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"Okay. I have an idea. Hear me out before you decide anything." At Sylvia's confused nod, she opened the folder and turned it toward her. The sheet on top was a printed MLS listing. "Valenti Brothers owns this property. We bought it a few months ago, intending to update the kitchen and baths before we flipped it. The project moved to the back burner because of the vineyard project. It's in San Jose, and I realize that would add to your commute, but it would be a temporary housing solution. The rest of the building is in pretty good shape. I can rent it to you below market price, because you'd be doing us a favor by keeping it occupied while we wait to start renovations."
Sylvia's eyes had gone wide as she flipped through the pictures of the older home. "Why? Why would you do that for us?"
"Because Valenti Brothers has always been about getting people into the homes they need at a price they can afford. This is just an extension of that. And I think your community needs you as much as you need them. Now, if you think that will work for the short term, let's talk about long-term rebuilding. Let's make a list of all the things you would like to have in your next home."
Sylvia and Tyler spit out ideas and Frankie took notes and sketched out ideas, and at the end of two hours, had a tentative plan for a small home that could either be built on a mobile home base or onto a permanent foundation, depending on where they ended up putting it. Frankie made a mental note to contact the owner of the park and see if they'd be interested in selling.
Standing, she tucked everything back into the file folder. "So I think we have a good plan. Let it settle for a day or two, and then we can work out the paperwork and get you moved in."
Sylvia rose and pulled her into another big hug, tears running down her cheeks. "I am overwhelmed. I never thought I'd say this but the day I met you standing in the middle of our burnt-out house was the best thing to happen to us in a long time. You are our guardian angel."
As she walked them out and shut the door behind them Frankie smiled. She knew who the real guardian angel was. Gabe had set these people in her path, and she wasn't going to blow it. Maybe this was her way forward. She couldn’t deny that she’d felt the thrill of seeing herself on TV, but if she had a platform like that she’d use it for something more important than everyday home transformations or large-scale vanity projects.
And it hit her. She did have that platform. Whether she came back and ran Valenti Brothers or not, Jake had given her this platform and positive momentum. For the first time since she was six and plotting to take over the world with Gabe from their tree house, she let her mind explore an alternate future. What would she do with her life if she could do anything?
Working out the details of Sylvia's new home had given Frankie a solid dose of clarity. Building homes for people recovering from disaster was the missing piece. She could still be affiliated with Valenti Brothers, but she couldn't go back to only working on kitchen and bathroom renos. She wanted to use her fame for good.
Frankie pulled up her social media app and watched the teasers the network had posted. Trina’s camerawork was truly special, but it was Jake who had crafted it into a compelling story. A new video trailer had gone up, this one focused on the fire. He'd pulled footage from the external cams, showing her on the roof with the hose juxtaposed with the rebuilding effort. Seeing the damage brought the pain and panic back, but even the minute-long teaser had been edited to evoke hope and renewal. He'd even added contact information for the California Fire Foundation.
Jake had opened so many doors. Yes, he’d been a jerk and thrown some obstacles in her path. But she believed that at his core he was a good man. Even after she'd pushed him away, he’d still created these breathtaking teasers casting her as the hero. She could almost believe that person really was her, or maybe just the best parts of her. What would that woman do?
She wished Jake was here to talk about options. Because in every image of her future that had raced through her mind, personal and professional, he was there. She’d let her temper get the best of her, and she owed him an apology. She just hoped he’d accept it.
If she wanted a different future, she was going to have to make it happen. Who was she to ignore a lightning bolt from fate?
CHAPTER32
While fate might strikewith the swiftness of a lightning bolt, logistics hit with the force of a freight train at rush hour.
Her plans to apologize ground to a halt under the weight of her responsibilities to the show. They worked like dogs over the following weeks, hustling to get the vineyard build done and repaired. They had all agreed to wait on rebuilding the barn space. Her siblings had decided to have their weddings on the burnt-out slab. They wanted to keep the walls open to the view behind it and only put up enough framing studs to suggest the shape of the barn. The rest of the construction could come later. That suited Frankie and her budget, but it meant everyone else was scrambling to pull in their wedding plans by a month and a half.
It also didn't help her plans that Jake had to keep flying down to LA for end-of-series meetings and promotional opportunities. He was also hearing new pitches for shows, and Frankie hoped he didn't accept one before she could talk to him about hers.
Despite being absent, he'd asked Lorena to rope her into the end of the day conference calls where they reviewed footage and discussed strategies for how to craft the last bits of the show for maximum impact. For the first time, she really saw his genius. The way he crafted a story arc was masterful, and Frankie was grateful for the chance to be included in the decision-making process. She was less grateful for the fact that Lorena was always there so she never got a chance to talk to Jake alone.
It wasn't until the day of the final reveal and wrap party that she even managed to broach the topic.
Dressed and primped for the final walk-through, Frankie stood on the gravel driveway, flanked by Sofia, Adrian, Enzo, and Natalie. They were all going to greet Jo when Dom surprised her, and then Frankie and Dom would walk her through the house room by room. It was going to be torturously long, having to set up and break down cameras in each room to grab Jo's reactions from multiple angles, but it would be worth it. Frankie just hoped she could get Jake by himself for a bit so they could talk.
Even now, they were so close but so far. He stood just behind Trina's left shoulder as she kept her camera trained in tight on the siblings. But he hadn't looked up from the viewfinder screen once. He was taking his vow to prove himself with actions instead of words seriously. But she missed him.
This was her last chance, and she couldn't waste it.
Looking directly into Trina's lens, she let all of her longing and desire show on her face. She thought about how much she'd missed him and how sorry she was, and hoped it translated to her expression. She must have gotten some of it through, because Jake's head snapped up and stared straight at her.
I need to talk to you.She mouthed the words and he nodded.
Later, he mouthed back, but the tension around his mouth had eased a little. His lips relaxed and he tucked his hands into his back pockets.
She smiled with her own relief and was able to turn her attention to the car her dad was guiding up the driveway. Her mother sat in the passenger seat with a blindfold on.
Everyone held their breath as he parked and circled the car to help her out.
"Dom, what is going on?" Jo asked, exasperation and laughter coloring her tone. "Where did you take me?"
Frankie could see her dad's hands shaking from where she stood ten feet away, and prayed he could pull this off. He took Jo's hands in his and backed up until they were standing on the X of black tape someone had set on the driveway.
"My Jojo." Dom's voice cracked on her nickname. He held her hands in his as they stood face to face, inadvertently recreating the pose of their wedding photo that sat in pride of place on the mantel at home.
