Page 1 of Chasing the Dream

Chapter 1

Scottsdale, Arizona, an oasis in the middle of the desert. Palm trees, cacti, and brilliant flowers emerged from an unforgiving landscape that was uniquely beautiful and vastly different than where she’d hailed from. It was only March, but Morgan already felt the “dry heat” that everybody talked about. This was to be her home for the next three months.

“Here we are,” Maria said as she pulled into the parking lot of a two-story office building.

“Do I look okay?”

“You look great. Are you nervous?”

Morgan held up her hand to show that it was shaking.

“That might be from all the coffee you drank this morning.”

Morgan rolled her eyes.

“Don’t be nervous. It’s just my brother you’re working for. I’ll pick you up at five fifteen. Have fun!”

Morgan stepped out of the car and stood there as her friend drove off. Don’t be nervous, ha! That was easy for Maria to say. She wasn’t the one who’d moved across the country to start a new job. Having Maria’s brother as a boss didn’t make Morgan feel any better. If Maria knew how Morgan really felt about Gabe, she’d probably unfriend her.

Since she couldn’t stand there forever, she took a deep breath, smoothed her hands over her blouse, and strode into the building.

“May I help you?” asked an attractive woman at the front desk.

“Yes. My name is Morgan Delaney, and I’m a new employee.”

“Welcome. You can take the elevator to the second floor. Turn right, and Gabe’s office is the big one at the end of the hall.”

“Thank you.”

“Good luck!” the woman called as Morgan walked away.

Grateful that nobody was on the elevator, Morgan glanced at her reflection in the mirrored wall and wondered what Gabe would think when he saw her. The last time they’d seen each other was nine years ago, and a lot had changed since then. She was still his kid sister’s best friend, but she was a woman now, not the squirrely teenager she’d been when he’d moved away. She might look different, but she still got that twinge deep inside whenever she thought of him or heard his name, and now she was going to work for him. She took another deep breath before the elevator doors opened and deposited her on the second floor. His floor.

She followed the receptionist’s directions and went down the hall, glancing from side to side at the cubicles along the way. They were the kind with the half walls, where you could see heads peeking above the desks, and several of those heads turned her way as she passed. She was met with a few smiles, one scowl, and an appreciative once-over by a good-looking guy with a thick beard.

Soon she was standing outside his door, relieved to have escaped the stares and trepidatious about seeing him. She studied the nameplate on his door and noted how formal it looked. Gabriel Matthews was printed in bold block letters, but she knew him as Gabe.

She tapped lightly on the door, and when there was no answer, she knocked again with more vigor.

Suddenly the door flung open, and there he stood, Gabe Matthews, her best friend’s brother, her secret crush, and her new boss.

“Hello, Morgan. Good to see you. Come on in and have a seat.”

She scooted past him, noting the clean, fresh scent of his cologne before sitting in the chair across from his desk. He shut the door behind her with an ominous click.

Relax. You’ve known him since you were a pimply teenager, and your pimples are gone now.

“Wow! It’s been a long time,” he said as he eased himself into his black leather chair.

“Nine years,” she said with a tentative smile. Dammit! Now he’ll think I’ve been keeping track.

“That long, huh?”

“Time flies.”

“You look good.”

“Thanks. So do you.” Did he just say that to be polite, or does he really mean it?