Colton Christmas Protector (The Coltons of Texas #12)(49)

Reid dialed his oldest half brother, who answered his phone on the fifth ring with a gruff, “What is it, Reid? I’m busy.”

“Tough. We all are, but this is more important. Get your ass out here for a family meeting.”

“What if I’m at the office?” Fowler grumbled. “I could have business meetings with overseas investors.”

“Do you?”

Fowler balked, fumbling, “Well... I—”

“That’s what I thought. Family meeting. I have important news concerning the search for our father. You need to be here.”

Fowler scoffed. “For the record, I resent being summoned like an underling. As the president of Colton Inc., I cannot just drop everything when you crook your finger, expecting—”

“Just hurry. We’re all waiting on you.” Reid hung up before his older brother had finished pontificating and grousing about being called to the meeting.

Alanna hadn’t shown up, either, and Reid’s next call was to the stable, where Jake McCord, Alanna’s new love, answered. “We’re on our way. Just cooling down the horses and putting our tack away. Five minutes.”

We. Reid considered telling Jake the meeting was for family only but it seemed his family was growing. Since his siblings were pairing off and getting married, spouses had as much at stake as the rest of his siblings, he supposed.

Reid paced the room impatiently. “Where’s everyone else?”

“Right here. Keep your pants on.” Zane sauntered in from the back of the house near the kitchen with his fiancée, Mirabella, beside him. His half brother carried a large sandwich and seemed irked to have his meal interrupted. “So what’s this urgent meeting about?”

“I’ll tell you when everyone is here.”

“Zane, you’re getting that all over the imported rug!” Whitney squawked, flapping a hand toward the bits of lettuce and mayo dripping out the back of Zane’s Dagwood-worthy meal. “At least get a plate.”

Zane sent his mother a flat look, turned to an accent table where an antique pitcher and wash bowl were displayed, and held the wash bowl under his sandwich. “Happy?”

Whitney gasped her indignation. “Zane! You can’t—”

“Mother, please,” Reid said in a loud, firm tone. “Forget the sandwich.”

Fowler arrived through the door from the foyer about the same time Alanna and Jake shuffled in from the back of the house. Reid gave Fowler a disgusted look. “You weren’t even at the office?”

His oldest brother, dressed in his signature tailored suit and Stetson, straightened his tie and dismissed Reid with a haughty sneer. “I’m headed there as soon as this little chitchat of yours is over, so—” he waved his fingers “—get on with it.”

With a glance around to make sure everyone was assembled and paying attention, and giving T.C.’s boots a kick to rouse him, Reid began. “I have evidence that Hugh Barrington may be involved with Eldridge’s disappearance.”

Piper gasped, lowering her phone for the first time to gape at him. “But he’s the one who saw—”

“I know what he said he saw,” Reid interrupted. “But, remember, the burned body proved not to be Eldridge, and nothing about his previous supposed sighting has been confirmed.”

Confused looks were exchanged among his siblings. His mother blinked and shook her head. “Reid, what are you implying?”

“I’m not implying anything. I’m saying it outright. A few days ago, Hugh’s daughter contacted me about some files she found, hidden in the wall of her late husband’s office.”

“Penelope?” T.C. asked.

“Of course, Penelope, moron. He only has one daughter,” Fowler groused.

Undeterred by Fowler’s sniping, Zane turned to Mirabella and explained who Penelope and Andrew were and gave her the abridged version of Andrew’s death and the unproven accusations against Reid.

“So Penelope found some files...” Fowler prompted, impatiently waving his hand.

Reid recounted what Andrew’s files revealed, how he and Pen had searched her father’s office and computer, and how they’d been shot at soon after.

“Dear God, Reid!” Whitney cried, sitting forward and clapping her hand to her mouth in dismay. “Was anyone hurt?”

“Could you ID the shooter?” T.C. asked.

“No and no.” He went on to explain how the evidence they’d found in Hugh’s computer and safe showed Barrington had been swindling the Coltons and other clients for years.

“That rat bastard!” Alanna fumed.

Fowler cursed under his breath. “So it’s not enough he finagled his way into Eldridge’s will. That he stole our inheritance and control of the family business. He’s been stealing from us for years?”

T.C. frowned and rubbed his chin. “Hang on, Fowler. Hear him out.” Then to Reid, he asked, “What are you doing about it? Have you reported him to the police?”

“Not yet.”

“Why not?” Whitney gasped, her hands balled tightly at her sides.

“I’m still gathering the right kind of evidence to take to the police. I don’t want them to have any reason to boggle this or allow him to wiggle off the hook.”