What the Heart Wants & Sealed with a Kiss
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Donna Hill
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Chapter 1
“Yo, the game is getting ready to start!” Franklin Grant shouted from his prime spot on the eight-foot sectional that dominated his living room. The skyline, defined by the nation’s capital and the iconic shadow of the Washington Monument, provided the backdrop beyond the terrace windows. The sky was clear, barely a cloud in the sky, and everywhere one looked the riot of cherry blossoms signaled that spring had arrived. He took a beer from the cup holder embedded in the couch.
Alonzo, brother number two, strode in from the kitchen with a platter of hot wings, his secret special dipping sauce and hand-cut seasoned fries that he’d whipped up upon his arrival. “Maybe if you would actually buy food and learn to cook...” He let the inference hang in the air.
Franklin took a long swallow of the golden liquid. Dewdrops slid down the bottle neck. “Hey, I provide the space, the sixty-two-inch with surround sound and my company,” he said with a chuckle, but was dead serious. “Besides, you’re the big-time celebrity chef. It’s what you do, bruh. You need emergency surgery, heart replacement, then I’m your guy.” He wiggled his long, tapered fingers. “Can’t risk these babies.”
“What is the point of having an HGTV chef kitchen that you don’t or can’t use?” Alonzo set the platter down on the low rectangular glass-and-wood table. “At some point you’re gonna starve to death.”
“That’s why they have takeout and delivery.” His thick, dark brows drew together. “Where’s Monty? Should have been here by now.” He put his bare feet up on the ottoman.
“Probably buying another hotel.”
They both chuckled and bumped fists.
The Grant brothers were equally successful in their chosen fields, highly competitive in their professions and with each other. Franklin Grant was one of the country’s most renowned cardiothoracic surgeons, traveling the world lecturing on cutting-edge techniques, but his home was in DC, as chief of cardiac surgery at Jameson Memorial Hospital. The man in the middle was Alonzo, whose love for food and cooking led him to pursue a career as a chef and ultimately chef to the stars. At any given moment he might jet off to some exotic location to prepare a sit-down dinner for Oscar and Grammy winners or private parties for the A-list. Montgomery, the youngest, had counted and saved money since he started getting an allowance. Shark Tank was his go-to television show. His love for business and spotting potential moneymakers led him to the hotel industry. To date he owned two boutique hotels and three B and Bs. However, as wealthy and successful as they were, they remained grounded by the love of family. Their parents, Louis and Ellen Grant, nurtured them on the importance of family first and foremost, and they made it their business to always be there for each other.
Alonzo plopped down on the couch and snatched up a beer from the ice bucket. “Yeah, we need to nail down the details for this anniversary party.”
The doorbell rang.
“Speaking of...” Franklin said, swinging his feet to the floor and going to the door. “Thanks for coming,” he joked when he opened the door for his youngest brother, Montgomery.
“With the jokes.” They quickly did the Grant brother embrace: a combination of one-arm hug and backslap with a fist. “I smell some wings,” he sang out, doing a half shuffle, half hop dance across the floor.
“Hey, man.” Alonzo drew Monty in for their greeting. “Whatsup?”
“Taking over the world,” he said with a chuckle. “Think I might have another deal lined up.” He sat down and was joined by Franklin.
“Another hotel?” Franklin asked.
“No, another B and B, right outside DC, in Silver Spring.”
“Seriously?” Alonzo asked.
Montgomery nodded yes. “Working out the details. Have to see how it goes, but at the moment it’s looking good.”
“Damn, bro, you really are gonna take over the world,” Franklin teased.
“That’s the plan.” He lifted his bottle of beer and the three brothers toasted.
As if given a signal, all three brothers turned their focus to the jumbo screen and whooped with delight at the move by LeBron James that defied physics.
They fell all over the couch hollering at the move and whooped again at the instant replay, with Alonzo jumping up to reenact it.
As they always did when they got together for “game night,” they dished on their work and their love lives. On that note, Franklin generally remained mute, which became the topic of discussion.
“You can’t come stag to Mom and Dad’s anniversary party,” Montgomery said after finishing off another wing. “Damn this sauce is the bomb.” He wiped his mouth.
Alonzo lifted his chin in thanks. “Exactly. There has to be some unsuspecting nurse that would be willing to spend the evening with your ornery ass.”
Franklin grumbled under his breath and continued to ignore his brothers. His relationships or lack thereof were always fuel for debate and dissection. Easy for them to razz him. Lonzo ran through women the way he ran through party nights with celebrities, and Mo lined up women the way he lined up and moved from one property to the next. Those weren’t his visions for relationships. He dated, but it wasn’t his top priority and he had his reasons. If he was going to get involved with anyone long-term it would be with someone who could go with him toe-to-toe. Someone who could turn him on mentally as well as physically. With the hours he spent at work and on research in his field, well—he just didn’t have time.
“The party is coming up quickly. We good with everything?” Franklin asked, turning the topic away from himself.
“Working with Monica the party planner,” Montgomery said. “The space is all set at the MG Empire in Alexandria. I’ve kept all of the six bedrooms at my connected B and B for overflow, free for anyone that wants to stay over. And I have a block of rooms at the venue as well for Mom and Dad and family.” He winked at his brothers. “I’m letting Monica handle all the setup details for the party, decorating and all that, and the entertainment.”
“Yeah, and my team has the menu and the liquor,” Alonzo added. “We’ll take care of everything on that end. I got extra folks on board to help with serving and whatnot.”
Franklin nodded as he listened. “Well, just stay on top of the invoices and send me the bills. I’ll take care of the expenses, along with the limo for the night for Mom and Pops.” Why did that sound empty? Funny, searching deep into the pumping heart of a patient on his operating table, performing microscopic surgery on tiny veins, was a walk in the park compared to navigating the intricacies of this people-to-people stuff. That’s where he felt lost. Better to know your strengths. So he left all that to his brothers and did what he did best, look at the big picture and pay the bills. Alonzo playfully slugged Monty in the shoulder as they shared a joke. He envied them even as much as he loved them. He envied their ease in the world, the way they charmed and cajoled, skills that seemed to have bypassed him. But, he could do what neither of them could—save lives. He satisfied himself with that.
“So who are you gonna bring to the prom, big bro?” Monty asked dragging him back into the conversation.
“You know the folks will flip if you come alone to another family function, especially this one.” Lonzo tucked a pillow behind his head. “I can hook you up if you want,” he hinted with a wink.
“Thanks, but no thanks. I can get my own date.” Not sure where, but damn if he would let his baby brother hook him up.
Alonzo and Montgomery murmured under their breath, but turned their attention back to the game.
“Speaking of dates,” Monty began. “Who are you bringing, Lonzo? The one from the party a few months back?”
“Doubt it. Didn’t work out too well.”
“Another one bites the dust,” Franklin tossed in.
“Let’s just say that she wanted more than I was willing to put in.”
“At some point, the both of you are gonna have to get serious. You can’t keep running through women like socks.”
“Says the man who thinks a date should only be one every decade,” Monty teased.
“Not funny. I have expectations.”
“Yeah, that will never be met unless you can cut it open, examine it and make it better,” Alonzo said.
Franklin pushed to his feet. “Wanting something more than a one-night or one-week stand isn’t a character flaw.” He strode off to the kitchen and returned shortly with another six-pack for the ice bucket and a plate of nacho chips and dip.
“Since I’m a gamblin’ man,” Monty said, “how ’bout we set a friendly brotherly wager?”
“I’m in,” Alonzo agreed while scooping dip onto a large nacho chip.
“You don’t even know what the bet is,” Franklin said and lightly shoved him in the shoulder.
“Don’t need to,” he mumbled over a mouthful of nachos. “I bet it has to do with you, big bro.” His broad shoulders shook with laughter.
Franklin’s eyes darkened as they slid toward Montgomery.
Montgomery shrugged. “He’s right.” He sat up straighter in his seat. “The bet is that Franklin won’t have a date for the anniversary party and if he does it’s only for show.”
“How much we going in for?” Alonzo asked.
Montgomery pursed his lips in thought. “Five big ones?”
“Light stuff. A half hour’s work for me.”
“Don’t I get any respect as the oldest?”
“Hell naw,” the brothers sang in unison then cracked up with laughter.
Franklin scorched them both with a look. “Fine. You’re on. And we’re doing double or nothing. When you two lose, you’ll double your bet and it goes to my favorite charity.”
“You’re on!”
Franklin snorted feigned annoyance. He had no intention of paying his brothers a dime. Winning the bet, however, was the problem. His self-imposed all-work-and-less-play regimen left him short on the playing field. But there was one woman who came to mind—Dr. Dina Hamilton.
