Family Man

"I have a rÉsumÉ for the freelance position that you might find interesting. The writer seems to have a lot of expertise in family issues, just like you wanted."Amy Hamilton spared her sister a quick, distracted look, then went back to reviewing the layouts for the next edition ofNashville Livingmagazine. "I don't need to see it. You're the features editor. Just weed through the applicants and find some good people for us to interview."Heather tucked a soft wave of long brown hair behind her ear, took a deep breath and stood her ground. "I think you should look at this one."Stifling a sigh, Amy prayed for patience--a virtue she sometimes found in short supply. Always driven, always a high achiever, she hated to waste time. As managing editor of Hamilton Media's popular lifestyle magazine, she didn't need to be involved in the nitty-gritty of sorting through applications. She trusted Heather to select the best candidates. Maybe more than Heather did, Amy reminded herself. In recent years Amy had come to realize how difficult it had been for Heather to live in the shadow of her successful and popular oldest sister, with the inevitable comparisons--and insecurity--that brought. So more and more she tried to factor that into their relationship, taking extra time to let Heather know that she was appreciated and respected."Okay. What have you got?" Amy pushed the layouts aside and gave her sister her full attention.The rigid line of Heather's shoulders eased, and she entered the office, handing Amy the rÉsumÉ as she spoke. "It came from a recruiter. I have a feeling the candidate may not even know it was forwarded to us."Planning to give the rÉsumÉ only a quick perusal before passing it back to Heather, Amy focused on the section delineating the applicant's experience. Impressive, she noted, as she scanned the credentials. An eight-year stint at a daily paper, most recently doing feature work--much of it family related."Sounds promising." Amy held out the rÉsumÉ to Heather. "I assume you're going to call her for an interview?""It's a him."A flicker of surprise darted across Amy's face. She'd just assumed any writer interested in family topics would be a woman. But that was reverse chauvinism, she chided herself. There was no reason a man with the right qualifications couldn't do this job. She, of all people, should be sensitive to gender stereotypes, considering her ongoing rivalry with her two older brothers, who held the choicest positions in the family business. Still, the magazine job suited her and she harbored no resentment about the distribution of duties. Besides, considering the mess things were in right now at Hamilton Media, she was glad she was out of the line of fire."Okay. Him," Amy corrected herself.Instead of taking the proffered document, Heather gave her an odd look. "Check out the name."Something in her sister's expression and tone put Amy on alert. Curious, she pulled her arm back and scanned the personal data at the top. It took her only a second to find the name.Bryan Healey.The man who had broken her heart.Several seconds ticked by as Amy stared at the name. As she thought about the earnest, auburn-haired high-school senior who had professed his undying love, and asked her a few months later to be his wife. But much as she'd cared for Bryan, the timing hadn't been right. She'd had too many things she wanted to do before tying herself down with the obligations of marriage and a family. So she'd asked for time--and space--suggesting that they both date other people before making a permanent commitment. Though he'd agreed in the end--with reluctance--they'd begun to drift apart. And after the time he'd shown up unannounced a few months later on her campus, she hadn't heard from him again. Memories of that unexpected visit never failed to bring an embarrassed flush to her cheeks. Still, she'd loved Bryan andHannon, Irene is the author of 'Family Man ', published 2006 under ISBN 9780373873920 and ISBN 0373873921.