A Calculated Romance (2 page)

Chapter 2
-Warnings-

"I want you to stay away from that girl, James," Donald Crimshaw said with conviction.

"Whatever for, Dad?"

Donald twisted his mouth and raised his eyebrows in a way that said
you really have to ask?

"Look, you've already gone through enough of your sister's friends.  Katrina has to be the one on cleanup duty after you're done.  Besides, Landi is a sweet, innocent girl—too young for you!"

"First, I've only dated
one
of Kate's pals, and we've made our peace and—"

Donald interrupted his son, demanding, "What about Donna Jones and Abby Barnes?"

"Dad, that was high school, for Pete's sake. Nothing serious.  Those girls chased me relentlessly, you know."

"So you claim," Donald said, rolling his eyes.

Jim reached down and petted his dad's pet bulldog on the head, then scratched behind the animal's ears.

"At least
you
love me, Bowzer."

"Jim, I mean it.  I can't believe you're in town one day, and you've already gone out with Katrina's assistant.  The girl's had a rough life, and she doesn't need you tearing through it now."

"What do you mean by rough?" he asked as nonchalantly as possible, rubbing the dog's stomach.

"I mean she was raised in the foster care system—never knew her mother or father.  She lived in a trailer around Cadiz most of her life, a real desert rat kind of place.  Luckily for her, she made connections with the president of the Gemology Institute.  She's a bit of a rock hound and formed a friendship over the years with the guy, whom she met searching for geodes, trilobites, and such.  He gave her a scholarship." 

James felt something pinch his gut and wondered what game this president played.  Not used to jealousy, he didn’t recognize the unpleasant emotion.  His brows furrowed as his dad continued.

"She goes to class in the mornings and works for your sister in the afternoon.  She's a real sweet kid, and I'm not sure you understand what it means to a person to be given up by their natural parents like that."

My best friend was adopted.

"Don't worry, Dad.  I was only being nice.  Besides, after the rehearsal and wedding, I won't be around much.  Looks like I've got the job in San Diego sewn up."

"James, that's wonderful!  We'll have to celebrate tomorrow—you know, paint Palmdale red!"

Both men enjoyed a long laugh at the idea of
painting
the sleepy bedroom community red.

Once his father turned in for the night, Jim fired up his computer.  He planned to do some research involving Cadiz, Landi Lincoln, and the Gemology Institute.  He'd spend time with his dad, relaxing in the high desert, then see the girl at his sister's wedding rehearsal and dinner.  Something about her had put a hook in him, like a rainbow trout caught by an expert angler, and he couldn't ignore it, no matter how others hoped he would. 
Catch and release.  Catch and release.

Earlier that evening, he'd taken her to a pizza place not far from Kate's apartment.  Aside from the burst of information she'd given him after her tears, she'd been quiet and shy.  He found himself doing most of the talking over a deep dish pie.  In fact, he usually ate like a horse on dates while the women chatted.  Tonight, he talked so much that Landi devoured three large pieces of pizza, bread sticks, and a salad before he got around to finishing his first slice.  By the looks of her, the girl needed to put some meat on her bones.

Normally,
he
preferred to extract information from his dates.  It was what he was trained to do, and women always enjoyed real conversation, something most men ignored while blathering on about themselves.  How that slip of a girl pulled so many personal details from him remained a mystery.  Something about her innocent face with barely visible freckles across the bridge of her nose put him at ease—and he hadn't been at ease in so long.  He found himself looking forward to spending more time with her.

Six months ago, he'd told everyone he had re-enlisted for another tour of duty.  It caused his breakup with Kiki, his sister's best friend.  At the time, he couldn’t share the truth with anyone.  He'd led a team into Afghanistan with the Defense Intelligence Agency to help discover what happened to his friend and fellow soldier, gather information for the department of defense, and rescue the officer.  Things had not gone as planned, and James sought to resign his post.  He'd come home via San Diego, where he interviewed with a defense consulting group.  His chances looked good for the job, but first, he planned to pursue a personal issue.

Jim drifted off to sleep thinking of the way Ireland's body felt beneath his and that otherworldly face framed by unruly curls.  He slept better than he had in several years, only waking when his father roused him around ten a.m.

"Katrina's on the phone, and she's anxious to speak with you, Jim," his father bellowed from down the hall.

When he took the receiver from his dad, he knew he was in for it.

"James," his sister began without saying hello.  "I understand from Dad that you took Ireland out last night for dinner.  I don't want you pursuing that girl, understand?  She's off limits!  Thanks to you, I'm going to have to rearrange the bridesmaids' order."

"What are you talking about, Sis?"

"I mean, I'm not going to throw you two together as partners at my wedding.  You've broken enough hearts that belong to my girlfriends, and—"

"Whoa there, Kate," he interrupted.  "I think you're getting carried away.  I just asked her to dinner because you weren't around, and she looked like she could use a good meal.  I mean, she's a nice kid and all, but are you paying her enough to eat?  She's awfully scrawny, and her apartment seems like it's in a dumpy, unsafe neighborhood."

James employed a standard tactic of distraction and defense.  He put Kate on the defensive while shifting the subject matter.

"Of course I'm paying her a fair wage!  She has done a wonderful job so far.  I didn't realize she might not have enough to live on.  My rent controlled apartment is so cheap.  Hmm, maybe I should give her a raise."  Katrina's voice trailed off.

His sister had a habit of daydreaming and drifting off topic.

"That would be a good idea, Kate.  Now, tell me more about the rehearsal dinner."

The siblings had a friendly conversation from there on, discussing the restaurant where they'd be dining, the groom, Bowzer, their father, and his own job prospects after the service.  He agreed, grudgingly, to come down for dinner that night.  His sister wanted him to spend more time with Robert before the big event.

The rest of the day, Jim relaxed around the house, chatted with his dad, played with the dog, and enjoyed being home.  He'd spent the last several weeks driving across the country, and staying put in Palmdale would have proved a welcome change.  Instead, he drove into Los Angeles and had dinner with his sister, Robert, and his former girlfriend, Kiki.  Somehow, she'd been invited to join them.  He and his sister's best friend had recently made peace, and Jim stayed on his best behavior all evening, proving to Katrina that he could be trusted as Landi's partner at the wedding.  He went to bed thinking of the striking girl and slept well again that night.

The next week passed uneventfully, with James relaxing at home, visiting with his dad, and  giving Bowzer extra attention.  He kept his own counsel and only discussed light topics with his father.  Each day, his anticipation at the thought of seeing Ireland grew.  When Thursday arrived, he suggested that his dad drive separately to the rehearsal.  The wedding party might be out late after the dinner, he explained.  James chose a navy blue suit, a crisp white shirt, and an electric blue tie sporting tiny green dots.  He recalled the mint dress Landi would be wearing and wanted his tie to match.  In fact, he remembered every detail about the girl's appearance.

He arrived at the church early and sat out front in his red sports car waiting for Ireland.  Just as he spotted her, arriving in an old beat-up compact car, his dad appeared.  Donald Crimshaw met the girl and escorted her inside the church, running an endgame around his son.  By all appearances, his father already knew Landi.  She greeted him with open affection.

Donald led Ireland to a pew, where they waited for the rest of the group to arrive.  She always enjoyed spending time with her boss's father.  He seemed so different from her gruff foster dad.  Bill Lincoln had died from emphysema before Landi graduated from high school.  She often wondered if Rick would have become so aggressive had her father lived.  Her boyfriend always behaved respectfully with Bill around.

As the wedding party trickled in, she noticed James sulking near the back of the church.  She caught quick glimpses of him whenever she could.  At last, the bride and groom appeared, and looking gloriously happy, they organized the group.

Katrina assigned the groomsmen partners.  Since she couldn't very well place James with Kiki, and her brother had convinced her he didn't have his cap set for Landi, she relented and allowed him to escort her assistant. 

Kate had seen fit to give Ireland another warning regarding her brother.  Now, the girl stiffened whenever he touched her and would hardly look directly at him.  His grin didn’t help either.

He'd be so much easier to ignore if he weren't so handsome.

James escorted Landi from the sanctuary to the foyer, where the party planned to regroup before practicing the ceremony again.  The skin under her dress tingled wherever he touched her.  She felt his thumb caressing her back as he guided her up the aisle and took the chance of looking at him.  The eyes she'd known as blue appeared steely grey today. 

"What's wrong?" she whispered before she could stop herself.

From past experience, the girl knew that a change in eye color signaled a more serious mood, or perhaps anguish or even pain.  She caught James off-guard with the question.  He fixed his eyes on hers until they reached the altar, searching for the source of her intuition.

"I'll tell you later," he whispered in her ear before releasing her to join the other bridesmaids at the front of the church.

As the wedding coordinator droned on and on, Ireland felt the heat of James's stare.  She directed her gaze everywhere except near him.  She knew if she allowed her eyes to wander in his vicinity, she wouldn't be able to resist taking a glimpse of the man.  She had to stay away from this playboy and concentrate on her role as a member of the wedding party.  He'd be leaving the area soon anyway, according to his sister.

At the close of the rehearsal, they were instructed to exit the church just as they would after the wedding.  Ireland found her arm encircled by James's, and she was escorted straight from the chapel to his sport scar.

"I have my own car," she said feebly, looking around.

James stood next to the open passenger door, waiting to help her inside.

"Don't worry. I'll drop you back here later," he said, widening his eyes as if to say
will you get in now?

She found it difficult to resist his take-charge manner.  Behind her, bridesmaids chattered and people broke into small groups to ride to the restaurant.  She felt like the odd duck, and her fear of getting stuck alone got the best of her. Without another word, she slipped into the red vehicle with the grace of a trained acrobat.  James slammed the door at once in case she changed her mind.

"How did you know something was wrong earlier?" he asked, looking askance at the waif beside him.

"Lucky guess," she said, not wanting to reveal she'd made a study of his eyes.

"I don't think so, Landi.  I'll tell you what—you tell me how you knew something was wrong, and I'll tell you why I was upset.  Deal?"

She glanced his way and observed that puppy dog expression.  She began to suspect it was as phony as his grin—part of an arsenal of weapons he used to get his own way, but she still found the look hard to resist.  She'd collected strays and outcasts her whole life.

"Your eyes appeared grey.  Normally, they are a bright blue.  When there is a shift in someone's eye color from lively to dull, it can signify pain, stress, or even a bad mood."

The girl looked at him in earnest.  Her countenance appeared so serious, he didn’t know how to react.

"Really, Landi?  I've never heard that," he said at last, fighting to keep the corners of his mouth even to hide his amusement.

She saw the twitch of his lips and the pulse at the corner of his jaw, and she looked straight ahead.  She feared he mocked her.

"You must have something there, because I
was
upset.  I'd been looking forward to seeing you all week, yet you ignored me once you got to the church."

Now, Ireland fought to keep a smile from her lips.  She kept telling herself not to fall for this player.  He was
so
out of her league anyway—older, educated, polished, and from a good home.

"That's a nice thought," she stated in a business-like tone as the car pulled to a stop outside the Italian restaurant Katrina and Robert had chosen for their rehearsal dinner.

She kept her eyes focused ahead and didn't see the astonished look cross his face or his features compact with frustration as she exited the vehicle.