Perfect for Her

By Kathleen Gallagher

Energetic and motivated Angela Carnes landed her dream job in NYC as an editor for a news show, and she loves it. Her career is going much better than her love life. After a breakup with Mr. Wrong, she’s determined to leave the past behind.

Eric is determined to have it all. He graduated from medical school at the top of his class, renovated his own home, and landed a spot in an established family practice. Now it’s time to get back into the dating world, if the woman he wants sticks around when she learns about his situation at home.

Angela and Eric discover the spark between them during the wedding preparations. Their attraction is hard to deny. Angela finds herself lost in Eric’s passionate embrace. But after the reception, everything changes. Love blossom and then...wilts. Will she be able to step aside while Eric honors his family obligations, or will the lonely nights and broken promises force Angela to leave behind the man she knows is perfect for her?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Decadent Publishing
• Release date: Jan 30, 2019
• ISBN: 9781683613145

Kathleen Gallagher

Kathleen Gallagher is a business reporter at the Milwaukee Jour­nal Sentinel, where she has worked since 1993. She was a member of the Journal Sentinel team that won the Pulitzer Prize for explanatory reporting on the Nic Volker story in 2011. She was also part of a team that won the 2006 Inland Press Association award for explanatory report­ing. She lives with her husband and two children in Wauwatosa, WI.

Book preview

Chapter One

Three weeks after the wedding…

Why hadn’t he called?

They’d gotten to know each other, and she couldn’t wait to see where it led.

Their time together was perfect. He was perfect for her. How could she have been so gullible?

Oh no, not again.

A feeling of doom gripped her gut. I can’t afford to lose my job!

The sun peeked through the sheer curtains in Angela Carnes’ bedroom. She lifted the covers over her face. It was almost seven in the morning. She couldn’t afford to be late today. She’d overslept last week, and her boss, Mr. Carlisle, had warned her about tardiness. An editor on a top-rated news show had a responsibility to the viewers, but lately she’d had a hard time falling asleep. New York City was a great place to work, but if she didn’t get up at six, she’d run the risk of missing her train. The recent lecture from her boss was a wakeup call for sure. In a flash, she hopped out of bed and jumped in the shower.

Since the wedding of the year of her co-worker and best friend, Savannah, she’d had time to reflect on her own life and relationships. It was great to have your friend as a neighbor, but she’d be moving into her husband’s house when they returned. The Breezes condos in Red bank, NJ, was the ideal location to enjoy the Jersey Shore and have an easy commute to New York City. Its white shingled design and quaint balconies fit the seashore style that she loved. The high ceilings, arched windows, a shabby chic vintage tiled fireplace, and dark hardwood floors were more than Angela had wished for.

Since Savannah was off on an extended honeymoon in Europe, she’d agreed to water her plants and take in the mail. It had to be nice to travel the world with a man who adored you. Despite her loneliness, Angela was happy for her friend. She deserved a good life. If only she had a little of the same. Unfortunately, available men weren’t lining up at her doorstep.

Angela finished showering, ran into her bedroom, and tore apart her closet. In minutes, her room looked like a store on a bargain-sale day. Clothes, pantyhose, and belts covered the top of her bed. She gathered the mess into a pile, tossed the assorted items onto the floor, and pulled the multicolored satin spread up to cover the wrinkled sheets.

A framed photo of her grandmother with herself and her sister fell to the floor when she hit it with her coverlet, and the glass shattered. Angela huffed and stamped her foot. She’d rather not keep the memento at her bedside, but her mother had given it to her as a gift. She’d helped her decorate and had placed it on the nightstand in her room. The framed photo brought back so many regrets, and she’d put it all behind her…or she’d hoped she had. Family devotion was important to her mother. Angela went along to make her happy. There wasn’t time this morning to make her room look like something out of Home and Garden.

She’d clean up after work, but she managed to pick up the photo, gather the glass, and set it on the nightstand.

A chill ran through her body when she snuck a glance at it. I don’t have time for this today. She exhaled and got moving. Lucky for her, she’d picked up a simple black dress and a red jacket at the drycleaners the night before. Angela ran around in a frenzy, and, in a flash, she’d put together an outfit. When she finished getting dressed, she rushed out to catch the train to the city, still fumbling with the button on her blazer. Maybe if she hadn’t stayed up late watching romantic comedies on cable television, she’d be less frazzled in the morning. Since Angela and her fiancé, James, had decided to go their separate ways before her friend’s wedding, she’d spent her nights glued to the television. You can’t marry a man who’d rather spend time with his buddies than with you. It wasn’t as if they were still in college. It was time to grow up.

Sure, they had things in common, but James didn’t put enough effort into their relationship. It wasn’t easy to let him down, but she bid him farewell after he booked a weekend fishing trip on their one-year anniversary.

They had drifted apart anyway. It just didn’t click between them. Something was missing. He must have known it’d be the end after his major blunder. For now, work was her focus. It would be nice to have someone to go on a moonlight stroll in Times Square with, but at the moment it wasn’t in the cards for her.

In less than thirty minutes, she boarded the train and was on her way to the studio.

Angela arrived at Penn Station in New York City then made her way through the crowd and outside to get in line for a cab. The hustle and bustle on busy streets of the city helped her come to life each morning.

Although the blazing hot sun practically melted her mascara. It was a scorcher already and humid enough to frizz even the silkiest hair. She squinted as beads of perspiration trickled down her neck. I see where this day is going, she whispered. Horns beeped, and people loaded their bags in the back of the cabs as she nervously glanced at her watch, her heart racing. She wasn’t going to let her loneliness and difficulty with sleep jeopardize her job and everything she’d worked so hard for. She’d try yoga or meditation before bed. As Angela slowly inched her way up in the line, the muscles in her upper back tightened. It was an added stressor to rush to work the last minute. The nightly movie marathon after nine had to stop.

Today’s schedule involved going over an interview with one of the hottest leading men of the big screen. They had taped the spot to premier on Saturday night. It’d be fun, since she loved editing celebrity spots. She’d have a chance to use her creativity with this segment. It was sheer luck and an added push from her best friend to land a job at The News Spot with little experience under her belt. She’d interned at a network station during her last year at school. She’d heard through the grapevine that a seasoned editor from California had applied for the job. Her world changed, and her dreams became a reality when she was chosen for the position. She had always wanted to work in the city, with its massive buildings, historic landmarks, museums, theaters, the Rockefeller Center, tons of top-rated restaurants, and of course, Times Square. New York City was the place where dreams were made. She’d taken so many cell phone pictures in front of the billboards of Rock of Ages, you’d think she was some sort of a groupie.

Once she finally made it to her office, Angela sat at her desk, plopped her bag down on top, and gave a relieved sigh. The adrenaline rush from her frantic morning had dwindled. Caffeine was a must to help her start the day, and today she was in the mood for a flavored coffee. Her weakness was sweets. Whether it was cookies, cake, or ice cream, she loved them all. She’d made it a point to limit herself to keep her weight down. She’d lost twenty pounds on one of those diet plans with personalized calorie restrictions. To keep it off was the hard part. After she checked her emails, she took a minute to run downstairs to the coffee shop. An apple-cinnamon muffin in the display case caught her eye. Small indulgences wouldn’t hurt. She’d be good later in the day. A vanilla-nut coffee and a sweet treat was just what she needed on Friday morning. She grabbed her coffee and bag with the muffin. I deserve a treat, I’ve been walking every evening. Besides sweet indulgences now and then, her job was her passion. She took a few sips of coffee, and headed to the door. In the back of the line, she spotted a man who looked familiar. She squinted and craned her neck to get a better look. When he turned to face the front, her jaw dropped, and she froze in place.

Eric!

Her mouth became as dry as a desert. She swallowed hard. The wedding! I thought I’d never see him again. Her heart skipped a beat. Her head felt like it didn’t belong to her body. Everything was a blur.

She opened her eyes wide, still experiencing tunnel vision. It took a few moments to force herself to focus and gather her thoughts.

Eric was a friend and fellow doctor of Savannah’s husband, Dr. Rob Sinclair. Since he was Rob’s best man, they’d spent time together in preparation for the big day. After they’d enjoyed each other’s company at the rehearsal dinner, danced at a get-together the evening prior, and had their first kiss when he walked her to her car afterward, she’d realized he’d captured her heart. All of the feelings of romance surrounding the wedding had pushed her over the top. Love was in the air. At the reception, the bride had insisted they were a match made in heaven when they’d spent half the evening wrapped in each other’s arms on the dance floor. Even though their time together was spent preparing for a friend’s special day, you’d have thought they were the bride and groom. Angela had looked forward to getting to really know what made Dr. Eric Bradley tick. He’d asked for her number after their good-night kiss, but Angela had thought he was only being polite. She never expected him to call. It wasn’t unusual for a maid of honor and a best man to flirt, especially after a few glasses of wine, and for that flirting to lead to an unrealistic request.

Angela held her head up and placed her hand over her rumbling stomach. I can do this. Eric was a polite and professional man. His charm and grace were undeniable. He’d pulled out her chair every time they’d returned from the dance floor, been a perfect gentleman during their slow dances, and the chemistry was undeniable when he’d kissed her. Eric listened closely when she spoke and never interrupted.