Loman: Foster’s Pride – Lion Shapeshifter Romance Read online

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locations, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  World Castle Publishing, LLC

  Pensacola, Florida

  Copyright © Kathi S. Barton 2023

  Hardback ISBN: 9798379104245

  Paperback ISBN: 9781960076366

  eBook ISBN: 9781960076373

  First Edition World Castle Publishing, LLC, February 27, 2023

  http://www.worldcastlepublishing.com

  Licensing Notes

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in articles and reviews.

  Cover: Karen Fuller

  Editor: Maxine Bringenberg

  Prologue

  Allen wished that he’d screened this call before he answered his phone. But he’d been counting the money that he’d be getting soon and forgot that he was avoiding bill collectors in addition to anyone else that called in. Mr. Foster was telling him things he didn’t want to hear. Not that he thought that the man was right about his brother dropping out of the gallery show, but he knew when to talk and when to shut up about such matters.

  Loman Foster, photographer extraordinaire, was his ticket to making a big windfall. Not that the kid would see much of it, but Allen didn’t care about him. Once he got him to send him the pretty pictures he took, it would be a walk in the park for him to be a millionaire several times over. The kid was famous, and that was just what Allen needed. He remembered then that he was on the phone with his brother. Christ, didn’t anyone care that he was a busy man? Apparently not.

  “I have the contract right here. That’s all I need to own that brother of yours if he doesn’t come through like he said he would.” The man, he thought he said his name was Keegan, asked him if it had been signed. “It’s a verbal agreement that your brother and I have. He’ll be bringing me photos, or you’ll be holding the bag on this. I won’t be messed around with on this. He said he’d bring them to me, and that’s what I’m going to be holding him to.”

  Allen didn’t know what that meant even to his own ears, and it bothered him that the man was laughing. While he didn’t mind a good joke when it was about someone else, he couldn’t stand the fact that this man was laughing at him.

  “Where is that brother of yours anyway? I have a good mind to call him up right now and tell him how you’re treating me. I don’t care if you are his brother. I can tell you right now he won’t care for the treatment I’m getting from you. This is a respectable gallery, and I won’t allow him to back out of a good thing for the two of us. I hate to use a threat, but I’ll ruin him if he doesn’t come through like he said he would.” Allen waved his daughter off when she simply barged into his office. He hated that she came into the office without so much as a knock. Keegan was talking, and he realized he had missed some of what he’d said. “What is it you’re going on about?”

  “I said that my brother has been trying to reach you for the last several weeks. Then when he leaves you a message, you call back at an ungodly hour and talk about how the show is going to be fantastic. You should go ahead and call him. He can tell you the same thing that—”

  Andi reached over his phone and put it on speaker. Christ, there were times when he hated her. Like right now. She was talking to Keegan like she’d been speaking to him all along. After telling the man her name, she also told him she was the daughter of the asshole he’d been talking to. Keegan, or whatever his name was, told Andi that his brother wasn’t going to be in the show.

  “I can understand your hesitation, Mr. Foster. But we have spent a great deal of money advertising this showing for him. The least he could do is give us a good reason for not showing.” Keegan told her that he’d found out from a good source that her father was skimming the sales for his own. Andi looked at her father. “I’m assuming that you have proof of this?”

  “I do. Even if I didn’t, it won’t generate you much in the way of patrons out there when they hear it too. According to the things that I’ve heard from a very reliable source, he plans on ruining my brother by making sure that it’s a terrible showing. That’s a threat that I don’t think your firm can stand by. You should ask your father, Ms. Allen, how much he’s spent advertising for the show. I’ve been looking through all art and gallery magazines that I can think about, and there is not one mention of Loman’s show coming up. Nor is there a word about it on the internet that I can find. Anywhere.”

  “I see.” Andi asked Keegan if she could call him back. “I have to speak to my father about this. If what you say is true, and knowing my father the way I do, I don’t doubt you. I’d say that your brother is right for pulling out. I’ll give you a call back when I have more information to give you.”

  When the call was disconnected, he asked Andi why she’d said those things about him. She told him that they were true and that Loman was right in saying no. Allen stood up and then sat down. He hated that his daughters were taller than him by a good foot.

  “How the hell do you know what I’ve done or not?” She told him that the checking account was overdrawn by thousands of dollars and that she had come here to talk to him about it. “So? Why do you think I’m pushing to have this showing so badly? You just ruined it all by sticking your nose in where it doesn’t concern you. You’re just like your sister and mother. You are Nosey as hell and not at all as smart as you think you are. Now I don’t know that I’m going to be meeting payroll on time.”

  “Oh, but you will now, father. I found your banking information and took care that everyone gets paid. Imagine our surprise when there were several accounts with your name on them that you’ve been stashing cash in. Cash that didn’t belong to you.” Allen told her to put his money back. “I won’t. And so you know, mother knows too. She’s on her way in here now.”

  “You told your mother? Why would you do that to me? I’m your daddy, darling, and now you’re going to be making trouble for me. Tell her that you were joking.” Andi just sat there, and he heard his wife when she got off the elevator. “See that you take care of this, Andi. I won’t have you ruining me when your mother thinks so highly of me. You know that she does too. Just the other day, we were talking about a second—” His wife came into the room. She looked like she could spit fire at him.

  “Highly of you? Not on your life, you big overgrown moron. Christ, when I think about the things that I’ve had to do to keep this family in a home, all I want to do is hire someone to take you out.” Meggie kissed Andi on the head, thanking her for giving her the information. Then she stared on him again. “Allen, we’ve been married for thirty-one years, and you’ve not changed one bit. Still out for a fast buck at someone else’s expense. Well, you’ve gone too far this time. My father built this place up by having showings in his own home. And now look what you’ve done to it. We’re reduced to having clients, good men and women that are trying to make a living out of their art leave us even before you’ve gotten around to taking all their money.”

  “It’s just a little misunderstanding, Meggie. I would never take all their money.” He had hoped that she’d not notice that he’d said not all of their money. But Andi did. She pointed it out to her mom. “Damn it. Why are you two even here today? I have things going on, and I want you two to get out of my office and leave me to my work.”

  “It was your office, Allen. Now it’s mine and my daughters. We’re taking over.” Allen told her that she couldn’t do that. “Of course, I can. And I am. Here is a copy of the paperwork you signed before we were married. Also, I’m thrilled to be able to tell you that I’m divorcing you. As of right now.”

  A thick file landed on the desk just as four men in security shirts entered his office. When they asked him how he wanted to be escorted out, he just stared at them. What the hell was going on with his wife and daughters today? There was no way that they could simply push him out of his job, one that he’d been doing for decades without any kind of trouble.

  Once he was out on the sidewalk, after having been dragged to the elevator and then out of it. They had even dragged him through the lobby and out of the door before releasing him. He tried to get back into the building only to be told that if he entered again, he’d be arrested. Christ, this was a nightmare. He had things in his office that were stashed for him. Money being the biggest thing. Then he saw his other daughter coming toward him.

  “Lindsley, your mother just tossed me out of the building like I’ve not been working there for most of my life.” Lindsley just stared at him. “You have to get me inside. They’re going to mess things up for the business, and what would your grandda say about that? He’d be livid. That’s what he’d be. Get me inside, and I’ll make sure that you have a job working with me for the rest of your life.”

  “How much will you pay me?” He asked her what she was talking about. “How much will you pay me for working for you for the rest of my life? I think that’s a good question. Since you’ve never paid me for working for you when I was a child. How much, dad?”

  “I’ve not thought about paying you at
all. The business is heavily in debt, and people are already leaving because they found out that your mother is going to be in charge.” She just stared at him. “What is wrong with you? You’re acting like this isn’t any of your problem. Well, it is. Who will pay your rent for you when I’m not working? Who is going to be able to get you the best gifts when Christmas rolls around? It’s always me.”

  “First of all, I know that mom is divorcing you. I’m the one that talked her into it. Secondly, the business isn’t in heavy debt because Andi found out where you were stashing money and took it all back so that the business could come out on top. Thirdly, and this one is one I think you should think about really hard, Dad, you’re a thief. Not only that, but you’re an asshole that hasn’t paid any mind to any of us since you’ve been sponging off the gallery.” Allen told her that she was ungrateful. “Am I? You’ve not a clue about anything about Andi and me. Nothing. Both of us have been out on our own for a very long time. I’ve been paying my own house payment for the last five years. I own my own car. Have adult credit cards as well as I haven’t gotten anything from you for Christmas or my birthday in the last ten years. Andi either, for that matter.”

  “That would be your mother’s fault. She never told me the dates or reminded me to send them to you.” She pointed out that Christmas was the exact same time it was every year, December twenty-fifth. “I know when that is. I meant your birthday.”

  Lindsley reached for the door handle, and he moved closer to her to get in. Instead of opening the door for herself so he could sneak in, she told him to back off. He couldn’t believe his own flesh and blood was treating him like this and told her that.

  “It’s only convenient for you to remember that we’re related when you want something from me, isn’t it? Is there anything else, dad? I mean, do you have anything else to tell me before I have you arrested for trespassing?” He told her that she was an ungrateful child. “To you, perhaps. But Andi and I are going to be taking care of the business with mom from now on, and you’re going to be out on the streets. As it so happens, my job here is finished with you. I was told to delay you until the locks were changed on the house that you used to share with mom. Also, the car that brought you to work this morning is no longer anything that you’re going to be able to use.”

  Allen was still standing there when he realized his daughter had gone into the building without him. He couldn’t understand why they were all of a sudden treating him like this. Then he thought about the things that his wife and daughters had said to him over the course of the last few months.

  He realized then that not only had they told him that he was going to be leaving the company, but now that he thought about it, they had even given him the date that he was going to be out on his ass. Damn it all to hell and back. Had he paid attention, he would have been able to put himself some cash away that he could get to so that he could ride out this shit storm that his wife was making for him. Allen wasn’t worried about it, however. He knew that she’d be taking him back soon enough. She was just pissed off right now, and he’d be able to sweet talk her into letting him go back to the way things were before soon enough.

  There wasn’t any way that she’d be able to run his company without him. Walking to a hotel, glad now that no one had bothered to take his company credit cards from him when he’d been given the boot. He’s show them.

  Right then, Allen decided to splurge on the best hotel he could go to and have room service bring him the finest steaks in the land. Waiting in line at the counter to get a room for the next few weeks, he was actually giddy with the prospect of hitting the business with a huge bill right now.

  “My name is Allen Benson, and I’d like a room for the next week or so.” The man told him the price, and he didn’t even flinch at the ungodly amount of money that it was going to cost the gallery. “I’d also like to have dinner brought up to me as soon as possible. Steak and all the trimmings. And a bottle of the best wine you can find.”

  The man said nothing, but then Allen wasn’t paying attention to him as he was thinking about his wife’s face when she got the bill. As his credit card was handed back to him, he smiled at the clerk. Telling him to have a nice day.

  “I’m sorry, sir, but your card has been denied. Do you have another form of payment?” Allen pulled out the other cards that he had in his wallet, pissed off now that he’d been embarrassed because of his own family. Every card in his wallet was denied. “Do you have cash?”

  “No, I don’t have any cash on me. Christ, just send the bill to my office.” The man simply lifted his nose at him. “I don’t have time for you to be messing around with me today, buddy. Just charge the room and dinner to my business. You’ve done it before.”

  “I have, sir. But your wife called here last week and told us you’d be trying to do what you’ve done and said you’re on your own. I didn’t realize what she meant until your cards were denied. If you’d not mind, sir, I think that it’s time that you were gone from here. We’re a well thought of establishment, and riff-raff like you aren’t the clientele we want here.” He started to protest, but the man snapped his fingers, and three big men in security shirts showed up. “Now, as you’ve been told before, you can leave the easy way or the hard way. It’s entirely up to you.”

  He left. Christ, what the hell was his family thinking when they took everything away from him. He was going to make them pay when he got back in business. He wasn’t going to forgive them for some time, either. Damned family. He wondered not for the first time why he’d even claimed them as his own.

  ~*~

  Sarah worked the line of food alongside of her mate, Cass, while they served up Christmas dinner for the townspeople. She’d had a feeling that something was going to happen, but she just couldn’t put her finger on what it was. Even reaching out to put her hands on some of the people in the room didn’t make her feel any less anxious about her feelings.

  “You should know that people are beginning to think you’re pissed off at them. You have that look on your face that isn’t all that friendly. I think you’ve even scared a couple of children with your look.” Sarah looked at Cass and frowned. “I’m assuming this has something to do with what you were telling me about when we were home. That feeling you had of foreboding.”

  “Yes. Something is going to happen. I don’t know if it’s good or bad, but I just can’t shake the feelings. It’s more than likely nothing to worry about, but I can’t shake that feeling.” He asked her if he could help her. “Yes. Can you just gently reach out and see what you can find on what people are thinking about?”

  He did just that. Telling her what each person was thinking as he went around the room as he continued to serve up the food with a smile. Sarah was ready to tell him to stop when he paused. Sarah asked him what was going on. He told her just to give him a second, and he’d tell her. Right now, he was getting more information to see what exactly was going on. With a glance, he nodded toward the doorway.

  “See the three women that are over there by the door? The ones that are just sitting there and looking around?” She nodded. “They’re the Benson women. The ones that Loman and the others were talking about last night that own the gallery that he wasn’t going to be a part of when the mister was involved.”

  “Yes, they have the gallery that he’s thinking about helping out because they’ve fired the dad or something. What’s going on?” He asked if he told her if she would do as he asked. “I think you know the answer to that even before you asked me. What’s going on?”

  “Mr. Benson is here as well. He is not in the building, but he’s close enough to being around that they’re a little afraid to leave the building, with good reason. While they don’t think he’ll hurt anyone else around, they’re afraid that if they go out the door, he’ll cause trouble, and someone will get hurt. He’s upset that they have taken away his money maker. They don’t want anything to happen to anyone here. They’re very afraid that he’ll ruin the day for a great many people here.” She asked him if he knew where Mr. Benson was. “No, not yet. I don’t know him well enough to know his mind. I can only assume that he’s close like they fear he is. Since you won’t go someplace safe, tell me what you’re thinking about doing to keep this from being messy.”