Hope woke up early, and was surprised at how well she slept. She looked around her hotel room, shook her head and felt like pinching herself—yet again. It had been a long time since she enjoyed such luxuries. Was she really in New York? Did she really fly on a private jet only to be picked up at the hangar by a limousine and brought to The Carlyle? She fluffed her fancy pillows embroidered with the hotel logo and propped up in bed.

The Carlyle was world famous and world class. She knew her room cost over $1,000 a night, and a quick look on her phone the night before told her that the suites went anywhere from $4,000 to $8,000 plus a night. Hope smiled as she thought of the fabulous and cherub-faced Ms. Caroline Hunt who was responsible for the renovation of this fabulous hotel. They had enjoyed each other’s company on several occasions and Brad, Hope’s husband, had been part of the legal team shortly after Ms. Hunt bought her first hotel, The Mansion on Turtle Creek in Dallas, Texas.

Hope shuddered thinking about those days. She was so madly in love with Brad and had yet to learn that his family despised her. Having grown up poor, she never traveled much let alone experienced the finer things in life Brad was giving her. When she met Ms. Hunt, she and Brad were in Dallas to purchase a suite at The Beverly on Turtle Creek and had stayed at The Mansion. They were in the dining room when Ms. Hunt walked up to their table. The first thing that struck Hope was Caroline’s beauty and grace. The second, and almost immediate thing she noticed was how Brad had jumped to his feet and practically bowed. As he made the introductions, Hope tried to stand only for Ms. Hunt to put a gentle hand on her shoulder.

“There’s no need for that,” she said. “I’m just Caroline to you and Brad. If you don’t mind, I’d like to join you this evening.”

Brad immediately pulled a chair out for her, next to him, away from Hope. She had not noticed that at the time, but it was a sign of things to come—a sign that to him, his family, and most of his friends that she didn’t really belong and wasn’t truly a part of their social world. But that wasn’t the case for Ms. Hunt. Hope liked her instantly and over the years grew to love her.

Hope picked up the remote lying on the nightstand and opened the curtains as she smiled remembering what Caroline had gently said, “Now, Brad. If I sit over there I won’t be able to visit with your bride and get to know her better.” Caroline reached to pull her own chair out, but before she managed that and before Brad could get around the table, one of the waitstaff was pulling it out for her. Hope admired the way she paused to look into the eyes of the staff member as she offered a genuine, “Thank you.”

The two of them enjoyed a lovely conversation before Brad cleared his throat to ask if they should order. Caroline asked Hope, “Do you know what you want, dear?”

“No. I haven’t really looked at the menu yet.”

Caroline turned to Brad. “Why don’t you order whatever you want and tell them Hope and I will have my usual?” Then she turned her attention back to Hope and their conversation continued. Hope felt like she was enjoying an evening with a friend she had known all her life.

Now Hope looked around her room and with the curtains open was enjoying the view even more. She said out loud, “Well done, Caroline.”

She could tell her room was one of the elegant English style rooms with the original hardwood floors. As she noticed the custom fabric on the walls, she imagined Caroline meticulously going over every detail to make sure they were as close as possible to the original grandeur of The Carlyle. Even when Caroline was developing the Rosewood Foundation that soon grew into a global and successful corporation, she knew she wanted to create something phenomenal. Caroline had developed the catchphrase Rosewood Empowers and Rosewood Sustains. She made sure that was true for every employee as well as the guests, room decor and landscape of each property. Hope had always marveled at how Caroline fabulously restored historical properties by using local flavor.

She first noticed such details at Caroline’s colossal Grand Opening of The Crescent and Rosewood Court. There had been so many people there and it was her first time to see such a media frenzy. She grew used to the chaos of such events over the years, but during this one she found herself wandering outside among the beautiful gardens and admiring the butterflies floating carelessly among the flowers. A few moments later, Caroline briefly joined her in the courtyard.

“It gets a bit noisy, doesn’t it?”

Hope was concerned she was insulting her friend by being outside, away from everyone and was about to offer an explanation when Caroline held up a hand. In her sweet manner, she simply touched Hope’s arm and joined her in admiring the gardens.

“Everyone thought I was a bit unstable for insisting we plant these shrubs purposefully to attract the butterflies. Hopefully too, overtime, songbirds will visit the trees. With the hotel at the center of Uptown Dallas, I was told it was a waste of time and too expensive to use only native plants. They wanted me to use the heartier, imported vegetation that is standard, but I insisted.”

“Looks like you were right.”

Hope went on to tell her friend that it was these exquisite details that made her hotels and resorts special. Then they had enjoyed a quiet moment together before going back inside.

Remembering her friend, Hope took a deep breath and again took a long, slow look at the furnishings and decor. The room she was staying in was no exception to the exquisite details that defined Caroline’s properties. She laid a hand on her heart and thought, “Rest in peace, Caroline.”

It was surreal to know that she now lived in a van. She was missing her dogs and friends and family. And Jack. Especially Jack. A quick look at her phone told her she had three hours before the limo would be out front to pick her up. She was trying to decide who to call first when the doorbell chimed. Without getting up, and with the thought of how quickly this lifestyle once again seemed natural to her, she hit the intercom button on the room phone and asked, “Who is it?”

“Room service, ma’am.” She frowned. She had not ordered anything. The attendant continued, “Compliments of The Carlyle.”

Hope was about to do something she never would have dreamed possible, and it made her giggle with delight. As she picked up her new iPhone she said, “Thank you, Jack.” She entered her pin number on the hotel app and unlocked the door. The attendant entered and Hope put on her robe as she got up to greet him. She was surprised to see another man come in behind him and she pulled her robe tighter around her body as though it gave her some sort of security.

Prepared for anything, Adam Wright pulled a card out of his vest pocket from his three-piece suit and reached to hand it to her as he introduced himself. Adam was proud of his position as a butler for The Carlyle. He worked hard since graduating from the butler school in Maryland. He had worked even harder back then to pay for the private school. It wasn’t the prestigious International Butler Academy in The Netherlands he had fantasized about attending, but the school in Maryland opened the right doors for him and the chance was all he needed. There was no one to financially support him and none of his friends or family understood why he wanted to be a butler, but he was living his dream and the happiness showed on his face.

Hope took the card and said, “Nice to meet you, Adam.” The young attendant had already prepared her cart and left the room. She looked at the card and looked back at Adam who was standing there patiently in perfect posture. “I thought butler services were reserved for guests staying in the suites.”

“Yes, ma’am, Mrs. Wilson. Normally that is true, but I am honored to take care of anything you may need while staying with us.”

A lightbulb went off and Hope smiled. “Oh, the Benchmark Talent Agency arranged for your services, is that correct?”

“No, ma’am,” he smiled. Hotel management has on file that you are family—which means you are related to the Hunts or are a very close friend.”

At first Hope was humbly grateful, then shocked, and ultimately scared. All the old fears came up along with a million questions that were running through her mind. She and Brad had never stayed at The Carlyle. Had Caroline put her in the hotel system somehow? If so, how did management at the Carlyle connect Hope Wilson to Rhoda Wilson? As far as she knew, she

never mentioned her middle name to Caroline and no one from her past had ever called her Hope. She sat down on the bed.

“Is everything okay, Mrs. Wilson?”

This time she corrected him. “Ms. not Mrs.”

“My apologies Ms. Wilson.” He stood motionless, unsure of what to do but was watching her closely. Hope misread his intent. She felt like she was being scrutinized, but he was simply watching and hoping for some color to come back to her face. She was as white as a ghost. Butlers wore earpieces and kept their microphones turned off for guest privacy, but Adam was prepared to hit his “push to talk” switch if Ms. Wilson fainted.

“May I have some water, please?”

He quickly gathered a glass from the cart and filled it with ice water. As he handed it to her, he held on to it for just a moment so that she had to look up to remove it from his hand. At least her eyes weren’t dilated. As she sipped her water, he reassured her, “I’m here to help, Ms. Wilson.”

She pinched the bridge of her nose and more questions ran through her spinning mind. Was he able to turn back time? Not that she really wanted to go back in time—although having money all those years with Brad did not suck. Could he bring her husband back from the dead? She didn’t even really want that since learning Brad had been cheating on her for the last several years of their marriage. Could he take Brad’s mistress out of their past? If he could, she would not have murdered Brad when he tried to call things off. Could he give her back the years she lost in prison after she was wrongly convicted of Brad’s murder? The State of Texas couldn’t even give her back those years, even though they expunged her record. She set the glass down, put her hands in her lap and tried hard to quit frowning.

“I’m fine, Adam. Thank you. I suppose I came up in your system because I once was friends with Caroline.” She corrected herself, “Ms. Hunt. You can let the managers know I don’t require a butler or concierge services.”

His face fell so hard she thought he might now need a glass of water. His face went white and he just stood there staring at her. “Have I done something wrong, Ms. Wilson?”

“What? No. No, Adam. This isn’t about you.” She had no way to explain nor did she want to.

“Then, if I may be so bold, Ms. Wilson—may I ask that you please reconsider?” He was going out on a limb here, but it didn’t matter. If he lost this assignment, it would be months or maybe even years before they gave him another one. He needed his services for Ms. Wilson to have a successful run. So, he boldly continued, “Currently, I am a junior butler which basically means I’m a butler to the senior staff. You are my first private assignment and if I fail at this in any way, it will be a very long time, if ever, that I get another shot.”

She looked at the young man again. Even in his desperation he was a professional, and she realized she needed to think beyond herself. “What kind of services should I expect from you?”

“I am available for anything you need while here Ms. Wilson—from having your clothes ironed to coordinating with the concierge for any needs outside the hotel. I can even communicate on your behalf with the agency that booked your room. You can also route all calls and guest visits through me first and even tell me ahead of time what you want to eat and when. Whatever you need or want, Ms. Wilson, I will make sure you get it on time and with your absolute privacy intact.” He surmised that a woman wrapped this tightly needed a lot of privacy. She validated his guess with her response.

“You mean you can be my liaison to the outside world?”

He let some of the air out of his lungs he had been holding. “Yes, Ms. Wilson. That is correct.” His life was on hold until she answered again.

“Then I accept. Thank you, Adam. How detailed do your reports to management have to be?”

“Excuse me?”

Hope looked him square in the eye. “Are you obligated to report everything to them?”

“No, Ms. Wilson. Only enough duties to cover my shift. The same will be true for your evening butler.”

Hope’s eyes darkened and her back stiffened. “I do not want another butler. I will work with you and only you. That is your first assignment—to communicate that. Anything I need, I will let you know during the day. Understood?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Thank you. Are you able to find out what it says about me in the hotel system?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Then that is your second assignment, please.”

“Yes, ma’am. Anything else?”

“Yes. When you find it. Erase it. And make sure the name Rhoda Wilson is not mentioned anywhere in the network.”

He frowned. She let him off the hook. “If you’re not able to do that, then at least please let me know.”

“Yes, ma’am.” His shoulders relaxed a little more.

She decided to take him up on his offer of absolute privacy, and she decided to tell him why. “I no longer go by Rhoda Wilson. That’s who I was when I was married. I now go by Hope Wilson and I want all references to me changed to that. I’m here in town to negotiate a book deal and I want no contact with anyone here other than people I pre-approve and those from Benchmark.” She looked at his card again, and made note of his email address. “I’ll send you a list.” She really didn’t expect anyone to bother her, but this breach of privacy from her past had rattled her and she might as well take advantage of the services offered.

“Yes, ma’am.” He hesitated and Hope could tell he had a question. She raised her eyebrows and he continued, “If you’re here to make a book deal, and it’s a success, won’t that put you in the spotlight and take away your privacy?”

That was something she had been giving a great deal of thought. Her face softened and she smiled at Adam. “That’s where you come in.”

He smiled back. “Yes, ma’am.”

She stood up. “Let’s start over.” She held out her hand, “Hello, it’s nice to meet you, Adam Wright. I’m Hope Wilson.”

“Hello, Ms. Wilson. It’s a pleasure to meet you as well.” As he shook her hand and slightly bowed, he had a feeling it really was going to be a pleasure working with her. With any luck, he would join the lead team of butlers by the end of the year.

“One more thing, Adam. No more ma’am and no more bowing.”

“I can work on not bowing Ms. Wilson, but protocol requires the use of me saying Yes, ma’am and No, ma’am.”

She rolled her eyes and laughed. “You are going to make an excellent lead butler, Adam, and I bet you will be running this place one day.”

He smiled and tried not to bow, tipping his head slightly instead.

“Is the pool very crowded?” She didn’t know how long she would be at the agency but fully intended to take advantage of the pool and hottub when she got back.

“You have access to the rooftop pool and spa through your app, Ms. Wilson. As with my services, that area is usually reserved for guests in our executive suites. There are only seven guests with access to the roof, and they tend to guard their privacy just as tightly as you.”

She hated that she was enjoying such privileges because she was once Mrs. Brad Montgomery Wilson, but she wasn’t going to turn down the services either. Brad and his mistress owed her that much.

“Thank you, Adam.”

“Is there anything else, Ms. Wilson?”

“A driver from the agency will be here in a couple of hours. I don’t suppose you have a tranquilizer, a team of lawyers and a bodyguard that could go with me?” She liked Adam and was glad she felt comfortable enough to literally laugh out loud.

He chuckled too and then surprised her with his response, “We have a house doctor that can tend to any medical needs, and I can recommend several excellent law firms. As for the bodyguard, if you give me thirty minutes notice I can have as many as you want by your side.”

She looked up from her phone. He was serious. What seemed shocking at first also contained a great deal of comfort. “Thank you, Adam.”

He nodded and smiled and offered a closing, “Ms. Wilson” as he headed to the door.

She had two hours. She should have started getting ready but she needed to hear Jack’s voice. He left her cousin’s home at the same time they had left to drive her to the airport. The day before that the two of them went to Houston. She needed clothes for her New York trip. She had not taken very much with her for Miss Beverly’s funeral, and it wasn’t like she had clothes that were appropriate for such a trip anyway. As always, they enjoyed a wonderful day together. And as always, Jack spoiled her. She didn’t allow him to pay for any of the clothes or accessories she bought, but he had insisted on treating her to a nice dinner before they went back to her cousins’ home.

As was his usual, he answered on the first ring. “Hi, Hope.”

“Hello, Jack.”

“How are you?”

Bypassing that question and shocking herself she said, “I wish you were here.”

“I wish you weren’t there by yourself. I can be there tomorrow, Hope.”

Usually, she would have resisted. She would have come up with a million reasons why he didn’t need to do that. She would reason it out, rationalize every emotion and discount every need. But not this time.

“I would like that, Jack.”

“Consider it done. Are you okay until I get there?” His whole system recoiled. He didn’t mean for that to be condescending.

She didn’t take it that way.

“I’m good. The hotel assigned me an Adam.”

He laughed, “What is an Adam?”

“My personal butler.”

He shook his head. He was in way over his head on many levels. Hope interrupted his thoughts.

“I have to be at the agency soon. Can we talk more later?”

“Of course. I’ll make my flight arrangements. Good luck this afternoon. I’m anxious to hear what they have to say.”

“Me too. And Jack?”

“Yes.”

“I’m anxious to see you again.”

“Soon, Hope. Take care of yourself.”

They hung up and the butterflies in her stomach were doing dive bombs as she tried to decide what to wear. She was getting more and more nervous by the moment. Desperate for help, she called Kat and the first words out of her mouth were, “Help.”

Kat went on alert. “Are you okay?”

“Yes, yes. I’m sorry. I’m fine. I need help. I have barely an hour to get ready and I haven’t even picked out what to wear yet.”

Completely relieved, Kat plopped in a chair and laughed until she had tears.

“Cut it out, Kat. It’s not funny and I’m desperate here!”

“Switch to FaceTime and show me your options.”

Within 10 minutes, they had a full ensemble pulled together and Hope’s nerves were calming down. “You’re good for me, Kat. How are my babies?”

“They’re great and you’re going to do great. Call me later so they can see their momma. Now go get ready!”

A little over an hour later, Hope was doing one last check in the mirror when someone rang the doorbell. This time she looked through the peephole and was surprised to see Adam.

“Well, hello.”

“Hello, Ms. Wilson. If you are ready, I am happy to accompany you downstairs.”

She could have kissed the boy. “That is perfect, Adam. Thank you.” He walked her straight through the lobby and out the front doors where he introduced her to the agency driver. He handed him his card. “Call me when Ms. Wilson is on her way back.”

He said it kindly and professionally but with authority too. The driver looked at her for confirmation and she simply nodded.

The driver answered, “Yes, sir,” and with that he opened the back door for her. She waved to Adam as they pulled away from the curb. It might not have been the right thing to think or feel, but she couldn’t help herself as she whispered, “Thank you, Brad. And thank you, Jack.”

Chapters were ending and new ones were beginning. She was moving forward one day and one moment at a time. With confidence, she sat up straight and enjoyed the ride.