Unlikely Love: A Hot, Romantic Suspense Series: Book 1 (The Carlisle Sisters) (2 page)

Tracy and Beth entered to the room.

“And you must be Beth.  I am Jarod Clancy,” Jarod said.

Beth shook his extended hand.

“Hello,” Beth said.  Then, getting right to the point, continued, “Why have you asked us to be here?”

“I will tell you in good time,” he said.

“Why the delay? Everyone is here,” Tracy said.

“Not everyone,” he replied.

“Not everyone?  Who else should be here?”  Beth asked in dismay.

“Me.”

Everyone turned to see who spoke.

“And who are you?”  Beth demanded.

“Greyson Merrick, Jonas’ business partner.  And the new owner of The Sea View Resort,” he announced.

The women gasped.

“You’re out of your mind,” Beth accused.  “You are not a beneficiary of this estate.”

“But I am,” Greyson retorted.

“In your dreams,” Beth snapped.  She turned to Jarod.  “Would you get him out of here so that we can proceed?”

“He stays,” Jarod said implacably.  “He is who he claims to be and he belongs here.  Shall we sit and begin?”

Jennifer sputtered.

“But he’s—”

“No buts.  This concerns him as much as all of you,” Jarod said firmly.  “Please sit.”

Everyone took their seats.  Beth eyed Greyson with loathing.  She couldn’t believe he had the audacity to come in announcing that he was the new owner of The Sea View Resort in front of the obvious beneficiaries.  Beth thought his gall was choking.

“We are all here to read the will and last testament of Jonas Earl Carlisle.  He was completely of sound mind when he signed the following declarations,” Jarod began.  “The following are his wishes in his own words:  One million dollars will be allotted to each of my daughters: Jennifer Claire Carlisle, Tracy Marie Carlisle and Bethany Ann Carlisle.  The property of The Sea View Resort is to be given to all of my daughters under the condition that they live on and operate the resort.  Bethany Ann Carlisle will be chief executor of operations of the The Sea View Resort entity.  Greyson Merrick will continue to own ten percent of its shares and can continue to function in his current position with the company if he so chooses.”

“No!  That isn’t what he promised me,” Greyson exploded.

“These are his wishes, Greyson.  I’m sorry if you had a different understanding,” Jarod said mildly.

Greyson pounded the table.

“This is ludicrous!  You know Jonas intended to sell his shares to me,” Greyson yelled.  “You were there when he told me he would sell to me.  You drew up his friggin’ will that reflected his intentions.”

“Jonas had me draw up a second will.  After he decided he wanted to include his daughters,” Jarod said.

“Include them, yes.  But not give them the golden hen,” Greyson argued.  “I’ve worked too hard not to get this place.  He promised it to me. 
He owed it to me
!”

“I’m sorry, Greyson,” Jarod said sadly.

“I’ll fight it.  I will contest the will,” Greyson threatened.

“The Sea View Resort has been placed in a trust.  As you know a trust cannot be legally overturned,” Jarod said quietly.

Greyson looked at the sisters.

“Jonas is going to double-cross me for daughters who despised him?  You don’t deserve a cent of what Jonas has earned.  You left him the first chance you got.  He never received so much as a birthday card from any of you.  Yet you’re the ones who’ll reap the rewards of his back breaking work?   Bullshit!”

“You don’t have a clue as to why we left Jonas,” Beth snapped.  “You have no right to judge and hang us.”

“You don’t know what Jonas was like back in the day.  He killed our mother and he would have killed us had we stayed,” Jennifer yelled.

“You may be angry that Jonas changed his will but you can’t blame us for that.  You have no right to do so,” Tracy said curtly.  “If you worked with Jonas for any amount of time, you should have known that you couldn’t trust him.  He would have stabbed his own mother in the back if it served his purpose.”

Greyson pushed back his chair furiously and moved away from the table, standing with his back to them.  The sisters looked at each other in question.  What were they going to do?

“I didn’t expect any of this to happen.  I have my life in New York and I’m happy with it.  I don’t want to uproot and run a company that I know nothing about in a place where I don’t want to live,” Tracy said.

“And I live in California and enjoy my current lifestyle.  I have no desire to relocate to hot-ass Texas,” Jennifer complained.

Greyson turned to look at them.

“And what about you, Bethany.  How do you feel about this turn of events?”  Jarod asked.

“I’ve carved out a very good life in Denver and I never thought I’d return to Texas.  I never wanted to.  But….”  Bethany stalled.

“But what?”  Jarod prompted.

“I’m not sure.  One part of me says that Jonas owes this to us.  But the other part tells me I should go back to Denver and forget about all of this,” Beth said.  “If I do go back would I still get the million dollars?”

“No.  The will stipulates that you must remain at The Sea View Resort to inherit the money,” Jarod said.

“This is crazy,” Tracy said.

“I agree,” Greyson muttered.

“So to get the money we have to stay here.  If we walk away then we do so with nothing?”  Jennifer said.

“That is correct,” Jarod replied.

“Jonas is trying to force us to take The Sea View. This is unfair!”  Tracy wailed.

“There’s another thing that you should know.  If you do not meet the terms of the will and, instead, choose to leave The Sea View then your shares will become available for Greyson to purchase,” Jarod said.

“You mean he could run the resort?  But would we still receive dividends from the profits?”  Jennifer asked.

“No.  Greyson would own the resort lock, stock and barrel.  You would lose all of your rights to the estate,” Jarod corrected her.

“My God!”  Tracy gasped.

“I think you girls have a lot to think about.  But don’t take too long.  A decision must be made within a week’s time.  Or else…”  he trailed off.

“Or else what?”  Beth asked.

“The Sea View Resort will go to Greyson automatically,” Jarod said soberly.  He gathered the files and placed them back in his briefcase and closed the lid with a snap.  He stood.  “I hope to hear from you very soon.”

He walked briskly to the elevator and disappeared.  Greyson approached the table.

“Let me take The Sea View.  I’ll give each of you three million dollars and you can return to your lives and forget about the hassle of running a resort,” Greyson said.

“Three million?”  Jennifer asked.

“Yes,” he answered.  “You deserve it for putting up with Jonas for eighteen years.”

Tracy looked at Beth.

“What do you think, Beth?  Three million is an awful lot of money,” Tracy said.

“And we would be free from the stress of this place,” Jennifer added.

“I want to think about it,” Beth said slowly.

“Think about running a business you know zero about?”  Greyson snapped.

“I’m not completely inexperienced…and I am a quick study,” Beth retorted.  “I need to think.  And my sisters and I need to talk privately.”

Greyson could see by the set of her jaw that she wouldn’t budge.  And too much pressure would only make her refuse his offer outright.  He decided to let it go for the time being.

“I’ll see myself out.  But I will call you in a few days,” he warned.  Then looking at Bethany he added, “I’m sure you have access to my contact information if you come to a decision before that time.”

He moved to the elevator and the girls watched the door close.  Then they looked at one another.

“What in the world are we going to do?”  Jennifer asked.

Silence.  No one had an answer.

Chapter 2

G
reyson slammed the door of his Houston penthouse apartment in frustration.  He tore off his Armani suit jacket and flung it on the dining room table.  Then he made a bee-line to the bar and poured himself a double shot of bourbon.  He downed the drink and then a second one right behind it.  The third one he carried out to his balcony and sipped while leaning on the railing and looking out at the city.

He took a deep breath and let it out slowly.  It was early evening and the temperature had dropped.  There was a gentle breeze blowing and it felt good.  He loosened his tie and unbuttoned his collar to reap its benefits even further.

He could smell the jasmine plant that occupied the far corner of his balcony and it made him think of Bethany.  She reminded him of springtime; fresh and unspoiled.  Her strawberry hair with streaks of gold in it made him want to grasp it and inhale, taking her in.  He knew it would smell sweet and clean.

Then Greyson grimaced.  Bethany may appear soothing like spring but she had a temper that was hot as this Texas summer.  And she was stubborn; all known qualities of a red-head.  It was she who had held out on the offer.  Why would she not take the money and run?

It couldn’t be for sentimental reasons.  They all hated Jonas; and right now he had no tender feelings for the man himself.  So what held her back?

He took a slow sip of his drink.  The smooth liquid felt good on his throat; it seemed to calm him and allowed him to think clearly.

She had said that she was not completely inexperienced.  But did she have enough to want to stay and run a place like The Sea View?  And would he be able to put his antagonism aside and run it with her?  He had operated The Sea View with Jonas but always with an agenda in mind.

There would be no ulterior motive if he worked with Bethany.  He would just have to do it for the sake of his love for the resort.  That was a lot to expect from him. 

His stomach began to growl and he realized that he hadn’t eaten all day.  He went inside and picked up the phone to order a steak dinner.  He had just hung up the phone when his door buzzer sounded.

“Who could that be?”
 he thought.

He moved to the security panel on the wall and looked at the monitor mounted above it.  He could see Bethany standing at the outside door.  He pressed the button to speak.

“Bethany?”  he questioned.

“May I come up?  I would like to speak with you,” she said in low tones.

“Had she changed her mind?”
 he wondered.

“Sure.  Use the penthouse elevator,” he said.

“Thank you,” she murmured.

He hit the buzzer that unlocked the door and watched her move inside the building on his monitor.  He moved to stand in front of the fireplace and await her arrival.  He wanted to appear inviting yet powerful.  An easy task for a guy like him.

Bethany stepped out of the elevator and looked at her surroundings.  His apartment was every bit as luxurious as the penthouse suite she and her sisters were sharing; possibly more so.  She moved further into the space and immediately saw Greyson.

He stood tall, muscular and extremely handsome.  She wondered why she hadn’t noticed how good-looking he was when she saw him earlier that day.  Perhaps because she had been overwhelmed by what Jarod had disclosed.  She’d only seen him as the man who wanted her inheritance and nothing else.  Now she saw him for what he was; a very attractive man who had made her a very lucrative offer.

He appeared very resolute; calmly waiting for her to speak.  It was now or never.  She knew what she wanted.  She had already discussed it with her sisters and they were in agreement.  It was now time to let him know.

“My sisters and I have come to a decision.  We are going to remain in Texas and operate The Sea View Resort,” she said quietly.

Greyson was still; eerily so.  He didn’t move an inch.  But his sapphire blue eyes were nearly black with anger.  They said more than any words could.  An explosion was coming and Bethany dreaded what it would look like.

“Why?”  he demanded.

“We want to start anew.  Build a relationship between us by doing something as a unit,” Bethany explained.

“And you can’t resurrect your relationship with visits and sending one another Christmas cards?”  he snapped.

“Working together will go far in restoring our sisterhood,” she said.

Greyson threw the glass in his hand against the wall.  It shattered and tiny fragments danced across the polished hardwood floor.  Bethany jumped at the display of violence.

“So you want to destroy something that took years to build to reconstruct a relationship that probably won’t survive anyway?  You’re going to walk away from a small fortune to play at being entrepreneurs?  You’re delusional and, quite possibly, insane,” he snarled.

“I know you’re upset but we have to try,” she replied.

“At my expense and to the detriment of The Sea View!  But I applaud your sense of family duty,” he railed.  “The three of you should get the
Best Fucking Family of the Year
Award!”

Bethany knew that his reaction would be vile and she tried to hold her own temper.  But he was making it extremely hard to do so.  She took a deep steadying breath.  She had to remember how much she needed his help.

“Would you consider staying on in your role as Director of Operations?  I’m sure Jonas relied on you heavily and I would be eternally grateful for your help,” Bethany murmured.

Greyson glared at her for a long time.  At least it felt like a long time.  Bethany was nearly ready to run to the elevator to escape his penetrating gaze when he spoke.

“My help?”  he intoned.

“Yes.  You were right when you said that I was inexperienced.  But I’m not
incapable
.  And although I don’t have as much expertise as you, I do have some,” she said in a rush.  “I just need a mentor to give me guidance and advice.”

“And you want this mentorship to come from me,” he said scathingly.

“I would like us to work together, yes,” she replied.

Beth held her breath.

“Well, I don’t know.  Let me think,” he retorted.  He moved to the white piano in the corner and stood at the keyboard.  He hit a few notes as he stared down at the keys meditatively.  From what he plucked out Bethany decided that he could, indeed, play.  She wished she were there under different circumstances and could ask him to play a song.  But that was certainly out of the question at the moment.