partment and headed to the small dive bar she o

e sticky bar counter. "Screw them. If they

nt smile, twisting the salt

said to Jodie. "Your chance might still be coming." He turned to Adelynn, his f

gn. Jodie, the wild, fearless textile designer; Mitch, the precise, brilliant architec

ie struggled to get by with odd freelance jobs. And Adelynn... she was

d, taking a sip of

, her voice sharp with care. "You should've dumped that whole tray of c

ly. "It wasn't that dramatic

gitated. "It's the ultimate power move - complet

world," Mitch tried to mediate. "They're not

from Christian Mercer was not just wealth or class. It was emp

ated inside he

s Jef

t, shoved it deeper into her ba

ght her small movement

d to speak, fearing h

never understand the chasm that had opened up in her life. He had offered to help, to pay a few bills... but his kindness felt lik

ather's company is one of the biggest dev

than she intended. "I'm not asking

to it with everything she had. Accepting help from Jefferson would mean a

ightly, her palm warm and steady. "We get it, Addy. We

heir faces filled with genuine worry, and