the affair had only developed after he and his brothers had left for college. Loneliness had been a factor, as well as the fact that Hannah looked pretty good for her age. To Jace’s way of thinking, she had begun looking younger and prettier each and every time he came home to visit. And Jace more than anyone was glad she had been there as someone Richard could trust and spend happy times with.
He moved to rejoin her at the table. “He loved you, you know.”
She jerked her head up and stared at him and his heart twisted at the tears he saw swimming in her eyes. “You knew?” she asked in a shocked breath.
“Yes, he told me and I was glad,” he said, reaching out and placing his hand on hers.
She swallowed. “Do you think Caden and Dalton...”
“Know?” he finished for her. Shrugging, he released her hand. “Not sure if he told them, too, but it doesn’t matter. Granddad probably wasn’t an easy man for a woman to love so I believe what the two of you shared was special.”
“Thank you, and it was,” she said, swiping away her tears. She got up from the table to grab a tissue and then returned to sit across from him once again. “You boys are doing the right thing, Jace. Your granddaddy loved that company and he would not ask the three of you to take it over if he didn’t believe you could do it,” she said softly.
Jace didn’t say anything for a minute, then sighed deeply. “I hope you’re right, Hannah. I feel like the weight of the world is on my shoulders right now. I have big shoes to fill and I don’t want to let him down.”
She reached out and placed her hand on his. “You won’t. He believed you can do it, and I do, too.”
He couldn’t help but smile. It had always been that way with Hannah when it came to him, Caden and Dalton. She made them feel special in ways his own mother hadn’t. Sylvia Granger hadn’t been the easiest woman to get along with, and Jace had known it.
“Thanks.” He took a sip of his tea and then said, “Tomorrow is a big day but I think we’re going to get through it.”
She nodded. “You will get through it. Running Granger’s is in your blood. You’ll see.”
He didn’t say anything for a minute and then asked, “Did you know the company was in such a dire state?”
She shook her head. “No, Richard never talked about work with me. That was our rule. I wanted to be his escape from all of that. I wanted him to be able to relax without worrying about Grangers. I wanted only happy times for us.”
“And considering everything,” Jace said softly, “you deserved those happy times. You both did. It’s okay for us to grieve now, but I believe happy times will return for all of us one day.”
She paused a minute and then said, “Do you know what would make me extremely happy?”
He glanced over at her. “No. What?”
“For you to settle down one day, remarry and give me another generation of Grangers to raise.”
Jace chuckled. “Let’s conquer one thing at a time, please. I’ll be married to Granger Aeronautics for a while.”
Hannah snorted. “That company won’t keep you warm at night. Remember that.”
He leaned back in his chair and gazed at Hannah and smiled. He had a feeling she would not let him forget it.
Chapter Seven
Brandy Booker, the receptionist who was manning the spacious lobby of Granger Aeronautics, looked up from her desk and stared into three pairs of light brown eyes. She remembered seeing the three a few days ago at the funeral services for Richard Granger. They were his grandsons, and never had she seen such sexy, handsome men before. Sunlight filtering through the huge window seemed to shine directly on them, making them appear almost bigger than life and even more handsome.
They were impeccably dressed in expensive business suits, white dress shirts and fashionable ties. Two of the men wore serious expressions, while the third was giving her a flirty grin, which she was tempted to give back to him. She cleared her throat. “Yes, may I help you?”
“We’re the Grangers, and we’re here for the stockholders’ meeting,” one of the men said. She knew he was Jace Granger, the eldest. She recalled he had delivered his grandfather’s eulogy.
Rumors were going around that Mr. Granger had left the business to his grandsons,