“No need to wait on me. I’ll follow you to your kitchen.”
Belinda hoped that the kitchen wasn’t a mess. The bad part about living alone was that any messiness could only be blamed on her. She cringed as she watched her grandmother swing her survey around the room before she took a seat at the four-seater table.
“You haven’t been to visit, much less sit in my kitchen, in a while. I’m nervous.” Belinda couldn’t deal with waiting for Grace to reveal the reason for her impromptu visit. There was no way that this was a casual visit.
“I’ve been remiss with keeping up with my grandchildren. Turning over Meadows Media to Dana was a bigger deal than I thought. It made me think about all of you. Our legacy as a family.”
“Dana’s doing fine, right?”
“Oh, yes. Dana was born for that job.”
“Proud of her.” Belinda always knew that her cousin was the only one to step into Grace’s shoes. Her mother and aunts, Grace’s daughters, grumbled a bit, but no one could deny that Dana had the brains and passion to take up the heavy responsibility.
“We all are. Meadows Media should always remain in the family.”
Belinda carefully set down the steaming cup of tea. “I’m not coming to work for Meadows Media.” For once, she wasn’t backing down. Not even to look away from Grace’s deep-set eyes.
“Not even for Dana?”
“Did she ask for me?” Belinda wasn’t biting, though the mention of her cousin needing her gave her pause.
“You know your cousin. She’d never ask for help. She’s too afraid that it would reflect on her. However, since stepping back from it all, I have a good view from the sidelines. What I see, in my overall vision, is for all of you cousins stepping up and taking your rightful places in the company. Making it bigger and better. Besides, you get along with each other. That’s half the battle.”
“What if the cousins aren’t interested?”
“Why wouldn’t you be? I built this company to hand down, not to sell out. Not that my three daughters ever stepped up to the plate.” Grace sniffed. The woman was a born queen and didn’t need a title to go with her mostly formidable demeanor. The one subject that could tighten that mouth and send the lines in her forehead into deeper grooves was her daughters—their mothers.
Away from the Meadows family home estate, away from the Meadows Media headquarters, Belinda had never heard Grace open up with such a sad, longing commentary. Took a visit, while sitting at her dining table, for the intimate disclosure. Anytime Grace’s tale was told in front of an audience, the rags to riches story had all the polish and shiny glint of a spin doctor’s touch. Not that her accomplishments were make-believe. However, Grace believed that imperfections of any sort belonged behind the family wall of privacy and loyalty. It was the one trait that was supported by every family member as a united front.
“Look, Belinda, the time is right. Dana is on the verge of taking the company to new heights. Kent is on board. Hopefully, they’ll be married soon. You’re turning thirty-one this year. I couldn’t be happier with all that you’ve done.”
“I’m running my own business here.”
“I’m not taking away from your plans. Not one bit.” Grace leaned in and took her hand. “I’m expanding on what you have.”
Belinda tried to avoid her hypnotic stare. Instead, she looked down at her hand still captured by Grace. Her grandmother’s rings and bracelets shimmered as the light caught the diamonds and bounced off the gold. The older woman wasn’t exactly touchy-feely. So to have her hands imprisoned in her grandmother’s firm grasp made her want to clutch on to something else and hang on for dear life.
“Come work for Meadows. I’ll give you the money to fix this place into what you want and hire a full staff. You don’t have to be here.”
Money, the one thing that she desperately needed, landing in her lap. Hers for the taking. If only her stomach didn’t constrict at the idea. Her heart instantly ached at the steep price to her dream. Although the proposal came with a win-win solution—money and the riding program—she didn’t like it because of the sacrifice to her independence.
“I see you’re ready to say no.” Grace patted her hand. “Don’t jump into the deep end to show that you can.”
“I have something here. It’s important to me. At a young age, you had something that was important. We’ve all benefited from it. But Meadows Media isn’t for me.” Belinda stood and hoped that her legs would stop shaking. “And there is nothing more to discuss, Grandma.” This wasn’t business. It was personal. “I’ve got to return to the office. I’m expecting someone.”
Even the unsuitable Jesse Santiago would be a welcomed diversion.
“You’ve got moxie, kid.” Grace chuckled. She braced herself with her walking stick and pushed up from the chair. “I’ll mark my calendar. Same time, same place, next month—I’ll make the offer again. By then, reality might have a way of nipping at your heels.” The gravelly voice laid down the somber forecast.
Belinda nodded. A faint whiff of victory danced a fleeting pattern with her ego because Grace’s prediction had that edge of inevitability. But she’d take the victory lap and enjoy it. “I’ll drive you to your car.”
Grace nodded. Signs of sentimentality vanished with her stiff march to the front door. She pulled it open before Belinda could reach for the doorknob.
“Oh, hello. Who might you be?” Her grandmother effectively blocked Belinda’s view.
“Jesse Santiago, ma’am.” The man’s deep, crisp voice hooked Belinda’s attention.
“Grace Meadows, here.” Handshakes were exchanged.
Belinda tried to see around her grandmother’s formidable stature.
“Santiago? You must be Ed’s son.” Grace turned her head slightly toward Belinda and finished, “Devilishly handsome, this one.”
Good grief, her grandmother’s abrupt switch to playfulness embarrassed her. However, if she felt the need to comment, then maybe the subject on hand was worth a look-see. Belinda couldn’t deal with any trigger to tap her emotions out of sleep mode and distract her from the Dreamweaver facility. This man had better have the skill set to impress the heck out of her.
In the meantime, she really wished Grace would move out of the doorway.
“Now, be sure to say hello to your father. I’ve sent a fruit basket to the house.”
“Thank you. I’m sure he’ll be pleased.”
So Grace knew about Ed’s health issues and his son taking on the job. Now she wondered if that was why Grace seized on the timing to put in an appearance to pressure her to work at Meadows Media. It was too much to figure out, right now. Time for the big reveal at her front door. All she could see were his faded jeans and scuffed construction boots.
“Make sure you do a good job for my granddaughter, young man.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Belinda heaved a sigh of relief when Grace finally walked out through the doorway. Under the direct light of the morning sun, Jesse Santiago moved center stage into the frame. Wow. Now, that was tall, as, with her five-nine height, she still had to look up. Thick black hair framed the top of his head in a trimmed style that enhanced the attractive contours of his squared jaw and high cheekbones.
His hands were pushed down in the front pockets. Head tilted to the side. While his eyes remained hidden behind dark shades, her attention was transferred to the slender, prominent line of his nose. Her continued admiration landed on his mouth, the one feature