Mrs. Perfect

Deep grooves form on either side of his mouth. “I’ve been offered a job.”

“Fantastic!”

“But it’s not in Bellevue.”

My expression falls. For a moment I can’t speak, too bitterly disappointed. “I thought you wanted to be back in Bellevue.”

“I do.” He hesitates. “But this is a pretty exciting position, and the salary is amazing. There’d be a huge signing bonus, too.”

“That’s good.”

“Very good.”

“So where is the job?”

He takes a deep breath. “Sydney.”

“Sydney?”

“I’d head Hal-Perrin Technology’s Australia office.”

My mouth dries up. I can’t even imagine moving halfway across the world. Leave the United States to live overseas? Raise our kids in a foreign country? “Wow.”

“I know. Pretty huge.”

“How huge?”

“The salary and bonus package would double what I was earning at McKee.”

“That’s some serious money.”

“I know. My thoughts are going a mile a minute.”

But as I look at him, he doesn’t look troubled, he looks thrilled, like a kid who got his first bike for Christmas. Nathan’s excited. He’s got that light in his eyes, the confident, sexy glint that has always made me believe in him. “What did you tell them?”

“I told them I needed to visit the Sydney office, meet with the different executives

and staff there before I could give them an answer.”

“That’s smart.”

He covers my hand with both of his. “I also told them I needed you to come with me. I couldn’t take a job if you weren’t comfortable—”

“Nathan—”

“I mean it, Taylor. I won’t ever take another job without talking about it with you first. You mean too much to me. You’re not just my wife, you’re my best friend, and I need you on my side.”

“I am on your side.”

He reaches across the table to brush a tendril of hair back from my face. “Do you feel like making a trip to Sydney with me? They’re flying us first-class. Will put us up for a week at a five-star hotel right next to the Harbor Bridge.”

My heart’s thumping, and it has less to do with the first-class tickets than Nathan’s happiness. I love this man. “Yes.”

“We’ll look at neighborhoods, check out schools, meet some of the Hal-Perrin executives, their wives and families. Most are Australian, although they’ve got a couple of engineers from India and some marketing people from London and Auckland. But there’s no pressure, Taylor, none at all. If this isn’t the right job, another one will come along.”

“I promise to go with an open mind.”

He leans across the table, kisses me. “I love your mind. And your courage.” He kisses me again. “And your creativity.” He gives me one last kiss, a slow, lingering kiss. “Not to mention your very sexy body.”

I grin at him. He’s given my body some very nice attention this trip.

Not that I wouldn’t like some more.

“Do you think anyone will notice if we sneak out? Head up to our room?” he asks huskily.

I look up, glance around, catch Marta’s eye. She and Luke have just returned from more photos, and Marta’s smiling at me.

“No,” I answer, gathering my small silver clutch. “Let’s sneak out while we can.”

About the Author

I love being a mom. I’ve wanted to be a mom since I was a little girl. But that doesn’t mean I always do it right. Sometimes I feel as if I’ve inadvertently enrolled my boys in the Jane Porter School of Big Mistakes and Lots of Trial and Error. Fortunately, they’re still alive and, even better, thriving.

When Odd Mom Out was first published in September 2007 a lot of folks, including my Bellevue neighbors, assumed Marta was me. The truth is, I am as much Taylor as I am Marta. Like all women, I’m fierce and fragile, hopeful and fearful, sunlight and shadow.

I loved writing Odd Mom Out and Mrs. Perfect because I was able to get inside the heads of what appear to be very different women, and yet once I started scratching at the surface, I discovered that Marta and Taylor weren’t so different. Like all moms, they’re both passionate about their children, their purpose, and the future.

These last four years writing my novels for 5 Spot have been among the happiest of my life. I am very blessed with wonderful children, fulfilling work, and people I love who love me and support me in return. As I’ve learned, life isn’t about waiting for good things to happen but making good things happen.

Seize life. Love fully. Live joyfully.

For more on Mrs. Perfect and my 5 Spot novels, visit me at www.janeporter.com.

5 WAYS TO KNOW YOU’RE MRS. PERFECT

1 You volunteer for everything because no one else volunteers.

2 You hate relinquishing control because you can do the job better than anyone else.

3 You wouldn’t dream of showing up late for Back-to-School Night.

4 You know when your kids’ reports are due, even if they don’t.

5 Your Christmas cards are already addressed and stamped by December 1.

Jane Porter, Mrs. Perfect