Название: Expecting A Fortune
Автор: Jan Colley
Издательство: HarperCollins
Жанр: Современные любовные романы
isbn: 9781408960615
isbn:
“Sit down, Dad.”
Two
Never again!
Zack swung the rental car out of the hotel parking lot and headed toward the Fortune Estate, about twenty miles west of the city of Sioux Falls.
Never again would he allow himself to be shafted by wealth and power. That was his domain now. He had more than enough to make Skylar’s family squirm, should they play hardball.
His eye was drawn to the twenty-three-story Dakota Fortune building a block away, where Case and Creed, her half brothers, conducted their business. No doubt he’d have to deal with them at some stage, but his focus was on Nash Fortune this morning. Regardless of the man’s marital upheaval, his daughter was four months’ gone—four months!—and it was past time Nash knew what Zack’s intentions were.
He rubbed his eyes, a sleepless night exacerbating a whole hemisphere of jet lag.
Focusing on what to say to Nash helped ease the burn of anger. Skylar clearly thought so little of him, she couldn’t even tell him of the life they’d created. Sure, they barely knew each other, but he bristled at the notion that he was unapproachable where Skylar was concerned. He’d made a concerted effort to be pleasant to her on his visit here earlier in the year, especially when it became apparent how shy and uncomfortable being around him made her. Zack knew when someone was sweet on him.
His cell phone rang. It was Max Fortune, his closest friend and business partner in Australia and Skylar’s cousin.
“What in blazes? You knocked up my little cuzzy, you bastard?”
Zack grinned. The Australian rancher was all bark and no bite where he was concerned. They’d been through a lot together.
Then he sobered. These big rich families moved quick. He hadn’t said a word to anyone and already the southern hemisphere family grapevine was abuzz. “What do you want?” he drawled.
“To knock your block off, mate.” There was a pause. “What are you going to do?”
Zack blew out a breath. “I’m on my way to see Nash now about making an honest woman of her.”
There was a lengthy silence. The two men’s self-imposed bachelorhood had come to a sticky end a few months ago when Max wed his old flame Diana. Zack imagined the sound of necks cracking as his friends and enemies did a double take at this second blow to confirmed bachelor status Down Under.
“What does Sky think about that?”
Zack had his own ideas about that. While tossing and turning in his hotel bed, he’d concluded that he’d walked into a setup the night of Case Fortune’s wedding four months ago. Skylar’s setup.
“She’ll come around,” he said shortly. “Who told you, anyway?”
“Nash called Dad. Gave us all a shock, that’s for real. Dad told him, ‘Don’t trust that Kiwi, he’s got sprogs all over the world and he’s only out for your money.’”
Zack let out a bark of laughter and nearly missed his turnoff. “Tell the old reprobate thanks.” He knew of Teddy Fortune’s warm regard for him.
But there were some things the Australian Fortunes didn’t know. Like the mistake eighteen years ago, when Zack had gotten his young sweetheart pregnant. Like the anger that had burned in his gut all these years, born of his helplessness as a penniless boy from the wrong side of the tracks who had been virtually run out of town. Helpless to stop Rhianne from giving in to her rich family’s wishes to abort his baby and not ruin her life.
Never again…
“You’ll, aah, you’ll be nice, won’t you, Zack? I like old Freckles, she’s a good sort. I wouldn’t have her hurt.”
“I like her, too, Max,” Zack reassured his friend quickly. “Wish me luck or I won’t ask you to be best man.”
He hung up, thinking with surprise that was true; he did like Skylar, more than he’d liked any woman in a long time. There was something about her right from the start, even though she did nothing to lead him on, until the night of that family wedding.
Shocked nearly senseless at the news he was going to be a father, there was not a shadow of a doubt in his mind that he and Skylar would marry. Even now, about to confront her father and cause this family all sorts of upset, there was only one course of action.
Love didn’t come into it.
Just ahead, he saw the stone pillars that announced Fortune Estate land. Instead of turning off to Skylar’s cottage in the stand of trees by the stables, he drove toward the big house, as she called it, thinking it was better Nash was prewarned, had had time to think about it.
Despite that, his stomach tightened as he approached the huge old mausoleum the Fortunes called home. A little too gothic for his taste; Zack preferred a more contemporary residence. The dark gray stone made it appear almost black and very forbidding. But inside, it was comfortable and homely, reflecting Patricia’s warm personality.
He parked the car and took the steps leading up to the house two at a time. Peggy, the housekeeper, showed him into the dining room. Zack was surprised to find only Nash present. He’d expected one or two of the large family here at this time.
The older man looked up from his breakfast, his glum expression lightening. “Zack! Sit down. I hate to eat alone.”
The two shook hands and Zack helped himself to juice and toast from the ample buffet and tried, unsuccessfully, to prevent Nash calling to Peggy to fix some fresh eggs.
“Where is everyone?” he asked, part of him disappointed he could not settle with the whole family in one sitting. They chatted for a couple of minutes about the whereabouts of the other residents of the house. Since Zack had left in early February, Nash’s older daughter, Eliza, had moved to Montana to be with her husband, Reese. The other two sons, Case and Creed, divided their time between apartments in town and the estate.
Then Nash fixed him with a stern gaze. “So you’re about to become a daddy.”
“That’s why I’m here.”
“Congratulations.” Nash’s gaze narrowed as if trying to read his mind.
“Not sure that’s appropriate, under the circumstances.”
“New life is precious, whatever the circumstances.” Nash finished his pancakes just as Peggy slid a plate full of freshly scrambled eggs in front of Zack. His mouth watered. He’d eaten nothing but plastic airline food in the last twenty-four hours.
“I like you, Zack,” the older man continued. “You’re a straight shooter. I believe your intentions are good.”
“They are.” Zack sent up a silent thanks to Teddy Fortune in Australia. “I asked her to marry me.”
“Asked?”
Zack paused, a forkful of eggs on the way to his mouth. “More or less,” he affirmed with a quick nod. “She won’t have it.”
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