The Naked Truth (The Honeybrook Hamdens)

Ten Years Ago

They’d given her a year. Maybe less.

Chase ate his lunch in silence, contemplating exactly how long a year was. He had six months until graduation, three until college, and then…

Then he’d be an orphan. Just him and Phil.

And he had no intention of keeping Phil around.

“What’s the matter? You look like someone spit in your food.” Luke glanced down at the barely-touched slice of pizza on Chase’s plate, and Chase shook his head.

“Nothing. Test later.”

“Same. Chem. You?”

“Math.” Reluctantly, he picked up his pizza, but dropped it again when a beautiful long-limbed creature stopped just short of their table and flipped one long golden lock over her shoulder.

“Mom just texted me. She says Luke, you need to turn on your phone or answer her texts. Chase, she’s making meatloaf, so you’ve got to help her make the apple sauce.”

“Actually, I think I’d better eat at home tonight.” Who knew how many more meals he had with his mother? How many more days?

Julie frowned. “Okay. I’ll tell her to save the ends for you in case you come by later.”

“Right, thanks.”

She gave him an odd look, glanced at his forearm, then up at his eyes. Her lips parted slightly, like she was about to ask a question, but he jumped from the table and said, “I’m gonna head to the library and study.” Then he left them in his dust.

What could the Hamdens understand about loss? About having a less-than-perfect family?

How could they understand what it felt like to be alone? No, not alone, to have someone depend on you the way his mother had always depended on him.

And then to have that person ripped away?

He tightened his jaw, glanced at the corridor that led down to the library, and then turned on his heel and headed for the school’s wide glass doors.

Present Day

Indie Fashion Show Set For Success

After months of careful planning, Madison Square Garden is finally getting ready for what some are calling the event of the season--the Independant Fashion Show of New York City. Unlike the big fish at New York Fashion Week, this smaller event is poised to show off over one hundred of the city's best and brightest upcoming fashion stars.

Heading the event is Eli Wilcox Fashion and Co. who, after starting only two years ago, have already branched out into some of the biggest stretches of the city. A representative from the company, Troy Wilcox--brother of the famous Eli--reports that the event is in very capable hands.

"Our star assistant and event planner Julie Hamden has handled every detail of the event. She's made every call personally, has had her hand in everything from the decorations to the food. Honestly, the success of the this show should be entirely credited with her."

The rest of the article droned on about the designers who were slated to attend the event, and though Chase hardly recognized any of the names, he knew what it meant for Julie. This was big. Beyond big.

And she'd done it all by herself.

"Hey, have you seen the paper yet this morning?" Chase waved the thing toward the place where Luke was hunched over the bar, working on yet another spreadsheet.

"Yeah."

"And you saw this thing about Jules?" Chase read the piece over again.

"Yeah, it's great."

“That’s all you’ve got? Great?”