Happy Mother′s Day: Ready for Romance / Ready for Marriage
Happy Mother's Day: Ready for Romance / Ready for Marriage
Debbie Macomber
'Perfect for fans of Maeve Binchy' - CandisA mother’s joy is seeing her children fall in loveWhen Jessica was fourteen she was infatuated with Evan Dryden. Almost ten years later and Jessica knows what she felt for Evan was just a crush, because she’s fallen in love…with his brother, Damien! Convincing Damien that she loves him and not Evan is going to be a challenge, but with true love on the cards Jessica is not giving up.Mary Jo Summerhill has come back to ask for Evan’s help. She stayed away for three years after breaking their engagement, a decision that nearly destroyed her…and him. There is only one problem, Mary Jo still loves Evan and what she really wants is a second chance to become part of the Dryden family…Make time for friends. Make time for Debbie Macomber.
Make time for friends. Make time for
Debbie Macomber
CEDAR COVE
16 Lighthouse Road
204 Rosewood Lane
311 Pelican Court
44 Cranberry Point
50 Harbor Street
6 Rainier Drive
74 Seaside Avenue
8 Sandpiper Way
92 Pacific Boulevard
1022 Evergreen Place
1105 Yakima Street
A Merry Little Christmas
(featuring 1225 Christmas Tree Lane and 5-B Poppy Lane)
BLOSSOM STREET
The Shop on Blossom Street
A Good Yarn
Susannah’s Garden
(previously published as
Old Boyfriends)
Back on Blossom Street
(previously published as
Wednesdays at Four)
Twenty Wishes
Summer on Blossom Street
Hannah’s List
A Turn in the Road
Thursdays at Eight
Christmas in Seattle
Falling for Christmas
Angels at Christmas
A Mother’s Gift
A Mother’s Wish
Be My Valentine
THE MANNINGS
The Manning Sisters
The Manning Brides
The Manning Grooms
Summer in Orchard Valley
THE DAKOTAS
Dakota Born
Dakota Home
Always Dakota
About the Author
DEBBIE MACOMBER is a number one New York Times bestselling author. Her recent books include 44 Cranberry Point, 50 Harbor Street, 6 Rainier Drive, and Hannah’s List. She has become a leading voice in women’s fiction worldwide and her work has appeared on every major bestseller list. There are more than a hundred million copies of her books in print. For more information on Debbie and her books, visit www.DebbieMacomber.com.
Happy Mother’s Day
Ready for Love
Ready for Romance Ready for Marriage
Debbie Macomber
featuring Ready for Romance and Ready for Marriage
www.mirabooks.co.uk (http://www.mirabooks.co.uk)
Ready for Romance
For Jessica,
who caught the wedding bouquet first
Prologue
Jessica Kellerman looked both ways, then slipped around the corner of the Dryden four-car garage. She flattened her body against the wall and moved cautiously, one infinitesimal step at a time. It was vital no one see her.
Evan’s vehicle, a fancy sports car, was parked just outside the garage—and in direct view of the house. She needed to be quick.
Squatting down by the side mirror, she withdrew a bright red tube of lipstick from her pocket, opened it and heavily outlined her lips. She took a soft white rag from the pocket of her jeans, wiped his mirror clean, then kissed it. The imprint of her mouth was left in bold red.
Jessica sighed with satisfaction as she carefully opened the door on the driver’s side and crawled into the front seat. The mirror over the dash was next. Her heart was pounding hard, but it wasn’t entirely due to her fear of being discovered. Her heart rate tended to accelerate whenever she thought about Evan.
There wasn’t a man in all of Boston who could compete with Evan Dryden. To think she’d lived next door to him all these years and hadn’t noticed until recently how gorgeous he was! As far as Jessica was concerned, he was the handsomest man in the universe.
She remembered the exact moment she had realized her destiny. She hadn’t been the same since. The Dryden estate, Whispering Willows, was next to her own family’s, and she’d often spent time in the huge oak tree spying on the two brothers. Damian was in law school now and Evan in college. Being an only child, Jessica had to invent her own amusement, and spying on the Dryden brothers had always been great fun.
She’d been sitting in the tree one day when Evan had walked to the pond and stood on the footbridge tossing rocks into the water. His back was to her and she held her breath, wondering if he’d seen her hiding in the thick foliage.
She must have made a sound, because he turned abruptly and stared into the tree.
“Jessica?”
She didn’t dare move or even breathe.
He stared upward and the sun cut across his shoulder, highlighting his handsome features. It was then that she realized Evan wasn’t just an ordinary boy. He was an Adonis. Perfect in every way.
After that, she started having dreams about him. Wonderful dreams about Evan falling in love with her. Dreams about marrying him and having a family. It seemed so … so right. About a week later, she’d decided that fate had thrown them together. They were meant for each other. The only problem was that Evan had yet to make this discovery for himself.
Jessica had recently turned fourteen and Evan was much older. Six whole years, but it might’ve been a hundred for all the notice he gave her.
That was when Jessica decided she had to take matters into her own hands. She was a woman of the world, and when a woman knew what she wanted, she went after it. It, in this case, was Evan Dryden.
Jessica soon discovered that she wasn’t nearly as dauntless as she would’ve liked. She must have phoned him ten times, and each time he answered, she lacked the courage to even speak, much less tell him about her undying love. Each call had ended with her slamming down the receiver in frustration.
She’d always been better at expressing herself with the written word, so she’d taken to writing him love notes, pouring out her devotion. She let her best friend read one of these notes, and Emily said it was the most beautiful love letter she’d ever seen. Unfortunately, Jessica hadn’t found the courage to sign her name.
This latest trick, planting kisses on his rearview mirror, was sure to accomplish what nothing else had. He’d know it was Jessica and he’d finally come for her, and together they’d ride into the sunset in his sports car.
Outlining her lips with a fresh coat of brilliant red, Jessica was about to kiss the inside mirror when the car door was flung open.
“So it is you.”
Her heart sank all the way to her knees. Slowly she looked over and her eyes connected with Damian Dryden’s. He was taller than his younger brother, dark and handsome in his own way. She was certain the day would come when some girl would feel as strongly about him as she did about Evan.
“Hello,” she said, pretending it wasn’t the slightest bit out of the ordinary for her to be sitting in his brother’s car kissing the mirrors.
“You’re the one, I’ll bet, who’s been phoning at all hours of the night.”
“I’ve never called past ten,” she denied heatedly, then realized her mistake. It probably would’ve been best to pretend she didn’t know what he was talking about.
“The notes on Evan’s windshield have been from you, too, haven’t they?”
She could’ve denied that, but it wouldn’t have done any good. Feeling trapped in Evan’s car, she swung her legs around and gingerly climbed out. “Are you going to tell him it was me?”
“I don’t know,” Damian said thoughtfully. “How old are you now?”
“Fourteen,” she said proudly. “I know Evan’s older, but I was hoping he’d be willing to wait for me to grow up so we could get married.”
“Married!”
Damian made the word sound ludicrous and Jessica bristled. “Just wait until you fall in love,” she challenged. “Then you’ll know.”
“You aren’t in love with Evan,” he said gently. “You’re too young to know about things like that. You’re infatuated with him because he’s older and—”
“I most certainly do love Evan,” she flared, shoving the lipstick in her pocket. She wasn’t going to stand there and let him ridicule her. She might be only fourteen, but she had the heart of a mature woman and she’d made her decision. Someday she would marry Evan Dryden, and Damian would not stand in her way.
“I’m sure my brother’s flattered by your devotion.”
“He should be. The man who marries me will see himself as the luckiest man in the world.” Her words were fed by pure bravado.
Damian laughed.
Jessica had been willing to overlook his earlier statements, but this was unforgivable. Hands on her hips, she glared at him with all the indignation she could muster, which at the moment was considerable.
“You might be older than Evan, but you don’t know anything about love, do you?”
Her question appeared to amuse him, and that only irritated her further.
“When a woman makes up her mind about a man, nothing can change the way she feels. I’ve decided to marry your brother, and not a thing you say or do will have the least effect, so save your breath. Evan is my destiny.”
“You’re sure about this?”
At least he had the courtesy to wipe the grin off his face.
“Of course,” she said confidently. “Mark my words, Damian Dryden. Time will prove me right.”
“Does my brother have a say in this?”
“Naturally.”
“What if he decides to marry someone else?”
“I…I don’t know.” Damian had zeroed in on her worst fear—that Evan would get married before she had a chance to prove herself.
“There’s something else you haven’t considered,” Damian said.
“What’s that?”
He grinned. “I just might want to marry you myself.”
One
Jessica Kellerman’s moment of reckoning had arrived. For the first time in ten years she was about to face the Dryden brothers. Evan didn’t concern her. She suspected he wouldn’t even remember what a nuisance she’d made of herself. Then again, he just might. But Damian was the brother who worried her most. He was the one who’d caught her red-handed—or at least with red lipstick in her hand. He was the one who’d mocked her and suggested her devotion to his brother was a passing fancy. Now she was forced to face him and admit he’d been right. She sincerely hoped Damian would have the good grace not to dredge up the past.
Swallowing her dread, Jessica walked into the high-rise office building in the most prestigious part of downtown Boston. The building was new, with a glistening black-mirrored exterior that towered thirty stories above the ground. The Dryden law firm was one of the most distinguished in town, and in Boston that was saying something.
Jessica’s footsteps made tapping sounds against the marble floor in the lobby. Although she’d been in this part of the city often—the university wasn’t far from the business section—this was the first time she’d been inside the impressive building.
She was nervous, and for good reason. The last day she’d spent any time with either of the Dryden brothers she’d been caught kissing rearview mirrors.
Looking back, she knew she’d been a constant source of amusement to the brothers and their parents, as well as her own. Young love, however, refused to be denied. Risking her family’s exasperation, Jessica had diligently sought Evan’s heart all through high school. It wasn’t until Benny Wilcox asked her to the graduation dance that she’d realized there were other fish in the sea. Sweet, attentive, good-looking ones, too. Yes, Evan had been the man of her dreams, the one who’d awakened her to womanhood. She held her love for him in a special place in her heart, but was more than willing to forget the way she’d embarrassed herself over him, praying he did, too.
Although Jessica had let her infatuation with Evan die gracefully, neither set of parents had. Particularly Lois and Walter Dryden. They thought Jessica’s feelings about Evan were “cute,” and they still mentioned it every now and then, renewing her embarrassment.
When Walter Dryden heard that Jessica had recently graduated from business college with a certificate as a legal assistant, he’d insisted she apply with the family firm. In the beginning Jessica had balked, but jobs were few and far between just then, and after a fruitless search on her own, she’d decided to swallow her pride and face the two brothers.
She was warmly greeted by the receptionist, who gave her a wide smile. Jessica smiled back, hoping she looked composed and mature. “I have an appointment with Damian Dryden,” she said.
The woman, who appeared to be in her early thirties, with large blue eyes and a smooth complexion, glanced at the appointment book. “Ms. Kellerman?”
“That’s right.”
“Please have a seat and I’ll let Mr. Dryden know you’re here.”
“Thank you.” Jessica sat in one of the richly upholstered chairs and reached for a People magazine. She’d dressed carefully for this interview, choosing a soft dove-gray suit with a tailored jacket. The buttons were made from mother-of-pearl with flashes of deep blue and white. She wore high heels, hoping to seem not only professional, but sophisticated. Her glossy brown hair was sophisticated, too, cut in a flattering pageboy. She’d grown up, and it was important Damian know that.
Jessica hadn’t even scanned the magazine’s contents page when the elder Dryden brother appeared. She’d seen Damian often from a distance, but this was the first time they’d actually spoken in years. She’d forgotten how tall he was, with broad shoulders that tapered to slim hips. She remembered how much he enjoyed football as a teenager, and how expert he was at tackling the opponent. From what she recalled about Damian, he preferred to tackle problems head-on, too. She knew him to be aggressive, hardworking and ambitious. He’d taken over the law firm upon Walter Dryden’s retirement three years earlier, and the firm, which specialized in corporate law, had thrived under his leadership.
“Hello, Jessica. It’s good to see you again,” Damian said, stepping forward.
“It’s good to see you, too.” She stood and offered him her hand.
He clasped it with both of his own. He wasn’t an especially large man, and at five eight she wasn’t especially small, but her hand was dwarfed in his. His grip was solid and strong, like the man himself.
“I’ve come to talk to you about a position as a legal assistant,” she said. The direct approach would work best with Damian, she felt.
“Great. Let’s go to my office, shall we?”
She was struck by the rugged timbre of his voice. It was deep, firm, exuding confidence. Little wonder Damian was one of the most sought-after corporate attorneys in Boston.
He motioned her to be seated, then walked around the mahogany desk and took the black leather chair. He tilted it back slightly, conveying ease and relaxation.
Jessica wasn’t fooled. She sincerely doubted that Damian knew how to relax. His mother, Lois, had often voiced her concern about her elder son, complaining that Damian worked too many hours.
“Thank you for seeing me on such short notice,” Jessica said, crossing her legs.
“It’s my pleasure.” He rolled a pen between his palms. “I understand you’ve graduated from college.”
She nodded. “I have a degree in early American history.”
The motion of the pen between his palms stopped and a frown creased his brow. “Unfortunately we don’t have much call for historians here at the firm.”
“I understand that,” she said quickly. “About halfway through my senior year, I realized that although I love history, I wasn’t sure what I planned to do with my degree. I toyed with the idea of teaching, then changed my mind.”
“And you want to be a legal assistant now?”
“Yes. I was dating a law student and I discovered how much I enjoyed law. You see, we often did our homework together. But rather than register for law school and invest all that time and effort, I decided to work as a legal assistant—sort of get my feet wet and then decide if becoming an attorney is what I want to do. So I went to business college and got a certificate.” She said all this in an eager rush. “Your father suggested I come and talk to you,” she added, winding down. She opened her purse and produced her certificate for his inspection.
“I see.” The pen was in motion again.
“I’m a hard worker.”
Damian smiled fleetingly. “I’m sure you are.”
“I’ll work any hours you need, even weekends. You can put me on probation.” She hadn’t meant to reveal how much she wanted the position, but despite her resolve, she couldn’t keep the anxiety out of her voice.
“This job means a great deal to you, doesn’t it?”
Jessica nodded.
“I think,” Damian said casually, “you’re still infatuated with my brother.”
He spoke as if it had been only a few days since she’d all but thrown herself at Evan. Heat radiated from her cheeks. “I … I don’t believe that’s a fair statement.”
Damian smiled shrewdly. “You’ve had a crush on Evan for years.”
“I’ll admit I used to, but that has nothing to do with my applying for a position here.” She closed her mouth and collected her composure as best she could. She should’ve known Damian wouldn’t conveniently forget their encounter all those years ago.
“It’s true, though, isn’t it?” Damian seemed to take delight in teasing her, which infuriated Jessica. She clamped her mouth shut, rather than argue with the man she hoped would employ her. “I was there the day you put kisses all over his rearview mirror, remember?”
Not trusting herself to speak, she nodded.
“I watched you look at him with those big worshipful eyes. I’ve seen plenty of other women do the same thing since, all gazing at my younger brother as though he were an Adonis.”
Jessica’s eyes widened at the use of the term. That was exactly the way she’d viewed Evan. A Greek god.
“It’s true isn’t it, or are you going to deny it?”
Jessica’s mouth refused to work. She opened and closed it an embarrassing number of times, not knowing how to respond, or if she should even try.
Cathy Hudson, her best friend, had claimed it wasn’t a good idea to apply for work with a family who knew her so well. Jessica was about to concede that Cath was right.
“I did have a schoolgirl crush on your brother at one time,” she said, “but that was years ago. I haven’t seen Evan in … heavens, I don’t remember. Certainly no more often than I’ve seen you. If you believe my past feelings for Evan would hinder my performance as a legal assistant, then there isn’t anything more I can say—other than to thank you for your time.”
Damian’s smile was slightly off kilter, his eyes bemused as if, despite himself, he’d admired her little speech. Slowly a look of sadness crossed his face. “Evan’s changed,” he said. “He isn’t the man you once knew.”
“I’d heard from my mother that he’s been unhappy recently.” She didn’t know the details and hoped Damian would fill in the blanks.
“Do you know why?”
“No.”
Damian gave a soft regretful sigh. “I might as well tell you, since you’ll find out soon enough yourself. He was in love, possibly for the first time in his life, and it didn’t work out. I don’t know what caused the rift, and neither does anyone else, not that it matters. Unfortunately, though, Evan can’t seem to snap out of his depression.”
“He must have loved her very much,” she whispered, watching Damian. She could tell that he was genuinely concerned about Evan.
“I’m sure he did.” Damian frowned, apparently at a loss as to how to help his brother, then shook his head. “We’ve ventured far from the subject of your employment, haven’t we?”
She straightened and folded her hands in her lap, wondering if Damian would take a chance and hire her. She was a risk, fresh out of school, with no job experience.
“You’re sure you want to work here?” he asked, studying her with a discerning eye.
“Very much.”
Damian didn’t immediately respond. His silence made her uncomfortable enough to want to fill it with something, even useless chatter. “I know what you’re thinking,” she said breathlessly. “In your eyes I’m a love-struck fourteen-year-old.” She shook her head. “I don’t know what to say to convince you I’ve grown up, and that nonsense is all behind me, but I have.”
“I can see that for myself.” A glint of appreciation sparked in his eyes. “As it happens, Jessica, you’re in luck, because the firm could use another legal assistant. If you want the job, it’s yours.”
Jessica resisted vaulting out of the chair and throwing her arms around Damian’s neck to thank him. Instead she promised, “I won’t let you down.”
“You’ll be working directly with Evan,” he replied, still studying her closely.
“With Evan?”
“Is that a problem?”
“No … No, of course not.”
“Just remember one thing. It doesn’t matter how many years our parents have been friends. If you don’t do your job and do it well, we don’t have room for you here.”
“I wouldn’t expect you to keep me on if I didn’t pull my weight,” she said, trying hard not to sound defensive.
“Good.” He reached for the intercom and glanced at her. “When would you like to start?”
“Now, if you want.”
“Perfect. I’ll ring Mrs. Sterling. She’s Evan’s personal assistant, and she’ll show you the ropes.”
Jessica stood and extended her hand. “You won’t be sorry, I promise you.” She pumped his hand enthusiastically until she realized she was overdoing it.
Grinning, Damian walked around to the front of his desk. “If there’s anything I can help you with, let me know.”
“I will. Thank you, Damian.”
She hadn’t meant to call him by his first name. Theirs was a professional relationship now, but it was difficult to think of him as her boss. A personal bond existed between them, but until this interview Jessica hadn’t been aware of it. To her surprise she found she had no such problem regarding Evan.
She and Damian walked out of the office together and down the corridor to a door with Evan’s name engraved on a gold plaque.
Damian opened the door and allowed her to precede him. Jessica’s gaze fell on Evan’s personal assistant. The woman was middle-aged, with sharp, but not unattractive, features. She seemed to breathe efficiency. One look and Jessica was confident this woman could manage Evan’s office and the entire law firm if necessary.
“Mrs. Sterling,” Damian said, “this is Jessica Kellerman, Evan’s new legal assistant. Would you show her around and make her feel at home?”
“Of course.”
Damian turned to Jessica. “As I said earlier, come to me if you have any problems.”
“Thank you.”
“No, Jessica,” he said cryptically on his way out, “thank you.”
Mrs. Sterling rose from her chair. She was a small round woman, barely five feet, a stark contrast to tall and slender Jessica. Her salt-and-pepper hair was cropped short, and she wore a no-nonsense straight skirt and light sweater.
“I’ll show you where the law library is,” Mrs. Sterling said. Jessica glanced toward the closed door, wondering if Evan was in. Apparently not, otherwise Damian would’ve made a point of telling his brother that Jessica would be working for him.
The personal assistant led the way out of the office and down the hall. The library was huge, with row upon row of legal volumes. Long narrow tables with a number of chairs were scattered about the room. Jessica knew she’d be spending most of her research time here and was delighted by how pleasant it was. She noticed the faint scent of lemon oil and smiled as she saw various potted plants set here and there, including a speckled broad-leaved ivy that stretched across the top of one large bookcase.
“This is very nice.”
“Mr. Dryden has worked hard to make sure our work environment is pleasing to the eye,” the woman remarked primly.
“Damian’s like that,” Jessica murmured.
“I was speaking about the younger Mr. Dryden,” came the surprised response.
“Oh, of course,” Jessica said quickly.
By the end of the first day, Jessica felt as though she’d put in a forty-hour week. She’d been assigned a small desk in the corner of the outer office, a computer and her own phone. Mrs. Sterling seemed to feel it was her duty to keep Jessica occupied with a multitude of tasks, which included taking lunch orders, organizing file cabinets and hand-delivering messages throughout the office.
Just when she thought she wouldn’t even lay eyes on Evan her first day, he breezed in, stopping abruptly when he saw her. He was as tall as Damian, at least six-two, with chestnut hair and dark soulful eyes. In Jessica’s opinion, it wasn’t fair that any one man should be so breathtakingly handsome.
“Julia!” he exclaimed, as though he’d stumbled upon a treasure. “What are you doing here?”
“It’s Jessica,” she corrected him, refusing to be offended by his failure to remember her name. “I’m here because I’m working for you now.”
“Your brother hired Ms. Kellerman as your new legal assistant,” Mrs. Sterling explained.
Evan came forward, gripping Jessica’s hand in his own. “This must be Christmas in July! Why else would Damian present me with such a rare gift?”
“Christmas in July,” Jessica repeated, having a difficult time not laughing. What she’d heard about Evan was true, she decided. He was a flirt, but such a pleasant lighthearted one that it didn’t seem to matter. She knew he wasn’t serious.
“There are several matters here that need your attention,” Mrs. Sterling said stiffly from behind Evan.
“I’ll be with you in a few minutes,” he said.
“That’s fine,” Mrs. Sterling said. “Just don’t leave before these letters are signed, and while we’re at it, there are a few items we need to discuss—when you have time.”
“I promise to get to the letters first thing,” he said as if he had no interest beyond studying the young woman who stood before him. “Just put everything on my desk and I’ll look through it before I leave.”
“You won’t forget?”
Evan chuckled. “My, my, how you love to mother me.”
“Someone has to look after you,” his personal assistant said, her eyes crinkling above a bright smile.
Jessica watched in amazement as Evan charmed the older woman. Mrs. Sterling had been the picture of cool efficiency until Evan walked in the door. The minute he did she turned into a clucking mother hen. Before Jessica had a chance to analyze this reaction, Evan grinned. “You love me, Mary, and you know it.”
“It’s just that you’ve been a bit forgetful of late,” Mrs. Sterling said with a concerned frown. She reached for a stack of letters and leafed through them. “It doesn’t hurt to offer you a little reminder now and then, does it?”
“I suppose not,” Evan said and, taking the letters with him, walked into his office as if he hadn’t a care in the world.
“Have you been working on the brief for the Porter Corporation?” Mrs. Sterling asked, following on his heels.
“The Porter Corporation,” Evan repeated as if he’d never heard the name before. “It’s not due anytime soon, is it?”
“Yes, it is,” the personal assistant said, and Jessica heard a hint of panic in her voice. “First thing Friday morning.”
“I’ll have it ready by then. What day is this, anyway?”
“Mr. Dryden, you’ve got to start coming into the office before closing time!”
“Don’t you fret. I’ll have everything ready the way I always do,” he said as he ushered his personal assistant out the door. He paused when he noticed Jessica and winked. Then the door closed and Evan disappeared.
Mrs. Sterling shook her head. “Mr. Dryden’s been going through some … difficult times lately,” she told Jessica.
“How long has he been without a legal assistant?”
“Quite a while now. He didn’t seem to think he’d need one. Damian’s cut his work load and, well, things just haven’t been the same around here.”
Jessica was leaving for the day when she came across Damian. Looking dignified and businesslike, he was talking to his personal assistant. A few silver hairs at his temple added a distinguished air. He made a striking figure, and she wondered briefly why he hadn’t married. Tagged onto that thought came another. One that took her by surprise. She realized she was happy Damian hadn’t married.
He must’ve seen her in his peripheral vision, because he straightened and walked toward her. “Well, Jessica, how’d your first day go?”
“Very well.”
“Mary isn’t working you too hard, is she?”
“Oh, no, she’s great.”
“Mary’s one of the best personal assistants I’ve ever worked with. She may be a bit abrupt, but you’ll get used to that.” He was walking with Jessica now, their steps matching, his hands clasped behind his back. Mary was abrupt, perhaps, Jessica mused, but not with Evan.
“I’ll always be grateful to you for taking a chance on me,” she said conversationally.
Damian’s smile was rueful. “You may not be thanking me later. My brother can be a handful, but if there’s ever been someone who could get him back on the straight and narrow, it’s you.”
“Me?” she asked, not understanding.
Damian broke eye contact and glanced away. “Everybody needs to be looked at with wide worshipful eyes now and then, don’t you think?”
“Ah …” Jessica didn’t know how to respond. One thing was becoming abundantly clear. Damian hadn’t hired her because of her high test scores at business college.
Two
“You actually got the job?” Cathy Hudson said over the phone, her voice raised in astonishment. “You were hired, just like that, by one of the city’s most prestigious law firms?”
“It helps to have friends in high places.” Jessica was excited about this job, but she felt mildly guilty knowing the only reason she’d been hired was that their families were such good friends. However, Damian had made it plain she’d need to pull her own weight. Jessica was determined to prove herself; she’d be the best legal assistant the firm had ever hired. It was a matter of pride.
“Why does everything come so easy for you?” Cathy lamented. “You set your sights on something that would give Norman Vincent Peale second thoughts and—”
“Me? You’re the one trying out for a lead in Guys and Dolls. Talk about setting your sights high.”
“All right, all right,” Cathy said with a dramatic sigh, “you’ve made your point.”
“So how did the tryouts go today?”
“I … don’t know. It’s so hard to tell. I’d kill for the part of Adelaide, but then I watch the others, and they’re all so good. I came away thinking it’s just a pipe dream. David, the director, is wonderful. Working with him would be one of the highlights of my career, but I don’t dare hope I’ll get the part.”
“I have faith in you. You’re a natural, Cath.” It was true, her friend had a knack for the dramatic, and that had always made their friendship so interesting.
Cathy laughed softly. “How can I fail, when both you and my mother are convinced I’m destined for stardom? Now, before we get off the subject, how did the interview with Damian go?”
“Really well, I think.” Damian had dominated her thoughts all afternoon. He’d changed, she decided, or perhaps she was the one who was different. Whichever it was, she found herself enthralled by the man. The prospect of working with him—or at least in his vicinity—excited her.
“What about the younger brother?”
“Actually I’ll be working directly for Evan.”
Cathy must have noticed the hesitation in her voice because she asked, “Does that worry you? What’s the matter? Do you think you’re going to make an idiot of yourself over him—again?”
So much for Jessica’s ego. “No way. I was fourteen years old, for heaven’s sake.”
After she’d hung up, Jessica slipped a CD into the player, choosing an invigorating medley of jazz hits, and set about fixing her dinner. She made a hot chicken-and-spinach salad and stood barefoot in her kitchen, humming along to the music, her heart singing its own melody.
Once again, she reveled in having her own apartment. Thanks to a bequest from her grandfather, she’d been able to move into an older building almost eight months ago, and even without a job, her living expenses would be covered for another two years. She was immensely grateful for Ben Kellerman’s generosity, which had given her a much-desired measure of independence.
Later that evening, she relaxed with the paper. Despite her best efforts, her thoughts drifted to Damian. The last thing she wanted was to make a fool of herself over another Dryden.
To the best of her knowledge, the source of which was her mother, Damian wasn’t currently involved in a relationship. Joyce Kellerman said that Lois Dryden had complained that her elder son didn’t take enough time for fun in his life. What Damian needed, Jessica decided now, was to fall in love with a woman who would take his mind off work. Someone who’d make him laugh and enjoy life. Someone who appreciated him.
An hour later, as she was getting ready for bed, Jessica realized she’d spent most of the evening thinking about Damian. Well, that was quite understandable, she rationalized. After all, he was head of the firm she was working for.
The following day, Evan didn’t show up at the office until well after eleven. As she had previously, Mrs. Sterling fussed over him as though he were the prodigal son the moment he waltzed in the door.
“Good morning, Mr. Dryden,” Mrs. Sterling gushed, nearly leaping from her chair. “It’s a beautiful day, isn’t it?”
Evan seemed to need time to think about this. “I hadn’t noticed, but you’re right, it is a gorgeous day,” he said as he picked up his mail and leafed through the envelopes.
He was on his way into his office when he saw Jessica sitting at her desk. She felt his scrutiny and was pleased that she’d dressed carefully, choosing a smart-looking flowered silk dress with a blue jacket. In her heels, she was nearly as tall as he was.
“Good morning, Mr. Dryden,” she said.
“Evan,” he insisted. “You can call Damian Mr. Dryden if you want, but I’m Evan.”
“All right. Good morning, Evan,”
“It is a good morning, isn’t it?” he asked, giving her a roguish grin. Jessica couldn’t help responding with a smile of her own. She hadn’t seen it so much the day before, but there were definite changes in the Evan she remembered. He was thinner and his smiles didn’t quite reach his eyes. Another thing she couldn’t help noticing was the way everyone walked on eggshells around him. Mrs. Sterling had made a point of letting her know that Evan’s work load had recently been cut, and Damian had said Evan hadn’t yet recovered from a broken relationship. It must’ve been pretty serious, she thought.
“It’s been a long time since we’ve had a chance to talk, hasn’t it?” Evan asked, walking over and sitting on the edge of Jessica’s desk.
“A very long time,” she agreed, praying with all her heart that he wouldn’t resurrect her girlish antics. It’d been embarrassing enough to have Damian do it.
“I think we should make up for lost opportunities, don’t you? Tell you what—I’ll treat you to lunch.” He checked his watch and seemed surprised at the time. “We’ll go in half an hour. That’ll give me time to clear whatever’s on my desk.”
“You want to take me to lunch?” Jessica asked. “Today?”
“It’s the least I can do,” Evan said with a shrug. “I’ll have Mary make reservations.”
“But—”
“That’s an excellent idea,” Mrs. Sterling interjected, clearly pleased.
“I … I’ve only just started work,” Jessica said. “I’d enjoy lunch, perhaps in a week or so, after I’ve settled into the job.” The last thing she wanted was to give Damian the impression she was already slacking off.
Evan pressed his thumb to her chin and gazed deeply into her eyes. “No buts, and no arguments. We’re going to lunch and you can fill me in on what you’ve been doing for the last five or six years.”
Mrs. Sterling followed Evan into his office, looking inordinately pleased with this turn of events. She returned a few minutes later, casting a delighted look in Jessica’s direction as she picked up her phone and called the restaurant to make reservations. Evan had chosen Henri’s, one of Boston’s finest, well-known for its elegant dining. It also happened to be a good fifteen-minute drive from the office, which meant they’d be out for lunch much longer than usual.
“I doubt we’ll be back in an hour if we have lunch at Henri’s,” Jessica felt obliged to say.
“Don’t worry about it. You’ll make it up another time, I’m sure.”
“But this is only my second day. I don’t want to give the wrong impression.”
“My dear, Mr. Dryden is your boss. If he wants to have a leisurely lunch with you, don’t argue. You should be counting your blessings, instead.”
“I know but—”
“From what I understand, you two are old family friends,” Mrs. Sterling interrupted. “It’s only natural for him to want to personally welcome you to the firm.”
It seemed the reservation had barely been made when Evan reappeared. “Are you ready?”
Jessica blinked back her surprise. “Yes, of course, if you’ll give me just a moment.” She finished typing her notes into the computer, saved the memo and pushed back her chair.
Evan took her elbow and told Mrs. Sterling, “We’ll be back in a couple of hours.”
They were walking through the corridor leading to the front of the office when Damian appeared. His gaze shifted from Evan to Jessica.
“Jessica and I are going to lunch,” Evan said. “Do you need me for anything?”
“No. You two go ahead. I’ll talk to you later.”
Damian nodded. It was all Jessica could do not to blurt out that this lunch date hadn’t been her idea, but there wasn’t the opportunity and she doubted it was necessary anyway. Damian must’ve known she hadn’t invited herself out to lunch. Nevertheless, she didn’t want him to think ill of her.
“We’ll probably be late getting back,” Evan told his brother, guiding Jessica to the elevator.
They arrived at the restaurant by taxi and were seated immediately. The ambience was formal, with soft chamber music playing unobtrusively in the background. The waiters, who dressed like diplomats, were attentive, the tables were well spaced, and the meal was served with a great deal of ceremony.
Evan seemed disinclined to talk about himself, asking her a series of questions about school, her friends and activities. He appeared attentive, but she suspected his thoughts were far removed from her and their lunch. At least he didn’t dredge up the past and her infatuation with him. She could have kissed him for that.
After their dishes were cleared away, Evan took out a pad and pen. “I’m going to be working on a civil suit that’ll demand a fair amount of research,” he told Jessica. His eyes were bright with an enthusiasm she hadn’t seen before. “The case involves Earl Kress—you might remember reading about him.”
“Of course.” The unusual details of the case had filled the local news for weeks. The twenty-year-old former athlete was suing the Spring Valley School District for his education.
Jessica wished she’d brought along a pad and pen herself. She listened, enthralled, as Evan explained the details of the suit. It seemed Earl was a gifted athlete and the key figure in three of the school’s biggest sports—football, basketball and track. In order to participate in these sports he had to maintain a C average. Unfortunately Earl had a learning disability and had never mastered reading skills. Although he’d graduated from high school and been awarded a full scholarship, he was functionally illiterate.
Evan explained that the school district had pressured Earl’s teachers, and they’d been forced to give him passing grades. After he graduated from high school, he went on to college, but a severe knee injury suffered during football training camp ended his career. And within the first two months of school, Earl flunked out.
“That’s so unfair,” Jessica said when Evan finished. If Damian was concerned about his brother, she thought, then giving Evan this groundbreaking case was sure to take his mind off other things. It would give Evan purpose, a reason to come to work in the morning, the necessary incentive to look past his personal problems.
“There’ve been a number of similar suits filed in other parts of the country,” Evan continued. “I’m going to need you to do extensive research on the outcome of the cases previously tried.”
“I’ll be happy to help in any way I can.”
Evan grinned. “I knew I could count on you.”
So this was the real reason for their lunch. The case clearly meant a good deal to Evan, and consequently to Jessica. She was grateful for the opportunity to prove herself.
By the time they returned to the office, their lunch hour had stretched to three. It seemed everyone in the office was staring at them, and Jessica felt decidedly uncomfortable.
She walked directly to her desk, keeping her face averted when she passed Damian’s office. His door was open, and when he saw her walk by he stood up, called her name and then glanced pointedly at his watch. It was all Jessica could do not to tell him it had been a business lunch.
Damian had made it painfully clear that he expected her to do her job. He wasn’t paying her to romance his brother during three-hour lunches, and Jessica didn’t want him to have that impression. She longed to explain, but she’d look ridiculous doing so in front of Evan. The only thing she could do was stay late that evening in an effort to make up for the time spent over lunch.
Although it was after seven when she started out of the office, a number of others were still there. With her sweater draped over her arm, she was walking down the corridor when Damian stopped her.
“Jessica.”
“Hello, Damian,” she said. He was standing just outside his office.
He crossed his arms and asked, “How’d your lunch with my brother go?”
“Very well, but …”
“Yes?” he prompted when she didn’t immediately finish.
“I want you to know it was a working lunch,” she said, rushing the words in her eagerness to explain. “We discussed the Earl Kress case. I didn’t want you to think we’d spent three hours socializing.”
“It wouldn’t have mattered.”
“But it does!” she insisted fervently. “The lawsuit was the reason Evan asked me out. He wasn’t interested in renewing an old friendship.”
Damian’s frown was thoughtful. “Did he seem pleased with the assignment?”
“Very much so.” Jessica recalled Mrs. Sterling’s saying that “things just haven’t been the same around here for quite a while,” implying Evan hadn’t been the same. She wondered if Damian realized the extent of his brother’s unhappiness.
Damian smiled; Jessica had the feeling he didn’t do that often, which was a shame. The grooves in his cheeks and the sparkle in his gray eyes were very attractive. “I thought he might need a change of pace. Did you two have a chance to talk about old times?”
This was a casual way of asking if she’d been aware of the changes in his brother, Jessica guessed. “A little. Evan really was hurt, wasn’t he?”
Damian nodded. “Generally he disguises it, but I wondered if you’d detect the changes in him.”
“I couldn’t help noticing.” She’d seen it almost from the first moment. Even though she hadn’t spoken to Evan for years she could see how hard he was struggling to hide his misery. No wonder his parents and brother were so concerned.
Damian glanced at his watch and arched his brows. “It’s late. We’ll talk again some other time. Good night, Jessica.”
“Good night, Damian.”
As she waited for a train in the subway station, Jessica at last understood what Damian had meant when he’d told her that everyone needed to be looked at with wide worshipful eyes sometimes. It made perfect sense now that she thought about it. Damian still viewed her as that teenage girl infatuated with his younger brother. If ever there was a time Evan needed a woman to idolize him, it was now. She’d been hired, not for her legal skills, but to help his brother forget the woman he’d loved and lost. Damian was hoping she’d heal Evan’s pain.
The following morning around ten, Evan breezed into the office and presented Jessica with a dozen bloodred roses. Their perfume filled the room.
Jessica was speechless. “For me?” The flowers took her completely by surprise. Mrs. Sterling, too, from the look the personal assistant cast her.
“I need a favor,” Evan said, leaning against the edge of her desk, his face inches from her own.
“Of course.” She was holding the flowers against her like a beauty queen, inhaling their heavenly scent.
Evan reached into his jacket pocket and withdrew a folded sheet of yellow paper. “I need you to do some last-minute research for me.”
“Of course,” she repeated.
“There’re some statutes I need you to look up and report back on as soon as possible. This stuff is as dry as old bones—I’m sorry about that.”
“Don’t worry about it.” Jessica looked at the items Evan wanted her to research and her heart sank at the number. “How soon do you need this?”
“Yesterday,” was his frank reply.
Mrs. Sterling made a small tsk-tsk sound in the background, which made Jessica smile. Evan’s eyes twinkled and he whispered, “There’s nothing worse than a woman who can’t let ‘I told you so’ pass. Remember that, Jessica.”
“I will,” she said with a small laugh. “I’d better get started. I’ll have the information for you before I leave tonight.”
“Good girl.”
Mrs. Sterling produced a vase for the roses, and after setting them on the edge of her desk Jessica got down to work. She ensconced herself in the library and kept at her research straight through the lunch hour. She didn’t notice the time until after three, when her stomach rumbled in protest. Even then she didn’t take the time to sit down to eat, but grabbed an apple and munched on it while she continued to search for the required data.
The next time she looked up, the clock on the wall said seven forty-five. She’d heard the others leave, but that seemed like only minutes ago. She stood up and, placing her hand at the base of her spine, arched her stiff back and breathed in deeply.
Her eyes felt tired and her back sore as she carried her paperwork into the office. She stopped, surprised to find the room dark. She flicked on the lights and glanced around, certain Evan had left a note for her.
He hadn’t.
Picking up one of the roses, she held it to her nose and closed her eyes as she tried to battle down the weariness—and the disappointment.
“Jessica, what are you doing here?”
“Damian.” She could ask the same question of him.
“It’s nearly eight o’clock.”
“I know.” She rotated her overworked shoulders. “I guess time got away from me.”
“So I see. I had some reading I was catching up on, but I assumed I was here alone. There’s no reason for you to stay this late.”
She nodded toward Evan’s office. “What time did Evan leave?” she asked casually, not wanting him to know how abused she felt.
“A couple of hours ago. Why?”
“He said he needed this information right away.” She’d been in a frenzy attempting to finish the task as quickly as possible. She’d assumed he would wait until she’d brought him the data he seemed to need so desperately.
“I believe he had a dinner engagement,” Damian explained.
“I see,” she muttered. In other words, he’d cheerfully abandoned her.
“You sound angry,” Damian said.
“I am. I worked through my lunch hour getting this stuff for him.” And dinner hour, too, she thought, feeling even angrier. She realized too late that she probably also sounded jealous.
“I’m sorry, Jessica.”
Evan’s thoughtlessness wasn’t Damian’s fault and she said so, then asked bluntly, “Is there anything to eat around here?” She blinked back unexpected tears. Hunger always had a strange effect on her emotions, but it was embarrassing, and she tried not to let Damian see.
“You mean you haven’t eaten since lunch?”
“Not since breakfast, unless you count an apple, and if I don’t eat soon I’m going to cry and you really wouldn’t want to witness that.” The words rushed out and she felt a sniffle coming on. “Never mind,” she muttered, turning away from him. She wiped her nose with her forearm and returned to the library. Several ponderous law volumes were spread open across the tables. She closed them and began lugging them back to the shelves.
“I found a package of soda crackers,” Damian said, coming into the room.
“Thanks,” she said, ripping away the clear plastic wrapper and sniffling again. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to act like this.” She ate a cracker quickly and managed to hold back a sob. “Don’t look so concerned. I just needed to eat.”
“Let me take you to dinner.” Damian lifted a couple of the volumes and replaced them for her.
“That isn’t necessary.” A second cracker had made its way into her mouth and she was beginning to feel more like herself.
“We owe you that much,” Damian countered. “Besides, I’m half-starved myself.”
“The least he could’ve done was waited,” Jessica fumed.
Ignoring her comment Damian suggested a popular seafood restaurant nearby.
“He made it seem like it was a matter of life and death, and then he doesn’t bother to tell me he’s leaving,” she continued. “You’re right,” she said as Damian cupped her elbow and led her out the door. “Evan has changed.”
Damian didn’t respond to this comment either.
They walked the three blocks to the restaurant. It wasn’t too crowded, and they were given immediate seating at a wooden table near one of the windows. Even better, the waitress brought hot bread and chowder no more than a minute after it was ordered. Damian must be a regular here to get such service, Jessica thought, her good mood restored now that she’d eaten something warm and filling.
“This is excellent,” she said. “Thank you.” She sighed in contentment as she spooned up the last of her chowder.
Grinning, he finished his own soup, then reached for another piece of bread.
“What’s so funny?” she demanded. How like a man to keep something humorous to himself and then feel superior about it.
“I think I might just have averted a lawsuit. Can’t you hear it? ‘Woman Sues Boss over Lost Meals.’“
“I’d get a huge settlement.” The corners of her mouth twitched with a smile. Her eyes met Damian’s and soon their amusement had blossomed into full-blown grins.
He had very nice eyes, Jessica mused. They were a dark gray and revealed his keen intelligence, his sharp insight. She wanted to clear away any lingering misconception he had about her and Evan, but she couldn’t think of a way to do it without sounding as if she was jealous of whatever person Evan spent his personal time with.
Jessica wondered what Damian saw when he looked at her. Did he see the woman she’d become or the pesky kid next door who’d adamantly declared that his younger brother was her destiny?
The waitress arrived then with their main courses. Damian had ordered oysters and Jessica baked cod, which was delicious. By the time they’d finished, she felt completely restored.
“I said some things I shouldn’t have back at the office,” Jessica began, feeling self-conscious now but eager to explain. “You see—”
“You’d worked far longer than necessary and were starving to boot,” he interrupted. “Don’t worry about it.”
“I just wanted to be sure I hadn’t provoked you into firing me.”
“It’ll take more than a demand for food to do that,” he assured her, hardly disguising his amusement.
The June sky was dark and overcast and the temperature cooler as they came down the stairs and into the street. “It looks like rain,” Damian said. No sooner had he spoken than fat raindrops began to fall. Taking Jessica by the elbow, he sprinted across the street. Neither had thought to bring an umbrella.
“Here,” Damian said, running toward an alcove in front of a bookstore. The business had closed hours earlier, but the covered entrance was a good place to wait out the cloudburst. Jessica was breathless by the time they got there. A chill raced through her and she rubbed her arms vigorously.
Damian’s much larger hands replaced hers, then he stopped and peeled off his jacket, draping it over her shoulders.
“Damian, I’m fine,” she protested, fearing he’d catch a chill himself.
“You’re shivering.”
The warmth of his coat was more welcome than she cared to admit. No doubt about it, Damian was a gentleman to the core.
The downpour lasted a good ten minutes. Jessica was surprised at how quickly the time passed. When the storm dwindled to a drizzle and eventually stopped, Jessica discovered she was almost sorry. She was talking books with Damian and had discovered they shared an interest in murder mysteries. Damian was as well-read as she was, and they tossed titles and authors’ names back and forth without a pause.
“Did you drive to work this morning?” he asked.
She shook her head. She’d taken the subway.
“I’ll give you a lift home, then.”
“Really, Damian, that isn’t necessary. I don’t mind using public transit.”
“I mind,” he said in a voice that brooked no argument. “It’s too late for you to be out on the streets alone.”
How sweet of him to worry about her, she thought. “But I already have enough to thank you for.”
“What do you mean?”
“I was just thinking—I seem to be continually in your debt. You’ve got a heart of gold.”
He chuckled. “Hardly, Jessica.”
“You hired me without any job experience, then you bought me dinner, and now you’re driving me home.”
“It’s the least I can do.”
They returned to the office building, walking directly to the underground parking garage. Damian opened the car door for her and she nestled back in the leather seat.
One thing she’d learned during their time together was the fact that Damian was protective of his younger brother, though she doubted Evan appreciated that.
“You’re worried about him, aren’t you?” she asked, without clarifying her question. Damian knew who she was talking about.
“Yeah,” he admitted.
“Evan’s the real reason you hired me, isn’t he? You think I might be able to help him through this … difficult time.” It wasn’t a responsibility she welcomed or wanted. She was about to explain that when she noticed the way his mouth quirked in an amused smile.
Instead, she told him sharply, “I’m not a silly fourteen-year-old infatuated with an older man. What I felt for your brother was just a crush. It was over years ago.” That was the simple truth.
His shrug was noncommittal.
“Nevertheless,” she forged on, “you hired me because of Evan?”
It took Damian a few minutes to answer. “Sometimes I wonder,” he finally said. “Sometimes I wonder.”
Three
Jessica got to work early the following morning, hoping to have an opportunity to thank Damian again for dinner and more importantly to let him know how much she’d enjoyed the evening. But when she passed his office, the door was closed and his personal assistant was searching urgently through a file drawer. It didn’t look like the time to pop in unannounced.
Not surprisingly, Evan was nowhere to be seen. Mrs. Sterling arrived ten minutes after Jessica, greeting her with a small approving smile, and set about sorting the mail.
Jessica spent the first part of the morning organizing the material she’d researched the day before and typing up her notes. That way, Evan wouldn’t be forced to waste time deciphering her hasty scrawl.
She’d just completed printing out the results when a breathless Evan entered the office. From the look of him, he’d raced all the way up from the parking garage. Briefcase in hand, he marched up to her desk.
“Do you have those notes ready?” he asked, reaching for the file before Jessica had a chance to present it. She stood up, intending to discuss a few points with him, but he brushed past her and hurried into his office without a word. She would have followed him, but he closed the door.
Jessica was taken aback; unsure of what to do, she turned to Mrs. Sterling. The personal assistant sighed and shrugged. “Working for Mr. Dryden can be a real trial,” she muttered, then grinned and added, “No pun intended.”
As Mrs. Sterling chuckled at her own little joke, Evan reappeared, looking composed and confident. He’d removed his raincoat and was leafing casually through the file. He glanced over at Jessica and his face relaxed in a broad smile.
“You’re an angel,” he said, kissing her cheek as he walked past. Jessica had seen him kiss Mrs. Sterling in the same affectionate manner.
“I’ll be in a meeting with Damian this morning,” Evan announced on his way out the door.
As the morning went on, Jessica found herself wondering exactly what her role in the office was. Although Evan had recently been assigned the Earl Kress case, his work load had been light during the past few months. Now that she’d finished the research, there was barely enough to keep her busy.
From various bits and pieces she’d heard, Jessica gathered that Evan’s interest in corporate law had waned. Surely Damian hadn’t hired her expecting miracles! Since he was so closemouthed about Evan’s troubles, Jessica wondered if Mrs. Sterling could fill in some details. She didn’t want to be obvious about asking, which could prove tricky since the woman was so clearly devoted to her employer.
“That Evan’s a real charmer, isn’t he?” Jessica began conversationally.
“He always could charm the birds right out the trees,” Mrs. Sterling answered proudly.
“He’s different now from the way I remember him. More … intense.”
Evan’s personal assistant nodded and muttered, “I’d like to shoot that woman.”
Jessica’s heart leapt with excitement. “What woman?” she asked, trying to hide her eagerness. She was about to learn what had happened to change Evan so drastically from the man she’d known.
Mrs. Sterling glanced up, as if surprised that Jessica had heard her mumbling. “Oh … it’s nothing.”
“But it must be something. Evan isn’t anything like he was a few years back. Oh, he’s charming and sweet, but there’s an edge to him now. A sharpness, I guess. Something I can’t put my finger on.” She looked expectantly at the other woman.
“That’s true enough,” Mrs. Sterling reluctantly conceded.
“You say a woman’s responsible for the changes in Evan?”
“Isn’t it always a woman?”
“What happened?” Might as well try a more direct approach, Jessica thought. Tact wasn’t getting her anywhere.
“It’s a pity, a real pity.”
“Yes, Evan just isn’t the same,” Jessica said again, hoping to encourage the other woman to continue.
“It shouldn’t come as any surprise, really. Yet it does, Mr. Dryden being the charmer he is. Plain and simple, he fell in love with someone who didn’t feel the same way about him.” Then she clamped her mouth shut as though she’d already said far more than she should—far more than was circumspect for a personal assistant to say about her boss.
But this much Jessica already knew. She wanted the particulars. Who was this woman who’d hurt Evan so badly? Her back stiffened at the thought of someone rejecting him—the man she’d worshiped from afar during her tumultuous teenage years. Whoever this woman was, Jessica decided, she was a fool.
Unfortunately, Mrs. Sterling was unwilling to provide any further information.
About eleven Evan walked into the office. He smiled as he strolled past Mrs. Sterling’s desk to hers. “The research you did was wonderful, Jessica. Thank you.”
His appreciation caught her off guard. She wondered if Damian had said something to him and was momentarily speechless.
“I appreciate the effort that went into your report,” he murmured. “I’m very pleased with the quality of your work.”
“I … I was happy to do it. That’s my … my job.” The words stumbled off the end of her tongue. Jessica was astonished that his praise could fluster her like this. She was embarrassed now by the way she’d overreacted last night when she’d learned that he’d left the office. It was her own fault for not taking time to eat lunch. Evan’s disappearance wouldn’t have bothered her in the least if she had….
“Damian said you were here till almost eight.”
So Damian had mentioned that. “As I said earlier, I was only doing my job.”
“Mom and Dad are having a barbecue this weekend,” Evan continued, “Saturday, around four. I’d like you to attend it with me.”
His invitation threw her, and she wasn’t sure what to say. Although she hadn’t had a lot of work experience, she knew that dating the boss could lead to problems.
“This shouldn’t be a difficult decision,” Evan said, raising his eyebrows.
His pride had already suffered one blow, and Jessica refused to deliver a second, no matter how slight. “I’d enjoy that very much,” she said. “Thank you for thinking of me.”
He smiled affectionately. “You always were sweet.”
As a teenager, Jessica’s daydreams had been filled with such scenarios. She’d close her eyes and pretend Evan had asked her out. Now her dream had come true, but Jessica was left wishing it had been Damian issuing the invitation, instead of his brother.
“I’ll pick you up. You are living in the city, aren’t you?”
Jessica nodded. “Wouldn’t it be simpler if we met at the party? As it happens, I’m spending the weekend with my parents, and I can walk over with them.”
Evan seemed a bit surprised by her suggestion. “You’re sure?”
“Positive.”
“Then that’ll be fine. I’ll look forward to seeing you there.”
There’d been a time in her life when she would’ve gladly walked across a bed of hot coals to attend a party with Evan. Any party. Anywhere. Hadn’t Damian been counting on that when he hired her—even if he claimed to know she was long over her crush?
“The party’s in honor of some dignitary,” Evan went on. “A French artist. Mom wants to throw the quintessential American party for him. She’s worked herself into a tizzy for the event. I can guarantee this will be the most elaborate barbecue Boston has ever seen. The last I heard, she’d hired a country-and-western band.”
“It sounds like fun.”
“Considering all the effort that’s going into it, I’m sure it will be. You can do the two-step, can’t you, sweet Jessica?”
“Of course.” How easy it was to stretch the truth. In fact, she’d only done the two-step once or twice before. “Well, I’m pretty rusty,” she amended.
“Me, too. We’ll leave the fancy footwork to Damian.”
Damian, she thought with a sigh. There was definitely something wrong with her, something psychological—something rooted deep in her childhood, she supposed—if she could agree to date one brother while longing for the other.
The hours flew by and before Jessica knew it, the workday had come to an end. Mrs. Sterling had just stepped out of the office when Damian strolled casually in.
“Evan’s gone for the day,” Jessica said, a little flustered to find him standing in front of her desk. Especially since she’d once again been thinking how much she’d prefer to attend the family barbecue with him.
“I’m not here to see my brother.”
“Mrs. Sterling will be right back.”
“I came to see you,” Damian said, his eyes dark and intense as they settled on her.
Jessica tensed. Did he have some complaint with her work?
“Don’t look so worried. I came to tell you my parents are holding a party this weekend. A barbecue.”
“Yes, I know. Evan mentioned it earlier.”
Damian’s eyes brightened with interest. He crossed his arms and leaned against her desk. “What did he say about it?”
“Not much. Apparently it’s in honor of a French artist.”
“I see.” He hesitated as if he was unsure, which Jessica knew was completely out of character for Damian. “I was wondering …” he began, then straightened and buried his hands in his pants pockets. “Would you like to come to the party with me?”
Her shoulders sagged as she opened her mouth to tell him that Evan had already invited her, but before she could respond, Damian added, “I realize it’s short notice, but I didn’t hear the details myself until this morning.” A hint of a smile turned up the corners of his mouth. “Mother phoned, wanting to confirm that I’ll be there. She seems to be taking her duties very seriously.”
“Ah …”
“There’s a problem,” he guessed.
She nodded glumly. “Evan’s already invited me to the party—as his date.” She wanted to tell Damian she’d rather attend with him, but she couldn’t. “I’m sorry,” she muttered.
“He did?” Instead of looking displeased at this turn of events, Damian seemed positively delighted. “Don’t be sorry.”
His reaction annoyed her.
“It isn’t like a real date,” she said, wanting to make that clear. “At least, that wasn’t the impression Evan gave me. The invitation was his way of thanking me for working so hard on the research he needed.”
“My brother wouldn’t invite you if he wasn’t interested in your company,” Damian insisted. “Besides, I wouldn’t want Evan to think I was cutting in on his territory.”
His territory.
Damian must have guessed her feelings, because he said, “Evan asked you first.”
He was right about that, she thought, but little else.
Damian turned away, and it suddenly became important to Jessica to explain herself. “I don’t think you should put much stock in Evan’s invitation. It really was just a way of thanking me.”
“It’s a start, though, wouldn’t you agree?” Damian said over his shoulder. “A good start, at that.” He left her then before she could say anything more.
Jessica was upset, and it wasn’t until she got home that she figured out why. Damian hadn’t invited her to the party out of any real desire for her company. He’d assumed that Evan hadn’t asked her—and he was looking for an opportunity to throw her and his brother together socially.
Jessica arrived at her parents’ house early Saturday afternoon, after spending all morning shopping for the perfect outfit. Cathy had come along to offer encouragement and advice.
She might not be attending the barbecue with Damian, but when she showed up looking like a movie star, he’d wish she was. This was her mission, plain and simple.
Evan had casually mentioned the country-and-western band, but he’d also said the barbecue was in honor of an artist. These somewhat contradictory snippets of information served to confuse her about how to dress. Nothing in her closet seemed suitable, but then little in the shops did, either.
In one outfit she resembled Annie Oakley, and in another Jackie Kennedy. There didn’t seem to be much of a middle ground—until she found a long denim skirt, a red shirt decorated with white fringe sewn about the yoke and white cowboy boots. A white silk scarf tied around her neck lent a touch of elegance.
Her mother’s eyes widened with approval when Jessica modeled the outfit. “I wish now I’d gone shopping, too, and bought something new myself. You look great.”
“Thanks.” Her mother’s praise gave Jessica confidence. Cathy, who tended to dress like a character in a sci-fi movie, had also said she looked great, but Jessica didn’t really trust her friend’s fashion sense.
“It was so sweet of Evan to include you,” Joyce Kellerman went on to say. “Not that I’m surprised, his being your boss and all. Life is certainly full of little twists and turns, isn’t it?
“It sure is,” Jessica said without elaborating.
“I’m thrilled that you’re working with Evan.”
“He’s a nice person.”
“He’s wonderful. It’s always been my dream—I know it’s silly, but well, we’re such good friends with the Drydens … I’ve always hoped you’d grow up to marry one of Lois’s boys.”
“Whatever you do,” Jessica said quickly, “don’t say that in front of Damian or Evan.”
“Why not, dear?”
“Mom, it’d embarrass me to death!”
“But you were so keen on Evan a few years back, and I thought … I hoped …”
“Mother, I was only fourteen!” Her old infatuation with Evan was turning into the proverbial albatross around her neck—thanks to Damian and her mother. If it wasn’t for them, the whole thing would’ve been forgotten by now.
“You’ll make a beautiful bride,” her mother said, adding the finishing touches to her own outfit. Abruptly she changed the subject. “Lois has worried herself sick over this silly barbecue.”
“But why?” Mrs. Dryden had thrown a hundred parties more elaborate than this.
Her mother sat on the bed and leaned back on her hands. “I don’t suppose there’s any reason to keep it a secret. Walter’s been approached about running for the Senate.”
Walter Dryden had been active in community affairs for years. Although he’d never held public office, he’d often managed the successful campaigns of others. He’d taken an early retirement from the law firm, and, from what Jessica understood, had grown restless with inactivity. Running for office would doubtless come as a welcome challenge.
“Has he decided he’s going to run?”
“Your father and I think so. He hasn’t declared his candidacy yet, but we’re confident he will. He’s testing the waters with this barbecue tonight. The ostensible reason is to welcome this artist—a Pierre Sidonie—but a number of people from the political arena will also be present. So this is probably the most important party of Lois’s marriage. No wonder she’s a nervous wreck.”
Even before Jessica and her parents arrived for the barbecue, the pungent smells of tomato sauce, spices and roasting meat mingled in the afternoon sunshine and drifted over the fence.
As they were greeted at the front door, Jessica was reminded, by the fervor with which Lois hugged her mother, what very good friends the two women were. Their friendship had spanned more than twenty years, and they were like sisters. Jessica felt the same way about Cathy. They’d met in college, where they’d been roommates for three years.
When Jessica didn’t immediately see Evan or Damian, she wandered outside. A series of round tables decorated in red checked tablecloths were scattered across the lush expanse of lawn. The day was perfect, warm but not hot, and the sky was cloudless. A soft breeze ruffled the leaves of the large shade trees that lined the property. This was New England summer at its best. The aromas of the food were heavenly, too, reminding her how hungry she was. Shopping and preparing for the party hadn’t left time for lunch.
Several dozen guests had arrived, and Jessica scanned the crowd. She spotted Evan standing next to a lovely blonde in a white fringed dress with a turquoise belt and silver buckle. Jessica didn’t recognize the woman, and a few discreet inquiries got her nowhere. She became all the more curious. She attempted to make her way over to Evan, since she was officially his date, but in actuality, she was seeking an introduction to the lovely blonde. Perhaps this was Evan’s new romantic interest, she thought hopefully. But before she could reach Evan, she was waylaid by some family friends. Most of the Drydens’ guests were older people, established names Jessica had known or heard all her life.
“Hello, Jessica,” Damian said from behind her. She turned to find him in the sort of suit he wore at the office. He’d made an attempt to dress to the theme with a black Stetson, which, in Jessica’s opinion, looked entirely out of place on his very Bostonian head.
His eyes glimmered with appreciation. “You look—” he hesitated “—good.”
Jessica suspected it wasn’t often that Damian was at a loss for words. It lifted her spirits considerably.
“I imagine you’re wondering who that blonde is, the one draping herself all over Evan,” he suggested casually.
That was true, although not for the reasons he believed. She couldn’t help being grateful to this unknown woman for keeping Evan occupied. Otherwise he might feel obliged to pay attention to her, and she’d much rather spend her time with Damian.
“Who is she?” Jessica asked, playing his game.
“Do I detect a small hint of jealousy?”
“Of course not.” The question irritated her.
“That’s Ramona Sidonie.”
“Who?”
“The artist’s daughter.”
That explained it. Naturally Evan considered it his duty to make Ramona feel welcome. Jessica was pleased to see him apparently enjoying himself.
“Would you like me to introduce you?” Damian asked.
“No,” Jessica said. She’d noticed Evan and Ramona moving toward the dance area. “Evan’s having a good time. I don’t see any reason to interrupt him.”
“You’re his date.”
“But only because you talked him into asking me.”
Damian’s eyes narrowed. “What makes you say that?”
“I’m not completely naive, you know. The reason you came into my office to invite me was that you didn’t think Evan had—and you wanted to make sure the two of us were together in a social situation so you could see what happened. Am I right?”
He clasped his hands behind his back and took two small steps away, then turned to face her again. She saw a hint of a smile in his eyes. “If you’re right—although I’m not saying you are—I’d never admit it.”
“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 Frenchwoman. 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.”
“Ramona 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 that, which is just as well. I’d rather be with you,” she said boldly.
“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, figuring Damian might have used her desire to eat as an excuse to squire her to one of the tables and conveniently leave her there.
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 definitely seemed to have forgotten her, but far from being offended, she felt only a sense of relief.
Damian’s invitation to dance was unexpected. “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, which is it, Damian?”
He took a long time deciding, much longer than should’ve 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 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 astonishment 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 surprises 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, partnering the dignitary’s daughter.
“Well, well, if it isn’t Damian and Jessica,” Evan said with a smile, not sounding jealous at all.
It hadn’t taken long to attract Evan’s attention, and Jessica groaned inwardly, wondering if Damian had planned this.
“You haven’t met Ramona, 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 Ramona.
The two couples moved off to get something to drink. They were making small talk and sipping punch when Damian suddenly asked Ramona 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 Ramona 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 Ramona 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 that Damian and Ramona were on the far side of the dance area, because she needed time and space to bring order to her thoughts. When the number ended, Evan was corralled 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 crossed 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.
Absorbed, she hadn’t noticed Damian’s approach and was startled when he spoke. “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’ve 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 brought 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 told her softly. “It was over a long time ago—more than six months now.” He sighed. “I was hoping he would’ve forgotten her by now, but …”
Oh, dear, Jessica thought. Apparently Damian believed she was here at the pond brooding about Evan, when in fact nothing could be farther from the truth. She’d been standing on the bridge thinking about Damian.
“Who was she?” Jessica asked curiously.
“Someone he met on a beach. No name the family had ever heard of before, not that it mattered. Mary Jo Summerhill.”
“What happened?”
“No one really knows. 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 have no idea what happened between him and Mary Jo?”
“No. He changed abruptly after the breakup. His heart clearly wasn’t in his work, so I cut back his hours. 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 said, “but if anything, he’s resented my prying. This broken relationship seems to have hurt 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 …” 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 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 years old coming to this bridge and crying my eyes out,” she murmured.
“What were you so upset about?”
“You,” she said, turning back 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 asked.
He looked at her in surprise. “Where else? The beach. From what I gather, that roller coaster’s still in operation. 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 cone of pink cotton candy in one hand and a purple stuffed elephant in 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 down on them.
“I don’t think I’ve ever enjoyed myself more,” Jessica said to Damian. She held the cotton candy toward him and he helped himself to a handful. Taking another bite herself, she savored the sugary sweetness melting 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 this silly elephant.” She hugged it against her, belying her words.
“Are you game?” Damian asked, gesturing toward the huge steel structure.
Jessica shrugged. “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 took 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 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, how am I going to hold on?”
“I’ll hold you,” 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 so 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 look forward to their turn. At last the silver cars came to an abrupt halt 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. She generally avoided heights, 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 climbed 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, 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.”
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 entry 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 little girl next door.
And maybe Evan’s obvious attraction to Ramona would blossom into something more, and the Drydens would stop looking to Jessica for solutions. She sincerely hoped that would be the case. A man always thrived on a challenge, and the artist’s daughter might be just the thing Evan needed.
Damian and Jessica walked along the sawdust-covered ground of the parking lot until they got to 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 gone to Cannon Beach. Years since—” He stopped abruptly.
Jessica was reminded of what she’d heard about Damian—that he worked too hard and didn’t take 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 went home, and she wasn’t ready to let that happen.
“Do you want to come up?” she asked, not really expecting he would, but 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. One of her neighbors 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 slumped against the mirrored wall in mock exhaustion.
“You sure you don’t want to close your eyes?” he said.
“Why?”
“This elevator is moving at death-defying speeds. Who knows the last time it was checked for safety.”
“Thursday” came her glib reply.
Damian laughed delightedly.
“I don’t know,” she teased. “You might be right.” Jokingly she squinted her eyes shut, but when she did, Damian kissed her.
It took Jessica a moment to realize what had happened. Damian had actually kissed her. It was a simple, uncomplicated kiss, the kind a brother gives a sister. One pair of lips touching another.
Only it didn’t feel simple.
If anything, it left her longing for much, much more. Dumbstruck, she stared up at him, not knowing how to respond.
“Don’t look so shocked,” Damian muttered.
“I …” She closed her mouth to stop herself from asking him to kiss her again.
“It was just a kiss.”
“I know,” she muttered. She sensed that he regretted the impulse and wished she knew of some way to tell him how thoroughly she’d enjoyed it. But before she could find the words, the elevator stopped.
Jessica led him to her apartment and unlocked the door. Turning on the light, she moved into the cheery yellow kitchen and, as was her habit, flipped the switch to her answering machine. Cathy Hudson’s voice greeted her.
“Jess. Hi, it’s me. I’m dying to hear how the barbecue went with lover boy today. Give me a call when you can.”
“So your friend knows about Evan?” Damian asked casually, making himself comfortable at her round oak table. He leafed through a newsmagazine she’d been reading that morning.
“I might’ve mentioned him, but certainly not as Lover Boy, if that’s what you’re asking.”
“That’s not what she said.”
“She’s teasing,” Jessica insisted. She hadn’t talked to her friend about her new feelings for Damian and was sorry now, because Cathy—like everyone else, it seemed—was intensely curious about the relationship between Jessica and Evan. “She knows I once had a crush on Evan and she assumed … Well, you just heard.” Jessica took out the coffee canister and poured some grounds into the paper filter. The rich coffee aroma filled the room. “This will only take a minute,” she promised.
“Listen, don’t bother. It’s later than I realized.”
“You’re sure?” Jessica said, disappointed.
“Positive.” He set aside the magazine and stood. Pausing in front of her, he drew his hand along the side of her face. “Thank you for a wonderful day, Jessica.”
“Thank you,” she whispered back.
The apartment seemed unnaturally empty when Damian was gone. She’d hoped he’d kiss her again before he left. He’d been tempted, she could see it in his eyes, but he’d resisted, apparently wanting to keep an emotional distance from her.
Jessica wasn’t at all tired and, needing to talk, dialed her friend’s number.
A groggy Cathy answered on the fourth ring.
“I didn’t wake you, did I?” Jessica said with a giggle, delighted to pay back her friend for all the times Cathy had phoned her in the middle of the night.
“From the dead. What are you doing calling so late and sounding so damned cheerful? There should be a law against that. Let me guess. You were with Evan.”
“No! Damian and I went to the—”
“Damian? You’re dating Evan’s brother?” Cathy seemed wide-awake now.
“I know in that silly romantic heart of yours you figured once I was working with Evan, all the unrequited love I’d stored up years ago would suddenly blossom.”
“Yup,” Cathy said. “You’re exactly right.”
“Cathy, listen to me. Evan Dryden is a terrific guy, but he isn’t the man for me.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“Because … well, because I just am.” Even now it was difficult to talk about her feelings for Damian. She couldn’t begin to describe them. “For one thing, Evan’s in no emotional shape to get involved in another romance, which is fine by me.”
“What happened?” Cathy demanded. “I thought he asked you to his family’s barbecue.”
“He did, but only because Damian prompted him. By the time I arrived, he’d met a lovely Frenchwoman and the two of them were inseparable.”
“How rude!”
If she’d had her heart set on Evan, it would’ve been devastating, but she didn’t, and as a consequence she’d spent a glorious night in Damian’s company. She wouldn’t have traded the evening for anything. “No, not at all,” she said.
“You aren’t disappointed?”
Apparently Cathy wasn’t as awake as Jessica had believed. “Not in the least. Damian and I drove out to Cannon Beach and rode the roller coaster.”
“You? The original wimp on that monster ride? You didn’t really, did you?”
“Yes, I did,” she replied proudly, “and it was fabulous.” She spent the next few minutes relaying the highlights of the evening—Damian’s winning the stuffed elephant for her and walking along the pier and sharing cotton candy. When she finished there was a short silence.
“Hmm,” said Cathy thoughtfully. “This could be very interesting.”
Jessica got to the office bright and early Monday morning. Evan had apparently been there at some point during the weekend, since he’d left her a list of instructions. His notes included a series of laws he needed her to research. Jessica got to the task right away.
Damian found her in the library some time later. “So you are here,” he said, sounding surprised. “Mrs. Sterling thought you hadn’t come in today. I phoned your apartment and left a message.”
Jessica straightened in her chair and arched her back, hoping to relieve the tension in her tired muscles. A glance at her watch told her it was nearly eleven. She’d been so involved in her research she hadn’t noticed the time.
“I’ve been in here all morning,” she explained, pinching the bridge of her nose. The words were beginning to blur in front of her eyes. Some of the reading was dull, but there were several cases she found intriguing.
He disappeared and returned a moment later with a steaming cup of coffee. “Here,” he said, handing it to her. “Take a break before you go blind.”
“Has Evan shown up yet?” The coffee tasted like ambrosia.
Damian sighed. “Not yet. But Evan comes and goes at will, or at least he has for the past few months.”
“Well, he left me some work to do, so he must’ve been in yesterday.” She paused. “What about him and Ramona?” She sincerely hoped those two were enthralled with each other.
“It’s too soon to tell, but maybe there’s some hope there.” Good. Damian sounded as if he really meant it.
“I want Evan to be happy,” she said, not sure why she needed Damian to know that.
“Exactly.” Damian smiled and got up to walk over to the polished bookcase. He pulled down a well-used volume. “Let me give you some advice,” he said, tucking the book under his arm.
“Sure.”
“Don’t skip lunch.”
“I won’t,” she promised.
He left then and Jessica smiled and closed her eyes. After a moment she returned to her research. A long time passed before her smile faded.
As promised, Jessica took her lunch hour and returned to find Evan searching for her. He sat down next to her in the library and reviewed her notes, asked a series of intelligent questions and made comments every now and then about her progress. More than once he praised her efforts. He made a few notations himself, and they spent the better part of an hour discussing different aspects of the Earl Kress case.
After Evan had gone, Jessica was exhilarated. Damian had revealed a keen insight into his brother’s personality by assigning Evan to this important case. Evan was dynamic, sharp and dedicated to representing this former athlete to the best of his ability.
Several hours of research remained, and although it was late, Jessica decided to trudge on until she was finished.
“It’s six o’clock and time for you to go home,” Damian said from behind her in the tone she recognized. It was the one he used when he wouldn’t listen to a word of argument. The one that swayed juries.
“I’ll be finished in a bit.”
“You’re finished now.”
“Damian.”
“Don’t argue with me, Jessica. It won’t do any good.”
She closed the book she was reading and stood up. Every movement of her body spelled reluctance.
“Did you take time for lunch?”
“You’re beginning to sound like my guardian!”
“I see you didn’t eat, otherwise you wouldn’t be snapping at me.”
“I did so—and I’m not snapping!”
“That does it!”
Was he about to fire her for insubordination? Jessica stared up at him, wondering what would happen next.
“We’re going to dinner,” he muttered.
“Dinner! But Damian, you’ve already—”
“Pizza,” he said, “the deep-dish variety. There’s a small Italian restaurant around the corner. I swear it’s one of the best-kept secrets in Boston.”
“Pizza,” Jessica repeated slowly and her stomach growled in anticipation. “Well, if you insist, and it seems that you do.” She reached for her purse.
They walked to the restaurant, which was nestled in the basement of one of the older buildings. The marble floors were badly worn, and the architecture showed that the place had been built in the early thirties. Jessica had passed the building a hundred times and barely given it a second’s notice.
“How’d you hear about this restaurant?” she asked.
“From the security guard. He eats here regularly and recommended it to me. I’ve never tasted better Italian food.”
The proprietor greeted Damian as if he were a long-lost cousin, kissing him on both cheeks and speaking in Italian as he nodded approvingly at Jessica.
“What did he say?” she asked when they were seated at a table covered with a red-and-white-checked cloth. A candle flickered from inside a small vase, and shadows danced across the opposite wall.
He shrugged. “I don’t know the language that well.”
“In that case you did a good job of faking it.”
“All right, if you must know, Antonio assumed we’re lovers,” Damian said casually, opening the menu.
“You corrected him, didn’t you?” she demanded, putting a hand to her chest. She could feel the color rush into her face.
“No.”
“Damian! You can’t let that man believe you and I …”
“You’re probably right, I shouldn’t. Especially when it’s my brother you’re in love with, not me.”
Jessica set the menu aside and leaned forward until her stomach pressed against the edge of the table. They needed to get this straight, once and for all. “I’m not in love with Evan,” she whispered heatedly.
“All right, all right.”
“You don’t sound convinced.”
“I’m convinced,” he said, without looking at her. Whatever was offered on the menu had apparently captured his full attention.
“Fine,” she said, picking up her own menu. She was about to suggest the sausage pizza when a basket of warm bread was brought to their table. The lovely dark-haired woman who’d delivered it caught Damian’s face between her hands and kissed him soundly on the lips. Jessica must have looked shocked, because the older woman laughed delightedly. “You don’t need to worry—I won’t steal Damian away from you,” she said, then added something in Italian.
Damian seemed to go pale at the woman’s words. Jessica’s own knowledge of Italian was scant, but she knew what bambino meant.
“Damian, tell me what she said.”
He was silent while the same woman poured them each a glass of wine and brought a plate of antipasto. Then he sighed. “Lucia says you seem nice and sturdy.”
“What? Anyway, she said more than that.”
“Jessica, I already explained I only know a little bit of Italian.”
“You know more than me. She said bambino. Doesn’t that mean ‘baby’?”
Damian sighed again. “Yes. Lucia said you’ll make a good mother to my children.”
“Oh.” Jessica glanced at the woman, who was standing on the other side of the room, busy ladling minestrone soup into two ceramic bowls, which she then brought over to them.
“I guess we aren’t going to get that pizza,” Damian muttered after the soup was served.
Antonio returned with the bottle of Italian wine and replenished their glasses with exclamations of pleasure. Damian thanked him in Italian, then they spoke for a minute or two.
“When did you learn to speak Italian?” Jessica asked.
“I didn’t. I picked up a smidgen here and there over the years. I spent a couple of months in Italy before I entered law school and muddled my way through the country. That’s about it.”
“You’re a man of many talents,” she said, picking up her spoon and sampling the soup. It was rich and flavorful. In fact, everything was excellent—the meal, the smooth red wine, the cappucino and dessert. Each time she thought she couldn’t swallow another bite, Lucia would bring them something else she insisted they try.
“Either we leave now, or you’ll have to roll me out of here,” Jessica said.
Damian chuckled, settled the bill, and together they walked back to the office high-rise. The evening was glorious, and Jessica felt wonderful. She wasn’t sure if it was the result of the weather, the delicious food and wine or the company—or maybe all of them.
“Thank you,” she said in the elevator.
“You’re welcome.” Damian fell strangely quiet as they walked to the law library. Before she left for the night, Jessica wanted to shelve the volumes she’d been studying. Damian helped her silently. When they were finished, he preceded her from the room, automatically turning off the light.
The room was suddenly dark and Jessica bumped into a table.
“Jessica.”
“I’m fine,” she assured him, moving toward the hall light.
“That’s the problem,” he muttered, reaching for her. She was in his arms before she realized it. “I’m not.” With that his mouth came down on hers.
Five
This kiss wasn’t brotherly, nor was it uncomplicated. Damian’s mouth fit over hers, warm and coaxing. Jessica sighed and relaxed against him, giving herself up to the sensation. It felt right to be in his arms, that was all there was to it.
Her hands gripped the lapels of his jacket, her fingers crushing the soft wool as his mouth moved against hers. Damian’s hand curved around the side of her neck, his touch tender as though he feared hurting her.
The kiss was unlike any Jessica had ever experienced. She felt the sensual power of it all the way to her toes, the impact stealing her breath. She moaned and Damian did, too. When they broke apart, neither spoke. Jessica wished he’d say something, anything, to break the silence. She needed him to explain what was happening, because she was lost, taken by surprise, yet delighted to the very depths of her being.
Instead, Damian turned and walked away.
She couldn’t believe it. A tear slipped unnoticed down her cheek and dropped onto her silk blouse, the droplet bleeding into a small circle. She raised her hand to her face, taken aback by the tear.
Funny that when she couldn’t find the words to say what she felt, a tear would speak for her. She’d learned that lesson years earlier. Her mother’s tears had fallen onto her grandmother’s casket, and they’d said far more than a whispered farewell. Tearstains on a letter revealed more than its words.
A tear on her cheek now, after she’d shared a kiss with this man, spoke volumes. Only, to Jessica the language was one she couldn’t fully understand.
The sudden need to escape overwhelmed her. Collecting her purse, she stepped out of the library and proceeded down the hallway. She paused outside Damian’s open door. She saw him standing in front of his window, gazing into the night. His hands were clasped behind his back.
“Good night,” she called softly.
He turned and smiled briefly. “Good night, Jessica. See you in the morning.”
She wished they could sit down and discuss what had happened, but one look told her Damian was confused and not nearly as delighted as she was. He seemed troubled, burdened somehow. She wondered if he regretted having kissed her.
“Thank you for dinner,” she said. “You were right. It’s the best Italian food I’ve ever had.” She didn’t want to leave, but didn’t have an excuse to stay.
“I’m glad you enjoyed it.”
Jessica headed for the elevator. Her thoughts remained so muddled that she nearly missed her subway stop on the ride home. The first thing she did when she walked into her apartment was reach for the purple elephant Damian had won for her. She wrapped her arms around it and hugged it tight. It made her feel close to Damian. All she needed to do was shut her eyes and the memories of their night together at Cannon Beach filled her mind. She could almost hear the sound of the carousel and the echo of her own laughter when Damian insisted on winning her the elephant. She could hear the roller coaster as the riders shrieked past and smell the popcorn, candy apples and hot dogs.
Still holding the elephant, Jessica slumped into the overstuffed chair and reached for her phone, calling her best friend. Cathy was far more insightful in these matters than she was. She would help her make sense of Damian’s kiss.
“Hi,” Jessica murmured when her friend answered.
Her greeting was met with a slight hesitation. “What’s wrong?”
Her friend knew her so well. “What makes you think anything’s wrong?”
“I can tell from your voice.”
Smiling to herself, Jessica brought up her knees and rested her chin there as she assembled her thoughts. There didn’t seem to be an easy way of explaining. Best just to blurt it out. “Damian kissed me tonight.”
“And you liked it, didn’t you?”
Cathy sounded gleeful, as though tempted to break into song. Jessica supposed this was what she got for having a theater-arts major for a best friend.
“Yeah—but I’m totally confused,” Jessica admitted quietly. This jumble of mixed feelings was her main problem.
“Surprises you, doesn’t it?” Cathy asked, then chuckled softly, again with that note of delight. “I’ve seen the writing on the wall ever since you mentioned Damian Saturday night. The guy’s perfect for you.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.”
“What’s ridiculous about it?”
“I haven’t thought of him … that way. Well, I have recently, and frankly, it frightens me to death. I’ve already made a fool of myself over one Dryden. I don’t want to make the same mistake with another one.”
“You were a kid the first time. There’s a world of difference between what happened then and what’s happening now.”
“Maybe,” was all Jessica was willing to concede.
“Think, woman,” Cathy said dramatically. “The man’s obviously attracted to you, too. Otherwise he wouldn’t be kissing you.”
“I don’t know that, and you don’t, either. We kissed, and then he acted as if it was the worst thing he could’ve done. He didn’t say a word and he just walked away. I don’t know what to think. I’m so confused.” She pressed a hand to her forehead.
“So you feel he regretted it?”
“He must have. Otherwise … otherwise everything would’ve turned out differently. He looked at me as if I were a stranger, as if he didn’t want to see me again.”
“What was he supposed to do? Confess undying love? Didn’t you tell me you had the whole situation figured out? The only reason Damian hired you was to bolster his brother’s spirits. The man has integrity, Jess. He can’t very well start dating you himself if he believes you might still have some feelings for his younger brother.”
“It drives me crazy that he’d think that!”
“I know, but you’ve got to see it from his point of view.”
“At the cost of my own sanity?”
“For now,” Cathy said sympathetically.
“I don’t know what to do!” Jessica cried, chagrined at the amount of emotion that spilled into the words.
“There’s more,” Cathy said, warming to the subject. “If you’re interested in Damian, it makes perfect sense that you’re going to have to make the first move. Damian’s hands are tied as long as he thinks there’s the slightest chance you’re interested in his brother. The guy’s in a real bind here.”
“Him! This whole thing with Evan’s gotten out of hand. The poor guy’s suffocating under everyone’s concern. I actually feel sorry for him. He got the raw end of a deal in a relationship, and all he needed was some time to work out his pain,” Jessica lamented. “Instead, Damian cut his work load until he’s bored out of his mind. His parents, especially his mother, are dishing out sympathy by the truckload, and it’s all Evan can do to stay afloat.”
She paused for breath, then went on, “The only reason Damian hired me was that he thought I’d pull Evan out of the doldrums. I haven’t talked to Evan, but I’m sure he resents all this nonsense. And I don’t blame him.”
“What about you and Damian?”
“I don’t know what to think,” Jessica admitted again. “I wish I did. If he’s interested in me, then surely it’s his place to say or do something. Regardless of how he thinks I feel about Evan.”
“Oh, come on, Jess!”
“I know Damian.”
“Huh. You thought you knew Evan, too.”
“I do, or rather, I did,” she argued. The conversation was frustrating her more by the minute. “Besides, like I said earlier, I’m not interested in making a fool of myself over another Dryden. I learned my lesson the last time. Good grief, that was years ago and my parents and his still talk about it. Just this past weekend my own mother said how pleased she’d be if I married Evan!”
“I have an idea,” Cathy said slowly as though the scheme was taking shape in her mind as she spoke. “Introduce me to Damian.”
“What possible reason do you have to meet him?” Jessica didn’t like the idea of this.
“I just want to. Things aren’t going well with David….”
“David?” Jessica cried. “Who’s David?”
“The director for Guys and Dolls. Now listen, I know this sounds crazy, but trust me, it could work.”
“What could work?” Jessica was fast losing what remained of her patience.
“Our meeting. I’ll turn on the charm, do what I can to enchant him, and—”
“Just a minute, Cath, you’re talking about the man I’m interested in.”
“I know,” she said as if all of this was perfectly logical. “But don’t you want to know how serious he is about you? Also, maybe watching him with another woman will help you sort out your feelings for him.
“Yes, but—”
“Come on, Jess. You said yourself you weren’t willing to make a fool of yourself a second time. This way you’ll know.”
“This strikes me as pretty darn silly.”
“Not only that,” Cathy went on as though Jessica hadn’t spoken, “it’ll give me a chance to practice my acting. Just introduce us, and I promise I won’t do anything to embarrass you.”
“All right,” she agreed without any real enthusiasm. “How do you propose we do this?”
“I could stop by the office one day soon and suggest lunch. It’d be natural for you to introduce me around, wouldn’t it?”
“I … suppose, but doesn’t that seem a bit obvious?”
“Perhaps. Do you have a better idea?”
“No.” She sighed. “Okay. Do you want me to invite Damian to join us? I’m coming into the office this Saturday to catch up on a few things, before Evan’s big court case starts next week. My guess is that Damian will be there, as well.”
“All the better, then. I’ll see you Saturday around noon.”
“You’re sure about this?”
“Absolutely! I have ways of getting a man to talk.”
“That sounds like something out of a movie,” Jessica muttered.
Cathy laughed. “It is.”
“That’s what I was afraid of.”
Precisely at noon Cathy arrived at the office. Jessica envied her petite friend her pixie good looks, short dark hair and big blue eyes. Cathy was adorable in her pants, which were black with huge white dots, and multicolored striped suspenders. Her blouse was white with small black dots and she was wearing black high heels. One thing was certain—no one would miss seeing her walk down the street. If Evan had been in the office, he doubtless would have begged an introduction.
“You must’ve forgotten about our lunch,” Cathy said more loudly than necessary, standing outside Jessica’s office. Loudly enough for Damian to hear.
Her friend’s ploy worked because a minute later he wandered out of his office.
“Damian, this is my friend Cathy Hudson,” Jessica said. “I might have mentioned her before.”
Damian and Cathy shook hands. “Jessica forgot we were supposed to meet for lunch toda,” Cathy said.
“It isn’t a good idea for Jessica to skip meals,” Damian said. His eyes twinkled and the effort to suppress a smile caused the corners of his mouth to quiver.
“So you’ve seen what happens when Jessica’s stomach growls. Wounded bears are easier to reason with than Jess when she’s hungry.”
“Hey, that’s not true!” Jessica flared. They were speaking as if she wasn’t there. She placed her hands on her hips and glared at the two of them. She hadn’t been keen on this idea of Cathy’s from the first and her instincts were proving to be right.
Her former roommate eased closer to Damian and was staring soulfully into his eyes. He didn’t seem to mind in the least; in fact, he seemed to lap it up.
“I’ll get my purse,” Jessica said stiffly, leaving Cathy and Damian gazing at each other while she went behind her desk and dug her purse out of the bottom drawer. The whole charade irritated her, and she was furious she’d allowed herself to be talked into it.
Cathy managed to tear her eyes away from Damian long enough to throw visual spikes at her friend. It took Jessica a moment to understand what was being signaled. Oh, yes—she was supposed to invite him to tag along.
“Would you care to join us for lunch?” she asked Damian, managing to sound polite, if unenthusiastic.
“Please do,” Cathy said, her words like warm honey.
Damian looked at Jessica as if seeking her confirmation, and to her credit, she did produce a smile. She didn’t know why she’d gone along with this. No doubt it was due to Cathy’s persuasive talents.
“I’ll be happy to join you,” Damian shocked her by saying. She’d never dreamed he would. The man was full of surprises.
“Great, just great,” Jessica muttered under her breath.
“Fabulous,” came Cathy’s melodious response.
Jessica rolled her eyes, and together the three of them headed out of the office. Damian suggested a well-known expensive restaurant, and before Jessica could comment one way or the other, Cathy had agreed. Jessica snapped her mouth closed before she could say something she’d regret. It irked her that Damian would so easily fall into Cathy’s snare. It might be just a charade, but she was left more than a little confused.
Outside the building, Damian waved down a cab, and Cathy managed to sit in the backseat with Damian. Jessica sat in the front while her best friend giggled her way through the streets of Boston. They drove past the Boston Common and the Freedom Trail, the winding path that led history buffs and tourists from one historic monument to another.
She was acting like a jealous fool, Jessica realized with a start. Jealous of Damian and Cathy? The fog that had clouded her thinking for the past few days cleared.
She was falling in love with Damian Dryden. It couldn’t have been any more obvious. It was one of the things Cathy had set out to prove, and her friend was right—she’d needed this blunt lesson.
Of course she loved Damian. From the minute she’d walked into his office and asked about the job. From the minute he’d stood on the footbridge that crossed the pond on his parents’ property and insisted on taking her to Cannon Beach.
From the minute he’d kissed her.
This was what Cathy had been trying to tell her.
When they got to the restaurant, Cathy excused herself and Jessica. With her arm wrapped around her friend’s, she dragged her to the ladies’ room.
Before Jessica could open her mouth, Cathy burst out, “Damian’s wonderful!”
“I know.”
“I haven’t met Evan, but I’m telling you right now if you’re not interested in his big brother, I am. He’s witty, he’s gorgeous, and—”
“I know all that.” And a lot more.
“Listen,” Cathy said, “I want you to make some excuse and leave.”
Jessica was stunned. “You want me to what?”
Cathy was refreshing her makeup in front of the mirror, her eyeliner in hand. “You heard me. Remember an urgent appointment, something that’ll call you away so the two of us can be alone together. Only don’t make it sound phony, or Damian will know what we’re doing.”
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Debbie Macomber
'Perfect for fans of Maeve Binchy' - CandisA mother’s joy is seeing her children fall in loveWhen Jessica was fourteen she was infatuated with Evan Dryden. Almost ten years later and Jessica knows what she felt for Evan was just a crush, because she’s fallen in love…with his brother, Damien! Convincing Damien that she loves him and not Evan is going to be a challenge, but with true love on the cards Jessica is not giving up.Mary Jo Summerhill has come back to ask for Evan’s help. She stayed away for three years after breaking their engagement, a decision that nearly destroyed her…and him. There is only one problem, Mary Jo still loves Evan and what she really wants is a second chance to become part of the Dryden family…Make time for friends. Make time for Debbie Macomber.
Make time for friends. Make time for
Debbie Macomber
CEDAR COVE
16 Lighthouse Road
204 Rosewood Lane
311 Pelican Court
44 Cranberry Point
50 Harbor Street
6 Rainier Drive
74 Seaside Avenue
8 Sandpiper Way
92 Pacific Boulevard
1022 Evergreen Place
1105 Yakima Street
A Merry Little Christmas
(featuring 1225 Christmas Tree Lane and 5-B Poppy Lane)
BLOSSOM STREET
The Shop on Blossom Street
A Good Yarn
Susannah’s Garden
(previously published as
Old Boyfriends)
Back on Blossom Street
(previously published as
Wednesdays at Four)
Twenty Wishes
Summer on Blossom Street
Hannah’s List
A Turn in the Road
Thursdays at Eight
Christmas in Seattle
Falling for Christmas
Angels at Christmas
A Mother’s Gift
A Mother’s Wish
Be My Valentine
THE MANNINGS
The Manning Sisters
The Manning Brides
The Manning Grooms
Summer in Orchard Valley
THE DAKOTAS
Dakota Born
Dakota Home
Always Dakota
About the Author
DEBBIE MACOMBER is a number one New York Times bestselling author. Her recent books include 44 Cranberry Point, 50 Harbor Street, 6 Rainier Drive, and Hannah’s List. She has become a leading voice in women’s fiction worldwide and her work has appeared on every major bestseller list. There are more than a hundred million copies of her books in print. For more information on Debbie and her books, visit www.DebbieMacomber.com.
Happy Mother’s Day
Ready for Love
Ready for Romance Ready for Marriage
Debbie Macomber
featuring Ready for Romance and Ready for Marriage
www.mirabooks.co.uk (http://www.mirabooks.co.uk)
Ready for Romance
For Jessica,
who caught the wedding bouquet first
Prologue
Jessica Kellerman looked both ways, then slipped around the corner of the Dryden four-car garage. She flattened her body against the wall and moved cautiously, one infinitesimal step at a time. It was vital no one see her.
Evan’s vehicle, a fancy sports car, was parked just outside the garage—and in direct view of the house. She needed to be quick.
Squatting down by the side mirror, she withdrew a bright red tube of lipstick from her pocket, opened it and heavily outlined her lips. She took a soft white rag from the pocket of her jeans, wiped his mirror clean, then kissed it. The imprint of her mouth was left in bold red.
Jessica sighed with satisfaction as she carefully opened the door on the driver’s side and crawled into the front seat. The mirror over the dash was next. Her heart was pounding hard, but it wasn’t entirely due to her fear of being discovered. Her heart rate tended to accelerate whenever she thought about Evan.
There wasn’t a man in all of Boston who could compete with Evan Dryden. To think she’d lived next door to him all these years and hadn’t noticed until recently how gorgeous he was! As far as Jessica was concerned, he was the handsomest man in the universe.
She remembered the exact moment she had realized her destiny. She hadn’t been the same since. The Dryden estate, Whispering Willows, was next to her own family’s, and she’d often spent time in the huge oak tree spying on the two brothers. Damian was in law school now and Evan in college. Being an only child, Jessica had to invent her own amusement, and spying on the Dryden brothers had always been great fun.
She’d been sitting in the tree one day when Evan had walked to the pond and stood on the footbridge tossing rocks into the water. His back was to her and she held her breath, wondering if he’d seen her hiding in the thick foliage.
She must have made a sound, because he turned abruptly and stared into the tree.
“Jessica?”
She didn’t dare move or even breathe.
He stared upward and the sun cut across his shoulder, highlighting his handsome features. It was then that she realized Evan wasn’t just an ordinary boy. He was an Adonis. Perfect in every way.
After that, she started having dreams about him. Wonderful dreams about Evan falling in love with her. Dreams about marrying him and having a family. It seemed so … so right. About a week later, she’d decided that fate had thrown them together. They were meant for each other. The only problem was that Evan had yet to make this discovery for himself.
Jessica had recently turned fourteen and Evan was much older. Six whole years, but it might’ve been a hundred for all the notice he gave her.
That was when Jessica decided she had to take matters into her own hands. She was a woman of the world, and when a woman knew what she wanted, she went after it. It, in this case, was Evan Dryden.
Jessica soon discovered that she wasn’t nearly as dauntless as she would’ve liked. She must have phoned him ten times, and each time he answered, she lacked the courage to even speak, much less tell him about her undying love. Each call had ended with her slamming down the receiver in frustration.
She’d always been better at expressing herself with the written word, so she’d taken to writing him love notes, pouring out her devotion. She let her best friend read one of these notes, and Emily said it was the most beautiful love letter she’d ever seen. Unfortunately, Jessica hadn’t found the courage to sign her name.
This latest trick, planting kisses on his rearview mirror, was sure to accomplish what nothing else had. He’d know it was Jessica and he’d finally come for her, and together they’d ride into the sunset in his sports car.
Outlining her lips with a fresh coat of brilliant red, Jessica was about to kiss the inside mirror when the car door was flung open.
“So it is you.”
Her heart sank all the way to her knees. Slowly she looked over and her eyes connected with Damian Dryden’s. He was taller than his younger brother, dark and handsome in his own way. She was certain the day would come when some girl would feel as strongly about him as she did about Evan.
“Hello,” she said, pretending it wasn’t the slightest bit out of the ordinary for her to be sitting in his brother’s car kissing the mirrors.
“You’re the one, I’ll bet, who’s been phoning at all hours of the night.”
“I’ve never called past ten,” she denied heatedly, then realized her mistake. It probably would’ve been best to pretend she didn’t know what he was talking about.
“The notes on Evan’s windshield have been from you, too, haven’t they?”
She could’ve denied that, but it wouldn’t have done any good. Feeling trapped in Evan’s car, she swung her legs around and gingerly climbed out. “Are you going to tell him it was me?”
“I don’t know,” Damian said thoughtfully. “How old are you now?”
“Fourteen,” she said proudly. “I know Evan’s older, but I was hoping he’d be willing to wait for me to grow up so we could get married.”
“Married!”
Damian made the word sound ludicrous and Jessica bristled. “Just wait until you fall in love,” she challenged. “Then you’ll know.”
“You aren’t in love with Evan,” he said gently. “You’re too young to know about things like that. You’re infatuated with him because he’s older and—”
“I most certainly do love Evan,” she flared, shoving the lipstick in her pocket. She wasn’t going to stand there and let him ridicule her. She might be only fourteen, but she had the heart of a mature woman and she’d made her decision. Someday she would marry Evan Dryden, and Damian would not stand in her way.
“I’m sure my brother’s flattered by your devotion.”
“He should be. The man who marries me will see himself as the luckiest man in the world.” Her words were fed by pure bravado.
Damian laughed.
Jessica had been willing to overlook his earlier statements, but this was unforgivable. Hands on her hips, she glared at him with all the indignation she could muster, which at the moment was considerable.
“You might be older than Evan, but you don’t know anything about love, do you?”
Her question appeared to amuse him, and that only irritated her further.
“When a woman makes up her mind about a man, nothing can change the way she feels. I’ve decided to marry your brother, and not a thing you say or do will have the least effect, so save your breath. Evan is my destiny.”
“You’re sure about this?”
At least he had the courtesy to wipe the grin off his face.
“Of course,” she said confidently. “Mark my words, Damian Dryden. Time will prove me right.”
“Does my brother have a say in this?”
“Naturally.”
“What if he decides to marry someone else?”
“I…I don’t know.” Damian had zeroed in on her worst fear—that Evan would get married before she had a chance to prove herself.
“There’s something else you haven’t considered,” Damian said.
“What’s that?”
He grinned. “I just might want to marry you myself.”
One
Jessica Kellerman’s moment of reckoning had arrived. For the first time in ten years she was about to face the Dryden brothers. Evan didn’t concern her. She suspected he wouldn’t even remember what a nuisance she’d made of herself. Then again, he just might. But Damian was the brother who worried her most. He was the one who’d caught her red-handed—or at least with red lipstick in her hand. He was the one who’d mocked her and suggested her devotion to his brother was a passing fancy. Now she was forced to face him and admit he’d been right. She sincerely hoped Damian would have the good grace not to dredge up the past.
Swallowing her dread, Jessica walked into the high-rise office building in the most prestigious part of downtown Boston. The building was new, with a glistening black-mirrored exterior that towered thirty stories above the ground. The Dryden law firm was one of the most distinguished in town, and in Boston that was saying something.
Jessica’s footsteps made tapping sounds against the marble floor in the lobby. Although she’d been in this part of the city often—the university wasn’t far from the business section—this was the first time she’d been inside the impressive building.
She was nervous, and for good reason. The last day she’d spent any time with either of the Dryden brothers she’d been caught kissing rearview mirrors.
Looking back, she knew she’d been a constant source of amusement to the brothers and their parents, as well as her own. Young love, however, refused to be denied. Risking her family’s exasperation, Jessica had diligently sought Evan’s heart all through high school. It wasn’t until Benny Wilcox asked her to the graduation dance that she’d realized there were other fish in the sea. Sweet, attentive, good-looking ones, too. Yes, Evan had been the man of her dreams, the one who’d awakened her to womanhood. She held her love for him in a special place in her heart, but was more than willing to forget the way she’d embarrassed herself over him, praying he did, too.
Although Jessica had let her infatuation with Evan die gracefully, neither set of parents had. Particularly Lois and Walter Dryden. They thought Jessica’s feelings about Evan were “cute,” and they still mentioned it every now and then, renewing her embarrassment.
When Walter Dryden heard that Jessica had recently graduated from business college with a certificate as a legal assistant, he’d insisted she apply with the family firm. In the beginning Jessica had balked, but jobs were few and far between just then, and after a fruitless search on her own, she’d decided to swallow her pride and face the two brothers.
She was warmly greeted by the receptionist, who gave her a wide smile. Jessica smiled back, hoping she looked composed and mature. “I have an appointment with Damian Dryden,” she said.
The woman, who appeared to be in her early thirties, with large blue eyes and a smooth complexion, glanced at the appointment book. “Ms. Kellerman?”
“That’s right.”
“Please have a seat and I’ll let Mr. Dryden know you’re here.”
“Thank you.” Jessica sat in one of the richly upholstered chairs and reached for a People magazine. She’d dressed carefully for this interview, choosing a soft dove-gray suit with a tailored jacket. The buttons were made from mother-of-pearl with flashes of deep blue and white. She wore high heels, hoping to seem not only professional, but sophisticated. Her glossy brown hair was sophisticated, too, cut in a flattering pageboy. She’d grown up, and it was important Damian know that.
Jessica hadn’t even scanned the magazine’s contents page when the elder Dryden brother appeared. She’d seen Damian often from a distance, but this was the first time they’d actually spoken in years. She’d forgotten how tall he was, with broad shoulders that tapered to slim hips. She remembered how much he enjoyed football as a teenager, and how expert he was at tackling the opponent. From what she recalled about Damian, he preferred to tackle problems head-on, too. She knew him to be aggressive, hardworking and ambitious. He’d taken over the law firm upon Walter Dryden’s retirement three years earlier, and the firm, which specialized in corporate law, had thrived under his leadership.
“Hello, Jessica. It’s good to see you again,” Damian said, stepping forward.
“It’s good to see you, too.” She stood and offered him her hand.
He clasped it with both of his own. He wasn’t an especially large man, and at five eight she wasn’t especially small, but her hand was dwarfed in his. His grip was solid and strong, like the man himself.
“I’ve come to talk to you about a position as a legal assistant,” she said. The direct approach would work best with Damian, she felt.
“Great. Let’s go to my office, shall we?”
She was struck by the rugged timbre of his voice. It was deep, firm, exuding confidence. Little wonder Damian was one of the most sought-after corporate attorneys in Boston.
He motioned her to be seated, then walked around the mahogany desk and took the black leather chair. He tilted it back slightly, conveying ease and relaxation.
Jessica wasn’t fooled. She sincerely doubted that Damian knew how to relax. His mother, Lois, had often voiced her concern about her elder son, complaining that Damian worked too many hours.
“Thank you for seeing me on such short notice,” Jessica said, crossing her legs.
“It’s my pleasure.” He rolled a pen between his palms. “I understand you’ve graduated from college.”
She nodded. “I have a degree in early American history.”
The motion of the pen between his palms stopped and a frown creased his brow. “Unfortunately we don’t have much call for historians here at the firm.”
“I understand that,” she said quickly. “About halfway through my senior year, I realized that although I love history, I wasn’t sure what I planned to do with my degree. I toyed with the idea of teaching, then changed my mind.”
“And you want to be a legal assistant now?”
“Yes. I was dating a law student and I discovered how much I enjoyed law. You see, we often did our homework together. But rather than register for law school and invest all that time and effort, I decided to work as a legal assistant—sort of get my feet wet and then decide if becoming an attorney is what I want to do. So I went to business college and got a certificate.” She said all this in an eager rush. “Your father suggested I come and talk to you,” she added, winding down. She opened her purse and produced her certificate for his inspection.
“I see.” The pen was in motion again.
“I’m a hard worker.”
Damian smiled fleetingly. “I’m sure you are.”
“I’ll work any hours you need, even weekends. You can put me on probation.” She hadn’t meant to reveal how much she wanted the position, but despite her resolve, she couldn’t keep the anxiety out of her voice.
“This job means a great deal to you, doesn’t it?”
Jessica nodded.
“I think,” Damian said casually, “you’re still infatuated with my brother.”
He spoke as if it had been only a few days since she’d all but thrown herself at Evan. Heat radiated from her cheeks. “I … I don’t believe that’s a fair statement.”
Damian smiled shrewdly. “You’ve had a crush on Evan for years.”
“I’ll admit I used to, but that has nothing to do with my applying for a position here.” She closed her mouth and collected her composure as best she could. She should’ve known Damian wouldn’t conveniently forget their encounter all those years ago.
“It’s true, though, isn’t it?” Damian seemed to take delight in teasing her, which infuriated Jessica. She clamped her mouth shut, rather than argue with the man she hoped would employ her. “I was there the day you put kisses all over his rearview mirror, remember?”
Not trusting herself to speak, she nodded.
“I watched you look at him with those big worshipful eyes. I’ve seen plenty of other women do the same thing since, all gazing at my younger brother as though he were an Adonis.”
Jessica’s eyes widened at the use of the term. That was exactly the way she’d viewed Evan. A Greek god.
“It’s true isn’t it, or are you going to deny it?”
Jessica’s mouth refused to work. She opened and closed it an embarrassing number of times, not knowing how to respond, or if she should even try.
Cathy Hudson, her best friend, had claimed it wasn’t a good idea to apply for work with a family who knew her so well. Jessica was about to concede that Cath was right.
“I did have a schoolgirl crush on your brother at one time,” she said, “but that was years ago. I haven’t seen Evan in … heavens, I don’t remember. Certainly no more often than I’ve seen you. If you believe my past feelings for Evan would hinder my performance as a legal assistant, then there isn’t anything more I can say—other than to thank you for your time.”
Damian’s smile was slightly off kilter, his eyes bemused as if, despite himself, he’d admired her little speech. Slowly a look of sadness crossed his face. “Evan’s changed,” he said. “He isn’t the man you once knew.”
“I’d heard from my mother that he’s been unhappy recently.” She didn’t know the details and hoped Damian would fill in the blanks.
“Do you know why?”
“No.”
Damian gave a soft regretful sigh. “I might as well tell you, since you’ll find out soon enough yourself. He was in love, possibly for the first time in his life, and it didn’t work out. I don’t know what caused the rift, and neither does anyone else, not that it matters. Unfortunately, though, Evan can’t seem to snap out of his depression.”
“He must have loved her very much,” she whispered, watching Damian. She could tell that he was genuinely concerned about Evan.
“I’m sure he did.” Damian frowned, apparently at a loss as to how to help his brother, then shook his head. “We’ve ventured far from the subject of your employment, haven’t we?”
She straightened and folded her hands in her lap, wondering if Damian would take a chance and hire her. She was a risk, fresh out of school, with no job experience.
“You’re sure you want to work here?” he asked, studying her with a discerning eye.
“Very much.”
Damian didn’t immediately respond. His silence made her uncomfortable enough to want to fill it with something, even useless chatter. “I know what you’re thinking,” she said breathlessly. “In your eyes I’m a love-struck fourteen-year-old.” She shook her head. “I don’t know what to say to convince you I’ve grown up, and that nonsense is all behind me, but I have.”
“I can see that for myself.” A glint of appreciation sparked in his eyes. “As it happens, Jessica, you’re in luck, because the firm could use another legal assistant. If you want the job, it’s yours.”
Jessica resisted vaulting out of the chair and throwing her arms around Damian’s neck to thank him. Instead she promised, “I won’t let you down.”
“You’ll be working directly with Evan,” he replied, still studying her closely.
“With Evan?”
“Is that a problem?”
“No … No, of course not.”
“Just remember one thing. It doesn’t matter how many years our parents have been friends. If you don’t do your job and do it well, we don’t have room for you here.”
“I wouldn’t expect you to keep me on if I didn’t pull my weight,” she said, trying hard not to sound defensive.
“Good.” He reached for the intercom and glanced at her. “When would you like to start?”
“Now, if you want.”
“Perfect. I’ll ring Mrs. Sterling. She’s Evan’s personal assistant, and she’ll show you the ropes.”
Jessica stood and extended her hand. “You won’t be sorry, I promise you.” She pumped his hand enthusiastically until she realized she was overdoing it.
Grinning, Damian walked around to the front of his desk. “If there’s anything I can help you with, let me know.”
“I will. Thank you, Damian.”
She hadn’t meant to call him by his first name. Theirs was a professional relationship now, but it was difficult to think of him as her boss. A personal bond existed between them, but until this interview Jessica hadn’t been aware of it. To her surprise she found she had no such problem regarding Evan.
She and Damian walked out of the office together and down the corridor to a door with Evan’s name engraved on a gold plaque.
Damian opened the door and allowed her to precede him. Jessica’s gaze fell on Evan’s personal assistant. The woman was middle-aged, with sharp, but not unattractive, features. She seemed to breathe efficiency. One look and Jessica was confident this woman could manage Evan’s office and the entire law firm if necessary.
“Mrs. Sterling,” Damian said, “this is Jessica Kellerman, Evan’s new legal assistant. Would you show her around and make her feel at home?”
“Of course.”
Damian turned to Jessica. “As I said earlier, come to me if you have any problems.”
“Thank you.”
“No, Jessica,” he said cryptically on his way out, “thank you.”
Mrs. Sterling rose from her chair. She was a small round woman, barely five feet, a stark contrast to tall and slender Jessica. Her salt-and-pepper hair was cropped short, and she wore a no-nonsense straight skirt and light sweater.
“I’ll show you where the law library is,” Mrs. Sterling said. Jessica glanced toward the closed door, wondering if Evan was in. Apparently not, otherwise Damian would’ve made a point of telling his brother that Jessica would be working for him.
The personal assistant led the way out of the office and down the hall. The library was huge, with row upon row of legal volumes. Long narrow tables with a number of chairs were scattered about the room. Jessica knew she’d be spending most of her research time here and was delighted by how pleasant it was. She noticed the faint scent of lemon oil and smiled as she saw various potted plants set here and there, including a speckled broad-leaved ivy that stretched across the top of one large bookcase.
“This is very nice.”
“Mr. Dryden has worked hard to make sure our work environment is pleasing to the eye,” the woman remarked primly.
“Damian’s like that,” Jessica murmured.
“I was speaking about the younger Mr. Dryden,” came the surprised response.
“Oh, of course,” Jessica said quickly.
By the end of the first day, Jessica felt as though she’d put in a forty-hour week. She’d been assigned a small desk in the corner of the outer office, a computer and her own phone. Mrs. Sterling seemed to feel it was her duty to keep Jessica occupied with a multitude of tasks, which included taking lunch orders, organizing file cabinets and hand-delivering messages throughout the office.
Just when she thought she wouldn’t even lay eyes on Evan her first day, he breezed in, stopping abruptly when he saw her. He was as tall as Damian, at least six-two, with chestnut hair and dark soulful eyes. In Jessica’s opinion, it wasn’t fair that any one man should be so breathtakingly handsome.
“Julia!” he exclaimed, as though he’d stumbled upon a treasure. “What are you doing here?”
“It’s Jessica,” she corrected him, refusing to be offended by his failure to remember her name. “I’m here because I’m working for you now.”
“Your brother hired Ms. Kellerman as your new legal assistant,” Mrs. Sterling explained.
Evan came forward, gripping Jessica’s hand in his own. “This must be Christmas in July! Why else would Damian present me with such a rare gift?”
“Christmas in July,” Jessica repeated, having a difficult time not laughing. What she’d heard about Evan was true, she decided. He was a flirt, but such a pleasant lighthearted one that it didn’t seem to matter. She knew he wasn’t serious.
“There are several matters here that need your attention,” Mrs. Sterling said stiffly from behind Evan.
“I’ll be with you in a few minutes,” he said.
“That’s fine,” Mrs. Sterling said. “Just don’t leave before these letters are signed, and while we’re at it, there are a few items we need to discuss—when you have time.”
“I promise to get to the letters first thing,” he said as if he had no interest beyond studying the young woman who stood before him. “Just put everything on my desk and I’ll look through it before I leave.”
“You won’t forget?”
Evan chuckled. “My, my, how you love to mother me.”
“Someone has to look after you,” his personal assistant said, her eyes crinkling above a bright smile.
Jessica watched in amazement as Evan charmed the older woman. Mrs. Sterling had been the picture of cool efficiency until Evan walked in the door. The minute he did she turned into a clucking mother hen. Before Jessica had a chance to analyze this reaction, Evan grinned. “You love me, Mary, and you know it.”
“It’s just that you’ve been a bit forgetful of late,” Mrs. Sterling said with a concerned frown. She reached for a stack of letters and leafed through them. “It doesn’t hurt to offer you a little reminder now and then, does it?”
“I suppose not,” Evan said and, taking the letters with him, walked into his office as if he hadn’t a care in the world.
“Have you been working on the brief for the Porter Corporation?” Mrs. Sterling asked, following on his heels.
“The Porter Corporation,” Evan repeated as if he’d never heard the name before. “It’s not due anytime soon, is it?”
“Yes, it is,” the personal assistant said, and Jessica heard a hint of panic in her voice. “First thing Friday morning.”
“I’ll have it ready by then. What day is this, anyway?”
“Mr. Dryden, you’ve got to start coming into the office before closing time!”
“Don’t you fret. I’ll have everything ready the way I always do,” he said as he ushered his personal assistant out the door. He paused when he noticed Jessica and winked. Then the door closed and Evan disappeared.
Mrs. Sterling shook her head. “Mr. Dryden’s been going through some … difficult times lately,” she told Jessica.
“How long has he been without a legal assistant?”
“Quite a while now. He didn’t seem to think he’d need one. Damian’s cut his work load and, well, things just haven’t been the same around here.”
Jessica was leaving for the day when she came across Damian. Looking dignified and businesslike, he was talking to his personal assistant. A few silver hairs at his temple added a distinguished air. He made a striking figure, and she wondered briefly why he hadn’t married. Tagged onto that thought came another. One that took her by surprise. She realized she was happy Damian hadn’t married.
He must’ve seen her in his peripheral vision, because he straightened and walked toward her. “Well, Jessica, how’d your first day go?”
“Very well.”
“Mary isn’t working you too hard, is she?”
“Oh, no, she’s great.”
“Mary’s one of the best personal assistants I’ve ever worked with. She may be a bit abrupt, but you’ll get used to that.” He was walking with Jessica now, their steps matching, his hands clasped behind his back. Mary was abrupt, perhaps, Jessica mused, but not with Evan.
“I’ll always be grateful to you for taking a chance on me,” she said conversationally.
Damian’s smile was rueful. “You may not be thanking me later. My brother can be a handful, but if there’s ever been someone who could get him back on the straight and narrow, it’s you.”
“Me?” she asked, not understanding.
Damian broke eye contact and glanced away. “Everybody needs to be looked at with wide worshipful eyes now and then, don’t you think?”
“Ah …” Jessica didn’t know how to respond. One thing was becoming abundantly clear. Damian hadn’t hired her because of her high test scores at business college.
Two
“You actually got the job?” Cathy Hudson said over the phone, her voice raised in astonishment. “You were hired, just like that, by one of the city’s most prestigious law firms?”
“It helps to have friends in high places.” Jessica was excited about this job, but she felt mildly guilty knowing the only reason she’d been hired was that their families were such good friends. However, Damian had made it plain she’d need to pull her own weight. Jessica was determined to prove herself; she’d be the best legal assistant the firm had ever hired. It was a matter of pride.
“Why does everything come so easy for you?” Cathy lamented. “You set your sights on something that would give Norman Vincent Peale second thoughts and—”
“Me? You’re the one trying out for a lead in Guys and Dolls. Talk about setting your sights high.”
“All right, all right,” Cathy said with a dramatic sigh, “you’ve made your point.”
“So how did the tryouts go today?”
“I … don’t know. It’s so hard to tell. I’d kill for the part of Adelaide, but then I watch the others, and they’re all so good. I came away thinking it’s just a pipe dream. David, the director, is wonderful. Working with him would be one of the highlights of my career, but I don’t dare hope I’ll get the part.”
“I have faith in you. You’re a natural, Cath.” It was true, her friend had a knack for the dramatic, and that had always made their friendship so interesting.
Cathy laughed softly. “How can I fail, when both you and my mother are convinced I’m destined for stardom? Now, before we get off the subject, how did the interview with Damian go?”
“Really well, I think.” Damian had dominated her thoughts all afternoon. He’d changed, she decided, or perhaps she was the one who was different. Whichever it was, she found herself enthralled by the man. The prospect of working with him—or at least in his vicinity—excited her.
“What about the younger brother?”
“Actually I’ll be working directly for Evan.”
Cathy must have noticed the hesitation in her voice because she asked, “Does that worry you? What’s the matter? Do you think you’re going to make an idiot of yourself over him—again?”
So much for Jessica’s ego. “No way. I was fourteen years old, for heaven’s sake.”
After she’d hung up, Jessica slipped a CD into the player, choosing an invigorating medley of jazz hits, and set about fixing her dinner. She made a hot chicken-and-spinach salad and stood barefoot in her kitchen, humming along to the music, her heart singing its own melody.
Once again, she reveled in having her own apartment. Thanks to a bequest from her grandfather, she’d been able to move into an older building almost eight months ago, and even without a job, her living expenses would be covered for another two years. She was immensely grateful for Ben Kellerman’s generosity, which had given her a much-desired measure of independence.
Later that evening, she relaxed with the paper. Despite her best efforts, her thoughts drifted to Damian. The last thing she wanted was to make a fool of herself over another Dryden.
To the best of her knowledge, the source of which was her mother, Damian wasn’t currently involved in a relationship. Joyce Kellerman said that Lois Dryden had complained that her elder son didn’t take enough time for fun in his life. What Damian needed, Jessica decided now, was to fall in love with a woman who would take his mind off work. Someone who’d make him laugh and enjoy life. Someone who appreciated him.
An hour later, as she was getting ready for bed, Jessica realized she’d spent most of the evening thinking about Damian. Well, that was quite understandable, she rationalized. After all, he was head of the firm she was working for.
The following day, Evan didn’t show up at the office until well after eleven. As she had previously, Mrs. Sterling fussed over him as though he were the prodigal son the moment he waltzed in the door.
“Good morning, Mr. Dryden,” Mrs. Sterling gushed, nearly leaping from her chair. “It’s a beautiful day, isn’t it?”
Evan seemed to need time to think about this. “I hadn’t noticed, but you’re right, it is a gorgeous day,” he said as he picked up his mail and leafed through the envelopes.
He was on his way into his office when he saw Jessica sitting at her desk. She felt his scrutiny and was pleased that she’d dressed carefully, choosing a smart-looking flowered silk dress with a blue jacket. In her heels, she was nearly as tall as he was.
“Good morning, Mr. Dryden,” she said.
“Evan,” he insisted. “You can call Damian Mr. Dryden if you want, but I’m Evan.”
“All right. Good morning, Evan,”
“It is a good morning, isn’t it?” he asked, giving her a roguish grin. Jessica couldn’t help responding with a smile of her own. She hadn’t seen it so much the day before, but there were definite changes in the Evan she remembered. He was thinner and his smiles didn’t quite reach his eyes. Another thing she couldn’t help noticing was the way everyone walked on eggshells around him. Mrs. Sterling had made a point of letting her know that Evan’s work load had recently been cut, and Damian had said Evan hadn’t yet recovered from a broken relationship. It must’ve been pretty serious, she thought.
“It’s been a long time since we’ve had a chance to talk, hasn’t it?” Evan asked, walking over and sitting on the edge of Jessica’s desk.
“A very long time,” she agreed, praying with all her heart that he wouldn’t resurrect her girlish antics. It’d been embarrassing enough to have Damian do it.
“I think we should make up for lost opportunities, don’t you? Tell you what—I’ll treat you to lunch.” He checked his watch and seemed surprised at the time. “We’ll go in half an hour. That’ll give me time to clear whatever’s on my desk.”
“You want to take me to lunch?” Jessica asked. “Today?”
“It’s the least I can do,” Evan said with a shrug. “I’ll have Mary make reservations.”
“But—”
“That’s an excellent idea,” Mrs. Sterling interjected, clearly pleased.
“I … I’ve only just started work,” Jessica said. “I’d enjoy lunch, perhaps in a week or so, after I’ve settled into the job.” The last thing she wanted was to give Damian the impression she was already slacking off.
Evan pressed his thumb to her chin and gazed deeply into her eyes. “No buts, and no arguments. We’re going to lunch and you can fill me in on what you’ve been doing for the last five or six years.”
Mrs. Sterling followed Evan into his office, looking inordinately pleased with this turn of events. She returned a few minutes later, casting a delighted look in Jessica’s direction as she picked up her phone and called the restaurant to make reservations. Evan had chosen Henri’s, one of Boston’s finest, well-known for its elegant dining. It also happened to be a good fifteen-minute drive from the office, which meant they’d be out for lunch much longer than usual.
“I doubt we’ll be back in an hour if we have lunch at Henri’s,” Jessica felt obliged to say.
“Don’t worry about it. You’ll make it up another time, I’m sure.”
“But this is only my second day. I don’t want to give the wrong impression.”
“My dear, Mr. Dryden is your boss. If he wants to have a leisurely lunch with you, don’t argue. You should be counting your blessings, instead.”
“I know but—”
“From what I understand, you two are old family friends,” Mrs. Sterling interrupted. “It’s only natural for him to want to personally welcome you to the firm.”
It seemed the reservation had barely been made when Evan reappeared. “Are you ready?”
Jessica blinked back her surprise. “Yes, of course, if you’ll give me just a moment.” She finished typing her notes into the computer, saved the memo and pushed back her chair.
Evan took her elbow and told Mrs. Sterling, “We’ll be back in a couple of hours.”
They were walking through the corridor leading to the front of the office when Damian appeared. His gaze shifted from Evan to Jessica.
“Jessica and I are going to lunch,” Evan said. “Do you need me for anything?”
“No. You two go ahead. I’ll talk to you later.”
Damian nodded. It was all Jessica could do not to blurt out that this lunch date hadn’t been her idea, but there wasn’t the opportunity and she doubted it was necessary anyway. Damian must’ve known she hadn’t invited herself out to lunch. Nevertheless, she didn’t want him to think ill of her.
“We’ll probably be late getting back,” Evan told his brother, guiding Jessica to the elevator.
They arrived at the restaurant by taxi and were seated immediately. The ambience was formal, with soft chamber music playing unobtrusively in the background. The waiters, who dressed like diplomats, were attentive, the tables were well spaced, and the meal was served with a great deal of ceremony.
Evan seemed disinclined to talk about himself, asking her a series of questions about school, her friends and activities. He appeared attentive, but she suspected his thoughts were far removed from her and their lunch. At least he didn’t dredge up the past and her infatuation with him. She could have kissed him for that.
After their dishes were cleared away, Evan took out a pad and pen. “I’m going to be working on a civil suit that’ll demand a fair amount of research,” he told Jessica. His eyes were bright with an enthusiasm she hadn’t seen before. “The case involves Earl Kress—you might remember reading about him.”
“Of course.” The unusual details of the case had filled the local news for weeks. The twenty-year-old former athlete was suing the Spring Valley School District for his education.
Jessica wished she’d brought along a pad and pen herself. She listened, enthralled, as Evan explained the details of the suit. It seemed Earl was a gifted athlete and the key figure in three of the school’s biggest sports—football, basketball and track. In order to participate in these sports he had to maintain a C average. Unfortunately Earl had a learning disability and had never mastered reading skills. Although he’d graduated from high school and been awarded a full scholarship, he was functionally illiterate.
Evan explained that the school district had pressured Earl’s teachers, and they’d been forced to give him passing grades. After he graduated from high school, he went on to college, but a severe knee injury suffered during football training camp ended his career. And within the first two months of school, Earl flunked out.
“That’s so unfair,” Jessica said when Evan finished. If Damian was concerned about his brother, she thought, then giving Evan this groundbreaking case was sure to take his mind off other things. It would give Evan purpose, a reason to come to work in the morning, the necessary incentive to look past his personal problems.
“There’ve been a number of similar suits filed in other parts of the country,” Evan continued. “I’m going to need you to do extensive research on the outcome of the cases previously tried.”
“I’ll be happy to help in any way I can.”
Evan grinned. “I knew I could count on you.”
So this was the real reason for their lunch. The case clearly meant a good deal to Evan, and consequently to Jessica. She was grateful for the opportunity to prove herself.
By the time they returned to the office, their lunch hour had stretched to three. It seemed everyone in the office was staring at them, and Jessica felt decidedly uncomfortable.
She walked directly to her desk, keeping her face averted when she passed Damian’s office. His door was open, and when he saw her walk by he stood up, called her name and then glanced pointedly at his watch. It was all Jessica could do not to tell him it had been a business lunch.
Damian had made it painfully clear that he expected her to do her job. He wasn’t paying her to romance his brother during three-hour lunches, and Jessica didn’t want him to have that impression. She longed to explain, but she’d look ridiculous doing so in front of Evan. The only thing she could do was stay late that evening in an effort to make up for the time spent over lunch.
Although it was after seven when she started out of the office, a number of others were still there. With her sweater draped over her arm, she was walking down the corridor when Damian stopped her.
“Jessica.”
“Hello, Damian,” she said. He was standing just outside his office.
He crossed his arms and asked, “How’d your lunch with my brother go?”
“Very well, but …”
“Yes?” he prompted when she didn’t immediately finish.
“I want you to know it was a working lunch,” she said, rushing the words in her eagerness to explain. “We discussed the Earl Kress case. I didn’t want you to think we’d spent three hours socializing.”
“It wouldn’t have mattered.”
“But it does!” she insisted fervently. “The lawsuit was the reason Evan asked me out. He wasn’t interested in renewing an old friendship.”
Damian’s frown was thoughtful. “Did he seem pleased with the assignment?”
“Very much so.” Jessica recalled Mrs. Sterling’s saying that “things just haven’t been the same around here for quite a while,” implying Evan hadn’t been the same. She wondered if Damian realized the extent of his brother’s unhappiness.
Damian smiled; Jessica had the feeling he didn’t do that often, which was a shame. The grooves in his cheeks and the sparkle in his gray eyes were very attractive. “I thought he might need a change of pace. Did you two have a chance to talk about old times?”
This was a casual way of asking if she’d been aware of the changes in his brother, Jessica guessed. “A little. Evan really was hurt, wasn’t he?”
Damian nodded. “Generally he disguises it, but I wondered if you’d detect the changes in him.”
“I couldn’t help noticing.” She’d seen it almost from the first moment. Even though she hadn’t spoken to Evan for years she could see how hard he was struggling to hide his misery. No wonder his parents and brother were so concerned.
Damian glanced at his watch and arched his brows. “It’s late. We’ll talk again some other time. Good night, Jessica.”
“Good night, Damian.”
As she waited for a train in the subway station, Jessica at last understood what Damian had meant when he’d told her that everyone needed to be looked at with wide worshipful eyes sometimes. It made perfect sense now that she thought about it. Damian still viewed her as that teenage girl infatuated with his younger brother. If ever there was a time Evan needed a woman to idolize him, it was now. She’d been hired, not for her legal skills, but to help his brother forget the woman he’d loved and lost. Damian was hoping she’d heal Evan’s pain.
The following morning around ten, Evan breezed into the office and presented Jessica with a dozen bloodred roses. Their perfume filled the room.
Jessica was speechless. “For me?” The flowers took her completely by surprise. Mrs. Sterling, too, from the look the personal assistant cast her.
“I need a favor,” Evan said, leaning against the edge of her desk, his face inches from her own.
“Of course.” She was holding the flowers against her like a beauty queen, inhaling their heavenly scent.
Evan reached into his jacket pocket and withdrew a folded sheet of yellow paper. “I need you to do some last-minute research for me.”
“Of course,” she repeated.
“There’re some statutes I need you to look up and report back on as soon as possible. This stuff is as dry as old bones—I’m sorry about that.”
“Don’t worry about it.” Jessica looked at the items Evan wanted her to research and her heart sank at the number. “How soon do you need this?”
“Yesterday,” was his frank reply.
Mrs. Sterling made a small tsk-tsk sound in the background, which made Jessica smile. Evan’s eyes twinkled and he whispered, “There’s nothing worse than a woman who can’t let ‘I told you so’ pass. Remember that, Jessica.”
“I will,” she said with a small laugh. “I’d better get started. I’ll have the information for you before I leave tonight.”
“Good girl.”
Mrs. Sterling produced a vase for the roses, and after setting them on the edge of her desk Jessica got down to work. She ensconced herself in the library and kept at her research straight through the lunch hour. She didn’t notice the time until after three, when her stomach rumbled in protest. Even then she didn’t take the time to sit down to eat, but grabbed an apple and munched on it while she continued to search for the required data.
The next time she looked up, the clock on the wall said seven forty-five. She’d heard the others leave, but that seemed like only minutes ago. She stood up and, placing her hand at the base of her spine, arched her stiff back and breathed in deeply.
Her eyes felt tired and her back sore as she carried her paperwork into the office. She stopped, surprised to find the room dark. She flicked on the lights and glanced around, certain Evan had left a note for her.
He hadn’t.
Picking up one of the roses, she held it to her nose and closed her eyes as she tried to battle down the weariness—and the disappointment.
“Jessica, what are you doing here?”
“Damian.” She could ask the same question of him.
“It’s nearly eight o’clock.”
“I know.” She rotated her overworked shoulders. “I guess time got away from me.”
“So I see. I had some reading I was catching up on, but I assumed I was here alone. There’s no reason for you to stay this late.”
She nodded toward Evan’s office. “What time did Evan leave?” she asked casually, not wanting him to know how abused she felt.
“A couple of hours ago. Why?”
“He said he needed this information right away.” She’d been in a frenzy attempting to finish the task as quickly as possible. She’d assumed he would wait until she’d brought him the data he seemed to need so desperately.
“I believe he had a dinner engagement,” Damian explained.
“I see,” she muttered. In other words, he’d cheerfully abandoned her.
“You sound angry,” Damian said.
“I am. I worked through my lunch hour getting this stuff for him.” And dinner hour, too, she thought, feeling even angrier. She realized too late that she probably also sounded jealous.
“I’m sorry, Jessica.”
Evan’s thoughtlessness wasn’t Damian’s fault and she said so, then asked bluntly, “Is there anything to eat around here?” She blinked back unexpected tears. Hunger always had a strange effect on her emotions, but it was embarrassing, and she tried not to let Damian see.
“You mean you haven’t eaten since lunch?”
“Not since breakfast, unless you count an apple, and if I don’t eat soon I’m going to cry and you really wouldn’t want to witness that.” The words rushed out and she felt a sniffle coming on. “Never mind,” she muttered, turning away from him. She wiped her nose with her forearm and returned to the library. Several ponderous law volumes were spread open across the tables. She closed them and began lugging them back to the shelves.
“I found a package of soda crackers,” Damian said, coming into the room.
“Thanks,” she said, ripping away the clear plastic wrapper and sniffling again. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to act like this.” She ate a cracker quickly and managed to hold back a sob. “Don’t look so concerned. I just needed to eat.”
“Let me take you to dinner.” Damian lifted a couple of the volumes and replaced them for her.
“That isn’t necessary.” A second cracker had made its way into her mouth and she was beginning to feel more like herself.
“We owe you that much,” Damian countered. “Besides, I’m half-starved myself.”
“The least he could’ve done was waited,” Jessica fumed.
Ignoring her comment Damian suggested a popular seafood restaurant nearby.
“He made it seem like it was a matter of life and death, and then he doesn’t bother to tell me he’s leaving,” she continued. “You’re right,” she said as Damian cupped her elbow and led her out the door. “Evan has changed.”
Damian didn’t respond to this comment either.
They walked the three blocks to the restaurant. It wasn’t too crowded, and they were given immediate seating at a wooden table near one of the windows. Even better, the waitress brought hot bread and chowder no more than a minute after it was ordered. Damian must be a regular here to get such service, Jessica thought, her good mood restored now that she’d eaten something warm and filling.
“This is excellent,” she said. “Thank you.” She sighed in contentment as she spooned up the last of her chowder.
Grinning, he finished his own soup, then reached for another piece of bread.
“What’s so funny?” she demanded. How like a man to keep something humorous to himself and then feel superior about it.
“I think I might just have averted a lawsuit. Can’t you hear it? ‘Woman Sues Boss over Lost Meals.’“
“I’d get a huge settlement.” The corners of her mouth twitched with a smile. Her eyes met Damian’s and soon their amusement had blossomed into full-blown grins.
He had very nice eyes, Jessica mused. They were a dark gray and revealed his keen intelligence, his sharp insight. She wanted to clear away any lingering misconception he had about her and Evan, but she couldn’t think of a way to do it without sounding as if she was jealous of whatever person Evan spent his personal time with.
Jessica wondered what Damian saw when he looked at her. Did he see the woman she’d become or the pesky kid next door who’d adamantly declared that his younger brother was her destiny?
The waitress arrived then with their main courses. Damian had ordered oysters and Jessica baked cod, which was delicious. By the time they’d finished, she felt completely restored.
“I said some things I shouldn’t have back at the office,” Jessica began, feeling self-conscious now but eager to explain. “You see—”
“You’d worked far longer than necessary and were starving to boot,” he interrupted. “Don’t worry about it.”
“I just wanted to be sure I hadn’t provoked you into firing me.”
“It’ll take more than a demand for food to do that,” he assured her, hardly disguising his amusement.
The June sky was dark and overcast and the temperature cooler as they came down the stairs and into the street. “It looks like rain,” Damian said. No sooner had he spoken than fat raindrops began to fall. Taking Jessica by the elbow, he sprinted across the street. Neither had thought to bring an umbrella.
“Here,” Damian said, running toward an alcove in front of a bookstore. The business had closed hours earlier, but the covered entrance was a good place to wait out the cloudburst. Jessica was breathless by the time they got there. A chill raced through her and she rubbed her arms vigorously.
Damian’s much larger hands replaced hers, then he stopped and peeled off his jacket, draping it over her shoulders.
“Damian, I’m fine,” she protested, fearing he’d catch a chill himself.
“You’re shivering.”
The warmth of his coat was more welcome than she cared to admit. No doubt about it, Damian was a gentleman to the core.
The downpour lasted a good ten minutes. Jessica was surprised at how quickly the time passed. When the storm dwindled to a drizzle and eventually stopped, Jessica discovered she was almost sorry. She was talking books with Damian and had discovered they shared an interest in murder mysteries. Damian was as well-read as she was, and they tossed titles and authors’ names back and forth without a pause.
“Did you drive to work this morning?” he asked.
She shook her head. She’d taken the subway.
“I’ll give you a lift home, then.”
“Really, Damian, that isn’t necessary. I don’t mind using public transit.”
“I mind,” he said in a voice that brooked no argument. “It’s too late for you to be out on the streets alone.”
How sweet of him to worry about her, she thought. “But I already have enough to thank you for.”
“What do you mean?”
“I was just thinking—I seem to be continually in your debt. You’ve got a heart of gold.”
He chuckled. “Hardly, Jessica.”
“You hired me without any job experience, then you bought me dinner, and now you’re driving me home.”
“It’s the least I can do.”
They returned to the office building, walking directly to the underground parking garage. Damian opened the car door for her and she nestled back in the leather seat.
One thing she’d learned during their time together was the fact that Damian was protective of his younger brother, though she doubted Evan appreciated that.
“You’re worried about him, aren’t you?” she asked, without clarifying her question. Damian knew who she was talking about.
“Yeah,” he admitted.
“Evan’s the real reason you hired me, isn’t he? You think I might be able to help him through this … difficult time.” It wasn’t a responsibility she welcomed or wanted. She was about to explain that when she noticed the way his mouth quirked in an amused smile.
Instead, she told him sharply, “I’m not a silly fourteen-year-old infatuated with an older man. What I felt for your brother was just a crush. It was over years ago.” That was the simple truth.
His shrug was noncommittal.
“Nevertheless,” she forged on, “you hired me because of Evan?”
It took Damian a few minutes to answer. “Sometimes I wonder,” he finally said. “Sometimes I wonder.”
Three
Jessica got to work early the following morning, hoping to have an opportunity to thank Damian again for dinner and more importantly to let him know how much she’d enjoyed the evening. But when she passed his office, the door was closed and his personal assistant was searching urgently through a file drawer. It didn’t look like the time to pop in unannounced.
Not surprisingly, Evan was nowhere to be seen. Mrs. Sterling arrived ten minutes after Jessica, greeting her with a small approving smile, and set about sorting the mail.
Jessica spent the first part of the morning organizing the material she’d researched the day before and typing up her notes. That way, Evan wouldn’t be forced to waste time deciphering her hasty scrawl.
She’d just completed printing out the results when a breathless Evan entered the office. From the look of him, he’d raced all the way up from the parking garage. Briefcase in hand, he marched up to her desk.
“Do you have those notes ready?” he asked, reaching for the file before Jessica had a chance to present it. She stood up, intending to discuss a few points with him, but he brushed past her and hurried into his office without a word. She would have followed him, but he closed the door.
Jessica was taken aback; unsure of what to do, she turned to Mrs. Sterling. The personal assistant sighed and shrugged. “Working for Mr. Dryden can be a real trial,” she muttered, then grinned and added, “No pun intended.”
As Mrs. Sterling chuckled at her own little joke, Evan reappeared, looking composed and confident. He’d removed his raincoat and was leafing casually through the file. He glanced over at Jessica and his face relaxed in a broad smile.
“You’re an angel,” he said, kissing her cheek as he walked past. Jessica had seen him kiss Mrs. Sterling in the same affectionate manner.
“I’ll be in a meeting with Damian this morning,” Evan announced on his way out the door.
As the morning went on, Jessica found herself wondering exactly what her role in the office was. Although Evan had recently been assigned the Earl Kress case, his work load had been light during the past few months. Now that she’d finished the research, there was barely enough to keep her busy.
From various bits and pieces she’d heard, Jessica gathered that Evan’s interest in corporate law had waned. Surely Damian hadn’t hired her expecting miracles! Since he was so closemouthed about Evan’s troubles, Jessica wondered if Mrs. Sterling could fill in some details. She didn’t want to be obvious about asking, which could prove tricky since the woman was so clearly devoted to her employer.
“That Evan’s a real charmer, isn’t he?” Jessica began conversationally.
“He always could charm the birds right out the trees,” Mrs. Sterling answered proudly.
“He’s different now from the way I remember him. More … intense.”
Evan’s personal assistant nodded and muttered, “I’d like to shoot that woman.”
Jessica’s heart leapt with excitement. “What woman?” she asked, trying to hide her eagerness. She was about to learn what had happened to change Evan so drastically from the man she’d known.
Mrs. Sterling glanced up, as if surprised that Jessica had heard her mumbling. “Oh … it’s nothing.”
“But it must be something. Evan isn’t anything like he was a few years back. Oh, he’s charming and sweet, but there’s an edge to him now. A sharpness, I guess. Something I can’t put my finger on.” She looked expectantly at the other woman.
“That’s true enough,” Mrs. Sterling reluctantly conceded.
“You say a woman’s responsible for the changes in Evan?”
“Isn’t it always a woman?”
“What happened?” Might as well try a more direct approach, Jessica thought. Tact wasn’t getting her anywhere.
“It’s a pity, a real pity.”
“Yes, Evan just isn’t the same,” Jessica said again, hoping to encourage the other woman to continue.
“It shouldn’t come as any surprise, really. Yet it does, Mr. Dryden being the charmer he is. Plain and simple, he fell in love with someone who didn’t feel the same way about him.” Then she clamped her mouth shut as though she’d already said far more than she should—far more than was circumspect for a personal assistant to say about her boss.
But this much Jessica already knew. She wanted the particulars. Who was this woman who’d hurt Evan so badly? Her back stiffened at the thought of someone rejecting him—the man she’d worshiped from afar during her tumultuous teenage years. Whoever this woman was, Jessica decided, she was a fool.
Unfortunately, Mrs. Sterling was unwilling to provide any further information.
About eleven Evan walked into the office. He smiled as he strolled past Mrs. Sterling’s desk to hers. “The research you did was wonderful, Jessica. Thank you.”
His appreciation caught her off guard. She wondered if Damian had said something to him and was momentarily speechless.
“I appreciate the effort that went into your report,” he murmured. “I’m very pleased with the quality of your work.”
“I … I was happy to do it. That’s my … my job.” The words stumbled off the end of her tongue. Jessica was astonished that his praise could fluster her like this. She was embarrassed now by the way she’d overreacted last night when she’d learned that he’d left the office. It was her own fault for not taking time to eat lunch. Evan’s disappearance wouldn’t have bothered her in the least if she had….
“Damian said you were here till almost eight.”
So Damian had mentioned that. “As I said earlier, I was only doing my job.”
“Mom and Dad are having a barbecue this weekend,” Evan continued, “Saturday, around four. I’d like you to attend it with me.”
His invitation threw her, and she wasn’t sure what to say. Although she hadn’t had a lot of work experience, she knew that dating the boss could lead to problems.
“This shouldn’t be a difficult decision,” Evan said, raising his eyebrows.
His pride had already suffered one blow, and Jessica refused to deliver a second, no matter how slight. “I’d enjoy that very much,” she said. “Thank you for thinking of me.”
He smiled affectionately. “You always were sweet.”
As a teenager, Jessica’s daydreams had been filled with such scenarios. She’d close her eyes and pretend Evan had asked her out. Now her dream had come true, but Jessica was left wishing it had been Damian issuing the invitation, instead of his brother.
“I’ll pick you up. You are living in the city, aren’t you?”
Jessica nodded. “Wouldn’t it be simpler if we met at the party? As it happens, I’m spending the weekend with my parents, and I can walk over with them.”
Evan seemed a bit surprised by her suggestion. “You’re sure?”
“Positive.”
“Then that’ll be fine. I’ll look forward to seeing you there.”
There’d been a time in her life when she would’ve gladly walked across a bed of hot coals to attend a party with Evan. Any party. Anywhere. Hadn’t Damian been counting on that when he hired her—even if he claimed to know she was long over her crush?
“The party’s in honor of some dignitary,” Evan went on. “A French artist. Mom wants to throw the quintessential American party for him. She’s worked herself into a tizzy for the event. I can guarantee this will be the most elaborate barbecue Boston has ever seen. The last I heard, she’d hired a country-and-western band.”
“It sounds like fun.”
“Considering all the effort that’s going into it, I’m sure it will be. You can do the two-step, can’t you, sweet Jessica?”
“Of course.” How easy it was to stretch the truth. In fact, she’d only done the two-step once or twice before. “Well, I’m pretty rusty,” she amended.
“Me, too. We’ll leave the fancy footwork to Damian.”
Damian, she thought with a sigh. There was definitely something wrong with her, something psychological—something rooted deep in her childhood, she supposed—if she could agree to date one brother while longing for the other.
The hours flew by and before Jessica knew it, the workday had come to an end. Mrs. Sterling had just stepped out of the office when Damian strolled casually in.
“Evan’s gone for the day,” Jessica said, a little flustered to find him standing in front of her desk. Especially since she’d once again been thinking how much she’d prefer to attend the family barbecue with him.
“I’m not here to see my brother.”
“Mrs. Sterling will be right back.”
“I came to see you,” Damian said, his eyes dark and intense as they settled on her.
Jessica tensed. Did he have some complaint with her work?
“Don’t look so worried. I came to tell you my parents are holding a party this weekend. A barbecue.”
“Yes, I know. Evan mentioned it earlier.”
Damian’s eyes brightened with interest. He crossed his arms and leaned against her desk. “What did he say about it?”
“Not much. Apparently it’s in honor of a French artist.”
“I see.” He hesitated as if he was unsure, which Jessica knew was completely out of character for Damian. “I was wondering …” he began, then straightened and buried his hands in his pants pockets. “Would you like to come to the party with me?”
Her shoulders sagged as she opened her mouth to tell him that Evan had already invited her, but before she could respond, Damian added, “I realize it’s short notice, but I didn’t hear the details myself until this morning.” A hint of a smile turned up the corners of his mouth. “Mother phoned, wanting to confirm that I’ll be there. She seems to be taking her duties very seriously.”
“Ah …”
“There’s a problem,” he guessed.
She nodded glumly. “Evan’s already invited me to the party—as his date.” She wanted to tell Damian she’d rather attend with him, but she couldn’t. “I’m sorry,” she muttered.
“He did?” Instead of looking displeased at this turn of events, Damian seemed positively delighted. “Don’t be sorry.”
His reaction annoyed her.
“It isn’t like a real date,” she said, wanting to make that clear. “At least, that wasn’t the impression Evan gave me. The invitation was his way of thanking me for working so hard on the research he needed.”
“My brother wouldn’t invite you if he wasn’t interested in your company,” Damian insisted. “Besides, I wouldn’t want Evan to think I was cutting in on his territory.”
His territory.
Damian must have guessed her feelings, because he said, “Evan asked you first.”
He was right about that, she thought, but little else.
Damian turned away, and it suddenly became important to Jessica to explain herself. “I don’t think you should put much stock in Evan’s invitation. It really was just a way of thanking me.”
“It’s a start, though, wouldn’t you agree?” Damian said over his shoulder. “A good start, at that.” He left her then before she could say anything more.
Jessica was upset, and it wasn’t until she got home that she figured out why. Damian hadn’t invited her to the party out of any real desire for her company. He’d assumed that Evan hadn’t asked her—and he was looking for an opportunity to throw her and his brother together socially.
Jessica arrived at her parents’ house early Saturday afternoon, after spending all morning shopping for the perfect outfit. Cathy had come along to offer encouragement and advice.
She might not be attending the barbecue with Damian, but when she showed up looking like a movie star, he’d wish she was. This was her mission, plain and simple.
Evan had casually mentioned the country-and-western band, but he’d also said the barbecue was in honor of an artist. These somewhat contradictory snippets of information served to confuse her about how to dress. Nothing in her closet seemed suitable, but then little in the shops did, either.
In one outfit she resembled Annie Oakley, and in another Jackie Kennedy. There didn’t seem to be much of a middle ground—until she found a long denim skirt, a red shirt decorated with white fringe sewn about the yoke and white cowboy boots. A white silk scarf tied around her neck lent a touch of elegance.
Her mother’s eyes widened with approval when Jessica modeled the outfit. “I wish now I’d gone shopping, too, and bought something new myself. You look great.”
“Thanks.” Her mother’s praise gave Jessica confidence. Cathy, who tended to dress like a character in a sci-fi movie, had also said she looked great, but Jessica didn’t really trust her friend’s fashion sense.
“It was so sweet of Evan to include you,” Joyce Kellerman went on to say. “Not that I’m surprised, his being your boss and all. Life is certainly full of little twists and turns, isn’t it?
“It sure is,” Jessica said without elaborating.
“I’m thrilled that you’re working with Evan.”
“He’s a nice person.”
“He’s wonderful. It’s always been my dream—I know it’s silly, but well, we’re such good friends with the Drydens … I’ve always hoped you’d grow up to marry one of Lois’s boys.”
“Whatever you do,” Jessica said quickly, “don’t say that in front of Damian or Evan.”
“Why not, dear?”
“Mom, it’d embarrass me to death!”
“But you were so keen on Evan a few years back, and I thought … I hoped …”
“Mother, I was only fourteen!” Her old infatuation with Evan was turning into the proverbial albatross around her neck—thanks to Damian and her mother. If it wasn’t for them, the whole thing would’ve been forgotten by now.
“You’ll make a beautiful bride,” her mother said, adding the finishing touches to her own outfit. Abruptly she changed the subject. “Lois has worried herself sick over this silly barbecue.”
“But why?” Mrs. Dryden had thrown a hundred parties more elaborate than this.
Her mother sat on the bed and leaned back on her hands. “I don’t suppose there’s any reason to keep it a secret. Walter’s been approached about running for the Senate.”
Walter Dryden had been active in community affairs for years. Although he’d never held public office, he’d often managed the successful campaigns of others. He’d taken an early retirement from the law firm, and, from what Jessica understood, had grown restless with inactivity. Running for office would doubtless come as a welcome challenge.
“Has he decided he’s going to run?”
“Your father and I think so. He hasn’t declared his candidacy yet, but we’re confident he will. He’s testing the waters with this barbecue tonight. The ostensible reason is to welcome this artist—a Pierre Sidonie—but a number of people from the political arena will also be present. So this is probably the most important party of Lois’s marriage. No wonder she’s a nervous wreck.”
Even before Jessica and her parents arrived for the barbecue, the pungent smells of tomato sauce, spices and roasting meat mingled in the afternoon sunshine and drifted over the fence.
As they were greeted at the front door, Jessica was reminded, by the fervor with which Lois hugged her mother, what very good friends the two women were. Their friendship had spanned more than twenty years, and they were like sisters. Jessica felt the same way about Cathy. They’d met in college, where they’d been roommates for three years.
When Jessica didn’t immediately see Evan or Damian, she wandered outside. A series of round tables decorated in red checked tablecloths were scattered across the lush expanse of lawn. The day was perfect, warm but not hot, and the sky was cloudless. A soft breeze ruffled the leaves of the large shade trees that lined the property. This was New England summer at its best. The aromas of the food were heavenly, too, reminding her how hungry she was. Shopping and preparing for the party hadn’t left time for lunch.
Several dozen guests had arrived, and Jessica scanned the crowd. She spotted Evan standing next to a lovely blonde in a white fringed dress with a turquoise belt and silver buckle. Jessica didn’t recognize the woman, and a few discreet inquiries got her nowhere. She became all the more curious. She attempted to make her way over to Evan, since she was officially his date, but in actuality, she was seeking an introduction to the lovely blonde. Perhaps this was Evan’s new romantic interest, she thought hopefully. But before she could reach Evan, she was waylaid by some family friends. Most of the Drydens’ guests were older people, established names Jessica had known or heard all her life.
“Hello, Jessica,” Damian said from behind her. She turned to find him in the sort of suit he wore at the office. He’d made an attempt to dress to the theme with a black Stetson, which, in Jessica’s opinion, looked entirely out of place on his very Bostonian head.
His eyes glimmered with appreciation. “You look—” he hesitated “—good.”
Jessica suspected it wasn’t often that Damian was at a loss for words. It lifted her spirits considerably.
“I imagine you’re wondering who that blonde is, the one draping herself all over Evan,” he suggested casually.
That was true, although not for the reasons he believed. She couldn’t help being grateful to this unknown woman for keeping Evan occupied. Otherwise he might feel obliged to pay attention to her, and she’d much rather spend her time with Damian.
“Who is she?” Jessica asked, playing his game.
“Do I detect a small hint of jealousy?”
“Of course not.” The question irritated her.
“That’s Ramona Sidonie.”
“Who?”
“The artist’s daughter.”
That explained it. Naturally Evan considered it his duty to make Ramona feel welcome. Jessica was pleased to see him apparently enjoying himself.
“Would you like me to introduce you?” Damian asked.
“No,” Jessica said. She’d noticed Evan and Ramona moving toward the dance area. “Evan’s having a good time. I don’t see any reason to interrupt him.”
“You’re his date.”
“But only because you talked him into asking me.”
Damian’s eyes narrowed. “What makes you say that?”
“I’m not completely naive, you know. The reason you came into my office to invite me was that you didn’t think Evan had—and you wanted to make sure the two of us were together in a social situation so you could see what happened. Am I right?”
He clasped his hands behind his back and took two small steps away, then turned to face her again. She saw a hint of a smile in his eyes. “If you’re right—although I’m not saying you are—I’d never admit it.”
“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 Frenchwoman. 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.”
“Ramona 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 that, which is just as well. I’d rather be with you,” she said boldly.
“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, figuring Damian might have used her desire to eat as an excuse to squire her to one of the tables and conveniently leave her there.
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 definitely seemed to have forgotten her, but far from being offended, she felt only a sense of relief.
Damian’s invitation to dance was unexpected. “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, which is it, Damian?”
He took a long time deciding, much longer than should’ve 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 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 astonishment 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 surprises 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, partnering the dignitary’s daughter.
“Well, well, if it isn’t Damian and Jessica,” Evan said with a smile, not sounding jealous at all.
It hadn’t taken long to attract Evan’s attention, and Jessica groaned inwardly, wondering if Damian had planned this.
“You haven’t met Ramona, 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 Ramona.
The two couples moved off to get something to drink. They were making small talk and sipping punch when Damian suddenly asked Ramona 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 Ramona 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 Ramona 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 that Damian and Ramona were on the far side of the dance area, because she needed time and space to bring order to her thoughts. When the number ended, Evan was corralled 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 crossed 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.
Absorbed, she hadn’t noticed Damian’s approach and was startled when he spoke. “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’ve 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 brought 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 told her softly. “It was over a long time ago—more than six months now.” He sighed. “I was hoping he would’ve forgotten her by now, but …”
Oh, dear, Jessica thought. Apparently Damian believed she was here at the pond brooding about Evan, when in fact nothing could be farther from the truth. She’d been standing on the bridge thinking about Damian.
“Who was she?” Jessica asked curiously.
“Someone he met on a beach. No name the family had ever heard of before, not that it mattered. Mary Jo Summerhill.”
“What happened?”
“No one really knows. 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 have no idea what happened between him and Mary Jo?”
“No. He changed abruptly after the breakup. His heart clearly wasn’t in his work, so I cut back his hours. 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 said, “but if anything, he’s resented my prying. This broken relationship seems to have hurt 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 …” 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 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 years old coming to this bridge and crying my eyes out,” she murmured.
“What were you so upset about?”
“You,” she said, turning back 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 asked.
He looked at her in surprise. “Where else? The beach. From what I gather, that roller coaster’s still in operation. 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 cone of pink cotton candy in one hand and a purple stuffed elephant in 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 down on them.
“I don’t think I’ve ever enjoyed myself more,” Jessica said to Damian. She held the cotton candy toward him and he helped himself to a handful. Taking another bite herself, she savored the sugary sweetness melting 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 this silly elephant.” She hugged it against her, belying her words.
“Are you game?” Damian asked, gesturing toward the huge steel structure.
Jessica shrugged. “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 took 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 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, how am I going to hold on?”
“I’ll hold you,” 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 so 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 look forward to their turn. At last the silver cars came to an abrupt halt 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. She generally avoided heights, 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 climbed 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, 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.”
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 entry 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 little girl next door.
And maybe Evan’s obvious attraction to Ramona would blossom into something more, and the Drydens would stop looking to Jessica for solutions. She sincerely hoped that would be the case. A man always thrived on a challenge, and the artist’s daughter might be just the thing Evan needed.
Damian and Jessica walked along the sawdust-covered ground of the parking lot until they got to 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 gone to Cannon Beach. Years since—” He stopped abruptly.
Jessica was reminded of what she’d heard about Damian—that he worked too hard and didn’t take 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 went home, and she wasn’t ready to let that happen.
“Do you want to come up?” she asked, not really expecting he would, but 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. One of her neighbors 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 slumped against the mirrored wall in mock exhaustion.
“You sure you don’t want to close your eyes?” he said.
“Why?”
“This elevator is moving at death-defying speeds. Who knows the last time it was checked for safety.”
“Thursday” came her glib reply.
Damian laughed delightedly.
“I don’t know,” she teased. “You might be right.” Jokingly she squinted her eyes shut, but when she did, Damian kissed her.
It took Jessica a moment to realize what had happened. Damian had actually kissed her. It was a simple, uncomplicated kiss, the kind a brother gives a sister. One pair of lips touching another.
Only it didn’t feel simple.
If anything, it left her longing for much, much more. Dumbstruck, she stared up at him, not knowing how to respond.
“Don’t look so shocked,” Damian muttered.
“I …” She closed her mouth to stop herself from asking him to kiss her again.
“It was just a kiss.”
“I know,” she muttered. She sensed that he regretted the impulse and wished she knew of some way to tell him how thoroughly she’d enjoyed it. But before she could find the words, the elevator stopped.
Jessica led him to her apartment and unlocked the door. Turning on the light, she moved into the cheery yellow kitchen and, as was her habit, flipped the switch to her answering machine. Cathy Hudson’s voice greeted her.
“Jess. Hi, it’s me. I’m dying to hear how the barbecue went with lover boy today. Give me a call when you can.”
“So your friend knows about Evan?” Damian asked casually, making himself comfortable at her round oak table. He leafed through a newsmagazine she’d been reading that morning.
“I might’ve mentioned him, but certainly not as Lover Boy, if that’s what you’re asking.”
“That’s not what she said.”
“She’s teasing,” Jessica insisted. She hadn’t talked to her friend about her new feelings for Damian and was sorry now, because Cathy—like everyone else, it seemed—was intensely curious about the relationship between Jessica and Evan. “She knows I once had a crush on Evan and she assumed … Well, you just heard.” Jessica took out the coffee canister and poured some grounds into the paper filter. The rich coffee aroma filled the room. “This will only take a minute,” she promised.
“Listen, don’t bother. It’s later than I realized.”
“You’re sure?” Jessica said, disappointed.
“Positive.” He set aside the magazine and stood. Pausing in front of her, he drew his hand along the side of her face. “Thank you for a wonderful day, Jessica.”
“Thank you,” she whispered back.
The apartment seemed unnaturally empty when Damian was gone. She’d hoped he’d kiss her again before he left. He’d been tempted, she could see it in his eyes, but he’d resisted, apparently wanting to keep an emotional distance from her.
Jessica wasn’t at all tired and, needing to talk, dialed her friend’s number.
A groggy Cathy answered on the fourth ring.
“I didn’t wake you, did I?” Jessica said with a giggle, delighted to pay back her friend for all the times Cathy had phoned her in the middle of the night.
“From the dead. What are you doing calling so late and sounding so damned cheerful? There should be a law against that. Let me guess. You were with Evan.”
“No! Damian and I went to the—”
“Damian? You’re dating Evan’s brother?” Cathy seemed wide-awake now.
“I know in that silly romantic heart of yours you figured once I was working with Evan, all the unrequited love I’d stored up years ago would suddenly blossom.”
“Yup,” Cathy said. “You’re exactly right.”
“Cathy, listen to me. Evan Dryden is a terrific guy, but he isn’t the man for me.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“Because … well, because I just am.” Even now it was difficult to talk about her feelings for Damian. She couldn’t begin to describe them. “For one thing, Evan’s in no emotional shape to get involved in another romance, which is fine by me.”
“What happened?” Cathy demanded. “I thought he asked you to his family’s barbecue.”
“He did, but only because Damian prompted him. By the time I arrived, he’d met a lovely Frenchwoman and the two of them were inseparable.”
“How rude!”
If she’d had her heart set on Evan, it would’ve been devastating, but she didn’t, and as a consequence she’d spent a glorious night in Damian’s company. She wouldn’t have traded the evening for anything. “No, not at all,” she said.
“You aren’t disappointed?”
Apparently Cathy wasn’t as awake as Jessica had believed. “Not in the least. Damian and I drove out to Cannon Beach and rode the roller coaster.”
“You? The original wimp on that monster ride? You didn’t really, did you?”
“Yes, I did,” she replied proudly, “and it was fabulous.” She spent the next few minutes relaying the highlights of the evening—Damian’s winning the stuffed elephant for her and walking along the pier and sharing cotton candy. When she finished there was a short silence.
“Hmm,” said Cathy thoughtfully. “This could be very interesting.”
Jessica got to the office bright and early Monday morning. Evan had apparently been there at some point during the weekend, since he’d left her a list of instructions. His notes included a series of laws he needed her to research. Jessica got to the task right away.
Damian found her in the library some time later. “So you are here,” he said, sounding surprised. “Mrs. Sterling thought you hadn’t come in today. I phoned your apartment and left a message.”
Jessica straightened in her chair and arched her back, hoping to relieve the tension in her tired muscles. A glance at her watch told her it was nearly eleven. She’d been so involved in her research she hadn’t noticed the time.
“I’ve been in here all morning,” she explained, pinching the bridge of her nose. The words were beginning to blur in front of her eyes. Some of the reading was dull, but there were several cases she found intriguing.
He disappeared and returned a moment later with a steaming cup of coffee. “Here,” he said, handing it to her. “Take a break before you go blind.”
“Has Evan shown up yet?” The coffee tasted like ambrosia.
Damian sighed. “Not yet. But Evan comes and goes at will, or at least he has for the past few months.”
“Well, he left me some work to do, so he must’ve been in yesterday.” She paused. “What about him and Ramona?” She sincerely hoped those two were enthralled with each other.
“It’s too soon to tell, but maybe there’s some hope there.” Good. Damian sounded as if he really meant it.
“I want Evan to be happy,” she said, not sure why she needed Damian to know that.
“Exactly.” Damian smiled and got up to walk over to the polished bookcase. He pulled down a well-used volume. “Let me give you some advice,” he said, tucking the book under his arm.
“Sure.”
“Don’t skip lunch.”
“I won’t,” she promised.
He left then and Jessica smiled and closed her eyes. After a moment she returned to her research. A long time passed before her smile faded.
As promised, Jessica took her lunch hour and returned to find Evan searching for her. He sat down next to her in the library and reviewed her notes, asked a series of intelligent questions and made comments every now and then about her progress. More than once he praised her efforts. He made a few notations himself, and they spent the better part of an hour discussing different aspects of the Earl Kress case.
After Evan had gone, Jessica was exhilarated. Damian had revealed a keen insight into his brother’s personality by assigning Evan to this important case. Evan was dynamic, sharp and dedicated to representing this former athlete to the best of his ability.
Several hours of research remained, and although it was late, Jessica decided to trudge on until she was finished.
“It’s six o’clock and time for you to go home,” Damian said from behind her in the tone she recognized. It was the one he used when he wouldn’t listen to a word of argument. The one that swayed juries.
“I’ll be finished in a bit.”
“You’re finished now.”
“Damian.”
“Don’t argue with me, Jessica. It won’t do any good.”
She closed the book she was reading and stood up. Every movement of her body spelled reluctance.
“Did you take time for lunch?”
“You’re beginning to sound like my guardian!”
“I see you didn’t eat, otherwise you wouldn’t be snapping at me.”
“I did so—and I’m not snapping!”
“That does it!”
Was he about to fire her for insubordination? Jessica stared up at him, wondering what would happen next.
“We’re going to dinner,” he muttered.
“Dinner! But Damian, you’ve already—”
“Pizza,” he said, “the deep-dish variety. There’s a small Italian restaurant around the corner. I swear it’s one of the best-kept secrets in Boston.”
“Pizza,” Jessica repeated slowly and her stomach growled in anticipation. “Well, if you insist, and it seems that you do.” She reached for her purse.
They walked to the restaurant, which was nestled in the basement of one of the older buildings. The marble floors were badly worn, and the architecture showed that the place had been built in the early thirties. Jessica had passed the building a hundred times and barely given it a second’s notice.
“How’d you hear about this restaurant?” she asked.
“From the security guard. He eats here regularly and recommended it to me. I’ve never tasted better Italian food.”
The proprietor greeted Damian as if he were a long-lost cousin, kissing him on both cheeks and speaking in Italian as he nodded approvingly at Jessica.
“What did he say?” she asked when they were seated at a table covered with a red-and-white-checked cloth. A candle flickered from inside a small vase, and shadows danced across the opposite wall.
He shrugged. “I don’t know the language that well.”
“In that case you did a good job of faking it.”
“All right, if you must know, Antonio assumed we’re lovers,” Damian said casually, opening the menu.
“You corrected him, didn’t you?” she demanded, putting a hand to her chest. She could feel the color rush into her face.
“No.”
“Damian! You can’t let that man believe you and I …”
“You’re probably right, I shouldn’t. Especially when it’s my brother you’re in love with, not me.”
Jessica set the menu aside and leaned forward until her stomach pressed against the edge of the table. They needed to get this straight, once and for all. “I’m not in love with Evan,” she whispered heatedly.
“All right, all right.”
“You don’t sound convinced.”
“I’m convinced,” he said, without looking at her. Whatever was offered on the menu had apparently captured his full attention.
“Fine,” she said, picking up her own menu. She was about to suggest the sausage pizza when a basket of warm bread was brought to their table. The lovely dark-haired woman who’d delivered it caught Damian’s face between her hands and kissed him soundly on the lips. Jessica must have looked shocked, because the older woman laughed delightedly. “You don’t need to worry—I won’t steal Damian away from you,” she said, then added something in Italian.
Damian seemed to go pale at the woman’s words. Jessica’s own knowledge of Italian was scant, but she knew what bambino meant.
“Damian, tell me what she said.”
He was silent while the same woman poured them each a glass of wine and brought a plate of antipasto. Then he sighed. “Lucia says you seem nice and sturdy.”
“What? Anyway, she said more than that.”
“Jessica, I already explained I only know a little bit of Italian.”
“You know more than me. She said bambino. Doesn’t that mean ‘baby’?”
Damian sighed again. “Yes. Lucia said you’ll make a good mother to my children.”
“Oh.” Jessica glanced at the woman, who was standing on the other side of the room, busy ladling minestrone soup into two ceramic bowls, which she then brought over to them.
“I guess we aren’t going to get that pizza,” Damian muttered after the soup was served.
Antonio returned with the bottle of Italian wine and replenished their glasses with exclamations of pleasure. Damian thanked him in Italian, then they spoke for a minute or two.
“When did you learn to speak Italian?” Jessica asked.
“I didn’t. I picked up a smidgen here and there over the years. I spent a couple of months in Italy before I entered law school and muddled my way through the country. That’s about it.”
“You’re a man of many talents,” she said, picking up her spoon and sampling the soup. It was rich and flavorful. In fact, everything was excellent—the meal, the smooth red wine, the cappucino and dessert. Each time she thought she couldn’t swallow another bite, Lucia would bring them something else she insisted they try.
“Either we leave now, or you’ll have to roll me out of here,” Jessica said.
Damian chuckled, settled the bill, and together they walked back to the office high-rise. The evening was glorious, and Jessica felt wonderful. She wasn’t sure if it was the result of the weather, the delicious food and wine or the company—or maybe all of them.
“Thank you,” she said in the elevator.
“You’re welcome.” Damian fell strangely quiet as they walked to the law library. Before she left for the night, Jessica wanted to shelve the volumes she’d been studying. Damian helped her silently. When they were finished, he preceded her from the room, automatically turning off the light.
The room was suddenly dark and Jessica bumped into a table.
“Jessica.”
“I’m fine,” she assured him, moving toward the hall light.
“That’s the problem,” he muttered, reaching for her. She was in his arms before she realized it. “I’m not.” With that his mouth came down on hers.
Five
This kiss wasn’t brotherly, nor was it uncomplicated. Damian’s mouth fit over hers, warm and coaxing. Jessica sighed and relaxed against him, giving herself up to the sensation. It felt right to be in his arms, that was all there was to it.
Her hands gripped the lapels of his jacket, her fingers crushing the soft wool as his mouth moved against hers. Damian’s hand curved around the side of her neck, his touch tender as though he feared hurting her.
The kiss was unlike any Jessica had ever experienced. She felt the sensual power of it all the way to her toes, the impact stealing her breath. She moaned and Damian did, too. When they broke apart, neither spoke. Jessica wished he’d say something, anything, to break the silence. She needed him to explain what was happening, because she was lost, taken by surprise, yet delighted to the very depths of her being.
Instead, Damian turned and walked away.
She couldn’t believe it. A tear slipped unnoticed down her cheek and dropped onto her silk blouse, the droplet bleeding into a small circle. She raised her hand to her face, taken aback by the tear.
Funny that when she couldn’t find the words to say what she felt, a tear would speak for her. She’d learned that lesson years earlier. Her mother’s tears had fallen onto her grandmother’s casket, and they’d said far more than a whispered farewell. Tearstains on a letter revealed more than its words.
A tear on her cheek now, after she’d shared a kiss with this man, spoke volumes. Only, to Jessica the language was one she couldn’t fully understand.
The sudden need to escape overwhelmed her. Collecting her purse, she stepped out of the library and proceeded down the hallway. She paused outside Damian’s open door. She saw him standing in front of his window, gazing into the night. His hands were clasped behind his back.
“Good night,” she called softly.
He turned and smiled briefly. “Good night, Jessica. See you in the morning.”
She wished they could sit down and discuss what had happened, but one look told her Damian was confused and not nearly as delighted as she was. He seemed troubled, burdened somehow. She wondered if he regretted having kissed her.
“Thank you for dinner,” she said. “You were right. It’s the best Italian food I’ve ever had.” She didn’t want to leave, but didn’t have an excuse to stay.
“I’m glad you enjoyed it.”
Jessica headed for the elevator. Her thoughts remained so muddled that she nearly missed her subway stop on the ride home. The first thing she did when she walked into her apartment was reach for the purple elephant Damian had won for her. She wrapped her arms around it and hugged it tight. It made her feel close to Damian. All she needed to do was shut her eyes and the memories of their night together at Cannon Beach filled her mind. She could almost hear the sound of the carousel and the echo of her own laughter when Damian insisted on winning her the elephant. She could hear the roller coaster as the riders shrieked past and smell the popcorn, candy apples and hot dogs.
Still holding the elephant, Jessica slumped into the overstuffed chair and reached for her phone, calling her best friend. Cathy was far more insightful in these matters than she was. She would help her make sense of Damian’s kiss.
“Hi,” Jessica murmured when her friend answered.
Her greeting was met with a slight hesitation. “What’s wrong?”
Her friend knew her so well. “What makes you think anything’s wrong?”
“I can tell from your voice.”
Smiling to herself, Jessica brought up her knees and rested her chin there as she assembled her thoughts. There didn’t seem to be an easy way of explaining. Best just to blurt it out. “Damian kissed me tonight.”
“And you liked it, didn’t you?”
Cathy sounded gleeful, as though tempted to break into song. Jessica supposed this was what she got for having a theater-arts major for a best friend.
“Yeah—but I’m totally confused,” Jessica admitted quietly. This jumble of mixed feelings was her main problem.
“Surprises you, doesn’t it?” Cathy asked, then chuckled softly, again with that note of delight. “I’ve seen the writing on the wall ever since you mentioned Damian Saturday night. The guy’s perfect for you.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.”
“What’s ridiculous about it?”
“I haven’t thought of him … that way. Well, I have recently, and frankly, it frightens me to death. I’ve already made a fool of myself over one Dryden. I don’t want to make the same mistake with another one.”
“You were a kid the first time. There’s a world of difference between what happened then and what’s happening now.”
“Maybe,” was all Jessica was willing to concede.
“Think, woman,” Cathy said dramatically. “The man’s obviously attracted to you, too. Otherwise he wouldn’t be kissing you.”
“I don’t know that, and you don’t, either. We kissed, and then he acted as if it was the worst thing he could’ve done. He didn’t say a word and he just walked away. I don’t know what to think. I’m so confused.” She pressed a hand to her forehead.
“So you feel he regretted it?”
“He must have. Otherwise … otherwise everything would’ve turned out differently. He looked at me as if I were a stranger, as if he didn’t want to see me again.”
“What was he supposed to do? Confess undying love? Didn’t you tell me you had the whole situation figured out? The only reason Damian hired you was to bolster his brother’s spirits. The man has integrity, Jess. He can’t very well start dating you himself if he believes you might still have some feelings for his younger brother.”
“It drives me crazy that he’d think that!”
“I know, but you’ve got to see it from his point of view.”
“At the cost of my own sanity?”
“For now,” Cathy said sympathetically.
“I don’t know what to do!” Jessica cried, chagrined at the amount of emotion that spilled into the words.
“There’s more,” Cathy said, warming to the subject. “If you’re interested in Damian, it makes perfect sense that you’re going to have to make the first move. Damian’s hands are tied as long as he thinks there’s the slightest chance you’re interested in his brother. The guy’s in a real bind here.”
“Him! This whole thing with Evan’s gotten out of hand. The poor guy’s suffocating under everyone’s concern. I actually feel sorry for him. He got the raw end of a deal in a relationship, and all he needed was some time to work out his pain,” Jessica lamented. “Instead, Damian cut his work load until he’s bored out of his mind. His parents, especially his mother, are dishing out sympathy by the truckload, and it’s all Evan can do to stay afloat.”
She paused for breath, then went on, “The only reason Damian hired me was that he thought I’d pull Evan out of the doldrums. I haven’t talked to Evan, but I’m sure he resents all this nonsense. And I don’t blame him.”
“What about you and Damian?”
“I don’t know what to think,” Jessica admitted again. “I wish I did. If he’s interested in me, then surely it’s his place to say or do something. Regardless of how he thinks I feel about Evan.”
“Oh, come on, Jess!”
“I know Damian.”
“Huh. You thought you knew Evan, too.”
“I do, or rather, I did,” she argued. The conversation was frustrating her more by the minute. “Besides, like I said earlier, I’m not interested in making a fool of myself over another Dryden. I learned my lesson the last time. Good grief, that was years ago and my parents and his still talk about it. Just this past weekend my own mother said how pleased she’d be if I married Evan!”
“I have an idea,” Cathy said slowly as though the scheme was taking shape in her mind as she spoke. “Introduce me to Damian.”
“What possible reason do you have to meet him?” Jessica didn’t like the idea of this.
“I just want to. Things aren’t going well with David….”
“David?” Jessica cried. “Who’s David?”
“The director for Guys and Dolls. Now listen, I know this sounds crazy, but trust me, it could work.”
“What could work?” Jessica was fast losing what remained of her patience.
“Our meeting. I’ll turn on the charm, do what I can to enchant him, and—”
“Just a minute, Cath, you’re talking about the man I’m interested in.”
“I know,” she said as if all of this was perfectly logical. “But don’t you want to know how serious he is about you? Also, maybe watching him with another woman will help you sort out your feelings for him.
“Yes, but—”
“Come on, Jess. You said yourself you weren’t willing to make a fool of yourself a second time. This way you’ll know.”
“This strikes me as pretty darn silly.”
“Not only that,” Cathy went on as though Jessica hadn’t spoken, “it’ll give me a chance to practice my acting. Just introduce us, and I promise I won’t do anything to embarrass you.”
“All right,” she agreed without any real enthusiasm. “How do you propose we do this?”
“I could stop by the office one day soon and suggest lunch. It’d be natural for you to introduce me around, wouldn’t it?”
“I … suppose, but doesn’t that seem a bit obvious?”
“Perhaps. Do you have a better idea?”
“No.” She sighed. “Okay. Do you want me to invite Damian to join us? I’m coming into the office this Saturday to catch up on a few things, before Evan’s big court case starts next week. My guess is that Damian will be there, as well.”
“All the better, then. I’ll see you Saturday around noon.”
“You’re sure about this?”
“Absolutely! I have ways of getting a man to talk.”
“That sounds like something out of a movie,” Jessica muttered.
Cathy laughed. “It is.”
“That’s what I was afraid of.”
Precisely at noon Cathy arrived at the office. Jessica envied her petite friend her pixie good looks, short dark hair and big blue eyes. Cathy was adorable in her pants, which were black with huge white dots, and multicolored striped suspenders. Her blouse was white with small black dots and she was wearing black high heels. One thing was certain—no one would miss seeing her walk down the street. If Evan had been in the office, he doubtless would have begged an introduction.
“You must’ve forgotten about our lunch,” Cathy said more loudly than necessary, standing outside Jessica’s office. Loudly enough for Damian to hear.
Her friend’s ploy worked because a minute later he wandered out of his office.
“Damian, this is my friend Cathy Hudson,” Jessica said. “I might have mentioned her before.”
Damian and Cathy shook hands. “Jessica forgot we were supposed to meet for lunch toda,” Cathy said.
“It isn’t a good idea for Jessica to skip meals,” Damian said. His eyes twinkled and the effort to suppress a smile caused the corners of his mouth to quiver.
“So you’ve seen what happens when Jessica’s stomach growls. Wounded bears are easier to reason with than Jess when she’s hungry.”
“Hey, that’s not true!” Jessica flared. They were speaking as if she wasn’t there. She placed her hands on her hips and glared at the two of them. She hadn’t been keen on this idea of Cathy’s from the first and her instincts were proving to be right.
Her former roommate eased closer to Damian and was staring soulfully into his eyes. He didn’t seem to mind in the least; in fact, he seemed to lap it up.
“I’ll get my purse,” Jessica said stiffly, leaving Cathy and Damian gazing at each other while she went behind her desk and dug her purse out of the bottom drawer. The whole charade irritated her, and she was furious she’d allowed herself to be talked into it.
Cathy managed to tear her eyes away from Damian long enough to throw visual spikes at her friend. It took Jessica a moment to understand what was being signaled. Oh, yes—she was supposed to invite him to tag along.
“Would you care to join us for lunch?” she asked Damian, managing to sound polite, if unenthusiastic.
“Please do,” Cathy said, her words like warm honey.
Damian looked at Jessica as if seeking her confirmation, and to her credit, she did produce a smile. She didn’t know why she’d gone along with this. No doubt it was due to Cathy’s persuasive talents.
“I’ll be happy to join you,” Damian shocked her by saying. She’d never dreamed he would. The man was full of surprises.
“Great, just great,” Jessica muttered under her breath.
“Fabulous,” came Cathy’s melodious response.
Jessica rolled her eyes, and together the three of them headed out of the office. Damian suggested a well-known expensive restaurant, and before Jessica could comment one way or the other, Cathy had agreed. Jessica snapped her mouth closed before she could say something she’d regret. It irked her that Damian would so easily fall into Cathy’s snare. It might be just a charade, but she was left more than a little confused.
Outside the building, Damian waved down a cab, and Cathy managed to sit in the backseat with Damian. Jessica sat in the front while her best friend giggled her way through the streets of Boston. They drove past the Boston Common and the Freedom Trail, the winding path that led history buffs and tourists from one historic monument to another.
She was acting like a jealous fool, Jessica realized with a start. Jealous of Damian and Cathy? The fog that had clouded her thinking for the past few days cleared.
She was falling in love with Damian Dryden. It couldn’t have been any more obvious. It was one of the things Cathy had set out to prove, and her friend was right—she’d needed this blunt lesson.
Of course she loved Damian. From the minute she’d walked into his office and asked about the job. From the minute he’d stood on the footbridge that crossed the pond on his parents’ property and insisted on taking her to Cannon Beach.
From the minute he’d kissed her.
This was what Cathy had been trying to tell her.
When they got to the restaurant, Cathy excused herself and Jessica. With her arm wrapped around her friend’s, she dragged her to the ladies’ room.
Before Jessica could open her mouth, Cathy burst out, “Damian’s wonderful!”
“I know.”
“I haven’t met Evan, but I’m telling you right now if you’re not interested in his big brother, I am. He’s witty, he’s gorgeous, and—”
“I know all that.” And a lot more.
“Listen,” Cathy said, “I want you to make some excuse and leave.”
Jessica was stunned. “You want me to what?”
Cathy was refreshing her makeup in front of the mirror, her eyeliner in hand. “You heard me. Remember an urgent appointment, something that’ll call you away so the two of us can be alone together. Only don’t make it sound phony, or Damian will know what we’re doing.”
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Debbie Macomber
Тип: электронная книга
Жанр: Современные любовные романы
Язык: на английском языке
Издательство: HarperCollins
Дата публикации: 16.04.2024
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О книге: ′Perfect for fans of Maeve Binchy′ – CandisA mother’s joy is seeing her children fall in loveWhen Jessica was fourteen she was infatuated with Evan Dryden. Almost ten years later and Jessica knows what she felt for Evan was just a crush, because she’s fallen in love…with his brother, Damien! Convincing Damien that she loves him and not Evan is going to be a challenge, but with true love on the cards Jessica is not giving up.Mary Jo Summerhill has come back to ask for Evan’s help. She stayed away for three years after breaking their engagement, a decision that nearly destroyed her…and him. There is only one problem, Mary Jo still loves Evan and what she really wants is a second chance to become part of the Dryden family…Make time for friends. Make time for Debbie Macomber.