Chapter 1

"Breezy is that you?" a male voice called from a distance.

"Damn," Breezy Collins cursed under her breath. Five years away and not a peep from a soul and now she'd been back in town for five minutes and she'd already been spotted.

Baton Rouge was too damn small.

All she wanted to do was slip into town, undetected mind you, and slip out a few days later, then get back to her life. If you could call what she had a life. It was more like a job, a place to stay and one friend. But for now it was her life.

The life that she'd had here was no more. Here, she'd had all the active imaginations of youth and once believing in love.

Love.

What a joke.

But it was the reason that she found herself in the grocery store down the street from the place she once called home. This time it wasn't her who was in love. It was her sister Phoenix, and thanks to her sisters incessant need for ice cream during a crisis, she had to stop on her way home.

But as it was, she couldn't be rude, her good Southern upbringing wouldn't allow it, so she slowly turned around and her eyes nearly bugged out of her head.

"It is you!" the now familiar voice said.

Breezy slowly assed the warm smiling eyes and wide grin of her former best friend Paul Miller.

Guilt assailed her.

He was just as good-looking as he always was. Tall, well built, skin the color of toasted pecans, full lips and a smile that would make Denzel Washington jealous.  

In her haste to get as far away from Baton Rouge and Louisiana altogether, as fast as she could, she'd severed all ties to any and everyone that reminded her of this place with the exception of her sister. She'd changed her number, deleted all social media pages and disappeared without a trace. That separation had been vital to her survival and unfortunately it had included Paul. A decision that she now regretted as she visually took him in.

"Hi Paul," she whispered.

"You don't have to look so sad to see me. You look like I'm about to send you to the gallows." He smiled as he walked to her and stared down at her. "Well, can I have a hug or something."

Breezy watched as he opened his arms to her and his beautiful brown eyes said that all was forgiven.

She hesitated a minute before he pulled her into his arms. And right there on the freezer isle of the grocery store, a part of her heart thawed.

"I'm sorry" she confessed as she wrapped her arms around him and felt the solid wall of Paul's chest against her cheek.

"It's okay baby girl," he said as he kissed her hair and held her tighter. "I missed you so much but I understand why you left."

But did he really understand. Could anyone ever really understand the hurt and heartbreak that this place held for her? Everything that had been good here turned into a nightmare in the blink of an eye. Days that should have been the happiest in her life, all turned tragic right here in this city.

Paul had just been collateral damage in a war to save herself.

"I didn't want you to have to choose between us. So I made the decision for you." She squeezed him tighter. Never realizing just how much she had missed her best friend.

"I feel like it's all my fault." He whispered in a regret filled voice.

Breezy pulled away just in time to catch the pained look on his handsome face before he gave her a small smile.

"Paul, none of this is your fault. I'm a grown woman and the decisions that I've made were my own. Besides you know how the old saying goes, 'It's better to have loved and lost...'"

"I know," he sighed. "If it hadn't been for me then you would have never met him. I still feel responsible."

"Well don't," she said shrugging and waiving a dismissive hand in the air. "So, how's he doing anyway?" Feigning a nonchalance that she really wasn't feeling. She'd spent the last five years trying to forget this place and him. Trying to put the pieces back together of her shattered heart. She'd vowed never to speak his name again.

"Oh, you know JB. He's as driven as ever for someone who's always got his head in the clouds."

"Yeah, I do know him. So how's he really doing? Because head in the clouds and Ja…" she caught herself before she spoke his dreaded name. "He's never had his head in the clouds. I've never met a person more grounded in my life." She shook her head and a small smile escaped at the memory.

"You're right, I guess you know him better than anyone. You were the dreamer."

She sighed. "I'm sure his wife would object to that."

She watched as a confused look came over Paul's face before he finally spoke. "That my dear is a long story. And…" he said holding up a hand to stave off her next question, "not my story to tell. Let's just say that he's… different."

Different. What the hell did that mean?

"That's enough about the past." He said in tone that let her know that he wasn't going to say anymore.

She nodded her head if for no other reason than to rid her mind of thoughts of him. He was the past and five years was a long time. She'd moved on with her life and he had most definitely moved on with his. And even if she did want to know about him, which she didn't, the freezer isle was not the place to find out. Which reminded her that she was there to get ice cream.

Paul stepped back to look at her from head to toe. "Wow, you look amazing and the natural hair thing you've got working is very nice."

"Why thank you. You're not looking so bad your damn self." She beamed at him.

"Well you know how I do." He said as he popped his collar and did a slow turn. Making her laugh.

Gosh it felt good to laugh with him again.

"But enough about me, look at you. You've put on weight and where did you get that." He said pointing to her butt. "Wait!" He held up his hand before she could say anything. "It looks great on you. I always thought that you were too thin."

"All of this," she said placing her hands on fuller hips than she'd ever had, "is a result of a very stressful job and way too much Ben and Jerry's to wash it all down. Which is why I'm actually here."

"You're in town to get ice cream?" He frowned.

"No smart guy. No one would ever guess you graduated top of your class from medical school asking questions like that." She laughed.

"You know what I meant smart ass. What are you doing in town, how long have you been here and where have you been?" He eyed her suspiciously.

Breezy looked down at her watch. " I've been living and working in San Antonio, I've been in town all of fifteen minutes and Phoenix is getting married on next Saturday."

"Phoenix?" He asked wide eyed.

"Phoenix" she responded matter of factly.

"Who the hell would marry Phoenix?

"Hey, that's not nice. Phoenix is beautiful."

"Yes she is. But you know as well as I do that odd and weird don't even begin to describe your sister. So once again I'll ask. Who in the hell would marry Phoenix?"

"The only kind of man that could marry a witch. A warlock." She stated emphatically.

"Oh you have got to be kidding me."

"Yes, I am."

"Oh thank God." He breathed a sigh of relief.

"They aren't called warlocks. He's a witch too." She smiled at him.

"Oh, this just keeps getting better and better. Could Phoenix get any weirder?"

"I wondered the same thing myself."

Phoenix Collins was beautiful. Stunning even. That is if you could get past her unruly mess of hair and too big bohemian clothes. Paul was right, Phoenix being odd was an understatement. Her quest in her youth to be one with nature had led her right to the Wiccan's front door and since the death of their parents, she had fully immersed herself into the religion and lifestyle. There weren't many African Americans in the lifestyle but Phoenix never let a little thing like race stop her and it was obvious it hadn't stopped her fiancé either because he was Asian. A sight the two of them make. She guessed with a name like Phoenix you always manage to rise up. But who the hell was she to talk about names, her damn name was Breezy and she was anything but.

Her parents had been flower children which made for a lot of free expression. Her mother believed that children took on the personality of their names. Her sister had been a preemie and stopped breathing several times during her first few days and each time they were able to revive her. Hence the name Phoenix and she'd lived up to it every step of the way, never letting anything or anyone hold her down. Phoenix always managed to rise.

But Breezy, well…, not so much. Her mother had only prayed that she would one day let go of all her seriousness and just fly. The problem was she just didn't know how. Being a awkward kid with weird parents and a even weirder older sister just didn't make for a easy life growing up. But deep inside she knew that the Breezy that her mother wanted her to become was someplace in there. She just had to find her. 

"Earth to Breezy, come in Breezy"

"Huh? What did you say?" She asked as she focused in on Paul again.

"Where did you go? You were a million miles away."

She waved him off. "I'm just tired from the long drive. What were you saying?"

"I asked how long are you going to be in town?"

"Oh, just for the week. I'm leaving out next Sunday."

"That's great! Hang out with Phoenix during the day and do whatever wedding stuff you have to do while I'm at work. Then you'll be free to hang out with me in the evenings. As a matter of fact, why don't you and Phoenix come down to the club tonight and hear me play.

Breezy froze then began to shake her head. "I…I don't think that’s such a good idea Paul."

"Don't worry baby girl, he's no longer in the band. He stopped singing."

"Really?" She stared surprised. She knew he loved to sing and Jazz was his specialty. His smooth voice was what had drawn her to him. His dark hair and green eyes had hooked her. And the way he made her feel like she was the only women in the world had made her give him her heart. But it had all been a lie. "When?" she paused and cleared her thought, her voice coming out shaker than she intended. "When did he stop singing?" she asked. Her voice a little more steady.

"Five years ago. What a waste." He said shaking his head. "The guy could have been the next Harry Connick, Jr.. Never met a white boy who could scat like that."

She sighed. Why did it seem like Paul was trying to tell her something.

"Listen," he said, "I've gotta run. Here are my cards."

She smiled as he held up two business card for her to take. The first was Dr. Paul D. Miller, Pediatrician and the other was Paul D. Jazz saxophonist at Summer's Dinner and Jazz Club. She'd never heard of the place but if Paul played there then it had to be nice.

She laughed out loud. "Talk about living a double life."

"My patients love me and so do you. See you tonight?"

He looked so hopeful. How could she possibly say no? That was the problem, she knew that she couldn't say no and he knew it too because she did love him.

She smiled and nodded. He grabbed her in a warm embrace and kissed her on the cheek.

"I'm so glad your home. I missed you. We'll catch up later." With that he turned and walked away.

She watched as he paid for his items and how the women fawned over his tall brown frame. Why couldn't she have fallen in love with Paul. He was so easy to love. He was one of the good guys that only dated one woman at a time. He was a doctor for goodness sake and he was gorgeous! But there had been absolutely no chemistry between them.

She'd met Paul her first year at Baylor. He was a senior in Pre-Med at the time and was part of a welcome group that took freshmen from their home towns under their wings and showed them the ropes. They had clicked instantly. He'd become her best friend, the brother she never had and the envy of every girl in her class. But he was also the person who introduced her to heartbreak and for that he felt guilty. Her leaving and cutting him off only added to his guilt and now hers.

She'd been a piss poor friend over the last five years but she planned on changing that starting tonight. She'd make it up to him somehow.

Breezy quickly grabbed four pints of Chunky Monkey and a pint each of Cherry Garcia, Pistachio Pistachio, and Triple Carmel Chuck for variety and headed to check out. Somehow she knew that she and Phoenix would need them all to get through the week.