The best is worth waiting for…

Surry McDaniel loves designing beautiful clothes. In fact, it’s the only thing she truly loves. Clothes can never fail her, the way people can. But when she’s accused of stealing designs, Surry risks losing the life she’s spent years building.

The only person who can help is Ian Duncan, a political strategist who knows how to fix bad PR and who hasn’t been able to stop thinking about Surry since they met. But Surry has kept him—and everyone else—at arm’s length as long as they’ve known each other. Helping her would be a risk, but the more Ian gets to know Surry, the more he knows that while she needs him, he needs her even more.

The man was swimming toward her corner of the pool. As Surry was trying to decide whether to get out of the water or to move over to avoid being in the way, he stopped swimming and stood up.

“Ian,” she said, surprised as she watched him wipe the water from his face.

“You were expecting someone else,” he said as he took a few steps in the pool and then bent his head down and allowed his lips to lightly touch hers.

Was this really happening? Was Ian kissing her? His lips felt so good that she couldn’t help but put her arms around him and pull him closer. She opened her mouth and hungrily kissed him until she imagined herself purring with pleasure. “Mmm,” she said with her eyes closed as the kiss ended.

Leaning into her, Ian kissed her eyelids, her forehead, her cheeks. He placed another soft kiss on her mouth and then said in a husky voice, “I wish I had known that all I had to do to shut you up was to kiss you.”

Surry’s eyes popped open. She pushed him away and jumped out of the pool. “I’m going to get dressed for dinner.”

“Don’t go. I was just beginning to enjoy myself,” Ian called after her.

With hands on her hips, she turned back to face him. “You were enjoying yourself a bit too much. And I’d appreciate it if you don’t let it happen again.” With that she swung around and left the pool area with as much dignity as she could muster.

VANESSA MILLER

is a bestselling author, playwright and motivational speaker. She started writing as a child, spending countless hours either reading or writing poetry, short stories, stage plays and novels. Vanessa’s creative endeavors took on new meaning in 1994 when she became a Christian. Since then, her writing has been centered on themes of redemption, often focusing on characters facing multidimensional struggles.

Vanessa’s novels have garnered rave reviews, with several appearing on Essence magazine’s bestseller list. Miller’s work has received numerous awards, including a Best Christian Fiction Mahogany Award and a Red Rose Award for Excellence in Christian Fiction. Miller graduated from Capital University with a degree in organizational communication. She is an ordained minister in her church, explaining, “God has called me to minister to readers and to help them rediscover their place with the Lord.”

The Best of All concludes Vanessa’s For Your Love trilogy for Harlequin Kimani Romance.

The Best of All

Vanessa Miller

www.millsandboon.co.uk

MILLS & BOON

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Dear Reader,

Writing about Surry McDaniel and Ian Duncan was more like visiting two old friends. They were so easygoing that it felt as if I had known them for a lifetime but only now decided to write their love story.

You’ve read about Danetta and Ryla in the first two books of the For Your Love trilogy. Now I’d like to open the door to Surry’s world in the final book of the series…and I guarantee you that it is definitely The Best of All!

Ian Duncan is not a man to be taken lightly. He’s successful but dreams of even bigger success with the woman he has fallen in love with. Surry, on the other hand, has no time for love. She is on the fast track to success and isn’t willing to stop for anyone…but Ian Duncan just might change her mind.

Thanks for taking the time to read The Best of All. I truly hope you enjoy reading this story as much as I enjoyed writing about Surry and Ian.

Happy reading,

Vanessa Miller

To Diamond—the best is truly yet to come for you.

Believe it and receive all that God has for you…. All my love!

Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Epilogue

Chapter 1

“I love what you’ve done with this boutique. It is simply divine.”

“Thanks, Ryla,” Surry McDaniel told her friend, sweeping her gaze around the newly renovated boutique. “A lot of blood, sweat and tears went into the creation of Designs from the Motherland, so I’m glad that you think I made the right decision.”

“Made the right decision? Are you kidding?” Ryla Carter took a silky white nightgown off the rack and held it up against her body. “If you had opened this store just three months ago, I would have worn this lovely number on my wedding night. I guarantee that Noel wouldn’t have been able to resist me in this gown.”

Surry joined their friend Danetta Windham in a chuckle. The three of them knew all too well that Ryla had tricked Noel into marrying her, and because of that the first night of the honeymoon was a complete disaster. It was good that they could finally laugh about it now.

“All’s well that ends well,” Danetta said.

“Yeah, but that hot mess didn’t look like it was going to end so well,” Surry reminded the group.

“Oh, but it did.” Ryla strutted over to the checkout counter and laid the gorgeous nightgown on it. “And that is why I can still afford to purchase this expensive gown. Because my husband—” she lingered on the word husband for a long moment as she pulled out her black AmEx card “—can afford to keep me in the finest silks money can buy.”

“Glad to hear it, because I use only high-quality material. My boutique is called Designs from the Motherland because everything comes from Africa. The fabric is light and airy, meant for weather like ours here in Houston Hotter-Than-Hades, Texas.”

“Well, I’m going to purchase this fabulous swing skirt,” Danetta announced as she held up a print skirt with vibrant blues and tans.

“I love that skirt,” Surry said. “Everyone went wild for it last week.”

“Oh, that’s right. You had your first fashion show in Ghana. Tell us about it,” Ryla said.

The three women poured themselves a cup of coffee and then retreated to the lounge area Surry had set up at the back of the boutique, which offered customers the luxury of relaxing and enjoying refreshments while being waited on by the staff. Designs from the Motherland wasn’t an ordinary boutique. It was an experience.

Years ago she traveled across Africa, writing books about the culture and atmosphere in countries such as Kenya, Ethiopia, Zambia, Ghana and even Egypt, which tends to be commonly associated with the Middle East. She’d had the time of her life exploring and surrounding herself with people she could deeply identify with. Oh, she loved America and wouldn’t trade her country for anything, but a piece of her heart was in the motherland.

However, her publishers didn’t have the same love for the motherland as she did. And when the profits from her work failed to meet expectations, her line of coffee-table books was dropped. Since she was a child, her father was convinced that she would follow in his footsteps and be forced to live a meager existence, but Surry had other plans for her life.

Her mother had been a seamstress, working for little to no money, before arthritis set in and forced her to give it up. At the onset of the crippling disease, Surry stepped in and helped her mother finish orders that had been paid for previously. That was how Surry discovered that she had her mother’s gift and began designing her own brand of African garb. The name Designs from the Motherland was twofold: acknowledging Africa and Surry’s own mother. Surry had been determined to make a go of this business venture, and after seven years of struggling, she’d finally made it.

Her designs were now in hundreds of boutiques across the South and the East Coast thanks to her new distributor. In addition to the store she owned and operated in Houston, two chain retail stores were interested in carrying her line. Things were going so well for her that Surry should have expected something unexpected would turn her world around. But she never even saw her whirlwind coming.

“So tell us all about the fashion week in Ghana,” Ryla said as the three women settled around the table.

“Girl, it was a blast. So many designers were there. I got my networking on, did my thing when it was time for my models to go on and then I kicked back and enjoyed the rest of the shows.” She hesitated and then added, “That is, until the last day.”

Danetta put her coffee mug down. “What happened?”

“Remember John Michael?”

“How could I forget him? The man had two first names and he smelled,” Ryla said.

“That’s not nice, Ryla. The man had a great love for garlic,” Danetta said with a hint of humor in her tone.

“He also has a great love for lying.”

Ryla, who’d been spreading vegetable cream cheese on a wheat bagel, put the knife down and focused on Surry. “What has the stinky little man done?”

Sighing deeply, Surry shook her head in disbelief as she told her friends, “I think he must have fallen and bumped his head. Because he’s running around telling anyone who will listen that I stole his designs. He even had the audacity to get in my face about it at the fashion show.”

“You’re kidding!” Danetta’s mouth hung open.

“I wish I was. Last night a reporter called to ask me about his claims, so I guess I’ll be seeing his lies in the newspaper pretty soon.”

Danetta put her hand on Surry’s shoulder. “That sounds awful.”

“You haven’t heard the worst of it yet.” Surry covered her face with her hands and then dragged them down to her neck. “Things were going so well. Now I’m not sure how anything is going to turn out.”

Her friends were silent, their attention centered on Surry.

“Remember the contracts I was supposed to be signing with Roukes?”

“Of course,” Ryla said. “They’re going to carry your designs in two of their chain department stores and make you a very rich woman.”

Surry propped her elbows on the table and rested her chin in her hands. “That was the plan.”

“What do you mean ‘that was the plan’?” Danetta asked.

“One of the head buyers was in Ghana for fashion week. John Michael told her and everyone else his lies. My contract is on hold until I can straighten this mess out. And I’ve already spent all of my money increasing my production.”

The group meditated on Surry’s words for a moment, and then Danetta snapped her fingers and said, “You need one of those image consultants.”

“No way.” Surry shook her head. “People hire image consultants to fix problems they created for themselves, like Tiger Woods’s girlfriends and that woman involved with that David Petraeus sex scandal. I haven’t done anything wrong, and I don’t want to make it seem like I need to fix a problem that I shouldn’t even have.”

“You didn’t sleep with this guy, did you?” Ryla joked.

“Shut up, Ryla. You are so not funny.” Surry was at her wits’ end. She was about to lose everything she had worked so hard to build, and she had no idea how to make this train wreck go away. “Besides, I wouldn’t even have the money to pay an image consultant if I had slept with him.”

Ryla’s eyes lit up. “I have the perfect person to help you, Surry.”

“Did you just hear me say that I have no money? If I can’t get that contract to go through, I don’t know how I’m going to recoup the money I’ve spent on production.”

“Girl, please.” Ryla waved a hand in the air. “Ian Duncan would probably help you for free. You know he likes you.”

“Ian Duncan is a campaign manager. How in the world could he help me with my problem? I’m not running for public office. I just want to sell my clothes.”

“Ian is all about building the proper image. He helped Noel win his seat in Congress even after the reporters started hounding us about Noel being the father of a seven-year-old girl he knew nothing about.”

She twisted her lip and ran her hands through her freshly straightened long black hair. Surry didn’t believe in relaxers. They were accursed as far as she was concerned, manufactured only to strip the beauty and vitality from a woman’s natural hair. But now the hot comb, that was a necessity. She knew that many felt the hot comb damaged the hair, as well. But as long as it was used sparingly, she didn’t see a problem with it. “He asked me out, and I have yet to give him an answer.”

“Well, now is as good a time as any to give the man an answer,” Ryla said with a finger snap.

“I can’t do that, Ryla. The man will think I’m awful...to only call on him when I’m in trouble and in need of his help.”

“But you do need help, Surry. Maybe you need to drop your pride and call this guy,” Danetta admonished.

“Look at it this way,” Ryla tried. “Even if you’re not interested in dating Ian, he may still be able to help you. I’m not suggesting that you lead him on or anything like that. I just don’t think you should pass up an opportunity to receive the help you need, simply because you’re not interested in him.”

Who said she wasn’t interested in dating Ian Duncan? If the thought could even be imagined, the man was a much sexier version of the singer Eric Benet. Who wouldn’t want to go out with him? It certainly wasn’t that Surry didn’t want to spend time with him. The problem was that she had neither the time nor inclination to get into a relationship. Her business, her success, came first, second and third. Her life had no room for a man, especially one like Ian Duncan.

“You both make good points. But you are forgetting that my mother gave me my name for one single reason...so that I would stand on my own and embrace my womanhood.” Surry was short for Sojourner. She’d been named after the former slave turned abolitionist and women’s rights activist. And she had fully embraced Sojourner Truth’s famous “Ain’t I a Woman” speech.

Ryla rolled her eyes at her friend. “We’re well aware of this crazy man-hater mantra you live by.”

Ryla and Danetta looked at each other and began reciting in unison the words from the speech Surry loved so much. “I have as much muscle as any man, and can do as much work as any man. I have plowed and reaped and husked and chopped and mowed, and can any man do more than that?”

“Hey,” Surry interrupted, her feelings hurt. “My mother helped me memorize that speech word for word. And I have experienced a lot of success by the sweat of my own womanly hands.”

“Yes, you have, Surry.” Danetta was at her breaking point as she leaned toward her friend and said, “But now you need help, and there’s no shame in that.”

“Be a woman who is humble and wise enough to know when times have changed, and move with those changes.”

“Okay, okay, you’re right.... Maybe I do need to give Ian a call.”

* * *

Ian Duncan was the hottest ticket in politics at the moment. He’d just finished a television interview with Anderson Cooper on CNN and then didn’t even have time to change his shirt for the ten o’clock interview he had scheduled with Lawrence O’Donnell, the host of The Last Word on MSNBC. Tomorrow he would do it all over again with a few other hosts on radio and television. The recent presidential election had been a big deal, but after that the most pressing question on everyone’s mind had been about the election of the reformed bad boy, Noel Carter.

Noel had been written off after news broke about his illegitimate child. Even Noel had thought he had a better chance of losing than winning. But Ian always believed in his client, and he’d devised a strategy that enabled Noel to hold a victory party on election night.

Done with his interviews for the evening, Ian threw off his suit and tie and jumped into the shower. As the hot water assaulted his body, Ian went over his next steps one by one. He had about a half dozen offers on the table from clients interested in working with him. At this point, Ian had to be very selective. He could take only those who fit into his eight-year plan.

Ian and Noel had been friends since college, so he’d taken the assignment knowing that if he lost, all the planning he’d done would be for naught. Congressional wins were nice, but Ian’s eight-year plan included managing his first presidential campaign. So, from this point on, he wasn’t taking on any more local campaigns. He was looking to run campaigns for senators and governors now. He just had to stay focused and work his plan.

As he stepped out of the shower and toweled off, Ian tried to turn his mind off work. A good night’s rest was what he needed, but his thoughts quickly drifted to Surry McDaniel. He thought about giving her a call before he went to sleep. It had been two weeks since he asked her out, but he still hadn’t received a response. The girl was definitely playing hard to get, but Ian had patience. From the moment he met Surry, Ian felt a connection. He had to find out more about this woman and he wasn’t prepared to give up. Not just yet.

Dressed in a ribbed T-shirt and black silk pajamas, he threw back the covers and was about to get into bed when his phone rang.

He picked up the phone, and a nasally voice on the other end asked, “Is this Mr. Duncan?”

He sat down on the edge of his bed with the phone against his ear. “I know this is an old joke, but my father is Mr. Duncan. I’m simply Ian.”

“Well, Ian, I have Governor David Monroe on the line. He would like to speak with you. Do you have a moment?”

Was this woman kidding? It was widely rumored that the popular North Carolina ex-governor was considering running for president. It was hard to believe, but the 2012 election had wrapped up only two weeks ago, and politicians were already putting out feelers for the next elections.

Ian certainly hadn’t expected to hear from any presidential candidacy hopefuls—those political elites normally put in calls to his father. To date, Ian had handled mostly local, statewide and national congressional races. But he had every intention of becoming the kingmaker his father was several times over. “Of course I have time to speak with the governor. Please put him through.”

“Ian, my boy, how’ve you been?” Governor Monroe greeted.

Ian had met the governor eleven years ago when he was interning for his father. Maybe the governor had reached out to him because he was trying to reconnect with the great Walker Duncan. “I’ve been wonderful, Governor. How have things been for you?”

“I’ve been working my backside off since I left the governor’s mansion. And to tell you the truth, I’m itching to spend eight years in another mansion that just so happens to be in Washington, D.C.”

“Are you sure you want to take that on? You’ve been a private citizen for two years now. Can’t you think of anything more fun than running for president of the United States...like getting run over by a bulldozer and spending months in traction for instance?”

The governor laughed and then confessed, “I’m a political animal through and through. When it’s in your bones, you can’t quit even if you want to.”

“So, what can I do for you, Governor?”

“I need a new campaign manager,” Governor Monroe said without beating around the bush.

Ian wanted to leap, skip, jump and dance. This was it...his chance to prove to his father that he had what it took to be a kingmaker, just like him.

Governor Monroe was saying, “If you could come out to North Carolina so we can talk, then we could see if we will be a good fit for each other. How about it?”

“When would you like to meet?”

“Can you be here on Monday?”

Ian could be there tomorrow if need be. But he wasn’t about to throw all his cards out just yet. “I’m still finalizing a few things from the last election. Can I give you a call back in the morning to see if I can get there by then?”

“That works, but I need to know something from you soon. I want to get a jump on this thing.”

Ian hung up after promising to provide Governor Monroe with a final answer by midmorning of the next day. Ian went to sleep thinking that nothing could stop him from getting to Charlotte, North Carolina, by Friday.

By morning when he drove in to work and entered his office, he was gliding like a man who’d just been knighted. In Ian’s wildest imagination he never would have thought that he’d get a chance to work on a presidential campaign this soon. Ian thought he’d have to continue proving himself through the Senate and gubernatorial elections. But now that this awesome opportunity has presented itself, Ian was going to ride it until the wheels fell off. Or better yet, he’d ride it all the way to a White House victory.

He rounded the corner, getting ready to greet his office manager, when out of the corner of his eye he spotted someone seated on the brown leather couch in the waiting area. Ian took a step back, peeked into the room and was caught off guard by the vision of loveliness before him.

He’d asked this woman out twice in the short time he’d known her. She’d never given him an answer, or even called him back for that matter. Ian had wracked his brain six ways from Sunday trying to figure out if he’d said or done anything to offend her. Maybe he’d drooled a bit too much when he was first introduced to her at Noel’s wedding. But he couldn’t help himself. She was an exotic beauty. Even this morning, with the way that white dress clung to her creamy cocoa-brown skin and her hazel eyes danced as she looked his way, he nearly stuttered as he said, “Surry, what are you doing here?”

Surry stood and sauntered over to him.

Ian wondered if Surry knew how seductive her movements were as she strutted toward him in a dress that accentuated her hourglass frame.

“I was hoping that you would be able to speak with me this morning. I need your help.”

Her voice was as sultry as her image was exotic. She reminded him of one of those island beauties he’d seen on those “come to the beach” commercials, enticing folks to vacation in the Bahamas, Jamaica or some other place made for running barefoot in the sand. “Um, I think we should go to my office—” he pointed to the door across the hall “—so we can continue this conversation in private.”

“Thanks. I appreciate that you would make time for me.”

He’d like to do a lot more than make time for this woman. But so far, she hadn’t been willing to give him the time of day. So, he was intrigued by this visit. Maybe he’d actually get that date before leaving for Charlotte.

Chapter 2

Things didn’t seem so cut-and-dried anymore. Yes, Surry needed help, especially since some blogger interviewed John Michael and allowed the man to spill his lying guts to anyone with an internet connection. Her phone was ringing off the hook this morning with reporters asking her about John Michael’s allegations. So, yeah, she needed help. But she didn’t want to take advantage of Ian or get herself involved in something she couldn’t easily get out of.

Crossing her legs to get comfortable on the sofa in Ian’s office, she watched as he took his jacket off and slipped it around his high-backed chair. The man was a dream in motion. He was much lighter in complexion than any of the men she normally dated. The waviness of his hair also indicated to her that his parents were not of the same ethnic group. If she had to guess, she’d say one of his parents was white and the other black.

But none of that mattered to Surry. She was here in a strictly professional manner. She tried to turn her head away from the vision in front of her, because she truthfully couldn’t care less that with his jacket off she could see that the man had biceps, triceps, muscular pecs and... Watch yourself, she admonished herself.

“Do you have some water? My mouth is a little dry,” Surry said while scratching her throat and then coughing. It was getting hot in here. Surry felt like unbuttoning her top to get a little air, but decided against that.

“Sure.” Ian opened the small fridge he kept in his office and pulled out an assortment of iced tea, Coke, root beer and a simple Pure Life water bottle. “Do you need anything else?”

“I’ll just take the water.”

Ian handed it to her, held back the iced tea for himself and then put the other bottles back in the fridge. “So, how’s business at the new boutique?”

“How did you know I opened my boutique?” She hated the suspicious tone of her voice, but these days she didn’t know whom she could trust. She prayed that Ian would be in her corner.

“Noel told me.” He put down his drink and said, “I haven’t been checking up on you, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

Shaking her head, Surry waved the notion away. “I’m sorry about the way I sounded just now. I guess I’ve just become a little paranoid during these past few weeks. I’ve got too much going on.”

He sat down on the sofa next to her, giving her his full attention. “Want to tell me about it?”

“Where do I begin?” Surry was at her wits’ end. The expansion deal for her clothing line was about to blow up in her face. No one would want to carry Designs from the Motherland if they thought she stole any of her designs. She’d be forever branded a fraud, and what customer in her right mind would want to wear the designs of a fraud?

“I know you’re busy, so I don’t want to waste your time by beating around the bush.” Surry turned toward him and continued, “I was just about to sign a contract to have two very high-end chain retail stores carry my designs. In anticipation of this contract, I put all of my earnings into increasing production of my designs. Since John Michael started shooting his mouth off, the contract has been put on hold. And to tell you the truth, I don’t know what I’m going to do.”

“What kind of claims?”

“He says that the designs for my spring and summer collection were stolen from him.”

“Did you and he work on designs together?”

“Never! I don’t like John Michael’s designs, but we worked a few fashion shows together and split the cost of both rentals at two expos about seven years ago. But since then I haven’t collaborated with him or anyone else. To tell you the truth, I much prefer to work on my own.”

“A loner, huh?”

She didn’t like the way he said “loner.” He made it sound as if there was something wrong with a girl needing her space and preferring to work alone. But Surry saw nothing wrong with her choices. Besides her girls, Danetta and Ryla, Surry didn’t hang out with anyone. She had a business to run and that required most, if not all of her time. But that didn’t make her a loner, did it? She shrugged, “Okay, yeah, I like being alone. I do my best designs that way. No television, no music...just me and the chirping of the crickets.”

“That must be how you creative types like to do your work. Me, I’d go crazy if I didn’t have my iPod or my radio going most of the time. I love music and it helps me think.”

“To each his own, I guess.”

“Yeah, I guess so,” Ian said, and then silence fell. After a few moments, he rubbed his hands together. “So, how can I help you?”

“Ryla says that you’re a good guy and the best when it comes to handling image problems.”

“Ryla said that, huh?” There was a slight smile on his face, as if he wanted to break out into a laugh from things he knew, but wouldn’t say.

“She sure did. So, after John Michael did this blog interview—” she handed him the interview that she’d printed off the internet “—and then his lies got reported in the paper this morning, I rushed over here, hoping that you could help me. I’ve never had to deal with anything like this before. So I didn’t know what else to do.”

* * *

Was he hearing her right? She hadn’t bothered to respond to his offer of dinner, and she was in his office at this moment only because she needed an image makeover? He stood, read the blog that she handed him and then turned back to her. “This guy obviously has a problem with the success you’ve had with your line of clothing. But I’m not sure how I can help you.”

Flipping her hair off her shoulder, she said, “I don’t know, either. I’m about to lose everything if John Michael gets away with the lies he’s spreading. Ryla spoke so highly of the way you were able to help Noel, that I just...” Her shoulders slumped as her voice cracked. Her eyes said that she’d rather be anywhere but here, dealing with this issue. “I just hoped that you would be able to do something to help me also.”

The woman he met at Noel and Ryla’s wedding was dynamic, self-assured, ready to take on the world. But Surry looked so helpless as she sat on his couch worrying about losing everything that he wished he could help. But how on earth could he help her and work his own plan?

Ian Duncan was nothing if not focused. He knew from the day he first interned with his father that he would be in the game of politics for the rest of his life. Even with the craziness now going on in Washington, Ian still desired this life as he desired his next breath. Thankfully, he’d never wanted the frustrating job of being a politician. He wanted to be the puppet master, the one behind the scene pulling all the strings, making kings of mere men. His father had become known as a kingmaker because he’d headed three campaigns that had catapulted two former governors and one former statesman into the White House.

It was now Ian’s turn to prove that he had what it took to be a kingmaker. Since his college days, Ian had vowed to let nothing stop him from achieving his goals. He’d loved playing basketball but had never been interested in going pro. He’d spent years giving all he had to the game of politics, and at the age of thirty-one he was about to reap the fruits of his labor. He couldn’t allow this thing with Surry to get him off his game. He’d be a fool to help her when the prize he’d strived for all this time was now waiting for him in Charlotte.

Looking at Surry was not helping him. He wanted to scoop her up and protect her from the storm. But to do that, he’d have to put his own dreams on hold, and Ian couldn’t do that. He averted his eyes. When that proved to not be enough, he went and stood in front of the window that overlooked the parking lot and then said, “I know politics. I don’t know the first thing about fashion. So, I’m not sure that I’m the one to help with this issue.”

Surry stood and walked over to the window. She put her hand on Ian’s shoulder and turned him to face her. Her eyes implored him as she said, “You don’t understand. If you don’t help me I could lose everything. I’ve worked so hard for what I have. I can’t lose it just because of a lie.”

He rested a hand on her arm as he leaned against the windowpane. This woman was so beautiful. She was everything he wanted in his personal life. But he was also a professional. “Surry, believe me, it’s not that I don’t want to help you. I can’t. I will be leaving the state in a few days to talk with a man who is interested in running for president. If he and I decide to work together, I’m going to be very busy trying to build a team to get his campaign up and running.”

Running her hand through her hair, she looked at him with determination in her eyes. “The sad part about it is that I was prepared to come over here and beg for your help if I had to, and you wouldn’t have been able to help me even if I had begged.” She patted him on the shoulder, stepped back and said, “Congratulations on the new client. I’ll find a way to resolve this issue.”

As Ian watched Surry walk away, he wanted to reach out and pull her back to him. Was he a fool? How could he let her walk away like this? The phone on his desk started ringing, jarring his mind back to the business at hand. As she closed his office door, he picked up the phone. “Ian speaking.”

“Well, my boy, what’s it going to be?”

Ian wanted to tell Governor Monroe that he was no one’s boy...had been his own man since he was nineteen and wasn’t trying to go back to school for nobody. However, this man might become the next president of the United States of America, so he’d hold off on telling him how he could and couldn’t address him. “Hey, Governor, I was just in a meeting. But if you hadn’t called me, I would have given you a call within five minutes or so.”

“I don’t have the patience of Job, my boy. I’m a man of action. I gave you the night to think about it, so what’s it going to be? Can I expect to see you in Charlotte on Monday or not?”

Ian went back to the window and watched Surry climb in her Mercedes C300. He didn’t know why, but Ian felt in his gut that he would forever regret not being able to help Surry. But he had a business to run, so he closed his eyes and took the plunge. “One question, Governor. Why me?”

“What kind of fool question is that? I was told that you are the best and I want to work with you.”

Ian had his answer and he was fine with it. “You can count on me, Governor. I’ll be there on Monday.”

“That’s what I wanted to hear. I’m looking forward to going over strategy with you.”

Surry was driving out of his life as he said, “Oh, and one more thing, Governor. You won’t ever have to doubt my loyalty to you. I live and breathe this job. So, I’m your man and we are going all the way to the White House.”

Chapter 3

On Saturday morning Ian went to the strip mall near his condo and purchased a few items for his upcoming trip. He then met Noel Carter at the Breakfast Klub for some waffles and wings. “Have you found a place to stay in Washington yet?” he asked his old friend.

Noel shook his head. “Ryla and I are going out there next week to look around.”

“I’m headed out of town next week myself. I can’t give you a name right now, but I’m meeting with someone who is thinking of running for president.”

Joy spread across Noel’s face. “That’s all right. I’m excited about that. You go handle his campaign, and then in about a decade or so, you and I will be working on my presidential campaign.”

“Now that sounds good to me. We will have another President Carter in the White House.”

“Yeah, but I’m going to be there for two terms.”

The men ate their food and then Noel put his fork down and said, “I’m not going to be able to go home if I don’t ask you something.”

“What’s up?”

“Ryla wants to know if you talked with Surry.”

“She came by my office yesterday. I feel for her, because this guy is trying to do a number on her. But I have to leave town on Monday morning, so I’m not sure I can help her.” Ian didn’t mention to Noel that he was also bothered by the fact that Surry couldn’t pick up a phone to accept his dinner invitation. But the moment she needed help, she came right over to his office. But he wasn’t bitter, so he was trying hard not to act like it.

After breakfast he went home and started packing for his trip to Charlotte, still trying to convince himself that he made the right decision. He was almost there, until he turned on the television and caught a glimpse of a tearful Surry on the six o’clock news. The reporter had obviously just asked her a question as he’d turned to this station. The microphone had been shoved in Surry’s face. Maybe no one else noticed, but he took note of the tears on her eyelashes as she declared, “My business means everything to me. I would never jeopardize losing it by stealing from a former colleague.”

Surry was going to be crucified in the media unless she did something to change the situation fast. She didn’t deserve what was being done to her. And Ian knew firsthand that once the media got hold of something, they wouldn’t let it go until they ruined the lives of everyone associated. He put a pair of pants in the suitcase and sat down on his bed, thinking about the pain he saw in Surry’s eyes as she talked about how much her business meant to her. Where did pain like that come from? Then he wondered if he was wrong about what he thought he saw in her eyes...maybe it had been passion for her business. Pain or passion, he wasn’t sure which, but he desperately wanted to find out.

Making a quick decision, Ian grabbed his keys and drove to Westheimer Road. He’d received an invitation to the grand opening of Designs from the Motherland from Ryla. Ian had been out of town handling some business in Washington so he hadn’t been able to make the opening. But he’d kept the invitation and therefore had the address.

Her shop was exactly twenty-seven minutes away from his condo. He parked next to the cute little Mercedes he’d seen her drive off in the other day and stepped out of his Range Rover.

Walking toward her store, Ian noticed smiling customers walking from one shop to another with their purchases. The area was vibrant and active. This was a good spot for business. Ian was admiring Surry’s business savvy as he watched her ring up a customer. At the front of the store he couldn’t hear what the customer said to her, but he could see Surry lean her head back and give a full-throated laugh. He could spend a lifetime with a woman who laughed like that.

Surry handed the customer her bag, and as she walked away, Ian stepped over, put his hands on the counter and asked, “Why does it matter to you so much?”

“Why does what matter to me?”

He waved a hand around, indicating the building they were standing in. “Your business...I saw you on the news this evening, and I remembered the way you looked in my office the other day. This whole thing has hit you really hard, and I want to know why you’re letting it get to you like this.”

Averting her eyes, staring at the cash register rather than Ian, she said, “My business means a lot to me. I’ve worked hard to get where I am. And it just bugs me that someone can lie on me, and I can’t even fight back.”

“Of course you can fight back. Why do you think I’m here?”

“I don’t know why you’re here, because the last I heard, you have a plane to catch. So, just go away and let me figure out how to deal with John Michael on my own. I never should have bothered you in the first place.”

“You are infuriating and stubborn, Surry McDaniel.” He walked behind the counter and pulled her close to him. “You need to understand that I don’t want to leave town without you.” She was so close that he was inhaling the vanilla scent of her perfume. He didn’t know why, but that sweet, welcoming fragrance made him want to put his face in the crook of her neck and sniff her like a lovesick pup.

“You have to leave,” Surry was saying. “You have an important client and I can’t stand in the way of that, no matter how dire my situation has become.”

“I want you to go with me.”

Surry stepped around Ian and sat down at the table in the back of her boutique. Ian followed her, and she said, “What are you thinking, Ian? I can’t just pick up and leave town with you.”

He pulled out a chair and sat down across from her. “Why not? Things aren’t going so good for you here.”

“I have a business to run, if you hadn’t noticed.” Surry stretched forth her hand, indicating the things that were in her boutique.

“You won’t have much of a business to run if the media start crucifying you. We have a limited amount of time to turn this situation around. And I can’t repair your image and provide damage control unless I spend some time figuring out who you really are and what makes you tick.”

“And just like that—” she snapped her fingers “—my problems will be over.”

“Well, not like that.” He mimicked her finger snapping. “I also plan to find out as much about your rival as possible. If we can dig up enough dirt on him, we’ll be able to change his tune pretty quick.” Ian might not know fashion, but he knew mankind. And in politics, avoiding scandal was the name of the game. So, if this John Michael had skeletons, he planned to find them.

“Oh, it’s ‘we’ now, is it?”

“Excuse me?” He was caught off guard by her attitude.

“When I came to you yesterday, you said you wouldn’t be able to help me. Now you’re sitting here making all these plans, even though you have a very important client to handle. So, I just want to know what gives. What’s in it for you?”

This woman was so stubborn. Ian almost got up and walked back out the door. He had a life and really didn’t need this right now. But the truth was, he knew that she needed him, whether she wanted to admit it or not. “I want to help you, Surry. But I’m scheduled to get on a plane first thing Monday morning. So, if you want the help, you’ll have to travel with me so I can figure out how we’ll fix this mess you’ve stepped in.”

She leaned back in her chair and stared at him.

It felt as if those hazel eyes were seeing into his soul. Ian squirmed in his seat a bit. “What’s with all the staring? Do I have food in my teeth or something?”

“I can’t date you.”

Ian looked around the room and then back at Surry. “Who asked you out?”

“You did—” she pointed at him “—you big goof. And now you’re asking me to go out of town with you. I just don’t want you getting the wrong impression.”

“You don’t have to worry about that anymore. I like my women a lot less obstinate than you are. I’m over you.” He lifted his hand like a man standing before a judge and pledging to tell the truth, and then he winked.

“I’m serious, Ian. Men are always acting as if they understand my reasons for not wanting a relationship, but everything changes after a few dates.”

He put his elbows on the table and leaned in. “So, men just can’t resist you, huh?”

“That’s not what I said.” She lifted a finger and then continued. “Men don’t like the word no, and they will chase after any woman who’s not chasing after them.”

Ian chuckled. “Is that right?”

“You know I’m right.”

Ian stood and pulled the keys out of his pocket. “Well, the offer stands. We can even get separate rooms.” He started walking away and then turned back and added, “Let me know by tomorrow and I’ll book you on the flight with me.”

* * *

After church, Surry, Danetta and Ryla went to a café for brunch. Surry ordered the fresh fruit platter with low-fat yogurt and a small coffee cake.

Danetta smiled at the server as she said, “I’ll take the full breakfast.”

Ryla licked her lips and set her menu down. “That sounds fab. I’ll have what Danetta’s having.”

Surry gave her friends a curious look. The three of them always got the fruit platter with yogurt for breakfast, unless one of them had a taste for a waffle with strawberries. But on no occasion had any of them decided to inhale eggs, bacon, hash browns, pancakes and fruit. Danetta used to eat a whole pan of brownies and a gallon of ice cream whenever Marshall started dating a new woman. But those days were over. She and Marshall were now married. Surry handed her menu to the server and asked her friends, “What gives? Why are you two ordering enough food to feed a family of five?”

“I just seem to be extra hungry these days,” Danetta said with a devious grin.

Ryla lightly punched Danetta’s arm. “Stop playing. Let’s tell her.”

With an eyebrow lifted, Surry asked, “Are my two best friends...or shall I say, my two only friends, keeping secrets from me?”

“No, girl. We just found out yesterday.”

Surry gave them a look that said “spill it.”

“Well, Ryla went to the doctor yesterday,” Danetta began.

“And when I told Danetta what the doctor said, she said she just had this weird feeling that something was up with her also. So she purchased a test, and wouldn’t you know, she passed it.”

“What are you two talking about?” Surry demanded.

“We’re pregnant,” the two said in unison.

She should have known this day would come, but honestly, Surry was shocked.

“Well, say something, girl,” Ryla demanded.

The waitress brought their drinks to the table and set a glass of orange juice in front of Surry and Danetta and then handed Ryla a glass of apple juice. Surry lifted her orange juice and toasted her friends. “Congratulations to both of you. Noel and Marshall must be over the moon.”

“They’re excited, all right. Marshall already went out and bought cigars.” Danetta laughed.

“And having the kids at the same time is going to be wonderful, because they will be able to do play dates together,” Surry said.

“We just need one more baby for the play date to be complete,” Danetta said with a pointed stare at Surry.

Shaking her hands vigorously, Surry said, “Don’t look at me. I don’t have time for a man or a baby. But I’ll tell you what Aunty Surry can do. I’ll design them some baby clothes.”

“Oh, Surry, that’s awesome! I’m picturing a whole new line of sleek and stylish Designs from the Motherland for babies.”

Surry held up a hand. “Hold on there, Ryla. I was just talking about a few outfits for Danetta’s and your babies. I have way too much on my plate to work on a kids’ line. If this new contract goes through, I will be working night and day finalizing everything.”

“Why are you even allowing if in your mouth? That is such a negative and faithless word. You need to take back your power on that one,” Danetta said.

“Everybody can’t walk on water, Danetta. Some of us normal human beings sink when we try that stuff.” In the past year, Danetta had been such a powerhouse of faith that she didn’t doubt God on anything. Surry was having a little more trouble. Her business was all she had, and if she lost it, she had nothing. She’d be just another loser added to the long line of losers in the McDaniel family.

“Did you call Ian like I suggested?” Ryla asked as she accepted her platter of eggs, bacon and hash browns from the waitress. The waitress then set a smaller plate of pancakes and a bowl of grits in front of Ryla.

Surry picked up her fork as her platter of fruit and low-fat yogurt was set in front of her. “Yes, I contacted Ian. I even went to his office and spoke with him face-to-face.”

Danetta received her food.

“What did he say?” Ryla pressed. “Can he help you?”

She hesitated and then said, “He would like to help me, but he has to be out of town for the next week or so, and then he’s going to be bogged down with the work he’ll have to do for his new client.”

Talking between bites, Ryla said, “But he told you he’d make time for you, right?”

“Yeah, if I decide to go out of town with him. But I don’t think that’s a good idea.” Surry bit into her pineapples and watermelon, loving the refreshing taste of the fruit. She looked over and watched as her friends gorged on carbs and fat. It was almost too much for her to watch. She pointed at their plates. “If you keep eating like this, you’ll be too big to fit in the delivery room.”

“Hush up, Surry. Just let me enjoy this for a week or two.” Ryla inhaled more of her food and then added, “How many times in life does God bless us with excuses to eat like pigs? And anyway, you’re just trying to change the subject.”

“Yeah,” Danetta agreed, using her fork to point in Surry’s direction. “You’re attracted to Ian. That’s why you don’t want to go out of town with him.”

“Oh, please,” Surry scoffed. “Ian is the one with the attraction problem. But I have told him that I have no time in my life for a relationship.”

“Why don’t you make time, Surry? What is so wrong with sharing your life with a man who makes you happy?” Ryla asked.

“Marriage and kids is something the two of you wanted. But I’m not wired that way. I would sooner curl up with my pillow and the knowledge that my business is a success than waste time cultivating some relationship that’s doomed to fail from day one anyway.”

Shaking a finger at her, Danetta admonished, “Oh ye of little faith. How can you just count yourself out like that?”

“Or—” Ryla squinted as she stared at Surry “—maybe Surry is so attracted to Ian—I mean, who wouldn’t be, the man is gorgeous—that she can’t stand to be alone with him. She’d even risk losing the business she claims to love so much if it means that she has to be in the same room with Ian.”

“That’s not fair, Ryla. I would do anything to save my business. I’m just not so sure about Ian’s motives is all.”

“What do you care about his motives? If he makes a move, just tell him that you’re not interested and then accept all the help he can give you. This is about your business.” Ryla knocked on the table and then used her knuckles to place a few light taps on Surry’s head. “You know, the one that’s in trouble at the moment.”

“Bad press can do irreparable damage to a business, Surry. You don’t want this thing to linger,” Danetta said.

Ryla was right and so was Danetta. It was time for action. All Surry had ever wanted was her business, and now that it was being threatened, she needed to do whatever was necessary to save it. After all, if her business failed, there would be nothing else for her to fall back on. She wasn’t like her friends. She didn’t have a husband and children to look forward to.

All Surry had ever planned for was to be a success. She only hoped that in years to come, she wouldn’t look back and wonder if she’d made the right decision.

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