Page 2

Chapter two

One Year Earlier

“ P aris! Open up! Today’s the day! Setup for Touch a Heart Fest is about to begin!” Not even the devil himself could wipe the grin from Mya Jones’s face. Mya couldn’t sit still. The idea of helping others exhilarated her. It was one huge thing she and her best friend, Paris, had in common. She and Paris’s sister, Alli, stood in the hallway of the condos where Paris lived. Mya swayed as she waited for her bestie to answer the door. She held a bouquet of balloons in one hand and a carrier of coffee in the other. She nudged Alli, who hit the door buzzer again.

Alli frowned. “You think she’s still in bed?” Tapping her foot, she pressed the buzzer two more times.

“She’d better be in there,” replied Mya. “She took Mr. Radke and his family out to dinner last night to celebrate their son’s engagement.”

“Why’d she do that?” Alli asked, her brow furrowed.

“The Radke’s have been with us for years. Taking them out for dinner is Paris’s way of saying thanks, and a way to gain their son’s future business. His wedding will bring in boatloads of money for the company.”

“Does she do things like that often?”

“Yeah,” replied Mya. “She loves to schmooze her clients. She genuinely cares about them. While you were away during your freshman year of college, she helped find a bone marrow donor for the Makenzie’s daughter, Jenny. Your sister always goes the extra mile.”

“It sounds like it. Hopefully, one day, I’ll be as big of an asset to our family company as she is.”

“I’m sure you will,” said Mya. “I mean, you’ve been away for four years. Writing and hosting sommelier events are not the same as modeling and working in the mailroom. It’ll take some time to acclimate yourself, but Paris and I both know you’ll do well,” she smiled.

“Thanks,” said Alli. “It means a lot, knowing you’re backing me.”

“Always.” Turning back to the door, Mya blew her red chin-length hair away from her face. The balloons she held bobbed around, magnetizing her hair. “That girl’s too busy taking care of everyone else to take care of herself. You have the key, right? Should we go in?”

Alli nodded and pulled a key from her pocket. Bending toward the door, her shoulder-length black hair swung forward as she pushed it into the lock. She was about to turn the knob when the elevator dinged behind them. The girls turned to see who was approaching.

“Hey!” yelled Paris as she bounced out of the elevator. “What’s up?” She wore her wavy black hair in a high ponytail that cascaded down between her shoulder blades. Her well-toned body glistened with perspiration from the run she’d returned from, causing damp spots to show through on her black athletic top.

“Paris! You were supposed to sleep in,” said Mya. “You’re not getting enough sleep. You’ll end up rundown again.” She shook her head, recalling the many times through high school and college in which Paris tried to coerce her into joining in on her early morning run.

“I couldn’t sleep,” Paris said with a frown. “I’m too keyed up about today’s festival. Alli, open the door.” Alli swung the door open, and they proceeded inside.

“Here,” said Mya, who shoved the balloons toward Paris. “These are for you.”

Paris grabbed the balloons from her friend and smiled. “Thanks, Mya. You’re always so thoughtful. I heart you,” she said while making a heart with her hands. She placed the balloon bouquet on the breakfast bar and looked up at them. “ Good luck . I’ll say. We need to raise a lot of money today.”

“But first,” said Mya, “some coffee.” She held a cup out to Paris, who snatched it from her hand and inhaled deeply.

“Heavenly.” Closing her eyes, she exhaled. “There’s nothing like coffee from Java Dough to start the day off right.” Opening her eyes, she looked at Mya and Allie. “Ready to set up?” Paris turned toward her refrigerator and grabbed a paper from underneath a large magnetic picture of the three of them standing over a grill. The photo was from the first Touch a Heart Fest the previous year. They were now on the third event of its kind, and the attendance had more than tripled.

Letting out a yawn, Alli ambled over to the breakfast bar and grabbed a cup from the carrier. Reaching up, she bumped her glass to the side of her sister’s. “Ready as I’ll ever be.”

“I don’t feel like we’re ever ready for these events,” said Mya. “We barely finish one, and we’re on to planning the next. Don’t get me wrong, I love every moment,” she said. There was an amazing feeling that accompanied their work. They raised a lot of money for sick children, helping them get necessary surgeries. They also put together funds to fulfill the wishes of terminal patients.

Touch a Heart Fest was born after Paris helped the Makenzie’s daughter get her transplant and Paris realized how great it felt to help a family in need. Mya pushed Paris to run with her idea and Paris immediately pulled Mya and Vic aside to brainstorm ideas for the festival and what they’d do with the money they raised. When they brought it to the ADG board, they were thrilled to add a new charity event to their annual schedule. Paris and Vic always pitched in some of their own money to help, as did each of their parents and Vic’s uncle Cristo. It felt good to give back. The first festival was such a success that they decided to host it twice per year.

Paris looked down at the paper in her hand. “I’m ready, but you, my friend, are a perfectionist, so I imagine nothing ever feels quite finished,” she said pointedly. Perusing the sheet, she looked over the list of activities they needed to accomplish before the event opened that afternoon. “It’s ten minutes to nine right now. Vic assured me he, Brody, and Jack would meet us on the grounds at nine-thirty. Did you eat breakfast, Alli?” She and Mya were always looking out for her little sister. At twenty-two, Alli was five years younger than Paris and didn’t always think practically. Most often, her head was lost somewhere in the clouds, fantasizing about what her life would be like in the future. She loved life and didn’t have a care in the world. Paris wished she could be so free, but she also loved the structure and hard work she put into raising money for children in need.

Alli nodded. “Mya grabbed me a cinnamon raisin bagel.”

“Mya, you’re the best,” praised Paris. “Let’s go.” Turning on her heel, she headed back out the door with her sister and friend following closely behind.

At twelve-thirty, the festival grounds were in working order and ready for guests’ arrival. Paris and Vic were sure to include plenty of rides and games for the kids to take part in. They also hired several upscale food trucks to pull in some of the area’s local foodies. There was a tent for playing Bingo and a tent where a silent auction would take place. For those who enjoy a more formal meal, there would be a five-course meal in the park beneath the stars with a dance to follow. The event had something for everyone.

“What do you think?” Vic asked Paris. He and his cousin Breanna had finished hanging lights in the dance hall and were relaxing at one of the decorated tables.

“I think we did a great job,” said Breanna. She ran her fingers through her spiky blonde hair, now damp from the afternoon sun.

Paris nodded. “It looks gorgeous. I’m impressed with how quickly you got the job done.” As she scanned the area, Mya, Alli, Jack, and Breanna’s twin brother, Brody, approached the table.

“We made one last round, and I think everything’s in order. All vendors are accounted for. The auction’s ready to go. The rides have been tested and are in working order. We have garbage cans spaced appropriately throughout the grounds. The last of the porta-potties have been set up, and all the delivery trucks have left. Is there anything else you can think of that we may have missed?” asked Mya.

Paris checked over her list, and a frantic look crossed her face. “Did we disperse the ticket rolls to the ticket booths?”

“Done,” chimed Jack. He gave her a double thumbs-up.

Paris relaxed her tensed shoulders. “Thank you. For some reason, it’s not checked off my list.”

“No worries,” said Jack. “I saw the rolls sitting on the table in the auction tent, so I took care of them myself. I meant to tell you.”

“Nice work.” Paris had to stop herself from reaching out to muss his hair. He was still a child in her eyes. He was the youngest of the Alaries, and as such, he worked hard to prove his manliness and worth.

“I think we’re set,” said Vic, who had snagged a beer from one of the beverage booths. He cracked it open, took a long cool drink, then handed it to his little brother.

“Don’t give him that,” scolded Mya. “He’s not old enough.” She retrieved the beer from Jack’s hand and took a drink. “But it does taste good on such a hot day.” She handed it back to Vic.

“No more alcohol until this evening,” stated Paris. “We still have a lot to do. Now, let’s discuss work assignments. Your helpers will meet you at their assigned locations in fifteen minutes. Breanna, you and Jack will be running the bar by the dance hall. Brody, you’re, of course, in charge of photographing the event. Mya, you keep the entertainment stage on track. Alli, you’re hosting the wine bar and tasting from two until six in the dance hall. Vic and I will greet guests and make sure they donate to the cause. Here are your walkie-talkies in case you need anything. This is how we’ll maintain contact this evening. Our parents will come in and alternate with us on and off for breaks as the night goes on. Let’s all put our hands in,” Paris requested with excitement. “Vic, you do the honors.”

The group placed their hands on top of each other, and Vic grinned. “Here’s to success! Now, let’s go make some money!” The group broke away, and he turned to Paris. “How do you feel?” he asked. He stood at an even six feet tall. He was muscular and had a rugged charm about him. His wavy brown hair hung in his piercing blue eyes as he took her in.

“Good,” she replied, then off-handedly, “You should have cut your hair. It’s weird seeing it this long.”

Vic pinched his chin. Nodding, he pushed his hair back.

Paris stifled a laugh as she watched him. “I think this’ll be the best Touch a Heart Fest yet.”

“You’ve done an awesome job.”

“You too. When it comes to charity, we work well together, don’t we?”

“Charity does that,” he said with a smile. “I’m sure we’ll be back to our regular selves tomorrow.”

“That’s too bad,” said Paris. “I kind of like this side of you.”

“Don’t get used to it,” he teased. He handed the remainder of the beer to Paris and then reached out his other hand and pulled her to her feet. “Shall we?”

Paris took a swig of the celebratory beer, and linking her arm with Vic’s, she allowed him to lead her out of the dance hall. It was time to change into their evening attire and move on to phase two.

Several hours later, the party was in full swing. Paris looked out over the crowded dance hall and watched as her little sister and her helper, Val, poured wine for twenty people. Alli was an amazing sommelier. Her food and wine pairings came together as if by magic. At only twenty-two, she was truly gifted, and people from all over came to her wine events at ADG.

Paris walked across the room toward the wine bar, her flowing lavender Chanel dress swishing in the cool evening breeze, the scent of roses from the nearby gardens tickling her nose. She was in her element.

“Paris, lovely to see you this evening,” said a middle-aged gentleman with dark-rimmed glasses. “Have you come to taste some wine with us?”

“No, Devon, not tonight.” She winked at the poker celebrity and his new wife. “I have to keep my head about myself, as there’s still a good portion of the evening to go. Is Alli taking excellent care of you?”

He nodded in return. “She always does.”

Paris turned toward Alli. Her sister joyfully interacted with her guests as she poured the tasting glasses for one of their newest dessert wines, which she was serving with a cinnamon truffle. As she finished the final pour, she turned away from the group. Paris moved toward her. “Are you okay?” she whispered.

“Not really,” said Alli. Her face took on a green hue as she grasped her stomach. “I think I might be sick.” Turning away, she made a mad dash for the condo.

Val’s eyes widened, and she motioned for Paris to follow. The group was so busy

discussing the wine and truffle pairing that they hadn’t noticed Alli’s spontaneous disappearance from the tent. Paris hurried after her sister. She marched through the door to the condo and headed for the common bathroom in the entryway. Pushing the door open, she could hear the agonizing sound of her sister’s retching.

“Alli, are you okay? What’s going on?”

Alli let out a groan. “Just give me a minute. I’ll be fine.”

“Are you drunk?” demanded Paris. “I told you not to drink at these events. It makes you look bad. You need to be professional at all times,” she scolded.

“I’m not drunk,” replied Alli. “Please stop.”

Paris frowned. “You’re not drunk? Really? You’re bent over the toilet doing what then? This is just like last year at the Food and Wine Festival, when you couldn’t hold your liquor, and I had to take over the tasting for you. How can you be so careless?” she demanded. As she waited for an answer, Brody strutted into the bathroom, as if he belonged there.

Alli and Brody had been dating for three years and were nearly inseparable. He was a kind sweetheart who was madly in love with Paris’s sister. He looked like a surfer, with his pierced ears and sun-bleached hair fastened behind his head. He was fit and well-tanned and stood nearly three inches taller than his cousin Vic. Everyone loved Brody for his great sense of humor and gentle demeanor. He was one of the good guys, sweeping in to rescue Alli as usual.

“What are you doing here?” asked Paris.

“Alli, I’m here. What do you need? Are you okay?” asked Brody. Squinting his deep brown eyes, he leaned his head against the stall door as if to hear better.

“She’s definitely not okay,” replied Paris. “I think she’s intoxicated.”

“Alli, you haven’t been drinking, have you?” he asked.

“No! I haven’t. Tell my sister to butt out!”

“What’s going on?” asked Paris.

“I radioed and asked him to meet me,” said Alli. “Just go away, Paris.”

Brody turned to look at Paris, his smile flatlined. “She’s pregnant,” he whispered.

“Don’t tell her that! Why’d you tell her, Brody?”

“What?” Paris’s face paled and her stomach gurgled. “How?”

“Well, I’m assuming it happened like it usually does. Boy meets girl, boy and girl sleep together, baby comes out nine months later,” Brody replied evenly.

Turning away from Brody, Paris addressed Alli. “Mom and Dad are going to flip. Why didn’t you tell anyone?”

“I did tell someone. I told Brody last night.”

“Last night? You only found out LAST night?” she asked. “Alli, you’re so irresponsible. Think of what this will do to your career. You’re a wine savant. You taste wines as part of your job. How can you do that if you’re pregnant?”

“Well, Paris, I guess I’m now useless to you,” she said as she shoved open the door and emerged from the stall. Turning to Brody, she said, “Let’s go. I need some food, and clearly, my sister’s not in a supportive mood.” Turning, she pulled Brody toward the door.

“Alli, wait!” called Paris. “We’ll figure this out. Please come back.”

Frowning, Brody looked at Paris and shook his head as he allowed Alli to lead him away. “We can discuss this more later,” he said. “I’m sure she’ll calm down once she’s eaten.”

“Please, Alli, don’t go. I’m concerned, and I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you!” yelled Paris.

Pausing in the doorway, Alli pointed an angry finger at her sister. “Go deal with your event, Paris. My life decisions are no longer of any concern to you.”

Fifteen minutes had passed since the blowout with Paris. Brody and Alli were cruising down the highway with the top down in Brody’s black Miata.

“I love this time of year,” said Alli. Flores in the spring is perfect. Eighty during the day, sixty at night. I wish it could stay like this always,” she said.

“Are you okay?” he asked. “I hate that you and Paris are fighting. You know she’s just worried about you and the news caught her off guard. She tends to overreact when she’s stressed. This event isn’t exactly stress free.”

“I know, but she needs to take a chill pill,” replied Alli. “It’s not like I can take this situation back. We’re having a baby either way, right?”

“Yeah, we are.” He replied contentedly. “Do you still want to move to Las Vegas?”

“Not anymore. Flores is much safer and less criminal.”

“Criminal?” asked Brody.

“Well, you know, Sin City.” She laughed.

“True. I always thought Flores was a great town to raise children in. Besides, all of our family’s here. Maybe down the road, we can revisit the concept of living in Lake Meade or Henderson, but right now, the commute doesn’t sound too great, with a little one on the way.”

“Totally agree with you,” she replied as the car began to shake.

“Hold on,” said Brody, his face wrinkling in concentration. “I think we may have blown a tire.” He slowly eased the car onto the shoulder for inspection. Hopping out, he ran around to the passenger side to take a look. “Yep, back tire’s f’d. We’ll have to call for assistance. This car doesn’t come with a spare.”

Alli sat in the passenger seat, humming to herself as she watched the traffic go by.

Hanging up the phone, Brody climbed back into the car and sat down. “It’ll be at least half an hour. This isn’t how I pictured the night going.” Shifting his body so that he was looking at her, he grabbed her hands in his. “I love you, Alli. Everything will be okay. You’ll see. Paris will come around, and your parents will be excited to meet their first grandchild.”

“You’re amazing,” she said, looking into his eyes. “You always know just what to say. How do you do that?”

“It’s a gift.” He looked at her adoringly.

“You make every day feel special. As long as we’re together, and our baby is born healthy, what more could I want?” she asked.

“How about a little heat and passion?” He flashed her his most charming smile.

“Well, that goes without saying,” she replied as she gently touched his face.

Unable to contain their excitement as they waited for roadside assistance, they held each other close, kissing and basking in the warmth of their blossoming future.

Coming up for air, Alli noticed a buzzing sound emitting from her purse. “Hold on a second,” she told Brody. Pulling the phone out, she saw it was Mya. “Hello?”

“Hi. Paris told me what happened. Are you okay?”

“Yeah. I’ll be fine,” she said.

“I don’t think she meant to hurt you,” said Mya. “You know Paris.”

“Yeah. I know Paris. I love her, but she can be so maddening at times.” She hated fighting with her sister. Why couldn’t they get along?

“She’s going to call you later. Please talk to her. You’re the only sister she’s got. You need to work through this and forgive her for her dramatic reaction,” said Mya.

“I tell you what. If Paris calls, I promise to apologize and forgive her. I know in the end she means well. By the way, Mya, what do you think about our news?”

“Oh, Alli, congratulations. I’m happy for you both,” said Mya. “You’ll be a wonderful—”

“Hold on, Mya. We blew a tire and are waiting for roadside assistance. I think they might be here. Give me a sec?” she requested, pulling away from the receiver. “Brody, is that them?” she pointed toward a set of bright headlights heading toward the shoulder.

Brody, turning, saw the lights and realized they were coming way too fast. “Oh, my God!” he yelled as he laid on the Miata’s horn.

Alli could hear Mya screaming through the receiver, but she was frozen in place. Brody fumbled for his keys as he continued to slam on the horn. Awakening, the driver jammed on his brakes, causing the metal beast to emit an angry groan. The smell of burning rubber filled the air. Alli knew it was too late. Everything was moving in slow motion. As the truck collided with the Miata, Alli’s phone was ejected from her hand, and the sensation of being airborne took over.

On the line, Mya could hear a horn and then high-pitched screaming that sounded like her friend, followed by crunching metal and the loud screeching of brakes. The screaming stopped, and there was a brief crackling sound. Panicking, Mya yelled Alli’s name, but there was no answer. Dizziness flooded her head as she fought to slow her breathing. Hanging up, she dialed 9-1-1.