Her Second-Chance Family. Holly Jacobs

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       PROLOGUE

      MAY IN WESTERN Pennsylvania could be a roller-coaster month. The weather fluctuated constantly. Hot. Cold. Dry. Wet.

      Audrey watched as the raindrops formed ever-changing patterns on the car’s window. Tonight it was obvious that April’s showers weren’t ready to give way to May’s flowers.

      As she had the thought, she realized that the showers had given way to a full-on thunderstorm.

      Merrill’s boyfriend, Jude, had shown a rare streak of gallantry. He’d not only offered to give them all a ride home, but pulled the car up to the school’s front door so they didn’t get wet.

      He had got soaked when he’d run to get the car, though. But that didn’t seem to bother Merrill. She kept reaching across the front seat and running her fingers through his long, wet hair.

      Audrey found their touchy-feely moments embarrassing. She generally tried to keep her distance when they got like that, but right now she was sitting behind Jude in the car, so there was nowhere to escape. Even watching the rain splattering against the window didn’t help, so she turned toward Ava instead.

      Ava Parker and Merrill Cooper were her best friends. Audrey couldn’t imagine her life without them.

      “Graduation. I can’t believe we’re done tomorrow,” Ava repeated for about the twentieth time in the past five minutes. She let out a long, loud squeal and her poker-straight black hair swung wildly. “I can’t believe we’re adults! I almost cried when we practiced moving our tassels over.”

      “That graduation rehearsal was one of the dumbest wastes of time ever,” Audrey said loudly. “I am perfectly capable of walking in a line to the stage, accepting a piece of paper and shaking a few hands.”

      “Don’t forget moving the tassel,” Ava teased.

      “Yeah, I definitely didn’t almost cry. Seriously, they made us practice that? I’m pretty sure that’s why I got accepted at Penn State. My impressive tassel-moving abilities.”

      As if she couldn’t stand having even twelve inches between her and Jude, Merrill unbuckled her seat belt and slid to the middle of the bench seat. She snuggled close to the completely soaked Jude.

      “Buckle up,” Ava commanded.

      Merrill turned around and shook her head in disgust, but not a strand of her beautifully styled blond hair shifted out of place. Audrey didn’t know what product Merrill used on her hair, but it was always perfect. Even in tonight’s humidity.

      “You are really thirty, right, Ava?” Merrill asked. “Thirty in an eighteen-year-old body.”

      “Almost nineteen,” Ava said prissily. “My father made me promise to never ride in a car with someone who’s been drinking, or won’t wear a seat belt.”

      Merrill made a big show out of finding the seat belt and clicking it in place. “There, I’m buckled,” she said, then turned back to cuddling Jude, who let out a yelp of excitement.

      “We’re graduates,” he screamed, and pounded on the horn.

      “Graduates,” Audrey and Merrill echoed as he continued beeping.

      Ava was not a scream-with-excitement sort of girl, but Audrey noticed she was smiling as they all acted like lunatics.

      Audrey might have complained about wasting time at the practice, but she was as excited as the others at the thought of graduating. Finally, she was going to start her life. She’d have a career—though she wasn’t sure what it would be—and a family. People who loved her and would always have her back.

      She knew she had that in Ava and Merrill. They were more than friends. They were her family. They’d saved her in so many ways.

      “We’re graduates,” Merrill hollered again. Jude and Audrey joined in, while Ava simply sat watching them.

      Her life was going to be amazing. Audrey just knew it. She was going to have everything she’d always dreamed of. All the things she’d wanted but could never have.

      Ava’s smile gave way to a frown. “Slow down, Jude.”

      “Come on,” Audrey teased her. “We’ll only be this young once. We’re going to have to work hard again in the fall, but tonight we’re...graduates!” She screamed and Merrill and Jude joined in.

      They all waited and finally Ava added her voice to their chorus.

      “Graduates!” they shouted at the top of their voices, and Jude beeped the horn again.

      “Gradu...”

      They never finished the cheer because in that split second everything changed.

      All her hopes, all her dreams.

      In that single moment Audrey’s future was transformed.