A Fortunate Arrangement

by Nancy Robards Thompson

  “Thank you for thinking of me, Savannah, but I have plans this evening.” She glanced at her watch. “In fact, I should leave now so I can get back to the office and button up a few things before I call it a day. Chaz, it was so nice to meet you. I’ll probably see both of you at the ball.”

  Savannah made disappointed noises, but she didn’t try to convince her to stay.

  Felicity dared a glance at Austin, who was still holding the folder with the signed documents and frowning at a spot somewhere over Felicity’s left shoulder.

  “If you’re finished with that, I’ll take it back to the office,” she said. It seemed to snap him out of his trance. He handed her the folder.

  “All right, you all have a good night.”

  As she walked to the door, Austin walked with her. She had the feeling he had something to say, and she wasn’t sure she wanted to hear it, especially if he was going to take issue with her telling Savannah about their dinner at R’evolution.

  It was a business dinner. I get it. Even if Savannah was waxing on about it being oh so romantic, I didn’t join in. Besides, you chose the restaurant.

  “I hope Kevin knows how lucky he is,” Austin said in a low voice, his left hand braced on the frame around the elevator.

  Wait. What?

  “I know I’ve already said this, but it bears repeating. He’d better not mistreat you.”

  Did he think when she said she had plans tonight that she had a date with Kevin?

  She bit her bottom lip as she racked her brain for a way to tell him her plans were actually with Maia, who had just gotten back from her trip and wanted to take her to dinner in appreciation for her taking care of the corgis.

  But there was that vibe again. That slight hint of...what? Jealousy?

  Maybe she was way off base, but why else would he have such a bad reaction to a guy he’d never met? Yet, the minute his sister suggested he bring her to the family dinner tonight, he acted as if Savannah had suggested he elope with Felicity.

  Clearly, Austin didn’t want her, but he had a real problem with the thought of Kevin having her.

  Maybe it would be good for Austin to stew a little bit.

  Let him think I’m seeing Kevin tonight. It might give him pause and make him take stock of what he wants.

  Chapter Six

  “What the hell is wrong with you, Savannah?” Austin fumed after he walked back into the living room after showing Felicity to the door.

  “No, Austin, what the hell is wrong with you?” Savannah countered. “Felicity is a beautiful woman. I was just trying to make it easier on you to ask her out.”

  Austin gave his head a sharp shake. “You can’t just invite someone to Mom and Dad’s on a whim like that,” he said. “Especially if it’s to further this matchmaking game of yours. For your information, I have eyes. I can see that Felicity is a beautiful woman. She’s also my assistant. You’re barking up the wrong tree. I can’t even act remotely interested in her because I’m her boss. Having a little fun with my assistant is a fast track to a sexual harassment lawsuit. Are you trying to bankrupt the family business? Because it sure seems that way.”

  Savannah shook her head. “I’m not buying it. I think the whole boss-employee thing is a convenient excuse. Because it’s not the fact that you aren’t interested in her, you’re not interested in anybody or anything except work, and if you’re not careful, you’re going to work yourself into an early grave. I love you too much to stand by and watch you do that to yourself. You have to stop being such a grump and loosen up. At least allow yourself to have a little fun.”

  He crossed his arms over his chest, a protective armor. “Are you finished?”

  Savannah blinked at him. “No, I’m not finished. Are you kidding?”

  “Well, I’m not either,” Austin said. “Your ‘have fun’ prescription is good in theory, but not everyone has the same idea of fun.”

  “Fair enough,” Savannah conceded. “What is your idea of fun, then?”

  “Well, it’s certainly not taking the afternoon off work to fight with my sister. Talk about someone needing to loosen up. Are you playing the role of pot or kettle today?”

  Savannah smirked and waved away his question with a flick of her wrist. “Okay, here’s my idea of fun: I want to take Chaz to Bourbon Street. He’s never seen it. Why don’t you come with us and ask Felicity to join you?”

  “Did you hear a word I said?” Austin asked.

  “I did. And did you hear me say I’m not buying it? You get this look on your face when you’re with her. The chemistry between you is so strong, it should have its own element on the periodic table.”

  “I think you’re mistaking a good working relationship with something romantic. As I said, I can hardly have ‘a little fun’ with my personal assistant. I’ll be real with you—she is the best thing that’s ever happened to me, but not in the way you think. It’s purely platonic. Besides, she’s seeing someone.”

  He thought of her going out with Kevin Clooney again tonight. What was this, their third or fourth date? Not that he’d been counting. He couldn’t help but notice because something seemed to remind him of it every time he turned around.

  And he hated it.

  Savannah was watching him again, sizing him up. “Do you realize you were in such a good mood until Felicity mentioned that she has plans tonight?”

  “No, I was in a good mood until you took it upon yourself to invite her to dinner tonight. You put me in the middle of a very embarrassing situation.”

  Savannah started to protest again. Austin held up his hand. There was no use in rehashing the same argument again, which was what was about to happen unless he circumnavigated it.

  “Would you get off my back and drop this Felicity crusade if I agree to go on a date?”

  Savannah’s face lit up and her mouth dropped open.

  “Not with Felicity,” he hastened to add. “I can see what you were thinking. I’ll ask someone to go to Bourbon Street with me, you and Chaz. Someone who is not Felicity.”

  He was going to ask Macks Cole. Why not? He wasn’t serious about dating Macks, but essentially, it would serve two purposes: It would allow him to get his sister off his back, and it would be good for client relations.

  It was a total win-win.

  Why did he feel so empty?

  * * *

  “Your father sends his best wishes.” Sarah Fortune glanced around her dining room table, smiling at her children, Austin, Georgia, Belle, Beau, Draper and Savannah. All of her kids were present, except for Nolan, who was in Texas. “Your dad wishes he could be here tonight. Savannah and Chaz, he specifically asked me to reiterate that he is looking forward to spending time with you in a few days when he gets home. This merger he’s working on has taken a lot out of him. That and the Charlotte Robinson incidents have him so stressed out, he’s wound tighter than a clock.”

  “He shouldn’t worry so much.” Savannah said, as she pushed a bite of roast chicken into her peas, sending them tumbling into the untouched mountain of mashed potatoes. “He especially shouldn’t worry about the wedding. It will be fine.”

  “I’m sure it will be beautiful,” Sarah said. “I hope Gerald and Deborah will share photos.”

  “Why photos?” Savannah asked. “You’re going, aren’t you?”

  Austin tried to catch his sister’s eye, but she was transfixed on their mother. He wanted to kick himself for not preparing his sister for this when she came over that afternoon.

  Sarah shook her head. “Your father is adamantly opposed to our attending the wedding. Because of everything that’s happened, it’s just not safe. We decided this at last week’s family dinner. I suppose I should’ve told you sooner, but I knew you were coming for a visit and I thought I’d tell you in person.”

  Savannah and Chaz exchanged a look.

  �
��What?” asked Sarah. “What was that look about?”

  Savannah cleared her throat. “Chaz and I have already RSVP’d that we will be there. It would be rude to back out this close to the wedding, since it’s only a month away.”

  Sarah frowned. “It’s six weeks away. There’s still plenty of time to send your regrets if you do it soon.”

  Savannah’s mouth pinched into a pucker, a sure sign she was about to deliver news that wouldn’t please their mother. “I understand your concern, but if I can live through my apartment being vandalized and still feel brave enough to go, I’d hope my immediate family could be courageous enough to come with me and support our extended family.”

  Sarah flinched, and Austin knew it was time to step in.

  “Savannah,” Austin said, “we understand where you’re coming from, but I hope you’ll listen to what we have to say. It’s important.”

  “So, our family has sides now? All of you against Chaz and me?”

  “Don’t be that way,” Austin said. “Charlotte Robinson has proven herself to be a dangerous woman who will stop at nothing to get revenge on the Fortunes. The divorce from Gerald and his upcoming wedding to Deborah have no doubt set her off and made her bitter toward our entire family. I think we haven’t heard the last from her. I believe she’s not going to stop until she makes a big statement, and what better place to do that than at her ex-husband’s wedding?”

  Savannah made a dubious sound. “Well, I believe they’re going to catch her before the wedding. We’ve already talked about this, Austin. I don’t understand why you’re doing an about-face now.”

  “Talked about what?” Sarah asked.

  Savannah turned back to her mother. “I forgot to tell you this last night, but I mentioned it to Austin earlier today. Kate Fortune is sick of Charlotte’s shenanigans and she has made it her mission to put an end to all the craziness. She is determined to find the woman and see her arrested and locked up. I’ll bet that Charlotte will be in jail by the time the wedding rolls around. I mean with Kate on it, you know it’s bound to happen. And you know Gerald isn’t just huddled in a corner quaking with fear. Not when his wedding is on the line. You know he’s got to be doing everything he can to make sure his wedding day isn’t ruined.”

  “She’s not behind bars yet,” Sarah said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if she laid low until the wedding, so she could go out with a bang.”

  “Okay, I’ll make a deal with you,” Savannah said. “If Charlotte is still on the loose by the time the wedding happens next month, I won’t go.”

  “What are you going to do?” Beau asked. “Just not show up? That’s worse than canceling now. If you bowed out now, at least you’d give them a chance to notify the caterer and they won’t get stuck paying for your meal.”

  Belle narrowed her eyes. “I think Savannah has a point. Do you really think Gerald will go through with the wedding if Charlotte is still on the loose?”

  No one answered. Even though Gerald was their half uncle, they really didn’t know him very well. What they did know had come from news stories about how he had grown his garage-based computer company in to a billion-dollar empire. Though Gerald was a self-made man like their dad, Miles Fortune preferred to keep a more private profile. Another way the half brothers differed was that Gerald appeared to be a cutthroat business mogul who looked out for only himself, or, at least, that’s the way the media had painted him.

  It was difficult to know whether or not the guy would look out for the greater good and postpone his wedding if Charlotte was still at large.

  “Have you ever considered that Charlotte is terrorizing us right now?” Savannah countered. “She has us living scared, ready to give up something we want to do because we are frightened of her. If we don’t go, we’re playing right into her hands. She will have won.”

  “Sounds like we’re damned if we do and damned if we don’t,” said Draper. “If we don’t go, she’ll win by keeping us away. If we do go and she manages to blow us all up, she’ll win and we will die.”

  Sarah shoved her chair back from the table. The sound of the wood scraping the floor echoed in the dining room as she stood. “I don’t want to talk about this anymore,” she demanded. “It’s far too upsetting. It’s not often that I have most of my children together. I am not going to let that crazy woman rob me of this night. So, I’m going into the kitchen to get dessert. When I come back, let’s please talk about something more pleasant. While I’m gone, would someone clear the table and make room for the next course?”

  After their mother left the room, Draper and Georgia stood and started moving the dinner plates to a tray on a stand positioned next to the sideboard. The other siblings sat in stunned silence amid the sound of clinking china and flatware.

  Finally, Beau brought his hands together in a single clap. “Well, that was fun.”

  Austin shot his brother a look. “Mom and Dad have decided that the family is going to sit this one out,” he said.

  Savannah pounded her flat palms on the table. “What makes them think they can speak for us?” she asked. “The last time I checked, we were adults. I’m sorry that they’ll be disappointed, but Chaz and I are going to the wedding whether they like it or not. We are adults—as are each and every one of you. Mom and Dad need to understand that they don’t get to make decisions for us anymore.”

  Austin’s mind bounced back to Felicity and his tangled feelings that were wrapped around Fortune Investments’ no-fraternizing policy and the debacle of all that had happened with his marriage and subsequent divorce. He wasn’t letting his parents decide whether or not he could explore a more personal relationship with Felicity.

  He had weighed both sides. On the one side, Fortune Investment could lose a good employee and potentially get slapped with a harassment suit, though that didn’t seem like Felicity’s style. On the other side were all these strange feelings that had suddenly stirred in his heart after all these years. With Kelly, he had jumped before he weighed all the dangers. Not anymore. This time the negatives weighed heavier than the positives, warning him that getting involved with Felicity would end badly for everyone.

  Sarah returned with a mile-high chocolate cake. “Will someone help me, please, and get the coffee while I serve the cake?”

  Savannah and Austin both stood. Without another word, they walked into the kitchen. “I can’t wait to get out of here and go to the French Quarter before I say or do irreparable damage to my relationship with Mom. She is so freaked out about this. But the parents and I are going to have to agree to disagree on this because I’m going to the wedding.”

  “So, you’re set on going, then?” Austin asked.

  It wasn’t optimal, but he was confident enough in the strength of their family bond to know that even if Savannah did break rank and attend the wedding, her relationship with their parents might be strained for a while but the family bond wouldn’t be broken. In fact, there was very little any of them could do to cause that kind of damage. Their bond was that strong.

  Savannah nodded. “We can’t live scared, Austin. Otherwise, it’s not much of a life. You could apply the same philosophy to your dating life. You can’t let Kelly keep you from finding love. Otherwise, she wins in a big way. Even though you say you have no feelings for her, essentially, she’s holding your heart hostage. You need to adopt my credo and refuse to negotiate with terrorists, which essentially describes Kelly, and absolutely describes Charlotte.”

  “Yeah, well, let’s leave my dating life out of this,” he said. “Kelly is not holding my heart hostage. Just as you draw boundaries with Mom, I’ve drawn them with Kelly. And now I’m drawing them with you.”

  He smiled at her in a way that showed he meant business but that he wasn’t mad at her. Savannah had always been a feisty one. Austin resisted the urge to ask her how often she’d been in the position to negotiate with terrorists, as she’d put it
. He also curbed the urge to ask her why she was so hell-bent on attending the wedding of this newfound family member at the risk of upsetting her immediate family, but that would only get her more riled up and make her more determined to go.

  “We’ll see how it goes,” Austin said, realizing the generalization could apply to both the Charlotte situation and his dating life. “In the meantime, let’s eat dessert in peace, so we can leave things on good terms with mom. Then you can blow off some steam on Bourbon Street. I can’t stay long because I have a long day tomorrow.”

  “But you’re still bringing a date tonight, right?” Savannah asked, as she poured coffee into cups on a tray. “I’m not pressuring you. But you did say you would.”

  “I don’t know that I’d call her a date. She’s more of a business acquaintance, but that’s one of the reasons I came into the kitchen. I am going to call her now.”

  Savannah’s eyes lit up. “If calling her a business acquaintance makes you feel better, go for it. I’m proud of you for putting yourself out there. Though, if I’m completely honest, I wish you would’ve asked Felicity. I just like you two together. Your chemistry lights up a room.”

  Austin shrugged. Even if he wanted to ask Felicity to join them, he couldn’t. “Felicity has plans tonight.”

  “That’s too bad.” Savannah lifted the tray. “It just goes to show you. If you snooze, you lose. But I’ll get out of here, so you can make your call.”

  She bumped open the kitchen door with her backside, leaving him alone to phone Macks. He dialed her number before he could change his mind. She answered on the fourth ring, just as Austin had begun to anticipate the call sailing over to voice mail.

  “This is Macks.” Her tone was brusque.

  “Hello, Macks. It’s Austin Fortune.”

  “Well, hello there, Austin Fortune. To what do I owe this wonderful surprise?”

  Her tone had changed. Where it had been all business and efficiency when she’d answered the phone, now she was virtually purring warmth and enthusiasm. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea after all. But it was too late to change his mind now.