The Black Sheep's Secret Child

“Do you miss it?”

“Sometimes. I thought about getting back into acting, but I’m not sure LA or New York is where I want to be.” Savannah recognized she might not have a choice.

“I totally understand where you’re coming from. I’m lucky I’ve been able to coordinate my filming schedule so I only have to be in LA once a week. It’s been a bit of a challenge balancing the management of Fontaine Richesse with my acting career. Fortunately I have an amazing husband who supports me one hundred percent.” Scarlett shot a heated glance toward the two men standing out on the terrace.

“Fontaine Richesse? You mean the hotel on the Strip?” Savannah’s admiration for the woman went up several degrees. “You manage that and have an acting career?”

Scarlett’s husky laugh echoed around the two-story living space. “I have excellent people in place to help me with the hotel, and my sister Viol

et is always on call if something comes up when I’m not around.”

“Still.” Savannah was feeling woefully inadequate. What had she done in the last year and a half? “I’m feeling overwhelmed and I’m not even working at the moment.”

“But you have a baby to take care of, and you just lost your husband. Plus from what Logan tells me, the company your son inherited is having all sorts of problems.”

Savannah wasn’t surprised Scarlett knew some of her background. After all, Logan was helping Trent. Obviously the couple would have talked on their way here, and Logan would’ve explained what the meeting was about.

“It’s a bit of a mess,” Savannah agreed. “I don’t know what I’d do if Trent hadn’t agreed to help me.”

“How long have you two known each other?”

“My aunt is his father’s housekeeper. I moved in with her when I was eleven.”

“So you grew up with him?”

“Sort of. It’s weird living in someone else’s house and being separated by the whole employer/employee thing. I probably shouldn’t have gotten to know Trent and his siblings as well as I did.”

“Had you always been in love with his brother?”

“No.” It was an awkward situation to try to explain. “Actually, Trent and I dated for a few years while I was living in New York.” Perhaps dated was not quite the right term for what they had done. She knew he’d seen other women when they were apart. But every time they got together, he’d made her feel like she was his only one.

Scarlett’s eyes widened a little at Savannah’s confession. “That explains a lot. You sure know how to make things complicated.”

“I don’t try to complicate things,” Savannah said, “but they often seem to end up that way. I’m not very good at getting what I want.”

“Maybe you just don’t believe that you deserve to get it.”

“You might be right.” She’d never really believed that Trent would give up his bachelor ways for her. And that had kept her from fully committing to their relationship, as well. “I’ve always shied away from disappointment. It’s kept me from going after what’s really important.”

“It’s not too late.”

“No, I suppose it’s not.” But she was lying.

Savannah glanced in Trent’s direction once again. She’d really blown it with him when she’d agreed to marry his brother. If she’d chosen any other man, Trent might have been willing to give their relationship another chance. But Trent’s resentment of his brother ran deep and her desperate decision had built an insurmountable wall between them. There was no going back from that.

Trent might be willing to help her, but that was because he had his own agenda when it came to West Coast Records. The chemistry between them might be as hot as ever, but in her heart she knew what had happened in his office last week and had almost happened today was more about looking backward than moving forward.

“I was planning on moving to Tennessee once I found someone to run West Coast Records,” Savannah said. “But lately I’m not sure I belong there or that I belong anywhere.” Her gaze drifted toward Trent.

“You should give Las Vegas a try. If you’re still interested in acting, it’s a short plane ride to LA.”

“When I left New York, I intended to continue acting, but then Rafe and I got involved and he didn’t want his wife to work.”

“Do you have an agent?”

Savannah shook her head. “I had one in New York, but we parted ways when I moved to LA. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to work in film or TV and figured I would do something about representation once I got to there. Only...things happened and I never did.”

“I’ll put you in touch with a couple agents I know. Either one would be great to represent you.”