Chapter Nine

Lance smothered a yawn as he surveyed the groups of people gathered in the blue and gold ballroom of Wilson-Dawes House. The idea of a house/office warming party had come from Carolyn and Jody. He hadn’t been able to come up with a good reason to refuse which is why he was pretending to enjoy himself when he would’ve preferred to be doing almost anything else.

His restless glance fell on Norah. It wasn’t the first time this had happened during the course of the evening. In a silvery-green dress that revealed the generous curves hinted at in her work clothes, she easily outshone every other woman in the room. He remembered Jody’s words – pure male appreciation – and couldn’t help smiling. Lance wasn’t the only male in the room enjoying the picture Norah made.

Before he could look away, she glanced in his direction. A small, conspiratorial smile formed on her lips. He knew it was only an acknowledgement of the deal they made, but it had no effect on how he reacted to it. For Lance, it was as good as a touch. Not since Holly had he felt so drawn to a woman. It seemed to be his fate to be attracted to someone who wasn’t interested in him.

His steps moved unconsciously in her direction, paving a path through the crowd to where she stood. Even in high heels, she barely reached the level of his chin. Her upswept hair added a touch of elegance to her appearance and showed off the creamy skin of her neck and shoulders. He swallowed hard as the delicate scent of her perfume teased his nose.

“Hey there, boss. Having fun?” she asked.

He’d never felt less like her boss, but that was the word he needed to keep repeating to himself. “Did you draw the short straw again?”

She didn’t mistake his meaning. “I didn’t draw it the first time, if you remember. As for tonight, I was the most available. Crystal has a four-year-old, Kathy had to go out of town, and Todd already had plans. As for Pam and T.J., our two college students, they have more exciting places to be on a Friday night.”

“Can’t say that I blame them.”

“By the look of things, you’ve got a lot of friends.”

Lance shrugged. “It’s a mixture of friends and business acquaintances. Better to invite everyone than run the risk of leaving anyone out.”

They were interrupted by someone Lance wished he could’ve left off the guest list.

“Here you are,” Iris said, linking her arm through his. “Where have you been hiding?”

Lance resisted the urge to pull away. Iris was Hunter’s sister, after all. “I’ve been mingling. That’s what the host is supposed to do. Let me introduce you to one of the tour guides who work here. This is Norah Comstock. Norah, this is Iris Sinclair.”

The two women exchanged the usual greetings customary between strangers, polite on Norah’s part and somewhat frosty and disinterested on Iris’s. It hadn’t taken Lance long to figure out that Iris’s beauty was only skin deep. The only reason he tolerated her pettiness was because of Hunter. The appearance of Carolyn was a welcome relief. They exchanged a quick glance.

“I thought you bailed on me,” he said to her.

“I’ve been trying to locate my husband so we could sample the buffet and enjoy the novelty of dancing to a live band. I finally tracked him down in the solarium. He was playing checkers with Logan.” She glanced over her shoulder. “Here he comes now.”

Edwin walked up beside her. “Can you believe it? That little sneak beat me.”

Lance laughed. “Join the club. You can’t be taken in by that toothless grin. Logan is always working an angle.”

Carolyn turned to the woman clinging to Lance’s arm as if it was a matter of life and death. “Hey, Iris. Hunter told us about you auditioning for the lead in Swan Lake. Congratulations.”

A brittle smile formed on Iris’s red lips. “Thank you. I’m thrilled to be given such an opportunity.”

Lance saw the puzzled look on Norah’s face. “I should have mentioned this before. Iris is a dancer with the Charleston Ballet.”

“That’s so exciting! I always wanted to take ballet lessons, but I grew up on a farm. I had to settle for 4H competitions and horseback riding.”

“How…interesting,” Iris said, her voice suggesting the opposite. “I suppose you know how to milk a cow.”

“Among other things. There was no shortage of work to do on a farm.”

Lance bit down on the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing.

With her usual skill at handing awkward silences, Carolyn said, “My idea of growing up on a farm is what I’ve seen in Norman Rockwell paintings.”

“It wasn’t quite that idyllic,” Norah explained, “but I wouldn’t trade the experience for anything.”

Edwin glanced at his watch. “Are we planning to eat soon? I’ve got a rematch to win before my opponent has to go to bed.”

Carolyn laughed. “Then we better get in line. Anyone else want to join us?”

“I will,” Norah said. “I missed lunch today.”

Iris made a face. “No, thanks. I don’t do buffets.”

The condescension in her voice set Lance’s teeth on edge. She could have just said she wasn’t hungry, but that wouldn’t occur to her.

“How about you, Lance?” Carolyn asked, her neutral expression a dead giveaway that she found Iris’s comment as tactless as he did.

“Wish I could,” he told her, “but I’ve got some more mingling to do.” And an aspiring, conceited dancer to get rid of.

* * * * *

Norah forced a smile to her lips as she accompanied Carolyn and Edwin to the buffet. She couldn’t let them see how disappointed she was by Lance’s decision not to join them. Was she seeking reassurance to combat the idea that he was avoiding her? It was all too silly for words. Lance was a busy person. She couldn’t expect him to pay any more attention to her than he did anyone else. They weren’t a real couple, and the only person who thought they were wasn’t there tonight.

This was the problem with a fake relationship. Although they’d more or less crossed the line into a gray area, the essentials of their actual relationship hadn’t changed. Maybe the real issue behind her irritation was something much less palatable. But that didn’t make sense. Why would she be upset because Iris swooped in and took Lance away?

Instead of letting a stuck-on-herself stranger get under her skin, she should be glad that the problem of Perry was turning out to be a storm in a teacup. Other than a few phone calls and texts, the man she’d once dreamed of marrying had gone blessedly silent. This behavior was sufficient to make her believe she might have jumped the gun in creating a fictitious boyfriend. Had she once again been guilty of reading too much into Perry’s comments?

Carolyn’s voice, tinged with disgust, broke into Norah’s confused thoughts.

“Iris is stuck to Lance like glue.”

Edwin found the analogy amusing. “It must not bother him, or he’d do something about it.”

“He can’t do much in a room full of people.”

“A sudden coughing or sneezing attack might do the trick.”

“Not with Iris the Man-Eater.” Carolyn glanced unapologetically at Norah. “I don’t mean to be catty, but I get so irritated with a woman who continues to hang around when it’s obvious a man isn’t interested. Doesn’t she have any pride?”

“I think it’s the opposite,” Norah said slowly. “She has too much.”

Edwin nodded. “Exactly. Iris is the type who thinks no man can resist her.”

Carolyn chuckled. “That’s all well and good, but she’s not dealing with the average man.”

Norah was surprised into asking, “What do you mean by that?”

“Lance says he doesn’t want the trouble and distraction of marriage. He claims he’s very happy the way he is. So if Iris is thinking of getting him to the altar, she’s wasting her time.”

“Sounds like a nice, safe plan. He doesn’t have to worry about getting hurt.”

“It’s worked like a charm so far, but you can’t outrun love. It always has the last say.”

Edwin reached for Carolyn’s hand. “That’s why I didn’t even put up a fight. I knew the first time I saw Carolyn that my bachelor days were numbered.”

“That’s so sweet,” Norah said. “Did you feel the same way, Carolyn?”

“Not at first. I was involved with someone else at the time, but it wasn’t a good relationship. As I got to know Edwin, I realized that when you love someone, you put their happiness first. It shouldn’t be one person doing all the giving and the other doing all the taking.”

The conversation ended there. Norah took a plate from the uniformed waiter and started down one side of the buffet.

“Yum! Crab cakes, stuffed shrimp and lobster tail. I’m in heaven.”

Carolyn laughed. “Wait ‘til you see the dessert table.”

“I don’t know if I’ll have room for dessert.”

“Then make sure you get something to take home. Lance got the French bakery downtown to provide the sweets.”

“He really went all out on this.”

“This is how he does everything. He’s a ‘go big or go home’ kind of guy.”

They sat down at one of the tables situated along the wall. Through the windows, Norah could see the moon rising in the sky. She could remember lying in the cool grass after the sun went down and waiting for the stars to appear. She used to believe the crickets in the bushes were singing just for her. Life had seemed so much simpler then. It had followed a familiar pattern; varying only with the seasons.

A few couples ventured out on the veranda. Norah smiled when she saw an older couple start to dance. Her grandparents had loved to dance to Frank Sinatra. They had every record he made. That collection was one of the few things she hadn’t sold or given away after they died.

“This seafood salad is delicious,” Carolyn said.

Norah blinked away the moisture in her eyes. “I agree. I just realized something. I haven’t seen Hunter tonight.”

“He went skiing in Vermont.”

“That’s a place I’d like to go. I’ve even looked into taking one of those bus tours.”

“Speaking of tour buses, I’ve seen a few parked outside this place. I bet you guys love it when one rolls in.”

“It’s both a blessing and a curse; great for the bottom line, but it can mean longer lines for everyone else which leads to short tempers and irate customers.”

“You must have the patience of a saint.”

“It doesn’t come naturally. I count to ten a lot.”

After they finished eating, Norah and Carolyn went with Edwin to the solarium. Logan and Jody were sitting on opposite sides of a square glass-topped table eating popcorn. Between them was a wooden checkerboard.

“Ready for game 2?” Edwin asked Logan.

Logan nodded. “I’ve been practicing with Mommy. She showed me some tricks.”

Edwin sat down in the chair Jody vacated. “You’ll need more than tricks this time. I’m on to you.”

Jody came over to stand by Norah. “Your dress is beautiful.”

“Thank you. I bought it for a college friend’s wedding years ago. It’s nice to have an occasion to wear it again. Why aren’t you in the ballroom dancing the night away?”

“I’m not big on social events, and in spite of his denials, Lance needs some space. Having me and Logan hanging around gives off the wrong signal to the single ladies.”

“You’re worrying over nothing,” Carolyn put in. “Lance does that all by himself.”

“Are you talking about me again?” Lance asked as he walked up behind her.

She looked over her shoulder. “I’m not saying anything I wouldn’t say to your face. Where’s Iris?”

“She ran into someone she knew.”

“Hopefully, they’ll have a lot to talk about. Your arm could probably use a break.”

Lance’s blue eyes twinkled. “One has to admire her…determination.”

Jody rolled her eyes. “That’s one word for it.”

“Don’t you start,” he warned her. “I get enough of this from Carolyn.”

“I can’t help it. I have this silly fear that one day Iris is going to catch you in a weak moment, and before we can stop it, you’ll be asking her to marry you.”

“Not a chance.” He turned to Norah. “Can I borrow you for a few minutes?”

She thought he was asking her to dance. It was a natural assumption. She’d seen him dancing with several ladies, Carolyn included, earlier in the evening. When he bypassed the ballroom and took her to the library instead, she realized her mistake. It wasn’t a big deal, but she couldn’t help feeling disappointed. He waited politely until she was seated on the couch before sitting down in the chair next to her.

“I apologize for being missing in action lately. Something came up with one of my cases. It must have seemed like I dumped the auction on you and disappeared into the night.”

“I thought that was the whole point of asking me to help.”

“Not to the extent of expecting you to do everything yourself. Thanks for keeping me in the email loop.”

“I figured it was the best way for us to communicate.”

“Things should start slowing down for me after Thanksgiving. The copy for the promotional fliers looks great, by the way. I saw where you went with my name suggestion.”

“Jingle Bells Bachelor Bash has a nice ring to it. The fliers will be back from the printers on Monday, and I’ll start distributing them. I spoke to Shirley at Fallen Heroes. She’s in the process of updating the charity’s website and other social media. I also talked to the advertising managers at several radio and television stations in the area. Mentioning Perry’s name worked wonders. We won’t have any problem getting the word out.”

Lance grinned boyishly. “So this is how it feels to have the goose that lays the golden eggs.”

“Yep. This is rarified air we’re breathing right now.”

He leaned forward a little, his head tilted to the side. “I’m impressed. Mr. Loomis’s praise of you wasn’t at all exaggerated. In fact, he might have downplayed your talents. I should probably just stay out of your way.”

She smiled. “You can’t do that. Perry might be the face of the auction, but you’re the face of Fallen Heroes.”

“Have you seen him lately?”

The abrupt switch from business to personal had Norah scrambling. “He called a few times, but I managed to put him off.”

“Let me know if it becomes a problem. I’ll have a talk with him.”

Her face turned every shade of red. “That’s not necessary.”

“I disagree. No boyfriend, fake or real, would put up with a guy moving in on his girl.”

While she appreciated the gesture, the last thing she wanted was for Lance to interact with Perry. The less those two talked the better. “Perry doesn’t mean anything by it. It’s just his way.”

“He means something by it, Norah, but it might not be what you want it to mean.”

Honesty prevented her from denying this. “Please don’t worry about me.”

“Worrying about you is part of the boyfriend job. If there’s nothing else we need to discuss, I better get back to my guests.”

“I’ll keep you posted if anything changes.”

As they walked back to the ballroom, Norah realized that the disquiet inside her was less due to Perry and more because Lance could so easily read her. His insight into her situation was uncanny and somewhat disturbing. It was as if he could see into her mind and heart. How could that be when he hardly knew her?