CHAPTER TWO

      AMANDA WAS THE only one still waiting when Melanie rushed to the ballroom doors ten minutes late, breathlessly apologizing. Amanda just laughed.

      “Damn, girl! You look fierce.”

      Melanie glanced at the hallway mirror, still amazed she’d managed to make it down here so quickly after the melodrama upstairs. It was a good thing she’d had plenty of experience changing clothes in a flash. But that color in her cheeks wasn’t just from cosmetics or her mad dash to get here. It was the result of her interaction with a certain blue-eyed ginger. Something about the man got under her skin, and it showed. She blew out a breath and assessed her appearance. In her agitated state, she wouldn’t be surprised to find she’d put the dress on backward or something.

      But no, the pewter metallic gown clung to every curve and swirled like silk. Between the draped neckline and plunging back, Luis’s design left little to the imagination. She’d pulled her hair into a low, messy knot—the best she could do with the limited time she’d had. Since the dress was such a showstopper, the only jewelry she wore besides a wide silver cuff on her wrist, were simple diamond studs set in platinum. The earrings had been a gift from the photo shoot where she’d met Luis four years ago, and she’d always felt they brought her luck. After all, Luis had saved her life.

      “You’re seven freaking feet tall! What are you—oh, no wonder.” Amanda glanced down at Mel’s shiny black Louboutins. “Thanks for making me look like a shrimp, cuz. Let’s go, everyone else is inside.”

      Silver iridescent walls shimmered softly in the recently remodeled ballroom. Thousands of pink and white fairy lights were strung across the ceiling and wound around the light fixtures. Gallant Lake and the Catskill Mountains surrounding it glowed in the mid-June twilight beyond a wall of windows. Tall glass doors opened onto a large veranda overlooking the lake.

      The crowd was an eclectic mix of wealthy businesspeople, celebrities, athletes and military veterans with various disabilities. Some of the vets had obvious injuries, such as missing limbs or burns. Some, like Bree’s husband, Cole, had less visible wounds—head trauma or PTSD. The fund-raising event had been a smashing success, and they were on track to raise more than half a million dollars to help injured veterans transition to civilian life.

      Her cousins were seated together at a table near the stage, where Bree was already giving her pre-dinner address, thanking everyone for their participation, as Mel slid into a chair next to Luis. Bree explained how the silent fashion show would work, with models wandering among the tables during dinner. A sketch of each design was in the printed program, along with information on how to contact Luis Alvarado Fashions. She asked Luis to stand, along with Amanda, Nora and Melanie, to show off their dresses. Camera flashes went off around the room as enthusiastic applause began, and Luis gave Melanie a wink. Between the press coverage and social media, some of his designs were sure to get attention.

      As dinner began, Luis set a glass in front of Melanie. It was clear and sparkling, with a slice of lime. She nodded her thanks. With a full glass in her hand, people were far less likely to offer her a cocktail.

      Cole jumped to his feet and pulled out a chair when Bree came back to the table. She beamed at him, kissing him on the cheek before settling her pregnant body with a sigh. Normally soldier-stoic in public, Cole leaned over and kissed the top of Bree’s head, whispering something in her ear that made her blush. Mel watched her cousins and their men as they laughed and talked together. Bree had Cole. Nora had her fiancé, Asher, who was clearly appreciating Nora’s red cocktail dress. He couldn’t keep his eyes, or his hands, off her.

      And then there was Amanda and her husband. Blake was tall, with black hair and dark eyes—a stark contrast to Amanda’s petite build and blond curls. He’d be intimidating if it wasn’t for his easy smile and obvious love for his wife. They were that couple. Beautiful, successful and happily building a family in their historic mansion, right next door to their five-star resort. Whenever they looked at each other, the love in their eyes made Melanie’s chest tighten.

      She was thrilled her cousins were finding happiness and starting families. Really. She was thrilled. Thrilled. But that didn’t mean it didn’t hurt her heart sometimes to watch. Most of her energy was focused on sobriety and finding a place in the world outside of modeling, and that was okay. But once in a while, usually at the darkest point of her often sleepless nights, she longed for what her cousins had found. Loving partners to spend the rest of their lives with. She just couldn’t see that happening for her.

      Luis’s low voice broke through her melancholy. “You and that dress were made for each other, chica. You look different tonight—like you’re ready for battle. It’s a good look on you.”

      That look of battle-readiness probably came more from her confrontation with Big Ginger than the dress. He’d managed to ignite a fire inside her, and she wasn’t sure if that was good or dangerous. She didn’t want Luis to worry, so she kept that to herself.

      “I have to admit, I feel pretty invincible in this gown. It’s going to be the star of your collection.”

      “Our collection, Mel. It’s your company, too. Your hand is in every one of these pieces.”

      She just shrugged in response. For most of her life, she’d received praise for only her looks, which she had no control over, so the compliments meant nothing. She didn’t know how to handle praise for something she actually helped create.

      Luis frowned. “You doing okay?”

      Being dressed up and on display, being in a crowded room, being near an open bar... There were a lot of triggers here tonight, and Luis knew it. She gave him a bright smile. “I’m alright. Maybe a four, but no worse.”

      “You tell me the minute