by Zuri Day
“No, we can shop.”
“Oh, by the way, there’s an event this Saturday at the club, a golf outing. My husband fancies himself a pro on par with the Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelsons of the world. He’s probably not even good enough to be their caddy, but I allow him the fantasy. You should come. It’s for a worthy cause.”
“I used to play a lot of golf,” Quinn responded. “But I don’t know about that. Small towns are huge gossip mills. I’ve no doubt that after the Days of Paradise ball, I’m the topic of many conversations.”
“Who cares? People are going to talk. They have nothing better to do. I say let them and keep living your life.”
“Will you be there?”
“Absolutely. Not because I’m crazy about the game, and I won’t be playing, but a chance to spend some weekend time with grown-ups instead of three rambunctious kids!”
“I’ll think about it.”
* * *
She did, and after a week when from time to time Lydia mercifully delivered Quinn from the file room to help with other projects, Quinn agreed to attend the golf event. At the last minute, she decided to play and registered online Friday night. It was the first week of September, with the last of this summer’s brilliance on full display. Vibrant flowers. Clear blue skies. A perfect seventy-seven degrees. With her regular golf clothes packed away, Quinn had hurriedly ordered appropriate attire from one of her favorite online stores. Nothing fancy or too outlandish—Quinn wanted to show the country club crowd that while she enjoyed the extreme, as was evident in her choice for the ball, she could also be fashionably restrained.
The event started at ten. She arrived at nine forty-five and was surprised to find the parking lot already full. After parking in an adjacent lot handling the overflow, she grabbed the bag of borrowed clubs from the trunk and her grandmother’s visor and hurried into the club. Two seconds after signing in and getting her packet of information, she heard a voice behind her.
“What are you doing here?”
The tone of the question irked her—part irritation, part surprise.
She turned around and became even more annoyed. This time it was at her heartbeat, and how rapidly it accelerated, as she took in his look. Stark white shirt and slacks that highlighted his tan and dark brown eyes. Even the stern way he glowered looked sexy. He made her feel vulnerable and out of control. It was a feeling she didn’t like, and she disliked him for making her feel it.
“Is there a reason I shouldn’t be here?”
“Of course not. That probably didn’t come out the way it sounded. I’m just surprised to see you, that’s all. And with clubs. So you’re playing?”
“Yes, but don’t be scared. I won’t beat you too badly.” She walked around him and headed toward the patio near the first hole and where the tournament would begin. Walking away, she could feel his eyes on her. She tried to feel disgusted, told herself his behavior was typical of a man. But truthfully, it made her feel good. She wasn’t ready to admit that her feelings toward him were shifting. Couldn’t accept that she’d ever find a man who reminded her of her father attractive. But Ike wasn’t her father. And today, he looked finer than ever.
The tournament began. Quinn was competitive and soon was focused solely on making each hole. But Ike’s heat was just ahead of hers. She observed his game and couldn’t help but admire his swing. Or his long, strong legs. Or how nicely his buns filled out the slacks.
A nice-looking jerk, she reminded herself, one who’d sued her and acted out of her league. Her temporary boss. She was glad for the reminder of why liking or dating him was out of the question. She was in this for the duration of her penalty, not a day longer, and couldn’t wait for the ordeal to be over.
Chapter 11
“Quinn! Wait up!”
For the second time today, Quinn heard a familiar voice from behind her. She turned around, shielding her eyes from the sun as Ike came toward her. Across the street, she noticed a woman watching intently. His girlfriend, perhaps? No, she decided. Men could do stupid things but surely he wouldn’t be that dumb.
“You held your own,” he said when he reached her. “Good job.”
“Not as good as you. Until you found the sand trap on the fourteenth hole, I thought you might win it all.”
“Your car over here?”
“Yep.”
“I’ll walk you to it.”
The offer surprised Quinn, but she simply nodded and turned toward the lot.
“You’re pretty good.”
“I used to be, but it’s been a while since I played. Which was clearly evident today.”
“No, I was watching your swings, how you addressed the shot. I could tell it wasn’t your first time on the green. Or the second. Why’d you quit?”
“Seriously? Double bogies back to back? Competing against guys like you? It was easier to simply make a donation to the cause and watch from the comfortable shade of the patio. So that’s what I did.”
They reached Quinn’s car. She tapped the key fob and opened the trunk. Ike took her clubs and placed them inside.
“Why are you being nice to me?”
“Placing your golf clubs in the trunk?” He shrugged. “I’m a gentleman.”
“You’re a jerk, remember?”
Ike smiled. Quinn noticed. She hadn’t seen him do that often and decided he should. It gave him a younger, more carefree appearance. “We’re back to that again. Because I sued for the repairs.”
“That, too, but right now because you’d choose to leave your girlfriend stranded to be a gentleman to me.”
“Who are you talking about?”
“Don’t look now, but she’s behind you, across the street. Her face is familiar, but I don’t know her name. She obviously knows you, and probably quite well.”
“What does she look like?”
“Tall, slender, shoulder-length brown hair. Do you know who I’m talking about?”
“Probably. In a small town, everybody knows everybody. But I don’t have a girlfriend, and I am not a jerk.”
“Okay. Thanks for the help. I’ll see you Monday.”
She walked to the car door. Three long strides and he’d passed her and opened the door. “Where are you going?”
“Home. Before I get arrested.”
“For what?”
“Driving illegally. Thanks to you, my license is still restricted. If I get caught between here and home, I might go to jail.”
“Then there’s only one way to handle this.”
Quinn’s eyes narrowed. “How?”
“I have to follow you.”
“Ha! No, thanks. That won’t be necessary.”
“You may not think so, but that’s what’s going to happen.”
“We’ll see.” Quinn huffed and got into her car. Who does this guy think he is?
She started her car. Ike pulled out his phone, did a quick scroll and tapped the screen. She put the car in reverse. He placed a hand on the door.
“Yes, is this the Paradise Cove police department? I may need to report a driving violation.” He eyed her with a look that read, Can you hear me now?
“Seriously?”
Ike smiled again, that lazy, fun spread of perfectly plump lips revealing sparkly white teeth. “Seriously.”
She threw the gear in Park and crossed her arms.
He laughed out loud. “Wait here.”
“Such an asshole,” she muttered as he walked away.
He stopped and turned around. “What did you say?”
“You obviously heard me.”
“You’re really angry.”
“Of course I am! I know you Drakes think this town belongs to you, but when I entered the city limits the sign read Paradise Cove, not Drake Town.�
��
“Quinn, do you think I’d actually call the cops on you? I was teasing. I’m usually quite adept at sharing my ideas, thoughts and concepts, but for some reason comments made to you are misinterpreted. I know we got off to a bad start and I want to fix that. So what I did was a way to, you know, spend some time together.”
This long explanation earned him an equally long look. “In that case, if spending time with me is what you wanted, you should have simply asked.”
“Oh. Okay. Ms. Taylor, would you do me the honor of spending time with me this evening?”
She offered her best smile as she put her car in gear. “No.”
When Quinn chanced a glance in the rearview mirror, two people caught her eye. Ike, who stood with hands on hips and watched her exit. And the tall, slender woman crossing over to where he stood.
Quinn told herself she didn’t care about whatever was taking place in her rearview mirror. Men were the last thing on her mind. That much was true. As she went to sleep that night, she thought of Ike.
* * *
It seemed Monday mornings were coming much too quickly, and too often. He should have been exhausted, but the progress made so far toward closing on Ten Drake Plaza and his unexpected time on the course with Quinn had invigorated a part of him that he was sure had not been invigorated before. The final piece of good news had been the text he’d received from the car repairman late last night. A part that before had taken more than a year to find before had been found through the internet. As soon as its availability was authenticated, Ike’s mechanic could forward the purchase information to Quinn’s attorney.
Quinn. The woman had stayed on his mind all weekend long. The very thing that initially turned him off now totally tantalized him. Her spunk and total disregard for propriety gave life an edge he’d never experienced and didn’t think he cared for. Something about her made a part of him wake up that he hadn’t known slept. He’d thought he knew what he wanted in a woman. Now he was willing to concede that perhaps he was just finding out.
He headed straight to the break room nearest his office. A shot of espresso was in order. He smelled the coffee from a good ten feet away. Obviously Lydia and he had shared the same idea. The early bird not only got the worm but closed the deal.
“Tweet, tweet, my swe... Quinn!”
Quinn laughed in spite of herself. “Obviously not who you were expecting.”
He decided that if Quinn could smile 24/7, the world wouldn’t need the sun. “No, I thought it was Lydia. She usually gets here early.”
“Yes, she’s on her way.”
“She called?”
Quinn shook her head. “No. She told me at the tournament that she’d be late. I’m in to cover for her.”
“She should have gotten one of the assistants to cover for her. Not that there’s anything wrong with you,” he added, all too aware of how often his words were misconstrued. “But you’re here as part of a court order, and not getting paid. So there’s no need to work extra hours.”
“I’m not. I’ll leave an hour early.”
“Okay, good.” He walked over to the cupboard, pulled out a mug boasting the company logo and filled it with flavored coffee. The shot of espresso was no longer needed. Seeing Quinn had given his mind, body and spirit an energy boost. “She gave you her card key, too?”
“No. Your brother Terrell and I arrived at the same time.”
“Terrell’s here?” Ike looked at his watch. “Wonders never cease. It actually works out that you’re here early. I’d like to discuss a couple things with you.”
Quinn turned and leaned on the counter and eyed him warily. “Okay.”
“Why the leery look? It’s nothing bad. Come on. Let’s go into my office.”
They stepped into the spacious, immaculate space. Once inside, he closed the door. Quinn stopped and turned around, her look distrustful.
“Quinn, what is it? If I make you that uncomfortable, we can keep it open. I closed it to keep our discussion private. But if it makes you feel in any way uneasy...”
“Is this about Saturday and my turning you down?”
Ike’s eyes lit up with understanding. Hearing the source of her angst, he took a relieved breath. Maybe she didn’t think he was the big bad wolf after all. Before her time with the company was over, he planned to convince her he wasn’t a jerk, either.
“No, this isn’t about what happened on Saturday,” he answered, walking by her to the comfy sitting area on the other side of the room. “Though your abrupt departure was very impolite. It left me in the dust, literally. Let’s sit over here. It’s more casual.”
He sat on the love seat. She sat on one of two roomy armchairs, upholstered with a velvety textured chenille of striped, warm fall colors.
“First of all, Lance received the paperwork from your attorney, and the repair shop was given the address to send the invoices. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
“Unfortunately, this process is going to take time. The parts are few and rare, but I’ll make sure you’re kept up-to-date through your attorney.”
“Okay.”
“I seem to have had to do this quite a bit with you, but I need to apologize to you, once again. I assumed something about you that isn’t true.”
“What, that I’m not the spoiled, rich brat the rumor mill has labeled me, and that you, too, believe?”
“I never said that.”
“You never used those words. But from the moment our cars collided, you made it clear that my reckless, irresponsible ways were to blame. Unfortunately, the dog that I’m positive ran in front of my car obviously vanished into thin air, which only underscores that incorrect belief.”
“Duly noted.” He paused to take a sip of coffee, continue to look at her. She stared back. Direct. Fearless.
Damn, she was sexy when she got fired up. Ike dared not imagine how that fire translated in the bedroom. Not if he wanted to continue this meeting and preserve his dignity.
“Of course there has been talk about you. That’s what people in small towns do when someone new arrives. Speculate, gossip, try to figure out who or what you’re about. Especially someone who makes the type of entrance you did, showing up at a charity ball in such scanty attire.”
“I was fully covered, thank you.”
“In the front. But in the back, you could have sneezed and been arrested for indecent exposure.”
“It may have appeared that way, but trust me, that is not the case. So while I may not have been covered from head to toe, there was coverage in all the places that mattered. As for how people felt about what I wore, that’s none of my business.”
“You don’t care what people think about you?”
“Everyone wants to be liked. That’s only natural. But when you grow up as I did, and get talked about and lied about as much as I have, you stop defending or explaining yourself and grow a thick skin.”
“The first day we had lunch and I mentioned your duties, among other things, why didn’t you tell me you had two master’s degrees?”
“You didn’t ask. As I said the other day, you assumed I was just a pretty face. And a spoiled, rich one at that.”
“Was I correct in hearing that one of your degrees is in in business administration?”
“Yes.”
“What career are you pursuing?”
“I’m still figuring that out.”
“How old are you, if you don’t mind me asking?”
“Twenty-five.”
“I figured you were about the same age as my younger sister.” He reared back, eyes toward the ceiling as he began to recollect. “By the time I was your age, I’d worked full-time for...let’s see...almost five years. That includes the two years I was getting my master’s degree. You’ve still got
time, but don’t wait too long. The older you get, the faster time flies.”
“How old are you?”
“Thirty-five.”
“Oh.”
Ike paused. “What do you mean, oh?”
“I thought you were older.”
The scowl that formed was a hint that Ike was none too pleased with this perception.
“I don’t mean that in a bad way. I just... You act older, that’s all. The way you just spoke to me, for instance, with all of this sage wisdom for a young ’un like me.” She adopted a low, gravelly tone at the end of the sentence, sounding much like her father.
“I didn’t sound like that.”
“No, that was a bad impression of my father.”
“Glen Taylor.”
“You know him?”
“I’ve met him. He played a tournament at the club several years ago. My dad knows him better, though. Says they once served on a committee together. Judge Taylor seems to be the no-nonsense type, very disciplined. I was surprised to learn that you’re his daughter.”
Quinn sighed, took a few sips of tea as she looked out the window. “Why, because his life resembles a sturdy oak, while mine is more that of a leaf blowing in the wind?” He didn’t answer. “We’re alike in ways that aren’t obvious. I feel I’ve never had the chance to ponder my future freely, with no expectations. To get to know myself well enough to discover who I am and what I truly like. Besides fast cars, strong men and hot...tea.”
Her eyes danced as they viewed him over the rim of the mug holding her citrus-flavored concoction. It warmed his heart to see her relaxed. The way she teased him warmed other places.
“You didn’t have the chance because of the way you grew up? Is that part of getting the thick skin you mentioned? Again, I don’t mean to get too personal here, and if you’d rather not answer it’s fine.”
“I don’t mind at all. I’d rather be asked directly and have the opportunity to replace hearsay with facts. Along with the no-nonsense, disciplined traits you recognized, I’m the only child of a very commanding, stubborn and opinionated man.”
“Qualities that undoubtedly helped make him a successful attorney and respected judge.”