Maybe it was possible to find redemption.
You just had to look hard enough.
And believe it could happen.
Even for a man like Dane.
A monster like him.
Everlee stared up at the ceiling fan as it whipped around slowly. She frowned and then slowly walked over to the window and opened it as a fresh breeze picked up. After a moment’s hesitation, she turned off the fan, put on her favorite pair of pajamas, and flipped on Jimmy Fallon.
The sound of the TV made her smile, just like the flickering light that danced along the walls. Instead of staying on her side, she lay back in the middle of the bed and took a deep breath.
She touched her stomach and then smiled to herself.
Fresh starts came in all shapes and sizes, didn’t they?
“It’s going to be okay,” she said to herself. “It already is.”
It wasn’t lost on her that the ceiling fan was off.
That she no longer needed to count in order to keep the nightmares away.
Instead, she stared up at it.
And smiled.
“Oliver’s pot roast was amazing!” Chrissy skipped into the room. “If you don’t marry him, someone else is going to steal him, and you can’t cook!”
Brittany gave her a narrowed-eyed glare. “I can cook!”
“You burn everything!” Chrissy laughed and then threw a pillow at Brittany. “Admit it, Mom, just leave it to the pros!”
Brittany’s heart still jumped when she heard Chrissy call her Mom. It felt so natural, so real, and Chrissy had explained that she felt blessed to have not one mom but two.
Brittany had to agree.
“You ladies ready?” Oliver walked into the massive living room with his coat and gave Brittany a sympathetic look.
“Yeah.” Brittany stood. Light flashed and sparked off the engagement ring on her left hand. He’d proposed, for real, a day ago.
She’d said yes through her tears.
And then she’d found out that he’d asked for Chrissy’s permission first.
It was a lot of adjusting, but she knew that Oliver was it. Only him.
She’d known it the moment she met him, hadn’t she?
“Let’s go.” Chrissy put her hand in Brittany’s as Oliver locked up.
The car ride was slow.
Torturous.
At least, it wasn’t raining.
When they arrived at the cemetery, Chrissy hopped out first and walked to the grave marked by the prestigious tombstone. “Hi, Dad.”
Brittany barely kept her tears in as Oliver squeezed her hand and then wrapped his arms around her like he knew she needed his strength to keep standing.
She wished more than anything that she hadn’t given in to fear, that she had sought out Chrissy sooner, told Ronan earlier.
“No regrets,” Oliver whispered in her ear. “Life is life. Sometimes, things just happen. You can’t change the past. You can only make choices in the present that will affect your future.”
She nodded, not trusting her voice.
“Dad, I want you to know…” Chrissy’s voice carried on the gentle wind. “I really like Oliver. I think you would, too, and Mom’s so pretty. She told me yesterday about all the late night Chinese food and how you used to say goodbye with two fingers. She said I have your eyes and your smile. I’d like to think I have your laugh, too. Mom said it was the best, then again, she loves laughs.” Chrissy’s voice lowered. “I miss you, even though I only met you twice. I miss the confidence you had when you walked into the room. But I know that you left me in good hands. Mom said you loved to fly, that you finally felt free, so I figured since you have to be in the sky, I’ll have to come visit you and tell you my stories down here until we meet again, right?”
Tears streamed down Brittany’s face as Chrissy slowly got up and rejoined them. As a family, they each set a rose on the gravestone.
“I love you guys,” Chrissy said in a broken-up voice once they were back in the car. It was a typical Sunday: church, pot roast, and a visit to Ronan.
It was everything.
And when Brittany looked up at the New York skyline and saw her face right along with her daughter’s in the middle of Times Square, she knew. It might have been ugly and hard, and she might have felt defeated.
But she had survived.
And while life could be cruel.
That didn’t mean it couldn’t be good, too.
The End
If you need to talk to someone, here are some resources that are available all day, every day.
Please know you are not alone.
The National Sexual Assault Hotline
RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network) is the nation's largest anti-sexual violence organization.
Telephone: 800.656.HOPE (4673)
Online chat: online.rainn.org
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline provides free and confidential emotional support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress
Telephone: 1-800-273-8255
For Deaf & Hard of Hearing: 1-800-799-4889
Online chat: suicidepreventionlifeline.org
The National Domestic Violence Hotline
We answer the call to support and shift power back to people affected by relationship abuse.
Telephone: 1-800-799-SAFE (7233)
Online chat: thehotline.org
loveisrespect
loveisrespect’s purpose is to engage, educate and empower young people to prevent and end abusive relationships.
Telephone: 1-866-331-9474
Online chat: loveisrespect.org
Text: LOVEIS to 22522
Kathy Ireland
Countless people made this book possible. To those not acknowledged here, please believe, gratitude is written in my heart.
Greg, you are the realization of my dreams as a husband and father. Your courage, wisdom, strength, and beautiful soul are so much more incredible than your handsome face and stellar form. Never believed in “love at first sight.” I gazed into your gorgeous, kind eyes. Melting into your arms? Finally, safe harbor. Thank you for loving, leading, and healing. My one true love. Hero!
Gratitude, prayers and “Relentless” love for all listed in these pages and your beautiful families, you give so much.
Our children, Lily, Chloe, Erik, and our daughter-in-love Bethany, for joy each day. Children are God’s Gifts… To the best parents ever… Mom and Dad to us, John and Barbara Ireland to the world. Your love, empowerment, and prayers rescue always. Blessed by Phil and Barbara Olsen, father and mother-in-love, and our Utah relatives. My sisters, brothers-and-sisters-in-love and relatives on both sides of our family tree, nephews and nieces: Mary, Sal, Cynthia, Mark, Elijah, Polly, the Neimanns, Grant, Dyan, Wyatt, Dana, Paul, Jacob, Joseph, Daniel, and Sophia. Aunt Dorothy, you’re incredible. Thank you all for teaching priceless life lessons. Becca, Larry, Noah and our Childers family. In Heaven, Grandmother Gladys, Granny Polly, Grandpa Gus, Granddad Eric, Mama Eva, Viola, Mary Ann, and Del.
“My Guys,” from our kathy ireland Worldwide®/SWC family. For 30 years, you’ve always had my back and you know I'll always have yours. Our devotion never wavers, because our love never lessens. Geniuses, Jon and Stephen. Erik and Jason. Steve and Adrian. We’re together forever.
Shining stars: Brittany Duncan, Brian Nguyen. Rocco Ingemi. John and Marilyn Moretz, we started it! Elise Kim. Nephew Tommy Meharey, Nic Mendoza, Dee, Maria and Felipa. Andre Carthen, Trinity, Miles Robinson, Rubén Torres, Zulma Ponce, Bialik Benjamin, Dwayne Maddox, Selena Hunter, Mitch Sternard, Albert Bonds, Caitlin Runnels, Stephen D. Hemedes, Deb Brabo, Dave Lewis, Bram and Steve Glick. Vanessa Williams, your family, Brian Edwards, #WORKTODO and MORE! Love.
Glick, for magnificent #1 New York Times Bestselling Co-Author, Rachel Van Dyken. Erica Spellman Silverman and Nina Grinstead. RVD, for honoring my beliefs, voice and your exquisite talent; weaving t
hese stories, truths and histories into Fashion Jungle. You are every type of beautiful.
Miriam Wizman. Sam, Mary, Mary Lane, Sam IV, Mei, and the precious Haskells. Paul, Leah, Natalie and Stephanie Raps. Clark and Karen Linstone. Alex, Mina and the Peykars. Julie Rosenblum. Abe, Sarah and the Hanans. Michael Amini, Martin Ploy and Chuck Reilly. Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis, Jr., always present in love. Nicholas and Tamara Walker. Frankie Mayer, you believed, when none did, translating fashion and forged a forever-love. Sports Illustrated Icon, Jule Campbell for beauty and genius.
Elizabeth Taylor, the Joan of Ark of HIV/AIDS, with greater courage. Thank you for mentorship, strength, humanity, humility, legendary jewels and valiant love. Tim Mendelson, we “truly love you.” Barbara, Quinn, and fellow Ambassadors at the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation at etaf.org. My board members and our brilliant players at the NFLPA and WNBPA.
Hartwig Masuch, Andreas Katsambas, and BMG. Janet Jackson, for our untold “Unbreakable” history. Jane Seymour. Anita Pointer. The Marshalls: Joan (Van Ark), Jack, and Vanessa. Anita Baker, my Shero! Ashley Graham, for our beautiful friendship, and kindness to our youngest as your own family grows. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Serena Williams. Sharlee, for always bringing “The Stuff,” Derek and the Jeter family. Guttman Associates: darling Rona Menashe, Alyssa Marquardt and Dick G. Michael McVean, Bruvion Travel, and Nader Sarkosh.
Randy, Amy, Gabriel and Ava Clark. Providence. Helene and Dr. David Winter. The Bacons, Bohlingers, Stretchberrys, and Morgans. The Stanley, Corbo, Brewer and Van Leer families. Baret, Camille, Jenny, Joy, Missi, Amy, Dawn, Sue, Cheri, Kim, Michelene, and your loved ones, you know what you mean to my heart. Irv, Susie and the Blumkins, you are cherished and loved. Warren and Astrid Buffett, for kind, life-changing lessons. Debbie, for flying Mr. Buffett’s office. Telisa Yancy, for teaching all to “Dream Fearlessly.” Robert Maricich, because. Terry and Tina Lundgren.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, for non-partisan, brilliant service to our country as Director of the NIAID. Dr. Swamy Venuturupalli, Bryant Uy, and Stephanie Bustos of Attune Health, Dr. Margrit Carlson, Tom and Ellen Hoberman, Marty and Deena Singer, Steve and Judy Wolf, for everything. Physicians and staff who serve Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara.
Selina Lopez, Graham Nation, Kenny Paves, Darren Stone, Eva Roston, Luis Casco, José Eber, Robert Steinken, Diane Meehan - for honoring Jon’s vision, and keeping it a lil’ bit cute.
Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, in the dungeon of Paris, I opened Your Bible, and in fear, found Your Truth! You became the closest Friend I’ll ever know. As my Faith grew, I learned of confusion, false words, and those who exploit Your Holy Name. As the Giver of all Life, Your Love is for each human being, none superior to any other, for any reason whatsoever! Each of us is able to embrace Your Love, despite our mistakes and greatest sins. Because of Your Word, I realize how much more than Friendship, You offer to all who accept You, Your Love, The Cross, Your Blood, The Resurrection and Eternal Life. Scripture's promise for all? "I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me." Please believe that Truth. My prayer is that our book will encourage you to please, pick up The Bible, and experience Your Everlasting Forgiveness and receive the greatest Love of all.
Love and God bless.
- Kathy
Rachel Van Dyken
Acknowledgements are always so difficult for me! How do you even begin to thank all the people who help make this book what it is?
I’m so, so thankful to God that he’s given me this job that feels nothing like a job but a passion. I love waking up and creating new worlds. And this project was easily one of the hardest and most rewarding yet! Working with Kathy was an absolute dream come true, hearing her stories and seeing her put pen to paper was so fascinating and impacted me in a huge way. How brave. That’s all I kept thinking through this process, not only is she brave, but such an incredibly strong woman and role model. The world would be a better place if we had more people like Kathy in it.
To the incredible Jason Winters, thank you so much for being so available during all of this, I promise I’ll keep working on slowing my roll when I talk. It was an absolute pleasure hearing story after story from you, you were such a huge part of this process I think we both would have been lost without you.
To my husband Nate and son Thor, thank you for being patient with me when I was up late writing or re-reading stories and emailing late at night, writing with a co-author is amazing but it’s two personalities merging as one, and the material is so sensitive—but necessary in conversation especially this day and age. Having my family, my two best friends by my side during this was everything. My boys truly are the best!
Erica, you are the best agent a girl could ask for, I think we all breathed a sigh of relief when we hit the end, trying to pack so much into one story is hard and I so appreciate you helping not only make this happen but being a sounding board during it. Nina, my publicist, haha, fifty-two, I’m just going to keep saying that and hoping you can laugh now that we are at our release of this project! I don’t think I’ve talked to my own mom (who is literally my best friend) as much as I’ve talked to you these past few months, multiple times a day, all hours of the night. You are magic and such a true friend. I love you.
Jena Brignola, thank you for the lovely cover art. Jill as always, your formatting is on point and your feedback during this was everything we needed! Tracey, Krista, Candace, Georgia, Yana, and Stephanie, I so appreciate your beta reading and finding things that we needed to fix that we missed!
To the editors who worked tirelessly on this project, Kay, Theresa, Chelle, and Jill again haha, we are in your debt! To the rest of the Trident publishing arm who have helped us get this into the hands of readers, you have been so patient!
Words can’t express how thankful I am to the entire Kathy Ireland Worldwide team, Steve, Brittany, Brian, Stephen, Rona, Nic, oh gosh I know I’m forgetting people and it really has taken a village! The family behind kiWW is just, honestly words can’t express how lovely they are. It’s a testament to Kathy how her company truly is a family that I want to be a part of.
Finally, to the readers, thank you for reading, for reviewing, spreading the word and supporting!
I know I forgot so many names of people behind the scenes that have helped us in such huge ways. This is why it’s hard for authors to do this haha our brains are tired from all the words so, I’m just going to say again, thank you from the bottom of my heart!
Hugs, RVD
Kathy Ireland, Chair of kathy ireland® Worldwide (kiWW®), is a fashion and home industry icon, whose unprecedented, American entrepreneurial success, inspired the term, model-preneur. kiWW® is owned solely by Kathy’s family trusts. Kathy’s first novel, Fashion Jungle, is co-authored with #1 New York Times Bestselling author, Rachel Van Dyken. Kathy entered the “jungle” as a teenager, sheltered by loving parents, John and Barbara, of Santa Barbara, California. Covers of Vogue, Teen, and Cosmopolitan, led to a record 13 issues and all-time bestselling cover of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit. Kathy is the supermodel turned supermogul, hailed by Harper’s Bazaar as the most successful “model in the world.” kiWW® launched a single pair of socks, during Kathy’s first pregnancy. While selling over one hundred million pairs, retail expanded. kiWW® develops for home, office, fashion, luxury jewels, vacation destinations, weddings, lighting, flooring, furniture, personal care, media and more. After billions of dollars in sales, kiWW®, a private company, was reported on by Forbes. Kathy’s story continues in global media, including three Forbes covers (two USA, one Asia), Inc., Wall Street Journal, Cheddar, Success Magazine, television, and online. Kathy’s speaking events occur in America, the Middle East, Asia and beyond. Residing in Santa Barbara, California, Kathy Ireland and Greg Olsen are parents to Lily, Chloe, Erik and his wife Bethany, their daughter-in-love. Kathy holds numerous Honorary Doctorates of Humane Letters including one from CSU Channel Islands. Kathy’s philanthropy includes: women and children’s health, HIV/AIDS, Education, huma
n freedom, life, wars against religious persecution and violence. Kathy is a Board Member of the NFLPA, WNBPA Board of Advocates, an Ambassador and donor for the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation. Kathy’s survival in the jungle is because of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, His inerrant Word, and The Gospel, which is the Good News of Christ, crucified for all sins. Kathy believes everyone is loved by Jesus Christ, without any exceptions. Please experience Kathy’s journey of Faith, at kathyireland.com/fashionjungle/faith.
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Rachel Van Dyken is the #1 New York Times Bestselling, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author of over 80 books ranging from contemporary romance to paranormal. With over four million copies sold, she's been featured in Forbes, US Weekly, and USA Today. Her books have been translated in more than 15 countries. She was one of the first romance authors to have a Kindle in Motion book through Amazon publishing and continues to strive to be on the cutting edge of the reader experience. She keeps her home in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, adorable son, naked cat, and two dogs. For more information about her books and upcoming events, visit www.RachelVanDykenauthor.com.
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