Free McKenna Homecoming by Shirley Jump Page A

life of bad choices, and it had spurred a wake-up call for Alec. He’d realized that night that he needed a change, and, as if reading Alec’s mind, his great-aunt, Riley’s grandmother, contacted him the next day and offered him just that opportunity. Mary McKenna had always been more of a mother to Alec than his own, and he found himself saying yes to a new job and a whole stack of responsibilities. All of a sudden, his days had been filled with purpose, something he hadn’t even realized he’d needed until he had it. Now, instead of looking for the next party, Alec looked for the next opportunity to expand McKenna Media. “Maybe some people have changed.”
    “Some sure did, cuz,” Riley said with a grin, giving Alec an easy slug in the shoulder. “Anyway, I’ll catch up with you later. I’ve got a date at the diner.” The grin widened into the kind of smile worn by a man who had fallen for a woman. Over the past few weeks, Riley had done nothing but talk about Stace, who worked at the Morning Glory diner in downtown Boston, and who had clearly stolen Riley’s heart.
    After Riley left, Alec crossed to the window and looked out over busy Back Bay Street below his apartment. With Riley gone, the apartment seemed to echo, as if Alec alone wasn’t enough to fill the space. He stared awhile longer, watching the traffic pass, the people walk by, the dogs chase each other. Then the sun began to drop lower in the sky, washing the street with gold.
    Alec turned away from the window to the desk. He reached for the invitation, intending to toss it once and for all. Then his thumb traced over the letters at the bottom, and his mind reached back a decade into the past. To a pretty girl with a wide smile and soft eyes, to laughter that sounded like music and days when it seemed the sun could shine forever. Funny, he thought, how his memory colored everything with a pastel brush, when he knew the reality was far less colorful.
    Leah Andrews.
    He stood in his empty apartment while the traffic roared by outside and debated, turning the invitation over and over. Put the past behind him, or see if there was still a connection. And, maybe, a way to make amends
    .
    ***
    Leah Andrews stood inside the ballroom doors, reviewing her list for the thousandth time. Decorations hung: check. Food on the buffet table: check. DJ in place: check.
    The ballroom at the Marriott had been transformed into a blast from the past. Hip-hop and emo had just been coming into vogue ten years ago, and Leah had combined those trends by hanging faux bling around the room, tempered by black linens. She’d displayed band posters and added oversize blowups of select photos from the yearbook, a visual collage of memories and greatest moments. There were shots of the choir singing at the annual music festival, the football team celebrating their victory at the state finals, couples dancing at prom. To Leah, those days seemed a thousand years in the past, but maybe that was just because she felt like she’d lived a thousand years in the past decade. Things were finally looking up, though, and so, for the first time in ten years, Leah was making plans for her future.
    “No wonder they made you the head of the committee,” Michelle said as she slipped into place beside Leah. The former cheerleader still had the trim figure of her youth, even after having two kids. She’d been one of Leah’s links back to life in Boston, and it had been nice to serve on the committee together and catch up with an old friend. “You are List Queen.”
    Leah laughed. “I just like to be organized. I hate to forget anything.”
    Michelle peeked over Leah’s shoulder at the clipboard in her hands. “‘Lemon slices for drinks. Extra toilet paper for restrooms. One carnation per vase.’ Okay, I think you need a twelve-step program.”
    “It’s called making sure all the I’s are dotted and T’s are crossed. Nothing wrong with that.” Leah breathed easier with her lists