the surprises, not the one who was surprised. Even though Trey prided himself on always being able to see what would come next, he hadn’t been able to predict the direction of this phone call. Nor could he have foreseen the sudden ache he felt in his heart at the thought of losing a father he’d never even gotten the chance to truly know.
“Please tell me that is not my old college roomie, because I haven’t seen her in so long I almost forgot what she looks like,” said twenty-eight-year-old Kiara Woods as she stood from the outdoor table at a chic restaurant to give her friend a hug.
Miranda Jensen Ellicott shook her head before returning her embrace. “Girl, stop. It hasn’t been that long.”
Kiara gave her the side-eye. “Yes, it has. I haven’t seen you since you got married to Vaughn.”
“I know,” Miranda said with a smile. “The newlywed life is keeping me pretty busy these days.”
“With a husband like that, I’m sure it is.”
Miranda smiled even wider. “If it were up to Vaughn, he’d have me pregnant and barefoot before the month is over. Luckily for me, he understands the importance of my work right now.”
Kiara nodded in agreement. “And how are things going with Vaughn?”
Miranda’s eyes lit up. “Wonderfully. He’s actually a couple of blocks away, taking care of some business. We drove into LA together, so I just walked here.”
“Aren’t you guys cute,” Kiara teased. “Even riding together for meetings and whatnot so that you don’t have to be away from each other for long.”
Kiara laughed when Miranda didn’t try to deny it. “Seriously, it’s great to see you so happy. How are things at your luxury B and B?”
“Everything is wonderful,” Miranda said as the waiter approached. “Fall and winter are always busy for the B and B, so I expect to be at full capacity throughout the rest of the year. I can’t complain.” They placed their lunch order before they resumed their conversation.
“What about you?” Miranda asked. “How are things?”
Kiara grinned as she thought about the preschool and day-care center that she owned. “I’m honestly so proud of how much LA Little Ones Daycare and Preschool has grown. It’s amazing to see my vision turn into a reality.”
“Kiara, it’s not just a preschool and day-care center,” Miranda said. “It’s the Hollywood preschool and day-care center. It’s the place where LA’s rich and famous want to take their children. Hell, I’m already hoping that I can get bumped up your waiting list when Vaughn and I start popping babies. We’d drive to LA for a great center like yours.”
Kiara laughed. “You already know I’d bump you up the list.”
“I’m just saying. Back in college, you always talked about owning your own day care, but I don’t even think that you considered it would grow this much. And after the few rough patches you had a couple of years ago, you needed your business to be a success.”
The waiter returned with two glasses of water and a plate of sliced lemons. “Thanks, girl.” Kiara squeezed a lemon slice into her water before taking a sip. She thought about the words that Miranda left unspoken. Kiara had accomplished a lot before the age of thirty, but one circumstance that she’d never wanted to be a part of her journey was becoming a divorcée.
Everything had been going so well for her during the early years of her marriage. She’d thought that her unlucky days in love were finally over when she’d met Jerry. Little had she known that after two short years of marriage, she’d be getting a divorce and saying farewell to the one man who had promised to love her forever.
Diving into work had been the perfect distraction, and as the articles about her in the media put it, Kiara and her day care had become an overnight success in the childcare business. She hadn’t had time for love, and quite frankly, she hadn’t felt like anything was really missing from her life at that time.
But you feel like it is now. She briefly sighed as that little voice crept inside her thoughts, reminding her that she had once been a happy newlywed, too. She’d once worn the same smile that Miranda was wearing right now. She had once seen her future bright and clear with the man she loved before it was all taken away when he suddenly asked for a divorce.
“When was the last time you went out?” Miranda asked, breaking her thoughts.
Kiara took another sip of her water. “I go out.”
Miranda pinned her with a hard stare. “Let me repeat my question. When was the last time you went out?”
“I can’t remember,” Kiara said with a shrug. “Maybe last month?”
“Are you sure?”
“Hmm.” Kiara thought about it some more. “Maybe two months ago. Or three. I can’t really remember.”
Miranda shook her head. “Friend, the last time you told me about you going out was when a couple of your employees convinced you to check out that new jazz lounge. And that was way more than three months ago.”
Kiara rapidly blinked. “Oh my God, I think you’re right! That’s the last time I remember going out just for the sake of going out.”
“That’s sad,” Miranda said with a laugh. “The Kiara I knew back in college would never miss a party or pass up an opportunity to go out.”
Kiara downed the rest of her water, wishing it was something stiffer. “Girl, that was before being an adult happened.”
Miranda shook her head. “More like it was before life happened. Being an adult doesn’t mean you can’t have fun. Trust me, I understand being all about the business, but you’ve got to have a little fun, too, or before you know it, your life would have passed you by and you’ll be wondering when was the last time you stopped to truly live in the moment.”
As their food arrived, Kiara contemplated her friend’s words, immediately realizing that Miranda was right. “I do need to learn to live a little more,” Kiara said after a few moments. “But I also plan on building a franchise, so my schedule is bound to get even crazier.”
“Building a franchise is a great idea,” Miranda said. “Just keep in mind that a busy schedule doesn’t mean you have to neglect your social life.”
“True,” Kiara said, nodding.
Miranda’s phone dinged, interrupting their conversation. She frowned as she read the text message.
“Is everything okay?”
“Yeah.” Miranda shot a quick reply. “I’m just worried that Vaughn is taking on too much. You know how we always teased a couple of our girlfriends back in college who used to say their main goal was to marry a Millionaire Mogul?”
“Of course,” Kiara said with a laugh. “And then you go ahead and marry a Prescott George member despite how much we teased them.”
Kiara knew all about the Prescott George organization, also called the Millionaire Moguls. She respected what they did for the community, but she never did understand why some women made it their main goal to land an elite member. Her ex-husband had even wanted to be a member, but Prescott George was exclusive with their membership, so he hadn’t stood a chance.
Miranda grinned. “I know. I still can’t believe it, either.” She took another bite of her fruit salad before speaking again. “Well, Vaughn has been really busy with his San Diego chapter, but now he’s also helping the LA chapter get back on their feet.”
“Why? What happened?”
Miranda sighed. “I really shouldn’t be saying anything, but they were suspended