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Authors: Claire Ashgrove
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meet with Jason until after the
holidays. I'll send him the file tomorrow, so he's aware of my
modifications, but exceptions and requests will have to wait
until January."
"All right. I'll tell him."
"Thank you, Susan."
Reclining in her chair, Jesse willed the clock to move
faster. Twenty minutes until her lunch date. Time couldn't
possibly pass any slower. She'd accomplished nothing in the
five hours she'd been here. Tomorrow wouldn't be any better.
Tomorrow, she finalized Ethan's adoption at two. He hadn't
said anything about their court date, which told her he'd
forgotten about it. But she'd be every bit as scatterbrained,
and the pile of budget reports waiting on her approval
wouldn't diminish on their own.
66
A Christmas to Believe In
by Claire Ashgrove
Today, however, she could solely fault Clint for. He and his
lunch date. Jesse couldn't remember the last time she'd had a
non-business luncheon. Even Susan had lifted her eyebrows
when Jesse told her to black out the noon-to-two time block.
Susan would never say anything—theirs was a strictly
professional relationship. But she'd noticed, despite the casual
way Jesse delivered the instruction.
Jesse picked up a pen and absently tapped the end of it on
her blotter. Fifteen minutes. If she left now, she'd be early.
But if she sat still another minute longer, she'd squirm right
out of her chair.
She grabbed her keys and purse. To hell with it. She could
always claim she'd wanted to beat traffic.
As she left her office, Susan looked up with a bright smile.
"Enjoy your lunch."
Jesse returned her smile. "Thanks."
The walk to her car seemed endless. Never before had an
elevator taken so long to open on her floor. Never before had
she considered just how long it took to trek across the
parking garage. When she finally reached her door, her hands
shook as she inserted the key. She dropped behind the wheel,
tossed her purse on the seat next to her and let out a long
breath that stirred the loose hair around her face.
Lunch. Not a date, just lunch. Alex might have asked her
to join him if he weren't so preoccupied with the Keeley
situation. Heath too. There was absolutely nothing intimate
about Clint's invitation. As it should be.
She started the engine and pulled in a calming breath.
Reversing, she edged out of her reserved space. Jesse flipped
67
A Christmas to Believe In
by Claire Ashgrove
on the radio, then drove down the narrow lane, around two
turns, and out into the bright Kansas City sunlight.
Though normally packed with vehicles around the noon
hour, the traffic worked against her on the main road. She hit
all the green lights, even when she tried to slow to catch a
red, and the usual back up near the highway on-ramp tallied
only three cars. To her dismay, she arrived at Maude's
Formalwear ten minutes early.
Only, as she nosed into a parking space in front of the
shop, a dark blue pickup two vehicles down caught her eye. A
smile eased the tightness around her mouth. Clint was early.
She should have expected that—she could count on one hand
the number of times he'd ever been late.
Feeling more confident about her early arrival, she stepped
out of the car, walked around a plowed bank of snow, and let
herself into the shop. A bell jingled as she shut the door. Her
gaze scanned the wide showroom floor, resting briefly on a
model that sported a wedding gown suitable for a queen,
before she looked to the men's section on the opposite side of
the room.
"May I help you?" a saleswoman asked from behind the
counter near the rear.
"Ah..." Jesse fumbled for a casual smile. "I'm meeting
someone here."
The young blonde's face lit with excitement. "I think he's in
the back. He should be out in a minute or two." She rushed
around the countertop, motioning Jesse to follow. "You'll love
the tux. You have wonderful taste. He'll be the groom of the
century."
68
A Christmas to Believe In
by Claire
holidays. I'll send him the file tomorrow, so he's aware of my
modifications, but exceptions and requests will have to wait
until January."
"All right. I'll tell him."
"Thank you, Susan."
Reclining in her chair, Jesse willed the clock to move
faster. Twenty minutes until her lunch date. Time couldn't
possibly pass any slower. She'd accomplished nothing in the
five hours she'd been here. Tomorrow wouldn't be any better.
Tomorrow, she finalized Ethan's adoption at two. He hadn't
said anything about their court date, which told her he'd
forgotten about it. But she'd be every bit as scatterbrained,
and the pile of budget reports waiting on her approval
wouldn't diminish on their own.
66
A Christmas to Believe In
by Claire Ashgrove
Today, however, she could solely fault Clint for. He and his
lunch date. Jesse couldn't remember the last time she'd had a
non-business luncheon. Even Susan had lifted her eyebrows
when Jesse told her to black out the noon-to-two time block.
Susan would never say anything—theirs was a strictly
professional relationship. But she'd noticed, despite the casual
way Jesse delivered the instruction.
Jesse picked up a pen and absently tapped the end of it on
her blotter. Fifteen minutes. If she left now, she'd be early.
But if she sat still another minute longer, she'd squirm right
out of her chair.
She grabbed her keys and purse. To hell with it. She could
always claim she'd wanted to beat traffic.
As she left her office, Susan looked up with a bright smile.
"Enjoy your lunch."
Jesse returned her smile. "Thanks."
The walk to her car seemed endless. Never before had an
elevator taken so long to open on her floor. Never before had
she considered just how long it took to trek across the
parking garage. When she finally reached her door, her hands
shook as she inserted the key. She dropped behind the wheel,
tossed her purse on the seat next to her and let out a long
breath that stirred the loose hair around her face.
Lunch. Not a date, just lunch. Alex might have asked her
to join him if he weren't so preoccupied with the Keeley
situation. Heath too. There was absolutely nothing intimate
about Clint's invitation. As it should be.
She started the engine and pulled in a calming breath.
Reversing, she edged out of her reserved space. Jesse flipped
67
A Christmas to Believe In
by Claire Ashgrove
on the radio, then drove down the narrow lane, around two
turns, and out into the bright Kansas City sunlight.
Though normally packed with vehicles around the noon
hour, the traffic worked against her on the main road. She hit
all the green lights, even when she tried to slow to catch a
red, and the usual back up near the highway on-ramp tallied
only three cars. To her dismay, she arrived at Maude's
Formalwear ten minutes early.
Only, as she nosed into a parking space in front of the
shop, a dark blue pickup two vehicles down caught her eye. A
smile eased the tightness around her mouth. Clint was early.
She should have expected that—she could count on one hand
the number of times he'd ever been late.
Feeling more confident about her early arrival, she stepped
out of the car, walked around a plowed bank of snow, and let
herself into the shop. A bell jingled as she shut the door. Her
gaze scanned the wide showroom floor, resting briefly on a
model that sported a wedding gown suitable for a queen,
before she looked to the men's section on the opposite side of
the room.
"May I help you?" a saleswoman asked from behind the
counter near the rear.
"Ah..." Jesse fumbled for a casual smile. "I'm meeting
someone here."
The young blonde's face lit with excitement. "I think he's in
the back. He should be out in a minute or two." She rushed
around the countertop, motioning Jesse to follow. "You'll love
the tux. You have wonderful taste. He'll be the groom of the
century."
68
A Christmas to Believe In
by Claire
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