A San Diego Romance

by Kianna Alexander

  He watched the tempting sway of her hips, unable to take his eyes off her.

  She stopped, looked at him. “Are you coming? There’s no reason for you to stay out here moping anymore.”

  He heard the teasing in her tone, and he laughed. She’s really something else. Climbing to his feet, he followed her inside the house.

  * * *

  Monday afternoon, Eliza left the boutique early and returned home. After she left her car at the cottage, she walked over to the main house. It was a good half mile, but she didn’t mind. She needed the fresh air and the opportunity to clear her mind before what was sure to be a difficult conversation.

  She entered the house by the side door, as she usually did, and stopped off in the kitchen to grab a soda. With the ice-cold can in hand, she went looking for her parents. She didn’t have to search very long, because they were both sitting on the sofa in the den, watching television.

  Natalie looked up when Eliza walked in. “Hey, honey. How are things at the store?”

  She smiled, despite the ball of emotions rolling around inside her. “Things are great, Mom. Thanks for asking.” She looked to her father. “Hi, Dad.”

  “Hey, pumpkin.” He offered her an absent smile, not looking away from the TV.

  That was as she’d expected. Since he’d retired from the navy, he spent a good amount of time on the couch, absorbed in his favorite shows. To her, it seemed as if he were trying to catch up on all the shows he’d missed during his years out at sea.

  Crossing the space until she stood in front of the television, she announced, “Mom, Dad, I was hoping I could talk to you.”

  Vaughn Sr. leaned to his right, attempting to see around her. “Can it wait? I’m watching something.”

  She shook her head, because she knew better than to put the conversation off any longer than necessary. That would only lead to more anger and bitterness for her. “Sorry, Dad. I don’t think it can wait.”

  Natalie, looking concerned, patted the sofa cushion next to her. “Come sit down, Eliza.” Then she grabbed the remote from her husband’s lap and flicked the TV off.

  Eliza did as her mother asked, taking the seat between Natalie and the arm of the sofa.

  From the other end of the sofa, Vaughn Sr. complained, “I was watching that.”

  “Hush up. Our baby girl has something important to say.” Natalie put her arm around Eliza’s shoulder. “Go ahead and say what’s on your mind.”

  She drew a deep breath. “First of all, I’ve been seeing Chris Marland for quite a few weeks now.”

  Vaughn Sr. leaned forward in his seat, his face twisting with disapproval. “Oh, really.”

  “Yes.” She briefly recounted running into him at Prescott George. “That’s when this all got started. I didn’t tell you we were seeing each other because I didn’t think you’d be receptive, but that’s not what I want to talk about.”

  Vaughn Sr. started on a rant. “Young lady, I don’t know why you’d take up with Chris again, but I don’t approve, and...”

  “Excuse me, Dad. As I said, that’s not what I want to talk about.”

  He frowned. “What, then?”

  “I know you and Mom told Chris to break up with me when we dated before. Well, mostly you, Dad.”

  Natalie gasped. “Oh, goodness.”

  Eliza squeezed her mother’s hand. “I’m guessing you didn’t want any part in this, and that Dad pushed the issue.”

  Natalie hesitated for a moment, but finally nodded. “You know I believe in letting a man be head of the household, so I went along with what Vaughn Sr. wanted.” Her words were laced with guilt. “I’m sorry, baby.”

  “It’s okay, Mom.” She gave her a kiss on the cheek. “I just want to get all this out in the open, but I’m not angry with you.”

  Vaughn Sr. sat stoic and silent. He stared straight ahead, but Eliza could see the tremble in his jaw.

  Eliza spoke softly to him, careful to be respectful despite how she felt. “Dad, you know I love you. And I know you were trying to protect me. But it wasn’t fair for you to make a decision like this for me without even talking to me about it. I was young, but I was also an adult.”

  Vaughn Sr.’s frown relaxed into something more recalcitrant than angry. “You just don’t understand what it’s like to raise children, to worry every day about how their life will turn out. Will they be successful, happy, fulfilled? All I wanted was the very best for you, Eliza.”

  Natalie slipped from between them, and Eliza scooted over next to her father. “Dad, you raised us right and equipped us with everything we needed to live a good life. That included good judgment. You’ve taught me how to analyze a situation and make the right decisions. Can you just trust what you’ve taught me and let me make my own choices, please?”

  He looked at her then, his eyes holding his apology. “I...I’ll do my best. Forgive me, pumpkin. I was just trying to look out for you, but I see now that you can look out for yourself.”

  She smiled. “Thank you, Dad.” She gave him a kiss on the forehead.

  Natalie, standing by the coffee table, sniffled. “I’m getting out of here before you two have me crying.”

  “Too late, Mom,” Eliza quipped as her mother fled the room and headed upstairs.

  Left alone with her father, Eliza took the opportunity to bring up the other pressing issue on her mind. “Dad, can I ask you something?”

  “No, I didn’t run off any of your other boyfriends.” He winked.

  She laughed. “No, Dad, not that. It’s about Prescott George. Do you know anything about the break-ins and all the other problems going on over there?”

  Vaughn Sr. shook his head. “Nothing other than what I’ve read in the paper.”

  “So you weren’t involved in any of it? Because I’ve heard you complaining about the new way things are done over there and how it dishonors tradition and all that.”

  He looked shocked, confused. “No, of course not. I’d never be involved in a crime.”

  “What about your friends? Do you think any of them would?”

  He scratched his chin. “No. Jonathan Jace, Jordan’s dad, is pretty annoyed about how the organization is run now, and so are a few of us other first-generation members. But no matter how much we disagree with what they’re doing, we all have a special place in our heart for Prescott George. It’s a historic organization, and we wouldn’t want to see it come to harm.”

  She nodded, seeing her father’s sincerity. “Okay. I guess Chris and the chapter will have to keep digging to find out who’s behind all this mess.”

  Vaughn Sr. leaned in close to her. “Actually, I’ve been doing some digging of my own. I’ve got plenty of free time on my hands since I retired, so I’ve been looking into it. You won’t believe what I found out.”

  “What?”

  “We think the culprits are members of Prescott George. Specifically, members of the Los Angeles chapter.”

  She stared, openmouthed. Realizing how she must look, she closed her mouth. Then she asked the obvious question. “Why would they do that?”

  He shrugged. “Jealousy. It’s a powerful motivator. And everything I’ve uncovered says that the Los Angeles chapter doesn’t think the San Diego chapter should have won the Chapter of the Year award.”

  “Wow.” She didn’t know what to say to that. Prescott George was a prestigious organization, with high ideals, stringent membership requirements and an air of exclusivity in everything it did. She couldn’t believe that cogent adults, let alone members of this storied organization, would stoop to such levels of pettiness. But as her father had said, jealousy could drive people to do things they wouldn’t normally do.

  “What’s worse is I think the ringleader may be someone I know, someone I even considered a friend once.” He shook his head. “It’s a shame to have this kind of infighti
ng going on in the organization. It’s not what the founders stood for.”

  Eliza nodded. “Thanks for the intel, Dad. I see you’ve still got your reconnaissance skills.”

  He smiled. “Hey, once a sailor, always a sailor. Prescott George has meant a lot to me, and I’m not about to give up the ship.”

  Eliza pecked her day on the cheek. Her dad was still as corny as ever, but since he’d been such a big help, she’d let it slide.

  Chapter 17

  Chris was in his living room Monday evening, reading an issue of Architectural Digest, when he heard his doorbell ring. Setting the magazine aside, he went to answer the door. When he opened it, he found Eliza standing there. Dressed in a long blue dress in a flowing fabric, she smiled.

  “Hey. I’ve got some information for you about this Prescott George thing.”

  “Come on in.” He stepped back to allow her inside. After they were seated comfortably on his sofa, he said, “I’m guessing you already talked to your dad.”

  She nodded. “Yes. I went over there earlier today. First, we dealt with the whole issue of him running you off back in the day.”

  “How’d he take that?”

  “He wasn’t happy about having me bring it up. I think he seemed a little embarrassed by what he did. Anyway, he apologized and agreed not to meddle in my life anymore, so I’d say we’re square.”

  He blew out a breath. “Great. Hopefully he won’t have any ill will toward me after this, either.”

  “I don’t think so.” She scooted closer to him. “Now, let me tell you what I found out about the Prescott George mystery.”

  He leaned in, listening intently while she relayed the details of her conversation with the Colonel. When she was finished, he shook his head in disbelief. “You mean to tell me that another chapter is responsible for all the turmoil around here? That this is an inside job?”

  “Based on what Dad told me, yes. Recon was part of his navy work, and he’s still got the old instincts. I really think he’s onto something.”

  Taken aback by this new and unexpected revelation, Chris fell back against the sofa cushions. “Wow. Of all the things I thought you’d bring back to me, I never would have guessed this one.”

  “How do you feel after hearing all this?”

  “Shocked and relieved. At least I have a lead now, and that will take the heat off Jojo.”

  Her brow crinkled. “What do you mean?”

  “Well, since she admitted to vandalizing Jordan’s sculpture, there’s been a lot of chatter that she might also be behind some of our other problems. Now that we have this information, I think we can safely put those rumors to bed.”

  “That’s good. But now that I’ve told you about the Los Angeles chapter, what are you going to do?” She studied his face, awaiting his answer.

  “First, I’ve got to get in touch with the national office. They need to know about this, so they won’t cancel our gala tomorrow night.” He ran his hand over his forehead, then glanced at his watch. “This news came just in time. I’ve got an hour to contact them and stop them from canceling the party.”

  “Okay. I’ll wait while you make the call.”

  He stepped into his office and put in a call to Dr. Clark. “Hello, Dr. Clark. I have some very important news regarding the issues with my chapter.”

  “Good,” Dr. Clark said. “I’m eager to hear an explanation for the tomfoolery going on over there.”

  Chris spent the next few minutes explaining everything to the assistant director. “And all of this information is from Colonel Ellicott. He’s been looking into things on our behalf.”

  “I see. Looks like the Colonel has better investigative skills than the private detective you all hired.”

  Chris chuckled. “I guess that’s true. Anyway, I was hoping that considering this new information, you would reconsider canceling our gala tomorrow night.”

  “Of course. The gala will go on as scheduled. I’m actually grateful to hear this evidence, because we would have lost a lot of money on a last-minute cancellation.”

  Chris remembered bringing that up in their last conversation. “Good, then we’re on the same page. If you don’t mind my asking, sir, what action is the national organization going to take now?”

  Dr. Clark sighed. “It pains me to have to do this, but we’re going to have to put the Los Angeles chapter on probationary status. If they’re behind this mess, it’s indicative of a larger problem within their chapter, and that needs to be addressed before they can reclaim active status.”

  “Will there be arrests? Charges filed?”

  “No, I don’t think so. That’s way more negative press than the national organization wants to deal with right now.” Dr. Clark paused. “I think if we make the chapter confess their deeds to the national board, then take disciplinary action against the chapter, the guilty parties will see the error of their ways without getting law enforcement involved.”

  “That seems reasonable.”

  “Of course, I’ll discuss this with the director and the board, but that’s the best course of action in my opinion.”

  “Whatever the board thinks is best, the San Diego chapter will support it.”

  “That’s very wise. Now, I’ve got to get busy on reining in the Los Angeles chapter. As for you, Mr. Marland, I believe you have a gala to prepare for.” Dr. Clark disconnected the call.

  A smiling Chris returned to the living room.

  Eliza, still sitting on the sofa, turned his way when he walked in. “Anything you need me to do?”

  “Yes. Go to the boutique and get your most beautiful gown.”

  She looked confused. “Why?”

  “Because the gala is on, and I want you to be there on my arm.”

  Her only replay was a sultry smile that warmed his insides.

  * * *

  As she walked arm in arm with Chris onto the deck of the Star of India, Eliza felt like a queen walking into her coronation. The tall ship, a national and state historic landmark, had circled the globe twenty-one times since its maiden voyage in 1863. Now the Star of India, along with a fleet of other historically significant ships, was docked in San Diego Bay to form the Maritime Museum of San Diego. As she took in the sights around her, she couldn’t imagine a more unique venue for a party.

  It was about an hour after sunset, but the ship was lit up as bright as day. Paper lanterns hung from the ship’s moorings, illuminating the white-clothed tables and chairs set up around the deck. Near the bow, a buffet was set up, containing gastronomic delights of every kind. People dressed in their best formal wear milled around the space, engaged in conversation and enjoying the glasses of champagne being passed around by a troupe of tray-carrying waiters.

  Chris looked very dapper in his coal black tuxedo, complete with silver vest and tie. She’d chosen to wear a white silk charmeuse cocktail dress. The one-shoulder design was sprinkled with clear crystals, and the hem grazed her midcalf. Anticipating the locale for tonight’s event, she’d chosen a pair of metallic silver sandals with a kitten heel, as well as a matching wrap to shield her shoulders from the breeze flowing over San Diego Bay.

  A waiter passed them as they moved toward a reserved table, and Chris took two glasses of champagne from his tray. Passing one to her, he smiled.

  She accepted the glass and took a sip as they arrived at the table. Eliza stopped to give her brother Vaughn a quick hug. Vaughn, who’d come with his wife, Miranda, returned her embrace. If he was still miffed about his sister being involved with Chris, he didn’t let it show. Perhaps Vaughn had taken time to consider how ridiculous it was for him to judge Eliza’s relationship with Chris. After all, Vaughn and Miranda had barely known each other when they’d married, much to the disapproval of their parents. Things had turned out fine for them, and when Eliza looked at her brother and sister-in-law, she simply
saw two people in love.

  There were two other people at the table that Eliza didn’t recognize, and after she and Chris were seated, he began the introductions. The man was famed sculptor Jordan Jace, and the attractive woman with him was his fiancée, Sasha Charles.

  After they all exchanged greetings, the conversation around the table began flowing. They’d been talking for a few moments when Jojo walked up. She looked very pretty in her peach A-line dress. Behind her stood her twin brother, Jack, who looked less than happy about having to wear a tuxedo.

  The kids both greeted everyone at the table, and Jojo leaned over to hug Eliza’s shoulders. Eliza, both surprised and touched, returned the gesture. Jojo then moved to Chris’s side, whispering something in his ear before she and Jack faded back into the crowd of partygoers.

  “What was that about?” Eliza asked.

  Chris waved her off. “Nothing much.” He turned his attention to Jordan. “So, Jordan, how has Jojo been doing at the studio?”

  “Great. She’s been very helpful and cooperative.”

  “I’m glad to hear it. And again, I really appreciate you letting her work with you to make up for what she did.” Chris reached out to shake his friend’s hand.

  “No problem.” Jordan offered a smile.

  The group broke up for a while as they danced to the music being played over the loudspeakers. The tunes, ranging from up-tempo jazz to classic R&B, kept the party going, and Eliza enjoyed twirling around the dance floor. When the slow jams played, she relished the feeling of their bodies pressed close together as they swayed to the rhythm.

  Within an hour or so, the six of them were back at the table, nibbling on plates of food from the buffet. For a while, the only sound at the table was the clinking of utensils against the china plates.

  Miranda spoke up, restarting the conversation. “So, I don’t think I’ve told you all, but I’m planning to open a luxury bed-and-breakfast in Malibu. Vaughn and I are renewing our vows next week, and it’s been kind of crazy planning that and the B and B at the same time, but we’ll manage.”