small squeak, but he didn’t turn to look at her, afraid of what he would see.
“Do you think the Hyatts will win?” the interviewer asked.
Rhett thought for a moment before he responded, “They’ll continue to fight. And because they are willing to fight dirty, they might even win. I’ve offered to testify as much as I can on her behalf. But all Trinity can do is her best. For Michael’s sake, for the trust he put in her, I know she will give it her all.”
Rhett listened as the video wound down, hoping his words were enough to make Trinity see how he believed in her. He may not have been able to win the case for her, but he hoped he’d been able to make the path an easier one.
* * *
Trinity couldn’t stop the shaking deep down in her core. The fact that Rhett had protected her privacy meant the most to her, but he’d also defended her...and defended Michael.
“Why are you doing this?” she asked, barely able to force her voice above a whisper.
“I want to make things right,” he said, but the way he fidgeted while they watched the video, his tense stance and clenched fists, indicated it wasn’t as simple as that.
“Why?” she pushed.
Something was missing. She needed to know more.
Whatever was missing was big. Trinity could tell as Rhett pivoted on his heel and stalked to the far side of the room. His hands dug into his hair, making it stick up at odd angles. Oh, yeah, this was big.
Was she ready?
Finally, he blurted out, “There’s something I left out.”
Was she ready? Did she really want to know? Trinity swallowed hard, then asked, “What?”
To her surprise, Rhett connected his gaze to hers. There was nowhere for her to hide from the emotion in those gray eyes. “That I love you,” he said with a quiet intensity that shook her foundation.
She could only blink. “Why?”
He gave a huff of laughter. “Trinity, so often you sell yourself short. You’re intelligent, intense, hardworking, compassionate.” He strode back over to her, as if he couldn’t stand to be that far away from her. It felt good...though she didn’t want to admit it. “And you’re beautiful in every way. Even if I lose you through my own sheer stupidity, I will never, ever be able to forget you.”
Each word hit her heart like a knock on a door, begging her to open and let him in. Did she dare risk it? What if—no. No more questions. She would have to step out in faith, like her mother had always told her.
“Why didn’t you tell them that on the video?” she asked.
“Because not everything should be public.”
Good answer.
“I can’t stop what the Hyatts may put out there about you. And I’m horrified about the part I played in giving them that information.”
“How did it happen?” Trinity needed to hear him say it for herself.
“Someone spying on the spy.” His mouth twisted in a sarcastic smile. “I believe someone overheard me having a conversation over the phone about conscience with my father...when I thought I was alone.”
“With your father, huh? About me?”
Rhett nodded. “For the record, he’s never approved of my career choice, despite some episodes in his life inspiring it. Our family isn’t the luckiest in love.”
Rhett hesitantly reached for her hand as if to underscore his words. He brushed his fingertips along the back first, then slid them around to completely envelop her hand. Ever so slowly, she curled her fingers up around his. Accepting, but still cautious. His smile said he understood.
Okay, she wasn’t going to even think about him telling his father she was a virgin. It was too embarrassing, even though she could now understand the issues it raised for him.
“Well, I found myself in a unique situation,” Rhett said, “and he was eager to make me admit I wasn’t always right about these things.”
“Smart man.” Trinity smiled at the idea of his father trying to keep Rhett humble.
“We’ve had some ugly times, he and I. He’s never agreed with how I’ve handled it.”
“Betrayal by someone you love is never easy,” she murmured. “I’m sorry you both had to go through that.”
“I’m not. I wouldn’t be here if we hadn’t. If I hadn’t.”
“I know the feeling.”
“I wish you didn’t,” he said, taking her face between his palms. “I’ve done so many things wrong since I’ve met you, but I want the chance to make it right.
“Which reminds me,” he said, “I’ve investigated a few things through my connections, and my suggestion to you is to get rid of Maggie. She’s head of the daytime housekeeping crew, by the way, and has contacted Patricia Hyatt on her cell phone several times.”
Trinity remembered the slight woman, though she’d rarely had much to do with her. Had that been on purpose?
She couldn’t stop herself from reaching up and cupping his cheek. She didn’t want to talk about them anymore, to give more headspace to the people who had set out to harm her. “What about the things you’ve done right?”
“They’re hard to remember when I see t
he pain on your face.”
“Let’s try,” she said, wishing she could erase the regret from his expression. “You believed in me, encouraged me, protected me in a room full of gossips eager for blood.”
“They were quite rabid.”
“So I think, all in all—” she paused to swallow “—you might be a keeper.”
“Are you sure? An unemployed thirtysomething with a father to take care of and a sad track record with relationships. I think I’m the risk now.”
“Are you sure about giving up your company for me?”
Rhett pulled her close, speaking against her hair. “My father told me it was time to let go. I’ve decided he was right.”
“I learned something from my father, too.”
He squeezed her a little closer, the comfort of having his body against hers something she couldn’t believe she was actually experiencing.
“What’s that?” he asked.
“I learned that some people’s actions can make you angry or sad or amused or irritated. But there is only one reason that someone’s actions truly hurt.”
“Why, Trinity?” he whispered against her.
She knew he regretted what he’d done. It was there in his touch, in his tone. As much as she hated to hurt him, she needed him to understand this.
“It only hurts if you love them.”
That had him drawing back, looking deep into her eyes with that incredible gray gaze. “Thank you, Trinity. Nothing could ever mean more to me than knowing you love me.”
“I do.” The words truly were a vow, though they weren’t standing in a church to say them. She’d never loved another man like this. Though putting her trust in him was scary, her heart compelled her to forge ahead.
Reaching out with shaking hands, she cupped Rhett’s face and pulled him down until his lips touched hers. “I’ll never leave you to face life alone again,” he promised. “I’ll always be beside you.”
As his hands traveled over her body once more, she reveled in his touch. Only Rhett had ever made her feel this incredibly electric, as if her nerve endings were attuned solely to him. Somehow, like her mother had said, there’d been a man made just for her. And he’d come to make her mind and heart and body sing.
