Same Time, Next Year

by Debbie Macomber

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  She nodded. “Hours ago.”

  “Me, too.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  “Different?”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  “You didn’t.”

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

  “Do you date?”

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

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

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

  “And now?”

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

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

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

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

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

  “I feel the same way.”

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

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

  “Why?”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  “Do you view them as agg
ressive?”

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

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

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

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

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

  * * *

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

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

  “Summer, it’s Julie.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  “This is just great!”

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

  “This sounds promising.”

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

  “Are you?”

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

  “Julie…”

  “Yeah?”

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

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

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

  “You don’t want that?”

  “No,” Summer admitted after some hesitation.

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

  * * *

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

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

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

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

  “Does it have something to do with Brett?”

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

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

  “Why not?”

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

  “I see,” she murmured, disappointed.

  “Summer, listen,” he said impatiently. “You’re beautiful and very sweet, but I’m too old for you.”

  “If you’re looking for an excuse, James, you’re going to need something better than that.” This was the second time he’d brought up their age difference, and it made her mad. “Forget I asked,” she said heatedly. “It was a stupid idea.”

  “That’s exactly what I said.” He turned the ignition switch, and the engine fired to life.

  “You’re probably going to tell me you didn’t feel anything. Go ahead and lie, but we both know that’s exactly what it is—a lie.”

  James expelled a labored sigh. “I didn’t say anything of the sort.”

  “Then you’re afraid.”

  Summer noticed the way his hands tightened around the steering wheel.

  “I prefer to think of myself as cautious.”

  “Naturally,” she mumbled.

  What surprised Summer was how much his rejection hurt. No doubt James viewed her as immature and naive. Pushy, as well. She was probably the first woman who’d ever asked him out and the only one who’d sought a kiss.

  Shame burned in her cheeks. The sooner they were back at the hotel and she could escape, the better.

  The engine revved, but they weren’t going anywhere. In fact, James had pulled the car onto the side of the road.

  “You might as well know,” he muttered, turning off the car. “I’ve had one hell of a time keeping my hands off you as it is. It doesn’t help that you’re asking me to kiss you again.”

  Having said that, he drew her into his arms. His lips were hungry and hard, his kiss long and deep. He broke it off abruptly.

  “There,” he whispered. “Satisfied now?”

  “No,” she whispered back, and directed his mouth back to hers.

  This time the kiss was slow and sweet. Her mouth nibbled his, and she was completely and utterly amazed by how good it was.

  “Summer,” he said, “we’re going to have to stop.”

  “Why?” she asked, and her tongue outlined his lips.

  James groaned, and she experienced an intense sense of power.

  “I don’t have a lot of control when it comes to you,” he admitted.

  “I don’t mind.”

  “I wish you hadn’t said that.” He kissed her again, deeply, and when the kiss ended, she was clinging to James, mindless of anything but what was happening between them.

  James rested his forehead against hers, his breathing uneven. After he’d regained some control, he locked his arms around her and drew her close. For the longest time all he did was hold her.

  It felt like heaven to be in James’s arms. Summer felt cherished, protected…loved.

  “I was afraid of something like this,” he said quietly.

  “Something like what?”

  He groaned. “Think about it, would you?”

  “I am thinking about it. I don’t understand the problem. I like it when you kiss me and touch me. I assumed you liked it, too.”

  “I do,” he said. “That’s the problem.”

  “If you say you’re too old for me, I won’t be held responsible for my actions.”

  He chuckled at that. “All right,” he said, brushing the hair away from her face. “I’m not too old for you in years, but in attitude.”

  “Well, that’s easy enough to change. We�
��ll start first thing in the morning.”

  “Start what?” he asked, clearly confused.

  She kissed him, letting her lips play over his. “You’ll see.”

  CHAPTER THREE

  James was waiting in the lobby early the following morning. Summer’s face broke into a disgruntled look when she saw him. Hands braced on her hips, shaking her head, she walked around him.

  “What?” he asked, thinking he might have left part of his shirttail out.

  “Where did you say we were going?” she asked.

  “Red Rock Canyon.”

  “Do you always wear a shirt and tie to feed wild burros?”

  James wore a shirt and tie to everything. “Yes,” he answered.

  “That’s what I thought. Then I’d like to suggest we stop at a mall first.”

  “A mall? Whatever for?”

  She looked at him as if she questioned his intelligence. “I’m taking you shopping,” she announced. “If you have any objections, you’d better voice them now.”

  “Shopping,” James repeated slowly. That was probably his least favorite thing to do. He avoided malls whenever possible. “But why?” he asked innocently. He wasn’t giving in without a fight.

  “Clothes,” she informed him, then added in case he hadn’t figured it out, “for you.”

  He frowned.

  “You don’t have to do this,” Summer said. “I think you look wonderful in a suit and tie, but you’d be far more comfortable in jeans and a T-shirt.”

  So this was what she meant about altering his attitude. She hadn’t mentioned that it involved torturing him by dragging him in and out of stores.

  “James?” She gazed up at him with wide eyes. “Are we going to the mall or not?”

  It was on the tip of his tongue to tell her he felt perfectly relaxed in what he was wearing. He would’ve said it, too, if she hadn’t blinked just then and her long, silky lashes fanned her cheek. Without much effort this woman was going to wrap him around her little finger. James could see it coming, but he lacked the strength to offer even token resistance.