Gavin tugged on the collar of his crisp white shirt as he approached Christine’s front door Saturday night. He hadn’t been this nervous about a date since...well, he’d never been this nervous.
Other than a couple of awkward phone conversations and a few random texts, he hadn’t spoken to her since the previous Sunday evening. He wasn’t sure what went wrong. They’d had a perfect day, even if the visit to her parents’ had been a tad uncomfortable.
Actually, the new understanding of the role Christine played in her family made him furious. Beyond her dedication to his father and the family business, Christine was an amazing person in her own right. Maybe he hadn’t noticed her understated beauty and charm at first—or in the ten years he’d known her. But now that he’d spent time with her he couldn’t envision his life without her sweetness and light in it.
Except that was exactly what was going to happen at the end of the month. He’d mentioned the predetermined finish to their arrangement, hoping to coax some sort of reaction from her, but she hadn’t batted an eye. Not that he blamed her. He’d all but told her he was a bad bet for a relationship. Why wouldn’t he expect her to take him at his word?
In fact, her mood seemed to change after he revealed his feelings about his own childhood, the ones that left him riddled with guilt for being an ungrateful schmuck. His family was fantastic and what did it matter if he had to work to be noticed in the midst of so much love? But he’d gotten so used to pushing himself for the rush of adrenaline that he didn’t know any other way to live.
Yet with Christine it was easy to slow down and enjoy the moment, whether walking her dog or watching her conquer her fears. She made everything a little brighter, helped him breathe easier than he could ever remember.
He’d gotten himself onto a crazy treadmill of working hard and playing hard, a cliché overachiever in every area except the one that counted the most—his personal life. He’d always doubted he had the capacity for the kind of love his parents had, the kind Everett, Schuyler and Maddie had found. As crazy as it was and despite the unexpected way their connection had come about, he saw that potential with Christine. And now he doubted she’d give him a chance to prove it.
He knocked, smiling as Princess Di gave a loud woof on the other side of the door.
“I’m ready,” Christine said as she opened it.
Gavin started to smile then felt his jaw go slack.
“Wow,” he murmured as he took her in.
“Is this dress okay?” She smoothed a hand over the front of the soft fabric. The dress was black and strapless with a thin sash around the waist and fell to just above her knees. She’d paired it with a delicate gold necklace, dangling earrings and a pair of the sexiest heels he’d ever seen. This was a Christine he hadn’t seen before. Her hair was swept to one side and fell in soft waves over her bare shoulder. His fingers itched to touch it, to touch her. He wanted to pull her close and hold on all night. “Schuyler said cocktail attire, but I don’t want to seem overdressed.”
“You’re perfect.” He shook his head, his brain jumbled as if he were the ball in an arcade pinball machine. “So damn beautiful.”
She laughed and a blush stained her cheeks. He’d missed seeing that rosy glow. He’d missed her so much it made him feel like a fool. It had been six days. Barely any time at all and yet...
He leaned closer, breathing in the delicate scent of her.
“What are you doing?” she asked with a laugh, taking a step back into her condo.
“Making sure you hadn’t changed shampoos since I saw you last.”
“You’re crazy,” she told him.
“For you,” he confirmed.
Di nudged Christine’s legs, trying to reach Gavin. “Hey, girl,” he said, bending to scratch behind the dog’s furry ears. “I missed you, too.”
“Gavin.” Christine’s tone was serious. He frowned as he straightened, wondering what he’d done wrong now.
“Yes?”
“You look nice, too,” she said, almost shyly.
He swayed closer, ready to meld his mouth to hers, but she turned away, grabbing her purse from the entry table. “We don’t want to be late. Schuyler wants the family there before the New Orleans Fortunes are scheduled to arrive at four.”
“There’s plenty of Fortunados to handle the welcome.” He moved closer, crowding her a little. Her breath hitched and it gave him so much satisfaction to know she wasn’t as unaffected by him as she acted.
“It’s important,” she insisted.
He sighed. “You’re right, of course.”
“Of course.”
“First, I have something for you.” He pulled a small velvet pouch from the inside pocket of his suit jacket.
Her mouth formed a small O as she watched him take a six-prong diamond solitaire engagement ring from the pouch. “I think you need to be wearing a ring when we get to the reunion.”
“Yes,” she breathed then pressed two fingers to her lips. “I mean, you’re right. You didn’t actually ask me anything.” She stared at the ring. “But, yes, just the same.”
It made him ridiculously happy to hear her say yes. He slipped the ring onto her finger. “It’s on loan from one of the firm’s clients who owns a chain of jewelry stores throughout Texas.”
“A loan,” she whispered, seemingly unable to pull her gaze from the sparkling diamond. “You have some darn good connections.”
“Thank you again for doing this, Christine.”
“Of course.” Her gaze lifted to his as she closed her left hand into a tight fist. “We should really get going.”
He stepped back so she had room to close the door and resisted the urge to take her hand as they walked toward the Audi. Clearly, he’d spooked her last week with something he’d said or done. Now he’d given her an engagement ring. Not exactly taking things slow, even when it was all pretend. He appreciated that she was still willing to uphold their arrangement, but he worried that one wrong move on his part would send her running.
Which was the last thing he wanted.
He opened the passenger-side door then walked around the front of the Audi, wishing he’d thought to bring her flowers or something—anything—that would have given him an excuse to linger at her place and have her all to himself.
The drive to the winery was only thirty minutes from Christine’s place, and she spent most of it asking him about his week.
His shoulders relaxed as he shared progress on negotiating the merger of one of his firm’s larger manufacturing clients with another company. He’d been focusing on cultivating the client relationship and on making sure they were abiding by all the local, state and federal laws that governed the industry. In turn, he asked her for her take on the continuing saga of Fortunado Real Estate’s Austin branch. He’d talked to Maddie after she’d been back a few days, and his sister had seemed both frustrated and confused by the falloff in business.
Christine didn’t have any more answers than his sister had but was clearly just as upset by the issues.
They arrived at the Mendoza Winery, situated in the picturesque landscape of the Texas hill country, and Gavin took Christine’s hand as they approached the entrance.
“It’s Schuyler’s big show,” she whispered, and her words made him stop in his tracks. “What’s wrong?” she asked as she turned to face him.
“I’m glad you’re here with me tonight.” He reached out and trailed a fingertip along her jaw. “Not because of our arrangement. It’s more than that. You make me happy, Christine.”
She hitched in a breath, and he could almost see the struggle as she tried to remain distant. He inwardly cheered when she went up on tiptoe to give him a quick kiss. “You make me happy, too,” she said with an almost reluctant smile.
At this point he’d take reluctant. He’d take anything she was willing to give.
He glanced up as Schuyler called his name.
“Here we go,” he whispered, and they continued toward the rustic yet modern lodge surrounded by acres of weathered grapevines. He hadn’t been there since Schuyler’s wedding and, once again, appreciated the beauty of what the Mendoza family had created.
Schuyler greeted Christine with a warm hug and a friendly chuck on the shoulder for Gavin. “You’re late.”
“I’m here now.”
She rolled her eyes. “I bet the only reason is Christine.”
“Maybe,” he admitted.
“You would have skipped my reunion?” She glared at him, but he could see the sisterly amusement in her eyes.
“I would have made it eventually.”
“Go on in.” She waved them past her. “Our family’s already here, along with Olivia and Alejandro.” She glanced at Christine. “I wish I had a cheat sheet to give you for keeping all of the Fortunes straight. Olivia is one of Gerald Robinson’s daughters. She and Alejandro Mendoza first met when he came to Austin from Miami for a wedding. They’re pretty cute together.” She checked her phone. “Nolan just texted. He and his brothers and sisters are on their way.”
“Are his parents coming?” Gavin asked, thinking of his father.
Schuyler’s mouth pinched into a thin line. “Their names are Miles and Sarah,” she said quietly. “They didn’t make the trip from New Orleans. Some kind of prior commitment, according to Nolan.” She shook her head. “I don’t think that’s the truth.”
“How did Dad respond?”
“He’s taking it in stride. I think he’s disappointed, but hopefully the Robinson siblings will show. That would help take his mind off Miles as well as the trouble with the agency. Apparently, Fortunado Real Estate isn’t the only company having problems. Olivia told me her dad is stressed out because of some glitch with a processor manufactured by Robinson Tech. There’s talk about a giant recall. It’s as out of the blue as the trouble at the agency. I’m hoping this night will help everyone focus on more positive things.”
“It’s so nice that you put all of this together,” Christine said. “Family is important, no matter how different the members of it might be.”
“I couldn’t agree more.” Schuyler beamed. “I’m so glad you’re here. We all are.”
Gavin saw Christine’s shoulders stiffen slightly, although not so much that Schuyler would notice. He knew what it meant and quickly ushered her into the winery.
“We’re going to be okay,” he told her in a hushed tone. “No one is going to get hurt in all of this.”
She smiled but her eyes remained strained. “I know.” Glancing around the interior of the winery, her features softened again. “It’s gorgeous.”
“Weren’t you here for Schuyler’s wedding last year?” It embarrassed him that he didn’t remember, but surely she would have been invited? Christine was important to his family. She’d been a constant in their lives for a decade. The thought made guilt wash over him once again. Why hadn’t he noticed her before now?
She shook her head. “I was invited but couldn’t attend. My mom had a heart attack last spring so I spent a lot of time with her.”
He stopped and stared down at her. “I didn’t realize. She seems healthy now.”
“She is,” Christine said with a nod. “It’s part of why she’s so intent on the family dinners and all of us getting close. She’s gotten a new lease on life.”
“You have some explaining to do, son of mine.”
At the sound of his mother’s voice, he turned to see her approach, her arms held wide. “Hi, Mom.” He bent to hug her, breathing in the familiar scent of the perfume she’d worn since he was a kid. “You look lovely.”
“You look like you’ve been keeping secrets.” She pulled away and wagged a finger at him. “I’ll deal with that in a minute,” she said, then turned to Christine. “First, let me say hello and congratulations to this beautiful girl.”
“Hi, Barbara.” Christine leaned in to hug his mother. “It’s nice to see you.”
“You, too, dear.” Barbara took her hand. “Kenneth tells me you’re doing great things in Austin. He had such fun working with you last week.”
“It seemed like old times,” Christine admitted. “I’m surprised he was willing to hand the reins back over to Maddie and Zach without a fight.”
Barbara laughed. “Don’t let him fool you. He’s loving every minute of retirement.”
“Probably because he gets to spend more time with you,” Christine said, and his mother looked pleased at the compliment.
Seriously, how was it that Christine hadn’t been snatched up before now? Beautiful, sweet, smart and possessing one of the kindest hearts he’d ever met. Some man was going to be lucky to have her as his wife.
The thought that it wouldn’t be him made Gavin’s stomach turn like he’d just eaten food that had gone bad. But he knew she deserved someone better. Someone who could give her the kind of devotion she deserved.
“Speaking of spending time with people...” His mother turned her knowing gaze back to him. “Why was this relationship kept a secret?”
Gavin opened his mouth to answer, but Christine placed a hand on his. “It was my decision,” she told his mother. “I wanted a chance for us to get to know each other—just the two of us—before we shared it with the family.”
His mom smiled. “We can be a bit much.”
“In the best way possible,” Christine said, and Barbara gave her another hug.
“We’re thrilled for both of you,” his mom said. She held up Christine’s hand. “It’s a beautiful ring, lovely and classic just like the woman wearing it. I hope this means—”
“Mom.” Gavin grimaced. “Please don’t give us pressure about planning a quick wedding like Schuyler and Maddie have been. We’re taking our time.”
She took Gavin’s hand and squeezed. “I was about to say I hope this means you’ll be spending more time in Texas. And not that we’re going to lose Christine to Colorado.”
“I’m in Austin until the end of the month,” he said, choosing not to directly answer the question. Of course, his mother already knew his plans for the next couple of weeks. But he wasn’t about to address his future with Christine, not when his hold on her at the moment felt tenuous at best.
His mom inclined her head to study him before her attention was drawn to the front of the room. “Our New Orleans guests have arrived. I’m going to collect your father and go say hello.”
Christine moved to his side as his mother crossed the room. “What is it about the Fortunes, legitimate or not, being so darn attractive? You have some mighty gorgeous genes in your family.”
He chuckled despite the tension running through him. Each new leaf uncovered in the mess of a family tree Julius Fortune had planted added additional complications to all their lives. Of course, last year the Fortunado branch had been the ones complicating everything.
As Gavin watched his parents greet the new arrivals to this odd family reunion, he had to agree with Christine. Seven of the eight newcomers to the party were clearly related, he assumed, based on how they resembled each other, much the way he and his siblings looked alike.
He’d done a bit of research on Miles Fortune and his New Orleans family. Nolan, who was the youngest son and a recent transplant to Austin, looked the most comfortable. Gavin guessed that had something to do with the woman on his arm, a brunette with long hair and a sweet smile. The rest of the group seemed hesitant to join the party, and Gavin didn’t blame them. They were all making the best of a difficult situation.
“None of us got to meet Julius Fortune,” he said tightly, “but by all accounts he was a sorry excuse for a man.”
“Yes,” Christine agreed, shifting closer so that the length of her body was pressed against him. Was it an unconscious move on her part or could she possibly know how much comfort he took in her nearness? “Despite that, his sons have good lives and from the looks of it, amazing families. I think that says something about all of you. If nothing else, remember you have that in common with your new relatives.”
“Thank you,” he whispered, placing an arm around her shoulder. “You make everything better.”
She tipped up her chin to stare at him as if his words surprised her. He couldn’t resist kissing her soft lips and didn’t care that they might have an audience of his family, both new and old.
“Ah, young love,” his brother Connor drawled as he gave Gavin a hearty slap on the back. “You two are damn adorable.”
Gavin threw an elbow, but Connor dodged it with no problem. “And you’re a pain in the—”
“Hi, Connor,” Christine said, breaking apart from him.
His brother leaned in for a quick hug. “Hey, lovely lady. It’s great to see you.” He hitched a thumb in Gavin’s direction. “How did you get mixed up with this clown?”
“Just lucky, I guess,” Christine answered, taking Connor’s teasing in stride.
He winked. “Well, let me know if he gets out of line. I’d be honored to step in as your overprotective brother.”
Gavin snorted. “You realize the two of us are actually related? What happened to you being too busy to come down for this?”
“Blood relations can’t be helped,” Connor answered. “And I wouldn’t have missed this reunion. What do you think of the new crew?”
“I think we can all appreciate what they’re going through, dealing with the knowledge of our shared family history.” He shrugged. “I also think it’s interesting that Dad’s half brother isn’t making an appearance tonight.”
“I don’t see any of the Robinsons here tonight, other than Olivia,” Connor added. “I’m a little surprised at that. They’ve all seemed fairly open to this bizarre turn of events.”
“I’m sure it’s been tough with Gerald and Charlotte separating. Maybe that changes things for some of them? I couldn’t imagine Mom and Dad ever breaking up.”
“Thank heavens for that,” Connor agreed. “I’ve heard that Charlotte hasn’t taken the separation well.”
“Can you blame her?” Christine asked, and Gavin realized there were things she didn’t understand about the situation.
He shrugged. “Apparently, she knew about her husband’s infidelities and kept some kind of a dossier on the illegitimate kids he’d sired.”
Christine’s big eyes widened. “That’s awful.”
“No doubt. I’m going to grab a drink then head over to introduce myself to the newcomers,” Connor told them. “Can I get either of you something?”
“I’m fine for now,” Christine responded.
Gavin shook his head. “Me, too.”
When Connor walked away, she took Gavin’s hand. “It means a lot to Schuyler that all of you are here.” She glanced to where his sister and Carlo were talking to Nolan Fortune, tall and lean with dark brown hair. He held tightly to the hand of the woman at his side. “I think we should join them.”
He nodded, unsure of why he felt so out of sorts or how to explain the way having Christine at his side soothed him. They approached the foursome, and Schuyler smiled gratefully.
“Let me introduce you both to my brother,” she said. “This is Gavin and his fiancée, Christine Briscoe.” She inclined her head toward the other couple. “Gavin, meet Nolan Fortune and his fiancée, Lizzie Sullivan.”
“Thanks for coming tonight. I heard you’ve moved from New Orleans to Austin recently.”
The man nodded, his brown eyes warm. “I’ll always love NOLA, but my heart’s in Texas so this is where I belong.” He leaned in and dropped a gentle kiss on the top of Lizzie’s head. “It’s good that we all get together.”
“I couldn’t agree more,” Gavin answered.
“Carlo and I are going to check on the food,” Schuyler said. “If you or any of your siblings need anything, Nolan, just let me know.”
“Will do.” The man glanced around as Schuyler and Carlo walked away. “I think I could use a glass of the Mendoza wine I’ve heard so much about.”
Gavin motioned to one of the servers holding a tray of wineglasses. “I can help with that.”
Each of them took a glass of wine, and after thanking the server, Gavin lifted his glass. “A toast to new family and friendships. Sometimes the best endings come from the strangest starts.”
Nolan and Lizzie shared a long look.
“I feel like we should ask how you two met,” Christine said. “There’s a story there.”
Lizzie smiled. “It is a strange start,” she admitted. “I saw Nolan playing in a jazz band in Austin the holiday season before last and we struck up a conversation from there.”
Nolan draped an arm over his fiancée’s shoulder. “But we didn’t reconnect until this past December. I tried my best to mess things up, but she gave me another chance. Best moment of my life.”
Gavin watched Christine’s eyes light as she listened to the other couple. For all of her practicality, he realized she was a romantic at heart. And how had he honored that? With deals and arrangements, boundaries and timelines. What a fool he’d been.
“How about the two of you?” Lizzie took a slow sip of wine. “How did you meet?”
Gavin’s stomach dipped as Christine’s face fell for an instant before she flashed a too-bright smile. “We’ve known each other for years,” she said airily. “It’s the classic friends-first scenario.”
“Friendship is key,” Lizzie said, obviously sensing Christine’s discomfort at being put on the spot.
“Actually...” Gavin leaned in, as if he was sharing a deep secret. “I’d had a crush on her for years.”
“Who could blame you?” Nolan asked gamely.
“Exactly,” Gavin agreed. “But I didn’t think she’d ever go for a guy like me.”
“He has a bit of a reputation,” Christine offered, then added in a stage whisper, “As a player.”
“No.” Lizzie patted a hand on her chest, feigning shock.
“But I knew I’d have to be a better man to earn my place at Christine’s side.” Gavin twirled the stem of the wineglass between two fingers, the truth of that statement hitting him like a Louisville Slugger to the chest. “So I...”
“You became one,” Lizzie finished.
“Working on it,” Gavin clarified.
“Most of us are a work in progress.” Nolan lifted his glass to study the burgundy liquid inside. “This wine is fantastic.”
Gavin was grateful his new relative was giving him an out on a subject that cut a little too close to home. “It’s a private vintage. They only bring it out for special occasions.”
“I’m sorry my dad wouldn’t—” Nolan cleared his throat “—couldn’t be here for this.”
“I know my parents would love to meet him.”
“What about the other brothers?”
Gavin felt his mouth drop open. “What other brothers?”
“You don’t know about Gary and David?”
He shook his head.
Nolan ran a hand over his jaw. “Our fathers weren’t Julius Fortune’s only illegitimate sons. He had two more.”
“I wondered about that,” Schuyler said, rejoining the group. “I heard Ariana Lamonte—or I guess Fortune now—the reporter who married Jayden of the Paseo triplets, made a reference to there being ‘others.’”
“Why didn’t you say anything?” Gavin asked, his gut tightening once again.
“From what I could tell, the Paseo Fortunes were ambivalent about all of this. It was before Gerald and Deborah had reconciled so Jayden seemed to care more about protecting his mom from being hurt again than uncovering any more Fortunes. I think Ariana dropped it out of respect for Jayden’s wishes.”
“Our dad has known about his birth father for a while,” Nolan revealed, leaning in closer to his fiancée. “He’s done some research on his own over the years.”
“Julius Fortune was a real piece of work,” Gavin muttered.
“Quite true,” Nolan agreed.
Schuyler shook her head. “We’ve got to stick together in all this. There’s too much stressful stuff going on already and we can’t let Julius’s mistakes continue to haunt us. I only wish the rest of the Robinsons had been able to make it. They—”
As if on cue, Olivia hurried over to them. She held her cell phone in front of her like it was a poisonous snake. Glancing around wildly, her gaze settled on Schuyler.
“What’s wrong?” Schuyler asked as Olivia took a shuddery breath.
Conversation in the lodge fell silent as everyone’s attention focused on Olivia.
She swiped her hands across her cheeks. “A fire,” she whispered. “Someone set fire to our family home. The Robinson estate has been destroyed.”