Waterfall Kisses (The Kisses 9)

the steps toward Ava. My hair spread out behind me in the tropical heat. I jumped the last step, being careful of my heels before taking off at a run. Bastian never understood how I could do it, but I'd been wearing heels for work long enough to know how to run in them.

I wrapped her up in a giant hug. The last time I had seen her was a little over a week ago. We had become friends just before I had left to go work on the phone app for our company. That was right around the time she and Bastian realized they were perfect for each other and were giving the most obvious love-filled glances in the kitchen. I had been glad to get out of the house and give them some alone time.

To be honest, I was surprised when I came back to work on the auction and found out that she had gone back home, leaving my brother broken-hearted. Bastian claimed she said she just didn't fit his world, but that made no sense to me. They were so perfect together that I was having difficulty understanding why she had left, but somehow I knew she'd come back.

I was so glad to see her. Since she had been gone, Bastian had been mopey and miserable. I had missed her, and not just because of Bastian's mood swings. She was my friend, too.

“I'm glad to see you, too,” she replied with a laugh.

I grinned at her, finally releasing her from my hug. “Bastian's going to flip. He's been absolutely no fun since you left.”

“Where is Bastian?” Ava asked, her eyes going to the house and looking for him. “I need to talk to him.”

“I'm sure you do,” I said with a wink. They needed to do much more than talk. “But he's not here right now.”

“Oh. Of course. I should have checked before I came...” Ava looked down at the ground, heartbreak filling her voice.

“But he'll be back for the gala tonight,” I quickly promised. Poor Ava just looked more confused and all I wanted to do was hug her again. Apparently, being apart from Bastian had been as hard on her as it had been on him.

“Oh, he'll be back?” Relief flooded Ava's voice and her shoulders relaxed slightly. She looked exhausted. Her blouse was wrinkled and her shorts stained with the signs of fast food and travel. Her usually shiny, thick red hair was pulled back and brushed, but her eyes were red and her skin drawn and pale. If I looked up “travel-weary” in the dictionary, her picture would be there. Given that the island wasn't an easy place to get to without a private jet, I could only imagine the night she'd had.

“You are coming to the gala tonight, right?” I asked, already working on a plan. This was going to be my opportunity to play fairy godmother.

“Gala?” Ava sounded utterly confused. She frowned and reached into her pocket, pulling out the golden ticket for the gala and auction. The paper was creased only once, as if she had stuck it in her pocket and forgotten about it. She now stared at it as if she were reading it for the first time. “I totally missed there was a gala on there.”

I looked at her very small travel suitcase. There was no way an elegant evening gown was in there. “What are you planning on wearing?” I asked, knowing that she most likely didn't have a plan. If anything that made me love her more. Ava had just hopped on a plane with nothing in a rush to get to the man she loved. It was incredibly romantic.

I was a sucker for romantic.

“Um...” Ava blushed and looked down at her suitcase.

“Oh, good! You didn't bring anything. That makes this so much easier,” I answered for her. My brain was already going at a million miles an hour on just how I was going to make this a night to remember. “It's always better to work with a blank canvas anyway.”

“What?” Ava squeaked. She looked a little panicked and shell-shocked. I couldn't blame her. This must not have been at all what she was expecting.

“I've got just the designer for you,” I said, thinking of the three brand new designer gowns hanging in my closet. They had been given to me by upcoming new artists specifically for this event and now I would be able to use at least two of them. I wrapped my arm around her shoulder and started to guide her up to the house. “This is going to be so much fun!”

Ava shot me a nervous look, but let me lead her forward. I wasn't the princess of the story, but I was going to be the fairy godmother and make sure that Ava and Bastian got their fairy tale ending.

“I'm going to make you the belle of the ball.”

***

“Yes, yes, yes!” I exclaimed, finishing zipping up the back of the gown. It was perfect for Ava. The first time I saw the dress, I knew it would be too long for me, but since Ava was taller, it would fit her without even needing hemmed. It was as if it was made for her.

The dress was made of soft gold that flowed over her hips and made the woman in front of me appear lush and slender at the time. A gold lace overlay started right at her hips and continued down the length of the gown to create a train that was both romantic and stunning.

I hooked the top latch, making sure everything was in place. “I thought of you as soon as I saw this dress. It's perfect.”

“It's not too much?” Ava asked, looking down at the rich lace fabric bodice.

I stood behind her and put my hands on her shoulders. With a gentle push, I moved her in front of the full-length mirror. “You look amazing. Stunning.”

She smiled, taking in the dress for the first time. “I'm just nervous.” Her smile faltered. “What am I going to say to him?”

“Tell him you love him,” I told her without hesitation, squeezing her shoulders.

Ava looked up, the mirror reflecting the shock in her bright green eyes. “How did you know? I haven't said anything about how I feel...”