She made it all of two steps before the electrician came out and told her he was done for the day and all the work was completed. Thanking him, she walked up the front steps and paused.
One down, one to go…
Walking inside, she found Haley sitting on the couch, staring at her phone. Pasting a smile on her face, she said, “How about some mac and cheese?”
Haley shook her head.
O-kay…
“How about some chicken salad? Grandma made a batch this morning.”
Another small head shake.
Walking over to the couch, she sat down on the coffee table in front of her niece. “How about you tell me what you want to eat?”
“I already said I wasn’t hungry.”
“Yeah, I know, but you also didn’t eat breakfast and you really need to have some lunch. So…come on. How about I make us my super-thin-crust pepperoni pizzas? I know you like them.”
“Aunt Syd…”
“Please? Just…do this for me. You know I hate eating alone.” Eventually, Sydney knew she was going to have to stop letting Haley call the shots, but for right now, it seemed like the best way to handle things.
“Fine,” her niece said with a loud huff.
“You got it,” she said softly, thankful the power was restored. Standing, she kissed the top of Haley’s blond head before heading to the kitchen.
The freezer was stocked with casseroles and all kinds of food that friends and neighbors had been bringing over, but she was dying for something that wasn’t microwaved. Honestly, she would have preferred calling and having a pizza delivered, but she was learning to be a bit more frugal with her money.
The move back to Magnolia and leaving her job meant her income had severely dwindled. She’d sold off most of her furniture and managed to maintain half of her savings. Then she had gotten the life insurance money from Tracy and Daren. The money meant she could raise Haley, but she knew it was going to take a lot more than that to do it. She had to work–had to find a job. And on top of that, she put a large portion of that money into a college fund for her niece–something her sister and brother-in-law had never done.
“I should probably focus more on how we’re going to survive right now,” she murmured as she pulled out the ingredients to make their lunch. Once everything was in the oven, she looked into the living room and saw Haley was exactly where she left her.
With her laptop sitting on the kitchen counter, she opened it and decided to job hunt while she waited for their pizza to bake. Her eyes widened when she saw an email from her friend Mia with the subject “Job for you!”
Quickly opening it, she felt the first wave of excitement.
The job was actually…working for Mia. Her friend had recently published her fourth book–she was a phenomenal mystery writer–and was currently in need of an assistant.
A virtual assistant.
“Oh, Mia,” she whispered. “Please don’t be messing with me.”
The job description pretty much fit Sydney to a tee: handle all correspondence, schedule and coordinate signings and events, social media marketing, graphic design for promos…
Back in Boston, she had been a digital executive producer of a local news station. It had taken her years to work her way up to the position. Before that, she had been an administrative assistant to an anchorwoman of the local news. She had worked at the television station and had done everything from fetching coffee to being on-site at events to assist the “talent.” But she had worked hard and did everything she could to gain experience and had finally gotten the promotion six months ago.
Before the accident.
Behind her, she turned and checked on the pizzas to make sure they were cooking properly. Then, unable to help herself, she quickly pulled out her phone and called Mia.
“I take it you got my email?” Mia asked when she answered.
“I did! Are you serious? I mean, is this job for real or are you just throwing me a bone?”
Laughing, Mia said, “Girl, don’t even. Both my agent and editor have been telling me how I need an assistant, but I thought they were crazy. Now that the new book is out and my schedule is starting to get crazy, I realized I really needed help. And you are the queen of keeping things organized.”
It was true. Sydney did have a knack for keeping things neat and orderly, and it was just one of the reasons this whole house project was killing her.
“I don’t even know what to say! I’m not even sure I’d know where to begin!”
“Well, do you have space to set up a home office?”
“Space isn’t an issue. The house has four bedrooms. But right now it’s all sort of…chaotic.” She sighed. “I told you about that, right?”
“You did and I’m sorry.”
She shook her head and forced herself to think positively. “It’s okay. Hopefully in a month, things will be done. So…you said a home office?”
“Yeah. I’ll be sending you an inventory of each of my books and you’ll be responsible for sending them out to readers–you know for giveaways and things like that. Eventually I’m going to set up an online store, but that’s a couple of months down the line. And hopefully something you’ll be able to help get up and running.”
“That sounds amazing!”
“Basically, you’ll do everything you would do if you were right here with me, except you’re doing it from your place.”
“This almost sounds too good to be true! Are you sure about this?”
“You are my first and only choice. You know the way I work and the way I like things to be done. Hell, you’ve lived with me so you probably know me better than I know myself!”
They had been roommates in college, and yeah, Sydney knew everything about her.
Including how disorganized Mia was.
“I’m going to need a little time to get set up, but if you start by sending me a list of where we need to get started, I’ll look it over and give you a timeframe for when I can get it done. And…”
“Syd,” Mia interrupted. “Aren’t you forgetting one crucial thing?”
Frowning, she thought about it for a moment. “Um…I don’t think so.”
“Salary? Aren’t you the least bit interested in what I’ll be paying you? And what kind of hours are involved?”
“Oh, right!” She laughed. “Yeah, that would be important information to have. So, um…”
Mia laughed too before saying the hourly wage. “And we’re looking at around thirty hours a week.”
“Are you serious?” she cried. “How is that even possible?”
“Well, with everything going on with you, we haven’t had a chance to talk,” Mia said, “but…I just signed for another six books…”
“Oh, my God! That’s amazing! Congratulations!”
“And…my first book was just optioned–well, we’re already under contract–to be made into a movie! A real full-length motion picture! Can you believe it?”
She let out a happy little scream and even danced in place. “Mia, this is…oh my goodness…I can’t even believe it! This is everything you ever dreamed of!”
“It’s more than I ever could have imagined. So…yeah, I definitely need an assistant to help me keep my shit in order.”
“And I am the girl to make that happen!” And there she was, starting to cry again. “I don’t even know how to thank you. You have no idea how much this means to me.”
Mia was quiet for a long moment. “You have no idea how much I hate what you’re going through, and if I can do this and help you, then I am more than happy to do it. Hell, I wish I could do more.”
“You’re doing more than you even realize and I am so excited to get started.” The oven beeped and she let out a long breath. “I need to go. Lunch is ready. Email me what we need to get started and I promise to call you later after I’ve looked it all over.”
“Sound good. And Syd?”
“Yeah?”
“Thanks. You’re a real lifesaver.”
She smiled. “Funny, that’s what I was about to call you.”
They hung up and her smile stayed in place and actually felt sincere for the first time in a month. She felt…hopeful.
Taking the pizza from the oven, she sliced it and divvied it up on two plates. She was about to put them on the kitchen table, but opted to change things up a bit.
Walking back into the living room, she put their plates on the coffee table and smiled down at her niece. “How about we picnic in here while watching TV?”
“Seriously?”
“Absolutely,” she said, smiling. “I know I couldn’t do it while grandma and grandpa were here, but back in Boston, I almost always ate in front of the TV. It would make your grandmother batty.” She shuddered dramatically and laughed–hoping her improved mood and outlook might help Haley’s too.
Leaning forward, Haley examined her pizza before looking up at Sydney. “Can I have a can of Coke with this?”
With a small laugh that was part snort, Sydney turned toward the kitchen. “Like there’s any other drink to have with pizza. Please.”
And for the first time in almost a month, her niece smiled. “Thanks, Aunt Syd.”
“Okay, I’ll get the drinks, you find us something to watch!”
It was so simple but…she felt like they were finally turning a corner.
* * *
Last Beautiful Girl
Coming 9/28/20
https://www.chasing-romance.com/last-beautiful-girl
About the Author
Samantha Chase is a New York Times and USA Today bestseller of contemporary romance that’s hotter than sweet, sweeter than hot. She released her debut novel in 2011 and currently has more than sixty titles under her belt – including THE CHRISTMAS COTTAGE which was a Hallmark Christmas movie in 2017! When she’s not working on a new story, she spends her time reading romances, playing way too many games of Solitaire on Facebook, wearing a tiara while playing with her sassy pug Maylene…oh, and spending time with her husband of 30 years and their two sons in Wake Forest, North Carolina.
* * *
Where to Find Me:
Website:
www.chasing-romance.com
Facebook:
www.facebook.com/SamanthaChaseFanClub
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/samanthachaseromance/
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/SamanthaChase3
Reader Group:
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Also by Samantha Chase
The Enchanted Bridal Series:
The Wedding Season
Friday Night Brides
The Bridal Squad
Glam Squad & Groomsmen
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The Magnolia Sound Series
Sunkissed Days
Remind Me
A Girl Like You
In Case You Didn’t Know
All the Befores
And Then One Day
Can’t Help Falling in Love
Last Beautiful Girl
* * *
The RoadTripping Series:
Drive Me Crazy
Wrong Turn
Test Drive
Head Over Wheels
* * *
The Montgomery Brothers Series:
Wait for Me
Trust in Me
Stay with Me
More of Me
Return to You
Meant for You
I’ll Be There
Until There Was Us
Suddenly Mine
A Dash of Christmas
* * *
The Shaughnessy Brothers Series:
Made for Us
Love Walks In
Always My Girl
This is Our Song
Sky Full of Stars
Holiday Spice
Tangled Up in You
* * *
Band on the Run Series:
One More Kiss
One More Promise
One More Moment
* * *
The Christmas Cottage Series:
The Christmas Cottage
Ever After
* * *
Silver Bell Falls Series:
Christmas in Silver Bell Falls
Christmas On Pointe
A Very Married Christmas
A Christmas Rescue
Christmas Inn Love
* * *
Life, Love & Babies Series:
The Baby Arrangement
Baby, Be Mine
Baby, I’m Yours
* * *
Preston’s Mill Series:
Roommating
Speed Dating
Complicating
* * *
The Protectors Series:
Protecting His Best Friend’s Sister
Protecting the Enemy
Protecting the Girl Next Door
Protecting the Movie Star
* * *
7 Brides for 7 Soldiers
Ford
* * *
7 Brides for 7 Blackthornes
Logan
* * *
Standalone Novels
Jordan’s Return
Catering to the CEO
In the Eye of the Storm
A Touch of Heaven
Moonlight in Winter Park
Waiting for Midnight
Mistletoe Between Friends
Snowflake Inn
Wildest Dreams (currently unavailable)
Going My Way (currently unavailable)
Going to Be Yours (currently unavailable)
Seeking Forever (currently unavailable)
Can't Help Falling in Love Page 25