Guarding His Fortune. Stella Bagwell
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place her suitcases near a doorway leading out of the spacious living area.
She was trying to pull her gaze off his bulging biceps when her father’s voice suddenly sounded in her ear.
“Hello, Savannah. I’m assuming that you’ve landed safely in Austin and have met Mr. Mendoza.”
Savannah wanted to yell at him. But the anger coursing through her was not enough to override the respect she’d always shown her mother and her father.
Shoving out a long pent-up breath, she unconsciously gravitated toward the window. “Yes, I’m safely here in Austin. At my apartment. I’m calling because I want to know what you were thinking, Dad. I can’t have a bodyguard tagging along after me! Not only would it be embarrassing, it’s impractical, illogical and—”
“And very necessary, Savannah.”
Savannah never cursed, but she found herself having to bite down on her tongue to keep from spouting a few choice words into the phone.
“Necessary? I hardly think so, Dad! My time here is going to be very low-key. How—”
“Low-key or not, I want Chaz with you. And no amount of arguing or pleading is going to change my mind, Savannah.”
“But, Dad, I can’t—”
“Look, Savannah, you are the one who went ahead with this trip in spite of my disapproval. You want to be independent? Then act grown up and accept that having protection close by is a smart thing, not an encumbrance.”
For the past four years, ever since Savannah had turned twenty-one, she’d wanted her parents to see her as a self-sufficient adult, a smart woman who could handle the daily problems that life threw at her. Since then, she’d acquired her bachelor degree and moved on to her graduate studies. Yet, in spite of those hard-earned achievements, her father believed she still had a lot to learn.
She drew in a deep breath and blew it out, while from the corner of her right eye she watched Chaz come to stand at the opposite end of the large window. He was either taking in the view or listening in on her conversation, she thought crossly.
“Dad, I want my privacy. It’s essential that my studies not be distracted—”
“I’m positive that you and Mr. Mendoza will work out some type of house rules to suit your needs.”
House rules! She wanted to ask him how he’d like some stranger creeping through the house while he tried to focus on his work. Instead, she said, “Listen, Dad, I’m going to tell Mr. Mendoza that his services aren’t needed. I—”
“I’m the only person who can fire the guy,” Miles bluntly interrupted. “And right now, I have no intentions of doing such a thing. So make the most of your time there, Savannah. It could end sooner than you think.”
She started to ask him what he meant by that remark when the doorbell suddenly rang. Completely exasperated, she said, “There’s someone at the door, Dad. We’ll talk about this again. Soon!”
By the time she ended the call, Chaz had already left his spot at the window to go answer the door. Savannah followed, while trying to imagine who at the university might’ve taken it upon themselves to visit her today.
As she turned the corner leading into the foyer, she could see Chaz pushing the door wide and her brother Nolan stepping over the threshold. Since he was dressed in a business suit, Savannah assumed he’d taken a break from work to see her. But why? He could’ve waited until tonight, or any opportune time to welcome her to Austin.
“Hello, Chaz,” her brother greeted the bodyguard. “Nice to see you again.”
The two men finished shaking hands and from the easy way they greeted each other, it was obvious they’d met before. Which only proved that Nolan had to be in on this whole bodyguard matter.
Just great, she thought angrily. Her family was ganging up on her.
Spotting her, Nolan moved away from Chaz and walked over to where she stood at the end of the foyer. A wide smile creased his handsome face. “Hi, sis.”
“What are you doing here?” she asked bluntly.
“Wow! That has to be one of the nicest greetings I’ve ever received,” he joked. “Especially from my little sister.”
“I’m not exactly feeling nice.” She glanced at Chaz to see he was busy bolting the door behind him. Apparently, security was always on his mind.
“I assume you’re not happy about Dad supplying you with a bodyguard.”
She rolled her eyes. “How would you feel about someone invading your privacy? I was so looking forward to this time here in Austin and now I—”
Nolan held up a hand. “Whoa, sis! Just a minute. I think we need to talk this out calmly and rationally.”
Savannah drew in a deep breath and blew it out. “I am calm! Or at least I will be as soon as you tell Mr. Mendoza his services aren’t needed.”
His expression stoic, Chaz strolled up to them. “I don’t think your sister understands the risk she’d be taking by running around Austin on her own,” he said to Nolan. “Maybe if you explained it to her, she might realize I’m a friend, not a foe.”
“I think you’re right,” Nolan said to him, then wrapping a hand around Savannah’s upper arm, urged her out of the foyer. “Come on, sis, let’s go sit down and talk about this.”
“I don’t want to sit. I don’t want to talk. I want to be alone! Can’t you, or Dad, or—” she turned a glare on Chaz Mendoza “—or you understand that?”
“I do understand. More than you think.” Nolan shook his head. “This isn’t how you pictured your stay here in Austin. But since you received the invitation from UT, our family situation has changed.”
In the living room, Savannah allowed Nolan to lead her over to a beige leather couch. As she took a seat close to her brother’s side, Chaz eased into a matching armchair directly across from them. Obviously, he had no intention of allowing her to have a private conversation with her own brother, she thought crossly.
Doing her best to ignore Chaz’s huge presence, she said to Nolan, “I haven’t noticed anything changing with our family. It’s the other Fortunes who are having problems. We’re not a part of them. We never have been.”
Nolan let out a weary sigh, while Chaz appeared unfazed by her protest. No doubt, both of them thought she was behaving in a childish fashion, Savannah thought. But at the moment, she didn’t care. This was her life. And she had a right to live it her way. Not the way her father wanted or expected.
“Nolan, contrary to what Dad might think of me, I am a grown woman. I know how to take care of myself,” she argued. “It’s not like anyone has been threatening me personally. Or even stalking me. Just because I happen to have Fortune for a last name doesn’t mean I’m in some sort of dire danger.”
As soon as her words died away, Chaz spoke. “Your father seems to think so.”
Nolan quickly supported Chaz’s claim. “That’s right, Savannah. Dad is very concerned. Not only about you, but about the entire family.”
Unconvinced, Savannah looked at her brother. “And what about you, Nolan? Are you concerned that Lizzie and little Stella might be in danger? Have you hired a bodyguard for them, or yourself?”
“Not yet. But I’m seriously thinking about it. Your situation is entirely different, though. My wife and child aren’t alone. They have me.”
And Savannah now had Chaz. So according to Nolan, and her father, that fixed everything. The idea had Savannah groaning out loud.
“To me, this all seems blown out of proportion. Why would a crazy ex-wife of Gerald Robinson have anything against me? She doesn’t even know me. Besides, has anyone really proved that these