One to Love Read online

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  Belinda hadn’t stepped onto the floors of Meadows Media since her cousin had taken over. The place wasn’t exactly her favorite hangout spot. Every year during her college years, she worked a summer internship. Afterward, a job was offered, but she turned it down. Nothing could drag her into Grace’s world. Even now after she signed in at the security desk and got approval to head to the elevators, she wanted to turn and head for the exit.

  Years may have dulled the humiliation, or so she kept telling herself. How many of her friends had a father who had embezzled from his mother-in-law’s company? The full details didn’t come out in the newspapers or in legal wrangling. Behind the scenes, the late-night meetings consisted of lawyers, her aunts and grandmother huddled in several private meetings. Sometimes her mother, Felicity, was included, but most times it was just Grace and the lawyers. Finally her father was given his deal. The details were never leaked, never gossiped about, not even discussed to this day by her mother.

  Those days blurred one into the other. Belinda’s volatile teenage emotions were laced heavily with anger, confession and ultimately the destruction of her parents’ marriage. Her reality turned into a suffocating cocoon that enveloped her. She didn’t know if the nightmare would consume her. Growing up, sometimes she wanted to disappear, put distance between the Meadows clan and herself. Who was she supposed to be loyal to—Grace, her mother, her father?

  That big question had no answer. She wanted to please everyone and, at the same time, please no one. The family name always attracted those who wanted something for nothing. This was a motivating factor that propelled her to do her own thing and have her business.

  Still, those niggling remnants of guilt had become a permanent part of her skin. The villain had been her father, Clifton Price. She could never replace what he’d taken—the hard cash or what he’d lost, which was everyone’s respect and trust. Part of her wanted to come and work to earn back a smidgen of what he’d taken. The other part of her had wanted to run and hide from Grace, Meadows Media, even her cousins. But she wanted a fresh start, a place in time where Grace could look at her and not see her close resemblance to her father, where Belinda could not be judged for her father’s sins. “Good morning, Miss Toussaint.”

  Belinda nodded to the employee who passed her with brisk energy of the highly motivated. Most of the employees knew the family members. Of course they would, when each family member’s portrait lined the walls of the executive floor. For the blood relatives, their spot on the wall was permanent. For spouses, their place remained as long as the marriage was whole. Clifton, the villain, had been removed and after several years had been replaced with her stepfather’s, Wade’s, picture. Clifton was exiled not only from the company’s walls, but from her life, when he closed off contact with her.

  As she passed the glass-enclosed offices and the hive of cubicles, she couldn’t help feeling glad that she didn’t work there. Eight-plus hours in this environment would make her brain explode. Getting her physical-therapist certificate and working at various centers had provided experiences on the job that she wouldn’t trade.

  Stepping through the doors of the executive wing was like entering another universe with her grandmother as the ruler over it all. She doubted that Dana had managed to shake the reverent atmosphere given it was only a few months since the official announcement that her cousin was Meadows Media’s new CEO. She’d teased Dana to burn incense to cleanse the office and usher in her own vibe.

  The office’s professional ambiance was a major reason that any cousinly celebrations had taken place off the premises. Meet-ups were at each other’s homes, mostly Belinda’s, or on the rare occasions they dragged Belinda to a bar for happy hour.

  “Hi, Miss Toussaint. Here to see Dana?” Sasha, the assistant, greeted her with an easy smile.

  “Yep. Does she have time for her cousin?”

  “One sec.” Sasha got up and headed to the huge double doors that would open up to a space large enough for a small apartment.

  Now that Belinda was here in the office, she did feel a bit nervous. Her problem was nothing compared to what Dana faced on a daily basis. But she missed hanging with her cousin and enjoying their lively chats. Since it was proving difficult for Dana to find time to meet up, she’d taken the deep breath and came on the pilgrimage to Meadows Media.

  “You can go in,” Sasha whispered. “She’s got a meeting in ten minutes.”

  Belinda nodded. She approached the door and softly pulled it open. “Hey, there.”

  “Why are you acting as if you’re walking into a church?” Dana hurried from around the desk and engulfed her in a bear hug. “Long time no see, stranger.”

  Though her cousin was the youngest of the cousins, she wore maturity and top-level professionalism with class. Clearly, her navy blue suit that fit her frame perfectly was custom-tailored. The matching navy pumps shone with a killer heel that made her wonder how Dana could deal with that constriction for the entire day.

  “I see you haven’t redecorated.” Belinda shifted her admiring glance of her cousin’s modern attire to the office suite’s fussy decor. Dark formal furniture dominated the room. Heavy fabric drapes hung at each window. The same chocolate-and-cream color scheme from her childhood had remained in place. “Please hurry up and liven up this place. You need something Scandinavianish with lots of chrome and glass.”

  “Shhh. I’m not concerned with redecorating. It’s expensive and unnecessary. Stop being disrespectful to Grace’s taste.”

  “Oh, my bad.” Belinda genuflected and added an eye roll to her mockery. “I can’t believe you’re here...in this space. You’re queen in charge and then some.” Belinda pushed down the swell of emotion. She wasn’t one to get teary-eyed. Memories of their childhood together, her cousins also doubling as her best friends, warmed her heart. “You know I’m proud of you.”

  Dana nodded. “Still feels good to hear it.”

  “Where’s your sexy brown-skinned Brit?” Belinda made a big production of looking for him around the office, behind and under the desk, and finishing off the search in her closet. “Wow! This is some walk-in closet. Lucky I’m too tall to wear these clothes.” She brushed her hand along the pantsuits, skirt suits and dresses that were neatly organized, while a large number of shoes filled the shoe cubbies.

  “Get out of my closet. And Kent is on a quick trip to England. Back in two days.” Her cousin still glowed with her new love.

  “Miss him?”

  “A whole lot.” Dana’s smile drooped. She glanced at the photograph on her desk.

  “That’s good. Means you’re still in love.”

  “Of course!”

  “Hey, I’m just checking in on matters of the heart. I’m making sure that I can still look forward to a serious announcement.” Seeing her cousin relaxed and still confident in her relationship felt good.

  “Stop rushing things. Is that why you’re here? To give me grief?”

  Belinda shook her head. “Nah, cuz. Needed your advice, ASAP.”

  “This is a first.” Dana peered at her. When Belinda didn’t say anything further, she pushed the button on her phone. “Sasha, reschedule my next appointment to later this afternoon. Then call Fiona and transfer her to my line, please.”

  “Are you quite done? Anyone else to call?” Belinda was used to the routine. The three cousins didn’t breathe, move or do anything without one or all of them knowing. They took watching each other’s back to a serious level.

  “This must be really serious because you came all the way over here to see me.” The phone rang and Dana quickly answered and pressed the speaker button. “Fiona, hey cuz. I’ve got Belinda in my office, laboring over some decision to be made.”

  Belinda deliberately dragged out her sing-song greeting. “Hey, Fiona, put down your case file and detective hat for a mome
nt.”

  “How are you doing, Belinda?” Fiona asked in her characteristic husky voice.

  Dana jumped in. “She needs an ear. Got time?”

  “I’m at my desk, waiting for a call from the medical examiner. But go ahead. I’m sure we can solve the problem in minutes. If it was up to our dear Belinda, she’d drag out the solution over several lectures, cups of foreign herbal tea and the latest accomplishments with her horses.” Only Fiona and Dana laughed.

  “Look, I didn’t come here to be the butt of your jokes.” Their teasing didn’t bother her. They were besties, after all. No, the problem was the growing urge to escape the office. Nerves over the surroundings and her current problem had her fidgeting and distracted.

  “Okay, calm down. What’s got a hold of your usual calm demeanor?” Dana’s eyebrow cocked over a curious gaze.

  “I fired someone today.” Belinda heard their gasps. “It was necessary,” she said in self-defense.

  Dana patted her hand. “I’m sure it was. You go, girl. Don’t tell me that I’m rubbing off on you.”

  “And don’t tell me that you fired Tawny, your only employee,” Fiona said. “I like her.”

  “It’s not Tawny. It’s Jesse.” The man with haunting gray eyes, cool, alluring demeanor and wickedly sexy pair of lips.

  “Who?” They sounded like owls.

  “Santiago. Ed’s son. Mr. Ex–Professional Soccer Player.” And darn, if his body didn’t look like he maintained its tiptop shape.

  “Oh, now that’s different. I like Ed, too,” Fiona tossed out.

  “Me, too,” Dana added. “Plus, you know Grace absolutely adores him and Caroline, his wife. They were invited over for dinner a couple weeks ago.”

  “There’s more. I’m also going to have to find a new contractor. With Jesse gone, I can’t wait for Ed to get on his feet. Work on the riding ring has to begin immediately or the program won’t start on time.”

  Silence.

  Why wasn’t this coming out with the sense of outrage that she’d felt earlier? Now that the emotional high had lowered with each passing hour, her complaint turned her response to an overreaction. That wasn’t her style. But neither was Jesse...her style.

  Dana sat back and folded her arms. “Now that you’ve made a mess of things, unnecessarily, I might add, what exactly do you want from us?”

  “I don’t feel good about it.” Belinda usually didn’t tend to second-guess herself. She arrived at her conclusions based on evidence, made her decisions and followed through the action. Give or take a few mistakes in judgment, overall, this system had worked in her life. And this morning, she’d been soaring over her smackdown because Jesse insulted her riding program, her horses, and acted too blasé about the job.

  “You think...?” Dana pursed her mouth. “This is Ed’s livelihood. You’re not giving him a chance to come up with another solution. How will he feel that you tossed him off the job?” She leveled a ferocious stare. “You should have heard Ed talk about his retirement plans with Caroline. And then Grace and Grandpa Henry joined in, if you can imagine that. I hope that Kent and I are all goo-goo over each other when we get older.” Dana’s voice turned wistful.

  “I’m not the bad guy.” Belinda looked over at the phone for Fiona’s support. Usually, they sided against Dana. Plus, Fiona wasn’t wrapped up in any romantic fog. “Anyway, Ed’s son was a complete jerk. That’s not the word I really want to use. He acted as if rolling up his sleeves and doing a bit of work didn’t meet his celebrity-athlete taste.”

  “Maybe he just wasn’t cut out for customer service. More important, did he know his stuff?” Fiona finally rejoined the conversation. Her attention sounded as if it was being pulled from their group chat. That was not surprising, as she was a busy detective in a police precinct.

  “Ed taught him or so he says.” Belinda really didn’t doubt that Ed would have shown his son the ropes.

  “That’s a good thing, if Ed trained him. That means he’s darn good.” Dana leaned forward. Curiosity lit up her eyes. “Did he make a pass at you?” The smirk gave away any true concern for her cousin if he really had.

  “No.”

  “Are you mad that he didn’t?” Fiona asked.

  “Oh, my gosh, would both of you get past the high school stuff?” Fact: he did check her out. Fact: he didn’t take the job seriously. Fact: he didn’t fight to stick around.

  “What made you fire him? Something illegal? I can check to see if he’s got a record, celebrity or not.” Trust Fiona to be ready to use her detective skills.

  “He didn’t want to work. Pretty much said so. Complained and whined about the smell of my horses.”

  Fiona laughed and then Dana joined in.

  Belinda fumed. “I love my horses.”

  “That doesn’t mean that they don’t smell.” Dana raised her arm to ward off Belinda’s verbal attack. “I love your horses. I just know how it may seem to someone for the first time.”

  “It’s not as if I hid what the job was.” Belinda felt herself getting worked up all over again.

  “Was he a good soccer player? I’m more curious about why he’s home. And to play at carpentry is a bit suspect, don’t you think, Dana?” Fiona’s mind had drifted off course. “Maybe I should check into his background.”

  “So unnecessary. He’s not a criminal.” Belinda’s hot defense of Jesse shocked herself. “And frankly I don’t care why he’s not playing anymore. I need my riding ring built.” Belinda didn’t doubt that Fiona could find a file that encompassed Jesse’s life from birth to his diss toward her company. But they’d never spied on each other or on the romantic prospects that wandered into their lives. And she didn’t want to start that practice with Jesse, despite her desire to clobber him over the head.

  “What do you want to do?” Dana waited.

  “I’m having second thoughts.” Belinda threw her head back on the chair and blew out a long sigh. “I feel as I’m coming out at the losing end of this.”

  Dana prompted, “Why did he get under your skin so much? Yeah, he sounds like a jerk. But you aren’t looking for a soul mate. You need a reputable person to come in, do the job. When it’s over, he’ll be on his way.”

  “Yeah, pretty much.” Dana was right. Jesse Santiago was a pompous jackass. On the flip side, maybe he could wield a hammer like a pro.

  “Take a chill pill. Blame your hasty decision on the stress, and get Jesse back on your team.”

  Belinda followed the logic. Still, the path to the solution grated. “It’s going to kill me to apologize.”

  “You’re the CEO of your company. Think like one.” Fiona echoed Dana’s argument. “You’ve got plans that are bigger than Jesse. All you need him for is to nail pieces of wood together. As long as he’s respectful, then don’t sweat the small stuff. You’re a tough woman. I know you won’t take any crap from him.”

  “Did you call Ed? Please tell me that you didn’t.” Dana pulled her attention.

  “Not yet.” The enormity of this situation taking off in another direction, if Ed found out, hit her. What if Jesse told on her? Her diplomatic relations would be put to the test without that added issue.

  “Good.” Dana leaned over and patted her hand. “Don’t panic. That’s the best thing that you could have delayed doing. Ed never has to know that you were willing to kick his son off the project.”

  “And Grace doesn’t have to know that you messed with her favorite contractor,” Fiona reminded.

  Belinda couldn’t agree more. “Grandma came to visit. Felt like more of a business appointment. The usual discussion—wants me to work here.”

  Fiona burst in before Dana could hide her shock. “Oh, damn, please don’t let her come knocking on my door.”

  “You’ve got a real job.” Belinda leaned over the phone. “I’m the o
ne that is around seemingly messing with the touchy-feely job that she probably considers a waste of time.”

  “I like your touchy-feely business,” Dana stated. “You’re a thoughtful person. And I’m sure Grace doesn’t feel so harshly about what you’re doing. She was there when you received certification to be an equine-therapy specialist. She also showed up when you bought your first horse. That was a big deal to see her there.”

  “And she did it for you, Belinda,” Fiona added.

  Having Grace show an interest in her pursuits did provide that additional boost in deciding to start her business. Her entire family knew the real motivation behind Dreamweaver Riding Program—Maritza Carnegie. They understood the pain and emotional distress of emerging unscathed from the car accident; meanwhile, her best friend suffered a spinal cord injury. What they couldn’t deal with was how long she’d been torn over a friendship that unfortunately had dissolved soon after the accident. The ordeal almost broke her emotionally.

  Regardless of the chasm born of anger and remorse over Maritza’s accident, Belinda hoped that one day she could repair the emotional damage. One way to do so was with the riding program. After witnessing her friend’s rehabilitation from afar and talking with her therapists, the idea to create Dreamweaver formed and took hold. She started on a small scale with two horses. In order to take it to the next level, she needed renovations and more funding. Even after fixing the issue with Jesse, there was still the matter of raising funds and holding on to the other donors.

  She’d do anything to keep her dream alive.

  “Maybe I should work here.” Belinda imagined that she must be having an out-of-body experience for those words to spill from her.

  “What?” Dana snapped forward and pushed up Belinda’s chin until they were locked in a direct stare with each other. “Why? Not that I wouldn’t love to have you work here. But you’re giving me whiplash.”