Chapter 2
Almost three months later
The unread email sat at the top of Jenna’s inbox like a beacon of hope. She perched on a barstool at her kitchen island, forgetting
her intention to make lunch, and homed in on the subject: Office Manager Position. The line didn’t divulge the answer she sought.
She’d been waiting almost a week for this response. The owners of Renew Physical Therapy were new to town, so they didn’t
know Mayor Fleming and certainly hadn’t heard about Jason’s untimely proposal back in February. Nor did they know Jenna had
become persona non grata citywide. In fact, she’d hit it off with the husband-and-wife owners and had been waiting breathlessly
for this very email.
Her fingers hovered over her laptop’s tracking pad.
Jenna’s BA in business qualified her for many positions, and she’d applied at a variety of local places, including the offices
of a CPA, a chiropractor, a dentist, a veterinarian, you name it. But with her recent, ahem, notoriety she’d struggled to
land interviews, even though most positions would’ve been a pay cut. But hey, beggars and choosers.
She’d garnered only three interviews but hadn’t been called back or hired.
And she knew exactly why: good ol’ Jason.
She hadn’t listed him as a reference, but as her most recent employer, they’d probably contacted him anyway.
And she highly doubted he’d had anything positive to say.
He’d fired her after all. For rejecting his proposal.
She could sue him for wrongful termination, but to what end? She couldn’t work in his office anymore and she’d probably done
enough damage to his heart.
She pushed away the disturbing thought and stared at the new email. She felt good about this. That terrific interview, their
connection over their love for the Braves. They even shared the same alma mater. I mean, come on! Bolstered, she clicked on the email.
Dear Ms. Greene,
Thank you for interviewing for the office manager position at Renew. We appreciate your interest in joining our company, and
we’re pleased that you invested time and effort in applying for one of our positions. Unfortunately, we’ve decided to move
forward with another candidate for this position . . .
A weight sank like an anchor in her stomach. The letter went on but she couldn’t bear to read another word. She practically
had these form letters memorized anyway. Unable to see those words on her screen for another second, she closed the laptop.
This company had truly been her best shot. If anything, she’d been overqualified even though she’d only held two professional
jobs. She’d gotten an internship at Dolman Wellness during her senior year, which had led to her first grown-up job. When
the place went belly-up three years later, she’d gotten the office manager position at Fleming.
She’d have to go back to the drawing board. Put in more applications. She was all right financially. She had Grandma’s trust fund she could fall back on, though she’d hate to use that money on bills. She wanted to utilize it for something special. Perhaps to start her own business.
Her phone buzzed in her pocket and a quick peek at the screen made her smile. Tyson Parker beamed from an old photo she’d
taken at his graduation from the fire academy. They’d grown up across the street from each other, and his large, rowdy family
had become like her own. Though she’d always been closest to Tyson since he was her age. She accepted the call. “Told ya you
should’ve worn your lucky hat.”
“Again, Greene, that only works on home games.”
Because yes, the Braves had lost last night to the Giants in a 9–8 heartbreaker. “It can’t hurt though, right? I mean, you
could at least do your part.”
“I was on a call anyway. I missed the last inning.”
The mention of his volunteer position made worry tug at her stomach. She tried not to think about her best friend’s dangerous
role. “Anything serious?”
“Just Mrs. Ledbetter and her smoke alarms—also her cat. I swear that woman will be the death of us all.”
Despite his irritation, warmth filled Jenna at the thought of her community on Chincoteague, a barrier island along the coast
of Virginia. She’d been blessed to grow up in a place where neighbors looked out for one another. “And how is little Luna?”
“She’s a menace, that’s what. But she’s safe for the time being. How’s the job hunting?”
“Less successful than your rescue mission, I’m afraid. I just got a rejection from that interview I thought went so well.”
“Oh, man. I’m sorry. You’ll find something soon.”
“Hope so. It’s getting a little discouraging.”
“It’s just a matter of time. You’ll see. You’ve got a lot to offer. I’ll bet it’s your idiot boyfriend’s fault.”
“Ex-boyfriend.”
“Maybe I should come up there and give him a little talking-to.”
His tone made it clear the convincing wouldn’t be verbal. It reminded her fondly of the time he’d slugged Robbie Brown for
slapping her on the butt when they were fourteen. They’d both served detention for their actions. “Appreciate the thought,
but I really don’t want to have to bail you out of jail.”
“It would make my day. Have you heard from him?”
“Not a single word. And I don’t care to, honestly.” It was pretty horrible what he’d done. And his departure had relieved
her of a pressure she hadn’t realized she’d been feeling while they were together. “I should probably thank him for ending
things. He wasn’t right for me.”
“You’re definitely better off without him.”
She didn’t even miss him that much. And what did that say about their relationship? She glanced at the email on the screen.
Her primary feeling right now was frustration that he was likely blockading her employment opportunities. “Maybe I should
extend my job search to DC.” Alexandria was a suburb of the city, after all.
“You’ve never been one for big cities. And there’s the infamous traffic.”
“Fair point. I guess I could put out some feelers back home.” She’d only ended up in Alexandria because of job opportunities,
and those seem to have dried up. Along with most of her friendships, which seemed to have gone with Jason in the split.
“Now there’s an idea I could get behind. I’ll keep my ear to the ground and let you know if I hear of anything.”
“Thanks. How’s your family? I saw the king suite renovation on Instagram. It turned out great.” Once their three boys had left the nest, the Parkers turned their large home into a bed-and-breakfast. Tyson worked there full-time when he wasn’t volunteering for the Chincoteague Fire Company.
“Thanks. I’m glad to have it done in time for summer. Hey, uh, have you talked to your mom since she returned from the cruise?”
“No, but she checked in via Messenger a couple times from the Caribbean. Seemed to be having a great time. Did she come back
with a nice tan?”
“Um, yeah . . . but that’s not all she came back with. I was over there mowing this morning when she got home. I didn’t think
she was returning till tomorrow. A man was with her—and he had a suitcase.”
“What? What man? Who was he?”
“Someone she met on the cruise, apparently. Gordon Smith? Does that ring a bell?”
“No . . .” A thread of anxiety wormed through her. “She’s only known him for a matter of days and he’s staying overnight?
Are you sure?” That didn’t sound like her mom.
“She didn’t say so directly, but he was unloading his suitcase and hers, and they seemed kind of chummy.”
“Oh no.” Though Jenna’s wonderful dad had passed when she was twelve, her mom hadn’t started dating until Jenna left for college.
And only then had she discovered just how naive her mom was where men and dating were concerned.
“Thought you might want to know.”
“Yeah, thanks.” The thought of some strange man staying there tonight alone with her mother—what could she be thinking?
A quick call would answer some questions, but her mom was independent and—as Jenna had found out the hard way—not too fond of her daughter’s interference. “I should come home for the weekend.”
“I was hoping you’d say that.” His tone was heavy with relief. “She’d be glad to see you. I’m more than happy to check in
on her, but it might be best if she wasn’t alone tonight.”
“I could just say I was depressed about my job situation”—hardly a lie—“and I am missing her.”
“There you go. He’s probably just spending the night on his way home or something.”
Way too risky for Jenna’s liking. “Thanks again for the heads-up. I’ll give my mom a call, pack a few things, and be there
by suppertime.”