smiled. “I’m glad that’s the word going around, but I like to think of it as well-built homes my customers love. Are you interested in building a property, Mr. Bradford?”
“Call me Kent. And actually, yes I am. Do you work outside of the Charleston area at all? I’ve secured some mountain property near Asheville, North Carolina, and I was hoping to build a cabin.”
His brow went up. “A cabin?” A cabin wasn’t worth the time or energy to travel that far. The man could get a better deal from a local company.
Kent chuckled. “Well, I say cabin, but let’s be honest. A five-thousand square foot, three-story house is hardly a cabin. I just want it to have that mountain cabin feel. With all the modern amenities and luxuries, of course.”
That was more like it. “I haven’t built out there, but I would be happy to discuss it with you.” River reached into his breast pocket and pulled out a business card. “Why don’t you give me a call next week and we can talk about what you’re interested in. I can have my architect draw something up.”
“Wonderful.” The man accepted the card and slipped it into his pocket. “I’ll be calling you.” With a smile, the man turned and led the younger blonde over to the dance floor.
Tonight wasn’t all about confronting Morgan, despite what she might think.
It was also about business. Working with the Steele Tools company on their annual charity project was good PR for him. Just being in this room put him within shouting distance of damn near every millionaire in the state of South Carolina. While he waited to talk to Morgan, he was happy to pick up a few business contacts. These types were always wanting to build a summer home or a new status-symbol mansion to keep up with the Joneses, and that meant business was good for him.
He figured that eventually he would get a chance to talk to Morgan again. The room was only so large and the night had really just begun. But the next thing he knew, one of the twins got back on stage. River knew she had three older brothers, two of whom were identical twins, but he couldn’t even begin to be able to tell them apart, especially with them all sporting similar, Mark Twain-esque names.
“Ladies and gentlemen, I’m sorry to say this, but we’re going to have to end the event early tonight. We’ve had a family emergency that we need to tend to. If you would be so kind as to see your way out, we would truly appreciate it. Morgan will be in touch with each of you in the upcoming weeks about your support of this year’s Strong as Steele community project. Thank you so much for coming.”
And with that, the twin disappeared from the stage.
That was odd. The family had gone to a lot of trouble and expense putting this event together. Tickets to attend weren’t exactly cheap, either. There must have been something serious going on if they’d chosen to end it and kick everyone out of the house before they got checks out of everyone.
Looking around, River caught a blur of emerald green as Morgan was ushered across the hall by her mother and a large man he didn’t recognize. He looked like the former military type despite his expensive tuxedo. The brothers followed them, and they all disappeared into a far room of the house and didn’t come back out.
He loitered for a while, letting the other guests clear out of the valet lot in the hopes that someone might come out. But soon, he found he was one of the only people in the ballroom aside from the catering crew that was busy cleaning up. He finally gave up and called it a night himself. When he found no fewer than four police cars outside the mansion as he left, he got the feeling the family emergency was going to take up the rest of their night. Knowing the Steeles, whatever happened would require major damage control to keep the family from looking bad.
Strolling outside, he handed over his ticket to the valet driver and waited for his truck. A few minutes later, the attendant pulled around front with his sapphire-blue F-250 Lariat Super Duty pickup. River tipped him and climbed in.
This wasn’t exactly how he’d expected tonight to end. Things felt awkward and unfinished. They’d only begun their discussion when it came to a quick and premature end. Then again, he didn’t really know how he’d wanted it to end, either. Perhaps he’d hoped that the sight of him would cause Morgan to swoon? Or maybe that she would rush into his arms and tell him how wrong she’d been and that she still loved him?
Ha. He pulled away from the Steele mansion with a smirk on his face. That wouldn’t happen in a million years. His ego wasn’t so large as to think she’d given much thought to him over the last decade. He was the poor, unsuitable boy who wouldn’t amount to anything. That wasn’t the kind of person who loitered in your thoughts. Her big mistake.
No, odds were that she’d tried to put him and their relationship out of her mind as soon as possible. To pretend it never happened just the way her family wanted her to. She probably wanted to put him out of her mind right now, but it wouldn’t be so easy this time. River had seen to that by signing an agreement with a representative from Steele Tools who didn’t know who he was. Few people outside of her parents would know their history together and their silence had worked to his advantage. Now he was guaranteed to spend a large chunk of the summer collaborating specifically with the company’s community outreach representative—Morgan.
At best, he’d hoped she would spend the upcoming weeks regretting what she’d done to him. But after seeing her tonight, this summer might prove to be more pleasurable than he’d expected. At least for him. He hadn’t been sure how his former love would look after all these years apart. When she’d turned to him in that stunning green lace gown, he was almost knocked back off his feet. Her exotic green-gold eyes, the high cheekbones, the skin like flawless porcelain... It was as if hardly a day had passed and yet everything was somehow different. Especially when she looked at him with a mix of horror and surprise distorting her lovely face.
The girl he remembered, his bride, had been the prettiest girl he’d ever seen in his life. With her long, luscious dark hair, insightful eyes that saw through his defenses and a sweet-as-sugar smile, he was smitten the moment he’d lain eyes on her. She was older now, perhaps harder, judging by the guarded way she had spoken to him. But even so, he was tempted to fall into her same trap again. Thankfully, he knew better now. Her love came with strings. Baggage. It might come easily, but it could go just as fast.
If Morgan wanted him this time, it was only because he’d achieved his goal and was finally worthy of Daddy’s approval. Nothing had really changed about him as a person. He just had money and prestige. Those things were paramount to Mr. Steele. And to Morgan, River supposed.
Hitting the button on his console to open the gate, River slowed at the entrance to his property on Kiawah Island. When it was finally open, he passed down the lane to the home he’d built for himself once he’d finally had the time and money to make exactly what he wanted. A lot had changed since that awful night all those years ago.
River had taken the older man’s advice along with his check, walking away and making something of himself with that money. Not to prove anything to Morgan or her father. More to prove it to himself. And he had, many times over. He wasn’t the dumb kid he’d been back then. And now it was time for Morgan and Trevor to see how much the man’s investment in River had grown. Maybe, just maybe, they might regret judging someone so harshly in the future.
But even if they didn’t, he wasn’t interested in getting anyone’s endorsement these days. Especially from a controlling bastard like Trevor Steele.
“I
