The Manning Grooms

  “Good night,” she said brightly as she walked out of the elevator.

  “Good night, Summer,” James said softly.

  She hesitated, hoping he’d ask her at the last minute, but he didn’t. Discouraged, Summer trudged to her room, unlocked the door and went in. She sat on the edge of her bed, trying to sort out her muddled thoughts.

  When Summer had requested a week’s vacation, she hadn’t planned to spend every available second with James. She knew he’d taken the same length of time, and he’d probably been thinking the same thing.

  She slipped off her shoes and wiggled her toes in the thick carpet. If it wasn’t so late, she’d call Julie and tell her friend she was right. One evening with James, and she saw him in a completely different light. The moment she’d seen him in the gazebo that evening, she dismissed the father-figure image she’d had in her mind all these months. More than anything, that kiss convinced her James was more than a friend. What became of their relationship would depend on several factors, the most important of which was James himself.

  The phone on the nightstand rang, and Summer groped for it. “Hello?”

  “Summer, I’m sorry to bother you.”

  Her heart gave a sigh of relief. “Hello, James.”

  “I’ve got a rental car,” he said. “I know it might not be something you’d consider fun, but I thought I’d drive over to Hoover Dam in the morning. Would you care to join me?”

  “Why wouldn’t I consider that fun?” she asked.

  “I’m sure there are friends here your own age you’d prefer to spend time with and—”

  “Friends? I thought you were my friend.”

  “Yes, but I was thinking of friends closer to your own age.”

  His answer irritated her. “I’m not exactly sure what you’re insinuating, but if it is what I think it is, you’re wrong, James.”

  “Listen, Summer, all I want to know is if you’d like to join me in the morning.”

  That might have been his original question, but she wasn’t finished with what she had to say. “I took a week’s vacation, and I know you have several days. I don’t expect you to entertain me, if that’s what you’re worried about, because I can find plenty to do on my own.”

  “I see.”

  “And yes, there are any number of people my age in Vegas. There would be in any city. If you want my company, fine, but if you’d rather not see me again, I can accept that, too.” Not easily, but she’d do it and have a perfectly good week without him.

  He was strangely silent.

  “James? Are you still there?”

  “Yes. Are you always this direct?”

  “No, but I didn’t want there to be any misunderstanding between us. I value your friendship, and I don’t want it ruined because of something silly.”

  “Nor do I.” A short pause followed. “Forgive me for being dense, but I’m not sure I understood your answer. Are you going to Hoover Dam with me or not?”

  Summer had waited all evening for this kind of invitation, and now the words were almost anticlimactic. “Would you like me to come?”

  “Attorneys do this all the time, you know,” he said with a chuckle.

  “Do what?”

  “Answer a question with one of their own. Yes, Summer, I’d very much enjoy your company.”

  “Great. When do you want to leave in the morning?”

  James told her, and they set a time to meet in the lobby. Summer replaced the receiver and lay back on the bed. She smiled to herself, eager for morning.

  James hadn’t thought of himself as all that old, since at thirty-seven he was the youngest superior court judge in Washington State. Being with Summer, however, made him feel downright ancient.

  She was perfectly named. Being with her was like walking along Green Lake in the middle of August, when the air carried the scent of blooming flowers and sunshine warmed the afternoon. She shone with a summery brightness that made him feel content. More than content. Happy.

  James couldn’t remember any time he’d smiled more than during their dinner together. She’d told him about playing her role at Disneyland. Her joy and enthusiasm for her job bubbled over like champagne. He could have listened to her all night.

  She certainly hadn’t done all the talking, however, and to his surprise he’d found himself telling her about the ins and outs of his own position with the court and the upcoming election, which was vital to his career.

  His life was very different from hers. While Summer worked in the delightful world of fantasy, he struggled with the often cruel, unjust world of reality.

  Naturally he couldn’t give her any details about the cases he’d heard, but just talking about his short time on the bench had lifted his spirits considerably. It felt good to share his thoughts with her and he’d enjoyed her opinions and her sometimes unpredictable views.

  Then they’d kissed. Talk about sexual chemistry! For the life of him, James couldn’t explain what had happened when she’d slipped into his arms. He’d never intended the kiss to become that intense, but once he’d started, nothing could have stopped him.

  He’d been afraid his reaction had shocked Summer, but apparently that wasn’t the case. Later she’d apologized to him and James hadn’t known what to say. She seemed to think she’d done something wrong. She hadn’t. The truth was, she’d done everything right.

  The next morning James sat down in the lobby to wait for Summer. He was excited about this outing. He’d decided earlier not to invite her, feeling it would be unfair to dominate her time. She was young and beautiful, and he doubted she wanted to spend her vacation with a staid older guy like him.

  He’d gone to his hotel room and congratulated himself on not mentioning the trip to Hoover Dam. Ten minutes later he’d talked himself into calling her on the off chance she might be interested.

  Well, she’d told him. A smile pulled at the edges of his mouth. Summer had seemed downright angry when he suggested she’d prefer to be with friends her own age.

  James liked the idea of being her friend. The operative word being friend. He wasn’t going to kiss her again—that was for sure.

  First, he was afraid of a repeat performance of that kiss in the street. Secondly, he was way too old for her. He enjoyed her company tremendously, but then any man would. He wasn’t going to ruin the bond they’d created; becoming romantically involved, if she even wanted to, would do exactly that.

  Summer stepped off the elevator, and James watched as every eye in the place seemed to gravitate toward her. She was stunning. It wasn’t the clothes she wore, although the pretty pink pants and matching sweater flattered her. It was Summer herself.

  She searched the lobby until she saw him, and then she smiled. James felt as though the sun was beaming directly down on him.

  He stood and waited for her to join him. “Did you have breakfast?” he asked.

  She nodded. “Hours ago.”

  “Me, too.”

  “If you’re ready, we can be on our way.” All he had to do now was stop staring at her….

  A few minutes later, the valet took his ticket for his rental car, and they waited for him to drive the luxury sedan to the back of the hotel. When the car arrived, the young man opened the car door and helped Summer inside. James was almost jealous to have been denied the privilege.

  They drove out of Las Vegas in companionable silence. James had studied the map so he knew which freeway to take.

  “Do you ever think about her?” Summer asked.

  James had no idea what she was talking about. “Who?”

  She laughed. “That’s answer enough. Christy. Your ex-fiancée.”

  “Ah yes, Christy.” James mulled over Summer’s question. “Sometimes. Generally when I’m feeling especially lonely or when I see a couple with kids. That’s when I wonder what Christy’s and my children would have looked like.

  “Do you still think about Brett?” he asked.

  She lifted one shoulder in a halfhearte
d shrug. “Sometimes. It’s different with me, though.”

  “Different?”

  “From what you told me about Christy, she went to Montana to help her sister and met someone there.”

  “She would’ve broken the engagement right away, but it seemed like a heartless thing to do over the phone.” Despite everything James felt a need to defend her. “When she did get back, her mother had arranged for a huge engagement party and I was extremely busy with an important lawsuit. I never blamed Christy for not telling me about Cody right away. She had her reasons.”

  “I blame her,” Summer said stiffly. “It was a rotten thing to do.”

  “You blame Brett, too, don’t you?” This was what their conversation was really about, James suspected. Something had happened recently that had hurt her all over again.

  “Right before I left,” she said in a small voice, “a friend called to tell me Brett and his wife are expecting a baby.”

  “A friend?” James wondered about that. There seemed to be a certain type of person who delighted in being the first to deliver bad news.

  “I’m going to be twenty-eight next month,” she told him.

  He smiled. “From the way you said that, one would think you’re ready to apply for your retirement benefits.”

  Summer smiled back. “I suppose I sound ridiculous.”

  “No, you sound hurt. It’s only natural, but that pain will fade in time, as well, especially if you meet someone else and get involved in another relationship.”

  “You didn’t.”

  James couldn’t argue. “It wasn’t because I’d dedicated myself to loving Christy for the rest of my life. To be fair, I’m not sure why I never got involved again. It’s not like I made the decision not to.”

  “Do you date?”

  “Occasionally.” A few months ago, two women had let him know that they’d welcome his attentions. James was flattered and he did enjoy a night out now and then, but he could never seem to dredge up much enthusiasm for either woman.

  “What about you?” he asked, then mentally kicked himself. The answer was obvious. Someone like Summer had a long line of men waiting to ask her out.

  “I don’t date all that often,” Summer surprised him by saying. “It’s funny, when Brett and I first broke up I saw a different man every night. Within a month I was sick of it, sick of pretending I didn’t care, sick of telling everyone about all the fun I was having.”

  “And now?”

  “I haven’t been out all month. December is crazy, anyway, with Christmas and family obligations and everything else. In November, I went to a dinner party with a member of the cast, but it was as friends, and it was more a favor to Steve than anything.”

  Silly as it seemed, James was offended that she didn’t count their dinner the night before as a date. He certainly had. Their time together had been the highlight of the year for him.

  “My parents want me married,” she murmured thoughtfully. “They hinted at it over Christmas.”

  Now, that was something James could identify with. “My father’s a longtime widower and I don’t have any siblings. He’s been hounding me for years to marry, but his real interest lies in grandchildren.”

  “I’m not willing to marry just anyone,” she insisted.

  “I feel the same way.”

  They glanced at each other and then immediately looked away. Silence again filled the car. James didn’t know what Summer was thinking, but he knew where his thoughts were taking him and it spelled trouble.

  As they neared the outskirts of Boulder City, James mentioned some of the local facts he’d read. “This is the only city in Nevada that doesn’t allow gambling.”

  “Why?”

  “It was built for the men who worked on the construction of the dam. I’d guess it has something to do with making sure the workers wouldn’t squander their hard-earned cash on the gaming tables. If that happened, their families would see none of it.”

  “I wonder if it helped,” Summer mused aloud.

  The next hour and a half was spent driving over Hoover Dam. They didn’t take the tour. The day was windy, and James was afraid Summer’s sweater wouldn’t be enough protection against the cold.

  Once they were back on the Nevada side, they stopped long enough for pictures. James felt the wind as he took several scenic photos of the dam with the digital camera he’d bought last year.

  Far more of his shots were aimed at Summer. She was a natural ham and struck a variety of poses for him. He wanted a keepsake of his time with her.

  James asked another tourist to get a picture of the two of them together. He placed his arm around her shoulder and smiled into the camera.

  “Can you send them to me?” she asked, rubbing her arms in an effort to warm herself.

  “Of course,” James agreed, pleased that she’d asked.

  He turned up the heater when they returned to the car. He noticed that Summer’s eyes were drooping about ten miles outside Boulder City. He located a classical-music station on the radio, and the soft strains of Mozart lulled her to sleep.

  She woke when they were on the Las Vegas freeway. Startled, she sat up and looked around. “Wow, I must be stimulating company,” she said, and smiled.

  “I’m accustomed to quiet. Don’t worry about it.”

  “James,” she began, then yawned, covering her mouth. “What do you think of women who ask men out on dates?”

  “What do I think?” He repeated her question, never having given the subject much thought. “Well, it seems fine in theory but I can’t really say since it’s never happened to me.”

  “Do you view them as aggressive?”

  “Not necessarily. I know women invite men out all the time these days.”

  She smiled, and her eyes fairly danced with excitement. “I’m glad to hear you say so, because I bought two tickets to a magic show. It’s this evening at one of the other downtown hotels. I’d enjoy it very much if you went with me.”

  James had walked into that one with his eyes wide-open. “A magic show,” he murmured with pleasure. He hadn’t even dropped her off at the hotel yet and already he was looking for an excuse to see her again.

  “It’s the late show, as it happens, which doesn’t start until eleven. You’ll come with me, won’t you?”

  “Of course,” he said. If he wasn’t driving, James would have pumped his fist in the air.

  Although she’d spent nearly the entire day with James, including lunch and a light dinner on the road, Summer counted the hours until they met for the magic show. She was dressing when the phone rang.

  “Hello,” she said, thinking it could only be James. Her heart began to beat faster.

  “Summer, it’s Julie.”

  “Julie!” Summer had tried to call her friend earlier that evening, but she hadn’t answered either her cell or the apartment phone. “Happy New Year!”

  “Same to you. How’s it going with the distinguished attorney?”

  Summer sank onto the edge of the bed. “Really well. By the way, he’s a superior court judge now.”

  “Wow. That’s great. So you’re getting along well,” her friend echoed in knowing tones. “Do you still see him as a father figure?”

  “No way,” Summer said, and laughed. “There’s less than ten years between us.”

  “So.” Her friend’s voice fell. “Tell me what’s been happening.”

  “Well.” Summer wasn’t sure where to start, then decided to plunge right in. “He kissed me last night, and Julie, it was incredible. I don’t ever remember feeling like this in my life.”

  “So you’d say there’s electricity between you?”

  That was putting it mildly. Hoover Dam should produce that much electricity. “You could put it that way.”

  “This is just great!”

  “We went to see Hoover Dam this morning, and tonight we’re going to a magic show.”

  “This sounds promising.”

  That was how it felt to
Summer, as well. “James invited me to drive to Red Rock Canyon with him tomorrow to feed the burros.”

  “Are you?”

  “Of course.” It had never occurred to Summer to refuse. She didn’t care if he asked her to study goat dung; she would gladly have gone along just to be with him.

  “Julie…”

  “Yeah?”

  “Would you laugh at me if I told you I’m falling in love with this guy?”

  “Nope. I’ve seen it coming for months. You pored over his letters, and for days after you got one, it was James this and James that. I’m not the least bit surprised. This guy must really be something.”

  Summer’s heart sank as she confronted the facts. “He’s a judge, Julie. A superior court judge. I’m an actress. We’re too different. I live in Anaheim and he’s in Seattle. Oh, it’s fine here in Vegas, but once we leave, everything will go back to the way it was before.”

  “You don’t want that?”

  “No,” Summer admitted after some hesitation.

  “Then you need to ask yourself exactly what it is you do want,” Julie said.

  Her roommate’s words rang in her mind all through the magician’s performance. Summer sat beside James and was far more aware of him than the talented performer onstage. There was magic in the air, all right. It sizzled and sparked, but it didn’t have a thing to do with what was happening onstage.

  After the show, James escorted her to his car, which was parked in a lot outside the casino.

  “You’ve been quiet this evening,” James commented.

  “I talked to my roommate earlier,” she told him when he slid into the driver’s seat.

  “Does it have something to do with Brett?”

  “No,” she said, shaking her head for emphasis. When James inserted the key to start the car, she placed her hand on his forearm to stop him. “James,” she said softly, “I know this is an unusual request, and I’m sorry if it embarrasses you, but would you mind kissing me again?”

  He didn’t look at her. “I don’t think it’s a good idea.”

  “Why not?”

  “Considering what happened the first time, it seems unnecessarily risky.”