swarming toward
her men as they strode back into the reception hall, and at herself for
thinking of them that way. Worse, she had to swim into that sea of ladies and
drag Jared out for the sound check.
Jared flirted too easily with the bevy of women hanging on
to his every word and was enjoying himself too much. Oh I’m not jealous, not
one bit. Liar , said that little voice in her head. She pushed over
to Jared and tapped him on the shoulder. “I need you in the dining room to get
the lapel mic hooked up.”
“Do you have to take him, Jocelyn?” asked a mini-skirted,
overdone Debbie Hester, draped on Jared’s arm. “We’re getting to know him
better.”
“Sorry, Debbie, duty calls. That reminds me. I never heard
back from you. Can we count on your support for the girls’ soccer team Jared’s
coaching? Business contributions range from fifty to one hundred fifty
dollars.”
“Of course, my pleasure. Put me down for one fifty. With
Health Corp rescued, my little health care service company is doing quite well.
See you later, Jared.” She walked away.
“You’re one shrewd manipulator, Jocelyn Wade. I’m
impressed.”
“That was taking candy from a baby. We hit sponsorship goals
two weeks ago. I couldn’t resist.” Her laugh bubbled up from down deep, a
childish joy settled in her heart.
“Sometimes, not often, you make it easy to like you.” He
flashed his broadest smile and took her arm. “Let’s get this evening started.”
Waitstaff in black tuxedo jackets and pressed white shirts
served dinner. Wine flowed. The room buzzed with conversation amidst the clinking
of silverware on china until Jared took the podium.
Relaxed for the first time this evening, Jocelyn realized
she’d never seen Jared in such formal dress. Elegant in a tailored pinstripe
silk suit, the crowd eating up his every word, he wore local celebrity with
style. If she thought he was sexy before… An image of him sitting at her desk
as she lowered herself on his steel-hard length and rubbed her naked body
against the silk of that suit planted itself in her brain and refused to go
away.
The standing ovation startled her back to the dinner. With a
shake of her head to clear out the fog, she thanked Jared and handed the podium
to Don Corcoran to give the Chamber’s response. Not one to play second fiddle
to anyone, Don preened and blustered, lifting the crowd from excited to
ecstatic when he publicly committed the Chamber to support the school budgets
even if that meant not reducing taxes.
On its feet, the audience stomped and clapped. Jocelyn
breathed a sigh of relief. Trying to mediate the internal tensions between her
personal desires as a mother for strong schools and the professional
compromises she made as a business leader had her continuously refilling her
medicine cabinet. Thank goodness for Tums, the wonder drug.
Thanks to Jared, again, her world was a little easier, the
stresses reduced. Her gaze instinctively sought his and found it staring back,
searching for something. She broke contact, not ready to answer the question of
Jared Wyatt.
* * * * *
Jared agreed to meet Gideon at AJ’s Gym, just blocks from
the Chamber of Commerce. The ramshackle building was set back from the street,
making it easy to miss if you weren’t looking for it. Chipped white paint and
sagging windowpanes sang a song of age and lack of investment.
Inside, over-polished state-of-the-art boxing equipment
flashed its mojo. Framed pictures of past champions strung along the back wall
caught his attention. Many were of a younger Gideon and another teen—a Wade
sibling by his looks—who was tall and lanky with Jocelyn’s auburn hair and
Gideon’s sculpted jawline and molten-brown eyes.
“That’s Tommy, the middle child, he’s stationed in
Afghanistan,” Gideon said. His voice echoed across the empty gym. “This used to
be my father’s gym, AJ for Alan and Joanne. Dad sold it after she died. Lou,
the owner, lets me use it when I’m
her men as they strode back into the reception hall, and at herself for
thinking of them that way. Worse, she had to swim into that sea of ladies and
drag Jared out for the sound check.
Jared flirted too easily with the bevy of women hanging on
to his every word and was enjoying himself too much. Oh I’m not jealous, not
one bit. Liar , said that little voice in her head. She pushed over
to Jared and tapped him on the shoulder. “I need you in the dining room to get
the lapel mic hooked up.”
“Do you have to take him, Jocelyn?” asked a mini-skirted,
overdone Debbie Hester, draped on Jared’s arm. “We’re getting to know him
better.”
“Sorry, Debbie, duty calls. That reminds me. I never heard
back from you. Can we count on your support for the girls’ soccer team Jared’s
coaching? Business contributions range from fifty to one hundred fifty
dollars.”
“Of course, my pleasure. Put me down for one fifty. With
Health Corp rescued, my little health care service company is doing quite well.
See you later, Jared.” She walked away.
“You’re one shrewd manipulator, Jocelyn Wade. I’m
impressed.”
“That was taking candy from a baby. We hit sponsorship goals
two weeks ago. I couldn’t resist.” Her laugh bubbled up from down deep, a
childish joy settled in her heart.
“Sometimes, not often, you make it easy to like you.” He
flashed his broadest smile and took her arm. “Let’s get this evening started.”
Waitstaff in black tuxedo jackets and pressed white shirts
served dinner. Wine flowed. The room buzzed with conversation amidst the clinking
of silverware on china until Jared took the podium.
Relaxed for the first time this evening, Jocelyn realized
she’d never seen Jared in such formal dress. Elegant in a tailored pinstripe
silk suit, the crowd eating up his every word, he wore local celebrity with
style. If she thought he was sexy before… An image of him sitting at her desk
as she lowered herself on his steel-hard length and rubbed her naked body
against the silk of that suit planted itself in her brain and refused to go
away.
The standing ovation startled her back to the dinner. With a
shake of her head to clear out the fog, she thanked Jared and handed the podium
to Don Corcoran to give the Chamber’s response. Not one to play second fiddle
to anyone, Don preened and blustered, lifting the crowd from excited to
ecstatic when he publicly committed the Chamber to support the school budgets
even if that meant not reducing taxes.
On its feet, the audience stomped and clapped. Jocelyn
breathed a sigh of relief. Trying to mediate the internal tensions between her
personal desires as a mother for strong schools and the professional
compromises she made as a business leader had her continuously refilling her
medicine cabinet. Thank goodness for Tums, the wonder drug.
Thanks to Jared, again, her world was a little easier, the
stresses reduced. Her gaze instinctively sought his and found it staring back,
searching for something. She broke contact, not ready to answer the question of
Jared Wyatt.
* * * * *
Jared agreed to meet Gideon at AJ’s Gym, just blocks from
the Chamber of Commerce. The ramshackle building was set back from the street,
making it easy to miss if you weren’t looking for it. Chipped white paint and
sagging windowpanes sang a song of age and lack of investment.
Inside, over-polished state-of-the-art boxing equipment
flashed its mojo. Framed pictures of past champions strung along the back wall
caught his attention. Many were of a younger Gideon and another teen—a Wade
sibling by his looks—who was tall and lanky with Jocelyn’s auburn hair and
Gideon’s sculpted jawline and molten-brown eyes.
“That’s Tommy, the middle child, he’s stationed in
Afghanistan,” Gideon said. His voice echoed across the empty gym. “This used to
be my father’s gym, AJ for Alan and Joanne. Dad sold it after she died. Lou,
the owner, lets me use it when I’m
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