Love Finds You in Martha's Vineyard (31 page)

Stella was introducing them to various acquaintances when Blake spotted Reggie and Waverly. But it was Waverly who caught his eye. Although he made congenial small talk with the middle-aged couple whom Stella said, among other things, “were close friends of the Clintons,” most of his attention was on Waverly. She looked amazing, like a sea goddess, in a breezy sort of sundress in aquamarine colors. He wished he could photograph her.

“You're Vance Grant's daughter?” the woman was saying to Janice. “Really?”

Janice laughed lightly. “Yes, I'm sure it seems incongruous for me to be here, but I like to think of myself as politically tolerant.”

“Am I correct to assume you are your father's daughter when it comes to politics as well?” the man asked with a concerned expression.

And so Janice, acting as if she were making a campaign speech, began to espouse some of her opinions, which it was plain to see this couple did not share. Though he was impressed by her commitment to her political convictions, Blake winced inwardly. This just didn't feel like the right atmosphere for this discussion.

Before her captive audience had a chance to respond, Blake stepped in. “It's a pleasure to meet you,” he said to the slightly startled looking couple. “But if you'll excuse me, I see a friend.” Then, without even glancing at Janice, he made his getaway. If she wanted to get embroiled in some political brouhaha, let her. Just because he brought her here tonight didn't mean he had to endure her idea of “socializing.”

“Hello, friends,” he said to Waverly and Reggie. “I've just made a run for my life.”

“What's going on?” Waverly asked.

“Your cousin, my date, thinks she's on the campaign trail. Or maybe it's the warpath.”

“She's talking politics here?” Waverly looked over to where several people were conversing in a rather animated way with Janice.

“Unfortunately.” He gave Reggie a sympathetic look. “I hope Belinda doesn't hold this against your friendship, although it sounded as if you and she are fairly tight.”

“Belinda's a peach.” Reggie shook his head. “But that Janice…she's a real piece of work, isn't she?”

“I have to give her credit,” Blake admitted. “She is courageous.”

“That's true.” Waverly nodded. “I still remember when we were kids, and she tried to eat a bee.”

“She ate a bee?” Reggie made a face.

“First she dared me to eat one,” Waverly explained. “I said
no way.
But Janice kept bragging that she'd done it before—lots of times. Naturally, I didn't believe her, and I told her so. So, to prove me wrong, she caught a honeybee in a Dixie cup and actually put the poor bee in her mouth.” She started laughing now. “It stung her on the bottom lip, and she let out this bloodcurdling scream that most of Boston must've heard.”

“So Janice Grant was like the pioneer of lip injections?” Reggie said, making them all laugh even harder.

Waverly's eyes sparkled as she continued. “You should've seen her bottom lip swell up. Honestly, it got as big as a hotdog.”

“Did you get photos?” Blake asked,

Waverly was laughing hard now. “I called her Hotdog Lips until she told her dad, and he made me stop.”

“Hotdog Lips!” Reggie let out a howl of laughter. “I might need to remember that one if she keeps harassing Belinda's guests.”

Blake glanced over to where Janice still appeared to be holding court with an irritated audience. “Do you think I should go over there and rescue her?” he asked Waverly.

“Rescue Janice?” Waverly grimly shook her head. “You obviously do not know my cousin as well as I thought you did.”

He didn't admit that was not only true but fortunate as well.

Waverly knew she shouldn't feel responsible for Janice's bad manners at Belinda's party, but she couldn't help but feel guilty as the political discussion, aided by the influence of intoxicants, grew louder.

“Should I do something?” Waverly asked Reggie. “Since we are sort of your guests here tonight?”

“Hey, if your cuz wants to hang herself, politically speaking, why not let her?” Reggie laughed, then finished the last of his drink. Waverly was trying not to count, but she felt certain this was his third one—and it worried her.

“Not that any of these people are her constituents anyway,” Blake pointed out.

“No, I wouldn't think so,” Waverly agreed. “Even if they lived in Janice's region, they're clearly not in her party. I just hope Belinda isn't too offended by her.”

“Anybody else want a drink?” Reggie held up his empty glass.

“No thanks,” Waverly told him. “Are you certain you want to—”

“Don't worry about me, pretty lady.” He gave her a goofy grin.

“But you're driving and—”

“I can hold my liquor,” he assured her. “Ask anyone.”

After he left, Waverly turned to Blake. “I may need to beg a ride home from you,” she said quietly.

“Not a problem.”

“Hopefully I can get Reggie to see the wisdom in that.”

Blake glanced around at the partiers. “But I think I might like to make an earlier night of it. That is, if I can drag your cousin away from her forum.”

“I'd love to call it a night,” she said eagerly. “I've met some nice people, and I was actually having fun earlier in the evening.” She lowered her voice. “Until Reggie started drinking like a fish, and Janice started picking fights with Democrats.”

Blake elbowed her gently. “Looks like you and I are a couple of old party poopers.”

She smiled at him. “Hey, call it what you like, but I can think of better ways to have a good time.”

“So can I.” When his eyes met hers, she felt like he was looking a lot deeper than just the surface; for that matter, so was she.

“I'm sorry I twisted your arm to bring Janice tonight. Although, for my sake, I'm glad,” she admitted.

“Not as glad as I am,” he told her. “Do you mind if I tell you how stunning you look?”

Feeling uncomfortable, she waved her hand. “Oh, go on with you.”

“Okay.” He nodded. “I will go on. You look like a sea goddess in that dress, Waverly. The way it brings out the color in your eyes, your creamy skin. You're the most beautiful creature here tonight. If you weren't here with Reggie, I would…well, I'm not sure what I'd do. But I might ask the sea goddess to take a midnight swim with me.”

She laughed. “I haven't seen you drinking, Blake, but you sound slightly—”

“If I'm intoxicated, it's simply with your beauty, Waverly.”

“You know, Blake, my grandparents were Irish. Hence the name Brennen. But I wouldn't take you for Irish, except for all your blarney just now.”

“It's not blarney,” he insisted. “It's the truth.”

At that minute Reggie returned, sitting down at the table with not one but two drinks. “I got a spare.” He winked at Blake now. “Just in case someone changes her mind.”

“Waverly and I were both thinking we'd like to make it an early evening,” Blake told him.

Reggie looked surprised. “You would?”

“It's been a long day,” Waverly said quickly. “Remember I told you about my mom going to the hospital? That was pretty stressful. Blake was the one who was with her when it happened, and that was pretty stressful. Plus Sicily and I have been slaving to finish the mural, which is finally done.” She held up her still-stained fingernails. “I haven't even had a chance to get the paint out of my nails.”

Reggie leaned over to peer at her hands. “Well, now that you mention it, I see you haven't.” He shook his head. “No shame in that, Waverly. You look like a real artist now.” He took a sip of his drink. “Remember when you asked if I had a
real
gallery?”

“I do remember.” She patted his arm, resisting the temptation to remove one of those drinks and pour it into the potted plant behind him. “So, anyway, if you don't mind too much, I think I'll catch a ride home with Blake. I'd like it if you came with us too.”

“Came with you?” He looked at her like she was nuts. “But the party's barely begun, sweetness. I can't leave yet.”

“So you don't mind if I do?”

He looked dismayed. “Well, I do mind. But, hey, it's a free country.”

“Thanks for inviting me tonight.”

He nodded. “It was a pleasure arriving with the prettiest girl.”

She thanked him, then told him to take care. “Please, when it's time to go, call a taxi, won't you?”

“You bet,” he told her. “Probably a bunch of us will get a ride back to town together. You know, with a
designated driver.”
He snickered like that was a joke.

Waverly exchanged glances with Blake, but he looked as much at a loss as she was. “Do you think Janice will be ready to go?” she asked him.

“Guess we'll find out.”

So the two of them went over to where it almost seemed that the political “discussion” was quieting down some. Only three of Janice's audience still remained, all men who appeared to be in their forties or thereabouts. Waverly supposed, based on their expressions, that these men were more interested in Janice as a woman than as a politician, but she could be wrong.

“Excuse me,” Blake said as he stepped up to Janice. “But Waverly and I are ready to head for home and I—”

“Why is Waverly going
with you?”
Janice demanded.

“Is your date dumping you?” a balding guy asked, interest flaming in his eyes.

Janice narrowed her eyes. “Are you, Blake?”

“I'm not exactly her date,” Blake explained to the man. “More like an escort.”

“An escort?” the tall thin guy echoed. “You're telling us that a gorgeous girl like Janice Grant, successful attorney and candidate for state senate race, has to hire an escort to—”

“I did
not
hire an escort!” Janice shook her martini glass at him, and Waverly had to jump to miss the contents splashing over the edge.

“She's right, I'm not exactly an escort,” Blake said casually, “since I'm not charging her anything for my services. You see, I agreed to escort her for free. Guess that makes me more like a cheap date. A forced cheap date.”

Some of the onlookers guffawed.

“Actually, I'm the one who forced him into it.” Waverly decided to go with the lighthearted banter now. It seemed preferable to Janice throwing an ugly fit. “But I'm letting him off the hook now.”

“Letting him off the hook,” the balding guy asked, “or hooking him good?”

Blake smiled. “Hey, if Waverly wants me on her hook, I'm glad to oblige.”

“Wait a minute!” Janice held up her hands. “Just a cotton-pickin' minute. What's going on here anyway?”

“Nothing,” Waverly calmly said. “We're simply trying to get you to come home with us, Janice. Are you coming or not?”

“So, is this how it is?” Janice put her face close to Waverly's now. “While my back is turned, you put a move on my man?”

“I'm not your man,” Blake said evenly. “I was simply your driver tonight. And your driver is going home now. Are you ready?”

Janice was still glaring at Waverly. “I know what you're doing, Waverly. I can read you like a very short book.” She reached over and took Waverly's pearl strand in her fingers. “The same way you stole these, now you're stealing my man.” Waverly could smell the alcohol on Janice's breath, a reminder that she needed to go carefully.

“No one is stealing anything, Janice.” Waverly gently but firmly moved Janice's hand from her necklace. “Blake and I are just tired and want to go home and—”

“Going home
together,
I'll bet!”

“No, we're not. And we'd like you to come with us. I'm pretty tired. It was a long day with my mom going into the hospital and everything.” Waverly felt close to tears now.

“Your mom's in the hospital?” the tall thin guy asked her.

“She was. But they released her. And then she told me she's got cancer and—” Her voice broke.

“Hey, that's rough. My mom had cancer too.” The balding guy looked at her with real empathy. “But Mom's been almost five years without—”

“Shut up!”
Janice shouted so loud that Waverly jumped.

“Anyway, I want to go home,” Waverly told her irate cousin. “Are you coming or not?”

“Don't worry. I'll give the illustrious Janice Grant a ride if she needs one,” the balding guy offered. “Don't know where I'll drop her after hearing all her political views tonight. But I promise not to throw her into the ocean.”

“You could always call a cab for her,” Waverly suggested.

“Look, Cousin, I'm not worried about how I'll get home,” Janice shot at her. “I'm worried that you not only wrecked my car.” She pointed to the pearls again. “And stole my grandma's pearls.” Her face flamed more red. “But now you're stealing my man too!”