Debbie Macomber - Happy Mother's Day - Ready for Romance / Ready for Marriage

“Thank you for dinner,” she said. “You were right. It’s the best Italian food I’ve ever had.” She didn’t want to leave, but didn’t have an excuse to stay.

“I’m glad you enjoyed it.”

Jessica headed for the elevator. Her thoughts remained so muddled that she nearly missed her subway stop on the ride home. The first thing she did when she walked into her apartment was reach for the purple elephant Damian had won for her. She wrapped her arms around it and hugged it tight. It made her feel close to Damian. All she needed to do was shut her eyes and the memories of their night together at Cannon Beach filled her mind. She could almost hear the sound of the carousel and the echo of her own laughter when Damian insisted on winning her the elephant. She could hear the roller coaster as the riders shrieked past and smell the popcorn, candy apples and hot dogs.

Still holding the elephant, Jessica slumped into the overstuffed chair and reached for her phone, calling her best friend. Cathy was far more insightful in these matters than she was. She would help her make sense of Damian’s kiss.

“Hi,” Jessica murmured when her friend answered.

Her greeting was met with a slight hesitation. “What’s wrong?”

Her friend knew her so well. “What makes you think anything’s wrong?”

“I can tell from your voice.”

Smiling to herself, Jessica brought up her knees and rested her chin there as she assembled her thoughts. There didn’t seem to be an easy way of explaining. Best just to blurt it out. “Damian kissed me tonight.”

“And you liked it, didn’t you?”

Cathy sounded gleeful, as though tempted to break into song. Jessica supposed this was what she got for having a theater-arts major for a best friend.

“Yeah—but I’m totally confused,” Jessica admitted quietly. This jumble of mixed feelings was her main problem.

“Surprises you, doesn’t it?” Cathy asked, then chuckled softly, again with that note of delight. “I’ve seen the writing on the wall ever since you mentioned Damian Saturday night. The guy’s perfect for you.”

“Don’t be ridiculous.”

“What’s ridiculous about it?”

“I haven’t thought of him … that way. Well, I have recently, and frankly, it frightens me to death. I’ve already made a fool of myself over one Dryden. I don’t want to make the same mistake with another one.”

“You were a kid the first time. There’s a world of difference between what happened then and what’s happening now.”

“Maybe,” was all Jessica was willing to concede.

“Think, woman,” Cathy said dramatically. “The man’s obviously attracted to you, too. Otherwise he wouldn’t be kissing you.”

“I don’t know that, and you don’t, either. We kissed, and then he acted as if it was the worst thing he could’ve done. He didn’t say a word and he just walked away. I don’t know what to think. I’m so confused.” She pressed a hand to her forehead.

“So you feel he regretted it?”

“He must have. Otherwise … otherwise everything would’ve turned out differently. He looked at me as if I were a stranger, as if he didn’t want to see me again.”

“What was he supposed to do? Confess undying love? Didn’t you tell me you had the whole situation figured out? The only reason Damian hired you was to bolster his brother’s spirits. The man has integrity, Jess. He can’t very well start dating you himself if he believes you might still have some feelings for his younger brother.”

“It drives me crazy that he’d think that!”

“I know, but you’ve got to see it from his point of view.”

“At the cost of my own sanity?”

“For now,” Cathy said sympathetically.

“I don’t know what to do!” Jessica cried, chagrined at the amount of emotion that spilled into the words.

“There’s more,” Cathy said, warming to the subject. “If you’re interested in Damian, it makes perfect sense that you’re going to have to make the first move. Damian’s hands are tied as long as he thinks there’s the slightest chance you’re interested in his brother. The guy’s in a real bind here.”

“Him! This whole thing with Evan’s gotten out of hand. The poor guy’s suffocating under everyone’s concern. I actually feel sorry for him. He got the raw end of a deal in a relationship, and all he needed was some time to work out his pain,” Jessica lamented. “Instead, Damian cut his work load until he’s bored out of his mind. His parents, especially his mother, are dishing out sympathy by the truckload, and it’s all Evan can do to stay afloat.”

She paused for breath, then went on, “The only reason Damian hired me was that he thought I’d pull Evan out of the doldrums. I haven’t talked to Evan, but I’m sure he resents all this nonsense. And I don’t blame him.”

“What about you and Damian?”

“I don’t know what to think,” Jessica admitted again. “I wish I did. If he’s interested in me, then surely it’s his place to say or do something. Regardless of how he thinks I feel about Evan.”

“Oh, come on, Jess!”

“I know Damian.”

“Huh. You thought you knew Evan, too.”

“I do, or rather, I did,” she argued. The conversation was frustrating her more by the minute. “Besides, like I said earlier, I’m not interested in making a fool of myself over another Dryden. I learned my lesson the last time. Good grief, that was years ago and my parents and his still talk about it. Just this past weekend my own mother said how pleased she’d be if I married Evan!”

“I have an idea,” Cathy said slowly as though the scheme was taking shape in her mind as she spoke. “Introduce me to Damian.”

“What possible reason do you have to meet him?” Jessica didn’t like the idea of this.

“I just want to. Things aren’t going well with David….”

“David?” Jessica cried. “Who’s David?”

“The director for Guys and Dolls . Now listen, I know this sounds crazy, but trust me, it could work.”

“ What could work?” Jessica was fast losing what remained of her patience.

“Our meeting. I’ll turn on the charm, do what I can to enchant him, and—”

“Just a minute, Cath, you’re talking about the man I’m interested in.”

“I know,” she said as if all of this was perfectly logical. “But don’t you want to know how serious he is about you? Also, maybe watching him with another woman will help you sort out your feelings for him .

“Yes, but—”

“Come on, Jess. You said yourself you weren’t willing to make a fool of yourself a second time. This way you’ll know.”

“This strikes me as pretty darn silly.”

“Not only that,” Cathy went on as though Jessica hadn’t spoken, “it’ll give me a chance to practice my acting. Just introduce us, and I promise I won’t do anything to embarrass you.”

“All right,” she agreed without any real enthusiasm. “How do you propose we do this?”

“I could stop by the office one day soon and suggest lunch. It’d be natural for you to introduce me around, wouldn’t it?”

“I … suppose, but doesn’t that seem a bit obvious?”

“Perhaps. Do you have a better idea?”

“No.” She sighed. “Okay. Do you want me to invite Damian to join us? I’m coming into the office this Saturday to catch up on a few things, before Evan’s big court case starts next week. My guess is that Damian will be there, as well.”

“All the better, then. I’ll see you Saturday around noon.”

“You’re sure about this?”

“Absolutely! I have ways of getting a man to talk.”

“That sounds like something out of a movie,” Jessica muttered.