Even though Kenzie had quit a month ago, her connections to Southwood High School kept her in good standing to serve on the Christmas Advisory Council. She thought staying in Black Wolf Creek, hiding out, would heal her wounds. But now that she found herself standing outside of the old post office, doubts washed over her. Kenzie bit her bottom lip and glanced up at the building. Whatever name Ramon planned to give the sports bar was covered with a thick white sheet. His clout or whatever he’d bartered got the first meeting for the Christmas Advisory Council held on the same day as his soft opening; the meetings were traditionally held in City Hall, and had been for decades, since Southwood had decided to welcome out-of-towners to experience the holidays in a small town. Shops donated money and items to help make each year grander than the one before.
“You okay?”
Beside her, Maggie linked her arm through Kenzie’s and forced a smile onto her face instead of lying. Her heart raced. Her legs shook in her three-inch sandals. Thank God the bright yellow scoop-necked dress she wore covered her legs. Kenzie linked her sister’s arm with her own and looked both ways. “Is that our parents’ car?”
Maggie followed Kenzie’s glance. “I think so. Mama said something to me in a text about coming to more meetings.”
“You don’t have to be here to babysit me, you know.”
“I know, but Southwood is my home.”
Kenzie raised a brow at her sister. “You may have been with me for the last month but I know you’re ready to be with your followers.”
“Does this mean I don’t have to wait on you hand and foot?”
“Whatever,” Kenzie said, rolling her eyes. “Come on, let’s get this meeting over with.”
“Fine.” Maggie sighed. “But I want to be Mrs. Claus if any of Erin’s rehabilitating sports patients are going to play Santa.”
During the time Kenzie hid out, Erin decided to look at the buildings Kenzie had recommended and it turned out she liked them. The business was set to open by September. The property offered the privacy that her clients needed.
The pounding of her heart deafened Kenzie. With each step she took the blood in her veins pumped harder. She almost got dizzy and thought she might fall backward. She almost did. Maggie gripped her arm.
“I’ve got you.”
The glass doors opened before either of them touched the brass handles. He kept the handles, she thought. Just from the walk up Kenzie was able to tell Ramon had put in a lot of work to restore the brick.
“Welcome,” said a familiar face, with short, tight, curly hair and golden-bronze skin, wrapped in a black tuxedo. “Hi, Kenzie.”
“Julio?” Kenzie said slowly. “You’re here?”
Julio bowed at the waist and held the door open with his butt. “Temporary situation or penance, however you want to look at it.” He extended his hand toward her. “Before you take a step farther, I must apologize to you. I let my greed overtake me when I found out about the building and therefore I placed Ramon’s relationship with you at risk.”
The apology sounded rehearsed but not forced. “Thank you.”
“Right this way,” Julio said, stepping aside.
The first thing Kenzie noticed was the floors, still black and white but shiny this time. The postal workers’ area was now set up as a baseball-themed bar with bat-and-glove-shaped bar stools. What threw her off for a moment was that there were high school kids in their lettermen jackets sitting at the juice bar where the counter used to be. Kenzie looked around the area further. Pinball machines were surrounded by more teenagers. Beanbag chairs, a popcorn machine and a pool table were farther into the room.
“Is this a rec center?” Maggie asked.
“Right this way,” Julio said, not answering Maggie. He led them to the elevator. Kenzie gulped with the memory of the last time she’d been in here. The brass doors to the old-fashioned elevator opened to reveal Raul, also dressed in a tuxedo.
“Good afternoon, Kenzie,” Raul said. “Welcome back to Southwood. What brings you here?”
“The Christmas Advisory Council?” Kenzie answered uncertainly. Had no one told him why they were here?
“Ah, yes, I believe it is being held on the second floor.”
Okay, now they were getting somewhere. The compartment went up smoothly, no shakes or hiccups. Unlike the noise from the first floor this room remained quiet, even with the dozen students sitting on the couches studying. Kenzie waved in apology at the students, who looked up from their books.
Raul closed the door. “My bad. I thought the meeting was on the second floor.”
Once they reached the third floor the doors opened and once again the area was quiet but still filled with people—older people admiring photographs hanging from the crisp white walls.
“Auntie Bren?” Kenzie asked, stepping off the elevator.
Auntie Bren turned around in her deep purple heels and long purple maxi dress. In one hand she held a glass of red, in the other Oscar’s hand. Kenzie’s eyes darted to their hands’ tender embrace. “I thought you... How long have you been in town?”
“She hasn’t left,” answered Oscar. He brought Auntie Bren’s left hand to his mouth and kissed the back of her hand. “I finally got your aunt to come to her senses.”
“Say what?” Maggie hollered. “How long were we gone? Auntie Bren, you told us...”
“I know what I said, girl,” Auntie Bren snapped, then quickly recovered. “I know I was set to leave and never return but someone helped me come to realize how much I love him.”
Oscar snorted. “You mean Ramon Torres gave you the box from Priscilla’s footlocker and you realized she had been keeping my letters to you and not sending yours to me.”
“What?” Kenzie and Maggie chorused.
“Oh, sweetheart,” Auntie Bren said, “you better get on upstairs to your meeting. You don’t want to be late.”
“This way,” said Raul.
Kenzie’s heart began to beat faster. So the first floor was a rec center. The second floor had been turned into a study center; now the third floor was a museum of Southwood artifacts and memorabilia? Tears began to form in her eyes. Blinded, she wiped them away when the doors to the fourth floor opened. Aunt Jody greeted her with a big hug. She smelled more like lilacs than her usual scent of fruity alcohol. Kenzie dabbed the corners of her eyes with her fingertips. Now with the room clearer she spotted her former Tiara Squad members from her generation and more. Felicia, wearing the two-inch runner-up tiara, stepped forward. Was this some form of official dethroning ceremony?
“Kenzie,” Felicia said. Lexi waddled to Felicia’s side. Waverly flanked Felicia’s other side and Bailey brought up the rear with her Miss Southwood tiara. Everyone wore their tiaras. “This is yours,” said Felicia. She held out a lavender pillow with gold trimming and Kenzie’s old crown perched on top.
“Ramon combed through old photographs of your pageant. He got with the Miss Southwood Organization and discovered the votes were cast by the audience. Everyone received a ballot, just like how prom votes for the prom queen. There were over a hundred people there” said Lexi. “The missing votes weren’t enough for you to lose. You’re still a Miss Southwood beauty queen.”
Felicia threw her arms around Kenzie’s neck. “Let’s face it, you were always and will always be Miss Southwood.”
Someone placed the crown on top of Kenzie’s head. The same elation she felt when she received her PhD and shook the chancellor’s hand whipped through her. “But I can’t take this knowing someone tried to cheat for me. People will always assume I am a cheater.”
“No, they won’t.” Aunt Jody stepped in front of Kenzie. She realized something was missing from the top of her dark head. Kenzie narrowed her eyes but Aunt Jody gave her an assuring smile. “I was in a really competitive stage,” she said. “I swapped out some of the votes. I’ve confessed and I resigned as a Miss Southwood runner-up.”
A thousand questions went through Kenzie’s mind. But she didn’t have a chance to ask any of them. Raul tugged on her elbow.
“Sorry, Kenzie,” he said. “I had the wrong floor again. The meeting is in the basement.”
Sniffling, Kenzie stepped back on the elevator. Ramon had not only fixed the building like she’d dreamed, but he’d gotten Aunt Bren and Oscar back together, and now he’d restored her tiara.
“Are you okay?” Maggie asked when the elevator doors closed.
“No,” Kenzie cried. Her hand shook. “I need to see Ramon.”
“I believe he’s serving on the committee,” Raul answered. “Damn, if only this elevator would stop jamming.”
The elevator stalled. Kenzie cursed her luck for always jinxing the things. Finally, after five minutes of tinkering with the buttons and the call service, they began to descend to the basement. Kenzie tried to plan out in her mind what she was going to say to Ramon. She’d spent a month away from him thinking she was over and out of love with him. In a matter of ten minutes and without even seeing him, Kenzie realized she never wanted to be away from him for another minute.
“Here we go.”
The doors opened and Kenzie stepped out with quickness, eager to find Ramon. She didn’t care who was here for the meeting. She needed him now. She needed to feel him in her arms before she burst.
Jose Torres greeted Kenzie, also in a tuxedo. “Ah, you’re here. I bet you’re looking for Ramon.”
“I am,” Kenzie replied, craning her neck.
For the first Christmas Advisory Council meeting, there were a lot of people, enough to stand shoulder to shoulder. Kenzie teetered on her tiptoes to find the top of Ramon’s head. No luck. She made her way to the center of the room, spotting her parents first. The Christmas Advisory Council was never a formal event, yet her parents stood out arm in arm, dressed in a cocktail event dress and a tuxedo. No one sat at the tables. There weren’t any agendas set out for people to go over. This was not a traditional meeting. As a matter of fact, there was only one chair, in the center of the room, on top of a bunch of magnolia petals.
Jose led Kenzie by the elbow to the center of the room to the chair. “Ramon will be right with you.”
For some reason, Kenzie sat. She realized everyone in the room was staring at her. She gulped in anticipation. The group in front of her parted. Ramon appeared, like his brothers, dressed in a black-on-black tuxedo. His hair was cut short. Way short. Tears formed again.
“You’re back,” Ramon said, approaching.
The last time he’d come toward her, they had not been on the best terms. Kenzie stood to meet him. “You got a haircut.”
“Locks for Love.” Ramon nodded. “How have you been?”
Kenzie blinked and looked to her left and her right. “Small talk? Can we go someplace private?”
“No,” he said, shaking his head. “Are you embarrassed?”
She shrugged. “Maybe.”
“Not as embarrassed as I am.”
“What do you have to be embarrassed about?” Kenzie asked. She stepped closer and pressed her hand over her heart. “I’m the one who behaved horribly.”
“I let you get away from me,” said Ramon.
“Looks like you’ve been busy,” Kenzie tried to joke.
“I have. I’m doing everything I can, Kenzie, to ensure you never leave my side again. We’re going to have hard times and bumpy times, but I don’t want to be like Auntie Bren...” He paused, waiting for her to stop him. She couldn’t stop him. After what he’d done for her, he was family. “I don’t want any time to pass between us when we fight. And we will argue—it is human nature.”
The married couples in the room all agreed with him. Kenzie turned around to see who all found it funny. When she came back to face Ramon, he was kneeling in front of her. “Kenzie, I love you. I don’t want to spend one more day without you.”
“I love you, too.” Kenzie began to weep. Tears rolled down her eyes as Ramon reached into his pocket and extracted a beautiful diamond ring.”
“Mackenzie Hairston Swayne, my Dr. Beauty Queen,” he said. “Will you do me the honor and please be my wife?”
And for once, without argument or debate, Kenzie said yes.
* * * * *
Keep reading for an excerpt from Wherever You Are by Elle Wright.