Here And Now

by Michelle Monkou

• ISBN13: 9780373860029
• ISBN10: 0373860021
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2007-01-01
• Publisher: Harlequin Kimani

Summary

Laura Masterson is determined not to let her handsome boss, Chase Dillard, distract her from attaining her personal best as a physical therapist. Especially because her new employer is the same world-class athlete who broke her heart back in the day. He p

Excerpts

Chase Westfield pulled out his personal data assistant and reviewed the list of reminders. Technically he didn't need the mental nudge. Every year, since high school, he remembered one particular birthday. First love, like a meteor, had the power to crash into the system with enough impact to throw every feeling, thought or memory off kilter. One woman had such a forceful effect on his system. He sighed heavily, fingering the thin red ribbon tied around the small gift box. The box fit neatly on his palm. But its meaning was larger than anything in his office. His birthday gift served dual purposes, one more important than the other, that included being considered a peace offering. "Mr. Westfield, the staff meeting is about to begin," his secretary prompted. "Thanks, Sandy." She didn't move until he looked up from the gift box and set it aside. Chase still had to get used to the various meetings that consumed his entire day. Every appointment appeared to come with a special announcement tag or a bold heading marked as important or urgent. All these command performances grated on his nerves. He was a man used to listening to his own internal directives. Now, a typical day was spent in meetings with the department, the track team and assistant coaches. If he could manage, he escaped to the track field armed with a stop watch. While his peers headed for home around five o'clock, he ended his day with more coaching and the occasional one-on-one mentoring sessions. With no background in coaching, he had to rely on his college coach's tricks and tips to nudge the best from his team. By year-end, heck by month-end, these young men had to understand that talent alone didn't breed success. Razor sharp focus, coupled with one hundred and ten percent commitment, had to become their mantra. After all, he should know. The emotional high from winning a medal didn't do anything for those days when consistently crossing the finish line in second or third place threatened rankings in the sport. He opened his desk drawer to return the small box. His hand paused over the gift. Finding a way to present this token, especially on her first day of work, might prove to be difficult. Well, presenting it was one thing, having it accepted could be near impossible since he'd broken almost every promise that he'd made. He frowned, now wrapped up in his worry. Shaking off the doubts that tested his conscience, he headed for the conference room. His tardiness already earned him a reputation that made him the butt of many jokes. He'd better hurry. Meanwhile, the clock in the hallway gave him three minutes before the meeting started. As he approached the coffee machine, the steaming pot begged for his attention. "What the heck," he muttered, heading toward the scent of freshly brewed, addictive coffee. Training as a sprinter didn't afford him the luxury to deviate from a strict diet. To his credit, he carried a super lean physique with a metabolism likened to the Japanese bullet train. Now as head coach, retired from his first profession at the age of twenty-six with a blown Achilles tendon on one heel and a torn ACL in the other knee, he enjoyed breaking the rules that were once his personal code. Some people who suffered self-medicated with booze. He chose to drown his sorrows in vast quantities of coffee. He sipped the dark liquid, savoring the robust flavor. Now his day could begin. With a ready smile, he pushed open the conference room door. A quick survey showed most, if not all, of the staff in attendance. The clock on the conference room wall now declared him five minutes late. Darn! "Ah, Chase has joined us. Okay, let's begin." Chase peered at Roger Freeman, his boss, trying to read if sarcasm was in play. Freeman's wide grin set his mind at ease. However, muffled laugher and teasing about his tardiness from the rear of the room followed him to his seat. Freeman held up his han