Page 107 of Red Hot Harmony

Ally rolled her head and shoulders. “I know I’m hungry.”

“Yes,” Dante concluded. “That’s a definite sign she’s better, then he excused himself and stepped out of the car to make a call.

I made my own—to Harper. To let him know we were all right. Trapped near the canyons with only one way out but safe.

Then I pulled out the crumpled piece of paper from the side pocket of my shirt, the piece of paper where earlier, during my visit to the police station, my trembling hands had jotted down the number to call in case my daughter was found.

It was a little embarrassing but brief.

As soon as I was done, Dante slipped back into the Jaguar and announced, “We can stay at Frank’s place until the roads are open.”

It was almost like déjà vu—returning to that huge, clean, state-of-the-art house, looking like we’d just come from war.

The drive through the canyons was long and sinuous and made my stomach twist and flop at every turn. I half expected Ally to throw up again, but surprisingly, she held on.

Apparently, my kid had guts of steel.

Cassy was on the front terrace when we pulled up. The white skirt of her long dress billowed in the hard wind as she descended the stairs and approached the car to greet us.

My gaze slid over the fountain and the lawn once we unloaded, memories of my first kiss with Dante reemerging in my mind.

He chose to assist Ally, who was still stumbling, her steps unsteady on the way to the house.

I saw Frank lingering by the door. The air here wasn’t so bad, most likely because the mountain range kept smoke away from the properties lining the Pacific Coast, but when I stared up into the sky, I couldn’t see any stars.

What were the chances the sky would be gray instead of blue in the morning?

“I hope we’re not disturbing you too much,” I said, following Cassy to the terrace.

“Absolutely not.” She gave me a warm smile. “You’re always welcome. I cannot even imagine how bad it is over there right now.”

We reached the door and Frank gave Dante a light pat on the back, a somewhat tentative gesture.

“Hey, I remember you,” Ally blurted out, shoving her finger at Frank’s chest.

Embarrassed was an understatement of how I felt, but Dante must have warned his friend about what had happened, because the man didn’t seem bothered by my daughter’s drunken state.

“I remember you too,” he simply said. “How are you doing?”

“Oomph.” Ally threw her hand up. “You know...peachy.”

“Okay, Hendrix.” Dante pulled her away from Frank. “Let’s go.”

Cassy was a little tornado. “Babe.” She touched her fiancé’s shoulder lightly, then started toward the part of the house I hadn’t been to last time I was here. “I’ll show them to their rooms. Can you set the table?”

Frank nodded.

We were led through what appeared to be a living area, past floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the darkness that was the ocean, and down a corridor, where Cassy motioned at two doors opposite from each other.

“This one is yours,” she told Dante, pointing to the right. “And you and Ally can take this one.” She gestured to the left.

“Thanks.” Accepting help from a woman I hardly knew was strange, but she didn’t make it uncomfortable. Perhaps because she was once just like me. New to this wholedating a celebritything.

“You always were the best, darlin’.” Dante grinned at her and pushed the door to my room open to help Ally inside.

“I’m sorry about that,” I gestured toward Ally as I whispered to Cassy when only the two of us remained in the corridor. “My daughter can be a little…” The right words didn’t come.

“Rebellious?” The thought was finished for me.

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