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Ryan paused a moment, reading what he had typed, then he added, However, this city does not just boast of celebrities but is also well-known for its small population of scruffy residents who live in parks, bus shelters and alleys.
He was not sure that was exactly how he would begin the article, but it worked for the moment.
Ryan leaned his head back and closed his eyes, resting them. He had not realized just how exhausted he was until this very moment. Before leaving New York, he’d had to make sure that his brother had everything under control at the restaurant. Ryan had also wanted to finish another project, so he’d stayed up late last night and woke up early. He closed up the laptop and put it away before falling asleep.
He woke up an hour later. They would not be landing in Los Angeles for another two hours, so Ryan retrieved his laptop and opened it. He decided to attempt to complete the introduction for his article.
The hair on the back of his neck stood up.
Ryan glanced around until he met the gaze of a beautiful young woman. She smiled brightly, pleased that she had caught his attention.
He smiled in return.
Ryan had dated some since his divorce, but his constant traveling prevented him from investing any real time into a relationship. However, Sandra had put him through two years of pure hell. Ryan was pretty sure that he would never marry again.
He refused to allow another woman to shatter his heart into a million pieces ever again.
Chapter 2
Sage and her future sister-in-law, Natasha LeBlanc, exited the Alexander-DePaul Beverly Hills Hotel, heading to a nearby bridal shop on foot.
It was a beautiful and sunny June day, perfect for a stroll. Sage loved the outdoors and often walked to many of the nearby shops and eateries.
“I love seeing Ari with Joshua,” Sage commented as they walked. “I’m so glad that he has you both in his life.”
Natasha smiled. “He’s not my son’s biological father, but I couldn’t ask for anyone more wonderful than Ari.”
Her oldest brother had married his childhood sweetheart right out of college, but lost her to cancer a couple years ago. She had worried that Ari would never stop grieving for April. Then Natasha and her son, Joshua, entered his life a year ago, giving Ari a reason for living again.
“But after tomorrow, it will be official,” Natasha stated. “I’m relieved that the adoption has gone through without a hitch. Although I have to confess that there is this tiny part of me that resents the fact that my ex-husband wants nothing to do with his son.” She released a short sigh. “No need to worry about the past, though. I have Ari.”
“If you say he completes you, I’m going to barf,” Sage interjected with a small chuckle.
Natasha laughed.
Out of the corner of her eye, Sage noticed a lone homeless man standing near the entrance.
Her steps slowed as their eyes met and held.
The trance was broken when two hotel security members walked outside, gesturing for him to leave the property grounds.
Sage quickly intervened. “He’s not doing anything.”
One of the men told her, “Some of the guests have complained, Miss Alexander—”
“I understand that you’re doing your job, Tom,” she responded. “But everything is fine. You can go back inside now.”
Sage told Natasha, “Wait here a moment, please.” She walked over to the stranger in clothes that had seen better days and said, “I’m sorry for the actions of my security personnel.” She pulled a hundred-dollar bill out of her wallet and offered it to the homeless man. “I hope this will help you in some way.”
He was clearly surprised by her generosity. “Thank you. I appreciate your kindness.”
Sage noted the rich timbre of his baritone voice.
“If you’re hungry, I can arrange a meal for you,” Sage said.
He held up the money and responded, “This is more than enough.”
He thanked her again before walking away.
Sage watched him for a moment as he headed in the other direction. “I feel so bad for him,” she said in a low voice.
“That was really nice of you,” Natasha murmured.
“He definitely needs it more than I do,” Sage responded as they continued on to the bridal shop.
Although she considered him a fleeting thought, Sage found she could not force him out of her mind. It was as if some invisible thread drew her to him. It was not something she could fully explain because she did not understand it herself.
This unknown stranger who had fallen on hard times had left an indelible impression on her.
* * *
Ryan stared down at the hundred-dollar bill in his hand in disbelief.
The daughter of Malcolm Alexander had given him the money without any hesitation. It was almost as if she had been expecting him.
He had seen enough pictures of her to recognize Sage Alexander. However, none of the photos truly did her justice.
She was gorgeous.
He had the pleasure of meeting Robert DePaul a few years ago at a political fundraiser. Ryan found that she possessed those same steel-gray eyes as her father and Robert, her grandfather. She was tall and slender, with curves in all the right places. She wore her long dark brown hair in its natural curly state.
Ryan’s eyes stayed on Sage as she and her friend strolled down the sidewalk and across the street to a bridal shop. He couldn’t help but wonder if she was always this generous or if this had just been some random act of kindness.
He heard the whine of a baby and glanced over his shoulder.
A young woman who looked to be in her early twenties was trying to soothe a tiny infant swaddled tightly in a blanket. She held the baby close to her heart and appeared to be whispering to the child.
She reached into the shopping cart, fumbled through a few bags and then frowned. Whatever she was looking for was long gone. She kissed the top of her baby’s head and continued to try and comfort the infant. Her blue eyes were dull and pained and her blond hair looked as if it could use a good washing.
Without a second thought, Ryan strode over to her.
“Miss, can I help you with anything?”
She silently surveyed him from head to toe before shaking her head. “I’m fine.”
“The baby—”
“She needs to be changed,” the young woman murmured.
Ryan glanced down into the shopping cart. She didn’t possess much, but there was no sign of diapers—cloth or otherwise.
“This woman just walked out of the hotel and gave me this money, but I want you to have it. Looks like you may need to purchase diapers.”
Her eyes widened in surprise when she saw the hundred-dollar bill in his hand.
“I can’t take this from you,” she whispered, tears in her eyes. Her gaze traveled slowly over his attire. “You need it as much as I do.”
“I’ll be okay,” Ryan assured her. “I want you to have it. Use it for the baby.” He could tell that the infant was only a few weeks old. “She’s beautiful.”
After a short deliberation, she accepted the money and smiled. “God bless you for your kindness. Thank you so much.”
“When was the last time you had a hot meal?” Ryan asked.
“A few days now,” she responded. “My milk is drying up, so I think I’m going to have to get formula.”
“Hey, I’m about to get something to eat. Why don’t you and your beautiful little daughter join me? We can stop somewhere and get the diapers so you can change her first.”
He saw the hesitation in her eyes. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you. My name is Ryan, and I have nothing but honorable intentions.”
“I’m Paige, and this is Cassie. Ryan, you’ve done so much already. We really don’t want to take advantage of your kindness.”
“You wouldn’t be,” he said. “Paige, it looks like you need a friend. I assure you that I am not looking for anything in return.”
They walked until they found a corner store and bought diapers, a set of bottles, formula and some onesies for the baby.
Ryan pointed to the restaurant across the street. “We can eat there.”
Together, they crossed the street.
“I’ll wait out here,” Paige said, looking uncomfortable. “I need to change Cassie anyway. Besides, I’m pretty sure they don’t want us to come inside.”
Just as he was about to enter the restaurant, a young man dressed like one of the waitstaff met him at the door.
“I can take your order,” he said, “if you have money to pay.”
Ryan had forgotten he was dressed like a homeless person. It was clear that the waiter feared they would offend the other patrons. He stepped away from the door. “I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t have money,” he retorted. “I want to order two burgers, fries and drinks to go.”
“You sure you have enough money to pay for all this?” the young man asked.
“Like I said, I wouldn’t have ordered it if I didn’t,” Ryan responded, angered by the look of disdain on the waiter’s face. He pulled out two twenty-dollar bills. “Keep the change.”
Embarrassed, the waiter muttered, “I’ll place your order right now. It’ll be about ten minutes.”
Ryan strolled over to one of the outdoor tables where Paige sat playing with her baby girl.
“Why are you out here on the streets, Ryan?” Paige asked. “You obviously have money.”
“The only reason I have this money is because some rich woman gave it to me when I was standing outside the Alexander-DePaul Hotel,” he responded honestly. “Then I saw you, and I wanted to help. A young mother and her baby should not be on the streets.”
The waiter appeared with two tall glasses of ice water and two sodas. He set them down on the table and left as discreetly as he had arrived. He returned a few minutes later with their food.
“Where are you from?” Ryan inquired. He could hear a hint of a Southern accent in her voice.
“I’m from Atlanta, Georgia,” Paige responded. “I came to Los Angeles to be with my boyfriend. He plays the sax, and he’s trying to get into the music business. Things were good between us until I got pregnant. Then we started to argue and fight all the time. After Cassie was born, I thought we were getting back on track, but two weeks ago, he left to buy diapers and never returned. I couldn’t pay the rent for the hotel we were staying in, so I had to leave.”
Ryan felt a surge of anger rise in him as he listened to Paige’s story. What man could just walk away from his child like that?
It was obvious that this man never really cared for Paige. Ryan was careful not to voice his opinion aloud. He did not want to say anything that would add to the young woman’s pain.
* * *
“Have you decided on your color scheme yet?” Sage inquired.
“I was actually thinking about a mint-green and vintage-purple theme,” Natasha said. “They are two of my favorite colors.” She paused a moment before adding, “Oh, and I’ve found what I think is the perfect bridesmaid dress. It’s by Alvina Valenta. She is an extraordinary designer, and her dresses are known for their details and elegance.”
“I’m just glad that you didn’t choose soft pastel colors,” Sage announced as they entered the bridal shop. “They do absolutely nothing for my complexion. You know weddings are all about the bridesmaids, don’t you?”
Laughing, Natasha walked up to the counter to check in for their appointment.
While they waited, Sage’s gaze traveled the length of the shop, eyeing the vast number of wedding gowns, bridesmaid dresses and other formal wear. She couldn’t wait for the day when it would be her turn to get married.
Her dream wedding wasn’t filled with lots of glitz, glamour and hundreds of wedding guests. Instead, she wanted a more intimate and romantic ceremony—perhaps a destination wedding.
“What do you think about this one?” Natasha asked, drawing Sage out of her reverie.
She surveyed the gown in her future sister-in-law’s hand. “It’s pretty, but I don’t think it looks like you.”
“Really?”
Sage nodded. “I don’t know why, but I just can’t really see you in this dress. Maybe it’s because there’s so much lace. You don’t strike me as the ribbons, ruffles or bows type of girl.”
“You’re right,” Natasha agreed. “I prefer more simple lines but thought I’d do something different for my wedding.”
“No,” Sage interjected. “Your gown should definitely echo your personality.” She walked over to a nearby rack and selected a dress. “Now, I think that this one looks like you, Natasha.”
“Oh, my…” Natasha murmured as she fingered the soft, delicate chiffon. “This is stunning.”
Sage agreed. “You should try it on.”
Anna, the bridal consultant standing nearby, walked over to them. “I’ll take this to the dressing room.”
“Ari told me that I could have my dress designed, but I think I’d rather buy one off the rack.” Natasha pressed the dress against her body. “I really love this one.”
“Try it on,” Sage encouraged.
She strolled around the store, pausing every now and then to look at a gown. Sage already knew how she wanted her dress to look. While Natasha wasn’t interested in having a one-of-a-kind wedding gown, Sage felt otherwise.
Natasha walked out of the dressing room with the assistance of Anna. She looked like a vision from heaven in the eggshell-tinted strapless gown made of Tomen chiffon and lace embellished with Swarovski crystals and a sweetheart neckline. The unbelievable draping across Natasha’s torso completed the elegant vision.
