“First things first,” Ivana said. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have left the way I did. And not contacting you for three years is unacceptable.”
“I agree. If not for your sister, I wouldn’t have known you were even alive.”
Ivana winced at the hurt in Lilo’s voice. “Sienna was the only person back home I kept in contact with,” she said.
“I’m waiting for you to get to the why? Why did you leave the way you did? And why did you stay gone for so long?”
“The why is…it’s complicated.”
“That’s a Facebook relationship status, not an answer.”
“It’s the only answer I have.” Ivana stretched her arms out. “I cracked under the pressure. That’s all I can say. Everything seemed to be happening so rapidly.”
“You’d been engaged for nearly two years, Ivana. There was nothing rapid about that.”
“I know.” She blew out a breath. “But it felt that way.” She looked her friend in the eyes and hoped her sincerity came across. “But that had nothing to do with you. I just felt…ashamed. I kept in touch with Sienna because she was the only person I felt I could talk to without being judged.” She held up a hand. “That’s not entirely true. I knew for a fact that Sienna would most certainly judge me by my actions, but she would also forgive me without question.”
“I may not be your sister by blood, but you were always the closest thing I ever had to one,” Lilo said. “It cut me up inside that you left the way you did.”
Ivana fought through a debilitating ache in her throat as she tried to swallow past the emotion clogging it. What could she possibly say to make up for the horrible way she’d treated someone who’d meant so much to her? She knew it had been cowardly to leave the way she had, but it wasn’t until this very moment that she recognized just how astoundingly selfish it had been.
“There’s nothing I can say to make up for it,” Ivana said. “But I truly am sorry.”
Lilo took another sip of her tea and looked out over the flower garden. “How long are you here for?” she asked.
“I’m not entirely sure, but at least six more weeks.”
She nodded. “Do you think you can spare some time during these six weeks to get to know Elsie a little better? I’ve told her a lot about her Auntie Ivana. I’d like her to get to know you.”
Ivana’s heart filled to the point of nearly bursting.
“Yes,” she said, her voice breaking yet again. “I would love that.”
“Good, because I need a babysitter next week,” Lilo said with a laugh.
Ivana joined in with her. “I’m happy to volunteer.”
She’d been so afraid that she’d irreparably damaged her relationship with her best friend. Lilo had every right to send her away without giving her a moment to speak, yet she’d welcomed her back with open arms and a tall glass of lavender-honey iced tea.
But wasn’t this what true friendship was all about? No matter how big the storm, or who had brought the troubling winds in, true friends were able to weather it.
Maybe a permanent move back home wasn’t outside the realm of possibility. She had close friends she could count on to be there for her, even if she didn’t necessarily deserve their loyalty. She had family who loved her—although she sometimes questioned that when it came to Sylvia. But her sister and brother-in-law did. So did the Holmes family. She was surrounded by love.
If she could somehow learn to manage the pain she experienced every time she saw Jonathan, maybe she could live in this city of her heart once again.
“Turn around. Just turn. Just turn the hell back.”
Jonathan mumbled the words over and over again, but for some reason he’d probably question way too much over the next month, year, lifetime, he continued to drive. Instead of turning around and going back to his office, he pulled up to a parking meter a block away from Sylvia Culpepper’s French Quarter shop. He opened the parking app on his phone and bought himself twenty minutes of parking time. What he had to do shouldn’t take any longer than that. He wouldn’t allow it to take any longer than that.
He had a simple yes or no question for Ivana. He would await her simple yes or no answer. And then he would leave.
He still wasn’t sure which answer he wanted from her. It would no doubt be better for his peace of mind if she answered with a flat out no. If that were the case, he could go back to his office, put her out of his head, and reclaim the life he’d managed to create for himself after she left.
If she answered yes…
Well, that opened up possibilities he didn’t want to contemplate right now. Yet, he needed her to answer yes. Because this was no longer about him and what would make his life less complicated. It was about helping to right a wrong currently being unleashed upon this city’s most vulnerable residents.
Over the past week Jonathan had become obsessed with researching this country’s immigration system and trying to come up with a way to help families like Nicolas’s. There were so many confounding layers to it. Something had to be done.
But he couldn’t do it alone. He had a law practice to run, with long-standing clients who paid him extremely handsome retainers and expected him to handle their work in a timely manner. He was also at the helm of one very successful nightclub, and trying to get another still in its infancy stages off the ground.
But like a dog with a damn bone, Jonathan could not let this go. The deeper he delved into Javier Moreno’s situation, the more aware he became of the problem so many of the hardworking people in this community faced. And it sickened him.
On any given day, Jonathan would admit to being an arrogant bastard, but even he wasn’t cocky enough to think he knew enough to tackle this issue. There were a number of brilliant legal experts out there, like Serena Dayton, who had been navigating the murky waters of immigration law for years. He would leave the heavy lifting to the professionals.
But that didn’t mean he had to sit around twiddling his thumbs. The more he researched, the more issues he’d discovered outside of the courtroom that those seeking citizenship must face. He could figure out a way to assist people with those issues. Well, Campbell & Holmes could figure it out, if they hired an intelligent temporary employee with a penchant for wanting to help people.
He stared at the turquoise sign hanging perpendicular above the door.
“There has to be someone else who can do this,” Jonathan muttered.
But he knew there wasn’t another soul on this earth who would attack this matter with the heart, determination and compassion that Ivana would. Her sole purpose in life was to fight for those in need of help. If Campbell & Holmes provided her with the tools and support she needed, Ivana would come up with a program that could potentially aid dozens, if not hundreds, of hardworking, dedicated people who were just trying to make a better life for themselves and their families. He had to put aside his personal feelings. This was too important to allow anything to get in the way of it.
He opened the door, the bell above it signaling his arrival.
If anyone had bet him that he would enter Sylvia Culpepper’s French Quarter tourist shop twice within a two-day timeframe, Jonathan would have been on the losing end of that bet. That’s why he didn’t gamble. Because two days ago, just the thought of doing what he was about to do would have had him packing his bags and leaving town.
A short woman with a curly, two-inch afro and bright pink glasses smiled at him from behind the counter. “Welcome to Sylvia’s Treasures, may I help you?”
“I’m looking for Ivana,” Jonathan said.
“Are you now?”
He pivoted. He hadn’t noticed Sylvia over in the far right corner of the store when he’d entered.
“Hello, Sylvia,” Jonathan said.
“So, are you and Ivana a thing again?” she asked.
“I just need to speak with her,” Jonathan said. “It’s pertaining to my law practice.”
“Is this about that little redheaded friend she
brought back with her from Haiti? I thought he would be gone by now.” She sucked her teeth. “Personally, I think she needs to crawl to you on her hands and knees and beg you to take her back.”
Most men would be flattered by a mother-in-law who did her best to ingratiate herself to them, but not Jonathan. When he compared the way Sylvia treated him to the way she treated her own daughter, it did nothing but piss him off.
“Is Ivana in the back?” he asked, gesturing with his head toward the storeroom.
“She’s at Sienna’s,” Sylvia said before turning back to the scarves she’d been hanging on a circular rack.
“Thank you.” He immediately left the store. He had no desire to spend any more time with Sylvia Culpepper than necessary.
He drove straight to Sienna and Toby’s, but once there, discovered that no one was home. He called Toby, who was currently in Houston auditioning opening acts for Aria Jordan’s upcoming European concert tour. The last Toby had heard from Sienna, she and Ivana were enjoying a brunch of homemade Grand Marnier French toast and mimosas.
Jonathan doubted they were both passed out drunk from one too many mimosas, which meant they’d taken off somewhere. He texted Sienna, but didn’t receive a reply.
A sensation that felt both heavy and light tumbled around in his gut as he pulled up Ivana’s number in his phone’s contacts list. He’d stored it under Indigo, the title of one of her favorite novels, because at one time he couldn’t bear to even see Ivana’s name. Yet, he couldn’t bring himself to delete her from his phone either.
He started to text her, but then stopped. He didn’t even know if this was still her correct number.
Jonathan pressed the back of his head against the headrest and closed his eyes tight, disgust and disbelief plunging him into an instant state of turmoil. This was the woman he’d planned to spend the rest of his life with. How had they gotten to the point where he didn’t even know her fucking phone number?
Because she’d left him, that’s how. He’d been prepared to give her the world, and she’d tossed it in his face with her last-minute ditch.
Familiar pain sliced across his chest.
God, what was he doing here? How had he thought for even a minute that he could invite Ivana into his world again? Even if it was just temporary, he would be a fool to purposely put himself through that kind of pain.
Jonathan revved up the ignition and shifted it into reverse. But just as he started to back out of Toby’s driveway, a taupe SUV turned in, pulling up alongside his Tesla. Ivana’s eyes widened as she looked at him from the passenger seat.
“Well, hell,” Jonathan muttered. If he’d had his revelation just two minutes earlier he would have made a clean getaway.
He shut the car off and got out. Ivana remained in the SUV, but Sienna had already rounded the front bumper by the time Jonathan reached her.
“Hey,” she greeted, wrapping him up in a quick hug. “What are you doing here on a Thursday afternoon?”
“Did you get my text?” Jonathan asked.
She looked down at her phone. “I had it on ‘Do Not Disturb’ while we were in the movies, so Toby and the kids’ daycare are the only numbers that could get through. Sorry about that.”
“The movies? Who goes to the movies on a Thursday afternoon?”
“Someone who’s about to return to work after months of maternity leave,” she said with a laugh. “I’m trying to squeeze in all the things I won’t be able to do once I’m back at the nine-to-five. So, what’s up?”
The passenger side door opened and Ivana climbed down from the SUV’s high front seat.
“I…umm…needed to speak with Ivana,” Jonathan said.
Sienna’s brows spiked, her eyes wide and curious. “Really? Well, okay, then,” she said. “I’ll just leave you two alone while I get this ice cream into the freezer.”
Apprehension radiated from Ivana as she approached him, her brown eyes teeming with unease.
“You need to speak with me?” she asked.
Jonathan knew her well enough to not be fooled by her taciturn demeanor. She put on a brave, reserved front, but he heard the tremulous quiver in her voice.
“Yes, I wanted to talk to you about something.” As opposed to talking to her about nothing? Shit, he needed to get it together. “I have a job offer for you,” he said, deciding to get right to the heart of the matter.
Her head jerked back in surprise.
“It’s not a typical job,” he continued. Jonathan held his hands up. “Let me start over.” He rested his backside against Sienna’s SUV and tucked his hands in his pockets. “A couple of days ago, an issue came to my attention and I haven’t been able to get it out of my head. In a roundabout way, you and your friend Angus are the reason it landed on my radar.”
“What are you talking about, Jonathan?”
Without going into too much detail, he gave her a brief overview of the situation with Nicolas’s uncle.
“This is ten times more complicated than Angus’s dilemma, so I didn’t even attempt to help Javier with any of the legal issues. There are lawyers far more qualified to do that than I am. But there are other things that can benefit those going through the immigration process. I want to design a program to aid those seeking citizenship—specifically those who came here to help rebuild the city after Hurricane Katrina and are now living in the shadows because they’re afraid they’ll be deported if they speak up.”
She shook her head. “I know less about the immigration system than you do. That’s why I came to you with Angus’s problem in the first place.”
“You were under an extreme time crunch with Angus’s problem.” He paused. “Actually, Javier Moreno is under a time crunch too, but I’m hoping the same friend who helped Angus will be able to help Javier.
“What I’d like you to do is research ways to help those who have been here for over a decade, and who want and deserve to stay, but don’t know how to go about making that happen. There are organizations out there doing great work, but from what I see there are still gaps. I want to find better ways to fill in those gaps.”
“So, why me?”
“Because you’ve spent your adult life helping people. I don’t have time to create the kind of program I’m hoping to build. I need someone who’s smart, someone who would approach this with the kind of compassion and understanding people in this situation need.” He paused for a moment and swallowed deeply before he continued. “I need you, Ivana.
“To set up this program,” he quickly added. He needed to make sure she didn’t read anything more into his offer. This was temporary employment, nothing more.
Jonathan pushed up from where he’d been leaning on the car. “It’s better than working in your mother’s tourist shop. You’ll be doing something worthwhile that has the potential to help hundreds of people.”
“I—” She folded her arms over her front, cradling her elbows in her palms.
“I know you’re leaving,” Jonathan said before she could bring it up as a concern. “Once the program is in place, I’ll look into hiring someone to handle the day-to-day operations. I just need to have something in place for them to run before I hire them to actually run it.”
Jonathan watched as the emotions played across her face. Curiosity, apprehension and finally, resignation.
With sadness in her eyes, she shook her head and said, “I’m not sure this is a good idea.”
Even though he’d expected it—had prepared for it—her rejection still stung, its after effects leaving a bitter, familiar taste in his mouth. He’d been on the receiving end of her rejection before; he should be used to it.
“I just—” she started, but he cut her off.
“No. That’s okay,” Jonathan said. “No explanation necessary. You’re right. I’ll find someone else to do it.”
“Jonathan—”
He pushed away from the SUV and got into his car, slamming the door of the $100,000 vehicle before the automatic door-closing system coul
d engage. He shoved his foot against the break, turning the car on, and backed out of the driveway. He refused to look at her.
This was for the best. He didn’t know what the hell had driven him to come here in the first place.
For the second time since she’d returned to New Orleans, Ivana found herself in the well-appointed parlor that served as the lobby for the Law Offices of Campbell & Holmes. When she’d left three years ago, it had only been Campbell. Sienna told her about Jonathan bringing Toby’s cousin in as a second associate, but she didn’t realize Harrison was a partner until Jonathan mentioned it over coffee.
She’d been so nervous when she was here with Angus that she hadn’t taken the time to observe all the changes here in the parlor. The cherry wood chairs and coffee table had been replaced with a lighter wood that helped to brighten the space. Crowded bookcases no longer lined the walls. Instead, framed artwork hung in their place. It made the room seem twice as large.
A bittersweet smile stole over her lips at the sight of the Tiffany lamp on the small table tucked into a corner. The rich, vibrantly colored stained glass dragonflies and daffodils were as beautiful today as they were the day she’d picked it out at the auction they’d attended in Dallas. Jonathan had gotten rid of so many of the things they’d bought together, seeing the lamp triggered a poignant ache deep in her chest.
“Ms. Culpepper?”
Ivana sat up straight at the receptionist’s cool voice. “Yes, LaKeisha?”
“Mr. Campbell can see you now. His next appointment is due to arrive in ten minutes, so please keep that in mind.”
“I will. Thank you,” Ivana said, quickly walking past the receptionist’s desk. She wasn’t all that surprised at the woman’s chilly tone. LaKeisha had always been loyal to Jonathan. Much more loyal to him than his former fiancée.
She sucked in a fortifying breath as she approached his office, quickly releasing it before she knocked on the door.
“Come in.”
She found him sitting behind his desk, his shirt sleeves rolled up to the middle of his forearms. Even though it had been more than a decade since he’d played professional basketball, he still had that lean, athletic build. Ivana wondered how different things would be if he were still a basketball player.
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