Chapter 1

If you eat something and no one sees you eat it, it has no calories.

“Why thank you, fortune cookie. I have to agree,” Jade Mackenzie said as she popped the second half of the cookie into her mouth.

It was another riveting Friday night in Sweetbriar Valley.

Not.

Okay, maybe it was. After all, she was sitting on the floor in the middle of the little shop she was preparing to open. Books the reason her golden child son didn’t go on to greatness.”

“Pfft…her golden child son didn’t go on to greatness because he had a drinking problem and tried to wrestle a police officer during a DUI stop.” Cora Mackenzie was fiercely protective of her daughter and grandson, and she never hesitated to come to their defense. Even when no one was around. “You’d think more people would speak up about how she and Lloyd turned their backs on their own grandson! Not to mention the way Trevor walked away too!”

Jade shrugged. “I think Trevor walking away was a blessing in disguise. He’s a terrible role model, and I’d hate to think of how he would have been with Silas.” She let out another sigh. “Why can’t they just let me be, huh? I mean…I’ve asked nothing of them. I just want to raise my son and be left alone. That isn’t too much to ask, is it?”

“No, it’s not.” Cora pulled her in for a hug. “And I’m sorry that Victoria’s making things so hard for you.”

“Me too. I just wish…”

“Mom! Mom! Mom!” her son called out as soon as he ran through the door. “Guess what?”

His blond hair was a complete mess, his clothes were a bit muddy, and his face was covered in chocolate. All in all, he looked like a boy who’d had a great day.

“What?” she asked excitedly as she crouched down in front of him.

“Tommy’s dad is going to be the coach of the youth football team and he thinks I should try out! We were playing in their backyard and he saw me throw the ball and said I was a natural! How cool is that?”

“Very! That’s awesome, Si!”

“Gramps in going to take me shopping this weekend to get a football of my own so I can practice throwing some more!” Then he threw his little eight-year-old body at her and gave her a fierce hug. “It’s gonna be great!” He released her just as quick when he heard his grandfather walk in. “We stopped at The Scoop House and Gramps got you and Grams ice cream. Milkshakes cause he said everything else would melt too fast.”

Straightening, Jade smiled at her dad. “Thanks.”

“Silas,” her father said, “you need to go wash up, okay?”

“Kay!” And then he took off for the restroom.

Jade took a sip of her chocolate milkshake as she watched her father kiss her mother on the cheek before handing her a strawberry one. After thirty-five years of marriage, they were still very much in love.

And she was wildly envious.

“Looks like you two were busy,” her dad said as he looked around. “Those shelves are all dry, so we’re good to put books out.”

“That’s great, Dad,” Jade said with a smile, and a bit of a brain freeze from the milkshake. When she put her cup down and went to grab a pile, her father shook his head.

“Just tell me where you want them, and I’ll get them there. Finish your dessert. Millie over at The Scoop House said to tell you hello and after I bragged about how great everything was coming along, she said she couldn’t wait to come in and see it all for herself.” Honestly, Sam Mackenzie was the greatest dad a girl could ask for.

And he didn’t mind doing a lot of the grunt work.

So Jade sat on one of the stools and simply gave directions for a few minutes. Silas came back out and regaled them all with stories of what an amazing athlete he was going to be. There wasn’t a doubt in her mind that he would be.

She just didn’t have to be happy about it.

Before long, it was clear how tired everyone was and she was shocked to see it was almost ten o’clock. “Okay, let’s call it a day,” she said around a yawn. “We’ve got two weeks before the big grand opening and I think we’re really making progress.” Stretching, she smiled at her parents. “Thank you for all your help today. I couldn’t do any of this without you.”

They each hugged her and promised to come in tomorrow to help wherever they could.

“No work on Sunday, though,” her mother said firmly. “We’re all going to go to church together, and then I’m making us a nice meal so we can relax.”

It would be pointless to argue, so she didn’t. “Sounds like a plan.”

“Do I have to be here tomorrow?” Silas whined. “There’s nothing fun for me to do.”

It was true, at this point there wasn’t anything exciting for a young boy to do here, but finding places for him to go when she was working long hours wasn’t always easy.

“Uncle Steve and Aunt Viv are going to take you to the movies tomorrow,” her mother announced, much to Jade’s surprise.

“They are?”

Her mother nodded.

“But…”

“Just because you don’t like to ask for help doesn’t mean the rest of us don’t know you need it,” Cora replied sweetly before looking down at Silas. “They’re going to pick you up here tomorrow and take you to lunch with your cousins and then to the movies! Won’t that be fun?”

“Yay!” was her son’s only response before he ran to the back door. “Can we go now?”

It took a few minutes for Jade to walk around and make sure everything was put away and turned off. In her mind, she was working out what she wanted to accomplish tomorrow and how she was going to get it all done.

“Mom!”

And she could finish thinking about it once she was home and her son was in bed. “Sorry, bud. I know it’s late.” Ruffling his hair, they locked up, hugged her parents and wished them a good night before climbing into their car. The SUV was a hand-me-down from her brother, but it was in good condition and felt a little sporty. As they drove home, Silas talked incessantly about what movie he hoped they were going to see and where he wanted to go to eat and all the fun he was going to have tomorrow instead of unpacking books.

“You should take the day off and come with us, Mom,” he said before yawning loudly. “You work too hard.”

Smiling sweetly at him, she nodded. “I promise to take some time off once the shop is up and running.”

“Okay,” he mumbled, but she saw the disappointment on his face.

School would be letting out in a few weeks–which was why she chose to open her store at that time. With more people home for the summer, it was the perfect time for them to come in during the day for coffee and a muffin and look at books. Jade had even reached out to the local schools to find out their summer reading lists and made sure to stock copies of all of them. She’d put so much work into making sure she’d thought of everything. The PTA at all three schools promised to promote her and would send out flyers with the students’ end of the year packets that they can get their books from her. It would be perfect and would hopefully help her kick off the opening of the shop with a bang.

I’ve got this…

Pulling into the driveway, she looked in the rearview mirror and saw that Silas was almost asleep.

“Hey, sweet boy. We’re home.”

He nodded sleepily and practically fell out of the car. Together they walked up to the door and went inside. She helped him get to his room and took a pair of pjs out of his dresser and handed them to him. While he went into the bathroom to change, Jade walked into her own bedroom and changed into her pajamas. They met back up in the hallway where she followed him back to his room and covered him with his blankets once he was in bed.

“Good night,” she whispered before kissing him on the forehead. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Night, Mom. Love you.”

Her heart squeezed. “Love you too.” Quietly, she walked to the door and turned out the light. There were things she really needed to do around the house, but she was so damn tired. It took less than three seconds to decide that putting in a load of laundry wouldn’t hurt and doing an online grocery order would be helpful.

The next time she looked at the clock, it was after midnight.

“Dammit,” she murmured and promptly shut her laptop, turned out the lights, and shuffled to her bedroom.

This space was her sanctuary and the most overly feminine space in the house. This was the one room she knew she could come to and truly relax. Canopy bed, twinkly lights, soft, muted colors…this room had been a labor of love and the one splurge she allowed for herself. If she was going to have to sleep alone, she at least wanted the room to be fabulous and a place she wanted to be.

Jade was used to climbing into the bed alone, but sometimes she wished someone was there with her. Someone she could talk about her day to and who would tell her she wasn’t crazy for taking on such a big venture.

Someone to hold her.

Someone to kiss her goodnight.

And someone to help her remember she was a woman.

As her eyes drifted shut, she told herself that was one dream that would probably never come true.

“Hey, Levi. They want to see you in HR.”

Levi Donovan looked up at his assistant and frowned. “HR? Really?”

She nodded.

“When?”

“Now.”

O-kay…that wasn’t what he expected. Rising, he grabbed his phone. “Do you know what it’s about? Is anyone else going too?”

“Just you,” she said quietly before walking away.

There had been some conversations going around about some new policies regarding working from home, so he figured they were maybe calling all the top tier management in to go over it. Maybe his assistant just wasn’t aware of it.

Stepping out of his office, he made his way down the hall to the elevator. He was in a good mood and this little surprise meeting wasn’t going to bring him down. His advertising campaign for the travel bureau in Virginia was doing really well and he had a presentation prepared for a Michelin Star restaurant that was coming to Alexandria that he knew was going to blow everyone away.

Levi had always been creative and he was very at ease talking to people. That’s why working for Creative Alexandria had been like a dream come true. He moved up the ranks quickly, and right now, he was their top guy. The Main Man. The guy all the other ad execs wanted to beat.

Not gonna happen…

Yeah, Levi knew so many of his co-workers wanted the clients that he had, but right now he was on a winning streak. It was like he had the Midas Touch that had been going on for almost two years. He was making great money, had a fantastic condo, was driving a brand-new Lexus SUV, and was dating a woman who was pretty fantastic.

He and Mandy had been dating quietly for several months and while he wasn’t in love with her, he did like her a lot. They always had a great time together and although she traveled a lot for her job, the time they did have together was always great. Did he see a future with her? Maybe. But he wasn’t sure if he would ever really see that with anyone. As a child of divorce, he kind of had a jaded view on the whole marriage and happily ever after thing.

So really, his relationship with Mandy was perfect for him.

Stepping into the elevator, his phone dinged in his hand. When he glanced down at the screen, he frowned when he saw his older sister’s name. He’d been estranged from his family for the last several years, but after getting together for their father’s 6oth birthday last month, he had promised to do better at keeping in touch.

Billie: Hey! In case you’ve forgotten, it’s mom’s birthday in two weeks.

Billie: We were all hoping you could come visit for that weekend.

Billie: It would really mean a lot to her

Muttering a curse, Levi toyed with the idea of saying he was busy, but…he wasn’t a liar. And really, there wasn’t any particular reason for him staying away. He had worked hard to escape small town life and every time he went back to visit, he was miserable. Living in Alexandria was exciting; there was always something to do and plenty of places to go. Every time he went home to Sweetbriar Ridge, it was just a lot of the same old, same old. Nothing was new, everything was the same, and the people were just…not the kind he related to anymore.

Still…it was his mother’s birthday and he knew he could suck it up for a weekend.

Levi: Hey! Just going into a meeting, but I’ll definitely be there

Billie: Really? You mean it?

Levi: Of course I do. Why wouldn’t I?

Billie: Because you’ve been known to say yes and then not show up

Sadly, he had done that on more than one occasion.

Levi: You have my word. I’ll be there.

Levi: Are we having a big party or is it just a family dinner?

Billie: A small dinner party with us and a few friends at Sweetbriar’s Steak House

Groaning, he forced himself not to comment on how they really should come to Alexandria so he could take them to a really superior steakhouse.

But…he kept silent.

Levi: Sounds good. I’m putting it on my calendar now

Billie: Excellent!

Billie: We’ll text you next week to confirm who you’re staying with and what you need to bring

Levi: Thanks. I need to go. I’ll talk to you next week

Billie: Love you!

Sliding the phone into his pocket, he stepped off the elevator and walked across the hall into the Human Resources department. A few people glanced at him before quickly looking away, and that’s when he realized maybe there was something else going on that he wasn’t aware of.

When Susan Greer–the head of HR–walked over to greet him, he noticed her somber expression. “Thanks for coming down, Levi. This way, please.”

He followed her to her office, where he spotted his boss, Mr. Penwell, standing by the window.

“Um…”

There were two people sitting in chairs in front of the desk, and when they stood, Levi froze.

“Levi,” Mr. Penwell began. “I’d like to introduce you to my nephew, Eric, and his wife , Mandy.” By the way he emphasized the word wife, Levi knew he was in trouble.

She’s married??

Mandy wouldn’t look directly at him and as Susan walked around to take her seat at her desk, everyone faced her. There were no other chairs to sit in, so he was forced to stand.

“Levi,” Susan said as she looked down at a file in her hands. “It has been brought to our attention that you have become…personally involved with a client.”

Swallowing hard, all he could do was nod.

“He’s sleeping with my wife,” Eric snapped angrily.

“Is it really necessary for them to be here?” The words were out of his mouth before he could stop them. “Shouldn’t this be a little more…private?”

That’s when Mr. Penwell chimed back in. “This sort of conduct is not acceptable, Levi. You knew this when you were hired. There is to be no fraternizing with clients! Especially married ones!”

“I had no idea she was married!” he fired back. And yeah, it seemed like a lame excuse, but it was the truth. “I’ll admit that I knew getting involved with a client was frowned upon, but I didn’t think it was a serious offense. And if I’d known she was married, I never would have done a thing! That’s not the kind of person I am!”

He glared at the back of Mandy’s head, but she never even acknowledged him.

“I’m sorry, Levi, but it’s more than frowned upon. It’s grounds for dismissal. Security will escort you up to your office so you can pack your things. Your position with Creative Alexandria is terminated effective immediately.”

“But…but I have a presentation with the restaurant group…”

“Stan Heely will be taking that over. He’s being brought up to speed on it as we speak. Please hand over all your files to him before you leave.”

Screw that, he wanted to yell.

“Mr. Penwell, please. Don’t I at least get a chance to defend myself? I mean…how could I have known…?”

“The fact that you got involved at all is the issue, Levi, not whether you knew of her marital status.” He paused. “Now, please don’t make this any more awkward than this already is. The security team is waiting outside the door for you, and Susan has some forms for you to sign.”

This was it. There was no way out of it.

With a small sigh, he stepped forward to sign the damn papers, but not before he caught Eric’s smug smirk. After he signed the papers, he figured he had nothing else to lose.

“Seriously, Mandy? You’re not going to say anything?”

She looked up at him, her expression oddly cool. “I’m sorry, Levi.”

“Security’s waiting,” his former boss said, which really was his way of telling Levi to get the hell out.

Well, fine. He’d go. And as he strode out the door, there wasn’t a doubt in his mind that he’d have a new job by this time tomorrow. He’d made a lot of friends in this business and he had a list of contacts a mile long.

With his head held high, he walked out, and in less than two hours, he walked out to the parking garage with the help of both security guards. He had several boxes and they were kind enough to not make him do this in several trips.

“Thanks for the help, guys,” he said before shaking their hands.

“Sorry to see you go, Mr. Donovan. You were one of the few execs who actually stopped and chatted with us.”

“Yeah,” the second one said. “And we always appreciated the breakfasts you sent to our department each month. Sorry it ended like this.”

“Me too. Believe me,” he said wearily before shaking their hands one more time. “Take care of yourselves. And tell Stan I sent you breakfast twice a month.” And with a wink, he climbed into the car.

It took several minutes for him to relax and for the events of the last two hours to truly sink in.

Fired.

He had actually been fired.

Glancing at the clock, he saw it was almost lunchtime and knew if he waited an hour or two, he could start making calls. With any luck, there’d barely be a break in the action for him. He could realistically be sitting at a new desk within twenty-four hours.

Feeling better, he pulled out of the parking garage and made the thirty-minute commute home. He left the boxes exactly where they were because he was confident that he’d just be taking them back out again tomorrow to load into a new office.

He called in a lunch order to a local Thai restaurant and waited for it to be delivered while making a list of his best prospects. By the time the food arrived, Levi had created a spreadsheet of who he was calling and in what order. He enjoyed his lunch, took a few minutes to scroll through social media, and then sat down and made his first call.

Unfortunately, someone seemed to have made calls ahead of him.

At least, that was his theory.

Three hours later, he had been turned down by eighteen different firms and all of them had been less than polite about it.

Now he was feeling a little less confident, but not completely deterred. This just meant that he would have to consider relocating. With that thought in mind, he updated his resume and went onto several online job-hunting sites to see what was out there. Right now, he couldn’t afford to be picky, and even though his eventual goal had been to have a firm of his own, clearly that wasn’t going to happen in Alexandria.

Too many burned bridges, thanks to Mandy.

Speaking of…

Taking out his phone, he immediately blocked her number and was about to delete all her texts when a thought occurred to him–he could potentially sue for wrongful termination. After all, Mandy had pursued him, not the other way around. That could be some sort of entrapment, couldn’t it?

Maybe his father was right about relationships. Maybe this was exactly the sort of thing he’d been talking about. Only…that would mean his father was referring to Levi’s mother and…no. Just no.

Still…this situation taught him you had to be careful with who you could trust. Thankfully he hadn’t been in love with Mandy, otherwise he’d be devastated right now. Clearly all she was was a bored wife looking for a little excitement, and she’d used him to get it.

Costing him his job.

“And now I’m looking for a good attorney,” he murmured.

Basically, there were going to be a lot of things keeping him busy over the next few days, and they were all the key to a better future.

“Bring it on, Universe. I’m ready.” And after sending out an email to a lawyer friend of his, Levi relaxed in his chair and waited for a response.