She entered the mall and gazed about. They had already begun decorating for the holidays, and the sight of all the beautiful ornaments put her in a festive mood.
There were several children’s shops to choose from and she had more fun shopping than she had ever had. With some effort, and a little imagination on the part of the salesperson, Jessica managed to buy pretty lace dresses and sleepers to fit April. She also found big stuffed bears, a rattle that made several different kinds of noises, and many more items to delight and stimulate the mind of a tiny infant. She bought so many things that she was having great difficulty carrying all her purchases.
She was just coming out of a small boutique, where she had just purchased the most beautiful Christmas dress for April, when she bumped into someone.
“Oh, I’m so sorry,” she apologized. “I can’t see a thing over all my packages.”
“Here, let me help you,” the familiar voice offered.
She froze, turned sideways to see around her mountain of boxes, and stared straight up into Jeffrey’s smiling face. She frowned at him.
“Jeffrey. What are you doing here?”
“I have come to help a damsel in distress,” he declared, bowing from the waist in a mock curtsey. “What else would I be doing here?” he said, as he truly had no other reason to be in a shopping mall in California.
“You have to quit following me,” she said. “It isn’t right.”
“What isn’t right?” he objected. “That I happen to be in the right place at the right time. Just when I knew you needed my help the most.”
Knowing it would do no good to argue, and grateful for the help he was offering, she allowed him to take some of her packages, which threatened to topple over at any minute. She led the way to the car.
“How did you know I was here?” she asked as they walked.
Jeffrey smiled down at her. “I’ve told you before, I know everything about you.”
“You know this behavior and obsession of yours is not exactly normal. Why don’t you go out and do some real work, and quit following me like a puppy dog?”
Laughter spilled from him as he envisioned himself following behind her, nipping at her ankles. “Is that really what I’m doing?”
“What would you call it?”
“I’m just watching out for you, that’s all. I feel a need to protect you,” he confessed.
“I appreciate your concern, really I do, but I don’t need looking after. I’m a big girl; I can handle myself.”
“Yeah, like you could handle all those packages,” he commented, winking as he placed the last of her purchases in the trunk of the car.
She sighed. “You got me there, but I don’t think it’s the same thing.”
“Okay then, if I can’t follow you around, will you have dinner with me tonight?”
She rolled her eyes. “I can’t. If you know so much about me, you also know that I’m here visiting family.”
He nodded. “Yes, I know, your new stepbrother and his wife with the new baby,” he said, gesturing at all the packages in the trunk. “And I do say that is one lucky baby,” he said with a chuckle. “Look,” he continued, “I’m sure your family won’t mind one night away from you. So what do you say? You know I’m not going to leave you alone until you agree.”
Knowing he was right, she reluctantly agreed. “Okay but not tonight, it’s too short notice, tomorrow night, and I’ll meet you. I don’t want you to pick me up.”
“It’s a deal,” he said, extending his hand to shake on it. “I’ll meet you right here at eight o’clock tomorrow evening. We’ll go from there.”
She nodded in agreement as she attempted to step into the car. Jeffrey pulled her to him and kissed her quickly on the lips. Before she could protest, the kiss was over and he was gone.
Seething with anger, she jumped into the car and drove off, working frantically to calm the rapid beating of her heart. “Damn him,” she sputtered. “Why does he have this effect on me?”
She loved Brandon, of that she was sure. Wasn’t it perfectly normal to feel such a strong attraction to someone when he made such a display of his affections? She wondered if she really felt that way, or was she trying to justify her feelings?
By the time she arrived at Amy’s, she had managed to calm down. She even managed to push the kiss to the back of her mind as she was caught up in the excitement of presenting her new gifts to Amy.
“You really went overboard,” Amy said.
“You said it was all right if I spoiled her rotten. Didn’t she say that Randy?” she asked, looking for a comrade. He was reading the paper, but looked up to give her a, don’t get me involved stare.
“Traitor!” Amy spat playfully. Knowing she was beat, she settled into enjoying the gifts. Jessica had even managed to find a little gift for Amy that was perfect for the occasion. Amy turned over the little gold trinket box, reading aloud the inscription engraved on the bottom.
To Amy, my dearest friend, on the birth of your first-born child. May you always be as happy as you are today.
“This is the sweetest thing you’ve ever done,” Amy said, tears threatening to spill from her eyes.
Jessica gave her a moment to bring herself together, and then said, “My mother had one of these boxes when I was born. She put my first lost tooth in it. She still has it in the attic somewhere. I came across it when we were getting ready for a rummage sale at her church.”
“I think it’s a wonderful idea. I will do the same thing for April. It will be a tradition, and when you have your baby, you shall have a box just like it.”
“Hold on. I haven’t even gotten married yet and you already have me giving birth.”
“Well, the wedding isn’t far off, so maybe you should begin thinking about it. You aren’t getting any younger, you know. Besides, April’s going to need a playmate.”
Jessica smiled, falling into silent thought. She noted the worried expression that crossed Amy’s face, but she couldn’t do anything about it. Amy glanced at Randy who shook his head in warning.
“You should have seen me struggling with all of these packages,” she said, quickly changing the subject. “I’m sure I was quite a comical sight.” She laughed.
“I was wondering how you managed.” Jessica hesitated and Amy prodded. “Well, how did you?” she insisted.
Jessica blushed. “Funny you should mention that. Wouldn’t you know it; I bumped into an old friend while I was at the mall? It was the strangest coincidence seeing him there. In fact, he invited me to dinner tomorrow evening. That is, if the two of you don’t mind.” She watched helplessly as Randy and Amy exchanged suspicious glances.
“Well now, that is a strange coincidence,” Amy agreed. “You’re quite a distance from home, Jess. It seems rather odd that you would run into someone you know.” She watched Jessica squirm uncomfortably. She sighed, easing off. “We don’t mind. You go right ahead. Have a good time.”
“Are you sure? I don’t mind staying here. He isn’t that close a friend, more of an acquaintance actually. I’m sure I’ll run into him again, sometime. Besides, I came here to visit you and the baby.”
“There you go again. Don’t be so selfless. You go right ahead and have a good time. You’ve never been to San Francisco before. Honestly, I feel a little guilty that I can’t play a better host. If you’ve found someone to show you around, by all means take advantage of it. I think we can manage to entertain ourselves while you’re gone.”
“If you’re sure you don’t mind.” Amy nodded her head. Jessica rose from the couch. “Tonight, however, I am going to fix the two of you a nice dinner.”
Amy gasped. “You can’t be serious! You cook a meal!” She turned to Randy, laughing. “I think she’s going to try to poison us and kidnap our gorgeous child.”
“That’s very funny,” Jessica said, pouting. “I’ll have you know that I’ve been practicing my cooking skills lately. And I think that someday, I might just develop a knack for it.”
“And to what do we owe the honor of your new-found hobby?”
“Something my mother said to me not too long ago. It kind of struck home.”
“Then go right ahead and surprise us. The kitchen is that way. I’m sure you’ll find everything you need.”
Jessica enjoyed Randy and Amy’s company, but things had heated up a little too much for her comfort. She was glad for the escape. She went about her task of preparing dinner and tried not to think of Jeffrey.
She decided she would call Brandon after dinner and arrange to see him when she returned home. With this decision made, she was able to think more clearly about her task. She never did make that phone call.
She realized this as she dressed for her date the following evening. She was in the guest room, pacing the floor between the bathroom and the wardrobe closet. “No, it’s not a date—it’s just dinner with your future brother-in-law. Sure, Jessica, tell yourself that, it’s just dinner with your future brother-in-law, a date you are not telling your fiancé about.” She scolded herself for her forgetfulness and promised she would call Brandon at her first opportunity.
She tried not to think about the evening as a date. In fact, she kept pushing the idea aside the minute it surfaced, but no logical descriptions she tried to come up seemed to fit. She finally had to admit that, call it what she liked, it was still a date.
She tried to reassure herself there was nothing wrong with having dinner with her future brother-in-law, but she knew she was just kidding herself. Perhaps if Jeffrey and Brandon got along better, there would be nothing wrong with it. If Jeffrey hadn’t followed her across the entire United States, she could justify it. If Jeffrey hadn’t announced his intentions to own her, she could have dismissed it.
She knew deep in her heart that if Brandon knew of this dinner, he would be angry. Brandon was unreasonable about his relationship with his brother, but was that any excuse for this little indiscretion, she reasoned.
“Maybe I should cancel the whole thing,” she said aloud. Realizing she had no way of getting in touch with him, she abandoned this idea. “Perhaps I could stand him up,” she said to her reflection. Then she thought better of that idea. She knew it would only increase his interest, and then he would never leave her alone. “You should be the voice of reason.” But her reflection still didn’t talk any sense into her. In the end, she decided to go through with it.
She tried on several different shades of lipstick, deciding they all looked too provocative and finally decided not to wear any.
Making a final inspection in the mirror, and still not receiving any sound advice from her reflection, she reassured herself that she looked respectable, and not the least bit sexy.
Amy was waiting for her downstairs. “You look like…” She wrinkled her nose. “You look as if you’re going to have Sunday dinner with your mother.”
“Good, just the look I’m trying to achieve.”
“Well, have a great time—but not too great,” she said, trying to make it sound like a joke.
Jessica smiled in return, squeezing her friend in a tight hug. “Don’t worry, Amy, I’ll be fine.”
Closing the door behind her, Amy went to join Randy in the living room, where he was reading a novel. She sat down beside him. He put down the book, picked up her hand, and kissed it, adjusting himself to look into her eyes.
“Don’t worry about her. I’m sure she knows what she’s doing. Do you have any idea whom she’s meeting?”
Amy shook her head. “I’m not sure. But I can tell from her behavior that it’s someone she shouldn’t be. I sense disaster here. I’ve known Jessica a long time. I can always tell when something is worrying her.” She rose from the couch and began pacing about the room. She stopped in front of the large picture window that overlooked the Pacific Ocean. “I’m not trying to interfere in her life. I just don’t want her to get hurt, that’s all.”
Randy came up behind her and encircled her waist. “I know you care about Jessica, but people have to make their own mistakes, and we have to let them do it; it’s what makes them grow. If we take that right away from them, we also take away their ability to make clear judgments in the future. You can’t always be there, Amy, nor can I. Jessica is going to have to work through this on her own, whether we like it or not.”
Amy stifled a giggle. “Look at us, parents already. We sound as if Jessica’s our teenaged daughter.”
“Just practicing.”
Amy knew her husband was right, but that didn’t change the way she felt, and it certainly didn’t stop her from worrying. She knew deep down she had good cause to worry about her friend. She just couldn’t think why.
**********
CHAPTER 25
Jessica couldn’t know the turmoil that churned through her friend’s mind as she sat opposite Jeffrey at dinner.
Jeffrey was his usual, charming self, making her feel completely at ease with him as her companion. They ordered a glass of wine before dinner. Jessica praised his good taste and didn’t object in the least when he offered to order for the both of them.
“They have the best seafood on the West Coast,” he explained to her, and ordered them both Pacific Salmon, sautéed in a lemon dill sauce. She didn’t even object when he ordered cheesecake for dessert, even though she would usually pass on this part of a meal. Indulging in her sweet tooth was becoming a bad habit around him.
After dinner, they walked around the observation deck. Jessica stopped and put a quarter in the telescope to gaze out at the ships in the distance. Their lights resembled tiny beacons twinkling in the moonlight.
Jeffrey didn’t talk much about his life growing up, as Brandon did. Instead, he talked about all the adventures he had undertaken since reaching adulthood. He talked about the foods he had eaten from different countries, and Jessica found herself becoming squeamish over some of them, yet enthralled nonetheless.
She learned that in the Orient it was offensive to your host if you didn’t eat what was offered to you. She laughed at Jeffrey’s description of how he felt after eating some of the foods.
They could hear the music coming from the restaurant. Jeffrey came and took her hand. “Would you care to dance?”
She tried to protest, but he wasn’t about to take no for an answer. Not that he had to protest hard; she wanted to dance. As he twirled her around, she found herself lost in the music. She was surprised to discover that he was a good dancer, exhibiting once again some of the talents he had obtained from his world travels. She couldn’t help but be impressed with his skill.
Sensing his advantage, he signaled a waiter and ordered more wine. He led her to a bench and they sat down. They talked pleasantly until Jeffrey mentioned Brandon’s name.
Upon hearing his name, Jessica stiffened. “I don’t want to talk about Brandon. If I had known of your intention this evening, I never would have agreed to dinner.”
“Please just hear me out. I think there are a few things you should know about him. If you would just let me talk to you about him—”
“Look, Jeffrey,” she interrupted. I agreed to have dinner with you tonight and that’s all. I plan to marry Brandon and nothing you say about him is going to change my mind, nor do I want you to try. Now, if we can’t just have a good time together, and act as friends, then I shall have to leave.”
Jeffrey knew he wasn’t going to get anywhere, so he gave up his attempts. He would have to talk to her soon, however, before it was too late. In the meantime, he would have to do something to undo the strain he had put on an otherwise pleasant evening.
“Okay, you win. Let’s move on to a mutual subject. “How’s that new niece of yours? Did she absolutely love all those gifts?”
Jessica beamed, and Jeffrey poured more wine. “Well, she’s a little too young to enjoy them. Her mother, however, was incredibly happy with my purchases.”
As they talked, Jeffrey kept pouring wine into her glass. Soon she was feeling quite relaxed.
“Would
you like to dance again?” Jeffrey asked.
She giggled. “I think I’d better. I need to work off some of this wine. No more for me, it’s really gone to my head.”
He picked up her hand, kissed it, and led her around the observation deck again. As they danced, Jeffrey lifted her chin. He lowered his lips to hers and kissed her softly. He was so overawed by her beauty that he couldn’t control himself.
She pulled back, but didn’t break the embrace. Again, he thought of how lucky his brother was to have her. It angered him to think that Brandon should be so lucky twice in one lifetime. He didn’t deserve her, the tyrant. He fumed to himself.
He looked down into the soft eyes that danced with excitement, keeping tempo with her feet, as he felt his temper cool. He knew if Jessica went through with this marriage, she would be unhappy and bored. He could show her adventure, take her to places she didn’t even know existed.
He kissed her again, but this time she returned the kiss. He increased the intensity of it. He tried to touch her breast. Suddenly realizing what was happening, she pulled back.
“Don’t,” she whispered.
He pulled her back toward him, unconvinced. “Let’s walk,” he said.
They walked silently along the street, coming to stop in front of a small, but well-maintained motel. He looked deeply into her eyes, giving her time to back out. He saw only open wanting in them. He groaned inwardly, mindful of the beautiful creature he was about to possess.
A stab of guilt invaded his conscience, but he quickly pushed it aside. He must not think of Brandon now. He had waited so long to even the score with him, and now the opportunity was right here, staring him down, looking deep into his soul. He would not succumb to guilt.
After checking with the night attendant and obtaining a key, Jeffrey led her down a long hallway, until they came to a room that matched the number on the key. He inserted the key and walked inside. Jessica followed, somewhat hesitant.
Coveting Love (Jessica Crawford) Page 30