A Brother's Honour. Brenda Jackson

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СКАЧАТЬ So had Stuart. But she refused to let go of a love that evidently controlled her heart. He couldn’t imagine loving anyone that much and that deeply.

      “I tried forgetting him, Dalton.”

      “But not hard enough,” he said with irritation in his voice. He thought of everything she had going for her and figured she didn’t need this drama. Hell, when it came to her, he couldn’t help but feel protective. They weren’t just occasional lovers; they were friends.

      In a smooth move, he shifted their bodies to ease her on her back and glide between her legs. “I promise not to dwell on that million I lost last week if you promise not to think about that prick of an ex-husband of yours.”

      She looked up at him, eyes widened. “You lost a million dollars? Does Father know?”

      “No, and I don’t plan to tell him. I had it to lose, Victoria. Besides, I don’t want to hear one of his damn lectures.”

      She nodded. “All right. Mum’s the word.”

      He lowered his mouth, ready to take hers, when his cell phone went off. He wanted to ignore it but recognized Jace’s ring. His brother never called him at this hour just to shoot the bull. Something had to be wrong.

      Victoria had seen the concerned look on his face and had reached over to grab the phone. She handed it to him. “I think you should take this.”

      He thought so, too. He clicked on, putting the phone on speaker. “What’s up, Jace?”

      “It’s Granddad. He had a heart attack, and we’re needed at home.”

      Dalton shifted off Victoria to ease back against the pillow. “And who the hell are we?”

      “Damn it, Dalton. This isn’t the time to act like an ass. Hannah called. It’s serious.”

      “And I should care...why?”

      Jace didn’t say anything for a minute and then in an angry tone, he said, “Because he’s your grandfather.”

      Dalton hadn’t meant for those words to affect him, but they did. “The old man never cared about me and wouldn’t care one way or the other if I were there or not. Everyone knows you were his favorite, like Caden was Dad’s. I only had...” A lump formed deep in his throat when he finished by saying, “Mom.”

      He forced a smile through all the painful memories that suddenly emerged. Yes, he had been his mother’s favorite. He’d known it, and so had his brothers. But he had been the youngest, so it stood to reason he’d found a special place in Sylvia Granger’s heart.

      “You won’t let things die, will you? You like holding on to crap,” Jace accused.

      Yes, he did, mainly because years ago he’d decided to never allow anything or anyone get close enough to hurt him again, and clinging to crap made sure there was distance. As far as Dalton was concerned, he’d already lost both parents, so losing the old man wouldn’t destroy him.

      “Look, Dalton, my plane is boarding now. I’m on my way to Virginia. I got word to Dad through the warden and I talked to Caden a few moments ago. He’s meeting me at the hospital, St. Francis Memorial.”

      “Just keep me posted.”

      “Is that all you got to say?” Jace asked angrily.

      “Yes. Goodbye, Jace.” And then he clicked off the phone.

      Victoria took it out of his hand and placed it back on the nightstand. “You should go, Dalton.”

      He frowned at her. “Why?”

      “Because he is your grandfather.”

      His frown deepened. He had confided in her years ago, so she knew his family history. The good, the bad and the ugly. “And?”

      “And if you think what he did to you all those years ago, denying you access to your trust fund until your thirtieth birthday, was so wrong, then go and let him see that in spite of what he did, you became a huge success.”

      She paused a moment and then asked softly, “He doesn’t know, does he?”

      Dalton shook his head. “No.” In fact, he doubted even his brothers knew of the vast amount of his wealth. His family assumed he was an American gigolo in England living off women.

      “Then maybe it’s time he did, before it’s too late.”

      He shook his head. “It doesn’t matter.”

      “I think it does.”

      He bit back a retort, one that would have burned the hell out of her ears. “You’re wrong.” He lay there a moment wondering who he was shitting. It did matter, and it bothered him that it did.

      Wanting to force Jace’s call from his mind, he reached for Victoria, captured her mouth and hungrily began mating with it. And when he felt her passion beginning to stir, he lost himself in her incredible heat.

      Chapter Four

      The moment he entered the hospital room, Jace wrenched his gaze from the doctor standing by his grandfather’s hospital bed. And for a minute it was hard to believe the man lying there was actually Richard Granger. The once-tall, robust man looked as if he’d shrunk into an unconscious body that was now connected to various machines.

      Jace had last seen the old man during the holidays. Although he’d tried talking Caden and Dalton into spending Christmas and New Year’s at Sutton Hills, both had declined. At least Caden had had an excuse with his holiday concerts being sold out. Dalton hadn’t needed an excuse. He’d simply said, “When hell freezes over.” Or words to that effect.

      “Glad you made it, Jace.”

      Jace moved his gaze from his grandfather and back to the doctor, who knew him by name. Jace didn’t recognize him, so he zeroed in on the name tag pinned on his medical coat. Sedrick Timmons. He remembered Sedrick and remembered when he’d always wanted to become a doctor. Over the years, his looks had changed. Gone was the tall, gangly male. This Sedrick, though still somewhat tall, was a little pudgy around the waist, wore thick-rimmed glasses and had a receding hairline.

      The Timmonses had been a family of four and the Grangers’ closest neighbors, although their estate was a good five miles away. In addition to the parents, Sedrick had a younger sister named Shiloh. Jace and Sedrick had played together as kids and had pretty much remained friends until their teen years.

      Then Jace’s mother’s death and his father’s trial had happened. After that, the Granger name had become a bad word to some, and the Timmonses had forbidden their children from ever associating with the Grangers again. The Timmonses had led the pack by distancing themselves, and even now, Jace could remember how being ostracized that way had felt.

      Deciding there was no need for any “how have you been” dialogue, especially since their friendship had ended so long ago, Jace closed the door behind him and went right to the heart of the matter by asking, “How is he, Dr. Timmons?”

      “Resting comfortably.” The doctor then motioned for them СКАЧАТЬ