Debbie Macomber - Ready for Romance

Jessica’s mouth refused to work. She opened and closed it a number of embarrassing times, not knowing how to respond, or if she should even try.

Cathy Hudson, her best friend, had claimed it wasn’t a good idea to apply for work with a family who knew her so well. Jessica was about to concede that Cath was right.

“I did have a schoolgirl crush on your brother at one time,” she confessed, “but that was years ago. I haven’t seen Evan in…heavens, I don’t remember. Certainly not any more often than I’ve seen you. If you believe my past feelings for Evan would hinder my performance as a legal assistant, then there isn’t anything more I can say—other than to thank you for your time.”

Damian’s smile was slightly off kilter, his eyes bemused as if, despite himself, he’d admired her little speech. Slowly a look of sadness crossed his face. “Evan’s changed, you know. He isn’t the man you once knew.”

“I’d heard from my mother that he’s been unhappy recently.” She didn’t know the details and hoped Damian would fill in the blanks.

“Do you know why?”

“No.”

Damian gave a soft regretful sigh. “I might as well tell you, since you’ll find out soon enough yourself. He was in love possibly for the first time in his life, and it didn’t work out. I don’t know what caused the rift, and neither does anyone else, not that it matters. Unfortunately, though, Evan can’t seem to snap out of his depression.”

“He must have loved her very much,” she whispered, watching Damian. He was genuinely concerned about Evan.

“I’m sure he did.” Damian frowned, apparently at a loss as to how to help his brother, then shook his head. “We’ve ventured far from the subject of your employment, haven’t we?”

She straightened and folded her hands in her lap, wondering if Damian would take a chance and hire her. She was a risk, too, fresh out of school, with no job experience.

“You’re sure you want to work here?” he asked, studying her with a discerning eye.

“Very much.”

Damian didn’t immediately respond. His silence made her uncomfortable enough to want to fill it with something, even useless chatter. “I know what you’re thinking,” she said breathlessly. “In your eyes I’m a love-struck fourteen-year-old, convinced your brother and I are meant for each other.” She shook her head. “I don’t know what to say to convince you I’ve grown up, and that nonsense is all behind me, but I have.”

“I can see that for myself.” A glint of appreciation sparked in his eyes. “As it happens, Jessica, you’re in luck, because the firm could use another legal assistant. If you want the job, it’s yours.”

Jessica resisted vaulting out of the chair and throwing her arms around Damian’s neck to thank him. Instead she promised, “I won’t let you down.”

“You’ll be working directly with Evan,” he replied, still studying her closely.

“With Evan?”

“Is that a problem?”

“No…No, of course not.”

“Just remember one thing. It doesn’t matter how many years our parents have been friends. If you don’t do your job and do it well, we don’t have room for you here.”

“I wouldn’t expect you to keep me on if I didn’t pull my weight,” she said, trying hard not to sound defensive.

“Good.” He reached for the intercom and glanced at her. “When would you like to start?”

“Now, if you want.”

“Perfect. I’ll ring Mrs. Sterling. She’s Evan’s secretary, and she’ll show you the ropes.”

Jessica stood and extended her hand. “You won’t be sorry, I promise you.” She pumped his hand enthusiastically until she realized she was overdoing it.

Grinning, Damian walked around to the front of his desk. “If there’s anything I can help you with, let me know.”

“I will. Thank you, Damian.”

She hadn’t meant to call him by his first name. Theirs was a professional relationship now, but it was difficult to think of him as her boss. A personal bond existed between them, but until this interview Jessica hadn’t realized it was there. To her surprise she found she had no such problem regarding Evan.

She and Damian walked out of the office together and down the corridor to a door with Evan’s name engraved on a gold plaque.

Damian opened the door for her and allowed her to precede him. Jessica’s gaze fell on Evan’s secretary. The woman was middle-aged, with sharp, but not unattractive, features. She seemed to breathe efficiency. One look and Jessica was confident this woman could manage Evan’s office and the entire law firm if necessary.

“Mrs. Sterling,” Damian said, “this is Jessica Kellerman, Evan’s new legal assistant. Would you show her around and make her feel at home?”

“Of course.”

Damian turned to Jessica. “As I said earlier, come to me if you have any problems.”

“Thank you.”

“No, Jessica,” he said cryptically on his way out, “thank you. ” The door made a small clicking sound as it shut.

Mrs. Sterling rose from her chair. She was a small woman, barely five feet, a stark contrast to tall and slender Jessica. Her salt-and-pepper hair was cropped short, and she wore a no-nonsense straight skirt and light sweater.

“I’ll show you where the law library is,” Mrs. Sterling said. Jessica glanced toward the closed door, wondering if Evan was in. Apparently not, otherwise Damian would have made a point of letting his brother know Jessica would be working for him.

The secretary led the way out of the office and down the hall. The library was huge, with row upon row of thick dusty volumes. Long narrow tables with a number of chairs were scattered about the room. Jessica knew she’d be spending the majority of her research time here and was pleased by how pleasant it was. She noticed the faint scent of lemon oil and smiled as she saw various types of potted plants set here and there, including a speckled broad-leaved ivy that stretched across the top of one large bookcase.

“This is very nice.”

“Mr. Dryden has worked hard to make sure our work environment is pleasing to the eye,” the woman remarked primly.

“Damian’s like that,” Jessica murmured.

“I was speaking about the younger Mr. Dryden,” came the surprised response.

“Oh, of course,” Jessica said quickly.

BY THE END of the first day, Jessica felt as though she’d put in a forty-hour week. She’d been assigned a small desk in the corner of the room and her own phone. Mrs. Sterling seemed to feel it was her duty to keep Jessica occupied with a multitude of tasks which included taking lunch orders, organizing file cabinets and hand-delivering messages throughout the office.

Just when she was about to think she wouldn’t even lay eyes on Evan her first day, he breezed into the office, stopping abruptly when he saw her. He was as tall as Damian, at least six-two, with chestnut hair and dark soulful eyes. To Jessica’s way of thinking, it wasn’t fair that any one man should be so breathtakingly handsome.

“Julia,” he whispered, as though he’d stumbled upon a treasure chest. His eyes suffused with delight. “What are you doing here?”

“It’s Jessica,” she corrected him, refusing to be offended by his failure to remember her name. “I’m here because I’m working for you now.”

“Your brother hired Ms. Kellerman as your new legal assistant,” Mrs. Sterling explained.

Evan stepped forward, gripping Jessica’s hand in his own. “This must be Christmas in July! Why else would Damian present me with such a rare gift?”

“Christmas in July,” Jessica repeated, having a difficult time not laughing. What she’d heard about Evan was true, she decided. He was a flirt, but such a pleasant lighthearted one that it didn’t seem to matter. She knew he wasn’t serious.