Martinez, Mary - Classic Murder: Mr. Romance (BookStrand Publishing Romance)

by Mary Martinez

  Usually, during one of the famous “dates,” Katie was at home with Oscar to nurse her bruised feelings. Not to mention the fact she could not help but think of Adam in the arms of another woman. She had thought going with her mother would occupy her mind. So far, it hadn’t worked.

  Every trip Adam took lately seemed to be worse than the one before. Time to face the terrible fact that Adam would not settle down to one woman, and she would never settle for one weekend. Katie wanted the whole nine yards, white picket fence, whatever cliché you wanted to use. The lifetime commitment. A sigh slugged out between her clamped lips loud enough to attract her mother’s attention.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing. You know me, I’m just not the shopper you are.”

  “I think it’s something else. Isn’t Adam out of town this weekend?”

  “Yes. He’s sailing to the Bahamas.”

  “You know honey, maybe you ought to see if he’ll ask you out.”

  “No, Mom. I don’t want to be a one-weekend stand.”

  “How long have you been in love with Adam, dear?”

  Katie paused for a moment. Her mother knew her well. There wouldn’t be any point in lying to her. She continued to look out the window, and then slowly turned toward her mother.

  “I don’t know. It sort of crept up on me.”

  “Why don’t you do something about it?”

  “Like what? You saw how he was at the benefit dinner. He hardly noticed me. You spent all that money on my dress and a gunnysack would have had the same result.” Katie sighed again and turned back to stare out the window, only this time not really seeing the scenery.

  “Yes, I remember.” Katie felt her mother tap her on the shoulder, but refused to turn. Finally her mother sighed and continued. “What you don’t know is that he never took his eyes off of you. He watched you twirl around the dance floor until I believe he just couldn’t watch anymore.”

  “Mom, he had a cold. He just wanted to leave.”

  “I think you’re wrong. Maybe just going on as you have been will do the trick. You’ve finally got rid of those god-awful glasses so people will actually look at you.”

  “I want the man I marry to want me whether I’m wearing a bag over my head or I’m the queen of Sheba.” Katie finally looked at her mother and sat up a little straighter in the seat. “You and Dad never understood my reasons for those glasses, did you? It wasn’t to hide behind them. It was to make sure that people liked me for what was inside of me, not for what I looked like. My friends have always stuck by me, and I’ve made a lot of friends despite those ugly things. Adam and I get along great, but he’s made it perfectly clear, even once he saw past the glasses, he still wasn’t interested.”

  “I still think you’re wrong.”

  “It’s really okay, Mom. I’m dealing. Besides, if he all of a sudden decided he wanted me I’d know it wasn’t for me, just to be some arm candy. I’m not going to be anyone’s trophy date.”

  Both women sat in silence for several minutes, then Katie asked, “Mom, were you as beautiful as you are now when Dad met you?”

  “If you are asking did I look the same, then no, I was over thirty years younger. I’ve put a lot of miles on this body and even though we have the money, I’m never going to enhance it with surgery. Your dad loves me just the way I am, wrinkles and all.”

  “Right. Your face is smoother than mine. I remember when I was little, I’d watch you put on your crèmes at night. Then in the morning, you had a different routine but just as lengthy. You’ve protected your skin and your figure with determination. I barely see little lines starting around my eyes. I know I probably have more. I wish I had followed your example.”

  “Dear, you are a beautiful woman, inside and out, and the man you eventually marry will be one hell of a lucky guy. Don’t ever forget that. Now enough talk about Adam, I can see we aren’t going to agree.”

  “Okay, Mom.” Katie leaned over and kissed her mom on the cheek. “I love you—don’t ever change.” She would take this weekend with her mom and enjoy their time together, even if she did have to shop.

  * * * *

  Adam leaned on the rail. Janice had long since retired for the evening. He wasn’t sure if he had pulled off his charade, but he’d tried his damnedest not to let her know about his seasickness. His stomach heaved and hoed along with the waves. He was counting the hours until they would dock at Nassau, then he’d be the first off the ship. He would make sure to take two pills before they departed the next evening.

  In fact, he toyed with the idea of having his pilot pick them up on the island. Janice was thoroughly enjoying herself. How could he cut short her time on the boat? She’d spent most of the day watching the crew, asking questions, and on occasion helping with the sails. Then she had joined the chef in the galley to help prepare lunch. He had advised her that she was on vacation, but she insisted she was having the time of her life. He hadn’t protested further, knowing that the more time she spent on her own or with the crew the easier it would be for him to hide his malady. Some macho guy I am.

  “Can’t sleep?”

  The question startled Adam and he turned toward Janice. “I’m just enjoying the moonlight shining on the water. I thought you’d retired for the evening. Did you have a good time today?”

  “Oh, yes. It’s been wonderful learning all about sailing. It’s been my lifelong dream.” She paused and looked out over the dark waters. “I wanted to tell you something.”

  Janice put a hand on his arm and he was surprised to feel it tremble. Funny, he had the impression he didn’t do anything for her in that way. “I’m not sure how this is going to sound.”

  “What?”

  “You know that I’ve been spending a lot of time with Gerold.”

  “Gerold?”

  “The chef you hired.”

  “Oh, my assistant hired him. I’m glad you’ve been entertained by the crew. I’m just sorry I’ve been such a bad host.”

  “Oh, you haven’t been a bad host. I’m afraid I’ve been a poor guest, spending all my time in the galley. Look, what I’m trying to say…” Janice paused. Adam watched her throat work with a nervous swallow. She gazed off into the distance as if afraid to look him in the eye.

  “What you’re trying to say is that you’ve hit it off with Gerold?” Adam finished for her.

  When she still didn’t look at him but nodded, he took his finger, placed it under her chin, and raised it so he could look into her eyes. He thought he saw uncertainty there, but they looked happy.

  “I’m glad that you’ve had a good time. As I said, I’m not a good sailor. I’ve been worried that you would find the time boring while I’ve been a permanent fixture at this rail.” He smiled and released her chin. “ I’ve been toying with the idea of calling my pilot to pick us up on the island so I didn’t have to endure the trip home. In light of what you just told me, how about you enjoy the day tomorrow with Gerold and then travel home on the schooner? I’ll call my pilot and fly home by myself.”

  After a few more minutes of reassuring Janice that he was all right with the situation, she headed back toward her cabin. He watched her go, then sighed and turned back to his silent watch for land. Well, Romeo, now you’re losing women to the ship’s cook. What will be next?

  As soon as the schooner docked on Nassau, Adam was off on to dry land. Although it was in the middle of the night, he didn’t care. He sat on a bench on the dock and waited for dawn, at which time he called his pilot with instructions. He didn’t know how long he’d been on shore when Janice debarked the ship and walked over to him.

  “Are you sure you’re all right with me staying behind when you leave? It’s not exactly how I thought the weekend would turn out.”

  “It’s not what I had thought either, but you know some things are just not meant to be. For me, sailing is one of those things. I’d feel worse if you had to be miserable on your trip because of me. I wish you the best. Enjoy the rest of y
our time. Call me next week and let me know how things went.”

  “I will. Thanks. You’re wonderful.” Janice stood, then leaned back down and gave him a kiss on the cheek. She walked off without a backward glance.

  Adam turned back to watching the sunrise and smiled. Maybe he could make a hobby of matchmaking. All he felt was relief. He tried to tell himself that it was because he didn’t have to step foot back on deck, but he knew that what he really felt was relief his weekend with Janice was over.

  Chapter Eleven

  Katie finally got her door open without dropping anything and Mrs. Newcomb only yelled at her once about the noise. Kicking the door shut, she walked over and gratefully dropped her packages on the couch. Then she plopped next to the pile of bags. Leaning down, she took her shoes off and rubbed one foot, then the other. Sighing, she finally leaned back, thinking it was too quiet without Oscar to greet her, but she had been gone too long to leave him alone. She had called Dottie on the way home to let her know when to bring the dog.

  Her stereo was to the side of the sofa, so she reached a hand over and flipped it on and her favorite bluesy music filled the air. She closed her eyes and propped her feet up on the coffee table. Sometime later, a knock on the door startled her awake.

  “The door is unlocked, Dottie, come on in.” She winced at the bang from Mrs. Newcomb’s apartment. At least the music hadn’t bothered her.

  The door creaked open and Adam stepped around it. “Hi, I’m not Dottie. Is that okay?”

  Katie’s eyes popped open and she swiveled her head to look at him. She straightened up, pulling her feet off the coffee table as she did so.

  “Adam! I didn’t think you’d be home from the Bahamas yet.”

  “I got home yesterday. I just wanted to stop by and see how your trip with your mom went. Hope you don’t mind.”

  “No, I’m just trying to relax while I wait for Dottie to bring Oscar home.”

  “I wondered what happened to the little guy while you were gone. If you ever need a dog sitter in the future, I wouldn’t mind.”

  Katie looked at Adam incredulously. He just didn’t seem like the type to want the trouble of a dog, or a child, for that matter. Then why are you in love with him? You love children and if and when you marry, you’ll want them. Katie frowned. She hadn’t thought about that before. Before she lost her nerve, she asked a question.

  “How do you feel about children?” Man, that didn’t quite come out the way I wanted.

  Adam stood, looking down at her a moment. The horrid feeling of heat spread up her neck and onto her face. She hadn’t even offered him a seat yet. He waited so long to answer she thought he wasn’t going to. “Well, I happen to like them. I was a child once myself.”

  “Sorry, that just sort of popped out. Have a seat. Let me go see if I have any wine to offer you.” Katie jumped up and tripped over the pile of bags that had spilled onto the floor. She recovered and then rushed to the kitchen. What is wrong with you, woman?

  * * * *

  Adam took a seat and watched her leave the room. Despite the fact he covered his mouth to hold it in, a chuckle escaped when she tripped over the bags by the sofa. Judging by how many there were, he thought at least it looked like she had a good weekend.

  Why had he dropped in to check on her? He had another weekend planned coming up and here he was wanting more than anything to cancel and take Katie instead. Okay, Russo, here’s the deal. You take Nan Thomas on your train trip. If it doesn’t work out, go for it with Katie and see where things take you. He just hoped if he followed his gut, he didn’t ruin a good working relationship.

  A knock at the door interrupted his thoughts, joined a moment later by the banging on the wall from the next-door apartment. Before he could open it, the doorknob turned and Dottie walked in. She stopped when she saw Adam. Oscar didn’t pause. He rushed over, jumped on Adam’s lap, and licked his face.

  * * * *

  Katie came in with a bottle of wine in hand to see what the commotion was. “Oh, hi, Dottie. Thanks for bringing the dog home. Hey Oscar, how are you, buddy?” When the animal didn’t leave Adam’s lap and made himself comfortable there, Katie felt a little betrayed. Oscar had never liked anyone more than her, especially men.

  “Looks like he’s comfy right here,” Adam said.

  “How was your trip with your mom?” Dottie asked. While she waited for an answer, she set the bag of dog food and other animal paraphernalia down by the door and took the other chair.

  “I found some wine, would you both like a glass?”

  “Hey if you two want some privacy, I’ll leave.” Dottie started to rise.

  “No, stay. I just came by to see how the trip went. I haven’t heard the details. She might as well tell us both at the same time.”

  Katie offered the bottle and opener to Adam then went to retrieve glasses. She returned in time to see him hold the bottle and open it at an awkward angle, so he wouldn’t dislodge Oscar from his lap. Another dart to the heart.

  With the wine poured and everyone comfortable, Katie launched into a colorful description of a weekend with her energetic mother.

  “I swear it will take me a year to recover. That woman has more energy than a two-year-old. I think she may even outlast that battery bunny on television.” Katie took a sip of her wine, something she’d picked up on her trip. She’d planned to save it for a special occasion. This was as good a time as any. Having Adam drop by unexpectedly was something to celebrate, even if Dottie came with the package.

  “Okay, now that I’ve bored you both with my weekend story. Adam, yours has to be better than mine, so tell us all about it.”

  “Yes, do,” Dottie agreed.

  “Katie, remember I told you that I’m not a sailor? Well, no words were truer. I got sick just looking at the schooner bobbing up and down at the dock. I could barely keep from disgracing myself by emptying my stomach in front of my guest. It was quite embarrassing.”

  “Oh, I’m so sorry.” Katie tried to squelch her pleased inner voice that whispered he probably hadn’t ended up in the woman’s arms.

  “Not your fault. I should have changed the plans. Instead, I was stubborn and I paid the price.”

  “What about your date—Ms. Beeman, I believe her name was?” Dottie asked.

  “How did you know her name?” Katie wanted to know.

  “It was in Friday’s society page—what ‘Mr. Romance’ was doing over the weekend.”

  “Doesn’t anyone have anything better to do than read about me?” Adam asked.

  “Well, I was just browsing, you know.”

  “He didn’t mean you, Dottie. You know me, and he’s my boss, it’s natural that if you saw something about him, you’d read it.”

  “That’s true, Dottie. I’m sorry,” Adam said.

  “No need to apologize, guys. Mr. Russo, please continue with your story.”

  “Only if you call me Adam.” Katie tried not to be jealous when Adam smiled at the petite brunette. He probably felt he might have offended her.

  “Adam, please continue,” Dottie said.

  “Well, Ms. Beeman, or Janice, as it so happens, had a wonderful time.”

  “She did?” Katie asked with a sinking heart.

  “Yes, you were right. It had been her lifelong dream to sail on a schooner. The crew let her help. She peppered them with questions the whole voyage to Nassau. Then Gerold, the chef you hired, asked if she’d like to ‘create’—her words, not mine—the meals with him. They hit it off. I called Jamie to fly in and pick me up in Nassau and Janice sailed home with Gerold.”

  “Oh, I don’t know what to say. You don’t seem upset that your date went home with someone else.” Katie couldn’t stop the joyous song that filled her heart, nor the euphoric feeling rippling through her body at the knowledge he’d come home early without Ms. Beeman.

  “There’s nothing to say. It all worked out in the end. I felt a lot better once my feet were planted on solid ground.”

&nb
sp; “Do you get sick when you fly also?” Dottie asked.

  “Not as bad. I can take one motion sickness pill when I fly or go on trains and such and be fine. I had hoped one would work for sailing also. I was wrong.”

  * * * *

  Janice let herself into her condo, setting her bags by the front door. She had trouble keeping the silly grin off her face. She was in love. And, she had “Mr. Romance” to thank for it. She had been worried that she’d fall in love with him and get hurt. Instead, because of him, she had found the man of her dreams and fallen in love. She had wanted to prolong their trip, but Gerold had commitments bright and early the next morning, Monday. The chirp of her cell phone interrupted her thoughts.

  “This is Janice Beeman,” she answered, still caught up in her sense of wonder of it all.

  “The Empire State building? Now?” She stopped and waited for the reply.

  “But I could be in line for two hours waiting to get to the top.” Janice paused and listened to the other person. She had to strain to hear. Either it was a bad connection or he or she was whispering. “Oh. just the lobby—well, that’s better. Now, who are you?”

  The connection was broken while the other person replied, but Janice hadn’t been able to make out the name before the phone went dead. This person had told her that Adam wanted to meet her. She wanted to thank Adam for her good fortune in love. It was the least she could do, although his reasons were a mystery.

  A glance at the hall clock told her she had time to walk. After all the food she had practically devoured over the weekend, she needed the exercise. Grabbing her light jacket from the chair, she opened the door and walked out, pausing to lock the door and deadbolt. No one could be too careful in Manhattan. Even if they lived in a good neighborhood.