A Brother's Honour. Brenda Jackson

Чтение книги онлайн.

СКАЧАТЬ rolled his eyes and glanced back at Vidal. “If things go in our favor tomorrow, I’ll give her a call.”

      * * *

      After hours of tossing and turning, not able to sleep, Jace got out of bed, slipped into his robe and headed downstairs to the kitchen for a glass of warm milk. He stopped when he saw Hannah sitting at the kitchen table, staring down at her folded hands.

      He turned to go back to his room, not wanting to intrude on her private moments. But then he recalled something she had told him when his grandmother Ava had died and he had been filled with grief. At times it’s better to talk through the pain with someone else who cares. At that moment he made a decision.

      “You couldn’t sleep either, huh?” he asked, moving to the table to sit across from her, while pretending not to see the tears glistening her eyes. Tears that she quickly swiped away before smiling over at him.

      “I was just sitting here thinking about what I’m preparing for Sunday’s dinner. It’s so nice to have the three of you home again. I want it to be special.”

      Jace nodded. He couldn’t speak for his brothers but deep down he was glad to be back. He hadn’t realized just how much he’d missed this place. Until now his visits had been brief, but this time he was back to stay. “Well, don’t get carried away, Hannah. The more we eat the harder it will be to work off later.”

      She chuckled as she took a sip of her tea. “There’s more tea where this came from if you want a cup.”

      “Thanks, I think I will,” he said, getting up from the table. “I came down for a glass of warm milk but I think the tea sounds better.”

      As he poured the hot water in the cup he glanced over his shoulder at her as she stared down into her tea. Hannah had been with the Grangers for years. His grandparents had hired her as nanny and housekeeper just weeks after his father was born. And twenty-five years later she had gone to live with Sheppard and his wife when Jace came into the world, then remained to care for Caden and Dalton, as well.

      Hannah’s husband, Raymond, had died years ago and she had taken the death hard. She and Ray had one child together, a daughter name Maretha, who’d made Texas her permanent home after attending college there.

      He could not remember a time when Hannah had not been a part of their lives. She had been there when his grandmother had died, and had helped them deal with the loss of their mother and the incarceration of their father. And she was here for them now. But she was dealing with her own grief as much as theirs. He knew his grandfather considered her more than just a housekeeper. She was part of the family.

      And Jace knew that his grandfather had loved her.

      He hadn’t been surprised when his grandfather had confided in him the last time he was home. Jace knew neither Caden nor Dalton had a clue, mainly because they hadn’t come back to Sutton Hills as often as he had. He had been able to watch the two of them interact on a daily basis. But no one had seemed surprised with the generous bequest Richard had left for Hannah. Probably because they felt she deserved everything she got for putting up with the Grangers for as long as she had.

      As certain as he was that his grandfather loved Hannah and she loved Richard in return, Jace knew the affair had only developed after he and his brothers had left for college. Loneliness had been a factor, as well as the fact that Hannah looked pretty good for her age. To Jace’s way of thinking, she had begun looking younger and prettier each and every time he came home to visit. And Jace more than anyone was glad she had been there as someone Richard could trust and spend happy times with.

      He moved to rejoin her at the table. “He loved you, you know.”

      She jerked her head up and stared at him and his heart twisted at the tears he saw swimming in her eyes. “You knew?” she asked in a shocked breath.

      “Yes, he told me and I was glad,” he said, reaching out and placing his hand on hers.

      She swallowed. “Do you think Caden and Dalton...”

      “Know?” he finished for her. Shrugging, he released her hand. “Not sure if he told them, too, but it doesn’t matter. Granddad probably wasn’t an easy man for a woman to love so I believe what the two of you shared was special.”

      “Thank you, and it was,” she said, swiping away her tears. She got up from the table to grab a tissue and then returned to sit across from him once again. “You boys are doing the right thing, Jace. Your granddaddy loved that company and he would not ask the three of you to take it over if he didn’t believe you could do it,” she said softly.

      Jace didn’t say anything for a minute, then sighed deeply. “I hope you’re right, Hannah. I feel like the weight of the world is on my shoulders right now. I have big shoes to fill and I don’t want to let him down.”

      She reached out and placed her hand on his. “You won’t. He believed you can do it, and I do, too.”

      He couldn’t help but smile. It had always been that way with Hannah when it came to him, Caden and Dalton. She made them feel special in ways his own mother hadn’t. Sylvia Granger hadn’t been the easiest woman to get along with, and Jace had known it.

      “Thanks.” He took a sip of his tea and then said, “Tomorrow is a big day but I think we’re going to get through it.”

      She nodded. “You will get through it. Running Granger’s is in your blood. You’ll see.”

      He didn’t say anything for a minute and then asked, “Did you know the company was in such a dire state?”

      She shook her head. “No, Richard never talked about work with me. That was our rule. I wanted to be his escape from all of that. I wanted him to be able to relax without worrying about Grangers. I wanted only happy times for us.”

      “And considering everything,” Jace said softly, “you deserved those happy times. You both did. It’s okay for us to grieve now, but I believe happy times will return for all of us one day.”

      She paused a minute and then said, “Do you know what would make me extremely happy?”

      He glanced over at her. “No. What?”

      “For you to settle down one day, remarry and give me another generation of Grangers to raise.”

      Jace chuckled. “Let’s conquer one thing at a time, please. I’ll be married to Granger Aeronautics for a while.”

      Hannah snorted. “That company won’t keep you warm at night. Remember that.”

      He leaned back in his chair and gazed at Hannah and smiled. He had a feeling she would not let him forget it.

      Chapter Seven

      Brandy Booker, the receptionist who was manning the spacious lobby of Granger Aeronautics, looked up from her desk and stared into three pairs of light brown eyes. She remembered seeing the three a few days ago at the funeral services for Richard Granger. They were his grandsons, and never had she seen such sexy, handsome men before. Sunlight filtering through the huge window seemed to shine directly on them, making them appear almost bigger than life and even more handsome.

      They were impeccably dressed in expensive business suits, СКАЧАТЬ