Standing on the terrace, Ellie and Millie looked expectantly at Selena, but neither prodded her to clue them in as to what she wanted. They seemed content to let her sort through her thoughts and present them in her own time.

As she looked at the two of them in their dazzling dresses, she realized that she liked them both already. They weren’t just arm candy for the Donovans. Although they were both classic beauties, they were also smart, sassy, and opinionated women that held their own against two of the most powerful men in the world. These were the type of ladies that Selena should be friends with. She was already beginning to feel a connection with them, and she hoped that the idea forming in her mind would bring them even closer.

“My parents weren’t wealthy,” she started out. “I can remember them struggling to get by, living from paycheck to paycheck, and constantly worrying about paying bills before they passed away.”

Both women nodded as if they had experienced similar financial upbringings. Neither interrupted her, though.

“After they died and I went to live with Grant, I never again heard anyone worrying about the financial strains of day-to-day living. To this day, though, I haven’t forgotten what it felt like to be afraid that we might not be able to pay our bills or that we could lose our house.” She searched the other women’s eyes and found only understanding and empathy there.

“One-hundred thousand dollars would have made such a difference in my parents’ financial situation. It would have taken away all of their strain and given them a cushion to fall back on during tight months.” She tried to keep the excitement tempered in her voice, but it was hard to contain.

“Oh, yeah.” Millie was nodding her head. “That would have been a life-changing amount of money for my parents when my siblings and I were young… It still would be.”

Hearing her confirmation made Selena feel even more confident that where she was going with this was right. “This mall deal is going to be incredibly profitable for Donovan Enterprises and Chase Corp. What if we took a small percentage of the proceeds and put it directly back into the local communities?” Selena’s words were coming faster. The more she shared with them, the more excited she became. “Every time the charity fund reaches one-hundred thousand dollars, we can donate it to a local family that deserves it. It can be like a scholarship program, but for families in need.”

“We will be able to help real people all over the country.” Ellie’s eyes had taken on a dreamy expression.

“Yes, think of the people that are working hard every day just to get by. This would give them the leg up they need to go back to school, start up their dream business, pay off their house, or just have a cushion so every month isn’t a struggle.”

“I love it!” Millie weighed in. The excitement of Selena’s idea was already gleaming in her eyes.

“Count us in,” Ellie told her before adding, “We’ll get the guys on board.”

Selena loved it that these ladies were already calling the shots with the Donovan brothers. Those two needed softened up, and it appeared that Millie and Ellie were already doing a great job of making her rivals more human.

“Fantastic! I’ll have a meeting set up next week for us to start working through the details.” Selena tried to infuse enough enthusiasm into her voice that her new allies wouldn’t sense the sadness just beneath the surface. She tried to shuffle them back inside, but Millie had already noticed that something was amiss.

“What else is going on? Your eyes don’t look happy,” the intuitive woman said.

“It’s silly.” Selena tried to brush off the other woman’s concern. She knew that she should be happy. However, even with the good news her business life had just received, her personal life was still a train wreck.

Ellie reached out to take Selena’s hand warmly within her own. “Tell us,” she encouraged her.

It was the first moment of female bonding that Selena had enjoyed since childhood, and it felt glorious. She felt silly for the tears that were threatening to streak down her cheeks and mess up her makeup. She knew that she shouldn’t be letting what was missing from her life overshadow what she did have, but she wasn’t able to stop herself.

Even though she felt ridiculous, it felt good to have girlfriends to talk to that really seemed to care about what was going on with her. Selena hated to admit to any weaknesses, but it was such a relief to vent to compassionate ears.

“It’s about a boy,” she practically wailed. “He’s rugged, handsome, and sweet, and I’m nothing but a spoiled, rich brat.”

“We already know that last part isn’t true,” Ellie told her, looking to Millie for confirmation. Millie complied by fervently nodding her head in agreement.

“He said we’re from two different worlds. I don’t fit into his world of camping and tattoos, and he doesn’t belong in mine of business meetings and extravagant wealth. We are too different to make it work.” She gladly accepted the tissue Ellie offered her and blew her nose with a loud honk.

“It seems like maybe you could both make some concessions to make it work.” Ellie tried to cheer her.

“He doesn’t want to be with me-ee,” Selena wailed.

“I find that impossible to believe,” Millie told her at the same time as Ellie said, “There’s no way that’s true.”

Selena gazed through her teary eyes at her new friends. It felt incredible to have found people that were in her corner. Although she had just met these women, they had already forged a tight bond. She truly believed that they wanted the only best for her.

Millie snapped her fingers with an idea. “I know just what to do,” she told them, already pulling out her cell phone and getting to work.

Selena had no idea what the other woman was up to, but she didn’t worry about it because she knew that her new friends were on her side. If she had known the details of Millie’s plan, she would have been concerned.