Snow Place Like Home

Chapter Thirty

Shonna

Shonna and Jason had been doing long-distance for months. Flying back and forth to see each other when they could, and video chatting and having phone sex nearly every night.

Things had gotten busy at the inn due to it being springtime and wedding season around the corner, so it had been a few weeks since they had seen each other. He was supposed to call her last night but never did, and she hadn't heard from him all day. She missed him and wanted to hear his voice, but she knew he was busy and expected him to call when he could.

They had kept the house for themselves to use for privacy when she visited him in Blackstone and had spent several steamy nights there since the holidays.

A few months ago, she officially turned down Mr. Longfellow's offer. When she met with Mr. Longfellow the week after Christmas, he explained how Boris wasn't working out. He had shown up drunk to a settlement conference and sabotaged the case of an important client. As a result, the firm was facing a malpractice suit, and Mr. Greene was more amendable to the idea of Shonna as a partner. Their jaws hit the floor when she told them she would rather wake a sleeping bear before she'd ever work for them again. She was no one's second choice.

This weekend was Shonna's birthday, and to get her mind off Jason, Jackie had arranged a party at Shonna's house. Everyone was there, including both her parents. It was a miracle that they weren't fighting.

Her father was sitting next to her on the couch. Through the years, he had been her sounding board when she was feeling lost or discouraged.

"You know, you could always come work for Harrison, Cole, Graham, and Associates," he said.

Shonna's dad, Frank Jackson, had started working for his father-in-law's firm shortly after he married Shonna's mother. Even after they divorced, he continued to work there because he and her grandfather had been close, and their relationship remained strong as ever until the day he passed.

Shonna considered his offer. No matter how old she got, he still thought of her as daddy's little girl and felt it was his job to fix her problems. She loved him for it.

"I'll think about it," she said.

"You know, there is a lot of flexibility that comes with working for family."

"What do you mean?"

"Vacation time. Personal time. You could work remotely. Most of the work can be done from anywhere on the computer and through conference calls. And let another associate do court appearances."

"What are you saying, Daddy?"

"I'm saying I know things are getting serious with Jason. I've never seen you this happy. So, if you want the opportunity to visit him more, that can be arranged if you come to work at your granddad's firm."

It was a tempting offer. One she couldn't easily pass up. She had been trying to avoid working at her family's law firm because she wanted to make her own way. But if this journey YoYo encouraged her to take had taught her anything, it was that family was the most important thing. Rather than avoiding it, she should embrace it. She could have the flexibility she needed to live the life she wanted and follow in her grandfather's footsteps. She could take extended trips to Alaska and work from the cabin in between romps of passion.

"Yes," she agreed. "I accept."

"Great," he said. "I'll see you tomorrow morning for the interview."

"What?"

He laughed boisterously, and she joined him.

"Daddy, you are too much."

Shonna couldn't wait to tell Jason about her job offer. She knew he would be excited for her, excited for them, because it allowed them to maintain their careers, hold tight to the hometowns they loved, and still be together.