Enjoy the first chapter of His Perfect Choice, featuring Andre Meyers and Jessica Smith.
Jessica Smith wasn’t a quitter. Okay, so maybe she’d quit a few things. Like her position as Women’s Ministries Director at Hope Church two years ago. And going to church. She’d had an excellent reason.
She would not quit this run. The weird tingling in her toes wouldn’t stop her. Jessica pushed herself to go faster until her body responded.
Yes! This was so much better. She couldn’t believe the flu had taken her down. Pathetic. Resuming her daily two-mile run was the first step toward normalcy. She inhaled a lungful of the fresh morning air and glanced at her watch. Right on schedule.
She slowed at the bluff overlooking the pier, allowing herself a moment to appreciate the familiar scenery. The sun had just peaked over the horizon and streaks of gold and orange transformed the sky into a painting.
The ocean shimmered in the distance, beckoning. When was the last time she’d spent a day at the beach? Five years? Six? It was somewhat shameful she lived on an island and hadn’t visited the beach in so long.
She shook off the thoughts and resumed her jog, shaking her left leg. The tingling had crept further up her foot. Maybe she should have gone into the office instead of exercising. Except, she needed the activity since she spent many late nights at the office. Her leg buckled beneath her and all Jessica could do was use her hands to break her fall.
“Ouch!”
Small pebbles pressed into her elbows and palms. Those were going to leave a mark on her light skin. Ugh. God was out to get her. She rolled onto her back and huffed out a breath.
“Are You happy now?” Jess directed her aggravation at the sky. She wasn’t happy with God at the moment. All He ever did was take from her.
She closed her eyes. It couldn’t get worse than this.
“Is this part of your routine, or did you need help?”
She recognized that voice. Maybe if she didn’t answer, he’d think she was sleeping or something and go away. Jess groaned as a shadow covered her face. Fine. She opened her eyes to glower up at the man who loomed over her.
Andre Meyers. Communications Director at Hope Church and someone who’d witnessed her utter humiliation over Pastor Dan.
He extended a hand. She scowled at it. She didn’t need his help.
“Come on.” He wriggled his fingers.
With her current luck, she’d try to stand on her own and flop back onto her back, which would be much more embarrassing than the current situation.
“Fine.”
She grasped his outstretched hand and allowed him to leverage her to her feet. From this vantage point, he wasn’t nearly as intimidating, since she only had to tilt her head slightly to meet his eyes.
“Thanks.” She dropped his hand and stepped back.
He tucked his hands into the pockets of his sweatpants. “It’s been a long time.”
Yes, and no. Because two years hadn’t been long enough for her to forget how she’d made a fool of herself trying to get the attention of a man who wanted nothing to do with her. All the same, she and Andre used to see each other at least once a week, sometimes more, so she understood what he meant.
“I guess.” She wrapped her arms around her waist. “How have you been, Andre?”
She allowed herself a moment to scan him from head to toe before shifting her gaze to the path behind him. He looked good. His muscular body was chiseled from more than just running. He’d pulled his dreads into a neat man-bun. How much time did he spend on his grooming to always look so put together?
“I’ve been good. Thanks for asking.”
He grinned. Had he guessed how much she’d rather be anywhere else? Probably. There had been a time when she’d almost considered him a friend.
“We could use you back on the team. Brianna has made even more improvements since she and Daniel got married.”
And that was her cue to leave. She would not waste a second talking about Brianna.
“It was nice seeing you, Andre, but I’m going to be late for work.” Jessica took off as if her country was counting on her to win the Olympics. She didn’t stop running until she slammed her front door behind her, chest heaving. Delete Created with Sketch.
Jessica had taken the fastest shower of her life and made it into the office with thirty seconds to spare. Now she sat listening to her boss, Edward Jackson, outline the objectives for the week.
Jessica’s fingers moved furiously across her tablet to capture the main points. The more she found out about the new clients, the better the ideas she’d come up with about how to position them in the market.
She clenched and unclenched her right fist, then her left to relieve the tingling sensation in her fingers. What was going on with her today?
“Ms. Smith?”
Jessica looked up. Everyone was staring at her.
“I’m sorry. What did you say?”
Edward nodded to her hands. “Everything okay?”
She flushed. “Just a little tingle. I’m fine.”
“Good.” Edward squinted his eyes at her. “Because you’ve already missed five days this month, wouldn’t want it to become a habit.”
She kept her expression blank, though she balked inwardly at the words. Five days in how many years?
“Yes, sir.”
Jessica ignored the snickers of her coworkers. RightNow Advertising Agency thrived on competition. It was not unheard of for associates to steal accounts from each other when someone missed a day of work. She’d been replaced on every project she’d been working on before her illness and had to start fresh with new clients.
If she hadn’t been sick, she wouldn’t be playing catch up now. She remained hyper-focused for the rest of the meeting. Since her goal was to become an Associate Creative Director in the next five years, she couldn’t afford to show any more weaknesses.
An hour before the end of the workday, Iyeshia Dunn stopped by her desk. The younger woman had started as a junior copywriter the same day Jessica had. Yet, no matter how hard Jessica worked, Iyeshia got the better accounts. Rumor had it Iyeshia was a relative of Edward’s wife. The nepotism glared, but Jess was determined to rise above it.
“Do you have a minute?”
“Of course.” Jessica flashed her most professional smile.
“Edward wants to see us in his office.”
“Okay.” Jess pushed back from her desk and froze.
The tingling was back. This time it started in her fingers and toes and crawled up her limbs.
“This is not happening. Everything is fine.” She spoke through gritted teeth, willing her body to obey her mind.
“Are you okay?”
Iyeshia seemed genuinely concerned, but Jessica wouldn’t fall for it. Iyeshia was the enemy.
“Hmm. Fine.”
Iyeshia raised her eyebrows, but she didn’t argue.
“Good, because Edward was expecting us five minutes ago.”
“Sure.”
Jessica stood, discreetly shaking her limbs before grabbing her tablet. She trailed Iyeshia into Edward’s office, closing the door behind her.
“Have a seat, ladies.” Edward’s eyes remained fixed on the screen before him.
Jessica took one step toward her usual chair, but something was wrong. Her limbs were no longer tingling. They were completely numb. She collapsed on the floor, and the tablet flew out of her hand. Iyeshia gasped.
“Jessica.” Edward’s feet came to stand close to her head. “Are you okay?”
No, she wasn’t. Something was very wrong.
“Call an ambulance.” Panic filled her. “I can’t feel my limbs. Hard to breathe.”
His Perfect Choice (Orange Valley Book 6)
Table of Contents
He’s loved her from a distance, but she’s too blind to see it. Can he prove that he’s the man of her dreams?
Jessica Smith has always prided herself on being in control. But when her vision of being the perfect pastor’s wife falls apart, she’s forced to confront her vulnerability. As she battles weakness and fatigue, she attributes it to a stubborn cold until a diagnosis of Guillain-Barré Syndrome shakes her world. Determined to overcome the illness, she’s thrown into a challenging journey with her physical therapist, Andre Meyers.
Andre has been in love with Jessica for years, but watched her chase after someone who didn’t know she existed. When he’s assigned as her therapist, Andre sees this as a chance to show her how much she means to him. As they work together, they must confront their past and discover that God can use brokenness to create a beautiful ending.
Will they take a chance on each other and find their happily ever after? Find out in this heartwarming tale of hope, faith, and second chances.
