Книга - Maddie Fortune’s Perfect Man

Maddie Fortune's Perfect Man
Nancy Robards Thompson


There’s trouble afoot among the Houston Fortunes…Maddie Fortunado is heir apparent to her father’s business – at least, she assumed she was. But her rival is Zach McCarter – the charismatic co-worker that Maddie has a crush on! But after Maddie has a makeover, business is the last thing on Zach’s mind!







THERE’S TROUBLE AFOOT AMONG THE HOUSTON FORTUNES...

Maddie Fortunado, heir apparent to her father’s real estate business, is stunned to learn that she’ll have to fight for the job she’d assumed was hers! Even worse? Her rival is none other than Zach McCarter, her secret crush. Only a makeover can transform “Maddie” into “Madeleine,” who can compete against her charismatic coworker. But when Zach meets Maddie 2.0, business is suddenly the last thing on either of their minds!


National bestselling author NANCY ROBARDS THOMPSON holds a degree in journalism. She worked as a newspaper reporter until she realized reporting “just the facts” bored her silly. Now that she has much more content to report to her muse, Nancy loves writing women’s iction and romance full-time. Critics have deemed her work “funny, smart and observant.” She resides in Florida with her husband and daughter. You can reach her at www.nancyrobardsthompson.com (http://www.nancyrobardsthompson.com) and Facebook.com/nancyrobardsthompsonbooks (http://www.Facebook.com/nancyrobardsthompsonbooks).


Also by Nancy Robards Thompson (#u1cb716f0-fa19-5628-9fa0-4fc5f475fec6)

The Cowboy Who Got Away

A Bride, a Barn, and a Baby

The Cowboy’s Runaway Bride

His Texas Christmas Bride

How to Marry a Doctor

A Celebration Christmas

Celebration’s Baby

Celebration’s Family

Celebration’s Bride

Texas Christmas

Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)


Maddie Fortune’s Perfect Man

Nancy Robards Thompson






www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)


ISBN: 978-1-474-07759-0

MADDIE FORTUNE’S PERFECT MAN

© 2018 Harlequin Books S.A.

Published in Great Britain 2018

by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF

All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, locations and incidents are purely fictional and bear no relationship to any real life individuals, living or dead, or to any actual places, business establishments, locations, events or incidents. Any resemblance is entirely coincidental.

By payment of the required fees, you are granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right and licence to download and install this e-book on your personal computer, tablet computer, smart phone or other electronic reading device only (each a “Licensed Device”) and to access, display and read the text of this e-book on-screen on your Licensed Device. Except to the extent any of these acts shall be permitted pursuant to any mandatory provision of applicable law but no further, no part of this e-book or its text or images may be reproduced, transmitted, distributed, translated, converted or adapted for use on another file format, communicated to the public, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of publisher.

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www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)


This book is dedicated to my beloved Samantha, faithful friend, smiling muse and ambassador of all dogs. You stole the heart of this cat lady.

Rest in peace, my sweet corgi girl.

I’ll miss you every day.


Contents

Cover (#ubed6535a-2e63-5650-b8b1-4c1a57cc8760)

Back Cover Text (#u8b4c079a-05d4-55d9-b0fc-02c4b01d61e4)

About the Author (#u4663593d-d5e0-50d4-9ca6-153825873399)

Booklist (#u98ce6043-cc59-54bd-9439-9de9ab4d488c)

Title Page (#ubce9ddd5-1549-52c3-ab6c-1f67b297d289)

Copyright (#u9dd217cf-4232-5f6d-8651-afe8c066cdb1)

Dedication (#u8de91fa4-90c0-58a3-8f1d-597efb9833e7)

Chapter One (#uef604f93-cc38-5f80-bdf7-230c0a8c666c)

Chapter Two (#u40cb6b13-d1ea-57c3-8288-201b4a4205f7)

Chapter Three (#u430ddeb7-ba80-5a4a-8735-8f9dca01dfe7)

Chapter Four (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Five (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Six (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Seven (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Eight (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Nine (#litres_trial_promo)

Epilogue (#litres_trial_promo)

Extract (#litres_trial_promo)

About the Publisher (#litres_trial_promo)


Chapter One (#u1cb716f0-fa19-5628-9fa0-4fc5f475fec6)

Kenneth Fortunado tapped his champagne flute with a table knife. The ping, ping, ping of metal on crystal silenced the small gathering of family and friends, whom he’d summoned to the impromptu afternoon barbecue.

Maddie Fortunado shivered as a frisson of anticipation spiraled through her.

A champagne toast at a barbecue. It can only mean one thing.

Finally.

She’d been dreaming of this day.

“Does everyone have a glass of bubbly?” Kenneth asked. “I have a special announcement.”

Maddie plucked a flute off the tray of a passing server and turned expectantly toward her father. Catching his eye, she checked her posture and held her glass high. He flashed her a knowing smile and lifted his flute to her in a private cheers, before surveying the small crowd he’d gathered on the back terrace of the Fortunado estate.

“Barbara?” he called. “Barbara, where are you? Where is my lovely wife?”

Her mother did indeed look lovely in her powder-blue sweater set, which she’d paired with ivory silk trousers and her signature double strand of pearls. Barbara waved from the back of the terrace where she appeared to be giving the caterer last-minute instructions.

“Barbara, dear,” Kenneth said. “Please join me.”

Demonstrating that a Southern woman neither rushed nor allowed herself to be rushed, Barbara held up a ladylike index finger, signaling to Kenneth that she’d be there in a moment, and continued her business with the chef.

Maddie allowed her gaze to meander over to her coworker Zach McCarter, who was talking to her sisters, Schuyler and Valene, and Schuyler’s fiancé as everyone waited for Kenneth and Barbara to share their big news. Her toes curled in her navy Jack Rogers sandals. Somehow, Zach managed to look masculine—and sexy as hell—holding the delicate crystal champagne glass by the stem, totally oblivious to the fact that she was watching him.

Her uncle Bill, her mom’s brother, whom she hadn’t seen in months, had come back to Houston for the announcement at their parents’ behest, and was engrossed in conversation with Zach and the group. Obviously, her family didn’t think there was anything out of the ordinary that Zach had been included in this day of special news.

Zach, who had until a few weeks ago been the broker in charge of Fortunado Real Estate’s San Antonio office, had arrived at the house before Maddie, and her mother—as intuitive as ever—had been in the kitchen and had warned her he was here.

“Oh!” Barbara’s hand had flown to her mouth, as if she hadn’t meant for the exclamation to escape.

“By the way,” she’d said, “before you go out there, I thought you should know your father invited Zach McCarter to be here today.”

Maddie’s stomach had flip-flopped, then plunged. “Here? For the barbecue?”

Barbara grimaced. “Yes. He’s out on the porch. Your father insisted on inviting him, even though I said I thought it wasn’t a good idea.” Barbara shot Maddie a knowing look. “I hope you don’t mind.”

“Why would I mind?” Maddie kept her voice level and her poker face firmly fixed.

“Why would you mind?” Barbara had shrugged. “Well, I thought this announcement that your father and I are about to make would’ve been best kept to just family first. But you know how he is. Once he gets something in his head, there’s no talking him out of it. It’s best just to go with it.”

Happy to have the forewarning, she’d seen Zach before she’d opened the French doors that led out to the terrace. In the split instant when her eyes had picked him out of the group that had grown to include more friends than family, her heart had performed a two-step that had caused her to put her hand to her chest.

She looked at Zach standing there, so comfortable in his own skin, laughing with her sisters. The sheer beauty of him—of them all—made the scene look like it could have been an ad for Ralph Lauren or some other all-American line that featured buff, gorgeous people.

Perfection seemed to come so effortlessly to Zach.

This stolen opportunity to drink in his masculine beauty was a smidgen of unadulterated heaven. From the top of his curly blond head—with hair that was on the longish side, but still looked professional—to the bottom of his six-foot-four-inch frame, he was sheer perfection.

His light blue eyes were slightly downturned and adorably crinkled at the edges when he smiled. Maddie took a moment to pay homage to that strong, structured jawline, to those wide shoulders and his impressive height. He was tall, but so was she and next to him, she felt feminine. His nose was just a little crooked and that scar on his chin that she couldn’t see but could visualize were just enough to lend a masculine edge to his classic features. Good thing, too, because with his sun-kissed honey-blond hair, perfected by his convertible BMW, he could easily have been too pretty. But he wasn’t. He was perfect.

She watched Schuyler reach up and ruffle Zach’s hair. She’d wager that she was telling him that people paid big bucks for highlights like that. Schuyler was always bemoaning the high price of beauty when she migrated back to Houston from Austin every six weeks for hair appointments. That was precisely why Maddie preferred to keep her blond hair natural. She didn’t have time to get roped into regular salon appointments for upkeep. The mere thought of the obligation gave her hives.

On a better note, she wished she could freeze this stolen moment and savor it over and over. Because Zach looked particularly gorgeous on this fine Sunday afternoon. There was something especially enticing about the way his light blue eyes crinkled as he laughed at something Schuyler was saying. He was probably humoring her as she went on and on about his highlights. He looked so comfortable in his own sexy skin. He was mesmerizing, and the sight of him sent a quiver down to the pit of her stomach. Maddie fisted her free hand, the one that wasn’t holding her champagne, so tightly her nails dug into her palms.

Oh, Zach, you sexy thing.

A wisp of wistful regret skittered through Maddie as she realized he would never be anything more to her than a fantasy. He couldn’t even be her secret crush anymore, which had been so easy when he was at the San Antonio office. She’d had a chance to get to know him better since he’d transferred to Houston. But she needed to rein it in if she was going to be his boss, which was about to happen once her father made the big announcement.

Any second now.

But until then, she was free to indulge one last tiny little daydream—

Uh-oh—

She froze as Zach’s gaze locked with hers. It happened so fast and the jolt was so gripping, she couldn’t look away. It was just as well. In her peripheral vision, she could see that Val was talking to Uncle Bill and Schuyler was talking to her fiancé, Carlo Mendoza, leaving poor Zach unentertained. If she looked away too fast, he might think she hadn’t wanted him to catch her watching him. Even though she hadn’t intended for him to catch her looking. It was best to hold up her end of the subtly flirtatious stare-down, which she did—brilliantly, if she did say so herself—dropping her gaze to her champagne flute for a single beat and then snaring his gaze again.

It was a silent dare to see who would look away first.

She sighed inwardly.

It’s been fun, Zach, but now it’s time for me to move on.

That’s what she was telegraphing to him. He didn’t seem to be receiving the message, because if he had, surely, he would’ve had the good grace to look away.

Instead, he raised his hand to her. She made the same motion in return.

In the end, neither of them lost the challenge because her father called it a draw when he started talking and broke the spell. They both gave him their attention. Her mother was now standing at Kenneth’s side and he handed her a glass of champagne.

“My family—” Kenneth gestured toward Maddie and then toward her sisters. “Madeleine, Valene, Schuyler and Carlo. And Zach. Zach, I include you because you are like a son to Barbara and me—like family to all of us.”

Family? Maddie blanched. No. That would make him my brother.

Of course, Zach had been over to the Fortunado homestead. Since he didn’t have family in town, they’d invited him last Thanksgiving.

She’d never think of Zach as a brother. Not with the fantasies she had of him.

Those fantasies were anything but sisterly...

“Speaking of sons,” Kenneth continued. “I wish Everett, Connor and Gavin could be here today.” Kenneth’s gaze scanned the group of well-wishers. “Everett and Lila are away on their honeymoon. Those crazy kids eloped after they saw everything that’s involved in putting together a wedding. It’s not too late to follow suit, Carlo.” Everyone laughed. Schuyler held on tight to Carlo and shook her head as Kenneth continued. “Connor and Gavin couldn’t get away since they’re coming for Schuyler and Carlo’s wedding at the end of the month. But—”

Kenneth stopped and shook his head. A slow smile tipped up the corners of his mouth. “I am a lucky man to be surrounded by so much love.” He lifted his glass to Schuyler and Carlo. “To my lovely daughter and her husband-to-be and to all of you. Thank you so much for being here this afternoon. It was a last-minute invitation, but as I told you, it’s important to Barbara and me to share our news with you first. You are important to us and we wanted you to hear it first.”

Kenneth’s smile faded.

“When my mother passed away, it was a wake-up call. Those of you who knew Starlight know she was larger than life. She lived every day to the fullest. Her passing not only gave me pause, it made me stop and take inventory of my life. That inventory revealed that I have a lot of lost time to make up for.” He put his arm around Barbara. “Not only that, but our children are all grown. They’re getting married and leaving the nest. It’s made Barb and me realize we have a lot of living to do. It’s time for us. However, it’s difficult to make time for us when I’m working eighty-hour weeks.” He paused and smiled down at Barbara. “Thank you for being patient with me, love.”

Barbara kissed his cheek.

“With that in mind,” Kenneth said, “I am so pleased to announce that right after Schuyler and Carlo’s wedding, I will retire from Fortunado Real Estate.”

Even though they were exactly the words Maddie had been expecting, a gasp escaped her throat as she led the gathering in a round of applause, sloshing a little champagne as she clapped.

Barbara held up her hand to silence them. “And I am pleased to announce that right after the big wedding, Kenneth and I will take a second honeymoon. We will be leaving on a four-month cruise around the world. Forty-nine ports of call—thirty-two countries on six continents.”

More applause.

Maddie’s chest hurt and she realized she’d been holding her breath. She was thrilled for her parents, but she was waiting for the next part. The part of the announcement where her father said that he was promoting her, that she would be stepping up as his successor to lead Fortunado Real Estate into the next chapter.

“I booked the cruise and told him the ship would sail on June fourth—with or without him,” Barbara said. “I told him I’d be on that boat and I hoped he would be there, too. Because even with all this life inventory, we all know that’s the only way I’d ever get him to finally make the leap into retirement.”

Maddie inhaled sharply to quell her impatience.

“Now, now, my love,” Kenneth said.

Maddie blew out all the air from her lungs. Her heart thudded. She could hear her blood rushing in her ears. Her father put his arm around her mother and lovingly massaged her neck, which made Barbara squirm and swat him away. She’d never been one for public displays of affection.

“Kenneth, not in front of the kids,” Barbara said.

Yes, not in front of the kids, Dad. Yuck. Save it for the cruise and get to the rest of the announcement.

Kenneth and Barbara raised their glasses to the small crowd.

“Thank you for helping us celebrate our big decision.”

Everyone raised their glasses in return and offered cheers and good words like congratulations, hear! hear!, to your health and happiness and bon voyage.

But wait... What about the rest... What about the announcement of your successor?

Maddie battled the demons of disappointment as she watched her sisters rush to congratulate their parents with hugs and squeals. She blinked once, twice. Took one more slow, deep breath, doing her best to slay the monster inside.

Okay. So, he wasn’t going to announce her promotion now.

It was okay. Really, it was.

She blinked again and reframed. It wasn’t that big of a deal that her father hadn’t yet announced that she would be his successor.

Maddie let the words ruminate in her brain for a moment.

This afternoon was for her parents. It was a big, big deal for them. It was a huge step for them. Today was about them.

Not her.

Them.

Her cheeks burned as she knocked back the rest of her champagne, draining the half-full glass. She could let them have their day. She should let them have their day. Her dad probably wanted to talk to her privately before he made the announcement.

Of course. He wouldn’t just announce her promotion without preparing her first.

Today was a day to celebrate Kenneth and Barbara. In fact, she was proud of her dad for not making today all about business. It took a lot of restraint on his part, since he was always all business, all the time. Plus, something so important as her stepping into her father’s shoes needed to be discussed. Even though they had already discussed it—in broad terms. But now that his retirement had a fixed date, they would need to discuss her salary. They needed to talk about his expectations. She needed to make sure he understood she wanted complete control. His role would be as support system to her.

Or better yet, he’d stay out of Fortunado Real Estate altogether and enjoy his retirement as she implemented her vision for the company.

Her gaze found Zach again. Like her, he stood just outside of the knot of people clustered around her parents, wishing them well.

Once she took over, she would offer Zach a lovely promotion. It was the least she could do if she couldn’t offer him her body—Stop that. To date, she’d never offered him her body and now she never would. And that was not the way a boss should think about an employee. Even if said employee was drop-dead gorgeous and flirted outrageously with her. He flirted outrageously with all women. He had a different girl with him every time she saw him. And that’s why she needed to focus on what would come next: her promotion. It was a chance to give her all to something bigger than herself—something that would never let her down. That was the way to go.

She would always love Zach, but he would never know it.

That was the price she would pay to secure her future. A future so close she could taste it.

* * *

Zach McCarter was honored to be invited to hear his boss’s big announcement. From the first minute Zach had joined the Fortunado Real Estate team five years ago, Kenneth Fortunado had made him feel like part of the family. Even so, he felt a little out of place here today. Like a fish out of water among Kenneth’s adult children and close friends. However, when his boss welcomed him as part of the family, it would be rude—hell, it would be downright ungrateful—to second-guess the invitation.

His gaze landed on Maddie Fortunado, who was standing apart from her sisters and the others who were clustered around their parents. Only he and Maddie, with her long blond hair and perfect skin, hung back.

She stood with her arms folded, wearing a Mona Lisa smile that didn’t quite reach her blue eyes. Zach knew she would wait until the scrum had dissipated before going in. He knew this because it’s what he’d do. He and Maddie were a lot alike when it came to things like this—and in their approach to business. But their backgrounds were polar opposite.

With her Ivy League education and continental upbringing, Maddie Fortunado was not your standard Texas debutante. She was smart—too smart to concern herself with inconsequential things that didn’t matter. She put her Harvard Business School education to good use at Fortunado Real Estate and seemed to live, eat, breathe and sleep her career.

While he and Maddie were philosophically alike, Zach hadn’t been born into money. He wasn’t implying that Maddie didn’t work hard. In fact, he had to hand it to her, she never coasted on the privilege of being the boss’s daughter. She was good at her job as vice president of sales. She was always in the office. Every time he was there, so was she. No one could accuse her of not pulling her weight. But at the end of the day, she was the boss’s daughter. That’s why he had to check any feelings that might have remotely resembled attraction.

And there had been a few.

Zach had worked double time just to get to the starting gate of his career, so that a man like Kenneth Fortunado not only knew his name, but respected him enough to invite him into his home and include him in an occasion like this.

Maddie glanced his way again and he made a face at her. She smiled—as he knew she would. She shook her head and rolled her eyes good-naturedly.

Zach closed the distance between them, walking across the marble back porch, past the koi pond to stand next to her.

“Hey,” he said.

“Hey, yourself.” She cocked a brow. “I guess they let anyone in here these days.”

“Surprised by the announcement?” he asked.

She shrugged. “In some ways, yes, but it’s been a long time coming. So, in that regard, no.”

“What happens next?” he asked.

“What do you mean?” She raised her chin a fraction of an inch, a tell that she knew something she wasn’t sharing.

“If anyone knows what’s going to happen with the business after your father retires, it would be you.”

She opened her blue eyes wide, obviously feigning cluelessness, but she wasn’t very good at it.

“I don’t know, Zach. I guess you’ll just have to wait for another Fortunado family announcement.”

She fisted her hands on her hips and the movement showed off her sleek tanned arms beneath her crisp white sleeveless blouse. She had great arms that were toned and feminine. And long, long legs that could drive a man to distraction if he allowed it. Zach wouldn’t allow it. He couldn’t allow it, he thought, forbidding himself to glance down.

It was likely that Maddie would be named her father’s successor. That meant she would go from being the boss’s daughter to being the boss. No matter how alluring he found those long legs, they weren’t worth compromising his job. He’d worked too hard to get to where he was today to risk losing it all.

“Everyone, lunch is ready,” said Barbara. The crowd around her and Kenneth thinned. “Please help yourselves. We have pulled pork, barbecued brisket, and chicken. I hope you brought your appetites. Because there’s plenty of food and I don’t want any leftovers.”

Schuyler and Carlo were the first ones to approach the buffet. Zach and Maddie continued to hang back and let the other guests and Fortunado siblings go first. No matter how many family functions or Sunday lunches like this one that he’d attended, he always tried to err on the side of politeness. He was thirty-two years old and had been in the business since he was eighteen, but at times like this, he still felt out of place. If he thought about it too hard, the fifteen-year-old boy who was on the outside looking in beckoned him farther back into the periphery, where he would feel more comfortable watching than diving into the middle of everything. He’d outgrown his insecurities, of course. He’d like to think he’d gotten as strong as he was to spite them. Because confidence had been a must to succeed in the real estate business. In fact, in this industry, confidence was everything. But being in the Fortunado home like this, he preferred to stand back and watch the family dynamics. Watch and learn. The natural family rhythm fascinated him. Especially families like this that were so different from what he was used to.

“The food doesn’t get any warmer,” said Maddie. “You better get it while it’s hot. Or at least before my cousin Dale goes through the line.”

Maddie nodded toward a tall skinny guy who was still talking to Kenneth.

“He didn’t earn the name the closer because he’s good at sales,” Maddie said. “He eats a lot.”

“The closer, huh?” Zach said. “That sounds formidable.”

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

Maddie motioned for him to join her as she approached the buffet line. He followed. She picked up two plates and offered him one. Her hand brushed his as he accepted it.

“Are you happy at Fortunado, Zach?” she asked.

The non sequitur made him do a mental double take. “Happy?” he repeated. “Of course I’m happy.”

“Good to know.” Her gaze searched his eyes. There was something in them he didn’t understand. Especially when they dipped to his lips for the briefest of seconds. She bit her bottom lip, a hint of color blossoming in her cheeks, before lifting her eyes to hold his gaze again.

There was something understatedly sexy about her and the realization caught him off guard. He could test these mixed signals she was sending—these cracks in her buttoned-up, businesslike armor that kept him guessing, making him wonder if he was reading her right. And he was usually very good at reading people. He prided himself on it.

But these flirty looks of Maddie’s sometimes morphed into stare-downs that became games of chicken to see who would look away first. The accidental brush of hands, and now asking him if he was happy at Fortunado? What was that all about?

“Why?” he asked. “If I was, say, restless, would you be willing to make it worth my while to stay?”

“And how would you propose I make it worth your while?”

She watched him, waiting for his answer as she held out the white china plate for the server to dish up a piece of chicken and a portion of brisket.

He arched a brow, and his gut clenched at the thoughts swirling around his head. He felt as if he were contemplating taking something that didn’t belong to him. Like finding a twenty-dollar bill on the sidewalk—you could stuff it in your pocket and walk away...or you could do the right thing and try to find the owner.

She must’ve read it in his expression.

“You’re full of yourself, McCarter.” He watched her walk to an empty table off to the side, rather than joining her sisters and Carlo at the one in the middle of the patio.

Zach took his plate of barbecue and followed her, claiming the seat next to her. “Full of myself? That wasn’t a very nice thing to say.”

Her eyes widened. “You’re so sensitive.”

“That’s me. I’m just a sensitive kind of guy. Isn’t that what the ladies want? A sensitive guy?”

She cut a piece of chicken off the bone. Raising the fork to her lips, she stopped short of putting the bite into her mouth, a mischievous smile tipping up the corners of her lips.

“Is that what you tell all the ladies?” Maddie asked. “That you’re a sensitive kind of guy?”

Zach flashed his best smile. “Whatever works.”

“Whatever works,” she repeated. “Is that your philosophy?”

“Nope. Sensitivity is my philosophy. How could you forget?” He made a stabbing gesture in the center of his chest. “I thought we’d finally found something in common. You know, you liking sensitive men and me being sensitive.”

She laughed and her cheeks colored. He liked the thought of rattling calm, cool, collected, perfect Madeleine Fortunado. He wanted to get under her skin. Because it was the closest he’d come to ever getting under anything of hers.

* * *

Maddie took a sip of her margarita, willing herself to calm down. She was grateful when Schuyler and Carlo moved from their original spot and joined them.

“What’s wrong?” Schuyler asked Maddie when they sat down. “What did I miss?”

Zach snared Maddie’s gaze and he raised his eyebrow, issuing a challenge for her to explain the conversation.

“Zach will explain.” She turned to him and smiled.

“Whatever works.” He winked at her and her cheeks colored again.

He cleared his throat. “I was just asking Maddie what she did for fun. You know, I’m starting to get the feeling that all she does is work. She doesn’t always work, does she?”

“Pretty much,” Schuyler said.

“There has to be something else,” he said. “I’m curious about what she likes to do for fun.”

Schuyler looked as if she wasn’t buying it. “Oh, really? I know my sister works a lot, but you two get together every Friday night at the Thirsty Ox, don’t you?”

“Of course we do,” Maddie said.

“But that’s still work-related,” Zach qualified.

“And Zach usually brings a date,” Maddie added. “Or he stops by and rushes out to meet a date.”

“I didn’t realize you noticed,” Zach said.

Carlo and Schuyler watched them banter back and forth as if they were the lunchtime entertainment, and Maddie wanted to bolt.

“Even so,” he said. “How is it that I don’t know much about you? What are your interests outside of the office? When you’re not thinking about real estate, what do you think about?”

Maddie felt herself blanch. “That’s a little personal, don’t you think?”

“No, it’s not,” Zach said. “Is it? I don’t mean to make you uncomfortable. I just want to know you better. I was hoping you would tell me one thing I didn’t know.” He held up his hands. “But if you’d rather not, it’s okay.”

Before Maddie could reply, he turned his attention to Carlo and Schuyler.

“Where will you live after you’re married?” he asked.

“I’m helping them find a house in Austin,” Maddie cut in before her sister could answer. “And I have a dog.”

“What?” Zach looked puzzled.

“You asked me to tell you one thing about myself that you didn’t know. I have a dog. So, there you go. That’s one thing.”

Zach nodded. “I didn’t know that. Thank you for sharing it with me. What kind of dog?”

Maddie shook her head. “Nope. You said one thing. Now it’s your turn. One thing. Start talking, McCarter.”

He blinked. “Fair enough. I lived in San Antonio for five years and before that I traveled around a lot.”

“I know that about you,” Maddie said. “Tell me something I don’t know.”

“Really?” He wrinkled his brow. “How do you know that?”

Maddie bit the insides of her cheeks. She had to be careful not to tip her hand. A lot of her Zach information had come from perusing his social media accounts, which were usually pretty generic and real estate–oriented, but occasionally a friend of his would post a personal morsel and Maddie would gobble it up like cake. Of course, she’d be mortified if he ever found out that she stalked him on Facebook and Instagram. But, hey, it was a free country, and his social media pages were open to the public. It wasn’t as if she’d hacked in or was doing anything devious. It was all completely aboveboard.

Sort of.

Social media was a secret crush resource. It was fair game.

Even so, she would be mortified if he found out.

“I’m sure you mentioned it before,” she said nonchalantly. “How else would I know?”

“Is that a tactic to get me to divulge two things about myself to your one?” He looked smug, as if he’d uncovered her diabolical plan.

“Okay. Whatever.” Maddie shrugged him off, wanting to quit while she was ahead. “It’s not that important.”

She immediately regretted how cold her words sounded. If she was good at flirting, she could’ve gotten some mileage out of their banter. But the truth was, flirting sort of freaked her out. She could do it up to a point, but when he got too close, she choked. When she choked, her defense mechanisms kicked in and she came across as prickly. Because it was so much easier to pretend like she didn’t care. It was just as well, she supposed. Because she shouldn’t care.

But then Zach was sitting there pretending to look wounded and her stomach flipped.

“Ouch!” he said. “I have been put in my place.”

No! That’s not what I meant. I didn’t know what else to say.

Then he smiled and those dimples winked at her. If her mind had been spinning before, she was at a total loss for words now.

She was glad when his phone rang.

He took it out of his pocket and glanced at the screen. “Sorry, I need to take this call. Excuse me, please?”

She watched him unfold his long body from his place at the table. He answered the call while he was still close enough for Maddie to hear him say, “Hey, how are you?” His voice sounded low and sexy, qualities that suggested he wasn’t talking to a client. Her heart fluttered and then sank. She’d heard him on the phone with clients before. This was definitely a girlfriend. Zach had a lot of girlfriends because he was a flirt. He had an easy appeal, especially with women. He flirted with any woman who would flirt back... Not so unlike the way he was flirting with her.

You’re not special. He flirts with everyone.

That thought was like a cold glass of water, a reality check to remind herself that she really should stop this nonsense before she embarrassed herself. She was already way out of her element carrying on like she had been.

He was good at what he did. And because he was good at what he did, Maddie needed him on her team at Fortunado Real Estate when she took over for her father.

Priorities. Do not muddy the waters. Remember what’s important.

“Speaking of house hunting,” Maddie said, looking at her sister.

Schuyler looked puzzled. “We weren’t.”

“I mentioned it a few minutes ago,” Maddie said. “I have a house to show you. It’s not even on the market yet. One of my clients gave me the heads-up. It’s a dream house so it’ll go fast. When can we go look?”

Schuyler clapped her hands. “Let’s go this week. As soon as you can come to Austin.” She turned and looked at her husband-to-be. “Carlo, can you take some time off next week?”

“Anything for you, my love.” Carlo leaned in and planted a kiss on Schuyler’s cheek.

“Okay, then,” Maddie said. “I’ll call my client and check her availability.”

She started to excuse herself from the table, but Zach was already making his way back.

On second thought, maybe the call to the client could wait until after lunch.

Zach caught her eye as he walked back to the table. His long stride was loose and comfortable. Her mind raced, searching for something witty to say after he sat down. She thought about quipping about the call being personal, maybe teasing him about showing his sensitive side. But they’d worn out that joke. Instead, she resorted to the traditional and polite.

“Is everything okay?”

“Sure,” he said. “But I do need to go.”

Maddie’s heart sank.

“But before I go, I want to thank your parents and congratulate them on your father’s big decision. But first, Ping-Pong.”

Maddie was sure she’d heard him wrong. “Did you say Ping-Pong?”

He flashed that grin and those dimples made Maddie’s toes curl in her sandals.

“It was my favorite pastime when I was nine,” he said. “I’m sure you didn’t know that.”

She laughed. Ping-Pong.

“No, I didn’t know that.”

“Do you play?”

“As a matter of fact, I was pretty darn good at it, back in the day.”

“We should play sometime,” he said.

Maddie drew in a sharp breath and nearly choked. She didn’t understand her reaction. He wasn’t asking her on a date.

“You two should totally play,” Schuyler urged. “In fact, I think we still have a Ping-Pong table somewhere around here. Mom never gets rid of anything. She just learns new techniques to masterfully store everything. But I digress. We should have a Ping-Pong date night. It would be so much fun. Totally retro. My money would be on Mads, though. She was pretty good at it. Or at least she was the most competitive out of all of us. She’s always hated to lose. She still does.”

Maddie impaled her sister with a look, to which Schuyler seemed oblivious.

Not true! Okay, maybe it’s a little true.

Even so, she wished Schuyler hadn’t said it.

“It’s a date, then,” Zach said. “The loser will buy the winner’s beer one Friday at the Thirsty Ox.” He turned and started walking away, but stopped and turned back. “And the loser has to tell the other winner five personal things.”


Chapter Two (#u1cb716f0-fa19-5628-9fa0-4fc5f475fec6)

The next morning, Maddie glanced up from her computer and saw her sister Valene standing in the doorway of her office.

“Do you have a moment?” Val asked. “I have some questions about the McKinney listing on West Pine.”

Maddie’s eyes flitted to the time at the bottom of her computer screen. When she’d gotten to her desk at 7:30 this morning, her father’s executive assistant, Rae Rowley, had phoned and asked her to clear her schedule at 11:00. Maddie had been a jumble of nerves for more than three hours this morning, doing everything she could to distract herself. Why hadn’t Val come to her sooner?

The 11:00 meeting was the meeting. The one she’d been waiting for since she’d joined the firm. Probably longer than that—since she was born.

She’d been reading an email about a career day event sponsored by the local school system. She’d volunteered to share everything she knew and loved about the real estate business with elementary schoolkids, but today she was reading the material to distract herself more so than to prepare for the annual event, which was next month.

The diversion had worked because now it was 10:55.

“I’m supposed to meet with Dad in five minutes.” She smiled a knowing smile and her younger sister’s mouth fell open as realization dawned in her eyes.

“Is this about...?” Val made circles with her hands, as if she were indicating something that was too big to put into words.

“I think so,” Maddie said. “I hope so. I guess I’ll find out in about—” She glanced at the time again. “Four minutes.”

Maddie stood and gathered her leather folio and her lucky Montblanc fountain pen. It had been a gift from her father when he’d promoted her to vice president.

“I’m sorry I can’t talk right now. Unless it’s super quick and you want to walk and talk. Or we could meet later?”

“Oh, my gosh, don’t you worry one bit.” Val reached out and gave Maddie’s arm a little squeeze. “My questions can wait. This is much more important. This...” She made the all-encompassing hand circles again. “This is our future. Fortunado Real Estate’s future. And I am thrilled that I know about your promotion before anyone else.”

Maddie shrugged. “It isn’t official just yet.”

“We all know it’s coming.” Valene pulled Maddie into a hug. “Okay, chief. Go in there and show him who’s boss.”

Val let go and grimaced, shaking her head as if trying to erase the words. “Well, you probably don’t need to show Dad you’re the boss. He already knows. Oh, you know what I mean.”

Sweet Val. She was young and a little naive, but her heart was in the right place and she had such good instincts. It would be a great morale booster for her if Maddie could find some way to reward her—maybe a token promotion—after things settled down. Maddie filed that thought away to revisit soon. Right now, she had a meeting to attend.

She and Val chatted as they walked down the office’s main hall toward the formidable double doors at the end of the passageway.

“The long and short of it is the McKinneys and I are wrangling on the listing price for their house,” Val said. “They think we should ask $200,000 more than what I’m recommending for the property.”

“Did you base the price on comps in the area?” Maddie asked.

Valene shrugged. “Really, there’s nothing quite like it in the neighborhood. That’s why I need your advice. They say their home is special—”

“Everyone thinks their home is special,” Maddie said. “And I’m sure it is, to them. But at that price, we’re edging close to $185 per square foot. It would be a record for that neighborhood.”

By that time, they’d reached their dad’s office and his assistant spoke before Val could. “Your father is expecting you, Ms. Fortunado. Please go in when you’re ready.”

“Thank you, Rae,” Maddie said and turned her attention back to Val. “I’m sure they don’t want to price themselves out of the market. I’ll stop by your desk after I’m finished and we can figure it out. But I need to go. I don’t want to be late.”

She hated to leave Valene hanging, but of all people, Val knew it wasn’t a good idea to keep their father waiting. Especially not today. Besides, this was a good exercise for Val. If she was going to succeed, and Maddie had all the confidence in the world that she would, her sister needed to learn how to steer the client toward a reasonable listing price. It took practice, but she’d get the hang of it.

“No, you certainly don’t want to keep him waiting.” Val said the words with a lilting songlike quality. “Not today. Not for this meeting. Good luck.”

Maddie breathed through a hitch of anticipation that had become almost Pavlovian since her father had allowed himself to introduce the R word into his vocabulary.

Retirement.

He’d committed to it yesterday when he’d made the big announcement. Now he was about to seal the deal by putting the rest of the plan in place.

Lately, her parents had been talking about spending more time together. They wanted to travel; her father had been promising he would cut his hours. But even after the barbecue, when he hadn’t named Maddie as his successor, she wondered if he’d really go through with it. Something felt a little off. One step at a time, she’d reminded herself last night as she’d tossed and turned while reliving the announcement.

She’d never seen her mother as serious as she’d been when she’d said the cruise around the world would sail with or without him. Barbara didn’t draw lines in the sand very often, but when she did, she didn’t play. That boat was leaving on June 4, and she would be on it with or without him.

Barbara Fortunado was possibly the only thing Kenneth loved more than Fortunado Real Estate. Sure, he loved his kids, but he’d go insane if his wife was away for four months. Still, he was an all-or-nothing man. There would be no semiretirement for him. There was no way he could stay away from the office that long without making a clean break.

Even if he had sealed the deal on his retirement yesterday, this meeting made the slim chance that he might change his mind seem less likely.

“Are you free for lunch?” Val asked. “We could talk about it then.”

Maddie glanced at her watch. It was edging on 11:00. Even if Rae hadn’t specifically mentioned lunch when she’d called about the meeting, she’d said clear your schedule.

“I’m not sure, Val. You know how Dad is. He may just want to meet, but he may want to go to lunch afterward.”

To celebrate.

Her stomach did a triple gainer at the thought.

Finally.

She would insist they get a bottle of champagne. The very best vintage in the cellar. And when he reminded her it was the middle of the day, that they had work to do, she would put her hand on his arm and tell him that he had earned this champagne. It was as much to celebrate his life-changing decision as to celebrate her promotion.

She’d pick up the tab. It would be symbolic of his passing the mantle.

“I don’t have anything scheduled this afternoon,” Val said. “Let me know when you’re free. I’d really like to get back to the McKinneys before the end of the day.”

“Of course. Of course.” Maddie smiled her most benevolent smile. “I’ll see you as soon as I’m free.”

After all, Val was Maddie’s protégé. Just as their father had trained her, it was up to her to pay it forward and teach Valene everything she knew about the Houston real estate market. Since they were so close in age, it was unlikely that Val would ever head up Fortunado. After all, the company only had room for one president. But Maddie would make sure that Val’s hard work was rewarded.

Once Val got more experience, maybe Maddie could make her a vice president? Or CFO?

Val nodded. “Sounds good. Thanks, Maddie. Good luck.” She mouthed the words and congratulations.

As Maddie turned, she smiled at Rae and walked toward her father’s office. All the hard work she’d poured into her job was about to pay off. All the long days and weekends dedicated to business rather than dating and having fun. No, scratch that. Work was fun. It was a sure thing, a solid investment. The harder she worked, the more she proved herself.

She didn’t mind chasing after a business deal. In fact, she was in her glory when she was hunting down a deal. She’d latch onto it and stay the fight until she won. But she never chased men. Men were untrustworthy. They were too unpredictable. Giving her all to business was the closest thing to a sure thing she’d ever find.

Work was a solid investment of her time. Unlike the uncertainty of the dating world. Would she like to get married and have a family? Sure. Someday. But right now, Fortunado Real Estate claimed her full attention. The more she proved herself, the more comfortable her father seemed to be about retiring and turning Fortunado Real Estate over to her.

The sound of male voices coming from her father’s office snapped her out of her reverie before she gave a staccato rap on his office door.

“Enter,” Kenneth said.

When she opened the door, she smiled askance when she saw Zach McCarter sitting in one of the two cordovan leather club chairs across from her father’s mahogany desk.

Her father and Zach stood up when they saw her.

“I’m sorry.” Maddie glanced at her watch to make sure she had the time right. It was 11:01. “I didn’t mean to interrupt. Rae said you were ready to meet with me. I can wait outside while you two finish up.”

“No,” her father said. “Come in. Come in. Zach is part of this meeting, too. Now that we’re all here we can begin.”

Maddie’s stomach dropped as the men lowered themselves into their seats. Why was Zach part of this meeting? This meeting had nothing to do with Zach.

“Sit down, Maddie.” Kenneth Fortunado gestured to the matching leather chair next to Zach.

Her mind raced as she smoothed her black pencil skirt before sitting down.

Maybe today isn’t the day. And that’s okay. It’s fine.

Actually, it wasn’t okay, but what other option did she have?

She’d talk to her dad after the meeting and assure him she knew it was hard to relinquish control. After all, if anyone knew that, she did. She’d inherited the tendency to micromanage from the man himself. He probably just needed a little reassurance that Fortunado Real Estate would be fine in her hands. It would be more than fine. It would thrive.

He just needed to bite the bullet and make the decision already.

She tamped down her disappointment by letting her gaze do a quick sweep of Zach in his dress khakis and white button-down, which was open at the collar. As always, he looked effortlessly professional. And gorgeous. Neither too casual nor overly preened. Leave it to him and his broad shoulders and perfect butt to make simple white and beige look like a work of art.

Yes, she’d noticed.

She studied the angle of his cheekbones, the slant of his aquiline nose, the waves of his blond hair and the gleam of his blue, blue bedroom eyes. It was hard not to notice Zach McCarter and all his masculine perfection.

In fact, just last night she’d indulged in a late-night fantasy about Zach’s masculine perfection—those perfect shoulders and butt. And those dimples. Oh, those dimples.

He was gorgeous. And she was human. And he was totally and completely off-limits, which made him the perfect secret crush. And, well, a guy like Zach never looked at a woman like Maddie, which was fine with her. In fact, it was just the way she liked it. If she was going to be his boss, he could never know about the thoughts that ran through her head.

It wasn’t as if he was a mind reader. So, she had nothing to worry about.

Except she was worrying about his presence at this meeting. What was he doing here?

Maddie thought her father would’ve talked to her separately.

A sinking feeling lodged itself in the pit of her stomach.

Last year, Zach had barely edged out Maddie as Fortunado’s top sales producer. This year they were running neck and neck. But it was only May and she fully intended to reclaim the throne. That victory would be the final jewel in the crown after she took over for her father. Of course, she’d been focusing on administrative tasks other than sales—mentoring Valene, learning the advertising and promo end of the business, researching client-building methods, and such. There were only so many hours in the day. She was doing all the extras and almost matching Zach as the top sales producer. It went without saying that if all she did was focus on sales, like Zach did, she’d be running circles around McCarter.

“Thank you for making time to meet with me this morning,” her father said, as if either of them would’ve opted out. “I’ve been eyeing retirement for a while now. It’s taken me a long time to wrap my head around the concept, but with a little help from Barbara, I’ve finally decided to take the plunge.”

He paused for what seemed an eternity and Maddie held perfectly still, resisting the urge to shift in her seat, redistributing her impatience.

Now that sinking feeling was gripping her stomach and attempting to turn it inside out.

“Congratulations, Kenneth,” Zach said. “I know it wasn’t an easy decision.”

“Thank you, Zach. It’s been one of the most difficult decisions of my life. This business represents the sum of my life’s work. I’ve invested a lot of sweat equity in this place, building it from the ground up. So, you can imagine that I want to leave the business in the best hands once I step back.”

Maddie sensed what was about to happen before her father spelled it out. She wanted to say something, but she didn’t want Zach McCarter to glimpse any weakness or uncertainty in her. This was her future. Her legacy. This wasn’t happening—

“I consider the two of you my right-hand people,” Kenneth continued as Maddie’s peripheral vision was overtaken by a white-tinged fog.

You can only have one right hand, Dad. Who is it? Him or me? It’s me, dammit. It’s me. Why are you doing this?

Her gaze could’ve singed a hole into her father as she tried in vain to telegraph her feelings to him. But he seemed clueless.

“That’s why I’ve narrowed the candidates for my replacement down to the two of you.”

He glanced first at Zach and then at Maddie.

“Maddie?” Kenneth’s smile fell. “Are you okay?”

Feeling two sets of eyes on her, Maddie forced her mouth into a smile. “I’m just surprised, Dad. This was the last thing I expected when you asked me to meet with you this morning.”

Her father gazed at her a few beats too long and she was sure he sensed her confusion. He was an intuitive man. He had to know that this was not just a surprise, but a personal affront, an insult.

“I thought you would’ve had some kind of idea,” her father said, “since we’ve discussed the possibility of you running Fortunado in the future.”

The possibility.

He’d led her to believe that it was more than just a possibility. No, he’d led her to believe that she would step into the position of president of Fortunado Real Estate upon his retirement. Now he couldn’t walk it back fast enough.

“I guess I thought you were offering more than a possibility,” she said.

She had dedicated every bit of her postgraduate self to Fortunado Real Estate. She’d sacrificed her personal life, her dating life, working eighteen-hour days and weekends, making herself available to clients twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. While her father may not have out-and-out promised her she would be his successor, he had implied it. Besides, Kenneth Fortunado was all about family. Why in the world would he consider turning over the family business to an outsider?

Her father either chose to ignore her remark or pretend as if he hadn’t heard it, because he was already moving on. It was a good thing he hadn’t pressed her because she wasn’t about to say anything more in front of Zach.

Her father leaned forward, his hands folded on his desk. “Barbara and I leave on our cruise on June 4. That means right after the wedding—in approximately two weeks—I will name my successor. If the two of you choose to accept the challenge, one of you will take my place as president of Fortunado Real Estate.”

Maddie glanced at Zach, fully expecting him to do the right thing and bow out. She wanted him to hold up his hands and say that it wasn’t appropriate, that it wasn’t his place to challenge Maddie for what was rightfully hers. Instead, he flashed that perfect smile with those dimples that opened doors and broke hearts. He looked Maddie square in the eyes and said, “I’m in.”

His smile was reminiscent of the one he’d given her last night when he’d challenged her to a friendly game of Ping-Pong. But this was a competition to determine her future—to decide who got control over her birthright.

But damned if her own traitorous heart didn’t twist at the sheer rakish beauty of him. That hurt almost as much as the thought of her uncertain future.

“Bring it on,” she said, instantly wishing she would’ve said something a little classier. But he didn’t seem to mind. His eyes glinted as if sparked by the competition. She forced her gaze away from the seductive pull of his.

Once upon a time Zach McCarter might have been her secret crush, but now he was the competition. As far as she was concerned, he was the enemy.

“Good,” said Kenneth, turning his gaze on Maddie. “Maddie, I’m proud of you for rising to the occasion. I must admit that I was worried about how you’d take it. But I have to hand it to you for wanting what’s best for the business.”

Maddie dug her nails into her palms as she kept the smile fixed on her face. So, he’d worried about how she’d take it, but he hadn’t given her the courtesy of a heads-up before this meeting? Oh, yeah, they’d talk about what was best for the family business later.

“The real estate business is brutal,” said Kenneth. “Whoever takes over Fortunado will likely face much tougher challenges in the years ahead. I want to make sure whoever I choose is up for the long haul.”

Ostensibly, he was speaking to both of them, but he was looking at Maddie.

And she’d believed it couldn’t possibly get worse.

Were they really going to do this now?

“I’m up for the challenge, Dad.” Her voice was clear and her words were crisp. “I didn’t realize our family business was up for grabs. You know, open to an outsider.”

She was well aware that her words had surpassed crisp and veered into clipped. Her father winced, but she didn’t know how Zach reacted because she didn't look at him. But she’d guess that he’d managed to keep a pleasantly stoic poker face. And if she knew what was good for her, she’d compose herself, too.

Her father cleared his throat. “The business is not up for grabs, as you put it. You might be the one I choose if you prove yourself the worthiest.”

Prove myself the worthiest? What the hell do you think I’ve been trying to do my entire adult life?

Her father’s words shook her to her very core. After all the hours she’d put in, all the sacrifices she’d made for the good of the company, he still wasn’t satisfied that she’d proven herself worthy?

If she didn’t know better, she might think that this had more to do with turning over the reins to one of his daughters. His sons weren’t interested. So, what did he do? He adopted one.

At least she had the good sense to not talk about this now. But they would talk. He had better believe they would talk.

Even in her fury, she had the presence of mind to know that her father wasn’t a chauvinist. He’d trained her himself and he’d led her to believe—

She shook away the thought. And she tried to ignore the little voice that taunted her, reminding her that Zach had outsold her last year.

Not by much, but he’d won.

He’d won and she’d lost.

Kenneth looked from Maddie to Zach and back to Maddie. “Your future is in your own hands,” Kenneth said. “You can win the position, but you have to earn it. I’m speaking to both of you.”

A sound like white noise buzzed in Maddie’s ears.

“I’m a self-made man,” Kenneth continued. “I never had anything handed to me. I built this business from the ground up and I want to make sure my successor not only fosters it, but takes it to places I never dreamed possible.”

He punctuated the statement with a shrug.

Self-made man? Never had anything handed to him?

Was he kidding?

It took every ounce of Maddie’s self-control to keep from reminding him that the Texas Lottery money he’d won hadn’t exactly come from hard work and determination. He’d beaten the odds and was lucky enough to choose the right numbers. But she also knew what his retort would be. That he’d invested that money. He hadn’t squandered it on all the trappings that a man who’d been raised by a single mother who could barely make ends meet might’ve been tempted to buy: the fancy house, the expensive cars. She’d heard him tell the story a million times. At face value, a cool million seemed like a lot of money, but it wasn’t. In fact, it was just enough to provide a false sense of wealth. After a person lived like a rich man for a few years, all he’d have left to show for it would be an empty bank account—and very often he’d be in worse financial shape than when he’d started.

It was a point of pride for Kenneth that he had been smart and invested his money. He’d worked hard to build Fortunado Real Estate into what it was today.

Yeah, Dad, what about how hard I’ve worked for you? What about how much of myself I’ve invested in you and Fortunado?

He glanced at his watch. “I need to leave in a few moments. I have a lunch appointment and I don’t want to be late. But do you have any questions I can answer before we adjourn?”

Yeah, Dad, I do. What the hell?

“What are you looking for?” Zach asked. “What’s the criteria?”

Maddie turned and looked at Zach for the first time since her dad had made the announcement.

Ah! Amateur question, McCarter.

She knew instantly what her father would say before he said it.

Kenneth shrugged. “Show me what you’ve got. That’s all I’m going to say. Well, that and may the best man—or woman—win.”

Her father held up a finger, his eyes flashing. “Wait. There is something. You know the Paisley? That new high-rise Dave Madison is building downtown? I want Fortunado to be the exclusive agents for that property. I want you two to work together to land that listing. The whole building. You need to work together to come up with a plan to seal the deal. That’s an important part of the challenge.”

“We’re on it.” Zach got to his feet, making all the right noises of agreement and understanding. As he shook Kenneth’s hand, Maddie stayed in her seat. Zach lingered on the threshold of her father’s office, obviously watching to see what she was going to say or do.

Maddie got a little bit of satisfaction from the look on his face when she said, “I need to talk to my father for a moment, Zach. Please excuse us.”

“No problem.” Zach gave a quick wave of his hand and closed Kenneth’s office door behind him.

“How could you do this to me?” She turned to her dad the second they were alone. “I’m your daughter.”

She couldn’t remember playing this card before. It had been a point of pride to never take advantage of the fact that she was the boss’s daughter. She knew she enjoyed a certain level of job security that those without the benefit of Fortunado blood didn’t have. But she’d never needed it. She’d worked damn hard to earn the presidency that her father had so unceremoniously announced was up for grabs.

If that’s the way he was going to be, then for a few moments she was going to play the family card. She was going to be the boss’s daughter because he owed her an explanation—if for nothing else, as to why he’d blindsided her.

She could tell by the look on his face that he could see the depth of her anger.

“I’m sorry, Maddie,” he said. “I can understand that this comes as a surprise, but I think you’ll appreciate the challenge and rise to the occasion once you have some time to think it through.”

She let his words reverberate in the air and took some satisfaction that at least he understood that she was upset.

“I love you,” he continued. “I love all my children, but I also don’t intend to let you or your siblings get complacent—especially when it comes to the business I’ve spent my life building. All promotions at Fortunado Real Estate must be earned. I have complete faith that you’ll earn yours.”

* * *

People might have argued that Zach McCarter was a lot of things. One thing they couldn’t call him was a quitter. Overly sentimental probably wouldn’t be on the list either.

So, why was it, he wondered, as he waited for Maddie at the Blue Moon Cafe, that he couldn’t stop thinking about the look on her face when Kenneth had presented the challenge?

This should’ve been a day to celebrate his shot at the opportunity of a lifetime. This was the payoff for his hard work. Instead, he felt vaguely unsettled thinking about that injured-doe look in Maddie’s blue eyes.

She’d probably kick him if she knew he was comparing her to an injured animal. She’d probably buck right up in his face.

But that’s what he’d seen and he couldn’t get her face out of his head.

This was business. Any other time—any other person—and Zach wouldn’t have given it a second thought. But he had a soft spot for Maddie.

Zach was probably more surprised than Maddie when Kenneth asked them to compete for the position. After all, everyone who worked for Fortunado Real Estate knew that Maddie coveted her father’s job. She was the heir apparent, and everyone thought it was a given that she would take over for Kenneth when he retired.

When Kenneth asked him to transfer from San Antonio to the Houston office, Zach knew change was in the air. At first, he thought it was a token gesture to pacify Zach’s restlessness. Kenneth seemed good at reading people. Even though Zach hadn’t said it, Kenneth had to know that after five years as a broker with Fortunado, it was time for a change, time to open his own real estate office. After all, he was making Fortunado a hell of a lot of money.

Zach had no ties to San Antonio, no family to consider, no reason to not pack up and move to Houston. The move was an opportunity to learn the Houston market, which would be a useful tool once he did strike out on his own. When Kenneth had asked him to come to Houston, he’d said he wanted his senior associates to focus on teamwork, that there was some new construction in the Houston area and he wanted to put together an “A-Team”—Kenneth’s words. He hadn’t said who else was on his A-Team, but he’d specifically spelled out that he wanted Zach’s help assuring that Fortunado would get exclusive listing contracts. Of course, Zach had been up for the challenge, but that teamwork bit threw him. Generally, he worked alone. He rarely partnered with other agents on listings. It wasn’t his MO. Of course, it would take teamwork to run a business like Fortunado.

But this—this chance to head Fortunado—it was an unexpected challenge and he liked it. It would take teamwork and maybe this was a good chance for him to prove to himself that he wanted to manage a team rather than flying solo.

It all made sense—the transfer, the invitation to the barbecue where Kenneth announced his intent to retire, and today’s meeting where he’d tapped the two of them as front-runners for his position.

The only thing getting in the way of intense satisfaction and immediate strategizing on how to annihilate the competition was that look on Maddie’s face.

That’s why he’d wanted the two of them to have lunch and sort this out. Kenneth had been smart when he’d tacked on the Paisley addendum. The last thing he needed was for his two top associates to be at war. Not only did they need to sit down and strategize about the Paisley, but they needed to make sure everything was good between them.

Easy for him to say since he was the interloper.

When Maddie walked into the restaurant, their gazes snared. She didn’t smile. Her face looked neutral. Again, she seemed to be daring him to look away first—to walk away from the opportunity first.

He stood and watched her walk toward him.

He had two choices: he could bow out or he could go for it. If he chose to go for it, there would be no option but to pull out all the stops, to step up his game. If he stepped up his game, he would win. He always won. It was a point of pride.

Even if this opportunity didn’t feel 100 percent right and it felt as if he was preparing to take something that didn’t belong to him, Zach McCarter had never been a quitter.

He needed to put his game face on now. That face didn’t have to be mean or savage. The mark of a good manager was to deal with conflict and produce as many win-wins as possible—especially in situations like this where there could only be one winner.

Him.

He would need Maddie on his team when that happened.

“Zach,” she said, as she reached the table.

“Maddie, thanks for agreeing to meet on such short notice.”

He reached for her chair, but she pulled it out herself. “Of course,” she said. “There’s a lot at stake here.”

He nodded.

“That’s why it’s even more important that we work together,” she said.

He wasn’t sure what he’d expected, but based on the way she’d received the news not even two hours earlier, her eagerness to work together came as a shock. The woman was full of surprises.

“I’m glad you feel that way,” he said. “We’re going to make a great team.”


Chapter Three (#u1cb716f0-fa19-5628-9fa0-4fc5f475fec6)

“Ping-Pong is not a date,” Maddie said to Schuyler as she drove her sister and Carlo to see a house in the Austin neighborhood of Westlake. She’d driven up to Austin to show them houses and commercial property for a nightclub Carlo wanted to open. Carlo had been looking for months and holding out for exactly the right spot to open his new business. He’d come close a couple of times with property Maddie had shown him. Now that he was getting married, Maddie had a feeling he’d settle down and make a decision on the commercial site.

This trip was a welcome opportunity to get away from the office—to put some space between Zach and herself. If only Schuyler would stop making Zach tag along in spirit. “Or at least it’s not the kind of first date I’m interested in.”

Liar. If circumstances were different, you’d be happy to pick up trash with Zach McCarter and call it a fun first date.

But the situation was what it was. And it wasn’t fun.

“Besides,” Maddie added, “I cannot believe you’d even mention Zach McCarter in that context now that Dad has pitted us against each other.”

After the disastrous meeting with her father and subsequent tension-charged lunch with Zach, she’d driven home, thrown the basics into an overnight tote and driven the two and a half hours to Austin. Presumably, it was to show Schuyler and Carlo property. But, if she was perfectly honest with herself, it had been for self-preservation.

She’d never been so happy to get out of the office—to get out of town. Because suddenly the entire city of Houston seemed too small to accommodate the dreams and ambitions of both Zach and her.

It was clear one of them had to go.

And it wouldn’t be her.

Just because she was working out of town, it didn’t mean she would be the one to bow out. They had their marching orders. They would work together to secure the Paisley deal and sell out the luxury high-rise. In fact, she’d taken the initiative to call Dave Madison’s assistant and set up a meeting. He was out of town and Monday was his first available. In the meantime, she would help her sister and future brother-in-law. Working outside of the office would give her time to clear her head. It would only make her stronger.

“It’s totally a date,” her sister said. “He is so gorgeous, Mads. Maybe Dad has a method to his madness. Maybe he’s doing this to throw you and Zach together? Remember how at the barbecue he said he thought of him as a son? Maybe he meant son-in-law.”

Maddie shook her head. “I don’t think so. And Sky, I really don’t want to talk about him. Okay?”

Now she was sorry she’d told Schuyler about her father’s plan. Even so, Schuyler was still going on about Ping-Pong as a first date.

Maddie white-knuckled the steering wheel. Even her siblings supported Maddie as their father’s heir apparent. Her three brothers had chosen careers outside of the real estate industry. Valene was just starting out at Fortunado Real Estate. Schuyler had never shown an interest in the family business. Even though she could’ve had a role at Fortunado, she’d chosen to follow her own path. She’d confessed that there was a time when she’d felt like the odd sibling out—since both of her sisters had been bitten by the real estate bug—but following her own path had brought Schuyler to the Mendoza Winery, and that’s where she’d met her husband-to-be. Now, Schuyler seemed to have made peace with her path in life.

And Maddie’s once sure life was upside down.

Beside her, Schuyler sighed. “But you guys would look so cute together.”

“We would not look cute together.” Maddie’s voice was monotone.

We would look gorgeous together.





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