Ready for Romance

  “You must wreak havoc on a jury.”

  “That’s what my clients pay me for.”

  Jessica looked toward the dance area again and couldn’t see Evan and the European woman. When she glanced over at the picnic area, she found the pair sitting at a table beneath a large elm tree munching on barbecue sandwiches.

  “She’s lovely,” Jessica murmured, watching the couple. “No wonder Evan’s forgotten me.”

  “Romilda may be lovely, but so are you,” Damian returned quickly, then looked as if he regretted speaking.

  “Thank you.”

  “I shouldn’t have said that.”

  “Why not? That makes me think you didn’t mean it.”

  “I shouldn’t be the one saying such things to you,” Damian replied. “You’re Evan’s date.”

  “He seems to have forgotten, which is just as well. I’d rather spend my time with you.”

  “With me?” Damian repeated, sounding appalled by the mere suggestion. “Have you eaten?” he asked hurriedly. They were standing next to the dessert table. It was laden with an enormous chocolate cake decorated with fresh strawberries, a lemon torte that would have tempted a saint and a fresh blueberry cobbler, which Jessica knew from years past was the caterer’s specialty.

  “I’m not hungry just yet,” she said, thinking Damian might have used her desire to eat as an excuse to squire her away to one of the tables and conveniently leave her.

  Damian eyed her speculatively. “You’re sure about that? I’d hate to see a repeat of what happened the other night.”

  “Well, yes, I guess I will have a bite…but may I sit with you?”

  “If you insist.”

  She did. Damian handed her a plate. Together they walked along the buffet table. Jessica helped herself to potato salad, baked beans and a generous rack of spareribs.

  The band started to play a popular tune, and her foot tapping to the beat, Jessica enjoyed the culinary feast. She was content to sit on the sidelines. Evan seemed to have forgotten her, but far from being offended, she felt only a sense of relief.

  Damian’s invitation to dance came as a surprise. “Why do you want to dance with me?” she asked. She had a sneaking suspicion it somehow involved his brother.

  “Do I need a reason?”

  Jessica hesitated, then nodded. “If you’re thinking it’s a way to get Evan to notice me, then I’d rather sit out.”

  “What if I said it was because I wanted to see how you felt in my arms?”

  Her heart gave a flutter. “Then I’d agree.” She met his gaze directly. “So, what’s it to be, Damian?”

  He took a long time deciding, much longer than should have been necessary. Slowly he pushed back his chair and stood. “Why don’t we find out together,” he suggested, leading her by the hand toward the farthest reaches of the dance area.

  The party was in full swing by now, with a good number of couples two-stepping around the area. When several old family friends stopped to chat with Jessica and Damian as they made their way toward the other dancers, Jessica could sense Damian’s impatience.

  They reached the outskirts of the crowd, and Damian turned Jessica in his arms. They fit together nicely, thigh to thigh, hip to hip. Damian was an excellent dancer, his steps easy to follow, his movements smooth and assured. He held her loosely about the waist and gazed down at her as if they’d been dancing together all their lives.

  “You’re good at this.” Her surprise must have been obvious, because he threw back his head and laughed. It was the first time she could ever remember hearing Damian really laugh.

  “That amazes you, doesn’t it?” he said.

  “Yes.” It was pointless to deny it. She was discovering that Damian was full of surprises. Just then Jessica felt someone brush against her. She turned to see Evan, partnered with the dignitary’s daughter.

  “Well, well, if it isn’t Damian and Jessica.” Evan said with a smile, not sounding jealous in the least.

  It hadn’t taken long to attract Evan’s attention, and Jessica groaned inwardly, wondering if Damian had planned it this way.

  “You haven’t met Romilda, have you?” Evan murmured. Without waiting for a response, he made the introductions.

  Jessica could see that the blonde had fallen under Evan’s spell, just like most women did when he’d decided to charm them. His magnetism was lethal. Jessica nearly felt sorry for the unsuspecting woman. Evan did have a bit of a reputation as a playboy.

  The two couples moved off to get something to drink. They were making small talk and sipping punch when Damian suddenly asked Romilda to dance. The woman glanced anxiously at Evan, obviously reluctant to leave him. Jessica smiled softly to herself, recognizing Damian’s ploy. He’d all but thrown her and Evan together.

  Damian and Romilda joined the throng of dancers. “It’s a wonderful party,” Jessica said to Evan. “I’ve been having a good time.”

  “Glad to hear it,” Evan commented distractedly, his eyes following the other couple. “Shall we?” he asked, holding out his hand to her.

  It became apparent as they moved into the dancing area that Evan was more interested in keeping an eye on Romilda than dancing with Jessica. She and Evan made polite conversation, but his attention wandered as often as her own. The dance couldn’t end soon enough for either of them.

  When it did, she was grateful Damian and Romilda were on the far side of the dance area, because she needed time and space to put order to her thoughts. When the number ended, Evan was coralled by an older couple who wanted to talk to him privately. He cast Jessica an apologetic look and moved away.

  She strolled to the far reaches of the property, near the fence that bordered her parents’ home. A white footbridge spanned a good-size pond. She stood in the middle of the bridge, dropping small rocks into the still water and watching the ripples radiate to the shore one after another.

  Thus absorbed, she didn’t hear Damian approach and was startled to hear him speak. “I wondered if I’d find you here,” he said.

  “I used to come here a lot when I was growing up,” Jessica admitted. “I guess you could have charged me with trespassing.”

  “Not too likely.”

  “I know, that’s why I used to come. It was so peaceful. So safe.” A duck glided past, disturbing the water in the pond, and Jessica wished she’d thought to bring some bread crumbs. The ducks had often been beneficiaries of her trips here.

  Damian was silent for a moment, then he said, “You’re discouraged, aren’t you?”

  “About what?”

  “It’s over, you know,” Damian assured her softly. “It was over a long time ago—more than six months now. I thought Evan would get over her, but I was wrong.”

  Oh, dear, Jessica thought. Apparently Damian believed she was here at the pond brooding about Evan, when in fact nothing could have been farther from the truth. She’d been standing on the bridge thinking about her relationship with Damian.

  “Who was she?” Jessica was still curious.

  “Someone he met on a beach. No name the family had ever heard of before, not that it mattered. Mary Jo Summerhill.”

  “What happened.”

  “I don’t think anyone really knows for sure. Whatever it was devastated Evan. He hasn’t been the same since. My brother isn’t one to burden others with his problems. He’s like that duck down there on the pond—everything seems to roll off him like water. He’d been in and out of a dozen relationships, and I assumed he was never going to really fall for any woman, but I was wrong.”

  “You haven’t a clue what happened between him and Mary Jo?”

  “No. He changed abruptly after the breakup, started working odd hours. But his heart clearly wasn’t in it, so I cut back his work load. That helped for a time, but now I’m not sure it was the right thing to do. I’ve never seen him more miserable.”

  “Have you tried to talk to him?”

  “A dozen times,” Damian admitted, “but it hasn’t helped. If
anything, he’s resented my prying. This broken relationship seems to have cut him more deeply than he’s willing to admit.”

  “He’ll get over her,” Jessica said reassuringly. “It just takes time.”

  “I thought so, too.” Damian shrugged. “But now I wonder. It’s been more than six months.” He paused, gazing down at the water. “He needs you, Jessica. You might be the only one able to reach him.”

  “Me?”

  “I knew the minute Dad mentioned you were coming in to apply for a job that you could well be the answer to our prayers.” She started to say something, but Damian wouldn’t let her. “You’re just going to need a lot of patience.”

  Jessica sighed in frustration. “If I’m going to need patience, it’s with you. You and your family seem to think I’m still a kid with a crush on Evan.”

  Damian’s eyes darkened. “All right, all right, I didn’t mean to offend you. You’re old enough to make up your own mind.”

  “Thank you for that,” she said. Turning away from him, she rested her hands on the railing and stared into the serene waters below. “I remember once when I was about six coming to this bridge and crying my eyes out,” she murmured.

  “What hurt you so badly then?”

  “You,” she said, turning and jabbing a finger at his chest.

  “Me?” Jessica had never seen such an expression of outraged innocence. “What did I do?” Damian demanded.

  “Your father was taking you and Evan to the roller coaster at Cannon Beach. My dad was out of town on business, and our mothers were taking the shopping cure. They weren’t keen on having to drag me along, and I can’t remember who, but one of them suggested I go to the carnival with you and Evan.”

  “And I didn’t want you with us,” Damian finished for her.

  “Not that I blame you. No fifteen-year-old wants a six-year-old girl tagging along.”

  Damian chuckled. “Times change, don’t they?”

  Her mother had said the same thing earlier. Indeed, times do change.

  To Jessica’s astonishment, Damian reached for her hand. He linked their fingers and tugged her off the bridge. “Where are we going?” she protested. He looked at her in surprise, as though she hadn’t already guessed. “Where else? The beach. From what I understand the same roller coaster is still running. The party here is starting to wind down, and I don’t think we’ll be missed, do you?”

  She couldn’t help but agree.

  Four

  Carrying a sticky ball of pink cotton candy in one hand and a purple stuffed elephant under the other, Jessica strolled leisurely with Damian down the long pier. The tinny music of the merry-go-round played behind them, mingling with children’s laughter. The scent of the bay and fresh popcorn swirled around them like smoke from a cooling fire. The night was perfect. The sun had set, and clusters of bright stars blinked approvingly down on them.

  “I don’t think I’ve ever enjoyed myself more,” Jessica said to Damian. She tipped the cotton-candy cone toward him and he helped himself to a handful. Taking another bite herself, she savored the way the sugary sweetness melted on her tongue.

  “We still haven’t gone on the roller coaster,” Damian reminded her.

  “That’s because you spent all that time trying to win that silly stuffed elephant.” She hugged it against her, belying her words.

  “Are you game?” Damian asked, looking toward the huge steel structure.

  Jessica hedged. “I…I don’t know if that’s such a good idea after all the junk we’ve eaten.”

  “Trust me.” He looped his arm through hers and pulled her along, not giving her a chance to protest.

  “Great, first you fill me up with popcorn and cotton candy, then you insist on dragging me onto one of the biggest roller coasters in the country. That’s not smart, Damian, not smart at all.”

  The crowds were thicker than ever, and Damian reached for her hand as he led her toward the ride. The line was long, and the wait was sure to be at least thirty minutes. A list of possible arguments crowded Jessica’s mind, but she knew it wouldn’t do any good. The determined set of Damian’s jaw told her that much.

  “What am I supposed to do with the elephant?” she asked, clinging to it tightly, as they edged closer.

  “Hold it.”

  “If I’m holding the elephant, who’s going to hold me?”

  “I will,” he assured her calmly. “Stop looking so worried.”

  “I should tell you, Damian Dryden, the last time I rode on this thing I had a near-death experience. I don’t suppose you know when this ride had a safety inspection.”

  “Thursday.”

  “You don’t know that!”

  He laughed, seeming to enjoy her unease. “True, but it sounded good. Listen, this roller coaster has been running for twenty years without a single mishap. Well, there was that one time…”

  “Damian!”

  “I was joking.”

  “Don’t tease,” Jessica muttered furiously. She flattened her palm against her stomach and sighed loudly. “My stomach doesn’t feel right.”

  “You won’t be sick.”

  “How can you be sure?”

  “Experience. Anticipation’s the worst part. The ride itself is fun. The only problem is that it doesn’t last long enough. The whole thing is over in no time.”

  For all her complaining, as the minutes passed, Jessica found herself beginning to anticipate their turn. At last the silver cars came to an abrupt halt right in front of them.

  “Just promise me you won’t fling your arms up in the air in that bizarre descent ritual,” Jessica murmured as the bar fell into place, securing them in the seat.

  “I wouldn’t dream of it,” Damian said, “not when I promised to hold on to you.”

  Jessica colored slightly, but didn’t respond. She dared not look down. Heights were something she generally avoided, which meant she was trapped into closing her eyes. The stuffed elephant was cradled in her arms, much the same way Damian was cradling her.

  The cars slowly made their ascent, chugging up the steep incline, making a straining noise as if the weight was too much to bear. The line of cars topped the peak and started its rapid descent. A scream of excitement froze in her throat as they plummeted downward. Damian’s arm tightened around her shoulders. Her free hand gripped his, her nails digging into his fingers, but if she was hurting him, he gave no indication. Just when it seemed they were about to break the sound barrier, they started up another steep grade, which slowed the momentum, but once they reached the top they were cast on a crazy twisting, turning journey that left her stomach far behind. Her eyes were closed so tightly her face ached.

  When at last they rolled to a halt, Jessica’s shoulders surged forward, righted and then sagged with a twinge of disappointment as she realized the ride was over.

  “Well?” Damian asked, taking her hand to help her climb out of the cramped car. “Did you or did you not have fun?”

  Her legs felt a little shaky once she started walking. “Give me a minute—I don’t know what I’m feeling.” Confessing he’d been right was too much to ask.

  Damian laughed. “Admit it. Don’t be shy. It was fun, wasn’t it?”

  “Yes,” Jessica said with ill grace.

  Damian laughed again and tucked his arm around her waist. His action seemed so natural, especially since it was evident that her knees had yet to right themselves. Although his touch was automatic, it had a curious effect on Jessica. She enjoyed being linked with Damian, enjoyed having his body close to hers. She’d experienced it while they were dancing, too.

  “You ready to head back?” Damian asked as they neared the brightly lit arched entryway to Cannon Beach.

  She agreed with a nod, but in fact she didn’t want the night to end. Their time together had been perfect. Perhaps now Damian would understand that it was his company she sought and not his brother’s. Perhaps now he’d view her as a woman and not the pesky girl next door.

  And m
aybe Evan’s obvious attraction to Romilda would blossom into something more, and the Drydens would stop looking to Jessica for solutions. She sincerely hoped that was the case. A man always enjoyed a challenge, and the dignitary’s daughter might be just the thing Evan needed.

  Damian and Jessica walked along the sawdust-covered ground of the parking lot until they reached his car. The lights from the carnival lit up the night sky, and the sounds droned on behind her.

  “I had a marvelous time,” she told Damian as he started the engine.

  “Me, too,” he said. “It’s been years since I’ve been to Cannon Beach. Years since—” He stopped abruptly.

  Jessica was reminded of what she’d heard about Damian’s working too hard and not taking time to enjoy life. It felt good to know that Damian had enjoyed her company. The memory of his laughter produced a sudden smile. He didn’t laugh often enough, and when he did she felt as if she’d been rewarded with a priceless gift.

  Damian drove Jessica to her apartment building. It was after eleven by then, but she was keyed up with excitement. Somehow she felt it would all end when Damian left, and she wasn’t ready to let that happen.

  “Do you want to come up?” she asked, not really expecting he would, hoping she could change his mind.

  He glanced her way as though judging the sincerity of her offer. “All right.”

  “I’ll put on a pot of coffee, and you can gloat over how much I enjoyed the roller coaster.”

  “I’ll gloat, coffee or not.” He found a parking spot on the street, got out of the car and then went around to open her door. A true gentleman, she thought not for the first time.

  Laughing and joking they strolled toward her building. The doorman held the door for them and smiled at Jessica and the purple elephant.

  The laughing and teasing continued as they stepped into the elevator for the ride up to the tenth floor. The doors glided shut and Jessica sagged against the mirrored wall in mock exhaustion.

  “You sure you don’t want to close your eyes?” he said.

  “Why?”