Read the book: «The Fortunes of Texas: The Secret Fortunes»

Chapter One

As Kieran Fortune Robinson stood with the other mourners at the Oakdale Cemetery, the Texas sky was a stunning shade of blue, the sun was bright and a cluster of birds sang from their perch in the nearby magnolia tree. But the spring day was dismal, the mood somber.

Three weeks ago, Zach Lawson had been thrown from a horse and suffered a skull fracture. As soon as Kieran had gotten word of the tragic accident, he’d rushed to the hospital to visit his best friend and to offer his support to Zach’s parents.

“Only family is allowed to visit patients in the ICU,” a nurse had said.

Zach’s father had slipped an arm around Kieran and clutched him with a firm grip. “This is my second son.”

In a way, that claim had been true. Sam and Sandra Lawson had treated Kieran as a family member ever since Zach had brought him home to visit during their first winter break at college. A born and bred city boy, Kieran had actually enjoyed the time he’d spent at the Leaning L, even though his busy schedule hadn’t allowed for as many visits as he might have liked.

Oddly enough, he and Zach hadn’t had much in common, other than a quick wit, a love of sports and a competitive spirit. They’d met on the football field their first semester at Texas A&M and had become fast friends. Other than that, they were as different as a cowboy and a techie could be.

Zach had been an only child, while Kieran had seven brothers and sisters, although that number seemed to be constantly growing, thanks to his dad’s years of philandering and the illegitimate half siblings who’d increased their ranks.

And there lay their biggest difference of all—the men who’d fathered them. Sam Lawson was a rancher of modest means who owned a small spread outside Austin. On the other hand, Gerald Robinson, a quirky tech mogul who’d once been known as Jerome Fortune, had built a computer company into a billion-dollar corporation.

After graduation, Kieran had become a computer analyst and eventually the vice president of Robinson Tech. On the outside, it might appear that he’d done his family proud, and in a sense he probably had. But to this day, he felt a lot closer to Zach’s parents than he did his own. And that was why Sam’s announcement to the hospital staff that Kieran was his second son had touched his heart in a warm and unexpected way.

But nothing had prepared him for what he saw when he approached Zach’s bedside, where his once vibrant buddy lay unconscious and hooked up to a beeping ventilator.

If there’d been a chance that Zach might pull through, that he’d be able to go home to Rosabelle, his three-year-old daughter, they all would have found their hospital vigil easier to handle. Still, Sam and Sandra clung to each other and held on to their faith, praying for a miracle that never came.

Zach had remained on life support for two long weeks before his parents finally accepted the fact that their only child, a son born to them late in life, was virtually dead. And now here they were, at the cemetery, saying their final goodbyes.

Kieran stood beside Zach’s parents, trying to be the second son Sam had claimed he was and to offer his support. But he wasn’t sure how much help he could be. Sandra and Sam, both in their seventies and not in the best of health, were overcome by grief.

What really tugged at Kieran’s heart, though, was three-year-old Rosabelle, who held her grandma’s hand, her little brow creased as if she was trying to understand all that was happening around her. But how could she, when even Kieran found it so unsettling, so unfair?

A monarch butterfly fluttered by, weaving through the mourners as if trying to lift the spirits of those who’d come to pay their last respects.

After the pastor of the community church finished the eulogy, little Rosie pulled her hand away from her grandma’s and reached for Kieran, silently requesting that he pick her up.

He did so, holding her close, wishing what little comfort he had to give would help.

“My daddy went to heaven,” Rosie whispered.

“I know, honey.” Kieran rested his head against hers, catching the light fragrance of her baby shampoo.

“I’m gonna miss him,” Rosie added.

“Me, too.” Zach’s death was a huge loss that would affect them all.

“Look!” Rosie pointed to the orange-and-black butterfly that now landed on a spray of yellow roses. “It’s a flutterby.”

“I see it,” he whispered, not bothering to correct her pronunciation. What did it matter anyway? He was just glad that she had something to hold her interest, to keep her from thinking about her loss, about not ever seeing her daddy again.

Kieran glanced through the crowd and spotted Dana Trevino, the woman Zach had been dating at the time of the accident. Her long, red hair was swept up into a tidy topknot, reminding him of a librarian. In that plain black dress, she looked like one, too.

A grad student and a research librarian at the Austin History Center, Dana wasn’t anything like the women Kieran dated. Not that she wasn’t attractive. She had a pretty face and a warm smile. At five-foot-five, she also had a willowy build, although she tended to hide it behind loose-fitting skirts and conservative blouses.

Still, Kieran had thought the cowboy and the librarian an odd match, although he suspected that Dana had been drawn to Zach’s country charm and his Will Rogers style, which had given him a combination of wisdom, common sense and humor.

To be honest, Kieran wasn’t sure what it was about Dana that had appealed to Zach. They’d never talked about it, but there must have been something special about her.

Still, for some reason he’d never thought their relationship would last. But who was he to judge? He never dated anyone longer than a couple of months, so he had no idea how to even define words like special or long-term.

As the stoic rep from the mortuary thanked everyone for coming, Sandra Lawson turned to Kieran. “Will you come back to the house with us? Sam and I want to talk to you.” Her eyes filled with tears, and her bottom lip wobbled.

“Of course,” Kieran said, although he suddenly felt compelled to pass little Rosie to the couple, hurry to his Mercedes and get the hell out of Dodge. But like Sam had told the hospital staff, Kieran was their second son.

Thankfully, he seemed to have already shed most of his tears in the hospital. By the time Zach’s organs had been donated to give others a chance at a new and better life, Kieran’s grief had seemed to subside.

He stole a peek at Dana, who appeared as prim and proper as ever. She clutched a wadded up tissue in her hands, but no tears filled her eyes.

Had she, like Kieran, done most of her crying in the weeks and days before the funeral? Had she also begun to let go of Zach and move on?

“This concludes the service,” the mortuary guy said. “The family would like to invite you all back to their house for refreshments.”

Kieran wasn’t the least bit hungry, but he could sure use a drink—a stiff one.

Sam slipped his arm around his wife. “You about ready to go, honey?”

Sandra merely nodded, then blotted her eyes with a lace handkerchief.

“Can I ride with Uncle Kieran?” Rosie asked.

“Your car seat is already in our car,” Sandra said. “It’ll be easier if you ride with us.”

Sam placed a hand on Kieran’s shoulder. “You’re coming home with us, aren’t you, son?”

“Yes, of course. I’ll meet you there.” Kieran brushed a kiss on the little girl’s cheek then passed her to her grandparents.

As Sam, Sandra and Rosie walked away from the graveside, Kieran remained a little longer so he could say a final goodbye to his best friend.

The monarch butterfly was still fluttering about. When it landed on top of the spray of red and white carnations covering the casket, he glanced to his right, where Dana continued to stand.

“Are you going to the Lawsons’ house?” he asked.

“Yes, I promised them I’d be there.”

It wasn’t a surprise that Sandra and Sam wanted—or needed—to hang on to everyone and everything that reminded them of Zach.

“How’ve you been?” Kieran asked. “Are you holding up okay?”

Dana turned and caught his eye, a slight smile chasing the grief from her face. “I’m doing all right. After the last two weeks...well, that was tough.”

To say the least.

“I feel so bad for Rosie,” she added.

“So do I.”

“At least she and Zach had been living with Sam and Sandra. That should help her adjust to not having her daddy anymore.”

Kieran sure hoped Dana was right. Again he studied the redhead, noting a simple, wholesome beauty he’d missed seeing before. She’d implied that she was adjusting to her own loss, but he wondered if that was really true or the kind of thing people said when they struggled for the right words.

“Sandra mentioned that you’d been at the ranch with them earlier today,” he said.

“I went to help some of the ladies from her Bible study prepare food for after the service.”

“Do you need a ride back?”

“No, I have my car.” She nodded toward a white Honda Civic parked about ten feet from his black Mercedes. It wasn’t a fancy car or the latest model, but it was clean and recently polished, the wheel rims shiny.

Funny what things a guy noticed at times like these.

“Then I’ll see you back at the house,” Kieran said.

Dana smiled—not a smile that was joyful and happy, but one that was filled with compassion.

Was that what Zach had seen in her?

Actually, standing there with her now, the afternoon sun casting a glow on those auburn strands of hair, Kieran noted that she had a natural beauty that was almost alluring. But he shook off the inappropriate assessment as quickly as it awakened. Dana had been Zach’s girlfriend, and even though he was gone now, Kieran wasn’t about to overstep the bounds of male brotherhood.

As he got into his car, he made up his mind to do whatever he could to help the Lawsons move on with their lives.

Growing up in the Robinson family, Kieran had learned that money could fix just about anything. But all the gold in Fort Knox wasn’t going to make things better or easier for him. Not when so many different feelings were in play and he’d always made it a point to avoid any touchy-feely stuff.

Still, while he might fall miserably short in his attempt to offer Zach’s family his emotional support, he’d do his best.

He owed his best friend that much.

* * *

Dana had managed to hold back her tears during the funeral. But once she climbed into her car, her eyes welled.

She reached into the pocket of her skirt, pulled out the wadded tissue she’d stashed there earlier and blotted her tears.

Would she make it through the day without breaking down? She certainly hoped so. She wanted to stay strong for Sam and Sandra.

How are you holding up? Kieran had asked just minutes before. It seemed to be a regular question she’d been faced with...at school, at work and, most recently, at the Leaning L while she’d helped the church women prepare the food for today.

She really didn’t blame people for assuming she’d been devastated by Zach’s loss. She mourned him, of course, but she wasn’t the grieving fiancée they thought her to be. They’d dated six months, but in fact, she wasn’t sure she’d even been his girlfriend. She’d certainly found him attractive, and she’d adored his sense of humor. But it was his family life that had appealed to her the most. That was the reason she’d continued to date Zach after she realized he wasn’t Mr. Right. She suspected Zach had known it, too.

His parents had created a warm, loving home on the Leaning L, and they’d always made her feel welcome. In addition, she adored Rosie, Zach’s sweet, precocious daughter. Since her mother had signed over full custody to Zach right after birth, that pretty much made Rosie an orphan, just like Dana was.

When Dana was twelve, she’d lost her parents in an accident. Without anyone who was either willing or able to step up and take her in, she’d gone into foster care.

Fortunately, Rosie wouldn’t have to worry about that. The Lawsons had always been a big part of her life, so it wasn’t like she’d be completely uprooted and shipped off to another home to live with people she didn’t know. Dana took great comfort in that.

When she arrived at the Leaning L, she parked next to Kieran’s Mercedes. It was only natural that he’d be invited back to the Lawsons’ house. He and Zach had been the best of friends, even though the two men had been so dissimilar—and not just when it came to the clothes they wore, the music they liked or the social circles in which they ran.

Still, they’d been very close.

Much closer than Dana and Zach had ever been.

Before Dana could climb the wooden porch steps and let herself in, Kieran swung open the front door as if he’d been waiting just for her. Then again, she’d been right behind him.

“Come on in.” He stepped aside so she could enter the small, cozy house that had always reminded her of the kind of place a ranching family might have lived in during the 1950s, with its rough-hewn paneling, the overstuffed, floral furniture with crocheted doilies over the armrests and a rag rug on the floor. It was all very Norman Rockwell. The only thing missing was a big, boxy television with a small black-and-white screen.

Maybe that was another reason she liked this house—well, the vintage feel as well as the warm welcome she’d always received.

As she crossed the threshold, she caught a whiff of Kieran’s cologne, something musky and woodsy, reminding her of a lazy summer day in the mountains. Something undoubtedly expensive and sold at only the finest stores in Austin.

“Sandra took Rosie to her room for a nap,” Kieran said. “The poor kid could hardly hold her eyes open.”

Dana acknowledged the comment with a nod, then scanned the living room, where the pastor of the church and several close family friends had gathered. They were seated on the sofa as well as on some of the chairs that had been moved from around the linen-covered table in the adjoining dining room.

The women from Sandra’s Bible study and Dana had arrived early this morning and prepared the food, which would be set out as a buffet. Before leaving for the service, they’d stacked blue paper plates, white napkins and plasticware at one edge of the rectangular table, and placed a bouquet of spring flowers in the center.

Sam greeted Dana with a hug. “I’m glad you’re here. Sandra and I wanted to talk to you as well as to Kieran. As soon as Rosie is sound asleep, we can go into the kitchen, where it’ll be more private.”

“Of course.” Dana had no idea what they intended to say, but she was glad to be included in what seemed like a family discussion. She shot a glance at Kieran. Their gazes locked, their sympathies clearly united.

Moments later, Sandra entered the living room, her eyes dry, yet still red-rimmed. “Rosie’s finally taking a nap.”

Sam nodded, then lifted his right hand, directing them to the doorway that led to the kitchen. “Shall we?”

When they entered the small, cozy kitchen, the counters lined with cakes and platters of cookies, memories slammed into Dana, causing her to pause in the middle of the room. One mental snapshot after another struck, the first one reminding her of the cold, rainy night last winter when she’d joined Sam, Sandra and Zach to play cards. The memories of times spent in this very room clicked in her mind as if she were watching the scenes on an old nickelodeon—the morning she’d helped Sandra bake cakes for the church bazaar, the afternoon she’d washed a bushel of apples that had come from trees in the family orchard, then learned how to make and can applesauce.

This particular kitchen, with its light green walls, white Formica countertops and floral printed café curtains, was also where Dana had last seen Zach alive and well. Sandra had invited her to dinner just three days before the accident. They’d had pot roast, carrots, mashed potatoes and gravy...

Dana shook off the memories before she fell apart and cried for all she’d lost. She’d loved her visits to the Leaning L, but now that Zach was gone, she might never be invited back.

Sandra, always the hostess, asked, “Would anyone like coffee?”

“Let me serve it for you,” Dana said.

Normally, Zach’s mom would have declined the help, but this wasn’t a normal day. She took a seat at the antique oak table, practically collapsing in her chair.

Dana placed cream and sugar on the table, then filled several mugs with hot coffee and passed them out to Sam, Sandra, Zach and the pastor of the Oakdale Community Church, who’d been asked to join them in the kitchen. Since Dana preferred tea, she passed on having anything at all to drink.

“Last night,” Sam began, “we... That is, me and...my wife...” His voice wobbled and cracked. He cleared his throat, paused a beat, then looked to the minister.

Pastor Mark nodded, then pushed his mug aside. “Sam and Sandra read over Zach’s will last night, and they have a concern as well as a heartfelt request.”

Dana still had no clue where this conversation was heading, but it was obviously in a direction the older couple needed their minister’s help expressing.

Pastor Mark Wilder, who’d served his congregation for the last thirty years, scooted back his chair and got to his feet as if he was preparing for a sermon. “Sam and Sandra believe that Zach’s wishes should be followed, but they also know he hadn’t expected to die so suddenly or so young. And their biggest concern is for little Rosabelle.”

Dana had no doubt about that. The couple adored their precious granddaughter.

“As you know,” the pastor continued, “Rosie and Zach have been living with Sam and Sandra for her entire life. So the Leaning L is the only home she’s ever known.”

Where was he going with this? Dana assumed Rosie would stay with her grandparents. After all, she’d just lost her father. Who else would take her? Where else would she live?

Oh, no. Surely her mother hadn’t resurfaced. From what Zach had told Dana, her pregnancy had been unexpected and unwanted. She’d planned to give her baby up for adoption, but Zach had refused to sign the paperwork, insisting that he wanted sole custody of their child. The woman had agreed and then walked away without a backward glance the moment she’d been discharged from the hospital.

Dana stole a glance at Kieran. The expression of concern he’d been wearing moments earlier had morphed into one that almost appeared panicked.

It wasn’t until Pastor Mark completed his speech that Dana realized why.

“Zach gave custody of his daughter to Kieran.”