The Billionaire Renegade

Even with Isabeau being high risk, he hadn’t considered something could go wrong. “She checked with her doctors first and got the okay. She’s been going stir-crazy taking off work and this was a good compromise. She’s been helping pick up slack, too, that would have been covered by Jeannie’s former assistant, Sage Hammond.”

“What happened to Sage?”

“She took a sudden sabbatical to Europe. Really left the family in a lurch, kind of surprising since she’s related to Jeannie.” He shrugged. “Anyway, Isabeau raised the idea of pet therapy since she has a service dog for her diabetes. Even though a service dog is different from a therapy dog, Isabeau’s a great resource on the topic. She’s familiar with the various roles a pet can play in health care.”

Felicity nodded. “A service dog performs a task for one person for life, and a therapy dog provides comfort in groups or for a number of different people individually.”

“Exactly. We’re looking into therapy dog programs for individual room visits as well as group settings. Having a couple of dogs present during reading time would be a great place to start.”

“That sounds wonderful. You’ve clearly put a lot of thought into this.” She glanced at him. “Your family, too. It’s not just a...”

“Not just a promotional tool? No. That’s not to say we aren’t happy for the good press, because our success gives us more charitable options.”

“I’ll do my best to be sure the money’s spent wisely so the foundation can do even more.”

“I’m sure you will.” Applying slight pressure with his reins, Conrad looped his horse back toward the barn. Created somewhat of a bad circle in the snow.

Felicity maneuvered Patches to follow him. “How are you so certain?”

“You were willing to come riding with me today in spite of pushing me away with both hands,” he said with a cocky grin.

Silence fell between them. The only sounds echoing in the air were the crunch of horse hooves against fresh snow.

She shook her head, her smile half amused. “I don’t dislike you.”

He laughed, appreciating how she didn’t dish out flattery just because he had money to donate. “Watch it, or my ego will overinflate with the lavish compliments.”

“I don’t mean to be rude. I just want to be sure we’re clear that this is business.”

He needed to make sure she understood. “I would never make a move without your consent.”

“But that’s not the same as continuing to pursue me,” she said with a wry smile, her cheeks turning red from the wind.

“You’re too perceptive for me to even try to deny that.”

“As long as you’re clear on where I stand.”

“Yes, ma’am.” He tapped the brim of his Stetson, tipping it slightly in salute. “We should get back before your Texas roots freeze out here.”

They’d reached the gate again. Conrad guided Jackson through the opening. Though if he was being honest the horse knew it was time to return home. A renewed pep in his step, Jackson moved toward the barn. Patches let out a low nicker as they drew closer to the structure.

He’d made progress with Felicity and his quest. He’d meant it when he said he wouldn’t leverage the attraction between them until she gave him the green light. But he was a patient man. He could still spend time with her. Get to know her better. Persuade her that they could have something special.

In fact, he welcomed the challenge—as well as the distraction from the stress of his niece’s complicated return.

Three (#uc1827e3b-03a2-5f39-b80d-7343adb70074)

Breanna Steele still struggled with thinking of herself by her birth name. She’d been Milla Jones for over fifteen years. It felt like longer, in fact, since the Brea days were distant, muddied by so many factors since the plane crash.

Pushing away her in-flight meal, she pressed her fingertips against the cool glass of the airplane window. Since the plane crash all those years ago, flying sent her stomach into knots. Particularly when the private jet was so small, just like that aircraft all those years ago. But the transportation had been chartered by the Steeles. Snow-covered mountains sent her nerves into overdrive so she returned her focus to the main cabin.

Her lawyer accompanied her, a young attorney who’d taken her case pro bono, looking to make a name for himself. He was cutthroat. All the more reason to trust him with a future so scary and unsure.

Taking the flight offered by the Steeles had made her nervous, but ultimately it was the logical thing to do. She’d also been very clear in her acceptance that she’d left safeguards in place if anything happened to her. The world would know exactly where she’d been.

People thought she was acting paranoid. She didn’t care.

She tore apart the roll, tossing the pieces into her bowl of uneaten salad. Stress had taken a toll on her appetite. Since the death of her “adoptive” parents last year, she’d been unable to resist searching for answers about her past. Her mind was a jumble. She’d been brought up by a couple—Steven and Karen Jones—who’d protected her from the threats of her family’s crooked connections.

She’d been told her Steele siblings died as well in the crash and the accident was such a haze, she’d believed it. Steven and Karen had insisted they were keeping Brea safe from threats existing in her birth father’s world.

Finding out after the Jones’s deaths that her real dad and her siblings were alive had been a shock, one that started a steamroll of questions about other things. Still, loyalty to Steven and Karen, who’d saved her, was tough to break. She’d told herself they lied about her siblings to keep her safe from her father, who’d orchestrated her biological mother’s death. Brea still believed that to a degree. So much so that she could only envision meeting with the Steeles with lawyers present for her safety—and so she didn’t end up in jail.

There was also the whole matter of her wrangling a job at Alaska Oil Barons Inc. under her fake name and leaking business secrets. She’d wanted revenge for their abandonment. Now she was beginning to realize things might not be that simple. But she still needed to be careful.

As the plane began its descent into Anchorage, she shivered. Afraid, but resolute. The time had come to face her past, to make peace so she could move forward free of any entanglements with the Steeles.

Free of the pain of realizing they never really searched for her.

Never could she be a part of the Steeles’ world of lies and a fake sense of family.

Felicity found disentangling her feelings when it came to Conrad Steele was easier said than done. Their simple ride together had left her more confused than ever.

Fidgeting with her long, silver necklace, she looked at her half-eaten turkey-and-hummus sandwich. She contemplated grabbing it off the pile of vintage travel books she’d used to decorate her office. Unlike her coworkers, Felicity didn’t have many pictures of family and loved ones plastered in every square inch of her office.