GARDENIA BEAM is one misstep away from boarding school. Her plan, to prove to her parents that she's responsible and isn't growing up wild in their rural Alabama town, has hit a tiny glitch. She needs help to pull it off. What harm can come from a little innocent blackmail? Then her daddy can stop being disappointed in her and finally get around to teaching her the butterfly stroke that she desperately wants to learn. CARLA ABREU isn't happy about moving to a new town. It's full of hillbillies and so far from El Paso, Texas, she fears her mother will never find them here should she ever come looking. Just her luck that the evil Gardenia witnessed the dumbest thing she's ever done and is using it to force her to go along with her weird plan. It could even expose the Mexican roots Carla wishes to hide.

Gardenia will go to any lengths necessary to get what she wants. Carla fears it will only bring more heartache her way. And since Gardenia lost the wishing rock her daddy brought back all the way from Greece, those Delphi Gods haven't exactly been showering them with favor. Much is at stake, and only the Gods truly know why fate has brought the two of them together.