The Slayer (Untamed Hearts #2)(44)

“It’s my life too,” Wyatt said as he walked up and pulled her into a big bear hug. “And I’m so sorry about that.”

Alaine was still laughing as she hugged Wyatt back. “I’m sorry too.”

“We’re proud of you.” Wyatt kissed her cheek. “And you better have the time of your life, ’cause Jules made us hang all this shit up. Pain in my ass. She’s been like a drill sergeant.”

“You know you didn’t have to do that,” Alaine said and squeezed Wyatt’s biceps.

“Yeah, you try telling her that.” Clay hugged Alaine when Wyatt let her go. “But we were happy to do it.”

“I’ve been cooking for two days,” Hal, one of Jules’s dear friends who ran the diner down the road, offered as he hugged Alaine next. “You better enjoy it.”

“If you made it, of course I’ll enjoy it,” she said and meant it, because Hal’s had the best food in three towns. “Thank you.”

“He did it for free,” Terry, one of Jules’s biggest clients, added. “That’s how proud we all are.”

“Thank you for coming, Terry.” She hugged him tightly and kissed his cheek, because he was darling and always made the office a little happier when he came in. “Really, this is—” She pulled back and laughed. “I was so surprised.”

It wasn’t until that moment Alaine realized how many friends she had. The small group of young people that had abandoned her when she’d decided to break away from the church seemed so far away now. She hadn’t realized just how many people came into the office. How many people relied on Jules and Alaine to help them with their problems.

She hugged a lot of friends.

The entire Cellar was full of people.

It felt like half the town had come out just because Alaine had graduated from college.

It was overwhelming.

And completely wonderful.

“I think this is the greatest day of my life,” Alaine told Jules when the two of them escaped to a corner so they could pull themselves together. She looked around the Cellar again, seeing all the people and all the food, and listened to the song playing over a sound system she didn’t know they had. “Why is there music?”

“I hired a DJ,” Jules said as she tucked strands of Alaine’s still-wet hair behind her ears.

“It’s coming from the ceiling.”

“We put in a system to announce the different classes.” Jules waved her hand dismissively. “The DJ hooked it up or something. I don’t know how he did it. I just told him to get it done.”

“I didn’t know you put in that system.”

“Well, it’s started making money.” Jules shrugged and then rubbed at Alaine’s cheeks, obviously trying to fix the mascara situation. “Clay’s doing well. Chuito’s doing well. We can invest more in other things. Make it more for the community.”

“Jules,” Alaine whispered as she stared at the woman who was so much more than her boss. “Do you know how amazing you are? Do you know what you did for me? What you do for so many people?”

“About that,” Jules whispered as she took Alaine’s purse from her and looked through it, finding the envelope from Chuito. “What is this?” She picked it up and frowned at it. “You know, Alaine, you shouldn’t let him call you that. I think that’s like, ah, a flirting thing in Spanish.”

“Yeah, maybe.” Alaine took the card back, holding on to it like a lifeline. “It’s okay. He’s sweet.”

“Focus on law school.” Jules sounded just like the mother she claimed she wasn’t. “Finish. Then, if he’s still what you want. Maybe.” She waved Alaine forward and wiped at her face with one of her makeup wipes. “About law school. I think you should let me help you.”

“Jules, it’s okay.”

“No, it’s not okay, because student loans have high interest, and they’ll make it very difficult for you down the road. I would rather—”

Alaine grabbed her hand, squeezing it hard, and looked her dead in the eyes. “It’s okay. Trust me that it’ll be okay.”

Jules opened her mouth, looking torn. “I do trust you, but—”

“Then trust me.” Alaine raised her eyebrows. “You don’t have to pay for it. Put the money into things like this. Help other people. I am very lucky. Look at how lucky I am.” She looked to the party and then held the card close to her heart. “Even I didn’t know how lucky I was until right now.”

Jules hesitated. “If you’re sure.”

“I’m sure,” Alaine promised her. “Very sure.”

“And you’ll tell me if you need money?”

Alaine nodded. “I will.”

“Okay.” Jules gestured to the ladies’ locker room. “Let’s freshen up. Then we’ll enjoy this fabulous party.”

“It is fabulous,” Alaine said with laugh.

“I did it.” Jules put a hand to her chest. “This is gonna be the best party you’ve ever been to in your whole dang life.”

“It already is. Best party ever.”





Chapter Sixteen