by Ella Miles
I open the door, and before I even get inside, I’m tackled by two dogs and my ten-year-old niece.
I laugh as we all fall to the floor while I try not to bump into any of the boxes that are piled high everywhere.
“You’re home!” Sailor squeals. “I thought you weren’t supposed to be home until five.”
I tightly hug her, loving that the second she’s in my arms, I feel ten times better—but ten times worse at the same time. I try to focus on the happy feeling of getting to spend more time with my niece today.
“I got my work done quickly so that I could come be with you this week.”
“Yay! Does that mean we can go to the beach?” Sailor’s little eyes light up as her blonde curls hang down around her cheeks.
I smile. I’m not sure I could ever tell her no. I’d do anything for her. I’ll do everything I can to make sure that she is taken care of. This is her home now, and I will make sure it remains her home, including flipping burgers, waitressing, or serving coffee. Anything. Let’s just hope I don’t have to resort to that.
I’m a generally positive person. But I do know how long it took me to find my last position. Six months. I had been offered several jobs before the last one, but none of them paid enough. None gave me the flexibility that I needed.
I look back at Sailor. I’ll figure it out though. I don’t have six months to make something happen. I have about a month of savings. I can find a job that fast in the San Francisco area, no problem.
“Absolutely! Let’s go see if your mom wants to go.”
Sailor’s face brightens. “Good. I’m tired of being cooped up in this house.”
I laugh. “You’ve been cooped up for a total of four hours.”
She shrugs. “But it was a long four hours!”
“Your mom upstairs?” I ask, already knowing the answer.
Sailor nods.
“Go get changed into your swimsuit, and I’ll go see if your mom wants to go.”
Sailor shoots up the stairs to her bedroom while I go check to see if my sister, Amber, is out of bed yet. I knock on the door before I slowly enter her bedroom. She’s still in bed, like I expected.
I go over to the window and open the blinds.
“It’s a beautiful day, Amber.”
My sister groans and covers her head with the thick comforter. I want to be angry. I want to yell at my sister to get up and go take care of her daughter. To get a job. Or, at the very least, spend time with Sailor. But I know that would be the opposite of helpful. Tough love never works with Amber.
We are different like that. Amber needs soft encouragement while I need tough love.
Amber has gorgeous, long blonde hair, just like her daughter, while my auburn hair makes it so that you wouldn’t even know that Amber and I were related from our looks.
“I’m taking Sailor to the beach. You up for joining us? We would really like that.”
“No.”
I take a deep breath, needing to remain calm.
“You sure, Amb? It’s a beautiful day out. You don’t have to swim if you don’t want to. Just come enjoy the day with us.”
“No.”
I walk over to the bed and sit on the edge while I rub her back, trying to encourage her to come. But we’ve been through this before. She had postpartum depression after Sailor was born. And despite trying to get her help, she’s never gotten better. Losing her job and apartment didn’t help. She’s at one of her lowest places. And there is not much I can do to help her when she is like this but make sure she is taking her medications and going to therapy while letting her know I’m here for her when she finally makes it through the fog.
“Do you need anything before I go?”
“No.”
I lean down and kiss her on the cheek. I wish there were more I could do, but depression is hard to fight. It’s not something I can fix, no matter how much I want to.
“I love you, sis,” I say, getting up before getting ready and heading to the beach.
I could live my life at the beach and never get enough of it. Sailor is the same way. She was meant to live in the water. Sometimes, I wonder if she was meant to be my daughter instead of Amber’s. But then she does something that reminds me completely of my sister, and I know she is hers. And, when Amber is healthy, she makes an amazing mother. It’s just hard when she is in one of her depressed places. Hard for her to keep a job, hard for her to take care of her daughter, hard for her to even get out of bed.
That’s why I have to have a job. I have to take care of Sailor when Amber can’t. That’s what family does. We pick each other up and handle things when others can’t take care of themselves. If only I could convince my mother and brother of that, then maybe it wouldn’t fall on me all the time.
Who am I kidding? I like the responsibility. I like being in control of the family. I like taking care of them. I just hoped life would go my way for once in my damn life.
My phone buzzes, and I don’t have to look at the screen to know who it is. My mother, who recently married a wealthy doctor and now thinks she is mother of the year. At least she doesn’t get drunk as often anymore. I consider not answering. I don’t want to tell her that I got fired, but I’m not the best liar. She will know. But, if I don’t answer, she will just keep calling all day long until I finally do.
“Hello?” I answer, trying to sound chipper.
“What’s wrong?” my mother asks.
I frown. “Nothing’s wrong.”
“I know you. Something is wrong.”
“What did you call me for, Mom?”
“Is it your sister again? What did she do now? I told you it was a bad idea to buy a house for her and Sailor. You are a successful businesswoman. You should have a nice penthouse downtown. Not throw all of your money away on a house in the suburbs where it takes you an hour to drive to work every day.”
“Amber’s fine. And I wanted to buy the house. It’s a good investment, and I like being close to Amber and Sailor.”
“Boyfriend trouble then? You are too young to worry about dating. You should just focus on your career. You’re in your twenties. You’ll have plenty of time for boys later.”
I sigh. I wish it were boyfriend trouble. I haven’t had a date since graduating from college. No one wants to take on a woman who spends all her time working or with her niece.
“No, it’s not boyfriend trouble.”
I can feel my mother’s scowl on the other end of the phone.
“It has to be your sister then. I told you she would take you down. That—”
“I got fired.”
There’s a pause.
“That can’t be. You’re awesome at your job.”
I sigh. “I know, but that’s why they let me go. They couldn’t afford to keep paying me what I’m worth.”
“Well, it’s their loss then. But it’s actually perfect timing.”
Ugh. I don’t want to hear whatever nonsense my mother is going to say next. This isn’t good timing. This is the worst timing. If they had fired me even six months from now, I wouldn’t feel so lost. So desperate.
“Why is it good timing?”
“You remember Lily Taylor?”
“Yes.”
How could I forget Lily? She was the most popular girl in school. Smart, beautiful. My brother was obsessed with her even though she dated his best friend and my archenemy, Carter Woods, for most of high school.
“Well, she is in need of a fixer.”
I smile. “Really? And how do you know that?” I regret the words the second I ask.
“Cathy told Cindy who told Melissa. Have I told you about Melissa’s botched Botox job yet? It looks hideous. I don’t know what she was thinking or who she went to, but—”
“Mom, I don’t care about Melissa. I care about Lily and why she needs good PR right now.”
“Oh, sorry, sweetie. Lily was engaged to Phillip. But it turns out, she had been cheating on him the whole time.”
“W
hy does that matter?”
“Because she’s running for Senate. It wouldn’t matter that much, but her law firm also just got accused of several immoral acts. I don’t think she was directly involved, but it’s not looking good for her. She’s currently shopping for a good PR firm.”
“There’s just one problem. I don’t run a PR firm.”
My mother sighs. “So, start one. You can do anything you want sweetie. Go convince her to hire you. You know she will pay well, and if you can help her win, you’ll have clients lining up for you.”
I smile. She’s right. I can fix my own problems by helping Lily fix hers. I just have to get to her quickly. Companies will be lining up for a chance to work for Lily Taylor.
2
Carter
My mouth drops as I stare at the television screen, watching the mess unfold before my eyes. I’ve never seen anyone fall apart so completely, so quickly, and I’m in the crisis business. I’ve seen my fair share of meltdowns. In fact, I’ve created plenty of chaos before. But I never thought I would see Lily Taylor fuck up her whole life in a matter of seconds in a single interview. I just didn’t think it was possible.
I’ve known Lily most of my life. She’s smart and beautiful. Her family had money, and she went to the best schools. I even dated her for a year in high school. I was probably stupid for letting her go. I always knew that Lily was going to make something of herself someday. She could be anything she wanted. She had everything going for her. Intelligence, money, and good looks.
She’s decided to go into politics. To become a senator and then make a presidential run.
But, from the look on Lily’s face right now as she stares wide-eyed at the talk-show host, she thinks those dreams are squashed. Over. Gone.
And, if she were any other candidate, she would be. She fucked up, and she knows it. But, lucky for her, I can fix all of her problems.
That’s what I do. I fix people’s problems and turn them into something amazing that works in their favor. I own a PR firm that only takes on the biggest problems with the highest-profile clients. Over the past five years, I have turned the company into the best PR firm in the country. No one does it better than Carter Woods.
But Lily is going to be a challenge. First, I’ll have to convince her that her dreams haven’t completely been destroyed. That she can still become a senator from North Carolina. And that I can get her there. But it comes with a price. I’m not cheap, but Lily can afford the best. If she really wants this, then she won’t even bat an eyelash.
The interview is finally over, and I close the lid on my computer before picking up the phone.
“Ruby, can you come in here, please?”
“Be right there, Carter,” my assistant answers.
A second later, Ruby bursts through my door with a large smile on her face. Her body is practically jumping up and down with excitement as she stands inside my office. She clasps her hands together to keep from exploding.
I raise an eyebrow at her. She’s always a positive woman who is usually happy, but this is on a different level.
“Spill, Ruby,” I say.
“You finally watched the Lily Taylor interview, didn’t you?”
I nod, although I don’t know why she says finally; it aired only a half hour earlier. And it doesn’t explain her bubbliness.
She turns, ducking out of my office for a second, before returning with a thick file that she throws onto my desk. “This is everything I have on Lily Taylor. I cleared your schedule to make sure you have time to focus just on her for the next month. I have a flight for you this evening to Charlotte, North Carolina, and I booked a hotel room, although I’m sure you would rather stay with Logan. Just let me know, and I can cancel. I’m just so excited for you,” Ruby squeals.
I narrow my eyes, not understanding why Ruby is so thrilled. “It will be a big account. If we succeed, we will have clients lining up, wanting to work with us, but I’m not sure why you are this enthusiastic about it, Ruby.”
Her cheeks flush as she takes a step forward to my desk and begins flipping through the thick manila folder lying on top. She stops when she gets to a picture and points at it. My eyes drift down to the picture of Lily and me wearing our homecoming crowns after winning King and Queen. We were a perfect couple. If we had met later in life, maybe we would still be together, but we were far too young then for it to last.
I look back up at Ruby, who still has the goofiest smile I’ve ever seen on her face. “We used to date. So?”
“So? So, she is flawless. Just look at her! She’s beautiful, smart, ambitious. She’s your perfect match! This could turn into a romantic love story. You go save her reputation and career, all the while falling in love with your high school sweetheart. How awesome!” she squeals.
I look down at the picture of a woman I haven’t thought about in years. She would be ideal for me. My career has always come first and will always come first. That’s who I am. But, if I found a woman who was just as ambitious as I was, then maybe it would work. I would finally have a woman who understood me. Who wouldn’t complain when I was at the office for far too long because she was, too. A woman who didn’t care if we had kids. And, if we did, she’d agree that a nanny was the best person to raise them. Lily could be that person.
I smile, still holding the picture. “Thanks, Ruby.”
She grins and leaves me alone. I grab my cell phone and call up Logan. He knows me better than anyone. He lives in Charlotte and won’t have a problem with me crashing at his place. And he’ll be the perfect wingman to help me get Lily.
I knock at the same time I throw the door open to Logan’s apartment. I’ve been down a handful of times but not as much as I would like. North Carolina is a nice place to get away to when I need to relax, but I prefer the hustle and bustle of a big city like New York. And Logan is a bartender. Not exactly bringing in the big bucks, so he usually comes up to New York when he wants to have a good time.
“The fun has arrived!” I holler as I step into his apartment.
Logan gives me a bro hug when he sees me, slapping me hard on the back.
“I didn’t expect to see you back here after last time,” Logan says with a chuckle.
I frown, thinking about the last time I stayed here and how it took my chiropractor a month to fix my back after sleeping on his horrible futon. “I couldn’t miss an opportunity to see you. But, if you haven’t bought an actual bed for your guest room yet, then I’m turning around and getting you one right now. I’m not sleeping on that twenty-year-old futon again.”
“Relax. My sisters already beat you to it and bought me a mattress for Christmas last year.”
Images of Victoria and Amber pop into my head. Amber is older than Logan and me, and she wasn’t around much. But Victoria…she was the annoying little sister that I never had. Logan and I loved torturing her. I haven’t seen her in years, and the few times I’ve been back to see Logan, we have both been too drunk to talk about how his family is doing.
“How is Tori doing?” I ask.
Logan smiles. “She’s been better. Just lost her job. But I wouldn’t call her Tori. She hates that nickname.”
Tori never did have the career ambitions. She’s probably back at her mother’s house now, living the good life on the beach in California, until she finally decides she needs a little cash, like her brother, and gets a bartending job or something.
“Trust me, I don’t plan on seeing her anytime soon, so you don’t have to worry about me calling her Tori.” I pick up my suitcase. “You working tonight, or do you have time to go grab a drink?”
Logan glances at his watch. “I’m already five minutes late to work. I should go, although I’d really rather be here.”
“Don’t worry; I’ll be here for at least a couple of weeks. We will have plenty of time to grab a drink and hang out.”
Logan grins as he walks backward toward the door, still looking at me. “I’m not worried about having time for us to hang out.
I’m just disappointed that I’m going to miss the fight.”
“Fight?”
Logan just continues to grin like the bastard that he is. “Have a good night. You might need to call a chiropractor for tomorrow. The couch is worse than the futon—or so I’ve been told.”
Logan leaves me standing alone in the living room. I eye the couch; it looks ancient. A large indentation is on the cushion on one end; it’s clear that Logan sits there every single time. The other end is scratched up from where his dog used to sleep. There is no way I’m sleeping on that couch. I don’t know why I would anyway if there is a perfectly good bed just down the hallway.
I prepare myself for what is waiting for me down the hall. I know my friend too well. We always pulled pranks on each other as kids. So, I’m sure he did something stupid to the bed after I complained about my back last time. If the bed is unusable, I’ll just buy a new one.
I carry my bag down the hallway, trying to think of what I would do to him if I wanted to prank him. Pour beer in his bed. Put books under one corner of his bed, so it’s crooked. Just remove the mattress completely.
I reach for the handle of the door just as it turns.
I frown.
The door swings open, and the last person I expected to see is standing in the doorway.
Tori.
Except this woman can’t be Tori. Tori is an awkward high schooler with braces, frizzy hair, and oversized clothes that don’t fit her body. The person standing before me is all woman. Her dark jeans make her legs look long as they hug over her curvy hips. Her gray V-neck accentuates her waist and cleavage, which shows just how much she has grown up since the last time I saw her. And her auburn hair shines as it frames her face, which is no longer covered in freckles and instead looks smooth and flawless.
Tori frowns when she sees me. “What are you doing here?”
I smirk. “I could ask you the same question.”