She Left Me Breathless Read Online Free PDF Page A

don’t know how. It’s only the biggest and best Christmas party ever,” Edna teased.
    “Aw, you’re too kind, Mrs. Claus,” Sydney teased back.
    “Yes I am. I’d love to stand here and chat but I have a house to get decorated and I need to check on Fred Rick,” Edna said, turning toward the kitchen.
    “Say hi to Mr. Claus for me,” Sydney laughed.
    Edna stopped and looked over her shoulder. “I sure will,” she said with a wink before disappearing behind the closed door.
    Sydney dodged several workers as she cut across the floor to grab the stack of mail from the coffee table. Tomorrow was the seventeenth, the day she chose for her annual Christmas party. With everything that had been going on, it had completely slipped her mind. A glance around the expansive family room made it clear that Edna and the rest of the staff had everything under control.
    Jedidiah Saunders walked into the family room. Sydney threw the mail down on the table and walked over to him. “All done, Mr. Saunders?” she asked.
    He took off his hat and gloves. “Why yes, ma’am I am,” he answered.
    “Please call me Sydney.”
    “Well then, call me Jed and I’m pleased to meet’cha,” he said, holding out his hand.
    “It’s nice to meet you, too, Jed. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you before,” Sydney said, taking the man’s large hand in hers. He gave it a rigorous shake before releasing it.
    “That petite little red-head hired me.” Jed scratched his head. “Ya know, I been decorating outside yer house fer the last five years and I never been invited in before.”
    Damn Meredith , Sydney thought. She was not in the least bit surprised that Meredith had not invited Jed in. One look at his bibbed overalls would have turned Meredith off instantly. Jedidiah Saunders would be deemed a peasant to Meredith and a peasant was way below her standards.
    She and Meredith had way too many conversations or better yet, arguments regarding the staff and the way Sydney interacted with them. Meredith thought the hired staff should be treated like lower class servants, not people with actual feelings. Sydney didn’t agree and the more Meredith protested, the more Sydney did just the opposite of what Meredith wanted. Sydney never regarded anyone on her payroll as servants. She believed that Edna was just as important and valuable as the Vice President of Marketing at Welsh who handled multimillion-dollar accounts and as such, Edna deserved to be treated with the same amount of respect, and sometimes more than her company execs.
    “Ya have a beautiful house, Sydney. My better half’s eyes would plum bug outta her head if she were here,” Jed said, interrupting Sydney’s thoughts.
    “Thank you, Jed. I kinda like it.”
    “Well, I best be goin’ now. Thanks fer lettin’ me warm up my fingers and toes. That was awful nice of ya.”
    Sydney walked Jed to the door. “Do you have any plans tomorrow night?”
    Jed turned to look at her. “Gerty, that’s my better half, she has some shoppin’ at the Krogers and that’s about it, I’m thinkin’. Is there somethin’ more you’d like me ta do?”
    Sydney grinned. Meredith would have a field day with the way Jed pronounced his words. His diction would drive her crazy. Sydney liked it. She thought the older man standing in front of her was quite charming. “No, Jed. I have nothing else that needs done. I was asking because I would like to invite you and your better half to my Christmas party tomorrow night. That is, if you don’t already have plans.”
    Jed’s eyes lit up. “Yer not pullin’ my leg?”
    Sydney smiled and shook her head. “Nope, I’m not pulling your leg. Party starts at seven and there will be plenty of food and drinks. All you need to bring is yourself and Gerty.”
    “Well, thank ya, Sydney. Gerty’ll just be beside herself when she sees yer beautiful home. I’ll see ya tomorrow then.”
    Sydney closed the door behind him and decided to go to the kitchen to