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A Brother's Honour
Brenda Jackson
The Granger brothers left behind their family’s Virginia estate—and the bad memories it holds—years ago.But their dying grandfather’s request brings them home: to a failing business, a legacy of secrets, and a deathbed promise to make things right. Introducing New York Times bestselling author Brenda Jackson’s sizzling new series, THE GRANGERSAs the eldest brother, attorney Jace Granger is determined to take responsibility for Granger Aeronautics, his family’s failing business. But the years of mismanagement seem impossible to untangle. As CEO, he hires a consultant to turn the company around.Smart, sexy Shana Bradford is the right person for the job—and the right woman to turn Jace’s world upside down. But the passion between them is jeopardized when old secrets begin to emerge. A woman from Jace’s past suddenly reappears.And an explosive discovery changes everything Jace thinks he knows about his mother—and his father, who was convicted of her murder. Jace Granger tried to leave his family history behind once before. But this time, he needs to face the past…or risk losing his future.Three brothers. One legacy. A lifetime of secrets.
The Granger brothers left behind their family’s Virginia estate—and the bad memories it holds—years ago. But their dying grandfather’s request brings them home:to a failing business, a legacy of secrets and a deathbed promise to make things right.
As the eldest brother, attorney Jace Granger is determined to take responsibility for Granger Aeronautics, his family’s failing business. But the years of mismanagement seem impossible to untangle. As CEO, he hires a consultant to turn the company around. Smart, sexy Shana Bradford is the right person for the job—and the right woman to turn Jace’s world upside down.
But the passion between them is jeopardized when old secrets begin to emerge. A woman from Jace’s past suddenly reappears. And an explosive discovery changes everything Jace thinks he knows about his mother—and his father, who was convicted of her murder.
Jace Granger tried to leave his family history behind once before. But this time he needs to face the past…or risk losing his future.
Three brothers. One legacy. A lifetime of secrets.
Praise for the novels of
“Readers can’t deny that Jackson knows how to bring the heat, and more. Her characters are multidimensional, tantalizing and charming.”
—RT Book Reviews on Texas Wild,
4 ½ stars, Top Pick
“Brenda Jackson is the queen of newly discovered love… If there’s one thing Jackson knows how to do, it’s how to pluck those heartstrings
and stir up some seriously saucy drama.”
—BookPage on Inseparable
“This deliciously sensual romance
ramps up the emotional stakes and the action
with a bit of deception and corporate espionage....[S]exy and sizzling.”
—Library Journal on Intimate Seduction
“Jackson does not disappoint…
first-class page-turner.”
—RT Book Reviews on A Silken Thread,
4 ½ stars, Top Pick
“Jackson is a master at writing.”
—Publishers Weekly on Sensual Confessions
A Brother’s Honor
Brenda Jackson
www.mirabooks.co.uk (http://www.mirabooks.co.uk)
To the love of my life, my husband and best friend, Gerald Jackson, Sr.
To everyone who will be joining me
on the 2013 Cruise to Alaska. This one is for you!
To my Heavenly Father
who gave me the gift to write.
Be devoted to one another in brotherly love.
Honor one another above yourselves.
—Romans 12:10
Contents
Prologue (#ua9d3c769-1e68-5e6c-8d47-2e85fa482459)
PART I (#ubc13ca8f-c9ad-5e40-a3c4-6a0ad8087f8a)
Chapter One (#u4e3012b7-0215-50d8-8537-7c9436db40db)
Chapter Two (#u2811d2a2-ad42-599a-b586-7b19acd39d4f)
Chapter Three (#u7591ddcf-caf8-5572-bc68-ffc04e153027)
Chapter Four (#u1b2b747b-9b04-55cf-8745-b9a0e92623e7)
Chapter Five (#u06c7cffb-886f-5dbb-89df-e6748626a52f)
Chapter Six (#uedf8edfe-10a7-5b21-8670-f1bb1cf8702f)
Chapter Seven (#ub5c794f9-1c03-5a9c-9d19-cafd2fe809a2)
Chapter Eight (#ue428e627-e41a-5b08-ba12-fd756bbf8559)
Chapter Nine (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Ten (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Eleven (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Twelve (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Thirteen (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Fourteen (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Fifteen (#litres_trial_promo)
PART II (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Sixteen (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Seventeen (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Eighteen (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Nineteen (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Twenty (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Twenty-One (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Twenty-Two (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Twenty-Three (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Twenty-Four (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Twenty-Five (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Twenty-Six (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Twenty-Seven (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Twenty-Eight (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Twenty-Nine (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Thirty (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Thirty-One (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Thirty-Two (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Thirty-Three (#litres_trial_promo)
Prologue
“Foreman, has the jury reached a verdict?” the judge asked in the still, quiet courtroom, packed to capacity. The trial of the State of Virginia versus Sheppard Granger had lasted for five weeks, and the eight men and four women had deliberated for sixteen hours.
“Yes, we have, Your Honor.”
“Will you hand the verdict form to the court, please?”
Within seconds, the bailiff presented the form to the judge, who took a moment to read the document before handing it in turn to the clerk who faced those in the courtroom.
Sheppard Granger showed no emotion as the clerk began reading what would be his fate. At one point, he was tempted to glance over his shoulder to look at his three young sons—Jace, sixteen; Caden, fourteen; and Dalton, who would be turning twelve in a few days. He hoped and prayed that, no matter what the jury decided, they would believe he was an innocent man. There was no way he would have killed the mother of his beloved sons.
Instead, he listened as the clerk spoke the words... “Of the charge of first degree murder in the death of Sylvia Granger, we, the jury, find Sheppard Granger guilty.”
Sheppard suddenly felt his knees weaken, but he refused to go down, and he refused to glance back at his sons. His father, Richard Granger, would know what to do now. Richard would now become responsible for his grandsons, and he would be there for them since Sheppard would not.
The judge was talking, addressing the court. But whatever he was saying Sheppard couldn’t hear for the pounding in his head. As far as Sheppard was concerned, nothing else mattered. Only one thought repeated itself in his head with blinding clarity—his life as he’d once known it was over.
PART I
We do not remember days; we remember moments.
–Anonymous
Chapter One
Fifteen years later
Hoping it wasn’t obvious that he was watching the time, Jace Granger took a sip of his wine and looked straight ahead at the huge clock hanging on the wall, directly above the entrance of the upscale Los Angeles restaurant. He’d been there for exactly one hour and twelve minutes, and was biting at the bit to call it a night.
He appreciated his friend Alan Carter’s concerns about his solitary life, but blind dates had never been Jace’s thing, and he had known after the first ten minutes that he’d made a mistake by letting Alan talk him into one tonight. No doubt Angela Farlow was a looker—he would give her that, but so far it had been one hell of a night. For starters, she talked too damn much. She had a lot to say...a lot about practically nothing.
Jace took another sip of his wine and listened...or at least pretended to do so. The last couple of times he had tried interjecting his own thoughts and views, she had unabashedly cut them down, letting him know what she thought of any opinions other than her own.
Noticing a lull in the conversation, Jace shifted his gaze from the clock back to her and saw the sultry pout that touched her lips.
“Why do I get the feeling that I’m boring you?” she asked in a low tone.
Because you are, he was tempted to say. But being the gentleman that he was, instead he said, “On the contrary, I happen to find you anything but boring,” plastering a smile on his face. “In fact, I find you simply fascinating.” Now, that wasn’t a lie. He doubted there were many women like her. Hell, he hoped not.
“Well,” she said, smiling all over the place at the compliment. “I’ve talked enough about me. Now I want to hear about you. Alan tells me the two of you went to law school together and that, as a government attorney, you’re in charge of making sure the great state of California stays on a straight and narrow path.”
She rested her chin on her hands. “What made you want to work for the government instead of going into private practice? Alan said you graduated from UCLA at the top of your class.”
Jace forced his body not to tense, something that usually happened whenever he was questioned about his decision to work in the public sector instead of the private, where he could have become a millionaire if he’d set his mind to it. Little did she know he had been groomed for just that kind of life and had intentionally walked away a long time ago.
His shoulders mimicked a careless shrug before giving her the same spiel he gave anyone who had the audacity to inquire. Briefly and thoroughly, with a not-so-smooth edge, he basically told her that he preferred working for the people instead of kissing asses for any amount of money. He really didn’t expect people to understand and didn’t really give a damn if they didn’t.
He took a sip of his drink and smiled inwardly. The woman was finally at a loss for words, and he understood her dilemma, honestly he did. She thought the same way his ex-wife did. Eve’s belief had been that the more money you had, the happier you were. All he had to say to that theory was bullshit.
It didn’t surprise him when his date suggested they end the evening. That was fine with him, since the last thing he wanted was to become involved with another woman who had the same mindset as his ex-wife.
An hour later, he was entering his condo, grateful the evening with Angela had ended and that his path wouldn’t cross hers anytime soon. He figured she was probably on the phone with Alan at that very moment, giving him a piece of her mind about setting her up on a blind date with a man who evidently hadn’t any plans of making anything of himself.
Jace pulled off his jacket and was about to take it to the closet and hang it up when his cell phone rang. He wondered if it was Alan calling him already. He checked caller ID and saw it wasn’t Alan but his grandfather. It had to be past midnight in Virginia, and he wondered why the old man was calling so late.
