The Tycoon's Proposal. Shirley Jump

were good if he got back late tonight, the eighteen-year-old front-desk clerk would be asleep when he returned. He stowed his small bag of belongings in the room, then grabbed his laptop and a notepad before heading back down to the bike. That was all he’d need for his evening with Savannah Hillstrand. Eat, conduct a little business and leave.

      No lingering to get to know her, to see if he could make her laugh or coax that dazzling smile from her again. This was all work and no play, and the sooner he could get back to his room to tackle the long list of emails and reports he needed to read, the better. Then, hopefully, this knot of stress in his chest would ease.

      He was just latching his helmet when a car carrying familiar occupants pulled into the hotel parking lot. His little brothers, here to check up on him. Mac tucked the helmet under his arm and waited while they got out of Luke’s car.

      “What are you two doing here?”

      The younger Barlows leaned against the hood, their arms crossed over their chests. “We’re on a fact-finding mission,” Jack said. “As in finding out why the hell you ran out on dinner?”

      “I told you. I had a meeting.”

      “At dinnertime. On a Sunday.” Jack rolled his eyes. “The only day you know Mama’s going to expect us all around the table.”

      “You missed a hell of a pot roast, too,” Luke added.

      “And don’t forget the apple crumble for dessert,” Jack said. “That was amazing.”

      “Had myself two helpings since I didn’t have to share with Mac.” Luke patted his belly. “Too bad you missed it for a meeting, big brother.”

      Mac scowled. He was back in town for barely a few hours and already they were giving him a hard time. “For one, the time for Sunday dinner is more like late afternoon—”

      “So we have time to watch the game. Priorities, Mac.” Jack grinned.

      “For another, I don’t think Dad really cared if I was there or not.” Mac shrugged as if it didn’t bother him at all, and as if there wasn’t other untouched issues between him and his father. Issues he didn’t want to share with his brothers, not until he figured out how to drop this secret sibling bomb with as little collateral damage as possible. “So I figured I might as well get some work done.”

      “What is up with you and Dad anyway?” Luke asked. “It seemed like you were trying your damnedest to avoid him.”

      “More than you usually do,” Jack added. “Dad’s mellowed over the years, Mac. You could try cutting him some slack—”

      “I’m not having this conversation. I told you. I have a meeting—”

      “No, you have a serious itch to avoid your family today. Which is what I bet you plan on doing all week. We had some very fun family activities planned for the week, too.” Jack grinned. “You know, group trips to the zoo, maybe grabbing some funnel cakes at the fair, a little brotherly bonding in the backyard...”

      Mac snorted. Despite his frustration with his brothers, he found a smile curving across his face. “Funnel cakes? The zoo?”

      “That’s the plan,” Luke said, pushing off from the car, a gleam in his eyes. “All with the customary big-brother torture, followed by a cold ocean dunking and topped off with a day of us arm wrestling you into admitting we’re stronger than you.”

      “Smarter, too,” Jack added.

      “Definitely smarter.” Luke nodded, then wagged a finger at Jack. “And better looking.”

      “Damned shame. You could have been so much more,” Jack said, reaching forward and clapping Mac on the shoulder. “If only you’d been born second or third.”

      Mac shook his head. “It’s too bad you two are so delusional. You do know what Mama says, don’t you? That she should have stopped having kids after she had the perfect one.” Mac put out his arms. “Voilà. Perfection.”

      The three brothers laughed at the familiar joke. Their mother loved them all equally, but when pressed, would tell each boy that he was her favorite. Mac had missed this camaraderie, the gentle ribbing by people who knew him best. For a second, he considered turning down Savannah’s offer and spending the week with his brothers instead. Then he remembered what he had learned from Uncle Tank, and knew if he did that, he’d inevitably feel compelled to confess to Jack and Luke. The truth would come out over some beers or basketball, because if there was one thing Mac had never been able to do, it was keep a secret from his brothers.

      The only one Mac should talk to was his father. Then let Bobby handle it from there. It was, after all, his mess, not Mac’s. Maybe there was a way to encourage Bobby to come clean, to tell the family the truth before it exploded, which it surely would at some point. A secret that big was impossible to keep quiet forever.

      Bobby Barlow, the pride of Stone Gap, had another son. A product of an affair that had been kept hidden for two and a half decades.

      Another Barlow brother, who had contacted Uncle Tank, the one who had been the go-between for the child and the mother, probably to keep Bobby out of the mix. Uncle Tank, who had stopped speaking to Bobby years ago, had called Mac, and said only two words, “Fix this.” As if Mac could even begin to figure out what to do. An illegitimate son, an affair—all that was a hell of a lot harder to repair than a broken tailpipe or a company with too much overtime. Eventually, Mac knew someone was going to figure it out. If the truth didn’t come blasting into town on its own first.

      Because Colton Barlow, Bobby Barlow’s secret son, had made it clear he wanted to get to know his other family—and do it soon.

       Fix this.

      That was something Mac would tackle another day, after he had all this business with Savannah squared away. He needed time to think, time to figure out the best way to talk to his father.

      Just...time.

      “Listen, as much as I’d love to go have funnel cakes,” Mac said to his brothers. “I have plans for tonight. Why don’t I stop by the garage tomorrow?”

      “As long as you promise us something,” Luke said.

      “I’ll be at Jack’s wedding. I already promised that.”

      “This isn’t about the wedding. That’s a nonnegotiable anyway, because your tux is already rented.” Jack grinned. “We need to talk to you about planning the family reunion next month. It’s also Mama and Dad’s thirty-fifth anniversary, and we wanted to make it special. Which means you have to be here for it. Nonnegotiable number two.”

      “There’s a family reunion next month?” And his parents’ anniversary? God. This just kept getting worse and worse every second he stayed here.

      “Jeez, Mac, don’t you read your email?” Jack threw up his hands. “Yeah, I sent you an invite like three weeks ago. The entire Barlow clan, descending on Stone Gap.”

      “Lord, help us.” Luke grinned.

      A family reunion next month meant the other Barlow, the one no one knew about, would want to come if he got wind of the event. Now Mac really needed to find a way to talk to his father.

      “I’ll, uh, think about that. I’ll have to check my schedule,” Mac said.

      “Check your schedule?” Jack scoffed. “Family is the only thing you need on that schedule, you workaholic.”

      The word rankled. Twice in one day they’d called him that. “This workaholic is trying to go someplace. If I can ever get out of here.” Mac fended off the rest of his brothers’ questions and slipped onto the seat of his bike.

      Jack sighed and threw up his hands. “I give up. You know, one of these days you’re going to realize you actually need your family.”

      “I never said I didn’t need my family.” Mac settled the