Free Want You Back by Karen Whiddon

calm her racing heart. “I need to make a plan.”
    Because the thought calmed her, she felt able to put the car in gear and drive home.
    Once there, she dropped her purse on the couch and headed for the kitchen. Pencil and paper in hand, she sat at the kitchen table and chewed on the end of the pencil while she tried to think.
    Howard had taught her this trick, bless his perfec tionist heart. He claimed it helped him think straight whenever he found himself in a tricky situation. Per sonally, Jenny had never believed him, but then she’d never had the need to try such a thing before. Now, desperation drove her.
    She’d taken out an ad in the paper and promised everyone from the mayor on down that she’d work with Jake to get his restaurant going. She’d thought she could keep her mind on the job, but one minute alone with the man had proved that impossible.
    What to do? She doodled on the paper while trying to think of ideas. When the perfect solution came, it seemed so simple she couldn’t believe she’d over looked it.
    Monica.
    Chewing on the pencil, Jenny knew this would work. She’d have Monica meet with the client—from now on she would think of Jake that way—note his needs, and bring all the paperwork to Jenny. She then would do his bookwork, taxes, payroll, whatever, and give it to Monica to deliver.
    Monica was young, bright, and pretty. No doubt she would enjoy the assignment. Maybe Jake would form an attachment to her—no, Jenny didn’t want to think about that.
    Business. Everything would be strictly business from now on.
    Thus decided, Jenny tore off the top sheet of paper and crumpled it. She didn’t even need a list She would explain the new plan to Monica first thing in the morning.
    For the first time in quite a while, she slept soundly that night.
    Jenny came awake by degrees, and at first she thought it was Saturday, the one day she allowed herself to sleep late. Full sunlight streamed through her window and the clock on her nightstand said nine o’clock. But, after stretching luxuriously, and contemplating a leisurely cup of coffee, it dawned on her that it was actually Friday. Somehow she’d forgotten to set the alarm—something she’d never done since opening her own business.
    Panic-stricken, she dashed to the phone, dialed her office number, and listened with disbelief to a busy signal. How could it be busy—she had four lines! However, she didn’t have time to worry about it. She rushed through her shower, put on a minimum of makeup, and grabbed a pants suit that she’d just picked up at the cleaners. She was out the door by 9:30, hair still damp and uncurled, but on her way.
    Speeding was another vice Jenny tried not to indulge in. She hadn’t had a speeding ticket since before she’d met Jake, though she loved to drive fast. Correction —used to love to drive fast.
    Now she drove more sedately, rarely more than five miles over the speed limit. Oh, once a year on her birthday, she might go look at sports cars and imagine tearing down some back road. But a fantasy was all it ever was, and Jenny was proud of her self-restraint. Today, however, she put the pedal to the metal and prayed there were no state troopers out with radar guns.
    She reached her office at 9:52. Heart still pounding, she jumped out of her car, and strode briskly into the reception area.
    Monica, with the phone to one ear and all three of the other lines blinking, looked up and grimaced. Concerned, Jenny motioned to her to put the caller on hold.
    “What’s going on?”
    “Whew.” Monica blew out a breath. “Unreal. I swear, life hasn’t been this interesting since I left Dallas.”
    “What happened?” Jenny glanced around the room, hoping there hadn’t been a fire or something.
    Monica cocked her head and grinned. “Like you don’t know. I saw the pictures, you know. Hey, you just missed Donald. He took a couple more pictures for tomorrow’s paper.”
    At Jenny’s blank look, she frowned.