Happy Mother's Day: Ready for Romance / Ready for Marriage

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.