Johnson Family 1: Unforgettable (10 page)

He chuckled. “I know you will. I’ll call you when I’m back in the ATL.”

Lucas disconnected the call and continued to stare out the window. He had to figure out how to win Katie over, and he didn’t have a clue how to do it.

Chapter Eleven

“Have a good day,” Ivy called as her daughter scrambled from the car. Katie raced toward the front of the school building, meeting up with one of her friends halfway there.

At first glance, the wooded grounds of St. Francis’s Academy looked more like that of a small college campus. Most of the children who attended came from wealthy families. In the afternoons, the grounds resembled the parking lot of a high-end car dealership as parents or drivers arrived in Mercedes, Maybachs, and other luxury vehicles to pick up the children.

Ivy settled into the soft leather of the black Cadillac, a vehicle custom-designed to accommodate her needs. The front and back seats could be separated by privacy glass and the body was constructed of reinforced steel.

Lloyd pulled out of the parking lot. “You okay, ma’am?” he asked.

He must have noted the difference in her this morning, the noncommittal answers she’d given to Katie as her daughter chatted up a storm, excited about the first day back at school.

“They grow up so fast,” she said, her gaze meeting his in the mirror.

She’d been thinking about her daughter, but she’d also thought about Lucas. There had been no improvement in the relationship between Lucas and Katie over the past few days, but Lucas continued to show up despite Katie’s profound lack of interest in him. She felt bad for him. Katie’s cool reception was all her fault.

“Nothing you can do about them growing up,” Lloyd said. “It happens. It seems only yesterday my kids were her age.” A strand of nostalgia filled his voice.  

Lloyd seldom gave details about his personal life. Whenever he did, he focused on his children. In his mid-forties and divorced, he had one adult child married and two in college. He had a military background and doubled as her bodyguard. He’d been hired from a private security firm not long after Ivy’s mother had learned of a wealthy acquaintance’s daughter being kidnapped when their car was boxed in. Under the traditional black chauffeur cap and black suit was a buzz cut and a large, muscular man. Though he remained mostly quiet, they had developed a comfortable rapport over the years.  

When Lloyd dropped her off, Ivy made a quick stop at her office and then headed to Cyrus’s office. This morning she had a meeting with him and Trenton in the small room off Cyrus’s office. When she entered, she found her brothers already waiting for her with the scent of fresh-brewed coffee filling the air.

Cyrus sat at the head of the small conference table. Dressed in a dark suit, lavender shirt, and purple and black striped tie, he looked like the man in charge that he was. Trenton, on the other hand, had his chair tipped back and only wore a shirt and tie, minus the suit jacket. He was the youngest in the family and anyone who didn’t know their family history would stare because of his lighter skin and green eyes. He clearly didn’t match.

It amused Ivy to see the wheels turning as people silently questioned his background. The more daring ones, who outright asked if he had a different parent, received an honest answer. Trenton was their cousin, but he’d been raised with them from a young age after his parents passed away. Despite not having the same parents, he was as much her brother as the ones she shared parents with.

Cyrus had suggested having these occasional meetings, where they could meet and discuss business and brainstorm privately without staff present. The three of them were the most active members of the family in the business.

Sometimes their mother would conference in, and if they could catch Xavier, their brother who was in Africa at the moment, he would participate. Her twin, Gavin, never took part in their business meetings. He never participated in anything, which filled her with sadness. They used to be so close, but he mostly stayed away now, collecting his monthly allowance and living his own life apart from them. She had no idea where he was at the moment, but when he was ready he’d call and let them know that he was still alive.

“Don’t tell me I’m late,” Ivy said, pouring herself a cup of coffee.

“Right on time,” Trenton replied. “I was trying to squeeze some additional funds out of the head honcho so I could work my magic for the Great American Beer Festival and Oktoberfest.” He grinned mischievously. Trenton oversaw sales and marketing and special events such as the anniversary celebration still underway.

“And I told our dear brother that he would have to work with the same budget he did last year,” Cyrus said.

Ivy took a seat. Her brothers always managed to be at odds with each other about one thing or another, but it was good-natured ribbing brought about by their different personalities.

They spent about fifteen minutes discussing the direction of the company. Cyrus gave them an update on a possible trademark infringement with a brewery out of New Jersey that was causing confusion with their customers and then swiveled his chair in Ivy’s direction. “What’s going on with you?”

“Nothing much. Katie’s father is here.” She hadn’t meant to blurt out the news in that way, but there was no better time than the present. There weren’t very many people she could share this with. Not yet, anyway.

Both her brothers sat up straight.

“I was talking about the restaurant group,” Cyrus said.

“Her biological—her real father?” Trenton asked.

“The only one. He wants a relationship with her.” Her gaze bounced between them.

“What rock did he crawl out from under, and what else does he want?” Cyrus, always the cynic, asked.

“Nothing.”

“Everybody wants something, Ivy.”

“Not him. He doesn’t want money,” she assured him.

“Not yet.”

“Not ever. He never cared about my money.”

Most people who learned her true identity fell into two camps. One set grew excited because they saw knowing her as an opportunity to get inside the upper echelons of society, or worse, expected her to shower them with money, gifts, or “loans” for business ideas. The other group steered clear of her, either out of a sense of inadequacy or the assumption that she lived her life in excess. Her money simply made them uncomfortable. Lucas had displayed neither behavior.

“What does he want, then?” Cyrus said.

“He wants to get to know his daughter.”

Cyrus tapped his finger on the sheets of paper in front of him. “I guess the secret will be out of the bag soon enough. All the maneuvering we did to keep this quiet will be for naught.” He voice held an irritated edge to it.

Ivy jerked her head in her brother’s direction. “It doesn’t have to be a thing, Cyrus.”

“It’s always a thing,” Cyrus snapped. His displeasure was almost tangible. “Then we’ll end up having to clean up another mess.”

“You can be a real ass, you know that? I will clean up my own mess, thank you very much.”

“Damn, Cy, cut her some slack,” Trenton said.

“I’m trying to make a point,” Cyrus said.

“What exactly is your point?” Ivy crossed her arms over her chest and glared at her brother.

“What I’m trying to say,” Cyrus said slowly, his anger simmering like hers, “is that we need to be careful. There’s more at stake than our family reputation. Winston’s father is a well-respected senator, and even though the media doesn’t know the truth about Katie’s paternity, once they get wind of it, we’ll have a mess on our hands.”

Josiah Somerset was Ivy’s dead husband’s father and had already started his campaign for his sophomore term in the Senate.

“I know, Cyrus, I’m not an idiot.”

“Well then what’s the plan, Ivy?” Cyrus asked.

“He’s her father and they should get to know each other. That’s the plan.” She took a deep breath and splayed her hands on the table. She looked at each of her brothers in turn. “I didn’t expect the situation to play out this way, but now that Lucas knows, he and Katie should have a relationship. I can’t avoid it, and I shouldn’t try.”

“How’d he find out?”

“He came by my office unexpectedly. He saw Katie, talked to her, and he put two and two together. He was the guy you noticed at the anniversary party.”

“You should have told me who he was when I asked you at the party,” Cyrus said.

“What would you have done? Had him killed?” Ivy held up her hand. “Don’t answer that.” She wouldn’t put anything past her brother and his need to protect the family.

“What do you plan to do about Winston’s family?” Cyrus asked.

Ivy shrugged. “I’ll have to tell them he’s in her life now, but that won’t change anything for them. They’ve known almost from the beginning that she wasn’t their granddaughter and didn’t care.” Having Winston’s parents accept Katie as part of the family had made the deception easier.

“Mother will want to meet him,” Trenton said.

“I don’t think now is the best time,” Ivy said. “I want to take this slow so Lucas and Katie can get to know each other first. Things have been a bit…bumpy.”

“You’ll have to introduce him to other people, too.”

“To be honest, outside of the family, I doubt anyone will care.” At least that’s what she told herself. She’d done a good job of staying out of the news for years. There was no reason that should change.

Cyrus spoke again. “If you need—”

“Cyrus, let me handle this.” She had to cut him off before he tried to take over. “The last thing I need is for you to start meddling.”

“I don’t meddle.”

Ivy raised a skeptical brow and Trenton fake coughed.

Cyrus pursed his lips. “Fine, but would you do me a favor? Be careful with this guy. You knew him when you were much younger, but for all we know, he could have an agenda now. When he has time to think about the situation, he could become greedy. Equally important is how you handle this. I remember how torn up you were after your relationship with him ended. Do you still have feelings for him?”

“No.” She answered too quickly, and her older brother’s eyes narrowed perceptively. She rushed on. “As you pointed out, I was younger then. I’m going to continue dating, like I’ve been doing, and nothing will change for him, either. He’s living the bachelor lifestyle, flying from city to city and seeing multiple women. There’s no chance of us rekindling any kind of relationship.”

“You sure about that?” That was Trenton. Even he doubted her. “You have a child together.”

“Of course I’m sure.” Her voice hardened, her resolve firmed. “Years have passed since we were together, and lots of people have children together and move on from each other. Why would Lucas and I be any different?”

Chapter Twelve

Trying to win over his daughter was turning out to be a lot more difficult than Lucas had expected. However, her reluctance to see him and lack of interest in spending time with him didn’t quench the desire he had to see her and connect. Her apathy only made him want it more.

Whenever he saw her, he experienced so many emotions. Wonder, at this little person who carried his blood in her veins. Disbelief, that he’d been kept in the dark for so long. And a deep affection that overwhelmed him as he examined her face and heard her voice, knowing she derived half her genetic makeup from him.

Resentment, an uglier emotion, also infiltrated his thoughts. Another man, an imposter, had filled the position of father for years and quite well, apparently. So well, Katie didn’t want anyone else in his place. While Lucas had been cheated out of all the important milestones in his daughter’s life, Winston had experienced them all. Her first words, her first steps, and her first day of school.

After several visits trying to win over Katie, Lucas was at a loss. She hadn’t warmed up to him anymore than before. She treated him like a stranger and sat quietly while he talked about his life in Atlanta and what he did for a living. When he asked her about school and her family, her monosyllabic answers made it clear she’d rather be anywhere else doing anything else but sitting with him.

Finally, though, he had an idea, one he hoped would break the ice between them.

****

Ivy opened the door, surprised to see Lucas standing on the other side. “You’re early,” she said.

Her trainer had left a few minutes ago after an intensive yoga session, and her skin was still damp with sweat. She hadn’t had a chance to shower and change and wore the yoga pants and fitted tank from her class. She felt grimy, sweaty, and decidedly unattractive.

“I hope you don’t mind,” Lucas said.

Strangely, he seemed excited. His interactions with Katie over the past few days had been awkward, to say the least, but he appeared renewed. Her heart had gone out to him as he arrived night after night, only to be greeted by Katie’s tepid responses. He held a rectangular package in his hand, giftwrapped with a pretty white bow on it. Her heart hurt a little bit more for him. He’d resorted to bribery for his daughter’s affection.

“No, of course I don’t mind. Come in.” She opened the door wider and let him in.

His muscular physique filled the small entryway. He was dressed business casual in a pair of dark slacks and a maroon shirt with the sleeves rolled up almost to his elbows, revealing hair sprinkled along his sinewy forearms. The undone top button on his shirt offered a peek at more hair on his chest.