**
Back at the cabin, York and Quade had seen everything. From the moment Palmer had entered the cottage to when Palmer had left. Unknown to the man, a security camera had been installed in Chance and Kylie’s cottage after they left for Gatlinburg. York hadn’t even told Chance what he would be doing. He and Quade would enlighten everyone about what had gone down when they met with all four of the brothers tomorrow.
He leaned back in his chair, looked at Quade, and released a deep breath. “We did it. In forty-eight hours, everything is going to blow up in Palmer’s face. And the people he’s working for will be revealed.”
Quade nodded. “I’m ready to see it happen.”
CHAPTER 27
Close to midnight the following day, there was a knock on the cabin’s door. “Come in. The door is unlocked,” Quade Westmoreland called out.
Moments later, the four Steele brothers walked in. Quade saw the surprised expression on Chance’s face and the expectant expressions on the other three. Chance’s gaze moved from York to Quade. “We got your text. The last time all of us met at midnight was to plan Donovan’s bachelor’s party. The only people missing are Uriel and Bronson. So, what’s going on?” Chance asked.
“Please have a seat, and we will explain everything,” York replied. Like Quade, he was standing.
Chance nodded and took a seat at the table. His brothers did so as well. “Okay, tell us what we’re all doing here. You guys look too damn serious to suit me,” Chance said, once everyone was seated.
“You’re not going to like this, but it’s serious,” Quade admitted. “There have been some strange things going on at the lodge. York suspected something the day we all arrived, then brought me in. We started an investigation and have been working nonstop to piece things together. Finally, we have some answers.”
“What sort of investigation?” Chance asked.
It was York who answered. “An investigation into…Gary Palmer.”
The cabin got quiet, and then Chance leaned closer to thetable. “What are you talking about?”
“Let’s go back to the beginning. It’ll be easier to follow,” York said. “I was first tipped off that something was wrong when Tiffany introduced Gary to me and told him what I did for a living. He seemed to get rather nervous. That struck me as odd, so I decided to check him out. I did a facial analysis of him and discovered that Gary Palmer isn’t his real name,” York said.
“What!” Chance exclaimed.
“That shocked us as well,” Sebastian said. Both Morgan and Donovan nodded.
Chance gazed around the table at his brothers. “All of you knew about this?”
York answered. “Everyone shooting pool that first night knew. Others, like Eli, had their own suspicions about the guy. But I asked them to let me and Quade investigate, and that when we found something, we’d let everybody in on it. Until then, they weren’t to mention anything to you. You were too close to the situation since Tiffany is your daughter. Besides, there might have been a good reason why Palmer was using a different name.”
York paused for a moment, then continued. “All the guys playing pool that night agreed not to say anything, or treat Palmer any differently until I found out more about him. We all love Tiffany, and the last thing we wanted was to accuse her fiancé of wrongdoing when there wasn’t any proof.”
“And you found some wrongdoing?” Chance asked.
“Yes,” Quade said.
Chance flinched, that one word seeming to hit him in the chest like a heavy blow. “Is it because of her upcoming inheritance? Is that why Gary Palmer wants to marry my daughter?” he asked in a voice that sounded both angry and tormented at the thought.
York replied, “No.”
“No?” Sebastian, Morgan, and Donovan questioned simultaneously.
“No,” York repeated. “From our report, Palmer never intended to marry Tiffany. He intends to break off their engagement in a few months. I predict sooner than that.”
Bas stood with a steely look in his gaze and barely contained rage in his voice. “If it’s not about Tiffany’s inheritance, that means Palmer is going after the Steele Corporation. That’s why I caught him trying to get into Chance’s cottage the other day.”
Chance stared at Sebastian. “You caught Gary trying to get into my cottage and didn’t tell me?” he asked with anger in his tone.
“Calm down, Chance. He wasn’t trying to break into your cottage. He was simply headed there when I stopped him.”
Chance frowned. “When was this?”
“Christmas Eve, when everybody was in the courtyard watching the Christmas tree lighting. I’d come back to my cottage to get Susan’s gloves and saw him walking toward your cottage. When he was just a few feet from the door, I called out to him and told him he was headed in the wrong direction. He claimed he’d gotten lost and must have taken the wrong elevator.”
