PROLOGUE

      ADAM WILDING WANTED to turn the car around and drive away from his parents’ house, but that didn’t seem very mature for a college student. He had to face telling them the truth.

      The golden late afternoon light played on the Sandia Mountains in the background. Dried red chile ristras hung on the porches and thousands of luminarias lined the yards and walkways of homes, ready to be lit once it was dark.

      He’d grown up in New Mexico and the sights and scents of Albuquerque brought back an avalanche of memories. Especially at Christmastime.

      His nerves tightened even more as he turned into the driveway. Three months had passed since his mother’s emergency heart surgery, but it was never far from his thoughts.

      Elizabeth Wilding must have been watching, because she met him at the door. He looked at her closely. She seemed healthy. There was good color in her cheeks and her eyes were bright and lively.

      “Hey, Mom.” Adam stepped inside and kissed her cheek. “Merry Christmas.”

      “Merry Christmas, dear. Are you well?” she asked anxiously. That was his mom—always concerned about everyone else’s health.

      “I’m great.”

      Dermott Wilding appeared from the back of the house. He was thinner than when Adam had seen him a couple of months earlier. “Merry Christmas, son. Did you have a good trip?”

      “Not too bad. There was snow in Flagstaff, but I got through it okay.” When time wasn’t an issue, he preferred driving over flying when traveling from Los Angeles to Albuquerque.

      “Are your classes for next term lined up?” Dermott asked. “You can’t take anything frivolous, you know, it might look bad on your application to law school,” he added without waiting for an answer.

      Adam managed a tight nod. Ever since he could remember, his parents had expected him to grow up and become an attorney. It had been the same with Sophie. How often had they heard their father say, “My children are going to be respected lawyers instead of working stiffs like me”? Along with, “Before you know it, Adam and Sophie will be on the Supreme Court.” To Dermott Wilding, being appointed to the US Supreme Court was the ultimate success.

      “Is Sophie here?” Adam asked.

      “Right behind you.”

      He turned and gave her a hug. “Hey, sis, where’s the ponytail?”

      “Gave it up, along with my tricycle.”

      “Sophie is such wonderful help around the house,” Elizabeth declared, yet sounded anxious again. “But she hasn’t been able to enjoy her new school.”

      “It’s okay, Mom,” Sophie told her quickly.

      Adam had wanted to take the fall term off at UCLA to help take care of his mother, but the idea of him interrupting his life had upset his parents so much, he’d decided it would do more harm than good. As a result, too much responsibility had dropped onto his sister’s shoulders.

      “I hope you’re hungry,” Elizabeth said.

      “Starved.”

      They went into the kitchen for pozole, a traditional Christmas Eve soup in New Mexico made of hominy and meat and seasoned with various toppings.

      “Fantastic as always,” he said after the first spoonful. “It wouldn’t be Christmas without your pozole, Mom.”

      “Thank you, but Sophie made it.”

      “Great job, kiddo.”

      Sophie just shrugged.

      An awkward silence fell and Adam decided to give his parents his news. “Mom, Dad, you know how much I’ve wanted to do something to help out?”

      They nodded.

      “Well, I saw a notice about this company wanting new faces for a marketing campaign. I sent my picture in, and after a several interviews and stuff, they picked me to act in their commercial. And now I’ve got a bunch of other modeling work scheduled. The money is really good, so I’ll be able to contribute toward paying the bills. I have a check for you.”

      Dermott’s face grew tight. “You’re a pre-law junior. You have to focus on grades, not add another job. Especially modeling. It’s vain and superficial.”

      Adam let out a breath. “There’s nothing wrong with modeling and it earns a heck of a lot more than minimum wage, which is what my other job at the college paid.”

      “Paid?” his father repeated. “That means you’ve quit.”

      “Yeah. Like I said, modeling pays more.” Actually, Adam had been shocked at the fees his new talent agent had negotiated for him. If it kept up, he’d be able to cover the rest of his mother’s medical bills and all of his college expenses.

      “How will you be taken seriously as an attorney if people know you’ve paraded around, selling some product?” Dermott demanded. “I want my children to have respect, not be laughed at.”

      “I’m not parading, I’m modeling, and nobody is laughing.”

      Adam decided not to add that he’d switched from pre-law to another major. Being a lawyer was his parents’ goal for him, but he’d become convinced over the past year that he wasn’t cut out for a legal career.

      In all honesty, he’d never been that interested. As for modeling? It was fun and there was a lot of money that could be made. If he hit it really big, he could save enough to retire early and start a whole new career. He wasn’t sure what that career might be, but he knew it would be something he wanted, rather than a dream of his parents’.

      “No,” Dermott barked. “That isn’t—”