A Man's Promise (20 page)

Thirty-Two

D
alton arrived at Granger the next morning in a foul mood and figured the best thing to do was keep his shitty attitude to himself and stay in his office. The less contact he had with anyone today, the better.

He would have booked off today if he hadn’t had a ton of paperwork to review from Security. They had a new device they planned to install on all the computer hardware this weekend. Since Jace had made him top man of that department, his approval was needed on just about anything they did.

But he canceled the two other meetings he had scheduled that day, deciding to leave at lunch and not come back. He needed time to get his senses reprogrammed. Get his act together and forget about J. B. Sweet, or whatever her name was.

He went to the window and stared out. What in the hell was wrong with him? When had he let a woman, any woman, get to him this way? He was Dalton Richard Granger. He had his pick of women, always had. Never had he been obsessed with one. And her parting words before strutting her curvy ass out of the club had left him cold and angry.

Dalton rubbed his hand down his face, admitting that last night his pride had taken a damned hit. Even the woman that he’d eventually left the club with last night and had fucked senseless hadn’t done a thing for him. In his mind, she hadn’t been
her.

He heard the knock on his door and glanced around. “Come in.”

His brother Jace came in smiling, but he took one look at Dalton and the smile faded. “I take it things didn’t go like you wanted yesterday.”

Dalton narrowed his gaze. “And how do you know about yesterday?”

Jace shrugged. “I’m only going by what you told us. You said the P.I. you hired had found the woman you’ve been looking for. Did he find the wrong woman?”

Dalton chuckled derisively. “No, he found the right one, but we don’t mesh.”

“So, in other words, she didn’t put up with your bullshit.”

Dalton immediately took offense. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“I’m talking about your holier-than-thou attitude with women at times. Like you’re the Prince of Peace and Pleasure. A prize worthy to be claimed. A—”

“Who the hell are you to judge my way with women? How I deal with them is my business, not yours. When I need your advice, I’ll ask for it. But then, maybe not. Shit, you don’t even have the sense to wear a damned condom when you fuck somebody.”

Jace’s anger flared. “You’ve said enough, Dalton.”

“I haven’t even fucking started.”

They both turned when they heard the door slam. “What the hell is wrong with you two?” Caden asked, coming to stand in the middle of the room. “I could hear you out in the hall. Luckily, the woman who took Brandy’s place wasn’t at her desk. What’s going on?”

Dalton drew in a deep breath. “Big brother is trying to get into my damned business again.”

Jace frowned. “Is that what you think I was doing?”

“Weren’t you? Trying to tell me how to handle my affairs. Have I ever tried telling either of you how to handle yours?”

“Yes,” both brothers said simultaneously.

Dalton’s frown deepened. “The two of you can go to hell.” And he went back to stand at the window, dismissing both.

Caden glanced over at Jace. “What the hell is wrong with him?” he asked in a low tone.

“Evidently, things didn’t go well with that woman he hired the private investigator to find.”

“Oh.” Caden shook his head. “Knowing him, he probably handled it wrong.”

“That’s what I tried telling him, but you know at times you can’t tell him a damned thing.”

Caden nodded. “He’s taking it pretty hard.”

“Obviously.”

Dalton turned around, shoving his hands into his pockets. The expression on his face was fiercer than ever. “Is there a reason the two of you are still here? I have work to do.”

“With your present attitude, you might want to work from home today,” Jace suggested sternly. “There is a matter that Caden and I need to discuss with you, but we can do so at another time. When you’re in a far better mood.”

And then Jace and Caden left the office.

* * *

“The Wine Cellar Boutique. This is Shiloh.”

“Good morning, Shiloh. This is Wallace. I wasn’t sure you got my last message, and I didn’t want you to think I’d forgotten about you.”

Like I’ve forgotten about you?
she thought to herself, feeling bad she hadn’t called him back. “Yes, I got it, and sorry I haven’t gotten back with you, but I’ve been busy.”
Making up time with the man I love,
she bit back from saying.

“No problem. I was wondering if we can do lunch today. This is one of my rare days away from the hospital.”

She considered turning down his invitation and just telling him that she was back in an exclusive relationship with Caden, but she thought telling him over the phone wasn’t the way to do things. “Yes, I would love to have lunch with you. There’s something I need to talk with you about anyway.”

“There is?”

“Yes.”

“Okay. How about lunch at Ricky’s? I can pick you up at—”

“I prefer meeting you there,” she interrupted. “Will noon be okay?”

“Noon is fine. I’ll see you then.”

She clicked off the phone. Moments later, she was about to go downstairs to check to see how things were going when her office phone rang again. “The Wine Cellar Boutique.”

There was no response, but Shiloh could hear breathing on the other end. “Hello?”

When once again there was no response, Shiloh hung up, thinking it was probably someone who’d dialed the wrong number.

* * *

“So, what did you decide to do last night with that guy?”

Jules had expected her sister’s call and was surprised Shana hadn’t contacted her sooner. Luckily, she had left her dentist’s office, finished her annual eye exam and come home to grab a quick lunch before heading out to spend the rest of the day at the spa.

“I figured you’d be waking me up early this morning,” she said, placing her sister on speakerphone while she sat down at the kitchen table with the leftovers her father had sent her home with.

“I would have, but I had a doctor’s appointment myself this morning. Jace went with me, and we could see the baby’s heart beating on the ultrasound.”

“Oh, Shana, that is wonderful. The doctor said everything’s okay?”

“Yes. According to him, I’m doing fine. Jace and I are so happy we can’t stand it. We can’t wait until the wedding at the end of this month. We only have a few weeks to go. Of course, you will be my bridesmaid and Jace’s brothers will be his best men.”

“Sounds great. I hope I haven’t eaten one pork chop too many and will look decent in the dress you want me to wear.”

“You’re going to look great. Now, back to my earlier question, did you or did you not meet up with that guy last night?”

Jules let out a deep breath. In a way, she was trying not to remember last night. “Yes, I met up with him. But I did it with a purpose in mind.”

“What purpose?”

“To set his arrogant ass back a couple of notches.”

“Jules, please tell me you didn’t.”

“Okay, I won’t tell you.”

Shana didn’t say anything for a minute. “You’ll never find anyone if you keep running them off.”

“First of all, he wasn’t a keeper. All he wanted out of me was one thing. Hell, I hadn’t sat down before he was suggesting that we leave and go somewhere. Probably a hotel.”

Jules took a sip of her lemonade. “But I told him to forget he found me. In other words, I let him know I wasn’t interested. You should have seen the look on his face. You would think he’d never been turned down by a woman.”

“He looked that hot?”

“I admit, even hotter. But I refuse to put up with bullshit, and he was full of it last night. I hope when they made him they not only broke the mold but threw it away.”

“Wow. I guess he didn’t make an impression on you.”

“No, not a positive one. In a way I wish he had, though. Going without sex is killing me.”

“Hmm, too much information. Got to go now. And by the way, Caden said he and Shiloh can meet with you tomorrow evening. We can do it here, at my place, around five.”

“That’s a good time, and your place is a good central location. I’ll see you then.”

Jules clicked off the call and finished off the rest of her meal while trying not to think about Dick, or whatever his real name was. But if she was completely honest with herself, even when she’d come home and stripped out of the hot little outfit she’d worn just for him to see what he wouldn’t be getting, her mind had been filled with thoughts of him. Despite his attitude, she had still given him his dues in the looks department.

At least she didn’t have to worry about him showing up at her office again. She knew about men, especially the conceited types. They didn’t appreciate it when a woman burst their egotistical bubble by letting them know what they really thought. It was sad when women convinced them they owned a golden dick or something.

Well,
she thought, getting up from the table to put her plate in the sink and discard her trash,
at least
I don’t have to worry about ever seeing him again. Good riddance.

* * *

“I take it Dalton took your advice and went home,” Caden said, coming into Jace’s office.

Jace leaned back in his chair. “Hell, I hope so. He was in a damned bad way this morning. I don’t know what that woman said or did to him, but he was fit to be tied.”

Caden nodded. “You know Dalton. Sometimes he acts as if women, like everything else he comes in contact with, are an entitlement.”

“I thought he was getting better with that.”

“He is, but he still has room for improvement. I guess you can say he’s a work in progress.” Caden didn’t say anything for a short while and then added, “But I wouldn’t trade him for the world.”

Jace chuckled. “Me neither.” He then sat up in his chair and studied his brother. “I take it things are going well with you and Shiloh.”

Caden smiled, thinking how well things were going. “Yes. I know there are a lot of questions still out there regarding whether what happened on Saturday night was intentional or an accident. But you know what I think about it?”

“No. What?”

“I almost lost my life that night, but I consider it a blessing because I
really
did get my life back, Jace. Shiloh has been and always will be my life, and I got her back.”

Jace didn’t say anything for a moment as he thought about what Caden had said, the implications he had made. “I am happy for you.”

“Thanks. But Sedrick doesn’t think what happened Saturday night was either an accident or an attempt on my life.”

Jace raised a dark eyebrow. “Then what does he think?”

“He told Shiloh he believes the whole thing was staged by me to play on her sympathy to get her back.”

“You’re kidding.”

“I kid you not.”

Jace shook his head. “I’m surprised Sedrick would say something like that.”

“I’m not. He’s been acting wishy-washy lately. He was all caring, concerned and sympathetic at the hospital when Granddad died, but that night at Shiloh’s open house, he hung with the Greenes, and they all shot me dirty looks like I was a piece of shit on the floor.”

Jace frowned. “The Greenes?”

“Yes, you probably remember them from years back. Michael and Yolanda Greene.”

Caden missed the flare of resentment that flashed in Jace’s eyes when he said, “I remember them.”

“Michael Greene used to work here, years ago.”

“I remember that, as well,” Jace replied, trying to keep his voice neutral.

“Ivan Greene, present mayoral candidate, is their son, and they have two daughters, Kerrie and Deidra.”

Jace didn’t say anything for a minute. “I recall Sedrick and Kerrie dating back in the day.”

“Yes, I’d forgotten about that. Shiloh reminded me.”

“Going back to what you said earlier about the Greenes and Sedrick shooting you dirty looks,” Jace prompted.

“Yeah, man. It was strange. I’ve never done anything to them, but you would think they resented me for some reason. If looks could kill, I would have been dead that night.”

Jace built a steeple with his fingers as he thought about what Caden had said. “You’re right. That
is
strange.”

“But, of course, I didn’t give a damn.”

“I’m sure you didn’t. And by the way, everything is set for tomorrow evening at Shana’s place. You and Shiloh are invited to dinner, and Jules will be there, too. We’ll all enjoy a nice meal, and then afterward, Jules will ask you and Shiloh some questions about Saturday night.”

“Okay, that will work. What about Dalton? Have you mentioned that other possibility about Saturday night to him yet?”

“No. I went into his office to do so this morning, and you know how that turned out. His balls have taken a kicking, so I’ll let him get over it before telling him anything. He needs to come to terms with the fact that he doesn’t take rejection well.”

“I agree. And just so you know, I’m taking Shiloh away this weekend.”

“Where are you going?”

Caden then shared with his brother his plans for the weekend.

A smile spread across Jace’s face. “She’s definitely going to be surprised.”

Caden nodded as he returned his brother’s smile. “I’m counting on it.”

* * *

“Bruce, what do you have for me?” Shana asked, relaxing in her office chair. The man she considered a technological genius had taken Brandy’s hard drive to have a look at it after Dalton had reported a video showing Brandy searching around in his office and taking pictures. Now Brandy was dead from an apparent suicide, although her mother was still crying foul play. Shana would admit it seemed pretty coincidental to her.

“I went through the hard drive twice and couldn’t find a thing. No suspicious inside emails or documents, nor were there any questionable outside emails. If she was forwarding information to anyone, it wasn’t on this particular computer. I can’t even see that she visited any other websites while at work.”

Shana found that odd. Most people at some point in time, whether at work or not, would surf the Net. Brandy was a smart dresser, and it was hard to believe she never was tempted to go check out a few online sales during company time.