Chapter 17
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“Sydney!”
Sydney wanted to pinch herself for about the thousandth time tonight as she heard Karina Black call out her name. She turned and saw her across the room with a few of the other women she’d met tonight.
“Hold up one sec. Don’t leave yet.”
“Okay.” She smiled, feeling a little embarrassed.
She’d gone back and forth on whether or not she should say goodbye to the superstar and had ultimately decided not to. She didn’t want to bother her and felt like she’d taken enough of the host’s time. Karina had spent a good thirty minutes with Sydney when she’d arrived, introducing her to the twenty plus women in attendance who were all friendly, smart, supportive and very inclusive. She’d never experienced anything like it.
As she waited in the foyer for Karina, she glanced at the pictures that decorated the entrance. None of the photos were of Karina Black, the entertainer. There were none from red carpets or magazine covers. Almost all of the framed images were candid shots with people that Sydney had either met tonight or had seen around Hope Falls.
Tonight hadn’t been what she’d expected at all. The people at Karina’s house were all so welcoming and warm. She’d been so worried she was going to say the wrong thing and out herself as a fan, or accidently knock her glass of wine over and stain the rug that she was sure cost more than she made in a year.
Her social skills were a little rusty since she’d been spending most of her time with people under the age of five. She could talk for hours about Frozen and Caillou but she wasn’t up to speed when it came to current events. Pauly and Isabella were more inclined to want to do puzzles or color than have a discussion about climate change, and even those games had about a ten to thirty minute window before they were bored or a fight would break out.
As much work as the kidlets were, she missed those little faces. Even when they were screaming at each other, or making messes, or breaking things. She missed it all. Well, maybe not the screaming.
Two women came toward her. She thought she remembered they were sisters but she wasn’t sure because she’d met a lot of people and also these two looked nothing alike. She panicked because she couldn’t remember their names. In her defense, it was a lot to remember.
“Bye, it was so nice meeting you.” The sweet brunette lifted her hand in a small wave.
“You, too!” Sydney said brightly.
“It was Sydney, right?” she asked.
“Yep. And, I’m sorry what was your—”
“I’m Amy and this is my sister Nikki.”
“Right. Sorry, it’s just so many names.”
Nikki turned, cupped her hands at the sides of her mouth and shouted to the ladies still mingling in the expansive living space adjacent to the foyer, “Nametags, people! Nametags!” Her declarations were mostly ignored but a few people lifted their wine glasses toward her. She turned back to her sister and Sydney. “I’ve been saying for years we need nametags when there are new people here.”
“Nametags would be useful,” Sydney chimed in, though she was leaving in six days, so it wouldn’t really help her now.
The countdown to her return to Sunset Canyon was on. There’d been a ticking clock in her head since she’d woken up in Marco’s arms this morning.
Last night had been the best night of her life. The sex was somehow even better than it had been at the reunion. This time she’d been so much more present. But the best part of it all was that this time, she’d fallen asleep lying on Marco’s chest while he ran his fingers through her hair. It was everything she’d ever dreamed it could be and more.
“Good to meet ya. I hope we see you again.” Nikki pulled her into a quick hug.
“I’m only here for another—”
“Week, I know,” Nikki finished with a knowing smirk. “We’ll see. Tell Marco I said hi.”
With that, the sisters left, and Sydney wondered what Nikki had been implying. From what she’d heard tonight, Marco had lived up to his MVP nickname here in Hope Falls. Once the women found out that she was staying with Marco, they had a great time filling her in on some of his more colorful escapades.
He’d always told her that he never wanted to get married and settle down, and if she weren’t convinced before, she definitely was now.
Whatever she and Marco had, it wasn’t a happily-ever-after, white-picket-fence thing. They were friends with benefits, and that was better than not being friends at all.
“Here it is,” Karina appeared in front of her, holding out a card. “This is the guy I was telling you about. Make sure that your sister gets in touch with him.”
“Thank you so much.” Sydney said as she took the card from her. She couldn’t believe that Karina had remembered.
When they’d been talking earlier, somehow the subject of Devon’s accident had come up. As with most people, Karina didn’t react too kindly when she heard about Paulo. Something about their situation hit a nerve with the popstar.
She’d told Sydney that she was going to give her the name and number of a lawyer that could take care of things for Devon. And she actually did it.
“And my number is on the back if she needs anything before then, tell her to call.”
Sydney flipped the card over expecting that it would be her manager’s information. But what she saw was handwriting that said, Kar, and then a phone number.
“Oh my gosh.” Sydney knew that neither she nor her sister would ever use it, but she was so moved by the gesture. “Thank you so much.”
Karina covered her hand with her own. “I’m serious.”
“Okay, thanks. And thank you for tonight. It was amazing. Your house is beautiful!”
“It’s home.” The most contented smile spread on the singer’s face.
They said their goodbyes and the second she got into her car, she tried to call Devon. It was her second attempt that day. The first had gone straight to voicemail. This call wasn’t going through because she didn’t have service.
She started the car and tried to relax as she drove down the mountain back into town, Sydney marveled at the view. She’d enjoyed living in LA. The landscape was so diverse and filled with people. And Sunset Canyon was a beautiful place to live, with the ocean as its backyard and the cliffs running at its side. But there was something truly magical about Hope Falls.
It wasn’t just the vistas that were breathtaking, it was the people. They made up the fabric that was so enchanting.
She was truly going to miss this place.
And Marco, she thought as she pulled up in front of his house. She was able to use the driveway because he kept his truck in the garage. It was a small thing, parking in the driveway, but it made her feel even more that she belonged here.
Tears started to form in her eyes, but she blinked them away. There was no way that she was going to waste even a second being sad about anything that she couldn’t control. Not when she had so much to be grateful for in her life. Her and Marco’s friendship was back on solid ground, and this time she wasn’t going to let anything, not even her own heart, interfere with that.
Plus, Karina Black just gave her her phone number. Well, technically she gave it to Devon, but still. Her heels clicked on the concrete as she walked up the driveway and she looked down at them and mentally thanked them for giving her the confidence to walk up Karina Black’s steps.
They were red-soled, black suede, ankle booties with cutouts. She’d had them for a year and a half and hadn’t had a chance to wear them. This past year she hadn’t had a chance to wear any heels. So, tonight she’d paired them with boyfriend jeans and a simple white blouse.
They’d given her exactly the shot of confidence she’d needed and they’d been the golden ticket for a personal tour of Karina Black’s shoe collection. The first thing Karina had done when she noticed Sydney’s shoes was to pull her into her shoe room. No not closet. Room. It was heaven.
She was still reliving her magical night when she opened the front door and heard the TV blaring. She figured Pops must not be wearing his hearing aid. Bending down, she unzipped her booties and pulled them off as her mind went through all of the places he might’ve left the hearing aid when she heard something that caused the shoe to slip from her hand.
“She pinched me!”
“Pauly?” she called out as she turned the corner and rushed into the front room where she found her niece and nephew on the floor with Marco and Lady, and Pops in the recliner.
“Auntie!” They both screamed and flew across the room into her arms.
“Hi, guys! What are you…” She looked at Marco, searching his face for an answer. “What’s going on?”
He tilted his head toward the kitchen.
She leaned back and visually inspected both kids. “Are you guys okay?”
“No, she pinched me.” Pauly stuck out his “injured” arm.
Her mind was immediately put at ease. They’re fine.
“Okay, you’ll have your time in court. But, first I need to talk to my friend, Marco in the kitchen.”
“But, I missed you!” Isabella threw herself back into Sydney’s arms and buried her face in her shoulder, and her voice started shaking as she said, “And I miss Mommy.”
Sydney rubbed her niece’s back and took a deep breath in through her nose. She had no idea what was going on, but she needed to remain calm.
“Shoot!” Pops yelled, startling all of them.
“What?” Marco moved toward him. “What’s wrong?”
“Well, I was supposed to find some wheelchair testers today, and I plum forgot. Now it’s so late.” He made a dramatic show of looking at his watch. “Where am I gonna find two testers for my new wheelchair at this hour?”
Four hands flew up in the air.
“I will. I’m a tester!” Pauly enthused.
“I can! I can test!” Isabella screamed.
They both ran to the new motorized wheelchair that Marco’d had delivered today. Sydney stood as Pops had them lining up while they agreed to the rules. He gave her a little wink as she slipped into the kitchen with Marco.
“What’s going on?” she could hear the accusation in her tone. She hadn’t meant to direct it toward Marco. She was just freaking out.
He calmly explained. “A couple of hours ago, the kids showed up at the door with—”
“Paulo? Did Paulo drop them off here?” She was going to kill him.
“No. That would’ve been better. They showed up with a driver.”
“A driver?!”
“That’s what he said. He was looking for you. He said that Paulo was called away and that he wasn’t able to get a hold of Devon. So, he had the driver bring them to my address, where you were staying.”
“What if I wasn’t home?”
“You weren’t home,” Marco corrected her with a smile.
“This isn’t funny. What if no one was home? Who is this driver? Does he know child CPR? Does he have experience with kids? What if Pauly got motion sickness?”
“He did.” Marco pointed to the washing machine that had a cycle running. “His left leg was covered in puke.”
“I’m going to kill him. I’m going to kill—”
“Shhh,” Marco shushed her and motioned to the front room. “The kids.”
She knew he was right. She and Devon had made a rule never to speak about Paulo if they were in the house. But it irritated her that Marco was shushing her all the same.
“Why didn’t you call me?” she snapped when she knew she should’ve been thanking him.
He grinned, not seeming at all offended by her attitude. “I did. The call didn’t go through. I even tried Deanna, Tessa, Amy, and Nikki. No calls went through. I don’t think Karina has great reception at her house.”
“I’m sorry,” she apologized. “I was so freaked out when I saw them and then Paulo… and I just…I’m sorry. Thank you. Thank you for taking care of them.”
“It wasn’t just me. Pops had them doing pushups and jumping jacks to burn off energy after their car ride.”
She smiled, but she could feel the tears building. Since her sister’s accident, whenever anything unexpected happened, tears were her automatic reaction. She wasn’t a fan. She missed the days when she’d feel disconnected. She’d give anything to feel disconnected again.
Marco pulled her into his arms. She folded into him, absorbing his steadfast strength. She felt his lips kiss the top of her head. “It’s going to be okay. Everyone is fine. The kids are fine. You’re fine. It’s all fine.”
She nodded against his chest when she heard the doorbell. She jumped at the sound. “Who is that?”
“Pizza!” The kidlets chorused. “Pizza!”
“Pizza.” Marco grinned before kissing her on her forehead and going to answer the door.
She stood in the kitchen and watched as he handed the money to Pauly so he could pay the delivery man, telling him to say that the delivery person could keep the change. Pauly nodded his head before Marco opened the door and she watched her nephew give the teenager the money, and say that he could keep the change, before taking the pizza.
Isabella lifted her arms for Marco to pick her up and he didn’t miss a beat, he reached down and scooped her up. Sydney watched as Pauly proudly carried the pizza toward the table, Marco beside him and Isabella in his arms and she knew that her life would never be the same again.
She’d loved Marco almost her entire life, but never like this. Seeing him like that, seeing how natural and amazing he was with her niece and nephew, her heart and ovaries exploded.
Tears started to roll down her cheek as she stood in the kitchen in shock at the power of emotions she was feeling when she heard Pops’ loud voice booming, “Oh good, my pizza’s here. I don’t know what you guys are going to eat. Maybe you can find some tuna in the cupboard.”
Pauly laughed, and Isabella made her feelings for tuna known, “Eww tuna! Yuck!”
Putting on the bravest face she could, she wiped her tears and pulled herself together. She loved an amazing man, who she knew she didn’t have a future with. There were worse things in the world. Like having a shithead ex-husband that has a driver drop his kids off with someone he’s never even met.
She pulled out her phone and searched for the number for the resort where her sister was staying. She needed to deal with this situation first, then she could deal with her shattered heart and soul.
This was just like being on the triage rotation. One crisis at a time.