closets in her daughter’s Barbie Dream House. Those tiny plastic shoes had been a real bitch. Then, armed with one of Gabby’s old toothbrushes, she had scrubbed every crack and crevice untilthe apartment had sparkled. Until her nerves calmed down. Until she got back to being levelheaded Amy.
Except this time, it didn’t seem to be working. In the last two months, she could’ve served soup out of the porcelain toilets in her house, but she didn’t feel the least bit better. Her stomach still felt as if it were filled with helium, and her heart still felt like it was being squeezed by a giant fist.
“I can get that, ma’am,” one of the caterers said as she moved up behind her. “I don’t want you to get that beautiful dress dirty.” The woman held her hand out for the sponge.
For a second, Amy thought about refusing her. She needed the sponge much more than the caterer did. It made her feel useful and gave her a place to hide from the one person who was behind her frenzied emotions.
Rory McPherson.
Making one last-ditch effort, she smiled hopefully at the woman. “I thought you might need some help. I used to wait tables.”
The caterer glanced around the kitchen at the six or seven people jockeying for position as they filled champagne glasses and serving trays. “Thanks, but I think we have it covered.” She lifted a glass of champagne from one of the trays and handed it to her. “Go enjoy yourself.”
“Right.” Amy took the glass and started to walk away when the woman called after her.
“The sponge.”
Shrugging innocently, she handed it back. The woman shook her head before tossing the sponge in the sink and going back to the bowl of peeled shrimp.
Amy turned and walked out of the kitchen. She really needed to get a grip. So what if Rory McPherson was back? And divorced? And gorgeous? What difference did it make? It wasn’t like she had any feelings for him.
She stopped in the hall to straighten a painting.
At least, not anymore.
There was a time when she first started working for M & M that Rory McPherson had been her number one fantasy man. He was tall with strawberry-blond hair, deep green eyes, and a smile that could make a woman melt at his feet. He was mature. So much more mature than all the high school boys she was used to. And a heck of a lot more mature than Luke, Gabby’s father. After the first few months of being tongue-tied every time he spoke to her, Amy had relaxed and discovered she could talk to Rory about anything and everything.
Especially about Gabby.
Rory didn’t look down on Amy for being a single, teen mom. In fact, every time Gabby came to the office, he held her, played with her, and asked all kinds of questions. What did she eat for dinner? Did she sleep the whole night through? Did she love her mom as much as everyone at M & M did? It didn’t take long for Amy to start fantasizing about Rory as the hero who would sweep her off her feet and love her daughter as much as she did.
But reality came in the form of Rory’s very bitchy and beautiful girlfriend who informed Amy in no uncertain terms that Rory was hers and would never be attracted to some trailer trash secretary with a bastard brat. It had made sense. Why would a wealthy, attractive, educated man want to marry someone like her? After that, she’d steeredclear of him and spent more time with his little brother, Matthew, whose carefree flirting posed no threat to her emotions. At one point, she actually thought her rejection hurt Rory, but within a month, he had moved to Chicago and was engaged to Tess. Which proved that he wasn’t interested in Amy as anything more than a friend.
Amy ran a finger along the picture frame, removing any dust. But that didn’t mean Tess was completely right. Amy wasn’t trailer trash. She was a hardworking, intelligent woman who deserved a good man.
“There you are.”
She turned as Derek stepped out into the hallway from the library.
“I’ve been looking
Except this time, it didn’t seem to be working. In the last two months, she could’ve served soup out of the porcelain toilets in her house, but she didn’t feel the least bit better. Her stomach still felt as if it were filled with helium, and her heart still felt like it was being squeezed by a giant fist.
“I can get that, ma’am,” one of the caterers said as she moved up behind her. “I don’t want you to get that beautiful dress dirty.” The woman held her hand out for the sponge.
For a second, Amy thought about refusing her. She needed the sponge much more than the caterer did. It made her feel useful and gave her a place to hide from the one person who was behind her frenzied emotions.
Rory McPherson.
Making one last-ditch effort, she smiled hopefully at the woman. “I thought you might need some help. I used to wait tables.”
The caterer glanced around the kitchen at the six or seven people jockeying for position as they filled champagne glasses and serving trays. “Thanks, but I think we have it covered.” She lifted a glass of champagne from one of the trays and handed it to her. “Go enjoy yourself.”
“Right.” Amy took the glass and started to walk away when the woman called after her.
“The sponge.”
Shrugging innocently, she handed it back. The woman shook her head before tossing the sponge in the sink and going back to the bowl of peeled shrimp.
Amy turned and walked out of the kitchen. She really needed to get a grip. So what if Rory McPherson was back? And divorced? And gorgeous? What difference did it make? It wasn’t like she had any feelings for him.
She stopped in the hall to straighten a painting.
At least, not anymore.
There was a time when she first started working for M & M that Rory McPherson had been her number one fantasy man. He was tall with strawberry-blond hair, deep green eyes, and a smile that could make a woman melt at his feet. He was mature. So much more mature than all the high school boys she was used to. And a heck of a lot more mature than Luke, Gabby’s father. After the first few months of being tongue-tied every time he spoke to her, Amy had relaxed and discovered she could talk to Rory about anything and everything.
Especially about Gabby.
Rory didn’t look down on Amy for being a single, teen mom. In fact, every time Gabby came to the office, he held her, played with her, and asked all kinds of questions. What did she eat for dinner? Did she sleep the whole night through? Did she love her mom as much as everyone at M & M did? It didn’t take long for Amy to start fantasizing about Rory as the hero who would sweep her off her feet and love her daughter as much as she did.
But reality came in the form of Rory’s very bitchy and beautiful girlfriend who informed Amy in no uncertain terms that Rory was hers and would never be attracted to some trailer trash secretary with a bastard brat. It had made sense. Why would a wealthy, attractive, educated man want to marry someone like her? After that, she’d steeredclear of him and spent more time with his little brother, Matthew, whose carefree flirting posed no threat to her emotions. At one point, she actually thought her rejection hurt Rory, but within a month, he had moved to Chicago and was engaged to Tess. Which proved that he wasn’t interested in Amy as anything more than a friend.
Amy ran a finger along the picture frame, removing any dust. But that didn’t mean Tess was completely right. Amy wasn’t trailer trash. She was a hardworking, intelligent woman who deserved a good man.
“There you are.”
She turned as Derek stepped out into the hallway from the library.
“I’ve been looking
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