Ready for Romance
Debbie Macomber

For Jessica,

who caught the wedding bouquet first

Contents

Prologue

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Epilogue

Prologue

J essica Kellerman looked both ways, then slipped around the corner of the Dryden four-car garage. She flattened her body against the wall and moved cautiously, one infinitesimal step at a time. It was vital no one see her.

Evan’s vehicle, a fancy sports car, was parked just outside the garage—and in direct view of the house. She needed to be quick.

Squatting down by the side mirror, she withdrew a bright red tube of lipstick from her pocket, opened it and heavily outlined her lips. Taking a soft white rag from the pocket of her jeans, she wiped his mirror clean and then kissed it several times. The imprint of her mouth was left in bold red.

Jessica sighed with satisfaction as she carefully opened the door on the driver’s side and crawled into the front seat. The mirror over the dash was next. Her heart was pounding hard and fast, but it wasn’t entirely due to her fear of being discovered. Her heart rate tended to accelerate whenever she thought about Evan.

There wasn’t a man in all of Boston who could compete with Evan Dryden. To think she’d lived next door to him all these years and hadn’t noticed until recently what a gorgeous hunk he was! As far as Jessica was concerned, he was the handsomest man in the universe.

She remembered the exact moment she had realized her destiny. She hadn’t been the same since. The Dryden estate, Whispering Willows, was next to her own family’s, and she’d often spent time in the huge oak tree spying on the two brothers. Damian was in law school now and Evan in college. Being an only child, Jessica was left to invent her own amusement, and spying on the Dryden brothers had always been great fun.

Jessica had been sitting in the tree one day when Evan had walked to the pond and stood on the footbridge tossing rocks into the water. His back was to her and she held her breath, wondering if he’d seen her hiding in the thick foliage.

She must have made a sound, because he turned abruptly and stared into the tree.

“Jessica?”

She didn’t dare move or even breathe.

He stared upward and the sun cut across his shoulder, highlighting his handsome features. It was then that she realized Evan wasn’t just an ordinary boy. He was an Adonis. Perfect in every way.

After that she started having dreams about him. Wonderful dreams about him falling in love with her. Dreams about them marrying and having a family. It seemed so…so right. It came to her about a week later that fate had thrown them together. They were meant for each other. The only problem was that Evan had yet to make this discovery for himself.

Jessica had recently turned fourteen and Evan was much older. Six whole years, but it might have been a hundred for all the notice he gave her.

That was when Jessica decided she had to take matters into her own hands. She was a woman of the world, and when a woman knew what she wanted, she went after it. It, in this case, was Evan Dryden.

Jessica soon discovered she wasn’t nearly as dauntless as she would have liked. She must have phoned him ten times or more, and each time he answered, she lacked the courage to so much as speak, much less tell him about her undying love. Each call had ended with her replacing the receiver and stewing in frustration.

She’d always been better at expressing herself with the written word, so she’d taken to writing him love notes, pouring out her devotion. She let her best friend read one such note, and the girl claimed it was the most beautiful love letter she’d ever seen. Unfortunately, Jessica hadn’t found the courage to sign her name.

This latest trick, planting kisses on his rearview mirror, was sure to accomplish what nothing else had. He’d know it was Jessica and he’d finally come for her, and together they’d ride into the sunset in his sports car.

Outlining her lips with a fresh coat of brilliant red, Jessica was about to kiss the interior mirror when the car door was flung open.

“So it is you.”

Her heart sank all the way to her knees. Slowly she looked over and her eyes connected with Damian Dryden’s. He was taller than his younger brother, dark and handsome in his own way. She was certain the day would come when some girl would feel as strongly about him as she did about Evan.

“Hello,” she said, pretending it wasn’t the least bit out of the ordinary for her to be sitting in his brother’s car kissing the mirrors.

“You’re the one, I bet, who’s been phoning at all hours of the night.”

“I’ve never called past ten,” she denied heatedly, then realized her mistake. It probably would have been best to pretend she didn’t know what he was talking about.

“The notes on Evan’s windshield have been from you, too, haven’t they?”

She could have denied that, but it wouldn’t have done any good. Feeling trapped in Evan’s car, she swung her legs around and gingerly climbed out. “Are you going to tell him it was me?”

“I don’t know,” Damian said thoughtfully. “How old are you now?”

“Fourteen,” she said proudly. “I know Evan’s older, but I was hoping he’d be willing to wait for me to grow up so we could get married.”

“Married!”

Damian made the word sound ludicrous and Jessica bristled. “Just wait until you fall in love,” she challenged. “Then you’ll know.”

“You aren’t in love with Evan,” he said gently. “You’re too young to know about things like that. You’re infatuated with him because he’s older and—”

“I most certainly do love Evan,” she flared, stuffing the lipstick tube in her pocket. She wasn’t about to stand there and let him ridicule her. She might only be fourteen, but she had the heart of a mature woman and she’d made her decision. Someday she would marry Evan Dryden, and nothing Damian could say or do would stand in her way.

“I’m sure my brother’s flattered by your devotion.”

“He should be. The man who marries me will see himself as the luckiest man in the world.” Her words were fed by pure bravado.

Damian laughed.

Jessica had been willing to overlook his earlier statements, but this was unforgivable. Hands braced against her hips, she glared at him with all the indignation she could muster, which at the moment was considerable.

“You might be older than Evan, but you don’t know a thing about love, do you?”

Her question appeared to amuse him, and that only served to irritate her further.

“When a woman makes up her mind about a man, nothing can change the way she feels. I’ve decided to marry your brother, and not a thing you say or do will have the least effect, so save your breath. Evan is my destiny.”

“You’re sure about this?”

At least he had the courtesy to wipe the grin off his face.

“Of course,” she said confidently. “Mark my words, Damian Dryden. Time will prove me right.”

“Does my brother have a say in this?”

“Naturally.”

“What if he decides to marry someone else?”

“I…I don’t know.” Damian had zeroed in on her worst fear—that Evan would get married before she had a chance to prove herself.

“There’s something else you haven’t considered,” Damian said.

“What’s that?”

He grinned. “I just might want to marry you myself.”

One

J essica Kellerman’s time of reckoning had arrived. For the first time in eight years she was about to face the Dryden brothers. Evan didn’t concern her. She suspected he wouldn’t even remember what a nuisance she’d made of herself. Then again, he just might. But Damian was the brother who worried her most. He was the one who’d caught her red-handed. He was the one who’d mocked her and suggested her devotion to his brother was a passing fancy. Now she was forced to face him and admit he’d been right. She sincerely hoped Damian would have the good grace not to drag up the past.

Swallowing her dread, Jessica walked into the high-rise office building in the most prestigious part of downtown Boston. The building was new, with a glistening black-mirrored exterior that towered thirty stories above the ground. The Dryden law firm was one of the most distinguished in town, and in Boston that was saying something.

Jessica’s footsteps made tapping sounds against the marble floor in the lobby. Although she’d been in this part of town often—the university wasn’t far from the business section—this was the first time she’d been inside the impressive building.

She was nervous, and rightly so. The last time she’d spent any time with either of the Dryden brothers she’d been caught kissing rearview mirrors.

Looking back, she knew she’d been a constant source of amusement to the brothers and their respective sets of parents, as well. Young love, however, refused to be denied. Risking her family’s censure, Jessica had diligently sought Evan’s heart all through high school. It wasn’t until Benny Wilcox asked her to the graduation dance that she’d realized there were other fish in the sea. Sweet, attentive, good-looking ones, too. Yes, Evan had been the man of her dreams, the one who’d awakened her to womanhood. She held her love for him in a special place in her heart, but was more than willing to forget the way she’d embarrassed herself over him, praying he did, too.

Although Jessica had let her infatuation with Evan die gracefully, neither set of parents had. Particularly, Lois and Walter Dryden. They thought the way Jessica felt about Evan was “cute,” and they mentioned it every now and again, renewing her embarrassment.

When Walter Dryden heard that Jessica had recently graduated from business college with a certificate as a legal assistant, he’d insisted she apply with the family firm. In the beginning Jessica had balked, but jobs were few and far between just then, and after a fruitless search on her own, she’d decided to swallow her pride and face the two brothers.

She was warmly greeted by the receptionist, who gave her a wide smile. Jessica smiled back, hoping she looked composed and mature. “I have an appointment with Damian Dryden,” she said.

The woman, who appeared to be in her early thirties, with large blue eyes and a smooth complexion, glanced at the appointment book. “Ms. Kellerman?”

“That’s right.”

“Please have a seat and I’ll let Mr. Dryden know you’re here.”

“Thank you.” Jessica sat in one of the richly upholstered chairs and reached for a People magazine. She’d dressed carefully for this interview, choosing a soft dove gray suit with a double-breasted jacket. The silver-dollar-size buttons were made from mother-of-pearl with flashes of deep blue and white. She wore high heels, hoping to seem not only professional, but sophisticated. Her glossy brown hair was sophisticated, too, cut in a flattering pageboy. She’d grown up, and it was important Damian know that.

Jessica hadn’t even scanned the magazine’s contents page when the elder Dryden brother appeared. She’d seen Damian often, from a distance, but this was the first time they’d spoken in months, possibly years. She’d forgotten how tall he was, with broad shoulders that tapered to slim hips. She remembered how much he enjoyed football as a teenager, and how good he was at tackling the opponent. From what she remembered about Damian, he preferred to tackle problems head-on, too. She knew him to be aggressive, hardworking and ambitious. He’d taken over the leadership of the law firm upon Walter Dryden’s retirement three years earlier, and the firm, which specialized in corporate law, had thrived under his leadership.

“Hello, Jessica. It’s good to see you again,” Damian said, stepping forward.

“It’s good to see you, too.” She stood and offered him her hand.

He clasped it with both of his own. He wasn’t an especially large man, and at five eight she wasn’t especially small, but her hand was dwarfed in his. His grip was solid and strong, like the man himself.

“I’ve come to talk to you about a position as a legal assistant,” she said. The direct approach would work best with Damian, she felt.

“Great. Let’s go to my office, shall we?”

She was struck by the rugged timbre of his voice. It exuded confidence, sounding deep and firm. Little wonder Damian was one of the most sought-after corporate attorneys in Boston.

He motioned her to be seated, then walked around behind the deep mahogany desk and claimed the black leather chair. He tilted it back slightly, conveying ease and relaxation.

Jessica wasn’t fooled. She sincerely doubted that Damian knew how to relax. His mother, Lois, had often voiced her concern about her elder son, complaining that Damian worked too many hours.

“Thank you for seeing me on such short notice,” Jessica said, crossing her legs.

“It’s my pleasure.” He rolled a pen between his palms. “I understand you recently graduated from college.”

She nodded. “I have a degree in early-American history.”

The motion of the pen between his palms froze and a frown creased his brow. “Unfortunately we don’t have much call for historians here at the firm.”

“I realize that,” she said quickly. “About halfway through my senior year, I realized that although I love history, I wasn’t exactly sure what I planned to do with my degree. I toyed with the idea of teaching, then changed my mind.”

“And you want to be a legal assistant now?”

“Yes. I was dating a law student and I discovered how much I enjoyed law. You see, we often did our homework together. But rather than register for law school and invest all that time and effort, I decided to work as a legal assistant—sort of get my feet wet and then decide if becoming an attorney is what I want to do. So I went to business college and got a certificate.” She said all this in an eager rush. “Your father suggested I come and talk to you,” she added, winding down. She opened her purse and produced her certificate for his inspection.

“I see.” The pen was in motion again.

“I’m a hard worker.”

Damian smiled fleetingly. “I don’t doubt that.”

“I’ll work any hours you wish, even weekends. You can put me on probation if you want.” She hadn’t meant to reveal how much she wanted the position, but despite her resolve, she couldn’t keep the anxiety out of her voice.

“This job means a great deal to you, doesn’t it?”

Jessica nodded.

“I think,” Damian said casually, “you’re still infatuated with my brother.”

He spoke as if it had been only a few days since she’d all but thrown herself at Evan. Heat radiated from her cheeks. “I…I don’t believe that’s a fair statement.”

Damian smiled shrewdly. “You’ve had a crush on Evan for years.”

“Perhaps, but that has nothing to do with my applying for a position here.” She closed her mouth and collected her composure as best she could. She should have known Damian wouldn’t conveniently forget their encounter all those years ago.

“It’s true, though, isn’t it?” Damian seemed to take delight in teasing her, which infuriated Jessica. She clamped her mouth shut, rather than argue with the man she hoped would employ her. “I was there the day you put kisses all over his rearview mirror, remember?”

Not trusting herself to speak, she nodded.

“I watched you look at him with those big worshipful eyes. I’ve seen plenty of other women do the same thing since, all gazing at my younger brother as though he were an Adonis.”

Jessica’s eyes widened at the use of the term. That was exactly the way she’d viewed Evan. A Greek god.

“It’s true isn’t it, or are you going to deny it?”

Jessica’s mouth refused to work. She opened and closed it a number of embarrassing times, not knowing how to respond, or if she should even try.

Cathy Hudson, her best friend, had claimed it wasn’t a good idea to apply for work with a family who knew her so well. Jessica was about to concede that Cath was right.

“I did have a schoolgirl crush on your brother at one time,” she confessed, “but that was years ago. I haven’t seen Evan in…heavens, I don’t remember. Certainly not any more often than I’ve seen you. If you believe my past feelings for Evan would hinder my performance as a legal assistant, then there isn’t anything more I can say—other than to thank you for your time.”

Damian’s smile was slightly off kilter, his eyes bemused as if, despite himself, he’d admired her little speech. Slowly a look of sadness crossed his face. “Evan’s changed, you know. He isn’t the man you once knew.”

“I’d heard from my mother that he’s been unhappy recently.” She didn’t know the details and hoped Damian would fill in the blanks.

“Do you know why?”

“No.”

Damian gave a soft regretful sigh. “I might as well tell you, since you’ll find out soon enough yourself. He was in love possibly for the first time in his life, and it didn’t work out. I don’t know what caused the rift, and neither does anyone else, not that it matters. Unfortunately, though, Evan can’t seem to snap out of his depression.”

“He must have loved her very much,” she whispered, watching Damian. He was genuinely concerned about Evan.

“I’m sure he did.” Damian frowned, apparently at a loss as to how to help his brother, then shook his head. “We’ve ventured far from the subject of your employment, haven’t we?”

She straightened and folded her hands in her lap, wondering if Damian would take a chance and hire her. She was a risk, too, fresh out of school, with no job experience.

“You’re sure you want to work here?” he asked, studying her with a discerning eye.

“Very much.”

Damian didn’t immediately respond. His silence made her uncomfortable enough to want to fill it with something, even useless chatter. “I know what you’re thinking,” she said breathlessly. “In your eyes I’m a love-struck fourteen-year-old, convinced your brother and I are meant for each other.” She shook her head. “I don’t know what to say to convince you I’ve grown up, and that nonsense is all behind me, but I have.”

“I can see that for myself.” A glint of appreciation sparked in his eyes. “As it happens, Jessica, you’re in luck, because the firm could use another legal assistant. If you want the job, it’s yours.”

Jessica resisted vaulting out of the chair and throwing her arms around Damian’s neck to thank him. Instead she promised, “I won’t let you down.”

“You’ll be working directly with Evan,” he replied, still studying her closely.

“With Evan?”

“Is that a problem?”

“No…No, of course not.”

“Just remember one thing. It doesn’t matter how many years our parents have been friends. If you don’t do your job and do it well, we don’t have room for you here.”

“I wouldn’t expect you to keep me on if I didn’t pull my weight,” she said, trying hard not to sound defensive.

“Good.” He reached for the intercom and glanced at her. “When would you like to start?”

“Now, if you want.”

“Perfect. I’ll ring Mrs. Sterling. She’s Evan’s secretary, and she’ll show you the ropes.”

Jessica stood and extended her hand. “You won’t be sorry, I promise you.” She pumped his hand enthusiastically until she realized she was overdoing it.

Grinning, Damian walked around to the front of his desk. “If there’s anything I can help you with, let me know.”

“I will. Thank you, Damian.”

She hadn’t meant to call him by his first name. Theirs was a professional relationship now, but it was difficult to think of him as her boss. A personal bond existed between them, but until this interview Jessica hadn’t realized it was there. To her surprise she found she had no such problem regarding Evan.

She and Damian walked out of the office together and down the corridor to a door with Evan’s name engraved on a gold plaque.

Damian opened the door for her and allowed her to precede him. Jessica’s gaze fell on Evan’s secretary. The woman was middle-aged, with sharp, but not unattractive, features. She seemed to breathe efficiency. One look and Jessica was confident this woman could manage Evan’s office and the entire law firm if necessary.

“Mrs. Sterling,” Damian said, “this is Jessica Kellerman, Evan’s new legal assistant. Would you show her around and make her feel at home?”

“Of course.”

Damian turned to Jessica. “As I said earlier, come to me if you have any problems.”

“Thank you.”

“No, Jessica,” he said cryptically on his way out, “thank you. ” The door made a small clicking sound as it shut.

Mrs. Sterling rose from her chair. She was a small woman, barely five feet, a stark contrast to tall and slender Jessica. Her salt-and-pepper hair was cropped short, and she wore a no-nonsense straight skirt and light sweater.

“I’ll show you where the law library is,” Mrs. Sterling said. Jessica glanced toward the closed door, wondering if Evan was in. Apparently not, otherwise Damian would have made a point of letting his brother know Jessica would be working for him.

The secretary led the way out of the office and down the hall. The library was huge, with row upon row of thick dusty volumes. Long narrow tables with a number of chairs were scattered about the room. Jessica knew she’d be spending the majority of her research time here and was pleased by how pleasant it was. She noticed the faint scent of lemon oil and smiled as she saw various types of potted plants set here and there, including a speckled broad-leaved ivy that stretched across the top of one large bookcase.

“This is very nice.”

“Mr. Dryden has worked hard to make sure our work environment is pleasing to the eye,” the woman remarked primly.

“Damian’s like that,” Jessica murmured.

“I was speaking about the younger Mr. Dryden,” came the surprised response.

“Oh, of course,” Jessica said quickly.

BY THE END of the first day, Jessica felt as though she’d put in a forty-hour week. She’d been assigned a small desk in the corner of the room and her own phone. Mrs. Sterling seemed to feel it was her duty to keep Jessica occupied with a multitude of tasks which included taking lunch orders, organizing file cabinets and hand-delivering messages throughout the office.

Just when she was about to think she wouldn’t even lay eyes on Evan her first day, he breezed into the office, stopping abruptly when he saw her. He was as tall as Damian, at least six-two, with chestnut hair and dark soulful eyes. To Jessica’s way of thinking, it wasn’t fair that any one man should be so breathtakingly handsome.

“Julia,” he whispered, as though he’d stumbled upon a treasure chest. His eyes suffused with delight. “What are you doing here?”

“It’s Jessica,” she corrected him, refusing to be offended by his failure to remember her name. “I’m here because I’m working for you now.”

“Your brother hired Ms. Kellerman as your new legal assistant,” Mrs. Sterling explained.

Evan stepped forward, gripping Jessica’s hand in his own. “This must be Christmas in July! Why else would Damian present me with such a rare gift?”

“Christmas in July,” Jessica repeated, having a difficult time not laughing. What she’d heard about Evan was true, she decided. He was a flirt, but such a pleasant lighthearted one that it didn’t seem to matter. She knew he wasn’t serious.

“There are several matters here that need your attention,” Mrs. Sterling said stiffly from behind Evan.

“I’ll be with you in a few minutes,” he said.

“I know you will,” Mrs. Sterling said. “Just don’t leave before these letters are signed, and while we’re at it, there are a few items we need to discuss—when you have the time.”

“I promise to get to the letters first thing,” he said as if he had no interest beyond studying the young woman who stood before him. “Just put everything on my desk and I’ll look through it before I leave.”

“You won’t forget?”

Evan chuckled. “My, my, how you love to mother me.”

“Someone has to look after you,” his secretary said, her eyes crinkling above a bright smile.

Jessica watched in amazement as Evan charmed the older woman. Mrs. Sterling had been the picture of cool efficiency until Evan walked in the door. The minute he did she turned into a clucking mother hen. Before Jessica had a chance to analyze this reaction, Evan grinned. “You love me, Mary, and you know it.”

“It’s just that you’ve been a bit forgetful of late,” Mrs. Sterling said with a concerned frown. She reached for a stack of letters and leafed through them. “It doesn’t hurt to offer you a little reminder now and then, does it?”

“I suppose not,” Evan said and, taking the letters with him, walked into his office as if he hadn’t a care in the world.

“Have you been working on the brief for the Porter Corporation?” Mrs. Sterling asked, following on his heels.

“The Porter Corporation,” Evan repeated as if he’d never heard the name before. “It’s not due anytime soon, is it?”

“Yes, it is,” the secretary said, and Jessica heard a hint of panic in her voice. “First thing Friday morning.”

“I’ll have it ready by then. What day is this, anyway?”

“Mr. Dryden, you’ve got to start coming into the office before closing time!”

“Don’t you fret. I’ll have everything ready the way I always do,” he said as he ushered his secretary out the door. He paused when his gaze fell on Jessica and he winked. Then the door closed and Evan disappeared.

Mrs. Sterling shook her head and glanced toward Jessica. “Mr Dryden’s been going through some rough times lately,” she explained.

“How long has he been without a legal assistant?”

“Quite a while now. He didn’t seem to think he’d need one. Damian’s cut his work load and, well, things just haven’t been the same around here for quite a while.”

Jessica was leaving for the day when she happened upon Damian. Looking dignified and businesslike, he was talking to his secretary. A few silver hairs at his temple added a distinguished air. He made a striking figure, and she wondered briefly why he hadn’t married. Tagged onto that thought came another. One that took her by surprise. She realized she was happy Damian hadn’t married.

He must have seen her in his peripheral vision, because he straightened, smiled and walked toward her. “Well, Jessica, how’d your first day go?”

“Really well.”

“Mary isn’t working you too hard, is she?”

“Oh, no, she’s great.”

“Mary’s one of the best secretaries I’ve ever worked with. She may be a bit abrupt, but you’ll get used to that.” He was walking with Jessica now, their steps matching, his hands clasped behind his back. Mary was abrupt perhaps, Jessica mused, but not with Evan.

“I’ll always be grateful to you for being willing to take a chance on me,” she said conversationally.

Damian’s smile was rueful. “You may not be thanking me later. My brother can be a handful, but if there was ever someone who could get him back on the straight and narrow, it’s you.”

“Me?” she asked, not understanding.

Damian broke eye contact and looked away. “Everybody needs to be looked at with wide worshipful eyes now and then, don’t you think?”

“Ah…” Jessica didn’t know how to respond. One thing was becoming abundantly clear. Damian hadn’t hired her because of her high test scores at business college.

Two

“Y ou actually got the job?” Cathy Hudson said over the telephone line, her voice raised with astonishment. “You were hired, just like that, by one of the city’s most prestigious law firms?”

“It helps to have friends in high places.” Jessica was excited about this job, but she felt mildly guilty knowing the only reason she’d been hired was that their families were such good friends. However, Damian had made it plain she’d need to pull her own weight. Jessica was determined to prove herself; she’d be the best legal assistant the firm had ever hired. It was a matter of pride.

“Why is it everything comes so easy for you?” Cathy lamented. “You set your sights on something that would give Norman Vincent Peale second thoughts and—”

“Me? You’re the one trying out for a lead in Guys and Dolls. Talk about setting your sights high.”

“All right, all right,” Cathy said with a dramatic sigh, “you’ve made your point.”

“So how did the tryouts go today?”

“I…don’t know. It’s so hard to tell. I would kill for the part of Adelaide, but then I watch the others, and they’re all so good. I came away today thinking it’s just a pipe dream. David, the director, is wonderful. Working with him would be one of the highlights of my career, but I don’t dare hope I’ll get the part.”

“I have faith in you. You’re a natural, Cath.” It was true, her friend had a knack for the dramatic, and that had always made their friendship so interesting.

Cathy laughed softly. “How can I fail, when both you and my mother are convinced I’m destined for stardom? Now, before we get off the subject, how did the interview with Damian go?”

“Really well, I think.” Damian had dominated her thoughts all afternoon. He’d changed, she decided, or perhaps she was the one who was different. Whichever, she found herself enthralled by the man. The thought of working with him excited her.

“What about the younger brother?”

“Actually I’ll be working directly for Evan.”

Cathy must have noticed the hesitation in her voice because she asked, “Does that worry you? What’s the matter? Do you think you’re going to make an idiot of yourself over him—again?”

So much for Jessica’s delicate ego. “No way. I was fourteen years old, for heaven’s sake.”

After she’d hung up, Jessica slipped a CD into the player, choosing an invigorating medley of jazz hits, and set about fixing her dinner. She whipped together a hot chicken-and-spinach salad and stood barefoot in her kitchen, humming along to the music, her heart singing its own melody.

Later that evening, she relaxed with the paper. Despite her best efforts, her thoughts drifted to Damian. The last thing she wanted was to make a fool of herself over another Dryden.

To the best of her knowledge, the source of which was her mother, Damian wasn’t currently involved in a relationship. Joyce Kellerman said that Lois Dryden had complained that her elder son didn’t take enough time for fun in his life. What Damian needed, Jessica decided now, was to fall in love with a woman who would take his mind off his work. Someone fun. Someone who would make him laugh and enjoy life. Someone who appreciated him.

An hour later, as she was getting ready for bed, Jessica realized she’d spent most of the evening thinking about Damian. Well, quite understandable, she rationalized. After all, he was head of the firm she was working for.

THE FOLLOWING DAY , Evan didn’t show up at the office until well after eleven. As she had previously, Mrs. Sterling fussed over him as though he were the prodigal son the moment he waltzed in the door.

“Good morning, Mr. Dryden.” Mrs. Sterling gushed, nearly leaping from her chair. “It’s a beautiful day, isn’t it?”

Evan seemed to need time to think about this. “I hadn’t noticed, but you’re right, it is a gorgeous day,” he said as he reached for his mail and leafed through the envelopes.

He was on his way into his office when he noticed Jessica sitting at her desk. She felt his scrutiny and was pleased that she’d dressed carefully, choosing a smart-looking flowered silk dress with a blue jacket. In her heels, she was nearly as tall as he was.

“Good morning, Mr. Dryden,” she offered.

“Evan,” he insisted. “You can call Damian Mr. Dryden if you insist, but I’m Evan.”

“All right. Good morning, Evan,”

“It is a good morning, isn’t it?” he asked, giving her a roguish grin. Jessica couldn’t help but respond with a smile of her own. She hadn’t noticed it so much the day before, but there were definite changes in the Evan she remembered. He was thinner and his smiles didn’t quite reach his eyes. Another thing she couldn’t help noticing was the way everyone walked on eggshells around him. Mrs. Sterling had made a point of letting her know Evan’s work load had recently been cut, and Damian had said Evan hadn’t yet recovered from a broken relationship. It must have been pretty serious, she mused.

“It’s been a long time since we’ve had a chance to talk, hasn’t it?” Evan asked, walking over and sitting on the edge of Jessica’s desk.

“A very long time,” she agreed, praying with all her heart he wouldn’t resurrect her girlish antics. It’d been embarrassing enough to have Damian do it.

“I think we should make up for lost opportunities, don’t you? Tell you what—I’ll treat you to lunch.” He checked his watch and seemed surprised at the time. “We’ll leave in half an hour. That’ll give me enough time to clear whatever’s on my desk.”

“You want to take me to lunch?” Jessica asked. “Today?”

“It’s the least I can do,” Evan said with a shrug. “I’ll have Mary make reservations.”

“But—”

“That’s an excellent idea,” Mrs. Sterling interjected, clearly pleased.

“I…I’ve only just started work,” Jessica said. “I’d enjoy lunch, perhaps in a week or so, after I’ve settled into the job.” The last thing she wanted was to give Damian the impression she was already slacking in her duties.

Evan pressed his thumb to her chin and gazed deeply into her eyes. “No buts, and no arguments. We’re going to lunch and you can fill me in on what you’ve been doing for the last five or six years.”

Mrs. Sterling followed Evan into his office, looking inordinately pleased with the turn of events. She returned a few minutes later, casting a delighted look in Jessica’s direction as she picked up her phone and called the restaurant to make reservations. Evan chose Henri’s, one of Boston’s finest, well-known for its elegant dining. It also happened to be a good fifteen-minute drive from the office, which meant they were going to be out for lunch much longer than usual.

“I doubt we’ll be back in an hour if we have lunch at Henri’s,” Jessica felt obliged to say.

“Don’t worry about it. You’ll make it up another time, I’m sure.”

“But this is only my second day. I don’t want to give the wrong impression.”

“My dear, Mr. Dryden is your boss. If he wants to take a leisurely lunch with you, don’t argue. You should be counting your blessings, instead.”

“I know but—”

“From what I understand, you two are old family friends,” Mrs. Sterling interrupted. “It’s only natural for him to want to personally welcome you into the firm.”

It seemed the reservation had barely been made when Evan reappeared. “Are you ready?”

Jessica blinked back her surprise. “Yes, of course, if you’ll give me just a moment.” She finished typing her notes into the computer, stored the information and pushed back her chair.

Evan took her elbow and told his secretary, “We’ll be back in a couple of hours.”

They were on their way through the corridor leading to the front of the office when Damian appeared. His gaze shifted from Evan to Jessica.

“Jessica and I are on our way out to lunch,” Evan explained. “Do you need me for anything?”

“No. You two go on ahead. I’ll talk to you later.”

Damian nodded, and it was all Jessica could do not to blurt out that this lunch date hadn’t been her idea, but there wasn’t the opportunity and she doubted it was necessary anyway. Damian must have known she hadn’t invited herself out to lunch. Nevertheless, she didn’t want him to think ill of her.

“We’ll probably be late getting back,” Evan said to his brother, guiding Jessica out of the office.

They arrived at the restaurant by taxi and were seated immediately. The ambience was formal, with soft chamber music playing unobtrusively in the background. The waiters, who dressed like diplomats, were attentive, the tables were well spaced, and the meal was served with a good deal of ceremony.

Evan seemed disinclined to talk about himself, asking her a series of questions about school, her friends and activities. He appeared attentive, but she suspected his thoughts were far removed from her and their lunch. At least he didn’t dredge up the past and her infatuation with him. She could have kissed him for that.

After their dishes were cleared away, Evan took out a pad and pen. “I’m going to be working on a civil suit that’ll demand a fair amount of research,” he told Jessica. His eyes were bright with an enthusiasm she hadn’t seen before. “The case involves Earl Kress—you might remember reading about him.”

“Of course.” The unusual details of the case had filled the local news for weeks. The twenty-year-old former athlete was suing the Spring Valley School District for his education.

Jessica wished she’d brought along a pad and pen herself. She listened, enthralled, as Evan explained the details of the suit. It seemed Earl was a gifted athlete and the key figure in three of the school’s biggest sports—football, basketball and track. In order for him to participate in these sports he had to maintain a C average. Unfortunately Earl had a learning disability and had never mastered reading skills. Although he’d graduated from high school and been awarded a full scholarship, he was functionally illiterate.

Evan explained that the school district had pressured Earl’s teachers, and they’d been forced to give him passing grades. After he graduated from high school, he went on to college, but a severe knee injury suffered during football training camp effectively ended his career. And within the first two months of school, Earl flunked out.

“That’s so unfair,” Jessica said when Evan finished. If Damian was concerned about his brother, she thought, then offering Evan this groundbreaking case was sure to take his mind off other things. It would give Evan purpose, a reason to come to work in the morning, the necessary incentive to look past his personal problems.

“There’ve been a number of similar suits filed in other parts of the country,” Evan continued. “I’m going to need you to do extensive research on the outcome of the cases previously tried.”

“I’ll be happy to help in any way I can.”

Evan grinned his appreciation. “I knew I could count on you.”

So this was the real reason for their lunch. The case clearly meant a good deal to Evan, and consequently to Jessica. She was grateful for the opportunity to prove herself.

By the time they returned to the office, their lunch hour had stretched to three. It seemed everyone in the office was staring at them, and Jessica felt decidedly uncomfortable.

She walked directly to her desk, keeping her face averted when she passed Damian’s office. His door was open, and when he saw her walk by he stood up, called her name and then glanced pointedly at his watch. It was all Jessica could do not to tell him it had been a business lunch.

Damian had made it painfully clear that he expected her to do her job. He wasn’t paying her to romance his brother during three-hour lunches, and Jessica didn’t want him to have that impression. She longed to explain, but she’d look ridiculous doing so in front of Evan. The only thing she could do was stay late that evening in an effort to make up for the time spent over lunch.

Although it was after seven when she started out of the office, a number of others were still there. With her sweater draped over her arm, she was on her way down the long corridor when Damian stopped her.

“Jessica.”

“Hello, Damian,” she said. He was standing just outside his office.

He relaxed, crossed his arms and asked, “How’d your lunch go with my brother?”

“Very well, but…”

“Yes?” he prompted when she didn’t immediately finish.

“I want you to know it was a working lunch,” she said, rushing the words in her eagerness to explain. “We discussed the Earl Kress case. I didn’t want you to think we’d spent three hours socializing.”

“It wouldn’t have mattered.”

“But it does!” she insisted fervently. “The lawsuit was the reason Evan asked me out. He wasn’t interested in renewing an old friendship.”

Damian’s frown was thoughtful. “Did he seem pleased with the assignment?”

“Very much so,” Jessica recalled Mrs. Sterling’s saying that “things just haven’t been the same around here for quite a while,” implying Evan hadn’t been the same. She wondered if Damian realized the extent of his brother’s unhappiness.

Damian grinned; Jessica had the feeling he didn’t do that often, which was a shame. The grooves in his cheeks and the sparkle in his gray eyes were very attractive. “I thought he might need a change of pace. Did you two have a chance to talk about old times?”

This was a casual way of asking if she’d noticed the changes in his brother, Jessica guessed. “A little. Evan really was hurt, wasn’t he?”

Damian nodded. “Generally he disguises it, but I wondered if you’d detect the changes in him.”

“I couldn’t help noticing.” She’d seen it almost from the first moment. Even though she hadn’t seen Evan for years she could see how hard he was struggling to hide his misery. No wonder his parents and brother were so concerned.

Damian glanced at his watch and arched his brows. “It’s late. We’ll talk again some other time. Good night, Jessica.”

“Good night, Damian.”

As she waited for a train in the subway station, Jessica at last understood what Damian had meant when he’d told her that everyone needed to be looked at with wide worshipful eyes sometimes. It made perfect sense now that she thought about it. Damian still viewed her as that teenage girl infatuated with his younger brother. If ever there was a time that Evan needed a woman to idolize him, it was now. She’d been hired, not for her legal skills, but to help his brother forget the woman he’d loved and lost. Damian was looking to her to heal Evan’s pain.

THE FOLLOWING MORNING around ten, Evan, his smile bright enough to rival the sun, breezed into the office and presented Jessica with a bouquet of a dozen bloodred roses. Their perfume filled the room.

Jessica was speechless. “For me?” The flowers took her completely by surprise. Mrs. Sterling, too, from the look the secretary cast her.

“I need a favor,” Evan said, leaning against the edge of her desk, his face scant inches from her own.

“Of course.” She was holding the flowers against her like a beauty queen, inhaling their heavenly scent.

Evan reached into his jacket pocket and withdrew a folded sheet of yellow paper. “I need you to do some last-minute research for me.”

“Certainly.”

“There’re some statutes I need you to look up and report back to me on as soon as possible. This stuff is as dry as old bones—I’m sorry about that.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Jessica looked at the items Evan wanted her to research and her heart sank at the number. “How soon do you need this?”

“Yesterday,” was his frank reply.

Mrs. Sterling made a small tsk-tsk sound in the background, which made Jessica smile. Evan’s eyes twinkled and he whispered, “There’s nothing worse than a woman who can’t let ‘I told you so’ pass. Remember that, Jessica.”

“I will,” she said with a small laugh. “I’d best get started. I’ll have the information for you before I leave tonight.”

“Good girl.”

Mrs. Sterling produced a vase for the roses, and after setting them on the edge of her desk Jessica got down to work. She ensconced herself in the library and kept at her research straight through the lunch hour. She didn’t notice the time until it was after three, when her stomach rumbled in protest. Even then she didn’t take the time to sit down to eat, but grabbed an apple and munched on it while she continued to search for the required data.

The next time she looked up, the clock on the wall said seven forty-five. She’d heard the others leave, but that seemed like only minutes ago. She stood up and, placing her hand at the base of her spine, arched her stiff back and breathed in deeply.

Her eyes felt tired and her back sore as she carried her paperwork into the office. She stopped, surprised to find the room dark. She flicked on the lights and looked around, certain Evan had left a note for her.

He hadn’t.

Picking up one of the roses, she held it to her nose and closed her eyes as she tried to battle down the weariness—and the disappointment.

“Jessica, what are you doing here?”

“Damian.” She could ask the same question of him.

“It’s nearly eight o’clock.”

“I know.” She rotated her overworked shoulders. “I guess time got away from me.”

“So I see. I had some reading I was catching up on, but I assumed I was here alone. There was no reason for you to stay this late.”

She glanced toward Evan’s office. “What time did Evan leave?” she asked casually, not wanting him to know how abused she felt.

“A couple of hours ago. Why?”

“He said he needed this information right away.” She’d been in a frenzy attempting to finish the task as quickly as possible. She’d assumed he would wait until she’d collected the data he seemed to need so desperately.

“I believe he had a dinner engagement,” Damian explained.

“I see,” she muttered. In other words, he’d cheerfully abandoned her.

“You sound angry,” Damian said.

“I am. I worked through my lunch hour getting this stuff for him.” And dinner hour, too, she thought, feeling even angrier. She realized too late that she probably also sounded jealous.

“I’m sorry, Jessica.”

Evan’s thoughtlessness wasn’t Damian’s fault and she said so, then asked bluntly, “Is there anything to eat around here?” She blinked back unexpected tears. Hunger always had a strange effect on her emotions, but it was embarrassing, and she tried not to let Damian see.

“You mean you haven’t eaten since lunch?”

“Not since breakfast, unless you count an apple, and if I don’t eat soon I’m going to cry and you really wouldn’t want to witness that.” The words rushed out and she felt a sniffle coming on. “Never mind,” she muttered, turning away from him. She wiped her nose with her forearm and returned to the library. Several ponderous law volumes were spread open across the tables. She closed them and began lugging them back to the shelves.

“I found a package of soda crackers,” Damian said, coming into the room.

“Thanks,” she said, ripping away the clear plastic wrapper and sniffling again. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to act like this.” She ate a cracker quickly and managed to hold back a sob. “Don’t look so concerned. I just needed to eat.”

“Let me take you to dinner.” Damian lifted a couple of the volumes and replaced them for her.

“That isn’t necessary.” A second cracker had made its way into her mouth and she was beginning to feel more like herself.

“We owe you that much,” Damian countered. “Besides, I’m half-starved myself.”

“The least he could have done was waited,” Jessica fumed.

Ignoring her comment Damian suggested a popular seafood restaurant nearby.

“He made it sound like it was a matter of life and death, and then he doesn’t even bother to tell me he’s leaving,” she continued to fume. “You’re right,” she said as Damian cupped her elbow and led her out the door. “Evan has changed.”

Damian didn’t respond to this comment either.

They walked the three blocks to the restaurant. It wasn’t too crowded, and they were given immediate seating at a wooden table near one of the windows. Even better, the waitress brought hot bread and chowder no more than a minute after it was ordered. Damian must be a regular here to get such service, Jessica thought, her good mood restored now that her stomach had something warm and filling.

“This is excellent,” she said. “Thank you.” She sighed in contentment as she spooned up the last of her chowder.

Grinning, he finished his own soup, then reached for another piece of bread.

“What’s so funny?” she demanded. How like a man to keep something humorous to himself and then feel superior about it.

“I think I might just have averted a lawsuit. Can’t you hear it? ‘Woman Sues Boss over Lost Meals.”’

“I’d get a huge settlement.” The corners of her mouth twitched with a smile. Her eyes met Damian’s and soon their amusement had blossomed into full-blown grins.

He had very nice eyes, Jessica mused. They were a dark gray and revealed his keen intelligence, his sharp insight. She wanted to clear away any lingering misconception he had about her and Evan, but she couldn’t think of a way to do it without sounding as if she was jealous of whatever person Evan spent his personal time with.

Jessica wondered what Damian saw when he looked at her. Did he see the woman she’d become, or did he view her as the pesky kid next door who’d adamantly declared that his younger brother was her destiny?

The waitress arrived then with their main courses. Damian had ordered oysters and Jessica baked cod, which was delicious. By the time they’d finished, she felt completely restored.

“I said some things I shouldn’t have back at the office,” Jessica began, feeling self-conscious now but eager to explain. “You see—”

“You’d worked far longer than necessary and were starving to boot,” he interrupted. “Don’t worry about it.”

“I just wanted to be sure I hadn’t provoked you into firing me.”

“It’ll take more than a demand for food to do that,” he assured her, hardly disguising his amusement.

The June sky was dark and overcast and the temperature cooler as they came down the stairs and into the street. “It looks like rain,” Damian said. No sooner had he spoken when fat raindrops began to fall. Taking Jessica by the elbow, he raced across the street. Neither had thought to bring an umbrella.

“Here,” Damian said, running toward an alcove in front of a bookstore. The business had closed hours earlier, but the covered entrance was a good place to wait out the cloudburst. Jessica was breathless by the time they stopped. A chill raced over her and she rubbed her arms vigorously.

Damian’s much larger hands replaced hers, then he stopped and peeled off his jacket, draping it over her shoulders.

“Damian, I’m fine,” she protested, fearing he’d catch a chill himself.

“You’re shivering.”

The warmth of his coat was more welcome than she cared to admit. No doubt about it, Damian was a gentleman to the very core.

The downpour lasted a good ten minutes. Jessica was surprised at how quickly the time passed. When the storm dwindled to a drizzle and eventually stopped, Jessica discovered she was almost sorry. She was talking books with Damian and discovered they both shared an interest in murder mysteries. Damian was as well-read as she was, and they tossed titles and authors’ names back and forth without a pause.

“Did you drive to work this morning?” he asked.

She shook her head. She’d taken the subway.

“I’ll give you a lift home, then.”

“Really, Damian, that isn’t necessary. I don’t mind using public transit.”

“I mind,” he said in a voice that brooked no argument. “It’s too late for you to be out on the streets alone.”

How sweet of him to worry about her, she thought. “But I already have enough to thank you for.”

“What do you mean?”

“I was just thinking—I seem to be continually in your debt. You’ve got a heart of gold.”

He chuckled. “Hardly, little Jessica.”

“You hired me without any real job experience, then you fed me dinner, and now you’re driving me home.”

“It’s the least I can do.”

They returned to the office building, walking directly to the underground parking garage. Damian opened the car door for her and she nestled back in the leather seat.

One thing she’d learned during their time together was the fact that Damian was protective of his younger brother, though she doubted Evan appreciated that.

“You’re worried about him, aren’t you?” she asked, without clarifying her question. Damian knew who she was talking about.

“Yeah,” he admitted.

“Evan’s the real reason you hired me, isn’t he? You think I might be able to help him through this…difficult time.” It wasn’t a responsibility she welcomed or wanted. She was about to explain that when she noticed the way his mouth quirked into an amused smile.

Instead, she told him sharply, “I’m not a silly fourteen-year-old infatuated with an older man. What I felt for your brother was just a crush. It was over years ago.” That was the simple truth.

His shrug was noncommittal.

“Nevertheless,” she forged on, “you hired me because of Evan?”

It took Damian a long time to answer. “Sometimes I wonder,” he finally said. “Sometimes I wonder.”

Three

J essica arrived early the following morning, hoping to have an opportunity to thank Damian again for dinner and more importantly to let him know how much she’d enjoyed the time they’d shared. But when she passed his office, the door was closed and his secretary was searching urgently through a file drawer. It didn’t look like the time to pop in unannounced.

Not surprisingly, Evan was nowhere to be seen. Mrs. Sterling arrived ten minutes after Jessica, greeting her with a small approving smile, and set about sorting through the mail.

Jessica spent the first part of the morning organizing the material she’d researched the day before and typing up her notes. That way, Evan wouldn’t be forced to waste time deciphering her hasty scrawl.

She’d just completed printing out the results when a breathless Evan entered the office. From the look of him, he’d raced all the way up from the parking garage. Briefcase in hand, he marched up to her desk.

“Do you have those notes ready?” he asked, reaching for the file before Jessica had a chance to present it. She stood up, intending to discuss a number of points with him, but he brushed past her and hurried into his office without a word. She would have followed him, but he closed the door.

Jessica was taken aback; unsure of what to do, she looked at Mrs. Sterling. The secretary sighed and shrugged. “Working for Mr. Dryden can be a real trial,” she muttered, then grinned and added, “No pun intended.”

No sooner had Mrs. Sterling finished chuckling over her own little joke than Evan reappeared, looking composed and confident. He’d removed his raincoat and was leafing casually through the file. He looked over at Jessica and his face relaxed into a broad smile.

“You’re an angel,” he said, kissing her cheek as he walked past. Jessica had seen him kiss Mrs. Sterling in the same affectionate way.

“I’ll be in a meeting with Damian this morning,” Evan announced on his way out the door.

As the morning progressed, Jessica found herself wondering exactly what her role in the office was. Although Evan had recently been assigned the Earl Kress case, his work load had been light in the past few months. Now that she’d finished the research project, there was barely enough to keep her busy.

From various bits and pieces, Jessica had learned that Evan’s interest in corporate law had waned recently. Surely Damian hadn’t hired her expecting miracles! Since he was so closemouthed about Evan’s troubles, Jessica wondered if Mrs. Sterling could fill in some details. She didn’t want to be obvious about asking, which could prove tricky since the woman was so clearly devoted to her employer.

“That Evan’s a real charmer, isn’t he?” Jessica began conversationally.

“He always could charm the birds right out the trees,” Mrs. Sterling answered proudly.

“He’s different now from the way I remember him. More…intense.”

Evan’s secretary nodded and muttered, “I’d like to shoot that woman.”

Jessica’s heart leapt with excitement. “What woman?” she asked, hoping to hide her eagerness. She was about to learn what had happened to change Evan so drastically from the man she’d known.

Mrs. Sterling glanced up, as if surprised that Jessica had heard her mumbling. “Oh…it’s nothing.”

“But it must be something. Evan isn’t anything like he was a few years back. Oh, he’s charming and sweet, but there’s an edge to him now. A sharpness, I guess. Something I can’t put my finger on.” She looked expectantly at the other woman.

“That’s true enough,” Mrs. Sterling reluctantly conceded.

“You say a woman’s responsible for the changes in Evan?”

“Isn’t it always a woman?”

“What happened?” Might as well try a more direct approach, Jessica thought. Tact wasn’t getting her anywhere.

“It’s a pity, a real pity.”

“Yes, Evan just isn’t the same,” Jessica said, hoping to encourage the other woman to continue.

“It shouldn’t come as any surprise, really. Yet it does, Mr. Dryden being the charmer he is. Plain and simple, he fell in love with someone who didn’t feel the same way about him.” Then she clamped her mouth closed as though she’d already said far more than she should—far more than was circumspect for a secretary to say about her boss.

But this much she already knew. What she was looking for were the particulars. Who was this woman who’d hurt Evan so badly? Her back stiffened at the thought of someone rejecting him. The man she’d worshiped from afar during her tumultuous teenage years. Whoever this woman was, Jessica decided, she was a fool.

About eleven Evan walked into the office. He smiled as he strolled past Mrs. Sterling’s desk to hers. “The research you did was wonderful, Jessica. Thank you.”

His appreciation caught her off guard. She wondered if Damian had said something to him and was momentarily speechless.

“I appreciate the effort that went into your report,” he continued. “I’m very pleased by the quality of your work.”

“I…I was happy to do it. That’s my…my job.” The words stumbled off the end of her tongue. Jessica was amazed that his praise could fluster her so. She was embarrassed now by the way she’d overreacted last night when she’d learned he’d left the office. It was her own fault for not taking time to eat lunch. Evan’s disappearance wouldn’t have bothered her in the least if she had….

“Damian said you were here till almost eight.”

So Damian had mentioned that. “As I said earlier, I was only doing my job.”

“Mom and Dad are having a barbecue this weekend,” Evan continued, “Saturday, around four. I’d like you to attend it with me.”

His invitation threw her. She wasn’t sure what to say. Although she hadn’t had a lot of work experience, she knew that dating the boss could lead to problems.

“This shouldn’t be a difficult decision,” Evan said, grinning.

His pride had already suffered one blow, and Jessica discovered she was unwilling to deliver a second, no matter how slight. “I’d enjoy that very much,” she said. “Thank you for thinking of me.”

He smiled affectionately. “You always were a sweet thing.”

As a teenager, Jessica’s daydreams had been filled with such scenarios. She’d close her eyes and pretend Evan had asked her out. Now her dream had come true, but Jessica was left wishing it had been Damian issuing the invitation, instead of his brother.

“I’ll pick you up. You are living in the city, aren’t you?”

Jessica nodded. “Wouldn’t it be simpler if we met at the party? As it happens, I’m spending the weekend with my parents, and I can walk over with them.”

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