Simply Being Belle (19 page)

Dare surprised her
when he leaned toward her and brushed a kiss across her cheek.  “It’s safe to
fraternize now,” he said with a grin and a wink.  “My six weeks are up.”

Belle smiled into
his eyes, while Lacey and Steven chuckled.  But Lacey quickly turned serious. 

“Where have you
been all week, girl?  And what have you been doing?  I’ve tried reaching you
several times and you don’t seem particularly inclined to return my calls.”

Belle pulled her
gaze away from Dare and grinned widely at her friend.  “Well…”

“Do you finally
have a hobby?” Steven interrupted.

Belle didn’t get a
chance to answer, since a waitress appeared to take their orders.  She did a
cursory scan of the menu and ordered last, deciding on the house salad.  She
closed the menu with a snap, and smiled at her friends again. 

“What
have
you been up to?” Dare asked then, watching her with interest.  He noted her eyes
sparkled eagerly and her cheeks boasted a healthy glow.  “You look … happy.”

“I am,” she
agreed.

“She’s happy to be
starting back to work Monday,” Lacey said knowingly.

“That has to be
it,” Steven concurred.

Dare continued to
watch Belle speculatively.  Her eyes shone, and she seemed so alive and
energetic.  He couldn’t help but wonder what accounted for her good cheer. 

He was thrilled to
see her so happy, since in truth, he hadn’t seen much of her at all during the
week.  She’d begged off their evening walks all but one evening, citing other
commitments, and as much as he had wanted to, he hadn’t pressed her for an
explanation.  Perhaps one was forthcoming.

“Actually, I won’t
be back to work at Legal Aid for two more weeks,” she exclaimed cheerfully.

“
What
?”
Lacey and Steven cried in unison.

She turned to
Dare, eyes dancing.  “I’ve spent the week working alongside Jacob Biggs.”

He shook his head,
his brows furrowing into a frown.  “What are you talking about, Belle?”

A waitress
appeared with their beverage orders, and she remained quiet until the woman
hurried away.  “I’ve taken two more weeks off work,” she repeated, a flush of
pleasure spilling across her cheeks, “to help Jacob make Elm Place habitable.” 

“I … don’t get
it,” Lacey said, glancing at Steven with a bewildered frown.

 Belle shifted in
her seat.  Dare still watched her curiously.  “I’ve been working with Jacob all
week, attempting to assess what improvements need to happen at Elm Place in order
for the place to reopen to low-income families.”

“You’re doing
what?” Steven asked, frowning.

Belle took a deep,
calming breath.  “Okay,” she began, “I’ll explain.  As Jacob explained to Dare
and me last Friday, Elm Place needs many, many improvements in order to be habitable
for low income families.  And, the fact is, Lawton needs just such a complex so
close to downtown.  Low income families residing there will be close to jobs,
shopping, entertainment, including theaters and the sports arena.  And … with
the new community college currently being built, the location simply meets so
many needs.”

“Okay, where do
you come in?” Lacey asked.

“It’s fairly
obvious where a lawyer could be beneficial in such an endeavor,” Steven said
reasonably.

“Well, sure,”
Lacey acknowledged.  “But why you, Belle?”

“I thought Biggs
lacked the funds to make any improvements,” Dare observed.

Suddenly, Lacy
grinned.  “Oh, that’s also where you come in, eh, Belle?”

“Exactly.  The
Preston Foundation is designated for just such a purpose.  I’m thrilled to
donate the funds.  I know grandpa would approve.”

“Preston Foundation?”
Dare repeated quizzically.

“Belle is as rich
as Midas,” Lacey informed helpfully.  “Aside from establishing a trust fund for
her, her granddad established a philanthropic trust to be utilized for the
enrichment of Lawton as Belle sees fit, or whomever she enlists to oversee it.”

Dare watched
Belle, mouth agape, and eyes widened in shock.  He hadn’t realized she was still
so well-to-do.  He had assumed her family’s fortunes had changed.  Apparently
he was wrong.

“You didn’t
realize Belle is an heiress?” Lacey asked him rather loudly.  “You remember the
Sweet Sixteen party tape, right?”

“Yeah, yeah.”  He
motioned with his hands.  “Keep it down,” he said fiercely. “Some weirdo is
liable to overhear and kidnap her for ransom.”

“Oh, don’t be
silly.”  Belle waved off his concerns and returned to the subject at hand. 
“Jacob and I are hoping we’ll be open for tenants within six months, although
we won’t know until we meet with contractors.”

Dare subsided
against the high-backed booth.  He watched Belle’s eager face.  She was
positively beaming—clearly excited about taking on a new project.  But hadn’t she
told him recently that she’d slowed things down?  Hadn’t she seemed to finally
understand she couldn’t move through life at such a frenzied pace?

He wanted her to
slow things down, to find a place in her busy life for him.  Would she? he
wondered.  And could she if she was heavily entrenched in another project?  And
restoring Elm Place definitely qualified as a project. 

Dare shook his
head to clear it.  “Uh, you’ve already asked Millicent for the time off?”

“Yes.  I’ve
actually accumulated twelve weeks vacation over the past years, but even
Millicent thought that was a bit too much time to expect me to take off all at
once.”

“I see,” he said,
turning his attention to the plate the waitress had just set in front of him. 

Belle sensed Dare
had quieted, had withdrawn somewhat, and she couldn’t help but wonder why.  She
had hoped her enthusiasm for this new project would be contagious—had hoped her
friends might offer to contribute to its completion in some way.  She had
especially hoped Dare would be more encouraging—or at least understanding as to
why it was important for her to be involved.

“The food looks
excellent,” Lacey enthused, and Steven concurred.

Belle glanced at
her salad, and then at Dare.  He turned and caught her gaze.  She saw something
in his eyes.  Sadness?  Regret?  She couldn’t be sure, and she lowered her
lashes before turning her attention from him and to her meal.             

  ***

Belle checked her
voice mail early Thursday and found a message from Dare.  He’d told her he
intended to eat lunch in the park and asked if she might be able to join him. 
While she couldn’t really spare the time, since she had a meeting with
contractors she suspected might go into the lunch hour, she decided to somehow
make the time.  She had sensed Monday during their short walk—short because she
had arrived late—that he seemed to be growing impatient with her schedule.  He
had even voiced a question as to where he fit into her life. 

Later, she had
thought quite a lot about the question.  Where did he fit?  She definitely
wanted him in her life. 

She placed a quick
call to his office, surprised when he picked up on the third ring. 

“It’s good to hear
your voice.  Did you get my message?” he asked.

“I did.  Lunch in
the park sounds great.”

She heard him
groan at the end of the phone line.  “I’m so sorry, but I’ve just been told I’m
expected at a lunchtime meeting today.  I wish I could get out of it,” he added
with a weary sigh.

“Oh, no.  I don’t
expect you to do that.”  She attempted to sound upbeat.  “Are we on for our
walk tonight?”

“Are we?” he
asked, and Belle was sure she hadn’t imagined the tinge of skepticism in his
voice.    

“Why don’t we take
a night off from our walk,” she suggested.  “Why don’t I pick up takeout and we
can have dinner at my place.”

“Seven?”

“That sounds
great,” she said eagerly.

“It does.  I can’t
wait to see you.”

“Me, too.”

***

Later that afternoon,
Belle realized she wouldn’t have made it to a lunchtime meeting at the park,
since her consultation with a plumbing contractor had gone much longer than expected. 
Jacob Biggs had employed the man on several projects in the past, and hoped to
enlist his help in completing Elm Place.

Belle had liked
the contractor immediately.  He had seemed very knowledgeable and competent as he
had led her and Jacob through the complex, discussing a plan of action for the
project.  When they had finally finished, she and Jacob had eaten lunch in his
car, after having gone through a fast food drive thru. 

Currently, they
were on their way to his office, which happened to be several blocks away from Preston
and Dunne.  Belle had left her Prius parked in a lot nearby.  After spending a
few moments with Jacob in his office, discussing an upcoming meeting with a
framing specialist, she headed back to her car.

She glanced at her
watch.  It was two-thirty, and she wondered if she should pop in and say hello
to Dare.  He had sounded somewhat out-of-sorts earlier.  She made a quick
decision to walk over to the law offices of Preston and Dunne, and once there,
hurried through the maze to find him.  To her amusement, she found him
installed in what had been her office during her time at the firm.

His secretary
glanced up from her desk, and Belle smiled warmly.  “How are you, Patricia?”
she asked with a broad smile.

“Belle, it’s so
good to see you!” she cried. 

“You too.”  

 “How are things
going?” the woman asked with interest.  She had worked for Belle during her
time at the firm, and the two had been friends from the get-go.

“I’m doing great,”
she told her enthusiastically.

“You’re here to
see Mr. Jamison?” she asked, smiling widely.

Belle nodded. 
“Could you see if he might have a free moment?”

Patricia frowned
slightly.  “He’s heavily booked, but ... for you?  Of course.”

She rose from her
desk and knocked lightly on Dare’s door before entering.  She returned within
seconds.  “He’ll see you now, Belle.”

She smiled her
thanks, and then stepped into Dare’s office.  He rose from his mahogany desk. 
“This is a nice surprise.”

She moved closer,
barely registering the man sitting in a nearby chair. 

Dare closed the
distance between them, brushing a kiss across her cheek.  She smelled his after
shave, the masculine scent tantalizing her nose.  She resisted the urge to turn
her cheek and meet his lips with her own.    

The man who had
been sitting, rose suddenly.  Belle turned somewhat self-consciously and saw … Paul,
her former boyfriend.

“Belle,” he said
smoothly.  “It’s been a long time.”

She forced a
smile, though finding him in Dare’s office was as awkward a scenario as she
could envision.  They hadn’t parted on the best of terms, since it had been her
idea to end their relationship.

“How are you, Paul?”
she asked, somewhat stiffly.  She cast a glance at Dare, whose eyes had
narrowed speculatively.  She was certain he detected the palpable tension in
the room.

Before Paul could
answer, Belle smiled uncertainly at Dare.  “I’m sorry.  I didn’t realize you
were in a meeting.  I’ll go.”

“Did you need
something?” he asked curiously.  “Could you give us a minute, Paul?”

Paul lazily rose,
but Belle waved him back.  “No.  No.  I just wanted to say hello, since I was
in the neighborhood.”

Dare continued to watch
her.  “I’ll see you tonight then.”

She managed a
shaky nod.  “Yes.  Seven sharp.”

***

After Belle left,
Dare returned to the chair behind his desk.  He noted the other man watched him
curiously. 

“You’re dating
Belle?” Paul asked with interest.

Dare sat back in
the chair.  “I’d like to think we’re dating, but…”

“Can’t slow her
down long enough to define the relationship, eh?” he said knowingly.  “Same
problem I had with the woman.”

Dare watched him
through narrowed eyes.  “What?”

“She’s like a
whirlwind—rarely slows down long enough to stop and smell the roses.  It was
the kiss of death for our relationship.  Frankly, when I settle down, I want a
wife who stays home, who understands it’s her place to keep the home fires
burning.”

Dare swallowed. 
“You and Belle…”  His words trailed off.

He nodded.  “Almost
two years.  I’d have married her, but…”  He paused, stroking his chin
thoughtfully.  “I needed more than she could give, I guess.  She’s definitely a
workaholic.”

Dare felt as if he’d
been punched in the stomach.  The man sitting in front of him didn’t seem like
Belle’s type at all.  Slicked back hair, designer suit, Italian leather shoes…
and was that a gold chain around his neck?

He felt the bile
rise up in his throat.  What could she possibly have had in common with this guy? 
What could she have seen in him?  Dare hadn’t liked him from the moment he’d
met him.  He’d struck him as slick, calculating, a player. 

When Dare had been
assigned one of the firm’s biggest clients, Paul had gone to the ‘powers that
be’ and suggested that he team with him.  He’d suggested the new guy hadn’t
proven his merit yet, and was a liability until he’d shown otherwise.  He had
apparently been mollified when he’d gotten his way.  Dare hadn’t needed the
other man’s counsel or assistance, but it hadn’t mattered.

He found himself
missing Legal Aid more and more each day.  The realization surprised him,
though the more he thought about it, the more he realized it shouldn’t have. 
The work had been gratifying there, the clients grateful and cooperative.  They
hadn’t understood the system, and therefore, spent no time trying to circumvent
said system. 

On the other hand,
his clients at Preston and Dunne were rich, powerful, and adept at manipulating
the system.  They had created it.  As an attorney working on their behalf, he
sometimes felt extraneous, as if he were simply going through the motions.  He
didn’t like the feeling one bit.