Sam preened in front of the mirror, then satisfied with the result of his labors, he headed down the stairs. It didn’t do to be late to these affairs. One could miss the cocktails that way, then end up sitting at a table full of strangers.
The two-year-old Harley touring bike was his baby. He rode it everywhere, mainly because he didn’t have any other transportation, but mostly because he loved it. Loved the freedom of the wind in his face as he wove through traffic that often had cars stranded for hours. Room for one. Or just the right passenger.
Though Ben had often been a passenger, it was Lillian who came into his mind first. Had he been given a little more notice, he might have asked her to accompany him tonight. Smiling, he imagined her riding behind him dressed in a formal gown, her arms wrapped snugly around his waist.
Stop fanaticizing about her. She’s your student. There are rules.
Driving into the hotel parking lot, he discovered another reason why he liked his Harley. He could park it in the striped section at the end of a row and not have to battle the big, showy SUVs for a parking space. Since he didn’t have a date, he anticipated being able to make a quick, yet graceful, getaway by the end of the dinner and before the speeches and the dancing.
Ten minutes into the evening, he’d offered Walter’s condolences to a number of people and shaken a variety of hands. Escaping to a quiet corner, he sipped at his Jack Daniels on the rocks and studied the new arrivals. Ordinarily, he had no trouble visiting with people, even those he didn’t know well, but functions such as these made him feel tongue-tied and out of place. He preferred to hide away and watch. And as he watched, he saw her.
Dressed discreetly in a black long-sleeved, floor-length gown, Lillian seemed to float around the room, speaking briefly with a white-haired gentleman in a pale blue dinner jacket, then moving on to join a group of ladies, none of whom could hold a candle to her—at least in Sam’s opinion. Her hair was held up in the back with a flower-decorated comb. Several loose wisps kissed the back of her neck. When she turned to greet another couple, he could see her dress clearly. The neckline scooped low enough to hint at the top of her breasts, the high empire waistline flowing loosely into a skirt that was split up the front to just above her knees. In that instant, he saw her only as a beautiful woman, not as his student.
Classy and elegant, she stayed to chat only long enough with each group to make them feel welcome before moving on to the next.
He knew the exact moment she became aware of him.
* * *
Lillian couldn’t believe he was here. While she greeted several new arrivals, she glanced cautiously in his direction. Yes, it was definitely Sam, dressed in a tux and hidden away in the corner, lounging a bit like a wolf, watching. She had seen him come through the door alone, and now she wondered if he was waiting for someone.
That’s none of your business, Lillian.
He had fixed her car, told her she was beautiful, and knew her most private secret. On the other hand, she had been late for his class, failed his first two tests, then dropped the course he taught. She wondered how impressed he was with her now. Carefully, she let her eyes survey the room, and when they reached his face, she couldn’t seem to make them move on again. So, when he crooked his finger at her, she merely laughed and started working her way across the room to where he sat.
Lillian had only managed half the distance to her goal when Dr. Ames stepped into her path. There was no graceful way to avoid the encounter, but for the first time that evening, she could think of nothing appropriate to say. Instead, she merely smiled, then attempted to slip around the doctor.
“Mrs. Moore, please give me a moment. I haven’t seen you since Baby John’s seizure, so I hope you’ll let me apologize now for my rude behavior then.”
Stunned, Lillian ignored courtesy in favor of sarcasm. “Were you rude? I don’t remember.”
Dr. Ames laughed lightly. “You’re very good. However, I think we both know my remarks that day were unkind.”
“You were saving a life, and I was in the way.”
“Still, I could have been less offensive.”
“Yes, I suppose you could have, but what’s done is done. I have no hard feelings. So, if you’ll excuse me…” Lillian started once again on her short journey to Sam.
“You haven’t left the program,” Dr. Ames said, reaching out quickly to prevent Lillian from leaving. “I’m glad.”
Even Lillian couldn’t suppress the shock she felt. “Why? As I understand it, you’re not in favor of the program.”
“That’s not entirely true. Though it worked… badly… at my last hospital, I have high hopes for it here at San Sebastian. Especially when there are so many dedicated people such as you involved. After all, you’re helping here tonight.”
“This benefit is for the new children’s wing. I’m a Docent, and raising money for it is our goal. Though I must admit, my usual role is more behind the scenes. Sandra Kelly was to be our official hostess this evening, but she wrenched her back this morning, so I’m here in her place.”
“We are all called to do what we do best.”
Dr. Ames gave her arm a gentle squeeze and walked away, leaving Lillian to wonder about the doctor’s last words. Had she meant them for herself or Lillian? Though Lillian had always tried to do her best, her best hadn’t always been good enough. Take her algebra class, for instance. And with that thought, she took a deep breath, pasted a smile on her face, and started once again for the corner where Sam sat waiting for her.
As she approached his chair, he stood, his eyes traveling leisurely from her heels barely visible beneath the hem of her gown to her face where she could feel the heat of his gaze warm her cheeks.
“You look very lovely tonight, Lillian.”
“Thank you. You look quite distinctive in your tux.” Deliciously handsome was more the description she had in mind, but would never say out loud.
He laughed. “I realize this is not my usual attire.”
“True, but perhaps it’s simply a different side of you.”
“No matter how you dress me, Lillian, I’m the same guy underneath.” Sam held up his empty glass to be collected by the passing waiter. “May I buy you a drink?”
“I don’t usually…” She paused, the fingers of her left hand caressing the old-fashioned heart-shaped locket suspended from a delicate gold chain around her neck, then changed her mind. “Yes, I’d like a ginger ale. In a bottle, please.”
Sam asked the waiter to bring them two bottles of Kemper ginger ale. “What don’t you usually?”
“Have a drink while I’m playing hostess.”
“I’ve been observing you. You mingle well.”
“Oh, now there’s a talent.”
Sam shrugged. “Hey, you never know. You could do espionage. Work parties like this for the CIA collecting what may seem like inconsequential information, but is really vital to saving our country from invasion by the bad guys. Easy assignment for a woman of the world.”
“You certainly have an active imagination.”
“I have a twelve-year-old son.”
“Really?”
The waiter returned with their drinks, handing them to Sam who tossed a five-dollar bill on the tray. “Yes, his name is Benjamin. Fortunately for you, I don’t carry pictures.”
“That’s a shame. I would like to see them.” She looked up at him, her high heels putting the top of her head level with his nose, giving her eyes a direct view of his mouth. How would it feel to be kissed by that mouth? Sensing heat redden her cheeks, she smiled quickly. “Just to see if the son takes after the father, of course.”
“He does. Except our imaginations are active in different ways.”
“Well, I’ll definitely keep that CIA option in mind,” she said, laughing as she accepted the cold bottle of ginger ale. A tingle of excitement flowed through her entire body when his fingers brushed lightly against her hand. A sensation so new and daring, she wasn’t certain how to reac
t. Safety lay in retreating to hostess status. “So, Sam, what brings you to this wonderfully boring event?”
He tapped the rim of his bottle against hers. “Walter Dodd couldn’t make it, so here I am in his stead.”
Aha, she thought. A kindred soul.
Lifting the bottle to his lips, he drained half its contents. Then with a roguish glint in his eyes, he retrieved the untouched bottle of soda from her hand and set them both on a nearby table. “Lillian, how would you like to escape this wonderfully boring event with me?”
Was he really asking her to join him for an evening of sex? And had her heart actually skipped a beat at the mere possibility? “To do what?” she asked cautiously.
“Tonight is the opening of Oktoberfest in San Marcos. There’s a carnival.”
Was it disappointment she felt, or relief? “I’m not exactly dressed for that.”
“Me neither.” His dark eyes twinkled, the dare and possibly something else obvious in them. “What do you say, woman of the world? Shall we be bold?”
Though seemingly innocent, it was the most outrageous suggestion anyone had ever made to her in her entire life. And the most exciting. Never before had she dared to sneak away from an obligation before the last guest had left and the final decoration had been packed away. Even one thrust upon her without asking. There was a first time for everything, he’d said to her before she’d climbed onto the back of his motorcycle.
Could she really be a woman of the world? Be bold?
Why not?
Chapter Nine
“She’s finally asleep.” Gregg heaved a deep sigh as he leaned against the doorjamb separating the kitchen from the dining room. “I didn’t know one little six-year-old girl could be so excited about going to first grade. She read The Cat in the Hat to me all by herself.” He sighed again, rolling a cold beer can across his forehead. “Three times.”
“It’s her favorite.”
“Well, she’s beginning to embellish it.” Gregg popped the top on the beer and took a long swallow. “Ahhh. I needed that.”
Amanda laughed, but didn’t look up from the stacks of invitations spread out across the table. It was the only time available to complete the task without Jennifer hovering, asking far too many questions, and possibly giving away guarded information to her grandmother. She stuffed another envelope.
“Aren’t you done with those yet?”
“Every time I think I have all of Mother’s friends, I come across a name I’ve missed.” She continued to address envelopes without so much as a glance in Gregg’s direction, certain he would just be scowling. “I ran into Judith Thompson at the club today. She hasn’t seen my mother in weeks. Evidently, she’s been substituting for her in the bridge group and wanted to know if Mother was all right.”
“Did you tell her your mother was perfectly fine, just studying hard?”
“I couldn’t possibly tell her that,” Amanda huffed, frowning at her husband. “And I wish you would quit encouraging her. She’s a grandmother who will be fifty in another three weeks. This need to go back to school at her age is… is… shameful.”
Gregg stepped into the dining room. “Now, Mandy…”
“Don’t you now Mandy me. What she’s doing is foolish. And she’s spending so much time at it, her friends—not to mention her family—hardly ever see her.” Amanda waved her hand across the dining room table, strewn with invitations, brochures, and the variety of lists she had made to keep track of the planning. “And she hasn’t taken any interest whatsoever in her birthday party.”
“That’s probably because she really doesn’t want a fuss made.”
“It’s an important day in her life.”
“It isn’t if she’d rather not be reminded of it.”
Amanda hesitated, her hand hovering uncertainly above the last envelope before placing the stamp carefully in the upper right hand corner. “She’s just being stubborn. Everyone wants a birthday party.”
Gregg crushed the empty beer can in his fist. “Your mother isn’t everyone.”
“You’ll see,” Amanda said smugly, gathering the invitations into a neat pile and placing them into a box. She wasn’t going to send them out yet, wanting them to arrive precisely a week before the party. “She’ll love it. Besides, I have a surprise for her.”
“Is there something on the agenda besides golf, swim party, and dinner dance?”
“Michael is coming home on leave. He’ll be arriving the morning of the party.”
“Well, that is a surprise.”
Yes, indeed. When her little brother had told her he was coming, she’d been shocked. They communicated rarely, but Amanda had e-mailed him last week over her frustration with their mother’s lack of interest in the birthday party, never expecting he would be able to attend.
“Gregg, you need to keep this to yourself.”
“Does Jen know?”
“No, and don’t you dare tell her. You know what a little blabbermouth she is.”
“She is, isn’t she?” Gregg laughed, then slipped up quietly behind her chair. He leaned close, his arms circling her just beneath her breasts, his hands cupping them in a gentle caress while he nibbled on her earlobe. Amanda leaned back against him, her heartbeat quickening.
“Let’s go upstairs and make a baby,” he whispered huskily in her ear.
The words dashed her interest as nothing else could. “I don’t think that’s a good idea,” she said, managing to disengage herself from his embrace.
“Why not? Jen asked me again tonight for a little brother or sister.”
Amanda shuddered involuntarily. “She doesn’t need a sibling for you to love more than you love her.”
Gregg’s whole body snapped back as if she had slapped him. “I would never do that.”
Seething, Amanda refused to look at him. “You say that now, but when your son is born, you’ll feel differently.”
“That’s not true, Mandy,” he said, sadness in his eyes as he gazed at her. “And it would be nice if you could remember that I am not your father.”
* * *
“Would you like me to take you home so you can change clothes?” Sam asked as they slipped out a side door by the pool, then headed for the parking lot.
“What do people usually wear to a carnival?”
“Jeans, I suppose, or something equally casual.”
Lillian was silent for a moment, considering how much time would be wasted if they stopped at their respective houses for a change of clothes. “Wouldn’t it be bolder to attend in our current attire?” When they passed under an overhead parking light, she saw him try to hide a smile.
“My bike’s over here,” he said, his hand on her elbow.
“We could take my car if you like?”
“And spoil our getaway?” He grinned like the Cheshire cat from Alice in Wonderland and shook his head. “Where’s your sense of adventure?”
“Contrary to current belief, I’m not Mata Hari.”
“She was supposedly sexy, exotic, and very beautiful.”
Was he saying she was all those things, too? “She was also accused of working for the Germans and later executed.”
“Probably not a good choice for your role model then.”
Lillian laughed, and she was still laughing when Sam lifted her into his arms and placed her on the back seat of his motorcycle, then carefully arranged her dress so it would not interfere with the operation of the bike, yet would keep her covered. As he had done the first time she’d ridden with him, he took her handbag and placed it in the rear storage compartment. With that accomplished, he handed her a helmet.
“We’ll be on the highway,” he explained at her look of dismay. “This is Ben’s. It should fit you.”
“Very well, if I must.” She removed the decorative ornament that held her hair in place and handed it to Sam so he could put it with her handbag. Instead, he merely stood there, staring at her. “Is something wrong?”
He shook his head slowly, th
en gathered a handful of her hair and held it to his nose before letting it drift through his fingers. “I’ve always wondered what your hair would look like loose. It feels like silk.”
Sam had wondered about her hair? Lillian supposed that was only fair. She had certainly thought a lot about him, too. And not only about his hair.
Placing the helmet over her head, she smiled up at him, batting her eyelashes. “How do I look? Do you think this accessory will catch on?”
Sam merely laughed while he helped her into Ben’s leather jacket, then adjusted the visor over her face and mounted the bike. It started with a roar, and in moments they were flying down the highway at seventy miles an hour. The bike was surprisingly steady, and though she probably didn’t need to hang on to him, she did so. His very essence radiated security. By the time they reached the outskirts of San Marcos, Lillian had relaxed and was ready for adventure.
They wandered through the street fair, stopping occasionally to check out the wares displayed in each of the many booths strung out along the town’s main thoroughfare. Ignoring the stares their unusual choice of clothing generated, Lillian held on to his arm, for balance she told herself, and nibbled on the ice cream cone he’d purchased for her. Though her feet were beginning to hurt a little, she refused to mention it. Frankly, she was having too much fun.
In the arcade, Sam won a small teddy bear by shooting five metal ducks, then gave it to her. She knew she was grinning outrageously, but she didn’t care. No one before Sam had ever won anything for her. She would cherish the gold, furry animal with the brown button eyes forever.
“This is wonderful. I didn’t know you were a marksman.”
“I’m a mathematician.” He was quiet for a moment as they headed slowly in the direction of the rides. “Actually, I’m a teacher.”
“Have you always been a teacher?”
“In my heart, yes, but not always. For four years I worked as a mathematician for my father-in-law. He was an investment banker.”
An Equation For Murder Page 6