Unworthy (The Worthy Series Book 1) Read online

  Danny rose and grabbed his hand to shake it and they wound up in a bro-hug. “Thanks, but no. I can’t go into your world. Too many temptations. Been thinking about yard work or landscaping. But whose gonna hire me?”

  “You’d be surprised,” Ian said, making a mental note to call his parents’ landscaper and request a small favor. He started to walk Danny back to his room, but his phone rang and several texts buzzed through, all from Drew.

  The next time it rang, he picked up. “Drew, can I call you back?” He started to pull the phone from his ear, but Drew’s shouting had him listening again.

  “Get your ass over here,” Drew was shouting.

  “Over where? What’s going on?”

  “I’m at the bank.”

  Ian remembered that this afternoon was supposed to have been the settlement with the bankers and Luis Feralta.

  “I thought we canceled that.” He glanced at Danny who was listening curiously then turned his back. “You know I don’t have the money,” he said in a low voice.

  “Ian, your Dad’s here,” Drew said.

  “What?” Ian noted that he was nearly shouting, but could hardly hear Drew’s garbled excited explanation.

  “Just get your ass over here.” Ian made a hasty goodbye with Danny, after giving him his cell number and promising to visit him soon and then ran for his car.

  The traffic police Gods smiled down on him and he didn’t get pulled over or hit more than his average share of red lights as he broke every speed limit to get to the bank. As soon as he burst in, a woman was waiting for him at the entrance. “Mr. Lawrence? Found parking?”

  He nodded, not looking at her but all around the bank for Drew, but didn’t see anyone who looked familiar.

  “Everyone’s in a conference room. I’ll take you back.”

  He followed her to a back room of the bank where he was greeted by Drew, Luis Feralta, his nephew, and two unfamiliar people he assumed were bankers or lawyers. All wore suits or business attire. But most shocking was the sight of his father at the head of the table.

  “That’s how you dress for meetings?” his dad said in greeting.

  Ian glanced down at his slightly sweaty T-shirt and ancient khaki shorts. Before he could reply, his father gave a gentle laugh. “Relax, son. I’m joking. It’s hot enough today, I’m jealous of the shorts. Come find a seat.”

  He shuffled in, found a seat next to Drew, and declined a glass of water. “What the hell is going on?” he muttered to his business partner, who shrugged in response.

  His father, who suffered none of the side effects of too many nights of concert or club deafness, answered. “I’d like to invest in your bar.”

  Ian stared at him as if he’d never seen him before.

  “Come on, Ian. I know real estate, and I’m not missing out on what’s sure to be a moneymaker.” He paused and looked at him almost hesitantly. “If you’ll have me.”

  “You want to invest?” He narrowed his eyes. “What’s the catch? Ow.” He glared at Drew who’d punched his arm.

  “Take the money,” Drew said giving Ian the stink-eye.

  Ian shook him off and addressed his father. “No, seriously Dad, you’ve mocked my business since day one and wanted me to join you’re company. What changed?”

  His dad looked around the room. “Can I talk to my son alone?” Within a minute, the room was empty except for Drew, who gave his shoulder a squeeze before departing. In warning or empathy, he didn’t know.

  “I had a visit from a mutual friend,” his dad said and pulled out a ring on a chain. Ian recognized the jewelry having seen it nestled on Cat’s bare breasts.

  He reached for it and held it tightly in his fist. “She gave you her ring?”

  Dad nodded. “She wanted me to sell it and give the money to you for the club. I gather she didn’t want me to tell you about her role.”

  He felt his throat tighten. What had Cat done? “You kept the ring?”

  His father frowned slightly. “Of course. You’re going to give it back to her,” he said as if it were a done deal.

  “What else did she say?” Ian asked, begging for any crumb that had a whisper of Cat Ross.

  “She told me I’m going to lose you if I don’t get my head out of my ass and that I was an idiot if I didn’t invest in your company because you’re a genius at your job.”

  “She said that?” The lump in his throat was gone, and he had the urge to jump onto the table and maybe dance a few beats of a touchdown dance.

  “Not in so many words.” Dad chuckled. “She was a bit more diplomatic than that, but she was also right. Ian, I was so hurt when you rejected my company. I took it as a rejection of me. I never accepted that your heart was in another business, and from all accounts, you’re very successful.”

  He stared at the man who’d been his role model and his everything up until six years ago when the relationship had gone to hell. His dad wasn’t the only guilty party. “I was an asshole, Dad. You literally wrapped up the key to the office—red bow and all—and I basically threw it in your face. I’m sorry.” He rose, and his dad met him halfway, pulling him into a back thumping hug.

  They pulled apart and smiled. “You really want to go into the club business?” Ian asked.

  “No,” his dad answered. “I want to invest in the building, and I’ll leave you and Drew to do what you’re good at, throwing a hell of a party.”

  It seemed too good to be true, but for all his other faults, his dad had always been a straight shooter when it came to business. “All right,” he said slowly and offered his hand to shake. “Deal.”

  “Deal,” his dad said. “And now let’s get this paperwork signed so you can return that necklace to Catherine.”

  He grinned. “Even better deal.”

  Once again, Ian broke several speeding laws on his way to South Miami to find Cat. Unfortunately this time, it was rush hour and he sat in traffic until he ditched Dixie Highway for Douglas Road and sat in yet more traffic.

  “Dammit.” Ian tapped the steering wheel and glanced at his cell phone every few seconds. Should he call Cat and tell her he was coming to her? No. He wanted their next conversation to happen in person.

  The traffic inched along with the usual amount of angry honking that did nothing but make the honker feel better. Finally Ian made it to the entrance of Coco Plum Circle where he’d take the first exit to head to Cat’s.

  Only just as he entered the circle, a familiar beat-to-shit ancient car with no AC and an actual cassette player zipped into the circle. Cat’s car. He’d recognize it anywhere, and it stood out in this ritzy neighborhood.

  Ian zoomed into traffic, cutting someone off and honking and blinking his lights to get Cat’s attention. One car drove between them, but the driver got the message and veered right out of his way. Ian got on Cat’s tail and kept honking until Cat pulled off the circle and onto the curb at one of the traffic circle’s exits. He pulled in behind her and jumped out of his car.

  Cat exited her car and gave him a wide-eyed stare. “Ian?” She held a hand to her chest. “You scared the bejeezus out of me. I nearly drove into the shoes,” she said, referencing the iconic large metal shoes that stood on Coco Plum’s grassy center.

  “Sorry. I wanted to stop you before I lost you.” He’d meant lose her in traffic, but his words took on significance, because they both knew they’d lose each other unless amends were made. Ian intended to make those amends right fucking now.

  “Where were you going?” she asked. Traffic drove past them, and they garnered some curious looks. One person slowed enough to ask if they needed help.

  “I was coming to find you,” he said.

  “You were? Why?”

  “Because…this.” He reached into his pocket to pull out her mother’s necklace and clasped it on her neck.

  Cat’s heart pounded at both his nearness and at the fact that Ian had her necklace. “Didn’t…didn’t your dad sell it?” Neither his words nor his demeanor gave
her a clue if he was angry that she’d intervened in his business and set his father on him.

  “No, baby.” He lifted her chin in his hand. “And if he had sold it, I would’ve found it and bought it back for you.”

  Her eyes widened and she dared to look fully into his eyes. “I’m sorry, Ian. It was the only way I knew to make things right. I screwed up so hugely and don’t deserve your trust or love, but if you could ever find it in your heart to forgive me, I could live with that.”

  “You’re going to have to live with more than just my forgiveness,” he said. “You’ll have my love, too.”

  Before her smile could fully form, his lips were on hers and she was ugly crying and laughing and kissing him all at the same time, and all in full view of the eight bazillion people who drove the circle at rush hour.

  They got a lot of honks, whistles, and she was sure they’d end up on a cell phone video, but she was immune to everything but the feel of being safe and loved in Ian’s arms once again. She leaned up to deepen the kiss and press against his body.

  The taste of him was better than she remembered, because this time she deserved him and would do nothing to ever mess it up again. He was her family, her everything.

  “Cat,” he murmured against her mouth.

  “What?” She went back in for another taste of his tongue.

  “We’re creating yet another public scene,” he said when he pulled back.

  “Don’t care,” she said, but he put pressure on her shoulders and smiled.

  “I do, because we can’t finish this at Coco Plum. Where were you going anyway?”

  “To you,” she said. “I called Baptist to arrange a payment plan for Danny, but they told me the bill was covered.” She gave him a pointed look. “It was you, wasn’t it?”

  “I’ll neither confirm nor deny.”

  She shoved at his taut chest. “But your club. I didn’t want you spending another penny on my brother. All the money was for you and Drew to buy the club.”

  “But you solved that,” he said. “You talked my dad into investing.”

  Her pulse quickened. “You’re not mad?”

  “No, Cat. I got my club and my relationship with my dad back. That was everything. I was coming to find you and thank you.”

  He wrapped her tightly in his arms where she went willingly and nestled against his chest knowing that as long as she was welcome in these arms, all was right with her world.

  Roughly One Year Later

  “You’re late,” Ian’s mother called as they pushed through the door, laden with wrapped packages. Cat’s arms were full of a bowl of ceviche and platanos and she felt her cheeks heat because she and Ian were nearly always late, and it wasn’t because they’d been having sex. At least not this time.

  “Again,” Kyle said, with a sly grin as he came over to help Ian with the bags of Christmas presents. “What kept you? Traffic?”

  Cat saw Ian accept his little brother’s ribbing, because they’d had an excellent reason for being late. She could hardly believe it and felt sure everyone would rush her as soon as they entered the Lawrence house for the holiday. Instead, Joy was taking the large bowl out of her hands and didn’t say a word about Cat’s new jewelry. Apparently Ian had kept his secret from everyone.

  “Cat, come here,” Ian called, and she willingly hurried back to his side, wondering what he wanted. She’d been about to go greet her brother who was sitting on the couch watching Amy string popcorn with one of Ian’s cousins.

  “We’re late today,” Ian announced when he had everyone’s attention, “because I had to give Cat her gift. Show them, gata.” He wrapped an arm around her lower waist as she held out her left hand, which now sported a gorgeous ring. It was simple and elegant with an emerald-cut diamond set in platinum. And in Cat’s opinion, looked excellent on her hand.

  Joy shrieked and practically leaped over the couch on her way to hug and kiss her. Within seconds they were both surrounded by the rest of the family, who crowded in to shower them with congratulations and well wishes.

  “Does this mean you’ll be too busy wedding planning to invest in a second club with me?” Ian’s dad asked, clapping his son on the back and leaning down to kiss Cat on the cheek.

  “We’ll talk back at work,” Ian said with a grin. “Never too busy to deal with you.”

  Cat squeezed his wrist and found her brother who was standing in the back of the crowd smiling at her and Ian. She stepped to him and Ian let her go. As far as she knew, he’d been clean and sober for nearly a year. Though he was not and would never be the same wild and fun big brother she’d grown up with, this newer more mature and wiser brother was very loved and welcome.

  “Glad you found your happy ending, CP,” Danny said with a tight hug. “Mom and Dad would love that you and Ian are getting married.”

  She nodded in response, suddenly too overcome with emotion to speak. She knew there’d be many more moments in the upcoming wedding planning where it would be a physical hurt that her parents weren’t there. There’d always be that ache of loss, but accompanying it was joy at how things had turned out. She gave her brother another fierce squeeze. “Walk me down the aisle?” she asked in his ear.

  There were tears in her brother’s eyes as he pulled back to say, “Hell yes.”

  And then Amy came up for a hug, and Cat noted that Danny scooted out of the way the moment Amy came near, which was odd seeing as how they were now roommates. Cat had moved in with Ian about eight months ago, and Danny, newly clean and looking for an affordable place to live, had taken Cat’s bedroom in South Miami. She’d have to dig deeper later to find out whether all was well there.

  “I’m so happy for you,” Amy said with a huge smile and they hugged tight and then they examined the ring up close.

  “You’re designing my dress?” Cat asked.

  “I’d fire you if you didn’t ask,” Amy responded.

  “Good luck running the store without me,” Cat quipped.

  “As if you’d be able to get a dress anywhere else,” Amy said. “Who else could make a wedding dress in size Skipper Barbie?”

  Before Cat could come up with a rejoinder, Ian was calling her back. A glass of champagne was thrust into her hands, and Ian held up his own glass for a toast. “Seventeen years ago, I went to the Ross house for the first time. Danny had invited me to trade baseball cards. His pesky little sister kept bothering us.”

  A laugh.

  “Fast forward a few years, and she kept bothering me, but it was in a whole different way.”

  More laughs.

  Ian looked at her and suddenly it was as if they were alone in the crowded living room. “It took a while and a few bumps and bruises along the way, but we are finally right where we’re meant to be.” He raised his glass and looked at the room at large. “A toast. To Danny Ross for collecting baseball cards.”

  There was laughter and uproarious applause. “Salud! L’Chaim!” Cat and Ian were too busy kissing to sip the champagne or applaud. “Love you,” she whispered against his lips.

  “Always,” he replied.

  I want to thank Miami chef, Aliza Stern for giving me the recipe for the Ross family holiday tradition. If you’re in need of a personal chef or want cooking classes, be sure to call on Chef Aliza. www.chefaliza.com

  Plantain Chips with Shrimp Ceviche

  Serves 6

  2 pounds peeled and deveined shrimp, cut into 1/2-inch dice

  2 cups fresh lime juice

  1 orange, juiced

  2 lemons, juiced

  1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

  1 firm-ripe small mango, peeled and diced

  2 tomatoes, seeded and diced

  1/4 red onion, finely diced

  2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely chopped

  1/3 cup cilantro, finely chopped

  salt and pepper to taste

  Canola or vegetable oil

  2 green plantains, peeled

  Kosher salt

  For
the Shrimp Ceviche:

  Place the shrimp in a glass bowl and cover with the lime, orange, and lemon juice. Place in the refrigerator and allow to marinate for 2 hours.

  Remove from refrigerator and add olive oil, mango, tomatoes, onion, jalapeno, and cilantro. Mix well and season to taste with salt and pepper.

  Serve on top of freshly made plantain chips.

  For the Plantain Chips:

  Preheat 1-inch of canola or vegetable oil in a deep skillet over medium-high heat to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

  Slice plantains into 1/4-inch thick slices on the diagonal.

  Carefully add plantains to the oil in batches and fry until golden brown on both sides, about 1 minute on each side.

  Remove to a plate lined with paper towels.

  Sprinkle immediately with salt.

  I had serious writer’s block for the entirety of this book. This book was scrapped and rewritten EIGHT times until I was happy. Throughout the process, Kerri Carpenter and Carlene Love Flores kept me going, Harper Kincaid and Alison Aimes were huge cheerleaders.

  Big thanks to Linda at Sassy Savvy Promotions. And a huge hug to Shari at Mad Hat Covers for putting up with the Cover Bitches.

  To my Silver Divas, thanks for always chatting on Facebook during the day. Your enthusiasm for the next book keeps me writing. If you want to become a Silver Diva, join us at www.facebook.com/groups/LSilverdivas. We have fun and I do special giveaways there.

  Bonus Read

  I TOOK THE HOTEL ROOM KEY from the front desk receptionist as if she were handing me the key to all my dreams, and maybe she was. What were my dreams, if not to find true love and live happily ever after? Behind the door of Room 718, lay what I hoped would be the man to make all my dreams come true. “Thank you,” I said to the woman behind the desk and grabbed the handle of my suitcase to find the elevator, both surprised and pleased the hotel had given me a key to Ben’s room so easily, almost as if they’d been expecting me. I’d been prepared to lie my way in.