Kathie DeNosky - Fortunes' Women

Blake rose to his feet to walk out of the coffee shop with his father. “Now that you’ve checked out my operation, you and Patricia will have to come back and spend a little time here in Deadwood.”

“We’ll do that,” his father said, shaking Blake’s hand.

“Give Patricia my best.”

Nodding, Nash walked out of the hotel and climbed into the back of a waiting limousine.

Stuffing his hands in the front pockets of his suit pants, emotion filled Blake’s chest as he watched the long black car pull from beneath the covered entryway and disappear down the circular drive. For the first time in his life, Nash had acknowledged Blake’s accomplishments without comparing him to his older brothers … and it felt good. Perhaps this was the first step in forging a new relationship between father and son.

“Blake, have you seen today’s newspaper from Sioux Falls?”

Propped up against the pillows on his bed, Sasha had chosen to read while he watched a baseball game on television. But in retrospect, she wished she’d opted for a nap. Dreaming, even if it had been a nightmare, would have been a lot less disturbing than what she’d just read.

He shook his head without looking up from the game. “No, why? Did they mention something about the opening of Fortune’s Gold?”

“You might say that.”

Something in her tone must have tipped him off that she was far from pleased with what she’d read because he turned his head to give her a questioning look. “What did they say?”

She pointed to the society column as she handed him the newspaper. “See for yourself.”

His graphic curse reverberated around the room the moment he saw the pictures and read the caption. “Where the hell did this gossip monger come up with her information? And who took these pictures?”

“Your guess is as good as mine.” Too upset to sit still, she got out of bed and began to pace the length of his bedroom. “I know we haven’t been trying to hide the fact that we’re seeing each other. But I certainly didn’t expect to see not one, but two pictures of me in the newspaper with a headline that reads Social Climber Sasha Kilgore Ditches One Fortune Brother in Favor of Another.”

“The picture of me kissing you was taken in the coffee shop the day of the grand opening,” he said, studying the image.

“And the one of Creed dancing with me was taken at Case and Gina’s wedding reception in February.” She shook her head. “But I don’t find the pictures as upsetting as what the columnist wrote about me. She portrays me as a social mercenary trying to play one brother against the other.” Thoroughly miserable, tears filled her eyes as she turned to look at him. “That’s not me. That’s not who I am.”

“I know, sweetheart.” Blake tossed the newspaper aside, got out of bed and walked over to pull her into his arms. “Anyone who knows you won’t believe a word of it.”

“But there are thousands of readers who don’t know me and they—”

“Aren’t important,” he said, sliding his hands up and down her back in a soothing manner. “We know the truth and that’s all that matters.”

As his tender touch chased away some of her tension, she wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned against his solid support. “I suppose you’re right. But I can’t understand why the columnist had to be so vindictive in the way she reported the story. It’s almost like she’s trying to use me to widen the rift between you and Creed.”

“Scandals sell newspapers, Sasha.” His chest rose and fell against her as he took a deep breath. “I was too young to pay much attention at the time, but I’ve been told that when my parents divorced, newspaper circulation went way up in Sioux Falls.”

“Having the details of their breakup being made the talk of the town must have been extremely painful for your family,” she said, wondering why the media couldn’t respect the privacy of others.

“I’m sure it was for my father, but Trina probably enjoyed the hell out of it. She thrives on things like that.”

Sasha leaned back to look up at him. “Why would your mother want to have information like that reported for all to see?”

He rested his forehead against hers. “If you knew her, you wouldn’t be asking that question. She’s one of a kind. And believe me, sweetheart, that’s a real blessing.”

Sasha didn’t know what to say. She remembered Creed telling her that Blake’s mother was bad news, but she’d thought he’d been exaggerating because of the hard feelings he had for Blake. Apparently, she’d thought wrong.

“But I don’t want talk about her, slanderous newspaper columnists or those clueless people with nothing better to do than believe a pack of lies.” He kissed the tip of her nose. “I have other, more enjoyable ways to spend our time.”

“What did you have in mind?” she asked as he hooked his finger in the spaghetti strap of her satin nightgown.

“Come back to bed and it’ll be my pleasure to show you, sweetheart.”

Blake held Sasha close as he watched the shadows of night gradually be chased away by the first light of dawn. After they’d made love, she’d drifted off, but sleep had escaped him.

He’d been more bothered by the newspaper article that he’d let on to Sasha. But not for himself. She was the one whose reputation was being called into question. And that’s what caused the anger burning deep in his belly.

Blake had long ago gotten used to being fodder for the gossip columnists. Whether any of the Fortunes liked it or not, it went hand in hand with being a member of the wealthiest family in South Dakota. But Sasha wasn’t used to having her private life chronicled for the masses to read about over their morning coffee.

Her name had appeared in the newspaper a few times because of the social functions and charity events she and Creed had attended together, but those stories hadn’t been based on speculation or been malicious in tone. The article in yesterday’s paper had been both and read more like something Trina would write than a reputable columnist.

He closed his eyes in an effort to block out the truth. His half siblings, Case and Eliza, and even his Australian cousin, Max, had had information about them leaked to the press and they’d all accused Trina of being behind it. But surely she wouldn’t do the same thing to her own son. Would she?

Blake wasn’t so sure. But the next time he stopped by her place for a visit, he had every intention of finding out.

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