Page 1 of Chasing the Sun

Chapter 1

Nanny Wanted: Full-time, live-in nanny wanted to care for a five-year-old girl. Non-smoker, CPR certified. Previous experience preferred. Must have references. Naples, Florida.

Chloe reread the ad that her best friend, Elle, had sent her. “I can’t just up and move to Florida, Elle.”

“The position is only temporary, from June through August.”

“Florida in the summertime? That’s even worse!”

“Do you have any better options?”

“Well…”

“That’s what I thought. You can think of it as a summer vacation.”

“First, you’re assuming I’ll get the job, and second, it wouldn’t be a vacation if I’m working.”

Chloe had lost her job at the dance studio a few weeks ago, and she’d been devastated. She’d been job hunting ever since, but dance instructors weren’t exactly in high demand. She’d been thinking she might have to resort to waitressing to get by, but then Elle had presented another option.

“Just because he cleans your teeth, it doesn’t mean he’ll hire me,” she added.

Elle laughed. “He doesn’t just clean our teeth. Bryce and Jamie are on a golf league together, and they’ve become really close friends.”

“Who does that?”

“Does what?”

“Becomes friends with their dentist?”

“Were you always this cynical?”

“Only since I lost my job.”

“No. It must have been before that, but I didn’t notice.”

“That’s because you were too busy falling in love with Jamie and then you left me to move to Florida.”

“Way to make me feel guilty.”

“Sorry. I miss you, that’s all.”

“All the more reason for you to come down here. We can hang out again. It’ll be just like old times.”

At the risk of sounding cynical again, Chloe fought the urge to say, “I doubt it.”

When Elle had first met Jamie, Chloe had been seeing Derek, and the four of them had double dated. After she’d given Derek the boot, she’d become the dreaded third wheel, and she didn’t want that to happen again.

“Chloe? Will you at least consider it?”

She sighed. “I suppose.” Because what better options do I have?

“Awesome! Tonight’s their golf league, so I’ll tell Jamie to pass the word to Bryce.”

“You call your dentist by his first name?”

Elle giggled. “You’ve got to get past this. Yes, he’s a dentist, but he’s only a man, Chloe.”

“Only a man, huh?”