In fact, I thought the family was a local institution.” Charlene tried to remember where she’d heard that, but couldn’t recall if someone had told her when she’d first arrived, or if she’d assumed it because the Fortunes were often referred to as a prominent local family. As it turned out, the three years she’d lived in Red Rock meant she’d been a resident for much longer than Nick. “Not my branch of the family. I was born in California—grew up in a beachhouse in Malibu. My brother, Darr, moved to Red Rock a while back—then he talked me into moving here to work at the Foundation.” Nick gathered a handful of photos from the slowly diminishing pile in the storage box. “How about you? Were you born in Red Rock?” She shook her head, her hair brushing her shoulders. “No, I lived in Amarillo all my life until college.” “What brought you here?” “A job offer after I graduated.” Charlene didn’t want to tell him the move hadn’t been her decision. She would have preferred to begin her postcollegiate life in Amarillo.
