Betting On A Fortune

Ashley gave an incredulous snort. Her face went hot. She looked at Nicole and Megan, silently telegraphing that they were free to jump in at any time. Nicole was staring at her with her mouth agape. Megan had crossed her arms and was frowning.

“Our father is calling us inexperienced and naïve,” she said, fully intending for David to hear the hurt in her voice. “And I thought he believed in us.”

“I do believe in you,” David said. “I also want to equip you with every possible tool for success. We’ve already talked about the restaurant failure rate. I want Provisions to be a success story and I know you can do it. But you don’t have to learn lessons through the school of hard knocks. Learn from someone who has been there. Getting help is simply smart business.”

As much as his interfering went against her grain, their father was a smart, creative, self-made businessman. He’d taken his love of video games and parlayed it into a multibillion-dollar business. He had a proven business track record. She and her sisters hadn’t even gotten out of the starting gate yet.

It rankled her, but he might have a point—even if she didn’t agree with the way he’d gone about hiring Rodrigo.

“Dad, we appreciate your concern,” Megan said. “And we do appreciate your help.”

Nicole wasn’t so quick to see his point. She huffed and rolled her eyes as she mumbled something under her breath that sounded like, “Mendoza had better not think he can step one foot in my kitchen and tell us how to run it. Nuh-uh. He’s got another thing coming.”

Megan swatted away Nicole’s words.

“Listen, girls, don’t mistake my intentions. I guess it’s the father in me coming out. I know the three of you are smart, strong, talented young women who are perfectly capable of handling whatever challenge is thrown at you. But you’ll always be my little girls. My babies. You can’t blame a dad for that. Ash, you there? Do you forgive me?”

“Oh, Dad. Of course, I do. Actually, there’s nothing to forgive. I’m just stressed. I have a million things to do and the soft opening is next week. I guess my gut reaction was fear that Rodrigo Mendoza would try to undo everything we’ve already done. But you know what? I’ll consider his suggestions and if he makes some good ones, I’ll take them into consideration.”

“That’s my girl,” David said. “Look, it’s my turn and I’m holding up play. The foursome behind us is shooting daggers at us, so I’m going to run. Let me know how things go with Mendoza after you’ve worked with him awhile.”

Ashley’s stomach did an unexpected twist at the thought of working with Rodrigo Mendoza.

Why was she suddenly all jumpy at the mention of the guy’s name? Because Rodrigo Mendoza and his handsome face with that million-dollar smile was a distraction she didn’t need.

Even so, she’d be lying to herself if she didn’t admit that she felt a little breathy at the thought of working closely with him, but she’d get ahold of herself.

“All right, I’ve got to run. It’s my turn to putt again.”

“’Bye, Dad,” they said in unison.

Trying to quell the sensation of butterflies, Ashley placed her free hand over her abdomen as her father disconnected the call.

“Well, the upside is that Rodrigo Mendoza is hot,” said Nicole, as if reading Ashley’s mind. “It could be much worse.”

“I know, right?” said Megan.

“Yeah, he’s definitely a good-looking guy, and I’m pretty sure he knows it. But we need to focus here.” Ashley clapped her hands. Right now, focus was more important than ever. In a sense, the restaurant was an extension of them. Since they were each in charge of a very specific cog of the business, if one of them stopped turning—because she’d gotten tangled up in a hot dude—then they were destined to fail.

“We need to keep our eyes on the prize, which is making Provisions successful. Are we all on the same page?” Ashley held out her hand, palm up.

Without hesitation, Megan and Nicole put their hands in, too.

“Sisters before misters,” they said in unison.

That had always been their mantra and Ashley intended to show this mister—and her father, for that matter—that she and her sisters knew their stuff.

Chapter Two

As Rodrigo sat at one of the tables waiting for the sisters to finish their conference call, he surveyed the restaurant. Granted, everything was in a state of disarray, but he could see the vision.

He had to give the Fortune triplets credit. They had done an admirable job with the renovation and the décor looked top-of-the-line.

Someone had good taste.

Of course, it was easier to have good taste when you had a lot of cash to spend.

Based on the research Rodrigo had done before making the trip to Rambling Rose, the triplets were from yet another branch of the extended Fortune family tree. They’d never opened a restaurant, but they had a lot of cash, compliments of their father.

Rodrigo tilted his head back and took in the restaurant’s slanted corrugated-metal roof with its exposed beams and ductwork. In between the beams, skylights gave the place a light and airy atmosphere. The polished concrete of the high-top tables in the bar area complemented the metal-and-blond-wood stools. A grouping of couches, love seats and overstuffed chairs commandeered the center of the room. Cocktail and end tables completed the grouping. A set of glazed concrete steps led to a second level, which, he imagined, was the dining room.

It looked cohesive, but it didn’t look too matchy-matchy—as if they’d ordered the furniture from one of those stores that marketed predesigned rooms.

If the upstairs dining area was even half as inviting as the lower level bar area, he could see this as a place where he would meet up with friends. They could grab a cocktail and catch up while they waited to move upstairs for dinner.

The triplets were definitely on the right track. With his guidance, they could make this place a success. But it would take some finessing.

His research had told him there wasn’t anything like Provisions in Rambling Rose. No fine dining establishments. Only casual places to eat: La Ventana, a Mexican restaurant located on Main Street down the street from Provisions, and Osteria Oliva, a new Italian restaurant that local Carla Vicente had opened at The Shoppes, the new shopping center in Rambling Rose that Callum and his brothers had developed.

There was also the Crockett Café, a casual place where people could get inexpensive comfort food like eggs and pancakes, grilled-cheese sandwiches, burgers, fries and milkshakes. Also, there was a fleet of food trucks parked at Mariana’s Marketplace. While they were the most casual of all the offerings, they provided variety and were still an option that would compete for the locals’ food budget. He made a mental note to check them out some time next week.

The one challenge Provisions faced was making sure the locals bought into the upscale casual farm-to-table concept and the slightly higher price point that came with it.

To make Provisions Rambling Rose’s new hot spot, the Fortune sisters had certainly nailed the ambience. However, once patrons got past the wow factor, would the restaurant’s menu deliver on its promise? He had yet to find that out.

He regretted that he hadn’t gotten off to a smoother start with the sisters, no doubt due to the confusion about his arrival. He’d never had someone set an appointment and not tell everyone involved about it. But his motto—especially in this business—was Expect the Unexpected. When you owned a winery, you never knew what each new season would bring. The best way to not only survive, but to flourish, was to learn how to navigate the twists and turns along the way.

The Fortune triplets were young. He’d venture to guess that they hadn’t been out of college very long. All three of them were invested in the restaurant but there was something about Ashley…

In many ways, she reminded him of his sister-in-law, Schuyler, who had married his brother Carlo. Both women were forces to be reckoned with.

Maybe it was because Rodrigo had interacted with Ashley the most, but he could already discern differences between Ashley and her sisters. She was feisty and smart, as well as being gorgeous. But something else beyond her beauty and her quick wit drew his gaze to her over her sisters. It was something he couldn’t quite define—yet.

Rodrigo smiled at the thought.

Then he reminded himself that now was the time for business, not for pursuing this infatuation.

After he’d taken the job, Schuyler had mentioned that the bunch in Rambling Rose were newfound cousins of hers. These days, the Fortune family seemed to be expanding exponentially, especially in Texas. He wasn’t surprised that a branch had taken root in the up-and-coming community of Rambling Rose.

Carlo and Schuyler had met David Fortune and his son Callum last year in Paseo at the wedding of David’s half-brother Gerald Robinson, who was also known as Jerome Fortune. Learning about Callum’s and Fortune Brothers Construction’s plans to develop Rambling Rose, Carlo had given David his card and told him to call if he needed help. When David had called asking about restaurant advice, Carlo had referred him to Rodrigo, who had a restaurant consulting business.

Though David was himself an astute businessman, his roots were in the gaming and technology industry. Without any experience in restaurants, he’d been wise to seek the help of Vines Consulting Group. And Rodrigo was eager to provide his assistance to Ashley and her sisters.

“We’re sorry to keep you waiting, Mr. Mendoza.”

As if his thoughts of the women had conjured them, he looked up.

Ashley shot him a dazzling smile. “I apologize for the confusion,” she added.

He stood. “Please call me Rodrigo. I insist. Did you get everything straightened out?”

“We did, Rod,” Ashley said. “My father does love to surprise us.”

“Actually, it’s not Rod. It’s Rodrigo.” He smiled to soften the words. He hated to correct her, but better now than letting it go on too long. “The mix-up was a surprise for both of us. Why don’t we start over and reintroduce ourselves?”

“Well, you just told us your name is Not Rod,” Ashley said. “It’s nice to meet you, Not Rod Mendoza.”

Not Rod?

He frowned, not quite understanding what she meant.

After a couple of beats of awkward silence, Ashley said, “I was joking. And obviously very badly since it fell flat on its face. You said, I’m not Rod… So, I said, It’s nice to meet you, Not Rod. Okay, never mind. That’s why I chose the restaurant business and not standup comedy.”

“No, I get it.” Rodrigo laughed, feeling like a dolt and hating the way she could throw him off his game. “I do. It just took me a minute. I guess it’s a day of misunderstandings. But you’re funny. You are.”

As they laughed together, Rodrigo felt something electric zing between them, an invisible connection that felt both thrilling and completely off limits.

“Anyway, we were starting over?” Ashley stuck out her hand. “I’m Ashley Fortune.”

Rodrigo accepted it and there it was again. That zip of electricity that confirmed that he needed to watch himself or—Or what?

Yeah, he wasn’t exploring the or-whats right now.

Instead he withdrew his hand and reclaimed his personal space.

“I’m Rodrigo Mendoza. I started at the Mendoza Winery and La Viña Restaurant. I helped my family open the place and mold it into what it is today. After working there for a couple of years, I decided to venture out on my own and help other restaurants achieve the success and buzz we’ve built at La Viña. Since then, I’ve been booked solid and I’m happy to have built a good portfolio of success stories. I’m excited to look over your business plan and lend my expertise to Provisions. You won’t have to make the mistakes some new restaurants make learning by trial and error. So think of me as your knight in shining armor, here to save you.”

He was trying to be funny, match her joke for joke—bad joke for bad joke.

“For the record, we’re not damsels in distress,” Ashley said. “We don’t need to be saved, but thanks anyway.”

Somehow, he’d known Ashley was going to say that as soon as the words had fallen out of his mouth.

He figured the Fortune sisters had probably heard their share of quips about them being Daddy’s little princesses. Even if they were, it wasn’t his place to judge. Everyone’s circumstances were different.

He had his brothers and cousins. They had worked hard, saving and pooling their resources to make Mendoza Winery and La Viña a success. Would they have liked family money to get them off the ground? Certainly. They wouldn’t have turned it down. But a cash infusion wasn’t an option.

If not for the winery and La Viña, he might not be in the position he was in right now. Was that not family help of a different kind? It had given him the option to break away from the confines of the family business, which had started to feel claustrophobic. He needed something that was all his. Hence, Vines Consulting Group.

Now the Fortunes were his clients. That meant no matter where or how the triplets got their money for the restaurant, he would treat them with the same respect he afforded all his clients. He would help them turn Provisions into a successful moneymaker.

“Of course you don’t need saving,” he told her. “I’m not Rod and you’re not damsels in distress. We’re off to a brilliant start.”

She nodded, as if saying she was accepting his unspoken apology, then continued introducing herself, finishing with her role in Provisions. “I handle the front of the house, social media and publicity.”

Rodrigo’s brows shot up. “You have your hands full, Ashley Fortune.”

She gave a one-shoulder shrug. “I’m not afraid of hard work.”

“Then you’re in the right business.”

“Yes,” Ashley said. “My sisters and I have a lot of experience in the restaurant industry. We didn’t just decide to open this place on a whim.”

“Good. I’m glad you know what you’re getting yourselves into. That’s half the battle. A lot of people think owning a restaurant means it’ll be a party every night. They don’t realize they’re going to work harder than they’ve ever worked in their lives. You’ll be working when everyone else is playing, celebrating and relaxing.”

Ashley met his gaze with an indulgent smile. “Been there. Done that. And our father already grilled us on the ins and outs of owning a business.”

“I didn’t mean to lecture. I’m just telling you how it is.”

She said, “Okay,” but the implied meaning seemed to be Tell me something I don’t know.

Rodrigo hoped he wouldn’t be met with resistance the entire month he was scheduled to be there. His consulting services didn’t come cheap and the people on the receiving end had to be open to constructive criticism and willing to make changes. Otherwise it was a waste of money.

Megan explained her duties as chief of finances and how she was keeping them on budget.

“Hi, Rodrigo. I’m Nicole. I cook.”

“Nice to meet you, chef,” he said.

A sheepish smile turned up the corners of Nicole’s mouth. “Actually, I’m the sous chef. Rosemary Allen is our executive chef.”

Hiring Rosemary Allen was a good move. She was making a name for herself in the industry after winning a prestigious award for young chefs.

It was curious that he hadn’t heard the news that Rosemary had agreed to run their kitchen.

“She’s a good addition to the Provisions’ family,” Rodrigo said. “Have you sent out a press release about her joining the staff?”

The sisters looked at each other.

“Not yet,” said Ashley. “But I’ll handle it.”

She pulled out her phone and began typing what he presumed was a reminder.

She was organized.

Of the triplets, Ashley seemed to be the queen bee, which made her a natural to handle the front of the house. She ran the show, but her sisters didn’t seem to mind. She was assertive, but she wasn’t bossy. And she had tact. Even though she hadn’t been expecting him, she’d managed to recover and invite him back when the restaurant opened rather than just turn him away.

“I’m happy to help you with that,” said Rodrigo.

Ashley smiled. “Thanks. I’ll take you up on that offer.”

Their gazes lingered and, again, he felt that zing hit him in the gut.

Come on, man. This is business. Get your act together,

It would be a challenge, but Rodrigo was going to enjoy this change of pace, this fresh challenge that Ashley Fortune promised to be. She was gorgeous and sassy and everything he didn’t need in his life right now. Not only was she was too young for him, there was the lingering Bonniefactor.

A few years ago, Rodrigo had ended a relationship he’d thought might be the real deal. He had even been looking at rings and getting ready to propose. Thank God, he’d found out Bonnie wasn’t who she’d claimed to be before he’d irretrievably linked his life to hers. It was the first time he had even considered marriage.

Even though he’d been single for a while, and the pain had dulled to a blunt ache, not a day went by that he didn’t remind himself that ending the relationship had been the best thing that could’ve happened to him.

He’d dodged a bullet.

He certainly wasn’t going to open himself up for that kind of hurt again.

“Thanks for coming in today, everyone,” Ashley said to the seven workers who had arrived to help her wrangle the bar furniture into place. “Hang out for a minute. I just need to take care of something and then we’ll roll up our sleeves and get to work.”

She made her way back to Rodrigo, who was still seated at the high-top table with Nicole and Megan. “As soon as I get the dining room set up, we can work on the Rosemary Allen press release.”

“I’m happy to do it for you,” he said. “It would be one more thing to check off your list.”

“No. I’m good. Thank you.”

There was no way she was going to let him do it when she should’ve sent it out the minute Rosemary had agreed to come on board at Provisions. She’d meant to. In fact, it was even on her extended to-do list. She had to fight the urge to pull it up and show it to Rodrigo. But with all the other things that had come up since then, the press release had gotten pushed farther and farther down her list.

The truth was she hadn’t written many press releases. Okay, she’d never written one, but he didn’t need to know that. She was a quick study, and how hard could it be?

If he knew she’d never written one, it would make her look like an amateur. She would prove she wasn’t, but right now she needed to put the waitstaff to work and get the furniture in place. By doing this now, she would have time to correct any potential mishaps before opening night.

Her stomach jumped in anticipation. This was really real. For so long Provisions had been just a dream. Something she and her sisters had talked about and longed for. A someday that at one point seemed as if it would never arrive. Now, it was about to become a reality.

Press release aside, she was willing to bet that Rodrigo would be very pleased with how well she had everything under control. Even though she didn’t really care what he thought.

She was just about ready to instruct the workers when Rodrigo said, “I think the best way to start is for me to tour the place. Which one of you would like to do the honors?”

Nicole frowned. “I have to get back to the kitchen. I’m up to my elbows in coleslaw.”

Megan was just opening her mouth to volunteer—Ashley could read her sister like a book—when Ashley cut her off at the pass.

“Actually, if you want to make yourself useful, I could use some extra help arranging the lounge and bar furniture. I’m sure you’ll have plenty of opinions on how we should do it. You might as well help us with the grunt work rather than just bossing us around.” She showed him she was kidding—sort of—by flashing her most dazzling smile.

Megan shot her a strange, almost wounded look.

“Meg, I know you’re busy. After we’re done, I’ll give him a tour. By the way, the pillow invoices you asked about are in the folder on my desk. Feel free to get them. I know you need them. While you’re at it, would you tell me how much money we have left in the budget for furnishings? I’m still debating whether we should get those blown-glass salt and pepper shakers for the bar tables.”

Maybe this was case in point of how she was the bossy, micromanager to Megan’s quieter, more laid-back personality and Nicole’s creative, bohemian vibe, which could fluctuate between moody and dreamy.

Still, she couldn’t ignore the weird feeling that had been hanging over her like a storm cloud since Rodrigo Mendoza had walked in the door. For some reason even she didn’t understand, she did not want Megan to be the one to show Rodrigo around the place. She wanted to do the honors. Really, it was just as much Megan’s place as it was hers, but Megan owned the budget and Nicole had made it clear that she and Rosemary owned the kitchen, so that made Ashley take even more ownership of the front of the house.

If anyone was best equipped to make sure Rodrigo didn’t step over the line, it was she. Maybe a tiny part of her didn’t want Megan to be alone with him but, really, this was about business.

It was only logical that she should be the one to conduct Rodrigo’s tour.

But first, furniture.

Ashley clapped her hands. “Good morning, everyone. Thanks again for coming in to help. Did everyone clock in?”

There was murmur and a couple of people raised their hands to indicate they hadn’t.

“Okay, go do it. You know where the time clock is. This is good practice. If you don’t clock in, you won’t get paid. After you’re done, come back. In the meantime, I’ll talk about the master plan I’ve created.”

She held up the floor plan that she’d hand drawn on graph paper. As soon as she set the drawing down on the high-top, Rodrigo picked it up.

She’d expected as much.

“Donny and Sam, will you please start moving the four-top tables over along the wall? There are six of them. They should be equally spaced and have four of the barrel chairs at each table. While they’re doing that—”

“Actually, have you thought about arranging them in two rows of three?” Rodrigo asked.

Ashley gave him the side-eye but didn’t answer. “As I was saying, while Donny and Sam are arranging the four-tops along the wall as I have laid out here on the chart—” she plucked the paper out of Rodrigo’s hand—“Mike, Tom, Doug and Bobby, will you please move the couches and love seats up here?”

After the crew started moving furniture, Rodrigo said, “I didn’t mean to interrupt you.”

“Yes, that was rude,” Ashley said.

“But think about it,” he continued as if he hadn’t heard her. “If you put the tables in a row down the wall, the last two are going to be off in a corner by themselves and there won’t be much room for the chairs. People are going to be on top of each other. You won’t be able to scoot the chairs in and out without bumping the person behind you.”

“Have you ever considered that maybe some people might like the thought of having an intimate table in a corner by themselves? Not everyone needs to be the center of attention.”

Rodrigo shrugged. “Fine. Do it however you want, but I’m speaking from experience when I say that most people who come to the lounge are either waiting for their tables and want to be within eyeshot of the hostess or they’re meeting people for drinks and they want to be in the center of the action. If people want a quiet, intimate table, they’ll get that with the dining experience. But we can do it your way.”

“Of course we will do it my way.” Ashley smiled. “You’re a smart man, Not Rod.”