A Brother's Honor (8 page)

Yes, she had heard the story and had always thought it was special that the two had begun dating in their sophomore year and married a month after graduation, two years later.

“So tell me, what is there about her that makes you think of marriage?” she asked, picking up her coffee cup and taking a sip.

“She’s pretty. Dresses nice. Smells good.”

He’d gotten up that close to the woman?
“What do you know about her, Dad?”

Her father leaned back in the chair and the smile that appeared on his face at that moment was one she had never recalled seeing before. It was different somehow from the ones he had for her and her sister, Shana thought.

“I know she’s friendly with a pleasant personality, and I like that. She’s also kind and generous. Everyone at the store knows her. And she teaches.”

Shana raised another brow. “She’s a schoolteacher?”

“No, a college professor at the University of Virginia. Political Science. I never liked talking about politics until now.”

Shana leaned back in her chair, as well. She just couldn’t imagine her six-foot-three-inch, sixty-two-year-old father hanging around the vegetable stand in some grocery store talking politics with anyone, never mind a woman.

But, then, to be fair, in all the years since her mother died, Shana had never known Benjamin Bradford to be involved with a woman. Oh, she knew he’d dated once in a while—she could still recall the packs of condoms she and her sister had found in his drawer one year. But he had never brought any of those dates home for his daughters to meet. Their mother had died of pancreatic cancer thirteen years ago, right before Shana’s fifteenth birthday. Jules had been thirteen. Now they were grown women with lives of their own, so it stood to reason that if he was ever going to be seriously interested in a woman, it would be now.

But still... Marriage?

“So her first name is Mona. What’s her last name?” Shana decided to ask. There was no harm in Jules checking her out. This was their father they were talking about.

“Underwood. Her name is Mona Underwood.”

“How old is she, Dad?”

He chuckled. “Hey, I never ask a woman her age.”

“Yes, but I’m sure you have some idea. Take a guess.”

He scrunched up his forehead. “I recall she said she was thinking about retiring in a couple of years when she turned fifty-five. So I guess she’s in her early fifties.”

That meant he was anywhere from ten to twelve years older than this Mona Underwood. That wasn’t too bad. It could have been worse.

“Is she a divorcée, widow, never been married...?”

“Divorced. I do know that.”

Thank God.
“How long ago?”

“For what?”

Shana rolled her eyes. “Since Ms. Underwood got divorced?”

Her father squinted his dark eyes at her. “Why do I feel like I’m being interrogated?”

She couldn’t help but smile. “Because you’re an ex-cop. Comes with the territory.”

She was about to ask a few more questions when her cell phone went off. “Excuse me a minute, Dad,” she said as she pulled her phone out of her purse. It was her office calling. “Yes, Joyce?”

“Potential new client. Jace Granger of Granger Aeronautics. He would like to talk to you in person and wants to know if you can drop by the office. And by the way, he has
such
a sexy voice.”

Shana smiled. “Calm down, single mother of three. Rein in those raging hormones.” Joyce, her office manager, was thirty-three and had been a divorcée for a year or so. Since she’d started dating, she seemed to be going buck wild.

A few moments later, after getting the information she needed from Joyce, Shana hung up the phone. “Okay, Dad, I need to go. I have an appointment,” she said, standing and heading for the door.

“Have I told you lately just how proud I am of you?”

Shana dropped her hand from the doorknob and turned around. Smiling, she walked back to her father, leaned down and placed a kiss on his cheek. “Not lately, but just knowing you are, is special.”

“I’m proud of Jules, too, although I worry about her sometimes.”

Shana nodded. Following in their father’s footsteps, Jules had been on the police force for two years before making detective. When it came to solving cases, she was a whip. Jules had finally fulfilled her dream and opened an investigation firm. Her cases took her all over the place and at twenty-six and single, her sister was loving it.

“Jules can take care of herself. We both can. We’re Ben’s girls, and he taught us how to fend for ourselves.”

* * *

A short while later, before starting her car, Shana punched in the phone number Joyce had given her. She leaned back, thinking of the conversation she’d had with her father. Jules was working a case in Miami, but as soon as her sister returned, they would talk. Ben Bradford remarrying? She wanted her father to be happy for the rest of his life, but she didn’t want him to settle for the first woman he found interesting, pretty, well dressed and good-looking.

“Jace Granger.”

The deep, masculine voice pulled her concentration to the phone call.

“Yes, Mr. Granger, this is Shana Bradford. My assistant relayed your message. I understand you would like to set up a meeting?”

“Today if possible.”

She glanced at her watch. That was unexpected, but it just so happened that her calendar was clear for the rest of the day as the Williams meeting had been canceled at the last minute. “I have some time right now as a matter of fact. Shall I meet you at your office?”

“No, not here. It’s almost lunchtime. Can we meet for lunch...that is if you haven’t eaten already?”

“No, lunch will be fine. Do you have a place in mind?”

“What about Vannon’s? Do you know where it is? If I recall, the food there is excellent.”

“It is excellent. It shouldn’t take me more than twenty minutes to get there.”

“It will be the same amount of time for me. I appreciate your flexibility, Ms. Bradford.”

“No problem. I’ll see you in about twenty minutes.”

She clicked off the phone. It wasn’t unusual for clients to want to meet somewhere other than at their offices. Ninety percent of the time she was called in when there was trouble. If there was a problem within the firm, it was best for the employees not to find out about it until management had it under control. Understandably, people became antsy over the possibility of losing their jobs when a company wasn’t performing the way it should be. That was her job, going into failing corporations and doing what could be done to turn their businesses around. And she was justifiably proud of her track record.

Shana wondered what the problems at Granger Aeronautics were. She remembered hearing that the CEO had passed away. That in itself could cause turmoil within a corporation. The prospect of change in any form had a way of getting to people.

As she turned the ignition in her car to pull out of her father’s driveway, she couldn’t help but agree with what Joyce had said earlier. Jace Granger had a sexy voice.

Shana then punched a knob on her console for Greta, her automated search engine. Bruce Townsend, a computer whiz who worked for both her and Jules, had invented the device, which was great for those doing investigative work. Shana had one installed in her car that shared her office network. All you had to do was tell Greta what info you wanted, and within minutes, she would recite all you needed to know.

“Greta, search your engines for information on Granger Aeronautics.”

“Affirmative,” was Greta’s quick, automated reply.

By the time Shana had turned the corner, Greta was reciting the history of Granger Aeronautics.

Chapter Eight

J
ace arrived a few minutes early, so he sat near the restaurant’s window to enjoy the outside view. It was a beautiful summer day with a little breeze to offset the hot temperature. Traffic hadn’t been so bad coming from the office, and he had the opportunity to familiarize himself with the roads that hadn’t been there the last time he’d been in Charlottesville. It was progress that he appreciated, since they helped eliminate traffic buildup on the expressway, which was something he was used to in Los Angeles.

His thoughts shifted to the office he’d left. It surprised him that Freeman had suddenly decided that Jace, Caden and Dalton were the best thing for Granger Aeronautics and that he would be happy to work with the three any way he could. Jace shook his head. Did the man really have a choice?

On another note, someone had spread the rumor that the company was in financial straits, and employees were beginning to worry. Several who had worked for Granger for years, some before the day Jace was born, had cornered him in the hall and requested a private meeting. They had assured him he would have their loyalty the same way his grandfather had had through the years. He appreciated that. One even went so far as to warn him to keep an eye on Freeman.

Jace’s main concern was dealing with rumor control, since it was sending a panic wave through the company that the doors could be closing within a few months. Their biggest client was the federal government, and the last thing Granger Aeronautics needed was for the government to have a reason not to renew their contracts.

He took time to glance at the reports he’d reviewed right before leaving the office and noted they had not gotten as many jobs from the government as they had in the past, which was probably one of the main reasons for the decline in revenue. Over the coming weeks, he would have to roll up his sleeves and dive into every aspect of Granger Aeronautics to figure out why.

Jace rubbed the back of his neck, hoping he hadn’t bitten off more than he could chew. Over the years, his grandfather had kept him abreast of things going on in the company...although the old man had never told him about the recent turn of events in the company’s financial situation. But Jace was aware of their clients, the people depending on their products, and he wanted to make sure they were kept happy.

Granger Aeronautics had been one of the leading employers in Charlottesville for years. His great-grandfather, Sutton Granger, had been a Tuskegee Airman during the Second World War. At the end of the war, he and a fellow airman mechanic, Aaron Mann, had basically risked everything they had to form Granger-Mann Aerospace, located in Birmingham, Alabama.

Aaron Mann died unexpectedly in a boating accident, and since his family wanted no part of the company, Sutton bought them out and changed the name to Granger Aeronautics. A year later, the company moved to Charlottesville.

Jace knew the history; they all did. Their grandfather had drilled it into them and so had their father...although not quite as hard. He’d known it had been a disappointment to Richard when none of his grandsons had shown interest in continuing the legacy, but Jace figured their grandfather had known why, although he might not have agreed with it. It hadn’t come as any surprise to the old man that Jace, Caden and Dalton had wanted to move as far away from Charlottesville as possible. Their teen years after their father’s death hadn’t been easy, and the town had made it downright difficult at times. They had become known as the sons of a convicted killer.

Richard had planned to retire and leave things in his son’s capable hands before the murder happened. When Sheppard had been convicted, retirement had no longer been an option for Richard. He had worked tirelessly for the next fifteen years to keep the company afloat—for his grandsons, and for the return of his only son.

Jace, of all people, knew that his grandfather never gave up hope that one day the verdict would be overturned and Sheppard would walk out of prison a free man. When Sheppard had entered prison fifteen years ago, he had started positive programs for the inmates such as Toastmasters, Future Leaders of Tomorrow and the GED program. His efforts had been successful and were recognized by the media and even the governor.

Five years ago, upon the recommendation of the warden, the governor had approved Sheppard’s transfer to Delvers, a prison that housed less-serious offenders. For the past five years, Sheppard had worked closely with the warden as a trustee, initiating various projects to ensure that the less-serious offenders didn’t become serious offenders in the future.

Jace was not surprised. His father was a born leader who cared for others, which is why he knew that his father was not responsible for his mother’s death, not even as the crime of passion the prosecution had made it out to be.

“Jace Granger?”

He looked up into a very attractive face. The first thing he noticed was her eyes. They were oval-shaped and a deep, dark chocolate. Beautiful. And so were her other features. “Yes, I’m Jace Granger,” he said, standing.

She extended her hand to him. “I’m Shana Bradford.

* * *

Shana sipped her wine and recalled the stats Greta had provided on the man sitting across from her, Jace Granger. He was a thirty-one-year-old divorcé and attorney with a government agency in Los Angeles. He was highly respected and considered a hard worker. However, some thought he was limiting his abilities and questioned his lack of motivation. And something she found odd was that there was a million-dollar trust fund established by his great-grandfather that he’d become eligible to receive at twenty-five. Yet he hadn’t touched any of it. He lived a modest life, was a liberal and donated thousands each year to charity.

She also knew about his father, Sheppard Granger, as well as his brothers, Caden and Dalton. Greta had been very thorough during the twenty minutes it had taken Shana to arrive at Vannon’s.

Now that her brain had rehashed Greta’s info, Shana streamed through her mind what she was seeing for herself. First of all, Jace Granger was a very handsome man. She would even throw in sexy to match the voice. He had a beautiful pair of light brown eyes and creamy, caramel-colored skin, black, close-cut hair that was nicely trimmed and a pair of full lips. She figured to get teeth that white and perfect, a lot of money had to have gone into his mouth as a child. And he had a dimple in his chin and a strong jawline. His eyebrows appeared perfectly arched with long lashes, the kind most women would kill for. He had big hands and the long fingers of a piano player. When he stood, she couldn’t help but admire the way he filled out his suit. He was tall, with broad shoulders and a pleasing smile. Altogether, she thought he was definitely a nice-looking, well-built package.

“So you think you can help Granger Aeronautics?” he asked, taking a sip of his wine, as well. She was intelligent enough to know that while she’d been sizing him up, he’d been doing the same with her. She had no problem with that. Thanks to her parents’ strong genes and facial bone structure, she knew she wasn’t bad to look at. She had honey-brown skin, dark brown eyes and a head of healthy hair that she liked wearing straight in long graceful curves to her shoulders. Her lips were full, and she was blessed with a dimple in one cheek.

Although she and Jace were doing a good job of downplaying the attraction, it was there. But she was well aware that attractions came and attractions went. It was no big deal to her unless it got in the way of business, and she didn’t intend to let that happen. She was too focused for that. Too much of a professional.

There was never a time when she couldn’t control her hormones when it came to a man—even Jonathan Hickman. He was the last man she’d been seriously involved with and that was a few years ago. Shana had thought she was in love with him...yet he claimed she was too in control, a damn robot without emotions and feelings. He’d been wrong. She had emotions and feelings. Maybe had he known that, he would not have hurt her the way he had.

Both she and her sister were blessed with high IQs, and Shana had been told by a lot of her college professors that hers was too high for her own good. She was a curious soul by nature, and when things were wrong, she always liked making them right. The story of her life.

“I know I can help,” she said, setting down her wineglass. “I’ve familiarized myself somewhat with your company.”

He raised one of those arched brows. “You have?”

“Yes.” He was probably wondering when she had had time to do that. “I have Greta, a very high-tech search engine in my car. I was able to listen to the stats on the drive over here.”

“Oh, I see.”

She wondered if he really did. She had not only researched his company, but had obtained information on him, too. She liked knowing who she was dealing with.

* * *

Jace thought Shana Bradford was hot. The dark brown business suit looked great on her, although he was sure it was meant to look conservative. Instead, it deepened the color of her eyes and made her complexion that much smoother looking. And the conservative look did nothing to hide what a gorgeous pair of legs she had. And she was wearing panty hose, something few women still did these days. In L.A., he was used to seeing bare-legged women all the time, even in business suits, and he appreciated the lack of hosiery on any nice pair of legs. But seeing Shana in panty hose had him rethinking that position. The ones on her legs were flesh tone, barely noticeable, silky. For some reason, they managed to extend her legs’ beauty to a level of sensuality that he found breathtaking.

The woman was also candid. Some might think a bit cocky, conceited and way too sure of herself, but he wasn’t one of them. She believed in her abilities and knew what she could do, and Jace couldn’t help admiring that trait in a woman. He’d done a Google search on her company. She had an MBA from Harvard, graduating at the top of her class, two years earlier than the norm. Since opening her business a few years ago, she had reinvented several corporations, and her success ratio was astounding.

And Shana Bradford was a very striking woman. Any man would take a second look at her any day of the week. The total package, a combination of professionalism and sexiness, was doing everything to rev up his libido. He drew in a deep breath, knowing that he shouldn’t be thinking of her in those terms. What he should be thinking about was that she was someone who could help him. Unfortunately, she was making that task pretty damn impossible while sitting across from him looking as scrumptious as the wine he was drinking and just as appetizing. He was certain he would get his mind back strictly on business, but right now, he wanted to analyze her as the desirable woman that she was. He liked her looks, and she smelled good. Whatever perfume she was wearing she could claim as hers. And he liked her voice. She was articulate and looked you right in the eyes when she spoke.

“Before the waiter delivers our food, I would like you to tell me why you want to hire me,” she said, interrupting his thoughts.

His lips quirked into a smile. “I thought you knew what was going on at Granger.”

She quirked her lips right back at him. “I know enough, but I want to hear your version.”

“All right.” He began talking, and she took it all in, every detail, specific or otherwise. He spoke smoothly, elegantly and with confidence, even when she doubted he was truly feeling it. He told her she was recommended by their company’s attorney, who was also a longtime family friend. He went into details about the buying up of additional shares and the stockholders’ meeting that was held that morning. He went over his agreement with Freeman—the two of them would work together to ensure the success of the company.

He ended by saying, “Well, that about covers it.”

She studied his gaze for a moment, thinking he wasn’t a man someone could read easily and, for a woman, not at all. She sipped her wine and then said, “Mr. Granger, you called me to help bring your company around. I’m capable of doing that. However, you will have to be straight with me on all levels. You did not tell me everything.”

She saw his eyes darken, shadowed with irritation at her accusation. “And just what is it that I haven’t told you, Ms. Bradford?”

“Why three men who once swore never to work for Granger Aeronautics are suddenly doing so. I understand about your grandfather’s death and all that, but the three of you could have easily let Titus Freeman run things...after all, he was vice president. You were satisfied with your job at that government agency in Los Angeles, your brother Caden is a professional musician with quite a following and your younger brother Dalton is pretty much known on the European circuit as quite the ladies’ man. A number of women have nicknamed him ‘Cocoa Puff.’ And probably what most people don’t know is that he’s a billionaire, not from taking advantage of any of his older lovers, but from investments. So my question to you is, why are the three of you here?

Jace didn’t say anything for a moment, wondering how much to tell her. Then after looking in her eyes, observing that
you-better-not-bullshit-me
look,
he decided to come clean. “It was a deathbed promise. My grandfather asked the three of us to take over the running of Granger Aeronautics. And it’s a promise I intend to keep.”

She could admire that, but still...why would his grandfather ask the three of them to do that? Richard Granger knew they had lives they were more or less content with. Why would he ask them to give up their livelihood for a company they’d walked away from years ago?

Evidently, she had a confused look in her eyes, because he said, “I don’t know why he asked that of us, considering everything. But we knew our grandfather. We don’t think it was last-minute manipulation. I honestly believe he thought we could do a better job than Freeman. Why he felt that way, I’m not sure. Granddad loved Granger Aeronautics. He wouldn’t turn the running of it over to us unless he felt we could do it.”

She took a sip of her wine and then asked, “For how long?”

“Excuse me?”

“How long will you stay at Granger? Just until I get it out of the red? I understand you didn’t resign from your company in California, but took a leave of absence.”