Nine
If Will didn’t find a way to wipe the wide-ass grin off his face in the time it took to walk from his parking spot to the boardroom, everyone in his family—his sisters in particular—was going to be all over him about the source of it. He’d had such a good time with Lexi. She made him laugh, in person and through messages. They’d texted throughout the day on Sunday, just going back and forth about random things. He liked talking to her and definitely liked looking at her. She was real, sweet with an edge that was wrapped in a hint of vulnerability. He wanted to know more.
But right now, he needed to get to the Monday meeting. His phone buzzed again. If he weren’t waiting on Lexi to text back about taking her out to dinner, he’d have silenced it. News outlets were calling, which was a concern. Will didn’t have much to do with the downtown Seattle socialite scene unless it was to build connections in the community or for work—it’d never been his thing.
Drinking and hanging out with other people his age who only knew each other because all their parents had money wasn’t his idea of fun. Since discussions of a merger had begun with Home Needs, the CEO’s immature and impulsive son, Nolan Banner, had been calling him nonstop for advice on “living in the limelight under so much pressure.” Will scoffed. The guy spent more time drinking than he did in the boardroom and if Will was honest, Nolan was the real source of his reluctance to keep moving forward with the merger.
The two had been photographed a few weeks ago outside a downtown nightclub. Nolan had asked Will to meet him there because he needed some advice. Will had tried to befriend the guy but they just didn’t connect. The guy was an ass.
Most likely, Nolan had gotten himself into some trouble over the weekend and wanted Will’s suggestions on how to keep it under the rug. Which he clearly hadn’t done himself if the news outlets, who’d gotten wind of the merger, were calling Will.
Danielle, his secretary, smiled at him as the elevator doors slid open on the third floor of the building where the offices were housed. Floors one and two were the store, three the offices, and the fourth was his grandparents’ penthouse.
“Good morning,” Danielle said, picking up the to-go cup from his favorite café and holding it out to him. “Seems like someone had a good weekend.”
Will winced. Shit. If even his secretary noticed his aura of Lexi-induced happiness, he was going to have to work harder.
“I did. How was yours?” He wasn’t sure why she was staring at him with a smirk.
“Not as good as yours. Everyone is waiting on you. Your mother is in a mood.”
Will laughed, thanked her, and took his coffee. If anything could sour his own mood…
Sure enough, his entire family was sitting around the large, custom-made walnut table that resembled the dining table in his grandparents’ home. His older sister, Madeline, sat next to Kyra on the far right. His mother and father sat on the long side of the table, closest to the wall of windows. His grandfather, who usually sat at the head, on the far left of the room, was standing by the window looking out at the view of the harbor.
All eyes turned his way and Will’s muscles clenched, his jaw tightening. What the hell was going on? If Home Needs was pushing on the contract again, he was going to suggest they walk away. Will had their lawyers going through the terms and he wouldn’t be rushed. They weren’t the only option.
Everyone spoke at once, inundating him and confusing him more.
“What the hell, William?” his father boomed as Madeline and Kyra let out actual whoops of “Congratulations!” His mother shook her head while telling him to close the door so the world didn’t hear about their drama. The only drama he could see was right in front of him.
“Good morning,” his grandfather said in his typically smooth voice, now leaning against the window ledge, an unusual glint in his astute gaze.
Will closed the door. “What is happening?” His phone buzzed again. He tossed his messenger bag on the table, pulled his phone from his pocket, and set it on top. “What’s going on?” He looked to his grandfather, who was always the quickest source of accurate information.
“We should be asking you that question. Though it doesn’t need a lot of explaining, I suppose. I knew immediately with your grandmother. One dance and I was done. No one else would ever do. Took a little longer to convince her but for me, I just knew. I didn’t even know you were dating someone.”
What? How do you know now? Will stared at the man whom he’d idolized growing up, continuing to wonder what the actual fu—
His father stood up quickly, knocking his chair back. “You didn’t think this was something you should tell us?”
Will looked to Kyra, wondering if she’d spilled about his date. She just looked back with an almost giddy grin on her face, Maddie beside her with a nearly identical expression.
“I repeat, what is going on?” Will raised his voice slightly, gripping the back of the chair in front of him.
His mother stood, her dark hair pulled into a tight bun that made her angular face seem sharper. “What’s going on? We’re trying to figure out why our only son would ask a woman no one knows to marry him when he says he’s too focused on work to even show up for a date with the respectable women from families we know that I’ve kindly tried to arrange.”
Dates, marry, respectable. What. The. Fuck? He looked back at the door, wondering if he’d maybe walked into some bizarre alternate reality, then back at his siblings.
“Please tell me what’s happening. Am I being pranked?”
Maddie slid her always present iPad across the table. Will glanced down to see the entertainment page of the Seattle Times. He scanned it, trying to see what would be there that would explain his family’s behavior.
Holy shit.
S EATTLE’S OWN G RAND B ABIES BACHELOR OFF THE MARKET?
Will’s mouth went dry. He clicked the link, his brain and body buzzing like they were gearing up for fight or flight.
Rumor has it that the speculated merger between two Seattle founded companies isn’t the only merger happening for the Grand family
William Grand , CFO and grandson of Jeremy Grand, the founder of Grand Babies, two locally owned and operated baby product stores, is said to be engaged. The hard-to-reach-for-comment bachelor was seen at a party in the Seattle Heights area to celebrate the pending nuptials of former pro football player Nigel Warrington ( click here to read about Warrington’s retirement and move from New York to Seattle) and local art gallery owner Jacqueline O’Dell. Grand is pictured below with the happy couple, along with author and social media presence Becca Kramer, her date, and one Alexandria Danby, an otherwise unknown who partygoing sources revealed was introduced as his fiancée. Dubbed one of Seattle’s finest bachelors, William has been seen around town as of late with Nolan Banner, whose father owns another locally started company, Home Needs. While the two have a few things in common, the friendship has come as a surprise ( click here to see a timeline of Nolan Banner’s troubled early adult years). No one in the Grand family could be reached for comment.
Will stopped reading. The picture was the one Becca had taken, and there were links to other articles and probably whatever Becca had posted on social media. Holy shit. Holy shit. He lifted his head, met the gazes of his family, all looking at him with varying degrees of surprise. Except Kyra. She looked like she was holding back delighted laughter.
“This is not the sort of thing you keep from your family, William. Your mother has been getting calls all morning from news outlets asking for a statement,” his father said, running a hand through his wavy salt-and-pepper hair as he stalked back and forth along the bank of windows, stepping around his own father to do so.
“I just can’t believe you’d ask a woman none of us know to marry you. Are you trying to get back at us for something?” His mother’s expression was tortured, and Will’s stomach twisted.
“Fredrick Banner called early this morning,” his grandfather added. “I didn’t answer but I’m sure he’s thrilled as it’s likely this news will push his son’s weekend of debauchery under the radar.”
Maddie stood up, came around the table. “I don’t know what’s going on with you. The news was shocking but if you’re happy, I’m happy.” She rubbed his shoulder in support.
Kyra came around and hugged his arm tightly. “When you know, you know.” The tease in her tone, and their close relationship, told him she knew something was off. And she was enjoying it way too much.
His grandfather rubbed the weathered skin of his chin while Will’s dad continued to pace and his mother typed something on her phone.
“I suppose we can spin this, highlight our dedication to family. What do we know about this woman? Alexandria Danby. She looks attractive but I can’t find any information about her. She has no social media,” his mother said, not looking up. “I’ll keep digging. No one has to know you care so little for your family that you couldn’t even be bothered to introduce us to the woman you’re going to spend your life with.”
Will groaned. He needed out of here. He needed to sort through this disaster. Holy shit. He needed to talk to Lexi. Had she seen this?
“I have to go.” Will picked up his phone and his bag.
His mother’s head snapped up. The dark eyes she’d passed on to him narrowed. “You can’t leave us with this media nightmare. When are we meeting this woman?”
“What? You’re not going anywhere,” his father said at the same time.
“Let him go, Jackson. Maybe all this badgering is why he didn’t tell us,” his grandfather said.
“Everyone says no comment until I have more time to look into this woman’s past,” his mother said, setting her phone down with a look of utter disappointment and a dash of hurt. “Really, William. I hope you know what you’re doing.”
Leaving. That’s what he was doing. He walked out and wasn’t one bit surprised when his sisters followed him to his own office.
Maddie shut the door behind them after they’d gone through. Kyra flopped down on the leather couch that sat along the wall.
“That must have been one hell of a first date,” Kyra said, kicking off her high heels.
Will bit back a snarl. “Don’t you have classes?”
Kyra grinned. “Not until this afternoon.”
Maddie put her hands on her hips. “First date? Excuse me? What’s going on?”
Will told them as quickly as he could that it was all a big misunderstanding. That Carolyn—who he realized later had been in some of the photos his mother had shown him of possible dates—had likely called the fucking news outlet the second they left. The other option was that Lexi’s friend’s post had caught the attention of either the Times or another outlet and it snowballed. Must have been a slow news day.
“Wait. You’re not engaged?” Maddie stared at him.
The oldest of them, she was always well put together, well mannered, even tempered, and reliable. She held the position of chief operating officer at the company, ensuring everything ran smoothly among the departments and among the staff.
Their parents had high expectations of all of them and put a lot of pressure on Will but they often overlooked the amazing contributions his sister put in. She was a large part of why their company continued to thrive. At least their grandfather recognized it.
Will flopped onto his leather rolling chair. “No, I’m not fucking engaged. I can’t even get a yes on a second date from this woman. Who I really like and want to go on a second date with. What am I going to do?” He leaned forward, put his head in his hands.
“You could call the paper. Ask them to print a retraction.” Kyra sat up on the couch, losing the teasing smile.
Will sat back, looked up at the ceiling.
“If he does that, we don’t control the narrative,” Maddie said. “If he makes any statement, good or bad, they’ll run with it. Even if it’s retracted, it’s already out there. I think we should ignore it.”
“What about Mom and Dad? Should he tell them?” Kyra asked their sister, discussing his life like he wasn’t in the room.
“If he tells them the whole truth, Mom will be all over him to make a splash with whichever woman she’s got on her roster this week. Carolyn, most likely.”
Will groaned and stood up. What were the chances Lexi hadn’t seen this yet?
“I need to go. I’ll be back this afternoon.”
“Where are you going?” both of his sisters asked.
“To see my fiancée,” he muttered, hoping like hell she wouldn’t tell him to get lost. Hoping even more that she’d agree to a second date.