Worth Everything: Worth It, Book 4

by Karen Erickson

  Stasia stared at her openly. She’d thought Alex would have chosen a more refined, polished woman as his wife. Someone tall, thin, with pale blonde hair and icy blue eyes, the typical society wife who only wore couture and a twenty-carat diamond ring.

  Tessa was in jeans and a soft black sweater, a simple gold band circling her finger. She was voluptuous, with full breasts and hips, and her dark hair was pulled back from her face, wild wisps falling freely about her face.

  In fact, if Stasia wasn’t seeing things, she swore there was a stain on the front of Tessa’s sweater…

  Tessa glanced down at the stain Stasia stared pointedly at. “I’m a mess, I know.” She sighed. “Breast feeding around the clock does that to a woman.”

  “Oh.” Stasia felt about two inches tall. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to stare…”

  “It was either the stain or the giganticness that are my breasts.” Tessa laughed and waved a hand. “If they get any bigger, I’ll have breast reduction surgery.”

  “Alex would never let you.” Ella smirked.

  Tessa swatted Ella’s arm lightly. “You’re right, he wouldn’t.”

  The other woman approached. She was tall, more fashionably turned out, her gaze direct, curious as she studied Stasia. She held out her hand, a cool smile curving her lips. “I’m Gracie Worth.”

  God. Hunter’s wife. Stasia stuck her hand out as well, prepared to shake when Tessa shoved Gracie closer to Stasia. “Give her a hug,” Tessa urged. “She’s your sister now.”

  “Sister-in-law,” Stasia added feebly as she and Gracie quickly hugged. “I guess.”

  “We’re all sisters here, if not by blood, by name, at least.” Tessa sent a glance in Ella’s direction. “Well not quite since Rhett hasn’t officially made Gabriella a Worth, but we’re working on him.”

  “Don’t pressure him,” Ella admonished. “He works at his own pace.”

  “I’ll say.” Gracie smiled, patted Stasia on the shoulder. “It’s so good to meet you.”

  Stasia felt like she was in a daze, shocked by their good nature, their easy acceptance of her. She never, ever thought in a million years she would be so welcome in the Worth family.

  Well, by the Worth women. The men still hadn’t ponied up. Stasia had received the positive DNA results a week ago. She’d come back to New York immediately, her mother at her side.

  But now what? What was she supposed to do?

  “Let’s sit and drink wine,” Ella suggested. “We have a lot to talk about.”

  Stasia sat amongst the group of women, in awe of their easy camaraderie, how much they laughed and joked with each other. She was used to men. Growing up with three boisterous brothers did that to a woman. Believing she’d have a handle on the Worth brothers since she knew what it was like, she thought it would be easy to approach them. Easy to get them to like her, accept her.

  She hadn’t counted on their women reaching out to her. But they had. Before the brothers had, even.

  “So what are you going to do now?” Tessa asked.

  Accepting the glass of wine from Ella, Stasia studied Tessa. “What am I going to do?” She sipped her wine, stalling. She didn’t know how to answer.

  “Yes, now that you’re back in New York. Are you going to stay? I know you were living here before your…father’s death.” Tessa waved a hand at Stasia’s curious look. “I did research, don’t tell me you haven’t conducted any on us, because I wouldn’t believe you. Google is our friend, after all.”

  “And Tessa is good at digging for information,” Gracie added wryly, sitting next to Stasia on the couch. “It’s one of her greatest skills.”

  “I’m, um…I’m not sure,” she stuttered, feeling suddenly gauche, surrounded by these women. Confident businesswoman and budding jewelry designer Anastasia Renaldi felt like a crude little girl compared to them.

  They had it so together, their lives, their purpose. With their men by their side, two of the three were mothers of beautiful children. They were happy, confident in their choices.

  Whereas Stasia felt like she was floating on an endless sea, lost and searching for land. Searching for home.

  “Well, besides our wanting to get to know you, since you are a part of the Worth family now, there is a reason I invited you this evening,” Ella said, sitting next to Tessa so that she faced Stasia and Gracie. “They’re ready to meet with you.”

  Stasia frowned. “Who?”

  “Why, Rhett, Hunter and Alex, of course.” Ella smiled, the picture of serenity. “We convinced them they’re being ridiculous, trying to avoid you.”

  Stasia’s suspicions were correct. They were avoiding her. It hurt to realize, but at least she’d found out the truth.

  “Alex wants to talk to you. Desperately,” Tessa added. “He asked that I schedule something, perhaps early next week, if your schedule permits. He can’t quite let go of the fact that I was once his assistant.”

  Stasia’s jaw dropped open. “You’re kidding.”

  Tessa shook her head. “I’m not. Actually, all three of us started out as employees of Worth.”

  “And then went on to indulge in improper relationships with our boss,” Ella said chirpily.

  Stasia turned to Gracie. “Even you?”

  Gracie slowly nodded, set her wineglass on the coffee table in front of her. “Even me. Hunter was my boss. We worked in the marketing department together. I fought him tooth and nail the entire time he pursued me.”

  “Wow,” Stasia murmured, digesting what they said. Her thoughts turned to Gavin. How she’d told them their relationship was inappropriate. How she pushed him away because of it.

  But deep down inside, she knew that hadn’t been the real reason, more like the perfect excuse. She’d grown too scared, afraid she’d become dependent on him and fall apart when he left. And he would’ve left.

  Almost a month ago, those were her irrational fears. It had felt like everyone abandoned her. Not Gavin, though.

  She’d abandoned him first.

  “Do you have a special someone in your life, Anastasia?” Ella asked.

  “Um…no.” Stasia shook her head, wondering if they could read minds. “And please. Call me Stasia.”

  “Are you sure you’re being honest with us? You were a little too hesitant with that answer,” Ella teased.

  “Leave her alone.” Tessa nudged Ella in the side with her elbow. “Maybe she doesn’t want to talk about him.”

  Stasia sighed. “Am I that obvious?”

  “Yes, you are,” Gracie murmured.

  They were far too observant—and intuitive. Taking a big swallow of wine, she set the glass on the coffee table. Cleared her throat. Gathered her courage. “There was a certain someone, but it didn’t last long. And the…relationship wasn’t under the best of circumstances.”

  “That’s too bad.” Tessa tsked sympathetically. “Did you split up before your father died or after?”

  “If it was after, the guy must be a complete asshole, leaving you like that,” Gracie said viciously.

  Stasia found that comment particularly amusing. After all, she found Gracie’s husband to be a complete asshole.

  “It was after my father died, but we didn’t know each other prior. It was a very short—thing,” Stasia finished lamely.

  “Oh, dear.” Ella’s quiet voice broke the silence. “Was it more of an ‘I’m turning to him in need of comfort’ sort of thing?”

  “Probably.” Stasia drained her wineglass, set it on the table again with a loud clink. “I don’t know. I didn’t like him at first. I fought the attraction.”

  “Sounds familiar,” Gracie said dryly.

  “He pursued you, then,” Tessa said.

  “We pursued each other.” They’d jumped each other that first night at the villa. It had been so strange yet exhilarating. The attraction had been brewing from the moment they first met. She’d denied it for as long as possible. “And then I ended it.”

  “Because you didn’t want to ge
t hurt by him first,” Gracie added, earning a shocked look from Stasia. Gracie shrugged. “I know what that’s like. Trust me.”

  Stasia studied each woman. Their faces were open, sympathetic, not judgmental. They could relate to her predicament. And it felt…good. So good. “Well, it wasn’t meant to be, so I’ll leave it at that.”

  “Hmm.” Tessa sat up straighter, her gaze sharpening. “If that’s the attitude you’re taking, then we’ll support you no matter what.”

  “Really?” Stasia’s voice squeaked and she cleared her throat, embarrassed.

  “Really,” Ella said softly, her eyes glowing.

  “Let’s change the subject.” Tessa was clearly in charge. Probably came with the territory of being married to the oldest Worth brother. “In regards to meeting with the boys, I have good news.”

  Stasia liked how she called the Worth brothers “the boys”. “What is it?”

  “Whereas before they always protested and wanted attorneys present at all times, Alex has deemed lawyers unnecessary for this particular meeting.” Tessa clasped her hands together. “Instead of meeting in a boardroom full of legal discussions, they’d like to get together for a meal. Lunch, if it’s possible. And no lawyers allowed.”

  It was what she’d dreamed of. What she’d hoped for since the moment she discovered she could potentially be a Worth. Why was she so disappointed, then? “That’s great,” she said weakly. “Not like my lawyer could make it anyway. He doesn’t represent me any longer.”

  Ella snapped her fingers, the sound so loud, Stasia jumped. “It was your lawyer, wasn’t it?”

  Stasia froze. She knew what Ella referred to. How in the world did she figure that out so quickly? “My lawyer?”

  “Is he the one you were with romantically?” Ella’s razor-sharp gaze had Stasia gnashing her lower lip.

  “Uh…” Stasia didn’t know how to answer.

  “We saw you with him, you know. One night at some boring cocktail party, we were lurking in the corner. Rhett was plotting a way to sneak out of there early and we saw you with a man. He became nervous, worried you’d want to talk to him again. Not that he’s afraid of you or anything, but when it’s something that serious, he doesn’t like being the one to handle it. He’d rather hand that over to Alex or even Hunter.”

  So Rhett had seen her and wanted to avoid her. Not that she could blame him. She’d been completely crazed at that moment. Desperate to talk to someone, to get the answers she so desperately wanted to hear.

  “Rhett then told me later the same man we saw you with that night was the attorney who represented you at that first meeting you all had.” Ella’s gaze met hers, filled with kindness and understanding. “It was him, wasn’t it?”

  “It’s okay.” Gracie reached over and patted her arm awkwardly. “Looks like we’ve all had our inappropriate relationships with men we work with. You’re now a full-fledged member of our club.”

  Stasia should feel terrible. Guilty for what she’d done with Gavin. But instead, she felt…relieved. So relieved to confess her so-called sins, happy that these three women didn’t judge, didn’t seem to care. That they could actually relate to her predicament.

  For the first time in a long time, Stasia felt like she belonged.

  “That’s a good one, Gracie. We should definitely form a club,” Tessa said with an eager nod.

  “I don’t quite fit in, though,” Gracie pointed out with a smirk. “You all have names that end with an ‘a’ sound and I don’t.”

  “Huh. True.” Ella pointed at Gracie. “You can be the head of the club, then.”

  They all laughed again, Ella bouncing up off the couch and announcing she was going to grab appetizers she’d prepared earlier for their evening before she hurried out of the room.

  The women grew quiet, Stasia contemplative, mulling over everything they revealed. Maybe it had been a mistake, leaving Gavin like she had…

  She frowned. It had most definitely been a mistake. How rude her abrupt rejection of him had been, especially after they’d made love. That had been part of the problem as well. She’d felt so close to him, so connected, halfway in love with him, really.

  And that had scared her to bits.

  “You do remind me of my husband,” Gracie said out of nowhere, her quiet voice startling Stasia from her thoughts. “He grudgingly admitted a few nights ago that you looked like him.”

  Stasia smiled at Gracie. She liked her, felt she had the most in common with her out of the three women, though they were all wonderfully friendly and accepting. “I can grudgingly admit I look like him too.”

  Gracie laughed. “He’s not so bad, my husband. Beneath the slick attitude and sometimes gruff exterior, he really is a sweetheart.”

  “To you, I’m sure.” Stasia sighed. “He was so awful to me in that meeting.”

  “He is very protective of his family, bottom line. He will do anything, and I mean anything, to protect the family name.” Gracie paused. “He thought Tessa was a company spy selling ideas to the competition and treated her terribly.”

  Tessa, who overheard them, nodded in agreement. “It’s true. He made me cry. More than once.”

  “He made me cry too,” Stasia murmured, gazing downward. If she thought about it too much, she might start crying again.

  “And now he adores Tessa. She adores him too…I think.” Gracie winked and Tessa smirked in return.

  “I do. I understand his gruff side. It’s just…his way. Alex is the same. The only exception is Rhett. He’s a sweetheart. Protective but so charming you’d never realize he’s being an asshole.”

  “Oh, trust me. He can be an ass,” Ella said as she came back into the room, carrying a platter of a variety of appetizers. “I’ve dealt with my fair share of Rhett’s jerk side.”

  “But you still love him,” Stasia said, reaching for a stuffed olive the moment Ella set the tray on the coffee table. “Despite his faults.”

  “Of course. And I have plenty of faults. I’m not perfect.”

  “None of us are,” Tessa added.

  Stasia ate quietly, absorbing everything they’d said. No one was perfect, least of all her. So why had she been so hard on herself, her family? On Gavin?

  She missed him. They’d known each other for such a short time yet he’d somehow wound himself tightly inside her life. Made her long for things she no longer had, such as him. She wondered how he was.

  Wondered if he’d ever see her again…

  The call had come into his office unexpectedly on an otherwise boring Thursday afternoon, the sound of Alex’s voice reminding Gavin of Stasia. Not that he needed a reminder of the woman who stomped all over his heart and left him.

  “I’m meeting with your client this weekend, but I don’t think I want you there.” Alex chuckled, sounding rather amused with himself. “I can’t deny the DNA test. Anastasia is definitely a Worth.”

  Gavin stiffened, tapping the edge of his desk with impatient fingers. He really didn’t want to talk about this, about Stasia. She was a wound that hadn’t healed. “She’s not my client any longer.”

  “Really? Well, that’s surprising. And fast.”

  “She fired me.”

  Alex blew out a breath. “Harsh.”

  “I’m surprised you’re meeting her so soon. The three of you were rather hostile when we last saw you,” Gavin said, wanting information. His curiosity got the best of him though he knew it was pointless.

  He wasn’t going to see her again. Learning more about her would only hurt later.

  “Once we heard of the DNA results, we knew we had to act. Besides, the women love her.”

  “The women?”

  “My wife, Hunter’s wife and Rhett’s girlfriend. They met with Stasia a few nights ago. Said she fits right in,” Alex explained.

  She was back in town? And she hadn’t tried to reach him once? That hurt more than he cared to admit.

  “So she fits right in with the family, hmm?” Gavin asked, trying to sound
nonchalant. His heart rate picked up and he thumbed through his cell, stopping at Stasia’s number.

  No way could he call her first. Could he?

  “It appears so.”

  No surprise. Everyone loved Stasia if they just gave her a chance.

  Including him, not that he’d ever admit that to a soul.

  “That’s great. I’m happy she’s found her spot in your family,” he gritted out between his teeth.

  Alex laughed, the jackass. “You don’t sound happy. You sound freaking miserable. Work stressing you out?”

  “You could say that.” Gavin was leaving the office the second this conversation was over. He needed to get out and clear his head.

  “I get it.” Alex paused for a moment too long and, for whatever reason, it made Gavin nervous. “I wasn’t supposed to say anything. Tessa swore me to secrecy, but…”

  Gavin sat up straighter. “What?”

  “Stasia confessed her, shall we say, indiscretion with you.”

  “What the hell are you talking about?” Gavin went immediately on the defensive, icy shock coursing through his veins that Stasia would ever admit to what they’d shared. He’d figured she would move on and pretend it never happened. She’d discarded him like yesterday’s trash, so why dwell on it?

  “Listen.” Alex’s voice lowered. “Those women get together and talk about relationships and babies and love and marriage and us.” He sighed harshly. “They started digging and they figured out you two were an item. Stasia folded fairly easily, according to Tessa. She confessed all.”

  “All?” Gavin started to sweat.

  Alex chuckled. “Don’t worry. I don’t necessarily care what happened between you and Stasia. Though, as her brother, I’m now obliged to say that if you hurt her in any way whatsoever, I’ll break your neck.”

  The steely strength underlying Alex’s statement proved he meant every word he said. Not that Gavin doubted him. “She’s the one who dumped me.”

  “I know. Now we’re getting to the part where I shouldn’t be telling you any of this.” Alex paused before he plunged on. “She misses you. A lot.”

  His heart tripped over itself. He missed her too. So much, it hurt. “It doesn’t matter,” Gavin lied. “She said we were through.”