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Dedication

To JT Lacy for all the hard work you did (and still do) behind the scenes to ensure this new endeavor became a reality. Branching out on my own is very scary and exciting, but I wouldn’t have been able to take this leap without your love and support. To fellow author Parker Kincade for, among so many things, being my writing rock. I honestly don’t know how I published books before you came into my life. You are truly awesome. To my assistant, Carla Gallway, for taking on all those tedious tasks, so I can focus more on my craft. To my editor, Brieanna Robertson, for your meticulous eye and no-nonsense approach on whipping a manuscript into shape. Each time we work together, I learn something new.

And to all my fans who followed me over to this new facet of my writing career and giving M.W. Muse the same love and support you have on my works in other genres.

This book is for you.

Chapter One

“
Surprise!
”

Legacy jumped and nearly dropped the new shoes her friend Calli had just bought at the mall. She’d been dragged there after school with dubious taunts of makeup and bling-bling, but had spent the majority of the time feeding Calli’s shoe fetish. And now they were at Legacy’s house, in the doorway, staring at a living room full of her friends and some people who worked with her guardian, Lissa. Great. A surprise birthday party. Legacy should’ve known she couldn’t sneak by the not-so-big-one-seven with just a nod from her non-traditional family and a night with her BFF.

Especially when she’d told Lissa she didn’t want a birthday party. But she’d learned long ago that Lissa did whatever she wanted anyway. She’d been Legacy’s guardian since the night her parents had died when she was just a baby, and the woman had always been there for her, even on silly celebratory days like this one. Lissa and her mom, Dora, had been friends when Legacy was a baby, so she usually told her stories to help her feel close to her mom on occasions like this. Legacy feared today would be no different. Only now she’d be donning a party hat for trips down memory lane.

Legacy smiled as she turned to Calli. “You must be in on this. I can’t believe it.” She was shocked her friend had kept the secret, not one of Calli’s strong suits.

Calli Rhodes was her best friend, and had been for many years. She was one of those girls that came from money and lots of it. Being the fashionista she was, she regularly wore the latest fashions and rarely wore the same outfit the same way twice. Even though Calli came from money and would probably never work a day in her life, she never seemed to let that go to her head. Of course she usually made comments about other people’s clothing, but that was really the extent of her snobbery.

“Guilty.” She fluttered her eyelashes with false innocence.

Legacy hugged her and then turned around to gaze at the room, which had been decorated perfectly. There were streamers draped across the ceiling, balloons gathered in bunches and disbursed throughout the room. A large, personalized sign hung on the far wall that read
Happy Seventeenth Birthday Legacy Kore!
Everyone was grinning. Some already had plates full of finger foods while others had plastic cups with red punch. It was definitely a party in full swing.

Lissa had one table set up with a several gifts, a different table with all kinds of snacks, and another table in the middle of the room with two birthday cakes. One was obviously a homemade chocolate cake, probably the one Lissa had mentioned making this morning as a ruse to throw Legacy off any party trail. The other cake looked like no ordinary cake. In fact, it didn’t look like a cake at all. If it weren’t for the icing, it would have just looked like a centerpiece as it was made into a shape of a beautifully wrapped present with a billowing bow atop it.

Wow
. Legacy felt tears form in the corners of her eyes as she fully took in the grand scene. Lissa had gone through a lot of trouble. Just for her. The woman in question stepped over and threw her arms around Legacy, hugging her tightly.

“Happy birthday, Legacy.”

Olive squealed next to her. “Are you surprised?”

Olive Borne was Lissa’s other ward. But unlike Legacy, Lissa had adopted her. There had been talk about Olive’s mother putting her up for adoption before she was born, but no specifics were ever discussed. As far as the family was concerned, Lissa was Olive’s mother, though Lissa had been very open about the fact Olive was adopted. Olive was a couple of years younger than Legacy, and the three of them made up their happy home.

“Totally,” Legacy said, smiling at Olive while blinking in an effort to keep the tears from falling to her cheeks.

Truth was, she’d been very surprised. Lissa usually made her feel special on important occasions, but she had never done anything like this before. Legacy had always thought that she didn’t like surprises, but she had to admit to herself this felt pretty nice.

“How long have you been planning this?” she was finally able to ask Lissa, knowing her voice wouldn’t crack.

“A few weeks. Calli called me. It was her idea. Olive and I wanted to do something special, but Calli didn’t think you’d willingly agree to a party, so she figured a surprise party would be just what you needed.”

Legacy glanced over at Calli. “You plotted this,” she accused teasingly, and several people in the room laughed.

“I didn’t plot. I just planned,” she said angelically.

“So the trip to the mall. The shoes. The makeup.”
The speech about how I should make a pass at Adin,
Legacy added in her head. “That was all just a setup?”

With a wink and a nod, Legacy had gotten her answer.

She turned toward the few people who were standing the closest and thanked them for coming. Several of the other people in the room got more snacks and talked amongst themselves in small groups. She started to feel a little more relaxed as the previously undivided attention she’d held turned to a more suitable level of interest and she continued to scan the room as small talk commenced.

And then whipped her head around to double-check what she thought she’d just seen.

Legacy gasped at the confirmation and then coughed to cover it as she quickly turned away, barely remembering her manners to excuse herself from the recently started conversation. But it was hard because she couldn’t pretend she hadn’t just seen who was here. At her house. Celebrating her birthday.

Adin Sheppard.

Gods, ever since she was little, she’d had it bad for the guy, and the fact that his grandma lived next door caused a few mini heart attacks for Legacy over the years—the only thing hotter than Adin was Adin
shirtless
doing yard work for his sweet grandma. Yum.

Legacy had wondered when she’d get to see him again since today wasn’t only her birthday but the last day of school…and Adin had been a senior who graduated a couple of weeks ago. He’d returned today with the rest of the graduating class for the annual parade and float completion between the leaving senior classmen and the rising seniors. She’d put on her favorite outfit—a green dress with just the right accessories. Her official eye color was blue, but her eyes tended to change colors from blue to green depending on what she was wearing.
Hopefully,
her eyes had cooperated and had gotten on board with the color scheme when she’d seen Adin.

And see him she did. But she hadn’t been the only girl in school eager to ogle one last time. Ellen and Kate had been fawning all over him and his new Camaro like they didn’t already have boyfriends. Yeah, it had bothered her in a way she didn’t want to analyze. It wasn’t like he and Legacy had ever been an item. He was just outgoing and charming in such a way that it seemed like second nature to him, making her insides melt every time he gave her any attention. Not to mention the fact that he was unbelievably gorgeous. Not that looks mattered to her,
much
. But the way he looked should be considered a sin. He was tall with dark blonde hair and piercing blue eyes. He didn’t even look like a senior because none of the other seniors looked anything like him. It was as if he’d stepped out of her personal fairytale.

Thankfully, Calli had mentioned to the crowd this morning that it had been Legacy’s birthday, and Adin had overheard. Even though it had just happened, the events would forever be burned into her brain…

“It’s Legacy’s birthday.” Calli looked over at Legacy. “It’s a day for celebration.”

“It sure is,” she heard, coming from behind her in an unmistakable masculine voice. “Happy birthday, Legacy.”

She turned around to look at the guy who’d just wished her a happy birthday, but she already knew who had said it. She could hone into that voice from several feet away and still go weak in the knees.

“Thanks, Adin.” She smiled as their eyes met, hoping she didn’t look like a star-struck idiot. “Nice car.”

“Thanks. My parents promised me a new car when I graduated, but since I decided to go to college close by, they used the extra money to surprise me with something nicer. You know, now that there’s no room and board to worry about.” He swayed onto his toes. “So…do you have any plans for your birthday?”

“Um, not really. I mean, Calli and I are going shopping after school, and Lissa is baking me a cake for tonight.”

“Well, you look stunning,” he said as he took in her green dress. “That color really brings out the color of your eyes. They’re so beautiful.”

“Thank you.”
Don’t think anything of it. He’s nice to everyone,
she reminded herself. “Er, you look nice today, too.”

“You look nice every day, but thank you.”

“Legacy,” Calli interrupted. “We need to get ready for the parade.”

“Oh, okay.” Thank heavens she didn’t have time to process what Adin just said and make more out of it than what it truly was.

Adin smiled at her and took a step closer. Her heart tried to break free from her chest, and she felt blood rushing to her face.

“I hope you have a wonderful birthday, Legacy,” Adin whispered to her in such a sincere manner that it made her feel like they were the only two people in the parking lot. He stroked her arm as he stepped even closer in a move that she was sure to end in an embrace.

She was silently screaming in anticipation. Sure, Adin had hugged her before, but she never got used to it.

He held her tightly for a brief couple of seconds, and, somehow, she managed to move her numb arms from her sides to around his back before he stepped away.

“Good luck on your float,” Legacy said to Adin to try to distract herself from the wonderful smell of his skin. “You’ll need it. Ours is really cool.”

“You too.” He laughed and winked at her as she turned and walked…

Oh yeah, she’d never forget that brief conversation or the way he’d made her feel. And now Prince Charming was standing in her living room.

Since everyone seemed to be comfortable mingling with each other, Legacy figured she wouldn’t be missed or gawked at if she tried to have a private discussion. She walked toward Calli who was still talking to one of the other guests, but she excused herself and walked over when she saw Legacy with a frown.

“What is it?” she asked with concern in her voice. “You look constipated or something.”

“Did you, er, invite everyone here?” Legacy asked, ignoring the constipation comment.

“I invited some of our friends from school, but Lissa talked to the people in your neighborhood and at her office and invited them. Why?”

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