Free Beauty and The Best (Once-Upon-A-Time Romance) by Judi Fennell Page A

Jolie. Many people died, even those who went in after the kids in the daycare center.” Oh, yeah. He remembered that fire. And the new daycare his painting at the auction had funded afterward.
    “ But it’s the hope they gave us, Todd. The hope in human nature.”
    “ Hope in human nature? That’s your happily-ever-after?” Had she seen the news reports of that devastation? Hope in human nature? Oh to be that rose-colored-glasses-hopeful again.
    She touched his arm, and Todd pulled his gaze from those violet eyes to where her warm, graceful fingers tightened against his skin.
    “ Do you remember that day?” she continued. “First the boom, then the smoke. No one knew what had happened before the building was one big gas ball. And then it spread. All those houses just went up in flames, fire racing down the street like a match to gunpowder right toward the daycare center. They couldn’t get those kids out fast enough.”
    Todd let up on the gas as the truck in front of them started moving, and gave Jolie one last glance, the star on the Make-A-Wish Foundation billboard behind her framing her head like a crown. “You find this story uplifting?”
    “ Argh!” she huffed, facing front and throwing her hands in the air. Even that was a symphony of movement.
    “ Not uplifting, Todd. Of course not. But when the neighbors came, and all the factory workers who were running for their lives stopped to help get those kids out, it was amazing. People were coughing and crying, some were bleeding, but they ran into that building to get those kids. Babies were asleep on the upper floors in their cribs. And not one of the children died. If everyone had waited until the firemen arrived, most of the kids would have died from smoke inhalation or worse. That, to me, is heroic. And hopeful. Those injured and scared people chose to help others.”
    A local bus pulled up, a banner for Habitat-For-Humanity gracing the side. “Some would argue it was instinct.”
    “ Not instinct, Todd. A genuine goodness in the human race. They could have elected to keep on running, got themselves out of harm’s way, but they didn’t. They chose to stop and help. We always have choices, Todd. It just depends on how we make them.”
    As they passed Children’s Hospital, a car merged in front of them, American Cancer Society bumper stickers across its fender.
    What was with all the charity advertising? Some philanthropist come to town? He’d been one of those once— “So, Jolie, do you have any idea where my happily-ever-after comes in, since you’re apparently able to see the good side to everything?”
    “ Well, actually, yes, I do.”
    He did a double take. He probably should have expected that answer from Little Miss Sunshine, but honestly, she was surprising him at every turn.
    “ Your happily-ever-after is one day at a time. Seeing the people who care for you. Your brother, for instance. He wouldn’t worry himself about your business and welfare if he didn’t.”
    Todd snorted and almost missed the turn-off. “Don’t forget the six-figure paycheck.”
    “ Really?” she squeaked. “Now I’m surprised. I wouldn’t have pegged you for being so negative. Or so cynical.” She shook her head. “You think your brother’s only helping you out for the money?”
    She was right. Mike wasn’t like that. And Todd knew it.
    He gauged the merging traffic before joining it. “No, you’re right. Mike’s a great guy. He jumped right in when I was... floundering, I guess, and has kept the company rolling. I owe him a lot.”
    He owed him more than a lot. Hell, he didn’t know if he would’ve hung around taking the abuse, the constant barrage of “leave me alones” Mike had had to deal with.
    But Mike had taken it all and more. Those first few days…
    There’d been no hesitation on his brother’s part. He’d quit his job to take on the task of overseeing Best Enterprises, the company Todd had built with Trista’s encouragement. The