Summer Kisses (15 page)

Laura came to her feet the moment he appeared. “Where’s Jill?” she asked.

“She and the doctor had some catching up to do. Why don’t we head on outside and get some fresh air while we wait?”

By the time Jill caught up to them, Derrick and Laura were outside and in the middle of the art festival. Brightly colored chalk drawings covered the walkways and vendors behind their exhibition booths were lined up on both sides of the street.

“Sorry I took so long,” Jill said as she anchored strands of hair behind her ears. “What did you think?”

“Of what?” Derrick asked.

“Of Nate?”

“I think he’s dreamy,” he offered.

Jill laughed. “I mean as a pediatrician. Don’t you think he’s thorough and professional? A doctor we can trust to take care of Ryan?”

“I can’t say I have met a lot of pediatricians in my day. I have nothing to compare him to, sorry.”

“Sounds like I missed all the fun,” Laura said.

“You two got along well,” Derrick said. “I suppose you and Nate have a date?” he questioned, although he was only teasing.

Jill’s eyes flashed like neon lights in Vegas. “As a matter of fact, yes, we do. We’re going to a movie Friday night.”

Derek felt a little nauseated and he wasn’t sure why. Jill was on one side and Laura was on the other while he guided the stroller through the main part of town. He didn’t have a destination in mind. Jill’s car was back the other way. He just kept walking, trying to keep his cool since he knew he had no business getting bent out of shape.

“Do you think you could babysit that night?” Jill asked.

“He’s my son. Of course I can watch my son. What time?”

“How about four o’clock?”

For some ridiculous reason he felt better knowing it would be earlier rather than later.

“That will give me time to take a shower and get ready. Nate is taking me to Crush, a new restaurant on Jasmine Street. I’ve wanted to go there ever since they opened six months ago.”

They stopped and waited for Laura, who they lost a few vendors ago. She was looking at handmade purses and bargaining with the salesperson.

“I thought you were going to an early movie?”

“I didn’t say that. I said we were going to a movie, which we are—after dinner.”

“How late do you plan on staying out?”

“Why? Do I have a curfew?”

“Of course not, it’s just that I thought you said that you and Sandy had a lot of work to do on the magazine.”

“Thanks to you, we’re all caught up. Sandy helped me write my column and Chelsey brought the pictures by late last night. You know—the pictures she took at the park the other day. We have lots of great photos to pick from. According to Sandy, the chili received rave reviews and so that’s a go, too.” Jill smiled. “I’m beginning to feel like my old self again.” She swung herself in a circle, arms in the air, face to the sun. “What a beautiful day.”

Yeah—a beautiful day
.

“Wow, look at that.” Jill headed across the street to one of the exhibition booths.

Derrick watched as she oohed and aahed over the ugliest bronzed figurines he’d ever seen. She brought one of the figurines over to him and held it up so she could show him the details. “That’s what I call artwork.”

His mother’s words rang in the back of his head:
if you have nothing nice to say, it’s best to say nothing at all.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. Why?”

“I don’t know,” Jill said. “Ever since we met with Dr. Lerner you’ve been acting like a big gloomy rain cloud on a sunny day.”

“Maybe it’s because I’m wondering why you were kissing me one minute and then all but drooling over the good doctor in the next.”

“I wasn’t drooling. Besides, you made it perfectly clear that the kiss we shared was a great, big foolish mistake. So, why would you care about my interaction with Dr. Lerner?”

“I don’t know,” he said. “Forget I said anything.”

“Are you jealous?”

Nervous laughter escaped him. “Of course not. I just don’t think Dr. Lerner is right for you.”

That made her smile.

“What?”

“Dr. Lerner used to be on one of those Abercrombie and Fitch shopping bags.”

“On a what?”

Her eyes twinkled as she said, “All the hot guys are displayed on the A&F shopping bags.”

“What does that have to do with him not being right for you?”

She shrugged. “Just thought I’d mention it.”

“So you think he’s hot?”

She snorted. “Duh.”

“Is that why you like him? Because he’s hot?”

“It never hurts to be hot, but no, that’s not the only reason I like him.”

He felt as if he was pulling teeth. “So what else do you like about him?”

Derrick followed her back to where the woman waited patiently for Jill to return her piece of artwork.

“Beautiful work,” she told the artist.

The artist was an older woman with long gray curls that hung over her shoulders. “I use clay and bronze and I spend hours on each piece, trying to capture the innocence and grace of the female form.”

“Your passion shows in your work,” Jill said. “How much is this one?”

Derrick waited patiently for Jill to look around.

“The one you have your eye on is five thousand dollars. This one over here is thirty-five-hundred.”

Derrick nearly fell over backwards.

“I’ll have to think about it,” Jill said, “but if you have a card I would love to keep track of where you’ll be showing more of your work.”

The woman pulled a business card out of the front pocket of her apron and passed it on to Jill.

Derrick peeked into the stroller at Ryan and then started off again. “Why don’t we grab something to eat at the café across the street while Ryan is sleeping,” he said.

“That’s a terrific idea. I’m starved. Look at this,” Jill said, holding up the business card. “The woman is from New York City. She’s come a long way to sell her figurines.”

They stopped at the street corner and Jill pushed the button on the pole. As they waited for the Walk sign to turn green, she sent a text to her sister letting her know they would be in the café.

“Are you going to answer my question?” he asked.

The light turned green and she started off across the crosswalk. “No.”

“Why not?”

“Because whether you’re my friend or not, who I choose to go out with is none of your business.” She held the door to the café open and waited for him to push the stroller through.

The waitress took them to the booth in the far corner, handed each of them a menu, and told them she’d be back in a few minutes.

Jill readjusted the blanket, making sure Ryan wasn’t too hot. “Dr. Lerner said Ryan was short for his age.”

Derrick grunted. “He’s hardly two weeks old. I think it’s a little soon to be—” He stopped in mid-sentence when he spotted Aaron putting a tip on the table across the way. “Just one minute.” He stood and headed that way. “Aaron,” he called.

Aaron turned toward him. His shoulders sank and his expression told Derrick he had already seen him and was trying to escape unnoticed. Derrick looked around. “Where’s Maggie?”

Aaron shook his head at him.

“I’m only asking because I was hoping you and Maggie could meet my friend, Jill, and our son, Ryan.”

“Maggie’s already halfway to the car and I really don’t have time.”

“Just give me one minute.”

Aaron raised his hands in surrender and followed him back to where Jill sat studying the menu.

“Jill, I’d like you to meet my brother, Aaron.”

Jill smiled as she came to her feet and shook his hand. “Nice to meet you,” she said. “I believe I’ve met all of the brothers now, haven’t I?”

“You still haven’t met Lucas or Garrett,” Derrick told her.

“I’m the misfit of the family,” Aaron told her. “We’re not brothers in the true sense of the word.”

“You’re not?”

“He’s adopted,” Derrick added.

Aaron peeked inside the stroller at Ryan. “So this is the little guy we keep hearing about, is it?”

“We just finished with his first check-up,” Jill said.

Aaron raised a brow. “Who’s your pediatrician?”

“Dr. Lerner.” She pointed out the window and toward the building they had just left. “Right over there.”

“I went to college with Nate,” Aaron said. “What are the odds?”

“I’ve known him for years,” Jill said excitedly. “He’s very competent and knowledgeable.”

“Yeah, he’s a good guy. He and I went golfing before he left for Europe. He has a great swing.”

“Is there anything that man can’t do?” Derrick asked.

Aaron angled his head as if he was thinking about asking Derrick what he meant, but then thought better of it. Instead, he looked at Jill. “It was nice meeting you. I better get going. My fiancée is waiting in the car. She’s probably wondering what’s happened to me.”

Derrick offered a hand, but after Aaron pretended not to notice, he shoved his hand into his front pants pocket and let it go. Derrick was beginning to feel like a leper. “Tell Maggie I said hello.”

“I don’t think so,” Aaron said with a frown. “But I am glad to see that the discoloration around your eye has almost disappeared. Maggie has been worrying about you ever since we saw you last. Speaking of which, I guess you won’t need her services since the two of you,” he said, wiggling a finger between him and Jill, “seem to have worked things out.”

“Is your fiancée Derrick’s attorney?” Jill asked.

“To tell you the truth,” Aaron said, “I’m not sure what their working relationship was…or is.” He let out a short caustic laugh and took a step away as he pointed a finger at Derrick. “Watch this guy though,” he told Jill. “He’s quick on his feet—on the field and off the field.” He continued to wag the same finger. “You never know what he’s going to do next.”

With that final cryptic message, Aaron walked away.

Once Aaron was out of sight, she took her seat and said, “Wow, somebody is angry with you. Is he the one who punched you in the eye?”

Derrick nodded. “He’s had a chip on his shoulder for as long as I can remember.”

Derrick glanced out the window and wondered how Maggie was getting along. He took a seat across from Jill and opened his menu, but it might as well have been written in Chinese because he couldn’t concentrate.

Jill’s father had managed to get reservations at the Sky House downtown. They dined on prime rib eye with pommes frites, asparagus, and béarnaise sauce. There was a dance floor in the bar, and unlike their small group, the people on the other side of the room seemed to be having a good time.

Sandy had offered to take care of Ryan and Jill realized she missed her son already. This was the longest she’d been away from Ryan since he was born, not including the time he was kidnapped and taken to the park.

Jill’s parents had not been happy to learn that Derrick would be joining them for dinner, but now that they had all suffered through an awkwardly quiet meal, her parents seemed intent on making up for lost time before dessert was served.

“Your mother mentioned that Thomas has been trying desperately to get in touch with you.”

“I talked to him last week,” Jill offered.

“I heard that you were abrupt and cut the conversation short.”

Jill stiffened. “There really isn’t much for the two of us to say to one another.”

“He wants you back.”

“Maybe she doesn’t want him back,” Laura said before she raised her glass to her lips and finished off the rest of her wine in one long gulp.

“Thomas was recently appointed partner at the firm. He regrets what he did and he wants nothing more than to make it up to you.”

“I didn’t come here tonight to talk about Thomas,” Jill said, trying to keep her composure.

“Your apartment is small and the location is questionable at best. Come back to New York with us. We’ll set you up in a comfortable apartment where you’ll have help so that you can have fun with your project.”

“My project?”

“Yes, your little publication.”

Jill did her best to remain tight-lipped as her father droned on.

“Once we get you and Ryan set up properly, you might be frowned upon in the beginning, especially considering your choice to be a single mother, but once the other young couples learn that you come from good stock and see that you’re respectable and—”

Laura’s laughter cut into her father’s ridiculous oration, stopping him short.

“And what, might I ask, do you find humorous?” her father asked her sister.

“Good stock?” Laura repeated. “Are you kidding me? Why do you think Jill moved so far away in the first place? To get as far away from the three of us as possible,” she said, answering her own question. “You’ve been micro-managing both of our lives for too long.” Laura directed her gaze at Jill. “Did you know that Mom and Dad wanted Thomas in the family so badly that they tried to push him off on me?”

Derrick noticed Jill’s face turn bright red, and his heart went out to her.

“And worse than that,” Laura went on, “I fell for it…hook, line, and sinker. They went so far as to convince me that he left you at the altar because he was interested in me.”

“That’s enough,” Jill’s father said. “You’ve had too much to drink and you don’t know what you are saying.”

“Well, you, Father, have not had enough to drink because you still have that same stick up your ass. The good news is,” Laura told Jill, ignoring her father’s horrified expression, “is that Thomas ignored my advances and even revealed that he had made a horrible mistake when he left you.” Laura looked around for the waiter. “Where is everyone? I’m going to the bar to get a drink.” She left the table and headed for the bar where people of all ages danced beneath dim lights.

“Your poor sister,” her mom said the moment Laura was out of earshot.

“What do you mean?” Jill asked.

“It’s obvious, isn’t it?” her father asked. “Thanks to you, she’s a complete mess.”

“Soon after you left,” her mother added, “she became argumentative and defiant.”

“And this is somehow my fault?”

“Of course it is,” her father said under his breath.

Derrick put a hand on Jill’s shoulder. She wore a black sleeveless dress, and he brushed his thumb over her soft skin. He wasn’t sure if the stunned look she wore had to do with her sister’s bluntness or the idea that her parents might have tried to hook up her ex with her sister. He wanted nothing more than to tell these so-called aristocrats to stuff it and then lean down and nibble on her neck, but for Jill’s sake he kept his opinions and his urge to nibble to himself.