Page 2 of Belong With Me

Present Day

Chapter One

Sienna

I strode with purpose along the hallway lined with landscape artwork and family portraits of a family that all smiled with practiced, forced expressions, getting ever closer to my destination at the end.

Reaching the closed door, I straightened my shoulders, then smoothed out my skirt. Finally, I took a deep, calming breath before raising my clenched fist to knock. Not once, not twice, but three times. The number of times that was expected. I waited for a good minute before I heard a response through the door.

“Okay.” His voice vibrated through the timber that kept him separated from the rest of us. “You may enter.”

With one final inhale to center myself, I pulled down the handle and pushed the door open, then stepped across the threshold. Behind a desk in a perfectly pressed, navy blue suit, was a well-built man. His salt-and-pepper hair matched the handlebar moustache he had taken to grooming the past couple of years, along with the scattering of wrinkles that indicated he be in his early to mid-sixties. At the very center of the room stood an oversized, antique-looking, timber desk. His eyes followed my form as I moved closer to where he waited, his gaze taking in each and every detail of my chosen outfit.

“I see you have come dressed to discuss business, Sienna-Grace.” He gave me one more once-over, before his faded blue eyes trailed down to peruse the document-littered desktop at his fingertips.

It seemed like a dismissal, but it wasn’t. It was Daddy’s version of a power play. A tactic to keep his clients and opposition waiting, so they might try and fill the silence. On most days, Daddy was a man of few words, but what he said was final. In our home and out of it.

“I’ve found that being dressed for a successful business meeting helps set the tone. Today, I see this as being successful. Don’t you?” I asked casually.

He raised an eyebrow, but that was his only reply. Nevertheless, I walked confidently towards him and came to a halt just before the desk. I scooted one of the two simple and unremarkable chairs out a little before perching on the edge and crossing my legs at the ankles in a demure position. Then I clasped my hands in my lap and waited for him to begin. I’d done my part in his game. I had filled the silence like he wanted; now, it was his turn. Outwardly, I was all lady today. The way he expected me to be. Always.

But on the inside, I was prepared for war.

“That’s true,” he said after a few more moments. “Now, let’s not waste any more of my time.” He flicked his wrist to check the oversized gold watch he wore on his right arm. “I’ve got other meetings to conduct this afternoon.”

Looking over his shoulder, I glanced at the imposing painting of a beautiful plantation home that hung in pride of place above the open fire. The only piece within this space with a specific personal tie to the man. A reminder of what he had accomplished in his lifetime, most of which had been dedicated to accumulating wealth above all other things.

“By all means. Let’s get started.” My business persona fully slipped into place. The one that most would reserve for court appearances, but for me it came out every time I stepped into a room with anyone I was about to do business with. Even with him. Especially with him—the one person who I must constantly prove myself to. I needed to ensure that he realized those years spent at Harvard were beneficial to him and the family business that I was one day set to inherit. That I had come back with not just the degree, but the skills behind it to accomplish anything I set my mind to.

The only place I could truly relax and be myself was in my own space, but even that was almost nonexistent. Not with my mother and her maids constantly breezing in and out of every room. My personal space was just upstairs, under his roof. He owned the house. He owned almost everything in my rooms. He even picked out the clothes I wore, or rather, paid someone to pick them out. There were a few things of my own though—personal touches like pictures of my class at Harvard, an abstract colorful painting that Mother disapproved of, and a few other bits and bobs scattered around. Including a few romance novels that kept me company at night.

“This is important, Sienna-Grace,” he admonished in that tone he always reserved for when he was talking to me. Not quite his business tone, but definitely not the way one would expect a father to talk to his only daughter.

I didn’t show any emotional response, knowing it wouldn’t get me anywhere anyway. Forcing a small curve to my lips, I responded. “I know, Daddy. It always is.” Important enough to miss the ballet recitals when I was young. Important enough to leave me in the shadows. Always.

“Fine. Let’s proceed. Most importantly, what I need from you during this trip is for you to get as many of the landowners out there to sign on the dotted line.” His eyes landed on me once more as he leaned back into his overstuffed leather wingback. The man’s presence alone was so powerful that the chair itself was a power play—it was huge in comparison to those on my side of the desk. They were simple, but still oozed the overall feeling of indulgence.

Looking at my father, I nodded again. “I remember.” And I did. It wasn’t the first time we were having this conversation.

“By any means necessary.” He waved a finger in my face. “You go do this; you coerce them. You offer them an additional 10 percent on top of the original offer. Any more than that and you will need to call me and discuss further.” After shuffling together a set of papers on his desk, he thumbed through them, giving each of them a quick glance. Once he located the one he was looking for, he pushed his glasses down his nose to look through the contract. “This opportunity in Belle Springs is one I won’t have you taking lightly. You leave in the morning and your only job is to secure me some places to drill.”

“Yes, Daddy,” I repeated once more, even though I wanted to tell him that I was not a child and I could do my job without him making me feel as if I was incapable.

“Once you have each of those contracts signed, you are to return, submit the necessary paperwork and I’ll tell you where to go next, to do it all over again.”

Pushing out of my chair, I smoothed my skirt once I was on my feet, using the moment to soothe myself before I added, “You know, Daddy, I didn’t graduate at the top of my class—with honors—from Harvard Law to be a contract lawyer. I can handle more complex work if you’d just trust me.”

“You will be whatever or whoever I need you to be, Sienna-Grace Anderson, and that’s the end of that conversation.” His tone left no room for my rebuttal. The authority he exuded was one I had grown up with, and even though I could more than hold my own in tense situations, here, with him, I knew the best route was to hold my tongue.

Looking at my father, I could see I wasn’t going to get anywhere with him tonight. As much as I wanted to tell him that I could be working for any other company and getting to do the work I’d dreamed of, there really was no point. My father wasn’t one to be argued with, least of all with a woman. “Fine,” I acquiesced.

“Glad you understand me, Sienna-Grace.”

I gave him one more glance before turning on my favorite, red-soled black pumps and heading towards the door. “How long do I have?”

“One month should be sufficient for everything I have set out for you. There are three ranchers I need access to, so that gives you approximately ten days to gain the trust of each landowner by any means necessary. Since you believe yourself to be such a fantastic lawyer, this shouldn’t be a problem for you.” I opened my mouth to reply, but quickly closed it.

Trust, yeah right. That wasn’t going to be easy to accomplish. Not with the way these small towns tended to be. They were always overly cautious with outsiders. That’s what I’d be to them: an outsider. Coming into their town to take from them. “I am a great lawyer,” I told him again, but he ignored my comment and continued.

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