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Fortunately, Lucy had anticipated it and suggested the tents to keep the sun away.
Face it. She’d thought of everything.
“Shelly really likes her. Hell, all the women like her. Nobody had an unkind word to
say about her.” Bob looked at Jake and shrugged, almost as if he was sorry to be the
bearer of that news.
Didn’t surprise Jake in the least. He’d been busy today, but not too busy that he didn’t notice the way she fit in with his crowd. Not that he’d worried she wouldn’t. Well,
maybe a little. Funny how she could be so at ease with his kind of people, when he
expected her to be bored or appalled at the behavior of the kids.
“I’m glad Shelly liked her.” Her opinion meant a lot to Jake. Shelly had called him on some of the women he’d brought around over the years, and damn if she hadn’t been
right about every one of the women she’d told him were a complete waste of his time.
“I gotta warn you,” Bob said, “she’s already thinking of you two as a permanent couple.”
Jake rolled his eyes. “Not gonna happen.”
“You sure?”
“Yeah, I’m sure.”
Bob’s snicker didn’t go unnoticed. Nor did his mumbled “famous last words” as he walked away.
No. It wasn’t gonna happen. Not now, not ever. So he might as well get any heart tugging, thinking of Lucy as goddess of creation, out of his head, because their worlds
were not going to collide.
Trouble was, they already had. Every day he spent with her she wriggled more and
more into his head, his mind and his heart. He had to get her out of there, and fast. To
her, this was just a charade. If he got attached to her he was going to lose.
Hell, he’d already lost. Everyone had left, finally, and he stood at the back door, mesmerized while watching that perfect backside of hers as she bent over to pick up
trash. Little blue shorts stretched tight, along with that clingy top that showed just a hint
of cleavage along with some blue, lacy-looking bra.
He adjusted his shorts, feeling the almost instantaneous twitching which always occurred whenever she was around.
Thankfully he had been too busy today. Wouldn’t have looked too good to have his
peers see him follow Lucy around the yard, drooling like a dog on a too hot summer day.
She finally turned and spotted him, then straightened and graced him with a brilliant
smile that he could see despite the gathering darkness. He walked toward her.
“You don’t have to clean up,” he said, taking the trash bag from her hands.
She frowned. “I don’t mind. Besides, there’s not much left to do. Most everyone put
all their trash in the bags.”
They patrolled the yard together, Lucy clearing off the last of the cans and paper plates that had been left, while Jake held open the trash bag. He kind of liked this domestic stuff. Surprisingly, she hadn’t complained once about doing any of the prep
work or the clean up.
For a stuck-up socialite, she sure seemed to enjoy the down home simplicity of his life.
Or maybe he was reading into this what he wanted to see, not the way things really
were. She was simply being polite because he’d asked for her help. Nothing more than
that.
“I think we got it all picked up,” she said, sweeping her hair away from her face.
She
stood in the middle of the yard, hands on hips, and nodded.
They headed into the house and Jake fixed them both a drink, then motioned for Lucy to join him in the living room. They sat on the leather sofa, which felt cool to his
legs after the itching heat from outside.
“Thank you for helping. Thanks for everything today. I couldn’t have done this without you.”
A blush stained her cheeks. “It was fun. I didn’t mind at all. Do you think it turned out okay?”
“Hell yeah. From what I heard it was the hit of all the barbecues so far.” He stretched
his legs on the coffee table in front of him. “Everyone said they’d have a hard time competing with this one.”
“Oh, it wasn’t that big a deal. Just a few bites of food and some games for the kids.”
She looked beautiful sitting there, her expression tentative, yet hopeful. For someone
with so much going for her, she sure seemed a mass of insecurities. Didn’t she realize
how great she was?
Reaching out, he grabbed a loose curl and threaded it through his fingers.
“You did more than just a little. Take a bow, you deserve it. And I really appreciate your help.”
“You’re welcome. I actually had a great time today.”
“I could tell. You seemed to really enjoy the kids,” he said, trying to find some way to break the spell she wove over him.
She grinned. “I love being around kids. I wish I had more exposure to them, but unfortunately, not many of the people I know have children. The social events I attend
don’t allow kids.”
“You know, you looked completely different out there today. Nothing like a lawyer
at all.”
One corner of her mouth lifted in that saucy grin he liked so much. “Really? And what did I look like?”
He thought a moment, and then it struck him. The way the children gravitated to her,
her natural ability to make them feel comfortable. “You looked more like a kindergarten
teacher.”
Her face paled and the smile died on her face. Tears pooled in her eyes, threatening
to spill over.
“Hey. What’s wrong?”
She shook her head. “Nothing. I’m sorry, it’s just that I, what I mean is, what you said, oh, never mind. I’m sorry, please excuse me.” Her last words were said on a quivering gasp. She set her glass on the table and literally ran into his bathroom, slamming the door shut behind her.
Jake sat there, stunned and confused.
What the hell had he said to set her off like that?
Chapter Eight
Lucy sniffled and blew her nose, dreading the moment she’d have to leave Jake’s bathroom.
What an idiot she was, falling apart like that in front of him. Poor guy probably had
no idea what had caused her flood of tears. He was most likely blaming himself right now
for some imagined transgression. She really should get out there and let him know her
meltdown had nothing to do with him.
As soon as her face looked less blotchy and her nose didn’t light up as red as a certain Christmas reindeer’s. Lord, she looked dreadful.
“Lucy?”
She whirled around at the knock at the door and the sound of Jake’s voice. “Yes?”
“Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” She sniffed.
He was quiet for a moment and she thought he’d left, until he said, “Uh, are you gonna come out any time soon?”
Not if she could help it. How was she going to explain what just happened? Chalk it
up to PMS? Discussion of anything female usually resulted in the man wanting to end the
topic of conversation immediately. That could work.
She turned to the mirror, scrunched her face at her reflection, and proceeded to the
door, opening it with a smile.
The look of genuine concern on Jake’s face was enough to make the tears well all over again.
“Are you sure you’re all right?”
“I’m great.” She opened the door and stepped out into the hall. “Just a bout with PMS, I think.”
Yes, that definitely worked. The look of horror on his face was almost laughable.
She bit her lip to suppress a threatening giggle. “Shall we go back to the living room?”
she suggested.
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“Nah, I’ve got a better idea. Come with me.”
Jake grabbed her hand and led her through the kitchen to the backyard. Lucy gasped
when she saw what he’d done.
Lit candles sat on the ground near the oversized trampoline, where Jake had thrown a
pile of blankets. When she turned to him, he smiled.
“Might be some shooting stars tonight, according to the forecast. Thought we might
relax out here and stare at the sky for awhile.”
When she didn’t say anything, he added, “You know, relax and unwind a bit? It was
a pretty hectic day.”
Just like that, with no mention of her tearful exit earlier. “It sounds great. I’d love to.”
They headed over to the trampoline. Before she could climb on, Jake scooped her up
in his arms and easily lifted her onto the wiggly apparatus. After a few seconds she
managed to balance enough to make it to the center of the trampoline. He jumped on and
joined her.
He’d spread out a couple sleeping bags on the bottom and added a few folded blankets for them to cover up with. She shivered, and he reached under the blanket for a
sweatshirt.
“Here, put this on. It’s kind of cool now that the sun’s gone down.” She took the offered sweatshirt and balanced on her knees in order to put it on. It hung way below her shorts and smelled spicy clean, just like Jake. She couldn’t resist the
urge to hug his garment next to her before settling in on the blankets.
“You’ll have to lay down to see, otherwise you’ll get an ache in your neck.” Following his lead she lay on her back. He pulled the blankets over them both and settled in next to her.
Try as she might to focus on the stars, the man next to her grabbed all her attention.
She listened to the sound of his even breathing, intensely aware of his warm body fitted
so closely against hers. How would they feel nestled up against each other, her leg wrapped over his, her head resting on his chest?
And how would he react if she threw herself on him like that? Would he bolt, or would he welcome her in his embrace?
How many times over the past couple weeks had she thought about what it would be
like to lie naked next to him? She’d caught glimpses of his strong, muscled body, and
many times thought about that body covering hers in passion.
Why was she even thinking these thoughts? They weren’t even really dating.
Sure,
she’d come to think of Jake as a friend, someone she felt comfortable around. But as a
lover, a potential partner? No. He wouldn’t be happy in her world, and her family and
peers would never welcome him. And that she’d never put him through.
Not that he’d be interested, anyway.
She laughed at the way her mind wandered.
“What are you laughing about?”
“Oh. Um, nothing. My mind was wandering.”
“About?”
How would he react if she told him what she’d really been thinking? “I was thinking
about a case I’m taking to court next week.”
“Oh.”
Idiot. She had to blast these thoughts of her and Jake into orbit, shoot them across the
sky like the stars they were watching, until the thoughts disappeared out of sight.
And out of her mind.
“Can I ask you a question?” he asked.
“Sure.”
“What happened in there? What did I say that upset you?” She knew it had been too good to be true. Hoping that he’d forget about the incident
didn’t mean it was going to happen. Now she’d have to face it.
“You said I reminded you of a kindergarten teacher.”
“Yeah, and?”
“It’s silly, really.”
“Not if it’s important to you, it isn’t.”
Still, she was reluctant to bring up the subject, knowing how idiotic it would sound.
She was an adult, had made her choices in life, and crying about what could never be
would merely show her as weak. The most important thing her father had taught her was
to never show a weakness. To anyone, friend or foe. It could come back to hurt you
someday.
“Let’s talk about something else,” she suggested.
Jake rolled onto his side to face her. Their eyes met, his shrouded in the darkness.
“Something happened in there to upset you. Tell me what it was.” It wasn’t a demand, it was an offer to listen. Did she really have anyone else she could talk to, besides Jake? What a terrible thought. After all these years of bottling all
her emotions inside, she’d finally found someone willing to listen, no matter what she
had to say.
“I’ve always wanted to be a kindergarten teacher.”
“Then why didn’t you?”
No condemnation at all. He didn’t laugh at her or tell her it was a stupid idea.
“Because I’m the last Fairchild.”
“So?”
She turned on her side and rested her head in her hand. “Fairchilds have always worked for the firm.”
“Kind of an antiquated way of thinking, isn’t it?” She sighed. “Yes and no. Fairchild Law is a family business. Founded by Fairchilds and headed by Fairchilds for generations before me. My father had no brothers or sisters,
and I’m his only child. Which meant that if I didn’t go into law, the family business would die out with my father.”
He reached out and ran a finger over her cheek. She shivered and heated at the same
time.
“I think your first responsibility should be to yourself. You deserve to be happy, Lucy. And if that means a different line of work, then you should go for it.” She shook her head. “It simply isn’t done that way. I couldn’t let my father down like that. He depends on me, depends on knowing that I’ll be there to take over when he’s
no longer around.”
“Does your father love you?”
“Of course he does.”
“If he loved you then he’d want you to be happy.” She shifted onto her back again, unable to meet the challenging look in his eyes. “I am happy.”
“Are you?”
“Yes.”
“I don’t think anyone can truly be happy living a lie.” Why had she allowed this conversation to continue? She knew it would lead to the
inevitable self doubt that had plagued her for years. Torn between duty to family and
dreams of a life of her own, she never managed to win the battle for herself, no matter
how many different ways she played out the scenario in her mind.
She was doing the right thing. She was.
“That’s one of the things I admire most about you,” she said, turning the tables on him.
He tilted his head. “What’s that?”
“You’re the proverbial self-made man. Everything you have you worked for. You set
a goal, and spent years pounding away at it until you reached it. You went from a homeless teenage runaway to a successful business owner. I admire you for that, Jake.”
He didn’t respond, instead stared at her as if struggling for a response.
“Nobody’s ever said that to me before. Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.”
Her gaze caught a shooting star whisking across the clear night sky, and for a brief second she closed her eyes and wished. Silly, she knew, but still, she made that never-to-be-granted wish.
After all, the night was for fantasy and dreams anyway. Why not wish on a dream just for fun?
“What did you wish for?” Jake whispered.
She turned to him and met his smile. “How do you know I made a wish?”
“It’s written all over your face. Besides, I saw the star and when I looked at you right<
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afterward, your eyes were closed but your lips were moving.”
“I see. And did you wish on the same star?”
“I asked you first.” He grinned and swept her hair away from her face, his palm warm. Instead of pulling away, he left it resting on her neck. She felt her pulse pound
rapidly against his hand.
“If I tell you my wish it won’t come true.”
He laughed. “That’s what everyone says. I don’t believe it.”
