Twice the Temptation

by Francis Ray

  The idea was dismissed two steps later. She and Irene’s female friends, cultivated during her aunt’s twenty years in New York, during which she had gone through three wealthy husbands, didn’t have much in common. Most of them were into fashion, men, seeing and being seen, and remaining on the A-list. Things Jessica had little use for.

  Her spirits taking a nosedive, she slowly opened the door. “Gabe!”

  “Good morning, Jessica,” he said easily, trying not to be delighted by the quick pleasure he saw radiating in her big chocolate-brown eyes. He couldn’t quite manage it.

  “Come in. Have you had breakfast?” she asked, taking his arm and pulling him inside.

  “Unfortunately, yes, if you were going to cook for me,” he told her lightly, thinking the lilac-colored sweater she wore suited her complexion better, although it was two sizes too big and hung past her hips.

  She folded her arms across her chest. “Cheese and ham soufflé.”

  “You really know how to wound a bachelor,” he told her, enjoying the light of humor dancing in her eyes.

  Her arms slowly came to her sides. “Maybe another time?”

  “Count on it.” There was no mistaking the wish in her soft voice. She was lonely and it was Shelton’s fault. Gabe wasn’t about to let her spend the remaining days of her visit waiting for his brother to call or drop by. She deserved better. “In the meantime I stopped by to see if you wanted to ride with me to the Hudson Valley. I have to deliver a portrait.”

  She didn’t have to think. “I’d love to. I’ll get my coat.” Jessica dashed for the bedroom in an undignified manner that would have horrified her mother. She didn’t care. She wanted to go with Gabe and she wasn’t giving him a chance to change his mind.

  “Get a scarf and gloves. The temperature is dropping outside,” he told her retreating back, then shook his head. He didn’t know if she’d heard him or not.

  However, on returning, she was struggling to find the other sleeve opening on her long cashmere coat while continuing toward him. Brown leather gloves dangled from her coat pocket. An oversized paisley scarf hung around her neck.

  Enjoying her enthusiasm, Gabe helped her with her coat. “You didn’t give me a chance to tell you we’ll be gone most of the day. Is that all right?”

  “That’s fine.” With her coat on, she draped the scarf over her head and fingered her glasses back in place. “I have nothing scheduled. Is it another portrait?”

  “In a way. Since you’re from the South, you probably know that many old Southern churches deep in the rural country have a yearly homecoming celebration where all the old members return from wherever life has taken them. After service they eat dinner on the grounds because the churches are too small to hold everyone,” he explained, following her to the door.

  “Nathan Page, my client, is a retired minister who grew up going to homecomings in Louisiana. He commissioned me to paint such a scene using old family photographs.”

  She stopped pulling on her glove. “You re-created history. Can I see it?” she asked, then rushed on before he could answer. “No, I’ll wait. I want to see his expression when he sees what a great job you’ve done.”

  He was touched. “You have that much confidence in me?”

  “I’ve seen your work.” Opening the door, she called over her shoulder to the maid. “Marla, I’ll be gone all day.”

  “Yes, Miss Ames,” answered the servant as she came across the living room. “Good morning, sir.”

  “Good morning,” Gabe answered the elderly woman and followed a fast-retreating Jessica out the door.

  Deep in thought, Gabe scratched his short-cropped beard as he followed her to the elevator. He couldn’t help wondering how his brother could think her dull or reserved. Or how it was possible that he didn’t want to be with a woman who obviously enjoyed life, if only someone took the time to show her how.

  FOUR

  The big luxury car ate up the road like a hungry cat slurps milk—with finesse and pleasure. The heavily wooded and rolling countryside was postcard-pretty. Stately Colonial redbrick homes sat behind white wooden fences. Horses, their tails high, their shiny coats glistening in the noonday sun, ran for the sheer joy of being alive.

  Gabe knew the feeling.

  He’d never felt freer than he did these days. His checking account might not have as many digits as it had two years ago, but he wouldn’t go back for three times the money.

  Some things were worth taking a chance for and came without a price tag.

  For some reason, he glanced at his silent passenger. Instinct and observation told him that Shelton was so caught up in what he saw, he hadn’t taken time to look any further. Jessica was quiet, as she was now, and people probably tended to dismiss her. That was a mistake.

  She was intelligent, sensitive, and compassionate. Which meant she had two more qualities than his baby brother possessed. She also had a smile that was pure sunshine. There was definitely more to her than was initially apparent.

  For the past thirty minutes she had been silent, her gaze lingering first here, then there, her enjoyment evident by the slight upward curve of her unpainted lips. Delicate fingers occasionally tapped on her knee in perfect sync to the jazz music flowing from the CD.

  A gust of wind sent a swirl of leaves across the road. The myriad colors ranged from deep golds to smoldering reds. Nature had outdone herself and the endless battle to keep the leaves raked from yards would last for months.

  Two preteens, judging from their size and height, were already finding that out in the immense yard up ahead. Even as they worked, the brisk wind sent more leaves drifting to the ground.

  Jessica nodded toward them as the car drew closer. “I wonder how long before they start playing?”

  The words had barely left her mouth, when the smallest of the two did a back flip into the middle of a pile that came to his waist. The other somersaulted into his pile.

  Gabe glanced into his rearview mirror and chuckled. “You called it. Sounds like you spoke from personal experience. Have you pulled some leaf-raking duties yourself?”

  “A time or two.”

  “You can’t make a statement like that and leave a guy hanging. How about some details?” Gabe asked, genuinely interested, wanting to know the woman behind the quiet, composed exterior.

  Jessica looked at him in that strange way she had sometimes, as if she were trying to figure him out. “The countryside is beautiful. Why spoil it with details about my boring life?”

  “Everybody’s life is boring to them.”

  “Well, mine actu—Don’t hit Rocky!” she shouted, sitting up straight in her seat.

  Gabe had already seen the squirrel dart out onto the highway and gently braked. “Rocky? Don’t tell me you’re a fan of Rocky and Bullwinkle.”

  “Don’t forget Boris and Natasha, and the Fractured Fairytales,” she admitted with a wry twist of her mouth. “I think my tolerance of cartoons is the main reason the children like having me around.”

  “Children?”

  “I teach preschool to the three- and four-year-olds at the women’s shelter where I volunteer,” she said.

  “There is no way you can tell me that’s boring.” Gabe looked at her. “Some of my friends have children that age and the only time they stop moving is when they’re asleep.”

  “No, they’re never boring, but working with them is the best and worst part of my job,” she admitted slowly.

  “How so?”

  She sent him that strange look again, but continued, “A few women who come to the shelter are homeless, but the majority are there because of abusive relationships. The women have gone through a horrific amount of physical and emotional pain and suffering.” Her hands clenched in her lap as she continued speaking.

  “They have difficulty understanding why the man who says he loves them treats them so cruelly. It’s so much worse for the children I work with. Their young world is in chaos. They want to go home, sleep in their own bed, a
nd not be surrounded by strange people and unfamiliar surroundings. They can’t.”

  Anger crept into her tightly controlled voice. “So many of them think being there or the situation at home is their fault. They shouldn’t have to suffer because their mother chose the wrong man to fall in love with.”

  His hand closed around her clenched fist. “So you watch cartoons with them and let them know they’re safe, and for that moment in time at least, they have control over some aspect of their lives.”

  “I want to do so much more,” she said fiercely. “I’m enrolling in graduate school in January to begin work on my Master’s in Education with an emphasis on guidance counseling.”

  Something wasn’t right here. Shelton would want a wife at his beck and call. Slowly Gabe removed his hand. “In Atlanta?”

  She nodded. “That way I can still work at the shelter. Mrs. Lewis, a retired schoolteacher, is taking my place while I’m here.”

  “I suppose you’ve discussed this with your parents?” he asked, delicately probing further as he pulled into the Pages’ driveway.

  “I’m not sure ‘discussed’ is the correct word,” she told him, slipping her scarf over her head.

  Gabe slowed down to a crawl and hoped the effusive, elderly couple wouldn’t see him drive up and come out to greet him. “Would you care to explain that?”

  “I told them and, as usual, they completely ignored my plans and kept talking about what they wanted me to do.” She dug in her coat pocket and pulled on her gloves. “They mean well and I’m ninety-six percent sure they love me, but they won’t believe I won’t do as they say until I come home loaded with my textbooks. It’s the only thing that has worked in the past.”

  Gabe stopped behind the couple’s RV and cut the motor. Although he had a pretty good idea, he asked anyway, “What is it they want you to do?”

  “To settle, to be less than I can.” She pulled her coat over her shoulders. “I’ve seen too many people ruin their lives that way to allow the same thing to happen to me.” She looked straight at him. “Like you, I’m going to follow my dream, regardless of what others think I should do.”

  “Are you sure?” he asked.

  “I’m aware you don’t know me very well, but I’ve always been a methodical person. I don’t think I’ve ever done an impulsive thing in my life,” she said softly. “Yes, I’m sure. Nothing is going to change my mind.”

  Least of all my brother, Gabe thought as he read the determination in her face, the set of her small shoulders. Shelton, you’re going to lose this time. But Jessica would win. Gabe felt himself smiling at the prospect. “Then I wish you luck.”

  “Thanks.” She returned the smile with interest, then reached for the door handle. “Come on and let’s get the portrait inside. I can’t wait to see what you’ve done.”

  The twenty-by-thirty portrait was as spectacular as Jessica had known it would be. There were a dozen animated black people sitting on colorful quilts or standing around talking, with a white-steepled church in the background. Their facial expressions were so lifelike, she felt they’d respond to her if she spoke to them.

  Judging from the awestruck way Reverend Page stared at the portrait Gabe had placed on the easel he had brought with him, the elderly man agreed with her. His frail hand trembled as he pointed out various relatives. When he reached his deceased parents, his eyes misted and his arm tightened around his diminutive wife.

  He insisted on calling his brother, who lived nearby. In a little over an hour the house was filled with friends and relatives who had come to see the portrait. There was nothing but praise for Gabe’s work. With each accolade, her pride in him grew.

  Standing in the midst of a small group of people, she glanced up and found Gabe watching her from across the room. The troubled expression on his bearded face cleared when she smiled at him.

  Sipping her coffee, she still found it difficult to believe that with all the attention Gabe was receiving, he didn’t forget her. She had been to numerous social functions, but she couldn’t ever remember someone keeping an eye on her to make sure she was all right the way Gabe was. More often than not, people lost interest in her as soon as the social pleasantries were completed.

  Not Gabe. He had introduced her as his friend. Not as the friend of his brother. Apparently, he didn’t use the term lightly. She didn’t even try to discount how pleased she was by the distinction of his phrasing. If the crazy idea occasionally slipped into her mind that she’d like for him to be much more, she wasn’t foolish enough to dwell on it.

  Some dreams were possible, others were inconceivable. Friendship was better than nothing, especially if the friend was Gabe.

  The lush scent of roses greeted Jessica the moment she opened her aunt’s apartment door. On the glass cocktail table were two dozen deep red roses arranged among various cut flowers in a round crystal vase. She sneezed.

  “Bless you,” Gabe said, closing the door behind them. So Shelton had gotten around to sending flowers. Too little, too late.

  Jessica sneezed again.

  “Bless you.” He frowned down at her. “Are you coming down with a cold?”

  She shook her head and pointed at the floral arrangements. “Snapdragons. I’m allergic to them.”

  “Wh—”

  Another sneeze cut him off. “Please take them out of here or I’ll sneeze myself silly.” As if to prove her point, she sneezed again.

  Unsure of what to do with them, Gabe picked up the bouquet. She sneezed again. “Move away from the door and I’ll set them outside.”

  Nodding, holding her finger beneath her nose, she did as he instructed. She sneezed again.

  Coming back into the room, he handed her the card. “Will you be all right?”

  “I’m not sure.” She opened the envelope and read the message. “They’re from your brother.”

  Gabe felt he’d be disloyal not to speak up on his brother’s behalf. “I’m sure he didn’t know about your allergies.”

  She sneezed again.

  “Miss Ames, you’re back,” the maid said and glanced around. “Where are your beautiful flowers?”

  “In the hallway. I’m allergic to the snapdragons in them,” Jessica explained, waiting for the next sneeze.

  “Oh, what a shame. They are so lovely,” she said.

  Jessica sneezed again. “Then please take them with my blessings.” She looked at Gabe. “Do you think you could stand to be with me for another hour or so until the air clears in here?”

  He glanced at his watch. “It’s only a little past seven. We can catch a movie.”

  “Marla, please see that the flowers are gone by the time I get back,” she said, trying to hold back another sneeze.

  “Right away, Miss Ames,” the woman promised. “I’ll turn the ventilation on.”

  “Thank you.”

  His arm around Jessica, Gabe led her back the way they had come. Poor Shelton, he was certainly batting zero.

  Outside in the cool night air, Gabe stared down into her face. “Feeling better?”

  “Much.”

  The corner of his mouth quirked. “Allergic to snapdragons, huh?”

  “Very.”

  “So I won’t make the same mistake, are there any other flowers to steer clear of?” he inquired.

  Jessica’s heart stopped, then raced wildly in her chest. He could send her a weed and she’d be happy. “That’s about it.”

  “So my meticulous brother managed to send you the only flowers you’re allergic to?”

  She nodded.

  “When Shelton makes a mistake, it’s a doozie.” Taking her hand, he started down the street.

  Jessica shivered, her heart rate going crazy. The sexiest man in the universe was actually holding her hand. Thank you, Shelton, for inviting me to New York, she thought. Forgive me for all the unkind things I thought of you.

  The street light changed to “Walk.” Gabe released her hand, his arms curving naturally around her waist, drawing her c
loser to him. Jessica went willingly and without a moment’s hesitation, a dreamy smile on her face.

  FIVE

  Elbows propped on her knees, the palms of her hands cupping her face, Jessica stared at the silent white phone in the living room. Sunlight had finally pushed away the smog that had covered the city most of the morning and it now shone through the wall of windows behind her.

  She didn’t particularly care. Her entire attention was focused on the phone since the clock on the mantel ticked past twelve and Gabe hadn’t called.

  In the past two days he had always called or dropped by by now.

  They’d talked about his work, her plans. She hadn’t realized how much she enjoyed those times with him until they stopped.

  Sighing, she glanced at her tiny gold wristwatch. Two minutes after one. He had told her he’d be busy completing a family portrait, but how long did it take to make one simple phone call?

  Her shoulders jerked upright in her snake-print silk top as inspiration struck. Picking up the phone, she dialed information. Seconds later she was speaking to Shelton’s secretary.

  As Jessica had expected, the woman didn’t hesitate to give her Gabe’s address and phone number. Hanging up the phone, she decided there were certain advantages to being the boss’s daughter.

  Staring at the information, she came to a quick decision. Gabe had invited her to see his studio. Today was as good a time as any.

  With a smile, she raced to the bedroom. Pulling on the stone-colored sueded silk jacket that matched her pants, she grabbed her coat and her purse. Passing the dresser, she happened to glance at the mirror.

  Her steps slowed. Her smile faded. Not for the first time in her life she wished that she could have had a nodding acquaintance with pretty.

  Her features were proportioned, but ordinary. The eyeglasses for her myopia didn’t help. The only thing she had going for her was her unblemished, clear brown skin. Her shoulder-length black hair refused to hold a curl or stay styled the way she combed it, and had been a problem since she was in junior high.