by Robyn Thomas
She pushed away from her sewing machine and debated whether to change before heading down to the beach. As she went outdoors and walked toward the water’s edge, she realized it didn’t matter what she wore; she might as well be invisible for all the notice anyone took of her. The locals were so self-involved they didn’t even acknowledge her when she spoke to them. She huffed out a sigh, staring at the red rubber ball that had rolled to a stop near her feet. Back in Utah she wouldn’t hesitate to pick it up and toss it back, calling out a greeting as she did so. The exchange that followed wouldn’t be scintillating, but it was better than the chill silence LA offered.
“Don’t worry, honey, she’s friendly.”
The sugary sweet voice startled her, and moments later a giant black dog sprayed sand all over her as it pounced on the ball. She laughed as the dog bounded around in a circle then dropped the ball at her feet, before sitting up straight and barking expectantly.
“Well, aren’t you gorgeous?” She bent to pick up the ball.
“I wouldn’t do that.”
Sara smiled at the Barbie doll clone who’d called out. “There’s no such thing as throwing it once, huh?”
“Petra’s spoiled rotten,” the woman said as she jogged to a halt. “I’m watching her for the day and my arm’s already aching from too many throws.” She took the ball from Sara and tossed it without even looking. “I’m Zoe, by the way. I live about twelve doors down, in that slate-gray house.”
“Sara.” She pointed to Ethan’s house right behind them. “This is me. Temporarily.”
Zoe’s eyes widened, her gaze raking over Sara as if something didn’t make sense. “You’re with Ethan?”
Am I with him? Why does it sound as if you have more than just a passing interest?
“I’m, um, staying with him. He’s letting me use a couple of rooms so I can work while I’m here.”
Zoe wrestled the ball away from Petra and threw it into the shallows. “Are you prepping for a big case?” Zoe grinned at her silence. “What do you do, Sara?”
“I design lingerie.”
“For real?” Zoe’s interest level shot up. “Do you ever do one-off custom pieces?”
“It’s mostly what I do.”
“Right, let me just take Petra home. Wait, is Ethan’s back garden secure? Petra could hang out there for a while.” Zoe stopped suddenly and laughed. “You look a little scared. This is LA, honey. Good stuff tends to be fleeting, so we jump on it immediately. Speak up if that doesn’t work for you.” She threw the ball again. “So, Sara, are you free for the next hour?”
Sara grinned. “Sure. C’mon in. I’ll show you some photos of previous commissions, plus what I’m working on now, and you can get a feel for what I do, see if it’s for you.”
Sara was stunned by Zoe’s enthusiasm. They’d been at this for hours, discussing possibilities for different styles, fabrics, and trims.
“I can’t believe you made all these things from scratch.”
“I didn’t. Well, I made some of them. I have a small team of employees back in Utah. They do most of the sewing.”
Zoe looked taken aback. “Business is so good that you employ people. Wow. These negligees, particularly the baby doll ones, are fantastic. And you’re saying I can have them made to my exact specifications? So if I wanted something to cling to my breasts and succumb to gravity if I breathed too deeply, you could make that happen?”
Sara fought the urge to smile. “Of course. What you’re describing is a special occasion piece. You’ll probably want something more practical for the following morning.”
“Oh.” Zoe’s eyes lit up. “You’re good at the soft sell. I feel as if you’re genuinely trying to help me.”
“I am!”
Zoe laughed, yet she was shaking her head at the same time. “LA’s all about the hard sell. Everything’s thrust in the consumer’s face and there’s an element of haste, a subtle threat that the deal will vanish unless it’s accepted immediately. Your approach is the exact opposite, yet it’s surprisingly effective. I can easily see myself ordering dozens of items.” She stood and casually stripped her T-Shirt off. “You need measurements, right?”
Sara grabbed her tape measure and the conversation moved on to her dream of buying a 3D body scanner to take precise measurements. She was halfway through a sentence when Zoe suddenly gasped.
“What is that?”
That would be my wedding ring.
“It’s just something new that I’m trying out.”
Zoe stared at her with a look of wonder. “How new?”
“Eleven days.”
“And you’ve been here…”
“Ten days. We came straight from Vegas.”
Zoe’s shriek hurt Sara’s eardrums. “Holy crap, Sara. You’ve been holding out on me. And Ethan hasn’t said a word to James.”
“James?”
Zoe’s exuberance vanished. “James Clayton? My brother. Ethan’s best friend and partner in the law firm.” She swore as Sara’s shoulders rose and fell. “Whoa! How well do you know Ethan?”
Sara’s mind reeled from the unexpected questions. “Not as well as I’d hoped. We’ve agreed to spend a month together, and we’re working things out as we go. LA’s a bit of an adjustment for me, but I’m okay, mostly.”
Zoe studied her closely. “You’re okay except for being confused and lonely, living with a man you barely know, and feeling out of place in a new city?” She snorted. “Listen, I don’t know why Ethan’s head’s so far—”
Sara grinned. “Neither do I.”
Zoe laughed. “If he hasn’t told James about you, then it’s time we fixed that. What do you say we all go out to dinner? I’ll give James a call.”
Sara shot her hand forward to rest on Zoe’s cell phone.
“Let’s eat here.” She checked the time and grimaced. “You’d best warn James that it won’t be fancy, unless he can steer his car toward a traffic jam to help me out?”
Zoe laughed and made the call. “Ethan’s still at the office, but James just left,” she said after she disconnected. “He’s on his way, and as you heard, I didn’t give him much of a heads-up. All he knows is that it’s dinner for four, and not a night he’ll want to miss. I’m going to run Petra home and feed her, dress for dinner, and grab a bottle of wine. I’ll be back before James gets here.” She hugged Sara close. “Don’t worry. He’s going to love you.”
Sara didn’t share Zoe’s certainty, but if she wanted to have something to serve her guests then she’d better stop speculating and get cooking. She dragged a tub of vanilla ice cream out of the freezer to soften. Dessert would be easy, but her dinner options were limited. She turned the oven on, wondering what ingredients she had available that she could turn into a meal for four people within an hour.
Maybe Zoe would return in time to set the table, or fold the crushed candy bars through the ice cream and press it into the individual Jell-O molds she’d found in the bottom drawer. Almost everything in the kitchen was unused, still sealed in plastic. She tried not to wonder why.
A knock at the back door a little while later sent relief crashing through her. She raced over to it, and yanked the door open, calling out instructions over her shoulder as she headed back to the kitchen.
“I’m glad you’re here. I could really use your help. How are you at mashing avocado?”
A masculine chuckle made her jump.
“I’ve never tried it, but I’m sure I’ll manage.”
She turned slowly, and then rapidly assessed the smiling, dark haired man who looked nothing at all like Zoe.
“James?” She gulped in some much needed air when he nodded. “I’m making a fabulous first impression,” she muttered. “I’m Sara. I’ve spent most of the day with Zoe, and she thought you might want to know…” She shrugged and held up her left hand to show him her ring.
“She thought right.” His voice held an ominous tone, but he was looking at her like he was a kid at Christmas and she was the
pony he’d asked for. “Your name’s Sara?”
She nodded, bracing herself for any eventuality.
Gentle arms embraced her. “It’s very nice to meet you, Sara.”
…
Ethan followed his nose to the kitchen, fresh strawberries in one hand and a huge bunch of gerbera daisies in the other. He almost dropped the lot when he saw who was in the kitchen with Sara. What the hell were James and Zoe doing here? He didn’t know what to say to them, so he focused on Sara.
“Berries for breakfast.” He smiled at her and set them on the counter. “I thought you might want to make crepes since you missed out on the last lot.”
“And those?” James pointed at the flowers. “What about them, Romeo?”
Sara’s gaze shifted between the two of them.
“You wait until you’re in the middle of the biggest case of your career and—”
Sara snatched the flowers out of Ethan’s hands and thrust them at James.
“You can put those in a vase. There’s one on the top shelf of the pantry. If you’re not up for pleasant dinner conversation then I’ll be happy to see you out. You can take your food to go.”
No one spoke for the longest time, and then James smirked.
“I mashed the avocado for the guacamole, Zoe did that thing with the Jell-O molds, and you cooked. What has Ethan done to contribute? Shouldn’t he be the one to go?”
Ethan would have paid to avoid this confrontation. It was obvious that James thought his timing sucked, but if everyone had kept to themselves the way they were meant to, this quiet, temporary marriage could have worked. Now that their secret was out, his only thought was to protect Sara from James’ sarcasm.
To his surprise, Sara spoke before he could.
“Vase. Pantry. Then amazing guacamole. Try to keep up, James.”
She turned away, slipping her hands into heatproof gloves and withdrawing a pan of fragrant nachos from the oven. As she carried it into the dining room, James spoke to Ethan in a low voice.
“You bastard. I know your views on marriage, yet you’ve got the sweetest woman in the world wearing your ring and believing you’re committed to her.”
“She knows I’m not. It’s temporary. We have a deal.”
“She’s a sweetheart, yet you just happen to be married to her while the media spotlight is on you. I know your parents’ divorce is the biggest case of your career, but it won’t be won outside the courtroom.” James shoved the flowers against Ethan’s chest. “I expected more from you. If this is who you’ve become, I’ll be glad to represent Sara when you split.”
Chapter Twelve
Sara watched the interplay between Ethan and James as the evening progressed. As best friends and business partners the two men should have been comfortable with each other. Instead, there were undercurrents she didn’t understand, and they were worsening.
“Enough!” She set her dessert spoon down and turned her attention to James. “If you’ve got something to say, please just say it.” She smiled encouragingly. “I’ll try not to be offended that I’m not up to the standard of wife you imagined for Ethan.”
Zoe got to her feet and glared at her brother until he stood too. “Sara,” she said. “That’s not what’s going on.”
“It’s okay.” Sara rubbed her tired eyes. “I’m not insulted. I’m aware that I don’t belong here in LA, or with Ethan, so you’re not telling me anything I don’t know.”
Ethan reached across the table to cover her hand with his.
“You should be offended. James is way out of line. He knows it, and he’s leaving.” Ethan switched his focus to Zoe. “Zoe, if you wouldn’t mind?”
The brother and sister pair made their excuses and left quietly.
Ethan came to sit beside Sara and touched his fingertips to her lips. In the silence that followed he removed the bobby pins from her hair, one by one, and unwound her topknot. She sighed as he released her ponytail and began to massage her scalp with long, capable fingers.
“Zoe’s right, Sara. James has a problem with me, not you.”
She quivered beneath his hands, moaning appreciatively as his thumbs stroked her nape. “While you’re doing that, I want to agree with whatever you say.”
“Zoe loves your designs.”
“Mmm, I know.”
“James thinks you’re an amazing cook.”
“Mmm, he must be easily pleased.”
“Sara?”
“Mmm?”
“I like having you here.”
She sat up so fast her head spun.
“You’re such a bad liar. When you suggested we shoot for a whole month of wedded bliss, I thought you were crazy, but it felt like something you needed to do. It’s not though, is it? You’re obviously not willing to introduce me to your family and friends, so why did you bring me here? It’s confusing. On the one hand you’re adding candles to the dinner table, constantly fussing with my wine glass, and buying flowers and berries, and on the other you’re hoping no one ever learns of our connection.”
“Sara—”
“When you arrived home tonight and discovered we had company, you looked almost scared.”
“James is my best friend. He…” For a moment she thought he’d finished. “We work together. There are client lunches, and the occasional gala. Sometimes we surf.”
“Work, lunch, surfing, got it.” She sucked in a shallow breath when a wild thought occurred to her. “Are you trying to tell me that James hasn’t been here before?”
He looked uncomfortable. “To drop files off.”
If Ethan’s home was off limits to his best friend, then her presence here held a whole wealth of importance. Ethan hadn’t wanted to accept no for an answer once he’d extended the invitation for her to come and stay. She didn’t know what that meant, exactly, but she sure as hell owed him an apology for tonight’s impromptu dinner party. “Tonight was my fault. I thought…well, I guess I didn’t think. Not enough, anyway. I’m sorry I didn’t warn you.”
Ethan stroked his knuckles down her cheek. “Don’t be. Given the option, I’ll always choose not to share. When I find something I like, my career, this house…”
Me?
“I build the highest wall I can around it and set up an exclusion zone.”
“Sounds lonely.”
Ethan pressed his lips against her temple. “It can be. Thank you for tonight. I’ve never had a dinner party before.”
He’d barely touched his food and their guests left early. Surely that called for an upgrade? “I noticed you didn’t eat much.” She toyed with the top button on her shirt, half expecting him to lunge forward. “I can fix you something else.”
He got to his feet and stared down at her with a peculiar mix of weariness and lust. “That’s not a good idea. I don’t think any of this is a good idea. I don’t want to build a wall around you and isolate you from the rest of the world. If you stay much longer, I might.”
She watched him walk away, praying she wasn’t falling for her husband.
…
James was waiting in Ethan’s office when he arrived the next morning. “Sara designs lingerie?”
“You’re shouting. You want to take it down a notch?”
James’ fists clenched. “What did you do, contact a dating service and confide every preference you’ve ever had: gorgeous, gullible, and guaranteed to be wearing hot, little panties? For chrissakes, Ethan, we’re in the wrong profession to even look at someone like Sara. And she’s not the kind of woman we’d ever get as a client. Do you know why? Because if a guy’s lucky enough to marry her—”
“Last night was out of my hands. You weren’t supposed to meet her. Ever.”
James flicked his hand in an impatient gesture.
“It’s complicated, and temporary, and if you wouldn’t have done the same in my shoes, then you’re no friend of mine.”
“Tell me.”
Ethan shook his head. “Let’s just call my involvement… damage con
trol. What do you know about insurance policies on events? Say, a dream wedding? If it’s called off, they pay out because that’s the deal, right? What do you think happens if the event goes ahead without the policyholder’s participation?”
James threw himself into the closest chair. “Try again. Short sentences.”
“Sara planned the wedding to end all weddings. Every expense covered by her, every detail perfect, everything that is, except for the groom. He dumped her two weeks before the big day, and although he promised to cancel everything immediately, he didn’t follow through. Sara doesn’t know that. She waited a week before filing a claim, and has been waiting for them to send her a check ever since. I called and told them I’m acting on her behalf. I gave them my contact number in lieu of hers so that they won’t ambush her with news she’s not expecting.”
“What news?”
Ethan met James’ eyes. “The wedding went ahead, on schedule with a different bride.” He swiped his open palms over his face. “I’ve tried to assure her we’ll handle it here at the office because it’s the kind of thing we regularly do, but eventually she’s going to contact the insurance company.”
James closed his eyes and tapped one finger against his nose. “Where’s the ex? Do you know?”
“Utah.”
“Within driving distance of an airport?”
Ethan grinned. “Yeah.”
He tilted his head toward the door and James nodded.
“Confirm he’s there then book our flights. Call Sara and let her know you’ll be working late.”
Ethan nodded, but within a few minutes their trip to Utah was off. Sara’s ex was in Thailand on the perfect honeymoon Sara had planned. Crap. On impulse he picked up the phone and called Sara. It had been too long since he’d seen her, almost an hour.
“Hey, are you free for lunch?”