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

“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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