No such luck. Ten minutes later, the kid was still hanging around, chattering up a storm. About his dog, his little sister, his friend Mike, his mother, his new sneakers, and the toys he wanted Santa to bring him at Christmas, which was months and months away, but he was already making a list.
Joshua listened distractedly, trying to nod or offer an uh-huh in the appropriate spot. The high-pitched voice droned on, and Joshua managed to shift an entire section of books before noticing it had grown quiet. He glanced down, realizing the child’s rambling flow of words had finally stopped, and the boy was now staring at Joshua with an expectant, hopeful expression. Problem was, Joshua had no idea what had been said.
“That’s great,” he answered ambiguously.
The flashing sunny smile of delight was the only warning Joshua got. The child stretched up on his toes and reached for a book on the top shelf. He yanked it hard, knocking over several others. Like a stack of dominos they tumbled, then pitched forward, off the shelf. Joshua saw the books falling, but he couldn’t move fast enough, and several hit him directly on the foot.
“Goddamn it!”
“Uh-oh, you said a bad word.”
“No, I didn’t.” Joshua gritted his teeth against the stinging pain in his foot.
The boy shot him a conspiratorial look of admiration. “That’s okay, I won’t tell.”
“Thanks a lot,” Joshua muttered under his breath, gingerly lifting his injured foot, trying to shake off the throbbing pain.
Apparently unperturbed by the incident, the child of disaster bent over the mess on the floor and sorted through the pile. “I’m ready,” he declared.
“For what?”
“I asked you to read me a story. I like this one best.” He proudly held up the book he had selected.
Joshua opened his mouth to refuse, but stopped when he saw the title. General Explorer Meets Miss Audry’s Class. It was one of Rosemary’s books! And one of the few children’s titles he was familiar with.
Following the trick he had observed Eleanor using the other day, Joshua knelt down until he and the child were at eye level. “Have you ever heard that story?” Joshua asked.
“Sure, lots of times. Will you read it?”
“I guess I’m about due for a break,” Joshua decided. He followed the child to a table and with difficulty folded himself into one of the pint-sized chairs.
Joshua read the book in a quiet tone, not wanting to disturb anyone else in the room or incite the tempers of any angry mothers. He had no notion of either the attention span or patience of a child at this age, but his new little friend appeared engrossed by the story.
The boy listened raptly, his forehead wrinkled as he concentrated on the drawings, occasionally running the tip of his finger over a section of the page. He smiled with pure enjoyment when the story ended and whispered a sincere thank-you. It gave Joshua a jolt of real pleasure to hear those words and see that smile. For the first time he felt a true understanding of what drew Eleanor to this type of work.
Joshua’s legs were starting to cramp, but he felt reluctant to leave his young friend. “I bet you didn’t know that I know the lady who wrote this book.”
“Really?”
“Her name is Rosemary Phillips. She’s married to my dad.”
“My dad is married to my mom,” the boy replied philosophically, reaching across the table for the book. He fiddled with the plastic cover. “I like General Explorer a whole lot. Do you think maybe, sometime, you could get Rosemary’s autograph for me?”
“Sure.” The suggestion lit a light bulb in Joshua’s head. “If I can work things out, you might even get to meet her. Would you like that?”
“Yeah!”
“Great. I’ve got to talk it over with Ms. Graham first.” Joshua glanced over at the pile of books still scattered on the floor. “When I’m finished, maybe you can help me put those books back on the shelf.”
“I’m a good helper,” the child declared proudly. “My name is Henry. What’s your name?”
“Nice to meet you, Henry. I’m Joshua.” He tried shaking hands with the youngster, but Henry just laughed. “Don’t start picking up those books until I get back, okay?”
“Okay!”
Joshua pulled himself out of the small chair, but midway to his feet realized the pocket of his slacks was caught on the edge of the table. He hesitated, stuck in a half sitting, half standing position. While contemplating his next move he felt the chair starting to tip. Instinctively he reached back, righting it before it crashed to the floor.
The sudden movement saved the chair, but the distinct sound of material tearing told Joshua he hadn’t saved his pants.
Henry must have heard it, too, for he announced in an authoritative voice, “Your mom’s going to be really mad at you when she sees that.”
Joshua just shook his head. With an aching foot and a sizable rip at the side of his pants, he hobbled toward Eleanor’s office.
“My goodness, what happened to you?”
“Volunteering,” Joshua responded with a flat smile. Her stricken expression made him feel like an inept fool. Slowly he eased into a chair, more relieved than he would admit that it was adult-sized. “Now I understand why you have volunteers to do these jobs. Regular staff would demand combat pay.”
“Joshua—”
“A few books fell, that’s all. No big deal.”
“But your pants are ripped. I can see your underwear, for goodness sakes.”
“Is it turning you on?”
“Oh, please.”
He squeezed his eyes shut. “I take it that wasn’t a cry of unbridled passion.”
“I think there’s a sewing kit around here somewhere.”
His eyes remained closed as he listened to her opening desk drawers, searching for the sewing implements. A small cry of success let him know when she found it.
“Scoot closer to the edge of the chair so I can sew that rip closed. The thread color doesn’t match your slacks very well, but this temporary repair will prevent you from getting arrested.”
Joshua opened his eyes and gazed with interest at her. “Maybe I should take my pants off?”
She arched one eyebrow.
“Got it. Pants stay on.”
He did as she instructed and moved to the edge of the chair. Without further comment, she knelt by his side and started stitching. They were alone in the office. Eleanor’s face was a mask of concentration and she nibbled on her bottom lip as she pushed the needle carefully through the fabric.
Joshua took advantage of her relaxed proximity and nearness to observe her. The top buttons of her blouse were unfastened at the throat, affording him a perfect view of her tanned skin and lovely, full breasts that were straining against the cups of her bra. It was a heavenly sight.
“Stop looking down my blouse.”
She hadn’t paused in her sewing or lifted her head. How had she known? Joshua cleared his throat. “I had an idea I wanted to run by you.”
The needle sailed in and out of the fabric. “I’m listening.”
Joshua launched into his pitch. “One of the many books that fell on my foot just now was one of Rosemary’s, and I thought it might be nice if she came here to visit with the kids. She mentioned making appearances at bookstores, so she shouldn’t object to coming to a library. If you want, I can call her and try to set something up.”
Finally the needle stopped. “Would you really ask her?”
Eleanor’s hopeful eagerness reminded him of young Henry. “I can’t guarantee she’ll agree to come, but I’d be glad to ask.”
“That would be wonderful. We were really hoping to have an author visit this year, but there wasn’t enough money in the budget.” The excitement left Eleanor’s face. “Do you think Rosemary will expect an honorarium? Most authors do.”
Joshua shook his head. “She hardly needs the cash. I’ll make all the transportation arrangements and she and my dad can stay with me while they are in town.”
His girlfriend. Joshua stroked his chin thoughtfully. He had nearly forgotten about that little white lie.
“That gleam of mischief in your eyes is making me very nervous, Joshua.” Eleanor slowly lowered the large calendar she was clutching. “You aren’t going to put any conditions on this favor, are you? Like having me pretend again that we’re dating?”
He hadn’t thought anything of the kind. His father already knew the truth about them, but Joshua realized he had never told Eleanor about the conversation he’d had with his dad before they’d left North Carolina. He could very easily tell her that now.
But the words remained unsaid. Maybe, just maybe, if he could get Eleanor to let her guard down for a few hours, he’d have a chance at penetrating that wall she had erected between them.
“You don’t have to pretend about anything, Eleanor,” Joshua said. “I’ll simply tell my father and Rosemary the truth about us. I can’t, however, vouch for how they’ll react. Especially my father. You’ve witnessed firsthand that stubborn temperament of his.”
Joshua’s answer couldn’t have been any more ambiguous. Frankly, he felt twice as shocked by the words he had spoken as she looked. But he didn’t refute them. He picked up the stapler on her desk and idly toyed with it, letting her take her time, hoping desperately she would draw the wrong conclusions and thus make the decision he intended.
He knew he had her firmly on the ropes by the conflicted expression on her face and the way she kept tapping her chin with the tip of her finger. Feeling only a twinge of remorse, he moved in for the score.
“It’s your call, Eleanor. Do you want me to tell them the truth about us?”
“N-no.” The tapping ceased. “I don’t want you to lie to your father or Rosemary, but then again there’s no need to reveal all of the ugly truth.”
It was hard not to gloat, but Joshua somehow managed. “Fine. When they come north, we’ll be a couple again. I’m sure I’m just stating the obvious, but you do realize you’ll probably have to spend some time with me entertaining them? They’ll expect it. I promise to try and keep the activities to a minimum. I certainly don’t want to impose on your time.”
She glanced suspiciously at him and he realized he was probably laying it on a bit thick. Eleanor might be gullible, but she wasn’t stupid. “Do you have those dates handy?”
Distracted, she returned her attention to the calendar, but her expression remained mildly suspicious. The minute he had the list safely secured in his pocket, he jumped to his feet. “Better get back to work. There’s a pile of books and an eager helper waiting for me.”
He hurried over to the bookshelf, feeling oddly guilty that he was being so deceptive and not experiencing much remorse. He smiled ironically, remembering that he had made an offhand comment to Eleanor about all being fair in love and war. With surprise, Joshua realized he had absolutely meant every word of it.
Fourteen
“What exciting things have you two been doing lately?” Rosemary asked Eleanor, once they were all seated at a quiet table in the restaurant.
Eleanor gave her a vague smile and deliberately turned toward Joshua. As much as she feared his outrageous answers, she was very uncomfortable with the notion of lying or even exaggerating the truth to either Rosemary or Warren.
“It’s been a rather hectic time at work for both of us, so we haven’t had the usual free time available to indulge ourselves,” Joshua replied, draping his hand possessively over the back of Eleanor’s chair. “We manage daily phone conversations and weekend dates, but that’s starting to frustrate us both. Isn’t that right, sweetheart?”
“Mmmm,” Eleanor mumbled, deliberately pushing a large portion of the warm bread that had been placed on the table into her mouth, reasoning that it was better if Rosemary and Warren thought she was very hungry or had appalling table manners. Anything to avoid furthering the lie that she and Joshua were involved in a romantic relationship.
Eleanor had been greeted like a long-lost family member by the older couple, with hugs and kisses and genuine smiles. It made her feel awful. Even though she had agreed to attend this dinner, she vowed right then not to do anything that would encourage the lie that she and Joshua had a serious future together.
Although there had been moments over the past three weeks when Eleanor had questioned her feelings toward him. After returning from North Carolina she might have realized that she had fallen in love with a mere image of the man she believed him to be, but recently discovering aspects of the man he truly was now forced her to revise her opinion once again.
He was still dictatorial and demanding and could on occasion be downright rude. But he also had a wicked sense of humor and possessed the rare ability to laugh at himself. He also had an abundance of charm, intelligence, and incredible wealth.
After being fired from the firm, she had felt so strongly that a relationship between her and Joshua was an impossibility. Yet that certainty had been tested more than once over the past few weeks.
She never believed he would return to do additional volunteer work after his disastrous first afternoon. But he did, every Saturday morning, coaxing her into a lunch date before he left. Those days had been punctuated with flirting, teasing, sometimes arguing, but they were never dull afternoons.
Often he would make comments that bordered on the improper, letting her know in no uncertain terms that he found her desirable. That always gave her a secret thrill, yet left her feeling the most confused, the most unsure.
He had followed up immediately on his promise to ask Rosemary to come to the library. Her writing schedule could only accommodate an immediate visit and Joshua had performed nothing short of a miracle to get everything ready. He had even arranged for some local press coverage, which would be beneficial to both the library and Rosemary.
“Work is important, but don’t forget to take some time out to play,” Warren said. “If you two ever need a place for a quick getaway, don’t hesitate to come visit us. We’re only a short plane ride away. Since it’s summer, the weather is still hot, but it starts cooling down nicely in autumn. Nothing more romantic than a stroll on the beach in cool weather. Perfect excuse to cuddle.”
“Warren, stop it.” Rosemary patted her husband’s hand. “You’re embarrassing Eleanor.”
“Thanks for the invitation, Dad.” Joshua smiled at his father. “We might just take you up on that offer when things settle down.”
Eleanor shifted uncomfortably in her chair, saying nothing. In the face of their generous hospitality she felt like even more of a fraud. She fiddled with the stem of her water glass, hovering on the brink of confessing the truth, when the waiter arrived with their menus, followed by the wine steward with the wine selections.
Warren and Rosemary began a detailed discussion with the steward. It was clear they were connoisseurs and the steward was obviously pleased by their knowledge and eager to share his own expertise.
Normally Eleanor would have been fascinated by the discussion and pleased at the opportunity to gain some firsthand knowledge on a subject that she knew very little about, but had always been interested in. Yet she found she had trouble concentrating on the details.
Halfheartedly, she took a sip of each of the three wines that had been suggested and decided they all tasted the same. Expensive and bitter.
“Have you decided on your dinner entree?” Joshua asked, leaning close.
She risked a frown at him, since Rosemary and Warren were occupied with the wine steward. “How about liar’s delight?”
Joshua looked as if he was about to say something, but he must have changed his mind. “Try the salmon. Or the lobster. All the seafood is excellent here.”
With a petulant expression, Eleanor scanned the menu. Maybe she should order something spicy. If anyone noticed her lack of conversation she could always say her mouth was on fire from the food.
She turned the page on the large menu and hit upon the perfect choice. Pepper-crusted beef fillet, pan-seared in garlic butter. When the waiter asked, she devilishly ordered the dish to be prepared with extra garlic, deciding that the first time Joshua stepped out of line she was going to breathe on him. Heavily.
The moment their hands were free of the large menus, Eleanor felt Joshua fumbling under the linen tablecloth. There was a bump against her leg and then his palm came to rest possessively on her upper thigh. She fidgeted in her chair, trying to scoot away. It was a spacious table, but there wasn’t much room to maneuver.
The hand moved fractionally. A delicious quiver worked through her and she almost forgot to be annoyed with him. She glanced over at him, but his head and attention were centered on his father and the conversation they were having. Deciding to be magnanimous, Eleanor concluded that Joshua’s touch was accidental.
Yet his hand stayed on her leg, putting her nerve endings on full alert. Eleanor grew increasingly uncomfortable, dismayed at how easily he could get her flustered. It took enormous self-control not to respond in a big way, but she was very aware of Rosemary and Warren. Had they noticed the gesture? Mortified at the thought, Eleanor sat up straighter and pulled back, as far away from Joshua as she could, trying not to seem too obvious.
Finally, he glanced in her direction. She immediately narrowed her eyes and glared. Joshua grinned down at her, shrugged his shoulders, and noisily moved his chair closer to hers. His hand remained where it had been, inappropriately perched upon her thigh.
“... so I told the guy there was no way—” Warren abruptly ceased talking and glanced at them suspiciously. “Is something wrong, Joshua?”
A Night to Remember Page 19