Harlequin Superromance January 2014 - Bundle 1 of 2: Everywhere She Goes\A Promise for the Baby\That Summer at the Shore (64 page)

His explanation for Kim Wheeler's presence sounded genuine; he'd been too chagrined. Besides, Jamie had a strong suspicion as to why the attorney was visiting Mar Vista...Brad Denning. The funniest thing was that neither Kim nor Brad nor anyone else seemed to have a clue what was going on. They were either in love, or very close to it, and nobody was admitting a thing to anybody, including to themselves.

“Why are you smiling?” Zack asked warily.

“Was I?”

“Yeah, it's a cat-who-sneaked-into-the-cream kind of smile.”

“Really?” Jamie's smile widened. “I thought you didn't know about cats. You told me you'd never had a pet.”

“I know enough to recognize that smile,” he retorted.

She laughed. “I was simply enjoying the appetizers. These egg rolls are terrific. Have you tried the Thai peanut sauce with them?”

“Not yet.”

Jamie drank more wine, her gaze drifting again to Kim. She felt an age-old urge to play matchmaker between the lawyer and the healing marine, but it wasn't her business and what could she do anyway?

* * *

K
IM
DIDN
'
T
MIND
dining by herself, but it was frustrating knowing Brad could be sitting across the table from her.

While he'd insisted they go horseback riding that afternoon, she could tell he was in pain but she couldn't say anything.

The trip into town had been more enjoyable than the horseback ride, and she'd managed to apologize to him, even if he hadn't thought it was necessary. As for having dinner together, he'd excused himself. Perhaps it was because he was too tired from the ride, or from pride over the question of who would pay...a question tangled by his brother owning the place. Honestly, she'd never fully understand the male ego.

After ordering her dinner, she went to the powder room and found Jamie Conroe there, dabbing a spot on her skirt with a towel.

“Hi, Jamie. Don't worry. I'm not at Mar Vista as an attorney.”

“That's what Zack said.”

Kim looked to be sure the attendant couldn't hear. “Brad mentioned you've been having problems with vandalism. Are you okay?”

“I'm fine. It's nice of you to ask.”

“He—he was worried whether—that is, if someone at Mar Vista...”

“I'm sure it isn't,” Jamie assured her quickly.

“What did the sheriff's office say?”

“I reported it and they drive by as part of their patrol, but they can't stay and guard the place. That's why I'm trying to gather evidence myself.”

Kim suspected Zack and Jamie's very public dinner was a different kind of effort to stop the vandalism, but that subject was off-limits in case it was misconstrued as a lawyerly inquiry.

“By the way, I saw a wonderful seabird sculpture in Warrington by your grandfather,” she said. “Is his work for sale anywhere?”

“Probably not. Most of his pieces sold as soon as they went on the market. I'm not sure how many he completed over the years. Art was a hobby by the time I came along. He enjoyed trying various mediums, such as silver. The earrings I'm wearing are some he made for my grandmother.”

“May I see?”

Jamie obligingly removed one and handed it to her. The delicate design was distinctive and had been crafted and finished with equal care.

“He was quite an artist. Did he do much jewelry?”

“No. He sculpted, which is where the silver casting began, but he preferred working on larger pieces.”

“Is silver casting what you do?” Kim asked, returning the earring.

“Yes. I became interested because of Granddad and took classes in college.”

“May I come over and see your work sometime?”

Jamie grinned. “Sure. Give me a call and we can meet up.”

“I'll unblock my number so you know it's me,” Kim said, remembering Jamie didn't take calls from shielded numbers, and wondered why she was so careful. Of course, more and more people screened their calls, particularly if their cell-phone plan had limited minutes.

Jamie dried her hands. “I'd best get back.”

“Talk to you later.”

* * *

Z
ACK
HAD
WATCHED
uneasily when Kim headed toward the powder room at the same time as Jamie, almost jumping up to stop her. Fortunately, he realized it would draw undue attention from the dining room, and if Jamie came out and saw them talking, she'd go ballistic.

The salads arrived as Jamie returned to the table, her expression unruffled, so he kept his mouth shut about her potential encounter with Kim.

The food that Gordon kept sending out was extraordinary. Each course seemed to have a culinary influence from a different part of the world, some quite spicy, which didn't faze Jamie in the least. In fact, she even ate an extra serving of the fiery sauce that came with the chicken dish.

“Your mouth must be coated with asbestos,” he finally commented. His own use of the sauce was far more modest.

“I love bold flavors—I sometimes have to remind myself that subtle is good, too.”

“I'll have to keep that in mind,” he said without thinking.

She glanced up and flushed slightly.

Dessert came, a tiramisu confection of custard and whipped cream layered with sponge cake.

Jamie stared at it. “Gordon has an inflated idea of the size of my stomach. I'll have to take most of this home.”

She managed a third of the dessert, then Zack signaled the server to have the kitchen put it in a container.

Jamie checked her watch. “I'm pretty beat. Do you think we can call it a night?”

“Of course.”

He stood and held her chair. At the door, Sean handed her a box. “With the chef's compliments.”

She beamed. “I don't want to interrupt Gordon, but will you tell him it was fantastic?”

“It would be my pleasure.”

As they went to the SUV, Jamie waved at Brian, who discreetly gestured back at her. For a powder keg, she made friends easily.

Once in the Mercedes, there was silence as Zack drove her home.

“Well, thanks,” she said, climbing out before he could open the door for her. “After our show tonight, I don't think there's a need to keep watch any longer. And it will be awfully nice to spend the night in my own bed.”

“Agreed. The trailer isn't as bad as I thought it would be, but it's not king-size, either.”

“Right.”

She closed the door and hurried into the house. Suspicious, Zack drove a short distance down the drive, parking out of sight before sliding out and heading toward the house. There was a spot where he could see the place without being too obvious. Sure enough, within minutes Jamie came through the door, carrying a tote bag. She didn't go to her car, but hiked in the direction of the beach.

With his longer legs, it wasn't hard to catch up.

“What happened to sleeping in your own bed?” he demanded.

Jamie gasped and spun around. “Cripes,” she exclaimed. “Did you have to scare me half to death?”

“Apparently I do. Why are you hiking out to the trailer?”

“Whoever is doing the vandalism might have figured out that someone is guarding the stand because of the cars.”

Zack made an exasperated sound. “You said spending the night in the trailer was unnecessary. Good Lord, Jamie, the message that we're friends is already rampaging through my staff at the speed of light. With so many employees from Warrington, the word will spread there almost as quickly.”

“And what if the vandalism isn't related to the resort?” she countered. “I'm protecting my business, the same as you would. The same as you are now, since I know you don't want it getting around to your high-toned guests that some of your employees might be vandals. But you've done enough. I'll handle it from here.”

She kept walking, so he had no choice except to keep up.

Her remark had startled him. He'd never truly looked at it from her standpoint...yet it
was
a business. Tiny compared with Mar Vista, but hers. He'd only seen its temporary nature and the fact she could make more money if she moved to another location, up near the highway. Her stubborn refusal to leave had seemed unreasonable, but Zack had to admit that if he was selling vegetables for a living, he'd rather do it with a million-dollar view. As it turned out, that view was worth more than any amount of money to Jamie since her grandparents had met on the beach. He sighed.

On Monday he'd have to talk with Rick about having hedges installed on the shared property perimeter. It would be an expensive solution, and less than optimal, but it seemed to be the only option.

His shoreline purchase had a permanent hole in it.

CHAPTER NINE

J
AMIE
MARCHED
ALONG
the path that had served for decades as a foot route from Granddad's house to the beach property. Admittedly, after passing through the gate a few hundred feet from the house, she was now cutting across Denning property, but Zack didn't seem to be complaining about
that
at the moment.

“Go away,” she told Zack when he kept following her.

“If you're keeping guard, so am I.”

She ground her teeth and kept walking. She'd debated whether she should wait before heading to the trailer, but dinner had taken longer than expected and she hadn't relished the idea of going in the dark. Besides, Zack
had
left; she'd checked to be sure. He must have returned and watched the house from a vantage point. Stubborn ass.

“Where does this path come out?” he asked.

“Close to the place where we were parking the cars those first couple of nights. I used to walk back to the house this way if Granddad was busy and couldn't take me.”

“So you could sneak a little TV, right?”

“'Fraid not. Granddad didn't like television and never had one in the house. I felt funny bringing one in, but I'm an old-movie buff and enjoy history programs. Of course, Granddad...”

“Yes?”

“Nothing.” Jamie didn't want to finish what she'd started to say...that her grandfather had never been truly alone. He'd said once that he could hear Leah singing to him from heaven, and he would rather listen to her than a silly box. Other people might have thought he was crazy, but not Jamie.

The sun was dropping low, casting a rosy light across the landscape, and Zack pointed to a crane winging across the clearing. “That's amazing. Out here you feel a million miles from civilization. How did your grandfather get all this land?”

“He bought it,” she said. “Piece by piece. It wasn't expensive back in the forties and fifties, and he purchased some of it from the county.”

“Why? I mean, did he have a purpose for so much land, or did he just want to keep people away from his home?”

“It was partly that, but mostly he wanted to keep it natural. The salt flats aren't an official bird sanctuary, but they've wanted to create one for a while, and Granddad thought it would help if these parcels weren't developed. But when he got older, he also wanted to leave something to David and me. Selling a portion was the only way he could save the rest.”

Zack nodded thoughtfully. “Since your name isn't Jenkins, I'm guessing your mother was his daughter. She's...gone? Is that why he left it to you?”

“Oh, no. Mom is fine, but my parents didn't need it, and Mom told him to give what he had to us. She has some of the paintings and sculptures and Leah's jewelry as remembrances. To be frank, Mom was never crazy about living here. I guess it was lonely for a girl growing up without a mother and having an eccentric father.”

“You don't mind calling your grandfather eccentric?”

“Granddad would've been the first to admit it. Mom adored him, but her feelings toward Warrington are another matter. My brother feels the same.”

“You seem to like it well enough.”

Jamie had never really thought about it, but she
did
like Warrington. It was home to her happiest childhood memories, and the person who'd understood her best.

“My mother wanted us to know Granddad as individuals, so they sent me here each August, while David came in July,” she said slowly. “The month with Granddad was what I looked forward to all year. I played and dreamed to my heart's content. It's when I thought anything was possible.”

“You don't think so any longer?”

“Life can get in the way of dreams.”

“If you let it.”

That was fine for him to say—apparently Zack Denning didn't let anything get in the way of what he wanted.

She stopped. “Look, you should go back. I can handle this. There's still time for you to get to your car before it's completely dark.”

“No.”

“I'm not a child,” she said in frustration. “You wouldn't even know there was vandalism if it weren't for Brad walking out here every day. And you wouldn't have gotten involved
then
if he hadn't been recovering from his injuries.”

“Maybe, maybe not, but I'm involved now. I won't let you stay alone in the trailer as a target.”

Throwing her hands up in disgust, she wheeled and stomped ahead. The last thing she wanted was to spend more time with Zack,
especially
in private. Her gut churned, her nerves teetered on the edge of a cliff, and she resented feeling that way about a guy she didn't even like that much.

They were getting close to the fruit stand, so Jamie walked more quietly, sliding around to open the door and get inside, Zack close behind her. She didn't turn on the trailer's battery-powered lights at first, but used a flashlight. Zack seemed as tense as she was, helping her double-check the spots where light could escape and making sure they were securely covered.

Inevitably they kept bumping each other in the small space until she finally said,
“Sit.”

“I'm not a dog.”

“No, you're a pain in the ass.”

“Gee, and I thought we were starting to get along.” Zack gently tugged a lock of her hair, and she was abruptly aware of the heat from his long, hard length.

She swallowed.

Brad had mentioned his brother ran for exercise, and it was obvious Zack didn't have a flabby inch from the top of his head to the bottoms of his feet. Many businessmen ignored fitness, yet however much he was obsessed with his resort, Zack stayed in shape.

Great
shape.

Jamie fumbled until she found a light switch. The glow from the LED lamp was softened from being in a recessed cove over the table and she tried to inch around Zack without touching him.

“Uh...how about another chess match?” she suggested.

He smiled lazily. “That's one possibility, though I had more vigorous pursuits in mind.”

Don't do it,
her protective instincts warned.

Do it,
screamed her body.

Protective instincts began losing the argument as Zack pulled her close and kissed the corner of her mouth. The light fabric of her skirt did nothing to conceal his response and the bulge pressed to Jamie's abdomen sent heat deep into her core.

“Zack, I don't think...”

“Good—don't think.” His kiss deepened and he eased the hem of her T-shirt up and over her head.

It was annoying, but not enough to make her stop him. Zack shifted around the tiny space and bumped his head on the upper bunk, then cracked his knuckles on the curved wall of the trailer as he tossed her shirt.

“
Ow.
Stop laughing.”

“I wasn't.”

“You were thinking about it.”

Fair enough, she
had
thought about laughing, or a small chortle, at the very least. They tumbled together to the mattress on the lower bunk and she was grateful it was made of space-age foam, thick and cushioning.

Jamie unbuttoned Zack's shirt and spread her fingers across his chest. It wasn't the most romantic setting in the world, yet her pulse seemed to pound in rhythm with the ocean waves tumbling and crashing in the distance. He wasn't moving fast enough for her, so she unhooked her bra and felt his breathing become harsh as he stared in the faint light.

“Jeez, Jamie. You've been hiding some great...scenery.”

She was glad he approved, but she couldn't admit it aloud. Not to Zack, a man from a world she'd rejected.

He's temporary,
a voice whispered in her mind.

It was almost enough to make her stop, but his thumbs flicked her nipples, sending rationality reeling.

Her last sane thought was that she really hoped he had protection....

* * *

J
AMIE
WOKE
SLOWLY
, disoriented at first. The LED light over the table was still on, dimly illuminating the sleeping area. She was utterly relaxed...until she realized Zack held her snugly in the narrow bunk, one leg tucked between hers, his chest rising and falling in the steady rhythm of sleep.

One thing was certain: Zack was a generous lover, taking the time to discover the things that pleasured her most. What was that old line—it was nice to know what the shouting was all about?

Shouting?
Hmm.
They'd been making enough noise that their presence wouldn't have remained a secret to anyone outside the trailer.

Yet it was difficult to care at the moment.

Her body was going limp again, too replete to do anything else, and Jamie thought idly that this was the bunk in which her grandparents had spent their honeymoon, visiting Yellowstone and the Tetons, as well as points along the old Route 66. It wasn't the same mattress, of course. Granddad had updated everything, creating a strange mixture of sentiment and practicality.

Nevertheless, it was in this trailer where he and Leah had made love and conceived her mother. It ought to feel weird to be here with Zack, but it didn't. Granddad had understood biology and the sex drive and he wouldn't have objected...as long as she wasn't doing something stupid. He
would
have taken issue with her marriage, but not with outrageous pleasure.

Sorrow shot through Jamie. She should have realized Tim was a mistake the first time he'd refused to visit Warrington with her. In the beginning, he hadn't tried to stop
her
from going, but Granddad had looked askance each time she showed up without her husband. He must have guessed something was wrong. Then later...Tim hadn't wanted her to go, either.

Jamie determinedly pushed the thought away. What was done was done. She had rich memories of her grandfather and he had still entrusted her with his house and the place where he'd met Leah, despite any conclusions he'd come to about her marriage.

She yawned, debating whether or not she should try to stay awake and listen for possible vandals. But the camera was sitting ready and she could get to it in a minute if she heard anyone outside.

Besides, she felt sleepy and satisfied and...

* * *

A
BIRD
CHIRPING
caught Zack's waking attention. With the interior of the trailer shielded from letting out light, it also wouldn't let morning sunshine enter. There was only a low glow from the light Jamie had switched on the previous evening. But the bird was announcing the dawn and his body was rested in a way it hadn't been since this whole mess had begun.

Hell, he hadn't felt this good in longer than he could remember.

Jamie's head lay on his shoulder, her hair in streaks and waves on his chest. From her steady breathing he guessed she was still asleep. Making love with her had been incredible. He might have expected the tight space to hamper them, but they'd managed very well...very well indeed.

Abruptly Brad's face rose in his mind.

His brother came down to the trailer and visited Jamie every day as part of the walk he'd chosen for his physical therapy. And it was obvious from things both he and Jamie had mentioned that he spent time with her once he got here. Not to mention the fact that Brad had been determined to help when the vandalism started.

What if Brad was interested in Jamie Conroe?
Yet even as his guilt rose, so did his desire. Somehow he'd have to keep it in check.

In her sleep, Jamie sighed and her arm slid across his chest and down his abdomen before it stopped. His body hardened and he tried to focus on Mar Vista, on his parents, on George Jenkins, on anything except the softness of her skin.

It seemed forever before her eyes opened.

“Good morning,” he said.

“The same to you.” She sat up and started putting on her bra. While obviously not entirely comfortable, she wasn't haranguing him for what had happened.

“I'm sorry,” he finally said.

Her eyebrow rose. “For what?”

“For...this. I haven't been thinking straight the past few days. I realized a while ago, a few minutes ago I mean...well, that you and Brad might be— God, he's been through hell and I'd cut off my arm before I'd mess things up for him.”

Her eyes widened as she stared at him, her breathing growing quicker, and even in the low light he could see an angry red rising in her cheeks.

“Who the hell do you think I am?” she demanded. “The good-time girl for the Denning family? You wouldn't have gotten to first base if I'd cared for Brad in that way.”

“Uh...” Lord, he'd messed up big-time. She would have slapped him down hard last night if she hadn't wanted the same thing—anything else belonged in a Victorian novel. But it didn't solve the problem of whether Brad was interested in
her.

“Okay,” he said. “I'm not thinking clearly this morning, either, but—”

“Boy, is that the understatement of the year.”

“Look, Brad likes you and he's here a lot. He might have developed feelings you're not aware of.”

Her mouth dropped open. “Are you nuts? Anyone with half a brain could see that Brad is crazy for Kim Wheeler.”

Brad...and Kim?

No, it wasn't possible.

“If—if Brad has feelings for Kim,” he stuttered, “then why hasn't he done anything about it?”

“Because Brad is a man of honor,” Jamie retorted. “Which is a condition you should try to get acquainted with. He'd never make a move because of the history you and Kim have, and don't bother denying that you've been lovers. I figured it out the day the two of you showed up on my front porch.”

“It was back in college,” he protested. “We lived together for a couple months, and she was the one who broke it off. Brad knows that.”