Chapter 3

Jessa

I waited the week before I went back to visit my father at work again. The entire situation was just too embarrassing: the shopping bag scene, the falling plaster, meeting Dayton, and my father's idea of a good surprise.

Not that there was anything wrong with Robert. We'd dated on and off for years, all very casual and more for convenience. When either of us needed a low-stress date to a high profile event, we called each other. Robert was well-bred, well-dressed, handsome in a faded football player kind of way, and he was even a good dancer. I'd just never thought of him as more than the occasional date. He loved the spotlight and loved the social whirl, and I had no idea he had even been considering marriage, much less proposing to me.

It must have been quite a lucrative deal he and my father made.

So I had said yes.

What else was I supposed to do? My mother was already crying happy tears, and my father looked ready to burst with pride. It was the perfect alignment of two prominent families. The whole of our social circle was over the moon about it.

The worst part of it was I saw Dayton right after. Robert was spinning me in a ridiculous circle, something he knew looked great for the photographers on hand, and over his shoulder, I caught a glimpse of Dayton. He left without a second glance.

It shouldn't have bothered me, but I couldn't help feeling dismissed. Yes, we'd only flirted for an hour or so, but that in of itself had been more fun than my last three dates with Robert Duncan.

And I was jealous.

Dayton didn't have the weight of an old-money name or the expectations of my social circle. He was free to work and could come and go as he pleased.

I told myself that was the only reason Dayton was still on my mind. It had nothing to do with his vibrant blue eyes or the way his smile was just a little crooked when he was joking. And it definitely had nothing to do with how my whole body lit up when his arm brushed against mine.

"Ridiculous," I muttered to myself.

"Miss?" Jeffers held the limousine door open for me and gave me a concerned glance. "Is everything all right?"

"Yes, fine. It's just I don't think my father is here, and that ruins my plan for taking him out to lunch," I explained.

"He's not here?" Jeffers asked. He checked his watch.

"See?" I pointed up to the front door where my mother emerged at a fast pace. She looked agitated, the kind of agitated she got when her husband wasn't where he said he'd be.

I met her at the bottom of the steps and tried to keep my eyes on her exasperated face instead of the myriad construction workers crawling all over the facade of the building. A few furtive glances told me that Dayton was nowhere to be seen.

"This is the third time this week," my mother huffed.

I stiffened. "Third time?" I asked, doing a quick count in my head. Did she know I'd been dropping by Father's building?

"The third time your father has skipped out of work without updating his schedule. How am I supposed to know where he is at all times?"

Estrella Lauren was an organized woman. She moved faster than anyone I'd ever seen in high heels and never stopped marching around from early morning until late at night. If it wasn't a charity event, it was a luncheon, or a gallery opening, or a new restaurant, or one of her dozen pet projects.

My mother was exhausting, and I knew my father was probably off at his club reading the paper or taking a nap; things he never had a chance to do at home. Or at his office since both the women in his life had taken to stopping by whenever they fancied.

"Well, it's his loss," I said.

Estrella smiled and caught my hand. "It definitely is his loss. I didn't know you were coming by."

I shied away from her curious glance and shrugged. "It's fun watching the renovation. You know I've always loved Father's office."

"Ever since you were a little girl." Estrella sighed. "You used to sit at his desk and play at being the boss. Such a silly little thing you were."

I stiffened. "Mother, you know that women are CEOs, CFOs, and all kinds of bosses these days, right?"

"Of course, dear, but aren't you glad you don't have to deal with that kind of stress?" Estrella patted my hand. "So, shall we?"

"Oh, Mother, I don't need to drag you around with me while I check out the renovation." I paused. "It was just another one of my 'silly' ideas."

"Nonsense. It's a great idea." Estrella gave me a quick squeeze. "Lots of brides-to-be go through a nesting phase. You and Robert will need lots of ideas for your new house."

My stomach flipped, but I kept a smile frozen on my face. At least Dayton wasn't there to see me being a huge fraud this time.

It was another week before I gave in to my urge to swing by the Miller Building again. My father had confessed to me that he was taking extended lunch breaks on his yacht. In exchange for my secrecy, my father had told me I could use his office whenever I wanted. We both needed places to hide.

Jeffers pulled up to the curb, and my limousine door popped open before he could put it in park.

"Ms. Lauren, nice to see you again." Dayton extended a hand to help me out of my car.

"Don't worry. Jeffers will be out of your way in just a moment."

Dayton chuckled and shut the car door behind me. "It's not your driver I'm wondering about. Word on the site is that you've stopped by a few times now. Keeping an eye on the renovation?"

I tugged my hand free before his warm grasp completely overwhelmed my senses. "I find it interesting. And I want to make sure the building's history and integrity stay intact," I explained.

Dayton's dark eyebrows rose up. "You know a lot about the building?" he asked.

"No, but I could." The words tumbled out before I could check myself. "In fact, I thought I could help acquire the right finishes. You know, crystal doorknobs, antique light fixtures, the right marble to replace what's been missing for decades."

"And save me from the horrors of shopping." Dayton grinned. "That's a great idea."

We stood facing each other, and I felt better than I had in over a week. Somehow Dayton felt familiar and exciting all at the same time. He also liked to talk about real, concrete things and that was a big change from the idle gossip I normally got in place of conversation.

"Should we make a list?" I asked.

Dayton escorted me up the front steps, and it felt fantastic to be on his arm. It didn't even matter that his light blue button-up shirt was wrinkled and smudged. He was strong and self-assured, and I felt like his sense of purpose was rubbing off on me.

It was also a thrill to stand next to him as he commanded the large crew of workers. Every person we passed nodded to him or deferred to his judgment on some work matter. He was clearly the alpha, and just a taste of that power had my mouth watering.

By the time I finally left the Miller Building, I had a real task to complete and a serious thirst for more.

I tried to slake it by joining my mother for a glass of wine before dinner. I also wanted to let her know about my new project, but she was in a reminiscent mood. By the time I joined her in the sitting room, my mother had pulled out an old photograph album and was cooing over the memories.

"Oh, do you remember him?" Estrella cried.

I glanced over her shoulder as she sat on the velveteen settee. "My first boyfriend. Stuart."

"He was a dear," my mother said.

I suppressed a shudder. Stuart had been anything but a dear. From what I remembered, he was a raging brat that had to get his way in everything from what movie we watched to what shoes I wore. He didn't like it when I wore heels because they made me taller than him.

"Not exactly my first love."

"Probably a good thing. I heard he lost all sorts of money on some internet app that failed," my mother reported.

I took another long sip of wine, and my mind drifted back to Dayton. Would he care if I was taller than him? Not that I ever could exceed his height. Dayton was 6'2" and forever having to stoop through doorways. But his confidence didn't come from his height. He radiated strength from his core as if he'd made a decision about who he was and had never second-guessed it.

"Ooo, now what about him? Remember him?" Estrella called me out of my admiration.

"Ugh." I pulled a face that made my mother frown. "Sorry, Mother, but Blaine was the blandest boyfriend. I thought everyone was supposed to let loose a little in college. He did not. Ever."

"Yes, I can see that. Weak-chinned," my mother said.

I wanted to change the subject and tell her about my task of finding authentic finishes for the Miller Building, but my mother had other things on her mind.

She slammed the photograph album closed. "Well, lucky for us your fiancé is a wonderful man. When are we going to start shopping for your trousseau?"

"Mother, please. I've got a wonderful wardrobe already, and Robert hasn't seen one tenth of what I wear."

"Nonsense. My bride-to-be will have everything. We'll meet tomorrow at your father's office and go shopping from there," Estrella said.

I'd already planned to drop in on Dayton again, but my mother's suggestion gave it the legitimacy I needed. "Fine. I'll meet you there at ten a.m."

I was there at nine-fifteen. I would have been earlier, but traffic was so bad Jeffers had to take a circuitous route that made my head spin. It felt like it was still spinning when I spotted Dayton.

He jogged down the steps and caught my hands. "Ms. Lauren, nice to see you again."

He teased me with formalities even as I felt electrified by his touch.

"I'm meeting my mother in a few moments, but I thought you'd like to know what I've found so far," I said.

Dayton wrapped my arm around his and escorted me up the front steps. "Good. I'm glad one of us isn't delayed. Last night's rain has pushed back all my plans."

My heart jumped. "You're not working today?"

"There's always something to do, but the crew has the small stuff handled here. I could be persuaded to discuss doorknobs over lunch," he said.

My heart took off at a gallop and left me leaning against him under the archway of the front door. More than anything I wanted to spend the morning with Dayton but I suddenly realized what a dangerous game I was playing.

Then Estrella called out. "Aren't you two a picture!"

"Mother. You're early," I stammered. "I was just heading upstairs to say hello to Father."

She arched an eyebrow at me. "How considerate of you."

Dayton jumped to open the door for my mother and then escorted us to the elevator. I tried to catch his eye and somehow apologize for the awkwardness, but he diligently avoided my gaze.

"Nice to see you again, Ms. Lauren. Mrs. Lauren," he said.

My mother ignored him completely until the elevator doors shut. Then she turned to me and said, "you were bred better than that, Jessa."

"Mother, I--"

She waved a bejeweled hand. "Never mind. We have a married woman's wardrobe to buy. Mrs. Robert Duncan will be the best dressed wife San Francisco has seen yet!"

I swallowed hard but still felt sick. I knew what my mother expected, what my family expected, and what the world in general already had planned for me. It had been fine, something I could skirt around, all through high school and college but now, for the first time, I wanted to throw their expectations back in their faces.

For the first time, I actually wanted something, someone. I had everything in the world a woman my age could need. Except for courage.