She couldn’t wait to get back to her cozy bungalow on Serenity Lake. She could sure use some serenity right now. She wanted nothing more than to curl up in a ball with Luna, her cream-colored tabby, and lick her wounds in private.
Why had she been so stupid, she wondered for the millionth time. She didn’t do stupid. She was bright, meticulous, and driven, characteristics that had fueled her quick rise through the ranks of the PR firm she had worked for since her senior year of college.
Until this morning, that is, when she’d been fired.
Which she had totally deserved.
Stupid, stupid, stupid.
She had no idea what had possessed her to send her boyfriend a compromising picture of Gavin Parry, the bad-boy pop-star she’d been assigned to help. Ex-boyfriend now, after his colossal betrayal.
She supposed she’d been lured into a false sense of comfort after dating Noah for six months. They’d met at a networking party in Knoxville. She and Noah had hit it off because of their professional similarities. Noah worked for a music management company and had been managing the career of an up and coming country star while she had been responsible for upgrading Gavin’s image.
Over the six months that she and Noah had dated, they’d shared ideas and he’d been a sounding board for the many issues she had experienced with the wild and reckless Gavin. When she’d found her pop-star face down in his hotel room with a bottle of whiskey and a line of cocaine, she’d snapped a picture and sent it to Noah along with a text. This is what I have to deal with.
Last night the picture had gone viral on social media.
This morning she’d been fired.
When she’d called Noah to confront him, he had explained that he’d texted the picture to a friend who was a fan of Gavin’s and that he hadn’t known his friend was going to post the picture on Twitter. That was the best he’d been able to come up with? Noah should have known better than to share something that compromising.
And she should have known better than to trust Noah. Had she learned nothing from her relationship with Dierks?
On a heavy sigh, she squeezed her eyes shut and wished she could go back in time and undo the last twenty-four hours. But she couldn’t. Instead, she would have to deal with the embarrassment of her blunder, another betrayal from another man, and guilt over the issues she had caused for Gavin.
As the plane landed at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, she leaned her head back and stared at the ceiling. Drugs and alcohol were a violation of the terms of Gavin’s probation. If he went to jail because of her irresponsible action, she didn’t know how she would live with herself.
Waiting to deplane, she whipped out her phone and flipped through her messages. The first was from Noah. I don’t know why you’re making such a big deal over this. You’ll find another job. That schmuck Gavin deserves whatever happens to him. Come on, baby, give me a call.
She gaped at his words in disbelief. That was the lamest apology she had ever seen—that is, if it even was an apology. She shouldn’t have sent Noah the picture, but she had trusted him. He had a lot of nerve suggesting that she had made too big of a deal over it. She’d gotten fired—that was a big deal. Stepping off the plane, she hit delete.
As she made her way through the airport listening to her voice messages, she wasn’t surprised to find a message from her mother. She had sent her mom a short text before boarding: On my way home. I got fired. Her jaw tightened as she listened to her mother ramble on expressing disappointment and embarrassment because her daughter had been fired.
“Jeez, Mom,” Ella muttered under her breath. “How do you think I feel?”
Twisting her long hair into a bun, she listened to the last message. Just hearing her best friend Nora’s voice lifted her spirits. Nora’s message was sweet and positive. It ended with a promise to stop by tomorrow with a bottle of wine. Now that was a plan Ella could get behind.
When Ella felt the bed shift under someone’s weight, she shot upright and let out a blood-curdling shriek.
“Hey there,” Nora said. “It’s just me.” She rubbed Ella’s arm.
“Nora,” Ella whined, flopping back on the bed. “I love you but go away. Come back at a reasonable hour.”
“Sweetie, it’s noon.” Nora stepped over to the windows and pulled the drapes open.
As sunlight flooded the room, Ella rolled into a seated position and blinked her eyes open. “It’s noon already?” She rubbed her eyes. “Poor Luna must be starving.”
“I fed her.” Nora picked the cat up and placed her on the bed next to Ella.
“Aw, thanks.” Nora was a godsend. She had taken care of Luna all week while Ella had been in Los Angeles and her friend was still taking care of her beloved cat now that she was home.
Luna tipped her adorable cream-colored head to one side, and gave Ella a look that wasn’t hard to interpret.
“I know, girl.” She rubbed Luna’s head, and the cat broke into a rumbling purr. “I’m not usually in bed so late.”
“Let’s get you up.” Nora patted her leg. “I brought lunch.”
Despite the eleven and a half hours Ella had slept, her body was still weary. She pulled her knees to her chest. “My life’s a mess.” Resting her cheek on her knees, she breathed in tranquility from the lake outside her bedroom window. But the tranquility only glistened in her consciousness for a moment before drifting away to be replaced by thoughts of how much she’d messed up. “Oh, Nora, I screwed up big time.”
Nora put an arm around her. “This too shall pass.”
Ella gave her friend a half smile. That had been one of her Aunt Mindy’s favorite sayings. While she knew it was true, it didn’t make her feel better at this moment. She lifted her gaze to Nora’s. “What am I going to do?”
“You’re gonna get up and dance in the sunshine,” Nora said, flashing a bright smile.
Ella was pretty sure she wasn’t up to dancing, in the sunshine or otherwise. But after she got up and forced herself into the shower, she had to admit the hot water was therapeutic. She dressed, went downstairs, and found Nora in the kitchen. On the table were sandwich wraps, chips, and a bottle of her favorite cab.
Nora poured her a cup of coffee and placed it in front of Ella’s usual chair. “Sit.”
Ella eased down and took a long satisfying sip.
“Eat, drink.” Nora made herself a cup of tea, then sat next to Ella at the table. “Coffee first, wine later.”
Laughing, Ella lifted the wrap. “Is this a Harmony Wrap?” she asked hopefully. Nora had created a menu of vegan options that she served at her animal rescue and the wrap was one of Ella’s favorites.
Nora smiled. “It sure is.”
“Bless you.” Ella took a big bite of the veggie and hummus wrap. “So good.” She washed it down with a gulp of coffee, then sagged back in her chair. “I know I shouldn’t have sent Noah the picture, but I can’t believe he betrayed me like that.”
Nora put a hand over hers. “He wasn’t the one.”
“I’m not sure there is a one for me.” Ella took another sip of her coffee. “I’m going on another man ban.”
“Ella, no.” Nora rose and topped off Ella’s mug. “Your man-ban lasted almost two years after Dierks.”
“And look where lifting it got me.” Shaking her head, Ella wrapped her palms around the warm mug. “Maybe I should make it four years this time.”
The corner of Nora’s mouth twitched. “I guess we’ll see. On another subject, I have a favor to ask.”
Ella angled her head. Nora never asked for help. That was one of the few things the two of them had in common. “Of course. Just name it.”
“Alex and I want to hire a PR firm.” Alex Winston was the co-founder of Nora’s animal rescue center. “I was hoping you could help us out, at least in the short term.”
Ella had done her share of PR work before she’d moved into image makeovers, but the timing of Nora’s request was suspect. Even though she had just been fire
d, she still had a smidgeon of pride left. She put a hand on her hip and narrowed her eyes. “Is this pity work?”
“It most certainly is not.” Nora shook her head vehemently making the golden-brown hair in her high ponytail swish. “I’m asking you now because you have the time. You know how seriously I take my animals.”
That was true. Nora had always had a close connection with animals, even as a kid. As best friends who had spent an inordinate amount of time together, Ella had experienced Nora’s bond with animals first hand. Over time, she had grown to share Nora’s belief that animals were loving, sentient beings. That’s why she’d become a vegetarian in elementary school—much to her parents’ chagrin—and in high school, a pescatarian.
“What do you need done?” she asked.
Nora shared her thoughts and Ella added some ideas around enhanced branding and joint advertising of Nora’s Promise and Eat Vegan. By the end of their conversation, she was excited about the work and had agreed to help part-time. “But I can’t take a salary.”
“Of course you can,” Nora said. “We were going to pay a marketing firm.”
Even though she could use the money, Ella remained firm. Nora’s business was a non-profit. Ella had done plenty of charity work in the past, but she’d never taken a cent for it and she didn’t intend to now. She set her jaw. “It’s a deal breaker.”
Nora studied her expression, then sighed. “Fine. I better take advantage of your time now. I’m sure you’ll be snatched up in short order.”
Ella swirled the remaining liquid in her mug. “I hope so,” she said although she wasn’t quite as confident as her friend. The marketing industry was small and close-knit. Rumors of why she’d left Merlin were undoubtedly circulating and would likely tarnish her golden-girl reputation.
“You’ve done a lot of different marketing work,” Nora said. “Maybe you should take time to figure out what you liked best.”
Ella glanced at her friend. She already knew what she had liked the most and it hadn’t been any of the marketing. “I’ll miss the charity work.” Her company had sponsored mission trips around the world and she had regularly participated, providing emotional and educational support to underprivileged children. While she’d thrived on volunteering, she couldn’t afford those trips on her own. Especially now. She would need to go on a budget to stretch her savings until she landed a new job.
“What you did was amazing.” Nora put a hand over Ella’s. “But there are plenty of kids around here who need help too. Steph’s involved with a group that works with local kids. You should give her a call.”
“I’ll do that.” Luna jumped onto Ella’s lap, making her smile.
“Why don’t you come over tomorrow night?” Nora said. “We’re having a Team Johnson end of season celebration.”
“Maybe.” Ella rubbed Luna’s head. “But you know I’m not a racing enthusiast.”
Nora laughed. “Trust me, I get it. I felt the same way until I met Davey.” She took a sip of her tea. “But both Alex and Steph will be there. We could meet with Alex and talk marketing. You could also chat with Steph about volunteering.”
Ella gave her friend a smile. This was exactly what she needed. Having a purpose never failed to lift her spirits.
The next night, Ella made her way up the walkway to Davey and Nora’s house, smoothing down her long jacket and hoping her attire was appropriate. Nora had told her to dress casually, but Ella wasn’t sure what that meant. The parties she typically attended called for cocktail dresses, not jeans. But those were in LA and New York, not in small-town Serenity. When she’d talked with Nora earlier, her friend had assured her that everyone would be wearing jeans.
She’d followed Nora’s advice and was wearing her favorite skinny jeans, a black V-neck wrap top, and black thigh-high boots with a three-inch heel. She’d accessorized with layered silver necklaces and dangly bracelets and earrings.
Just as she reached the front porch, her cell rang. She pulled it out of her Patricia Nash fringed handbag and glanced at caller ID. It was Chloe, a friend and former co-worker. She hit talk, then walked around to the back of the house to the recently expanded deck. There were people outside but they were all mingling close to the house. She made her way to the far end of the lower deck.
“Do you have an update?” Ella asked anxiously. She had asked Chloe to keep her posted on what happened with Gavin.
“He got arrested yesterday for violation of his parole,” Chloe said.
Guilt twisted in Ella’s gut as she lowered to a bench and faced away from the party. “Oh, no.”
“It’s not that bad,” Chloe said. “Because he’s Gavin Parry, he met with the judge yesterday.”
Staring out at the fields, Ella shifted uncomfortably, holding her breath while waiting for the outcome.
“He’s not going to jail.”
Ella practically melted with relief. “Thank God,” she whispered. “So they let him off?”
“Not exactly.”
Ella’s neck stiffened in frustration. Why was Chloe stringing her along? It mustn’t be good news, otherwise her friend would have shared it already. “Just tell me.”
Chloe let out a long, noisy breath. “He has to take a drug and alcohol class.”
Relief came quick, gushing through Ella like a deluge. She was grateful that her mistake wouldn’t cost him in a big way. Taking a class wasn’t so bad. God knew, he could use it. Maybe it would actually help him.
“And he got home detention for sixty days,” Chloe added. “He can only leave his house for the drug class.”
Guilt slithered into Ella’s chest, wrapped around her lungs like a boa constrictor, and squeezed so tight that she couldn’t breathe. It would be a public relations nightmare for Gavin who had a full schedule of concerts over the next couple of months. He would have to cancel his shows. He would lose all of that income and probably some fans too. All because of her.
And what if she got sued? Merlin PR’s owner, Jeff Brown, had sworn them to secrecy in order to avoid litigation. She had wanted to do the right thing—own up to her actions and apologize to Gavin. But Jeff had convinced her that keeping her mouth shut would protect both the company and her personally, and she had given her word. While avoiding legal action was a positive, not being able to come clean had added to her shame.
“Are you still there?” Chloe asked.
Ella pounded a fist against her lungs, then coughed out a breath. “I’m here.”
“It’s not your fault,” Chloe said. “He’s the one with the drug issue.”
While she appreciated her friend’s support, it really was her fault. “I’m the one who sent the picture.”
Thankfully no one at Merlin knew that she had sent the picture other than Chloe, Jeff Brown, and Merlin’s legal team. Unfortunately, her ex also knew, and it was clear that he couldn’t be trusted. Even though Gavin had friends coming in and out of his place like a revolving door, he probably had an inkling that it had been her too. She worried about getting sued, then pushed the thought aside. Worrying wouldn’t get her anywhere.
She thanked her friend for the information, disconnected, and dropped her phone into her purse. She put her head in her hands and contemplated going home to have a good cry. But she had promised Nora that she would come to the party and she always kept her word.
Sitting taller, she lifted her chin. She could fake confidence; she’d done it plenty of times before. As she worked up the poise to join the party, a man slid onto the bench next to her. She glanced over and caught his gaze.
There was something about his eyes. A deep, piercing blue, they sparked joy, compassion, and something on the opposite emotional spectrum—maybe loneliness? His eyes suggested he lived happy and carefree, but there was an underlying depth, something she guessed he kept tucked inside. She wondered what he saw in her eyes and if he detected similar contrasts. Could he see her drive, her passion, as well as the insecurities that lurked beneath her surface?
Ga
zing into each other’s eyes, the sounds of the party faded into the background and the world around them came to a whispering standstill.
She had never before stared at a complete stranger, much less gazed deep into his eyes. It should have been uncomfortable, but it wasn’t. She was so captivated by him that she couldn’t have broken away even if she’d wanted to.
His eyes were beautiful, soulful, and spellbinding. She was so engrossed in them that she had yet to take a single glimpse of any of the rest of him. Even so, she was vaguely aware of the air sparking, the temperature spiking, and a physical attraction simmering. Their bond was so primal that it was deeply profound. She couldn’t wrap her head around what was happening, but she didn’t really want to, either. She wanted this fascinating, spiritual exchange to go on endlessly.
She’d once read that eyes were the gateway to the soul. Gazing into this man’s eyes had given her a glimpse of who he was, but she’d discovered something about herself too. Regardless of all the chaos in her personal life, she was the same person inside.
Since time had ceased, she had no idea how long they’d been gazing into each other’s souls. He finally broke their connection by touching a hand to her cheek.
“What brings on your sadness?” he asked, his voice a mere whisper.
“What do you mean?” She knew exactly what he meant, but she asked the question because she needed time to break the spell that still permeated every fiber of her being.
He gave a small shrug. “I sense a wounded soul.”
She gasped at the perfect description of her present state.
He took her hand and delicious shivers fluttered up her arm. She lifted her head, but before she could ask how he knew, he explained. “It takes one to know one.” He touched a finger to her lips. “Shh, it’s a secret,” he said, his breath caressing her cheek.
Nora's Promise Page 36