The Groom Wanted Seconds: A Novella by Shirley Jump Read Free Book Online Page A

women to show them the way.” Candace grinned. “You could have just told him to ask you properly, and I bet Jeremy would have come back with a second, much better proposal—”
    “Timed to the last second, located in the perfect geographical coordinates for optimal star viewing or something.”
    Candace laughed again. “Yeah, probably. But that’s what you liked about him. Remember? His attention to detail. His perfectionism.”
    “He was attentive to all the details in his job.” Rebecca smoothed her hand across the table, whisking away invisible crumbs. “Just not the ones about me.”
    “Really?” Candace tapped the coffee mug on the table. “Because it seems to me he paid attention to the details that mattered.”
    *~*~*
    First thing Monday morning, George stepped out of his office, waved to Jeremy and called him into his office. “Great job on the tank project,” he said.
    “Thank you, sir.” Jeremy settled into the red leather visitor’s chair that faced George’s mahogany desk, and a large picture window that made the most of an incredible view of downtown Boston. On a clear day, the city sparkled like shiny new coins.
    “What’s up with you these past few days?”
    “What do you mean, sir?”
    “You’ve been a lot more outspoken. A real take charge guy in the meetings.” George leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest. “You even told Stan he was wrong. Nobody stands up to Stan.”
    That was true. Half the office was afraid of the six-foot-two boorish and loud engineer. Jeremy braced himself to be fired for taking Stan to task, then decided to be honest. Might as well go out telling the truth. “I just decided I was tired of losing out on what mattered to me. Being Mr. Nice Guy hasn’t gotten me very far.”
    George wagged a finger in disagreement. “That Mr. Nice Guy is the one I brought in for the internship. But…” he popped forward in the chair, “this new one, that’s the Jeremy I’m hiring. Assuming you can manage to keep a little of Mr. Nice Guy in there with Mr. Killer Instincts.”
    Jeremy swallowed hard. “Did you say hiring?”
    George grinned, then reached forward and put out a hand. “Welcome to Griffin Engineering, Jeremy. Starting this week, you’re a paid employee of the firm.”
    Jeremy blinked. It took a good five seconds for the words to process in his brain, words he had worked for so long to hear. He shook with George, then sat back. “Thank you. I’m flattered and grateful and honestly, a little surprised.”
    “You shouldn’t be. You’re the smartest, hardest working intern I’ve had in this office in a long time. I’m looking forward to what you can bring to the team.”
    Jeremy thanked his boss again, then got to his feet, but the joy over the achievement had already dissipated. Why? This was what he wanted, wasn’t it? What he’d slaved towards, given up weekends, nights out.
    As he made his way to the door, he caught a glimpse of a photo on the bookshelf. Judging by the dark hair on George’s head, it was an older photo of him with his family, somewhere on a beach. George stood in the center, flanked by two little boys on one side, and his wife on the other. A half dozen other photos surrounded the first one, individual pictures of the kids, one of George on a fishing boat. No other happy family ones.
    That’s when it hit Jeremy. He didn’t care about the job offer because he couldn’t share the news with the one person who mattered. Rebecca was everything he’d ever wanted, and more, and without her, the achievement was hollow.
    He headed back to his desk. No pictures adorned the space, nothing but the tools of his job. Spreadsheets, goal lists, deadline notes, hung on the walls, sad décor accented by a computer, a stapler, a bunch of pens and pencils, and an assortment of paperclips.
    He’d concentrated on all these things, nose to the grindstone, and achieved his goal. He had the job. But without Rebecca, the job was