Simply Being Belle

  “They’ll be staying with you?”

  He nodded, and then winced dramatically. “Miles and I were roommates during law school. Living with him then tested my patience more than…” He took a shoring breath and forced a smile. “Truthfully, Bianca tested my patience tonight. She was attempting to give you the impression she and I are, well … you got the drift. Anyway, I’ve known her for years, and apparently, since I used to give her dates a hard time—she’s like a sister to me—she decided to pay me back. Sorry.”

  Belle wasn’t certain why he was apologizing to her. The nature of his relationship with Bianca was really neither here nor there to her. As the thought entered her mind, she knew she was blowing smoke. She was interested all right. Very interested.

  “How long will they be staying with you, do you think?”

  He grimaced again. “No telling. Guess I’ll just have to make the best of it.”

  She nodded, unsure what more to say.

  “Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad to see them,” he said with a rueful smile. “It’s just, with the Rodriguez case nearing a close, and my having been assigned several other cases, and me hoping to…”

  He watched her, seeming to assess whether or not to continue. Belle sensed he changed his tack, deciding to leave something unsaid. “Anyway, with so much on my plate, the prospect of helping my friends settle into Lawton over the next few weeks seems daunting.”

  “Maybe I can help,” she offered.

  “I could use all the help I can get. Bianca is going to drive me bonkers, not to mention Miles…” He gave a humorless laugh. “He’s a one-man wrecking crew.”

  “Will your friends be renting, or do they plan to buy a home?”

  “I think they’ll rent to start out,” he said.

  “If you could give me some idea what they’re looking for, I can be on the lookout for you … them. It’s not as if I don’t have the time…”

  Dare slipped an upside down spoonful of ice cream into his mouth, his eyes fixed on her face. He slowly dragged the empty spoon from between his lips, all the while eyeing her speculatively. “You’re still fighting every second of this vacation, aren’t you? My advice to you, Belle; embrace your time off—treasure it. I mean, how often do you get six weeks off to do whatever you please, whenever you please?”

  She hadn’t exactly thought about her vacation in those terms. She viewed it more as a banishment than a vacation.

  “What are your friends doing now?” she asked.

  Dare shrugged. “Don’t know. They’d been apart all of the better part of a day, and by the looks of their reunion, you’d have thought they hadn’t seen each other in months. Thought I’d give them some space. I guess you can’t fight love,” he said finally, his eyes snaring hers.

  Belle shifted uncomfortably under his intense scrutiny, and pulled her eyes away. She definitely sensed Dare felt unease about having his friends living with him, and she also sensed he was attempting to communicate something to her, though she couldn’t fathom what that might be.

  The two ate their ice cream in silence for a moment or two, each lost to their respective thoughts. “Are you feeling better?” he asked, breaking the silence.

  “Oh, I suppose,” she answered. “Ice cream tends to improve any situation,” she added with a grin.

  “I agree,” he said, returning her smile. “I’ll probably be eating a lot of it over the next several weeks.”

  Belle met his gaze, noting his eyes twinkled with good humor. Clearly, he liked his friends, but bemoaned the timing of their extended visit. She could certainly understand that.

  “Uh, Belle, one more thing. About our beach trip tomorrow…”

  “You have to cancel.”

  He nodded. “I hate to. I really do. Miles wants to start the apartment search first thing, and I’m definitely in agreement we should start sooner than later.”

  She smiled. “Not a problem.”

  “What about next weekend?”

  She furrowed her brow, searching her mind. Did she have anything planned? She’d have to consult her calendar. “Can I let you know?”

  He nodded, seeming disappointed that she hadn’t readily agreed. He cocked his head slightly, studying her. “You need a day away,” he said with conviction. “I promise to show you a good time.”

  “Why is everyone so intent on telling me what I need?” she asked, not bothering to mask her annoyance.

  He tipped back in the chair, smiling broadly. “What do you want, Belle?” he asked suddenly. “Out of life, I mean.”

  She shook her head. “I, uh, have what I want. A rewarding career, good friends…” She winced. “Well, most of the time, my friends are fairly good…”

  He chuckled. “What about a husband, children…”

  “I … want to be married someday, and I’d love to have children.”

  He nodded, seeming satisfied with her answer. “When?”

  She was taken aback by the question. What did he mean ‘when’? It wasn’t as if she had a timetable for such things. Admittedly, she really hadn’t found the time to give much thought to marriage and children.

  He surprised her with another question. “If you do get married, when will you actually see your husband and children?” he asked curiously. “Millicent tells me you often start work at six a.m. and usually stay until late evening. Doesn’t leave much time for anything else.”

  She didn’t answer him, instead turning the tables on him. “What is it you want from life, Dare?”

  He leaned forward in the chair, his elbows on the table, and his eyes fixed on her face. “Like you, I want a rewarding career. Unlike you, I won’t sacrifice my own happiness to achieve it.”

  She stood up, reached for the ice cream bowls, and moved to the sink. She needed a moment to gather her thoughts. Is that what she was doing? Sacrificing her happiness? Wasn’t she happy? Or, did she ever slow down long enough to find out?

  When Dare suddenly appeared beside her, she startled. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you,” he said.

  To her surprise, he turned her to face him. She stared uncertainly into his eyes, noting the flecks of blue that seemed to meld and darken. He leaned closer to her, searched her face, and smiled. He finally leaned in and kissed her softly on the lips. When he pulled back, he watched her with a satisfied grin. “I’ve been wanting to do that again since we kissed on the waterfront.”

  She swallowed. “Really?”

  He nodded, grinning triumphantly. “You see, I know what makes me happy, Belle.” And then he kissed her again.

  Chapter Fifteen

  As Belle put collars on Tri and Cy, and then attached a leash to each, she shot a quick glance at the clock. Was it really early evening already? The day had sped by, yet she realized she hadn’t done anything particularly noteworthy with her time. She had made a conscious decision to forgo starting a new project of any kind, and instead had caught up on some light housekeeping.

  She’d decided to give up the hobby search. If she happened upon one that struck her fancy, she’d give it a go then. But it was simply too tiring trying to force the decision.

  It had been over a week since she had heard from Dare, other than a quick phone call from him early in the week. He had thanked her for leaving a listing of available apartments on his front porch. Belle had devoted an afternoon perusing the Internet in search of rentals she thought his friends might like. She suspected the young, professional couple might enjoy the amenities of the recently revitalized downtown neighborhood and suggested as much in a brief note.

  Belle’s thoughts had often drifted to Dare during the past week. After he’d kissed her, she had thought she might see more of him, and had admittedly been pleased by the prospect. So much for her decision not to date lawyers, she realized, but as yet, she wasn’t dating Dare or anyone else.

  He had seemed to disappear from her world and she couldn’t help wondering why. Apparently he’d changed his mind about the beach trip too. Of cour
se, she hadn’t sounded especially eager to accompany him to the coast when he’d asked, so maybe he had made other plans. Obviously, he’d made other plans.

  With a long sigh, she pushed thoughts of him from her mind. She closed and locked her front door behind her and followed her eager dogs to the sidewalk. Initially, they seemed intent on walking her, until they finally settled down enough to trot alongside her.

  The threesome moved at a fairly brisk pace, and Belle found herself heading in the direction of Dare’s home. She realized she might look rather suspect if he happened to see her and she decided to turn back and head in the opposite direction.

  As she walked along, she spied a man jogging toward her, and didn’t realize it was him until he drew near. A broad smile creased his face as he recognized her. He came to a stop beside her, reaching out to pet the dogs. “Well, hello, all. Out for a little exercise, I see.”

  Belle nodded in response. “I thought the boys could use an outing. They were bursting with energy today.”

  He drew in a deep breath, to slow his breathing. It was apparent by the rise and fall of his chest he’d been moving at a quick pace until he’d spotted her. “Mind if I join you?” he asked with a cheerful smile.

  “If you like,” she said.

  Dare surprised her when he reached for Tri’s leash. She passed it to him, and the dog seemed pleased with the development, pausing briefly to lick his hand.

  They walked quietly along, Belle casting furtive glances at Dare. Dressed in a t-shirt and shorts, and boasting a healthy sheen of perspiration on his brow, he was the embodiment of male masculinity. His nearness caused her heart to quicken, and she silently scolded herself. The man had, for all intents and purposes, blown her off. Perhaps he just wasn’t in to her, she had decided.

  He turned, caught her staring, and flashed a quick grin. “How’ve you been?” Before she could answer, he spoke again. “Hey, I want to thank you again for the listing of apartments you compiled for Miles and Bianca. Wow! That must have been work. The notes in the margins were especially helpful and I appreciate how you color-coded the particular amenities of each location so they were easy to identify.”

  She shot him a suspicious glance. Was he making fun of her?

  “Really, the list was a great help,” he said chuckling.

  “Did your friends find a place?”

  He nodded. “They found an apartment down by the waterfront. You were right to suggest the downtown area.”

  “When do they move in?”

  “They hope to start moving in on the first.”

  Belle nodded, digesting his words.

  “How’s the vacation coming along? Any luck with the hobby search?”

  She shook her head. “I’m done with that. I’ve decided to slow things down and try to get a few things done around my place. Nothing major,” she added, lest he return to work and tell Millicent she was overdoing things.

  He nodded, seeming pleased. “I’ve been busy myself,” he said. “And I want to apologize to you for not calling about the beach trip.”

  She watched him curiously, wondering if a further explanation was forthcoming. It was.

  “Besides the Rodriguez case, Millicent has assigned me three others. Frankly, Belle, I don’t know how you do it. It’s no wonder you spend so many extra hours at work. I’ll tell you what, though; I do understand why you dedicate yourself to your clients. The work can be immensely gratifying.”

  She nodded. “It is. How is Rosaria, by the way?”

  “Good. I saw her Saturday, which is why I wasn’t available for our beach outing. She called early in the week and happened to mention she might need some help getting her stuff moved. While she knew Biggs was providing trucks, she wasn’t sure how many able bodies would be onsite to help. I stopped by for a while to see if I could do anything.”

  “You helped her move?” she asked with surprise.

  “Turns out she didn’t need a lot of help. Biggs brought in several moving trucks along with an army of strapping young guys. I mostly stood around and watched the activity.”

  Somehow Belle doubted that. She suspected he availed himself for the heavy lifting.

  “Anyway, Rosaria is now getting settled into her new place. She’s living at the first complex you and I visited. Remember? The one with the swings.” His eyes twinkled mischievously then.

  Belle blushed, remembering their near kiss. He noticed, but was gentleman enough not to comment.

  She was relieved to hear Rosaria was now living in such a nice setting. She knew the woman would be happier there than at Elm Place.

  “Oh, hey, I meant to call you today, too. I’ve arranged a meeting with Biggs for Friday after next, ten ‘o clock. I’d attempted to schedule something sooner, but with moving all the tenants and his other commitments, he just didn’t have the time. Anyway, I’ve finally pinned him down, and he assures me we’ll soon have the answers we need to put the case to rest. I thought you might want to be there.”

  “I appreciate that. Did you … clear it with Millicent?”

  He chuckled. “Yes. It’s safe for you to venture back into the office.”

  He checked his watch. “I have to go soon. May I walk you home? It’s starting to get dark.”

  “I’ll be fine.”

  “Really, I’d like to walk you home.” She wasn’t about to argue with him and he accompanied her back to her place. At the base of the porch steps, he grinned down at her upturned face. “Any chance you’d like to meet here tomorrow, around seven?”

  She smiled uncertainly, her face still lifted to his, her eyes widened questioningly. He gently reached a hand to her face and smoothed a strand of hair off her brow. He flashed a high-voltage smile. “With you standing there like that, with your cheeks aglow, and your violet eyes shining, and your lips looking all pretty and pursed… Wow! Listen to me, waxing poetic. Anyway, with you looking so beautiful, how am I supposed to stay away from you? But, I must,” he said dramatically. He took a step back, and chuckled at the bewildered expression on her face.

  Her brows furrowed in confusion. “What…?”

  “No fraternization among Legal Aid employees,” he said succinctly, drooping his shoulders. “Until I leave Legal Aid behind and officially start at Preston and Dunne, I have to keep my lips off of you. And, it ain’t gonna be easy,” he said with a sad shake of his head.

  Belle laughed uncertainly. “I don’t…”

  “Did you think I could kiss you and simply walk away? Frankly, it’s a good thing I’m so busy at Legal Aid, because otherwise, I’d be hard pressed to keep my distance from you.”

  She noted his eyes were dancing with good humor, and she couldn’t help but smile in return. So, he hadn’t been ignoring her after all? There was good reason for his absence from her life. She had forgotten about the no fraternization policy at Legal Aid.

  She laughed when Dare struck a hand out, the picture of cool professionalism. She extended her hand and he clasped it. “So nice to see you again, Miss Preston. I’ll look forward to seeing you Friday after next? And tomorrow,” he added in a hushed voice.

  With a final salute, he turned and strode toward home. She watched his retreating figure with a ghost of a smile on her face. She felt happy, and oddly, this brand of happiness felt new, invigorating, and foreign. This was a different happiness than she was accustomed to, and it felt … good. She doubted any hobby could cause a comparable feeling of joy.

  ***

  Friday morning Belle donned a grey suit and left her home looking polished and professional. She was eager to hear what Jacob Biggs had to say on the matter of Elm Place. She was also eager to see Dare.

  As she drove to the meeting, she realized that today marked the end of her fifth week of vacation. It was hard to believe she had only one short week left until she could return to work. More remarkable to her was the realization that she wasn’t as eager to return as she had been.

  While she looked forward to the predictability of her
old routine, albeit modified somewhat to allow her more personal time, she had finally come to enjoy the lazy days of her vacation—had realized she didn’t need to move at such a frenzied pace all the time. She had to acknowledge Millicent was right that she had needed downtime.

  She felt rested and recharged, but couldn’t help wondering if Dare had much to do with that. Due to their employer’s no fraternization policy, he had made no further romantic overtures, but instead, the two had developed a routine in which they walked together every evening. During their evening strolls, they talked about everything from their childhoods to their career aspirations, and Belle felt as if they had gotten to know one another very well.

  She admired him a great deal, and had learned that he, too, volunteered at several nonprofit organizations. He had also recently sighed up to tutor second graders each Friday afternoon at the local elementary school once school started. She and Dare had much in common, and just the thought of him made her smile.

  As she stepped into Legal Aid, the receptionist directed her to a conference room where she found him already sitting at the circular conference table. He rose from his chair, smiling. “Nice to see you, Miss Preston.”

  “Good to see you, Mr. Jamison.”

  Steven, who had been walking by, poked his head in. “You two aren’t fooling anyone, you know.”

  He strode off and Belle shot Dare an alarmed look. He smiled reassuringly in return. “Sheer speculation on his part. Try not to look guilty,” he suggested with a wink.

  “But I’m not guilty,” she said shrilly.

  He chuckled and snared her gaze. “Soon we’ll be free to fraternize.” He arched his brows. “Just think of the possibilities. I, for one, can’t wait.”

  Belle felt the heat rise up in her face like the mercury in a thermometer, and quickly sat down across from him at the table. To her relief, Mr. Biggs arrived at that moment. After introductions were made, he took a chair between them.