Authors: Samantha Chase
Meant for You
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Copyright © 2015 by Samantha Chase
Cover and internal design © 2015 by Sourcebooks, Inc.
Cover designed by Dawn Adams
Cover image © Philip Lee Harvey/Corbis
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The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious or are used fictitiously. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.
Published by Sourcebooks Casablanca, an imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc.
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“I don't like the sound of this.”
They
never
do
, William Montgomery thought to himself. Why did everyone have to go and question his motives when all of his decisions in the last five yearsâin business
and
his personal lifeâhad been raging successes? Thanks to his leadership, Montgomerys was a Fortune 500 company with more growth and expansion to come. And as for the family? Well, if it weren't for him, the whole Montgomery line might have come to an end. Yes, sir, William had gone on a one-man campaign to get this young generation to start falling in love and making families.
His own three sons had been more than pulling their weight in that department. At last count, William was the proud grandfather to four beautiful grandchildren, and he had high hopes of watching that number grow. He looked over at his brother, Robert, and frowned. “What is there not to like?” he asked.
Robert was younger than William by only a year and yet he always came across as being much older; he took life way too seriously and it didn't always bode well for his family. Just recently, Robert's second oldest son, James, had come back to North Carolina after over twelve years of living apart thanks to the discord between him and his father. William knew his brother loved his kids; he just didn't seem comfortable with really
knowing
them.
That was William's gift. He was a people watcher by nature, and over the years, he had honed his skills to a science. With just a little bit of time and knowledge of a particular person, he was able to figure out who would be a perfect match for them. It was easy with his own sons because he was with them all on a fairly regular basis. His niece and nephews? It was taking a little bit longer.
Luckily Ryder and James already knew the women they wanted to spend their lives with; William had just given them a push in the right direction. His eldest nephew, Zach, was a challenge; he was getting ready to head to Alaska on some sort of climbing expedition. If William didn't know better, he'd swear his nephew was doing it purposely, to avoid spending time with him. He chuckled. He'd get to him eventually.
“Summer is not cut out for the corporate world, William. Why would you even consider such a thing?”
He shrugged. “She's tried everything else. She's been moping around here between your house and ours for almost a month and seems to be a little lost. All I'm suggesting is that we give her a little guidance and see if perhaps she could find a place within the company.”
“But why send her to Oregon? Zach will be furious!”
Of that, William had no doubt. “Oh, it doesn't take much to make your son furious these days. Eventually we'll figure out what exactly has him in a constant snit; in the meantime, I think Summer could be a great asset to his team.”
Robert let out a mirthless laugh. “Have you met my daughter? William, Summer is flaky and flighty and doesn't know a damn thing about business. She paints, she dances, she sings. None of those things are going to be an asset anywhere within the company!”
William didn't care for his brother's description of Summer. Robert may have been her father, but William felt fairly protective of his niece. “Maybe she does those things because no one ever expected her to do anything more with her life. Seems to me you just wrote her off as a spoiled heiress who'd marry well and then be her husband's responsibility.”
“That would make my life a hell of a lot easier,” Robert said wearily. “Seriously, William, I don't see this as being her thing. She doesn't even know anyone in Oregon.”
“Nonsense. She knows her own brother. She's visited the offices there before, so she's familiar with the staff. And then there's Ethan Reed.”
Robert glared at him for a moment. “Ethan? Why would you mention Ethan?”
The urge to roll his eyes was strong, but William resisted. “Do you have a problem with him? He and Zach have been friends since they were ten years old. He's practically family.”
“Yes, but Summer had a crush on him for the longest time. She was always trailing after him and Zach. I was relieved when the boys finally graduated and went off to school. I'm fairly certain she's over it.”
“Did he ever do anything inappropriate?” William asked.
“No. He was always perfectly respectful. But he's much older than she is.”
“Six years is hardly a lot these days.” By the look on his brother's face, William realized he wasn't helping. “All I'm saying is I'm sure you have nothing to worry about. He probably considers her a sister after all these years. And you said yourself Summer seems to be over her childhood crush. I was merely pointing out that she would have another friendly face in Oregon.”
“Why can't we place her here? In North Carolina? Why send her to the West Coast?”
Why was his brother being so difficult? “She needs to feel like she's doing this on her own, without either of us hovering over her.”
“Zach will hover.”
William didn't doubt it for a second. “At first. Then he'll get annoyed and leave her to her own devices and move on. Plus, he's got the whole Denali thing coming up, so she'll actually have a chance to work on her own without any interference from any of us. It could be exactly what she needs to shine.”
“Summer would shine in a room filled with thousand-watt bulbs,” Robert said almost begrudgingly, unable to hide the pride in his voice.
That made William smile. It wasn't often that his brother had something positive to say. “She certainly does. Let's give her a chance to shine while showing her that we believe her to be a woman we take seriously. I think it would be the perfect thing for her confidence right now.”
“I could kill the bastard who broke her heart.”
William agreed, but he also knew whoever the man was, he wasn't Summer's true love. William had spent enough time with his brother's family to make quite a few observations. It was almost getting too easy. Soon he'd have to find another hobby, but for right now, he figuratively sharpened his Cupid's arrow and prepared it to take flight.
“It's quiet; it's too damn quiet.”
“No, it's peaceful. For the first time in over a month, I can hear myself think.”
Zach Montgomery looked over at his friend Ethan and grimaced. “That's the problem. When Summer is in town, no one should be able to hear themselves think. I'm telling you, something is up.”
“Why are you looking for trouble?” Ethan asked wearily. “For weeks you've been practically begging for a little peace and quiet, and now that you have it, you're bitching about it. Just be thankful, and long may it last.”
While Zach knew Ethan had a point, it just wasn't sitting right with him. When his father had warned him his little sister was coming to Oregon to try her hand at the family business, Zach had been less than enthusiastic. It wasn't that there was anything wrong with Summer, per se; it was just that she was like a force of nature.
And not in a good way.
“Why would she go silent now?” Zach said as he paced his office. “Besides trying to work in every department we have here at Montgomerys and making everyone her new best friendâshe's baked cookies for every department she's interned with, when she was in accounting she organized Sheila's baby shower, in human resources she taught Margaret's daughter how to tap dance, and in legal she dog-sat for Markâand in the midst of it all, she has been particularly vocal about this whole Denali thing. I leave in less than thirty-six hours and she goes missing? She's up to something.” He looked to his best friend and company vice president and waited for his agreement. “Right? She has to be up to something.”
Ethan shrugged. “Personally, I'm just enjoying the quiet.” The truth, however, was that Ethan was worried about Summer's whereabouts, maybe even more so than Zach. Summer had been a distraction since she arrived on the West Coast. The first time he had seen her step off the elevator, Ethan was lost. When had Zach's little sister grown up into such a vibrant and sexy woman? It had been a shock for him to see that the girl he had grown up with wasn't a little girl anymore. She wasn't a nuisance anymore, and the more time he spent with her and got to know her, the more intrigued he became. He had come to expect to see her around, talk to her. Hear her laugh.
See her smile.
Oh, man; he had it bad. A quick glance at Zach and he was relieved his friend was too busy staring out at the city skyline to notice what was probably a goofy look on Ethan's face. He'd gotten pretty damn good at hiding his feelings for Summer; hell, he had to. If Zach or any of the multitude of Montgomery males found out Ethan had a serious thing for Summer, he'd be screwed.
And beaten to a bloody pulp for sure.
Not something he was looking to see happen.
So he hid his feelings, brushed her off, and generally tried to make her feel like she was just a friend, a coworker. She was far from it. Summer had a light about her, an energy that was impossible to ignore. Sometimes all she had to do was walk into a room for him to feel it. He wanted to embrace it and engage in conversation with her. Unfortunately, there was always one of her brothers or cousins or uncles around waiting with the stink eye whenever he let his guard down. It was pretty exhausting to keep up with them all.
So right now? Yeah, he was happy to have a little peace and quiet and a chance just to be himself without having to watch how he spoke or looked or hovered whenever Summer Montgomery was in the room. He'd take whatever he could get in that department until she moved on to whatever adventure she wanted to take on next.
“Why won't she answer her phone?” Zach snapped, effectively pulling Ethan out of his own introspection.
“Maybe you just finally succeeded in pissing her off.” Ethan sighed. Honestly, dealing with this family was enough to make him thankful to be an only child. One minute Zach was complaining about having his sister around and the next he was complaining because she wasn't around.
“What's that supposed to mean?”
Ethan stood and walked toward the large picture window to stand beside Zach. “Listen,” he began, placing a hand on his friend's shoulder. “You have been less than hospitable since your sister got here. You've let her know on a daily basis that you're not taking her interest in the company seriously because you think she's just going to move on whenever the mood strikes.”
“Well?” Zach said with a hint of annoyance. “It's true! She's beenâ¦what? She's been a photographer, a yoga instructor, a New York City tour guideâ¦then there was her whole dog-walking business. I mean, Summer has a short attention span, Ethan. She's wasting my time and the company's time by coming here and trying to play in the business world like some sort of corporate Barbie.”
“That's just cold, Zach, even for you.”
“Look, you've known my sister almost as long as you've known me. Am I exaggerating any of this?” Ethan shook his head. “Summer is a free spirit; hell, my mother must have known it at birth because she gave her the perfect name for her nature. She's an amazingly talented and creative woman; she just needs to channel her energy someplace else and leave me the hell alone.”
“Isn't that what she's doing?” Ethan reminded.
“No. She's being a pain in my ass right now. I wouldn't listen to her constant harping on me about the climb and how I am being irresponsible andâ”
“Well, she kind of has a point there.”
Zach rolled his eyes. “Not you too,” he said, sighing irritably. “We've been over this. I got the doctor's clearance.”
“And that doesn't mean squat and you know it,” Ethan replied. “I've known you for far too long, man. I know when you're not one hundred percent on your game, and you're not. You're still limping from the last trip.”
“It was a broken leg, Ethan. It wasn't a big deal.”
“It is when it's not fully healed. You need to be thinking a little more responsibly. This isn't an easy trip. You need to be in top physical condition, and you're not.”
“It's a limp and it's not going to be a problem.”
“Zach⦔
“Can we get back to the subject at hand? Summer and how she's off pouting somewhere and probably hoping I'll cancel my plans because I'll have to look for her. Well, it won't work; I'm not buying into it.”
“You can't have it both ways,” Ethan muttered as he turned to walk away.
“Excuse me?” Zach said, his gaze honing in on his friend.
Throwing up his hands in frustration, Ethan turned back around. “I can't keep saying it; you say you don't want her here, so she's not here and now you're ticked off. Make up your damn mind, Zach!”
Ethan was right; Zach knew it and yet it didn't help to put his mind at ease. Stepping away from the window, he went and sat back down at his desk, resting his head in his hands. “I swear she's like a miniature hurricane; she swoops in, wreaks havoc, and then moves on. I just wish she'd answer my damn calls so at least I'd know she's all right before I leave for Denali.”
“Have you asked around the office? Maybe she mentioned to someone she was going someplace.”
Zach looked up and considered Ethan's words. “I hadn't thought of that. She's so chatty that I'm sure she had to say something to someone.” He immediately reached for his phone and called his assistant into the room. While he waited, he returned his attention to Ethan. “Gabriella knows everything that goes on in this building; if she doesn't know where Summer is, we're screwed.”
“We?” Ethan said with a laugh. “Sorry, bro; your sister, your problem.”
“Don't give me that,” Zach said dismissively. “You and I both know you're practically family and I'm sure that, deep down, you're a little bit worried about her yourself.
More
than
you
know.
Luckily he didn't have to respond because Zach's assistant came into the room. Gabriella Martine looked like she'd stepped right off the pages of Italian
Vogue
. She was tall and slim with just enough curves to grab a man's attention. Ethan had always admired her beauty, but not in a way that made him want to act on it. Gabriella had jet-black hair, crystal-blue eyes, and a cool, distant disposition.
Ethan seemed to prefer the type with blond hair, dark eyes, fair skin, and a chatty nature.
Summer
Montgomery
.
He was so screwed.
“You wanted to see me, Mr. Montgomery?” Gabriella said in her usual cool, clipped voice.
“Have you heard from Summer?” Zach asked, leaning forward at his desk.
His assistant looked at him oddly. “Is there something wrong?” she asked.
“I can't get her on the phone, and I wanted to talk to her before I leave tomorrow night.”
“I last spoke with your sister yesterday before she left. She needed help with some travel arrangements.” She looked curiously between Zach and Ethan. “It didn't seem like a big deal.”
“Travel arrangements?” Zach yelled, coming to his feet. “What? Was she planning on going back to North Carolina without saying a damn word to me? Why didn't you tell me?” he demanded.
Gabriella seemed to shrink back momentarily at his outburst. Ethan was about to intervene, but Gabriella composed herself quickly. “She's not moving back to North Carolina; she was making plans to get away for the weekend withâ¦a guest.”
“A guest?” Zach repeated, completely stupefied. “Who the hell is this
guest
?” He turned to Ethan. “Did you know about this? Did you know that Summer was dating someone?”
Ethan was too stunned to speak. Summer was dating someone? When the hell had that happened? How did he not know? Wracking his brain, he tried to remember if he had seen Summer with anyone but came up empty. And pissed. And insanely jealous. Feeling Zach's intense scrutiny yet again, Ethan shook his head and turned away.
“Where are they going?” Zach asked his assistant, who was slowly walking backward to the office door. She stopped at her boss's question.
“Sheâ¦she booked a weekend getawayâone of the hot springs resorts.”
Zach cursed under his breath. “It's just like her; leave it to Summer to drop a bombshell like this right before I have to leave.”
Gabriella took a step back toward the center of the room. “No disrespect, sir, but Summer didn't drop a bombshell; she simply did as you requested. She left. She knew the two of you were going to keep fighting if you left for thatâ¦that climb you're doing,” she said with just a hint of disapproval and then cleared her throat at Zach's arched brow. “So she decided not to add to your stress before you left. If you ask me, she was trying to help you.”
Coming around his desk, Zach stalked his assistant until she began to back away again. “Help me?
Help
me!
” he barked. “How is going off for a weekend with some man none of us knows helping me? This little stunt hasn't decreased my stress; it's added to it! Get her on the phone!
Now!
”
“No.”
Both Zach and Ethan froze in place at the one softly spoken word from Gabriella. “Excuse me?” Zach said with a hint of a snarl.
“I said no. This is not a business problem; it is obviously a family problem. In my opinion, Summer did the only thing she could. She didn't agree with what you're about to do and neither do⦔ She stopped. “If you want to argue with her or yell at her, you'll have to do it on your own.” She looked at her watch. “I'm going to lunch.” She spun on her ridiculously high stiletto heels and left the room, closing the door quietly behind her.
The two men stared at one another, completely dumbfounded. “What the hell just happened here?” Zach asked. “She has never spoken back to me like that! What is going on with all the women in this place?” He raked a hand through his hair. “This is all Summer's doing. Gabriella never gave me any trouble until now. Until Summer.”
“Dude,” Ethan interrupted, “you have got to stop blaming your sister for everything. You are clearly starting to lose it. I think you are officially done here. Go home, finish packing for the trip. I'll wrap things up around the office, and I'll meet you at the airport tomorrow night. Trust me; you're not going to get anything done here. Justâ¦go home.”
“Dammit, Ethan, how am I supposed to get ready to leave when Summer's out there with someâ¦guy no one knows? I'm supposed to be looking out for her, and she totally took off with a stranger!”
“Okay, dramatic much?” Ethan said sarcastically, hoping to defuse the situation. “Just because you didn't know anything about this guy doesn't mean there's anything wrong with him.”
“She's been here for a month, Ethan. The first week she was here she didn't leave my sight. So she's known this guy for a few weeks. Tops. I don't like it. Maybe I need to find that spa and talk to her.” Turning and scanning the room for his keys, he spotted them and continued to think out loud. “What if it's that creep who ruined her life in New York? What if he's come here and is trying to win her back? Maybe she'll believe all of the crap he'll try to sell her about how sorry he is and how it will never happen again. Right. Like that would be the truth,” he spat.
Ethan stopped him before he could walk out of the office. “Zach, get a grip. You are getting ready to do this climb. You need to focus.” He knew he was going to regret his next words, but he couldn't stop them if he tried. “I'll go; I'll get the information from Gabriella and go try to talk some sense into Summer.”
“You're climbing too, Ethan. You don't need to be chasing my sister up and down the coast.”
“You got a better idea?”
Defeat washed over Zach. “No. But if anyone's going to go, it should be me. Summer's my responsibility.”