Chapter 7
Chapter 7
F or their afternoon “session,” Blue’s girlfriend, Jane, was their special guest. In true Jane fashion, she went all out in her presentation, giving them an academic lecture on the history of paper and accounting in Egypt that was worthy of a special on the History channel. Everyone was enthralled, even Ethan whose attention span usually lasted the length of a sneeze.
Darren sat beside Babs, taking notes. “You know there won’t be a test,” Babs whispered.
He rested his arm behind her chair and leaned close to whisper, “Retention is the true test of knowledge, Babs.”
Even his whispers were sexy. Babs leaned close to make her reply. “Sometimes when no one’s looking, I wear socks with sandals.” He blinked at her, smiling a little, half-confused, half amused.
When the lecture was over, Darren had questions for Jane. “It’s a little off topic, Jane, but I’d be interested in hearing your take on the assumed close relationship between the Egyptians and the Minoans during the 18 th Dynasty.”
“He totally stole my question,” Ethan interjected, prompting a chuckle before Jane could answer. Babs had no idea what either of them were talking about, but neither did anyone besides Maggie, who soon also entered the discussion. Ethan wandered away, not even pretending to listen. Ridge was intent on making notes about something, leaving only Blue and Babs to stare in wide-eyed amazement at the others.
Blue scribbled a note and slid it to Babs. I feel ten IQ points dumber than when I entered this room.
Babs took the note and scribbled a reply. I blame you. Your amazeballs girlfriend’s a total geek.
Blue quirked an eyebrow in Darren’s direction. Looks like someone else is on geek prowl.
Geek Prowl can be the name of your first child with Dr. Dunbar, Babs replied.
Blue snickered. Seriously though, what’s up with you and Bad Brother?
Babs frowned. He doesn’t seem bad to me.
Blue rolled his eyes. That’s because he’s pretty. Don’t be blinded by hormones, Babulous.
Babs darted a glance at Darren who sat with his arms crossed, head tilted, expression intent on whatever Jane was currently saying about female deities. Yowza. Somehow the man managed to make listening sexy. You might have a point there. But he is different than my usual type.
But also Maggie’s brother. Awk.
Awk for certain, Babs agreed.
Just be careful. Mixing work life and dating = bad idea.
Says the man dating our scary boss’s daughter.
The Colonel and I are BFF’s now, Blue replied. PS. Eat this note when finished reading in case he sees.
Babs snickered and Darren tossed her one of his heart-stopping smiles.
Whoa, Blue scribbled. Bad brother has it bad for you.
You think?
I think. And rightly so. We heart Babs.
She smiled. Probably a moot point. He’s looking for Ms. Perfect, not Ms. Comes With Baggage.
Then he’s a moron. No one is baggage free. And if his interactions with Maggie and Amelia are any indication, he’s dragging some heavy baggage of his own. Careful there, for real.
When did you get all wise and stuff? Babs asked.
I have to pretend to be smart ‘cause my girlfriend’s a genius. After a while you start to get smarter by osmosis. Also, shut up, am totally brilliant. He crossed his eyes and let his tongue loll when he passed her the note, causing her to giggle uncontrollably.
“You have a very cute laugh,” Darren leaned close to whisper.
“I laugh at inopportune moments, and I’m crazy competitive at sports, especially basketball, to the point where I once got ejected from a game and threatened with suspension for biting another teammate’s mascot. It’s a problem.”
By now the meeting had ended and people began to fritter away until only Darren and Babs remained. “Is there a reason you keep telling me these odd little tidbits about yourself, Babs?”
“My last few dates have been abject failures, a study in what not to do. I thought I’d try something different and see if it works,” she said.
“So I’m sort of an experiment,” he said.
She nodded.
“I’m a scientist. If experimenting is supposed to scare me, you’ve got the wrong guy.”
Babs might actually have gulped at that. She hoped not, but she couldn’t be certain. What was it about him that got to her, besides the obvious good looks? Or was that it? Was she that shallow? He picked up her pencil and drew a little heart on the edge of her paper and Ping! she was a goner.
“About tonight, I was thinking,” Ridge poked his head back in the door, interrupting the staring contest she and Darren seemed to have going on. “Blue and Jane are going out tonight. Why don’t you go with them?” Ridge looked at Babs, sending her silent messages. She had no idea if it was some work related thing he wanted her to do, or if he was that desperate to unload his brother-in-law. Whatever the reason, she wasn’t going to look a gift boss in the mouth.
“Sounds fun, if it’s okay with Darren,” Babs said.
“I think I could manage,” Darren said and Ridge disappeared again. Darren checked his watch. “Care to take a walk and explore the grounds with me?”
“If we were kids, I’d say that was code for ‘Let’s find a cozy makeout spot,’” Babs said.
“Oh, no, you’ve cracked my secret code. Be sure to drink your Ovaltine,” Darren said, reaching to help pull her chair away from the table.
She laughed and he smiled. She was fairly certain they were going for an actual walk. They weren’t teenagers, ruled by their hormones. They were rational adults, and she was a professional, here for a work assignment. He was in most ways a stranger, a handsome one, but a stranger nonetheless. Friend’s brother or not, Babs wasn’t the sort of person to tumble into a physical relationship with a man on a whim because he was devastatingly handsome, crazy smart, had ridiculously good manners, believed chivalry was alive and well, and… He grasped her hand and brought it to his lips, bestowing a kiss.
“We should grab our coats, don’t you think?”
She stared at his lips, mesmerized. Coat? What is coat? “I streaked in college and got suspended from four games,” Babs blurted and then pictured reeling her tongue in like an overly long window shade. What was her problem? Was she mentally ill now? Why did she feel the almost desperate, panicky need to blurt every wrong thing about her?
Darren gave her what was becoming a familiar expression—a mix of surprise and amusement—and then smiled. “Babs, you’re livening up what I assumed would be a dull and lonely Christmas holiday.”
“If you thought it was going to be dull, why did you come?” she asked curiously.
“Better to be dull than to be alone,” he said with candor that seemed unaccustomed.
She tucked her arm in his, giving it a squeeze. “It’s hard to imagine having three siblings and feeling alone,” she said.
“You should try being the black sheep sometime,” he said. He held the door to their room for her. They gathered their coats. Babs added her mittens, hat, and scarf.
“You look adorable,” Darren said, tugging her scarf so it lay better over her coat. “Like a character from a Dickens novel or something.”
Her coat was bright red wool, her hat and mittens a soft creamy color, purposely intended to be Christmassy. Plus it went well with her dark hair and eyes. “You’re posh and intellectual enough for me to assume that’s a good thing,” she said.
“It’s a very good thing.” He held the door for her again. They were quiet on the elevator, walking in companionable silence until they reached the outside. The resort’s estate was lush, made more so by the festive Christmas décor everywhere. Darren linked their arms again. “This is beautiful.”
“Yes, it is,” Babs agreed.
“I don’t really get it, though.”
“See, that’s holly, a traditional Christmas green,” she said.
“That I get. I meant I don’t understand why Cameron scheduled this working holiday. Seems excessive and unnecessary.”
“It didn’t come from him; it came from the top.”
Darren scowled. “Still, the waste is bothersome. This resort is so upscale. Why not someplace cheaper? Why go at all? Don’t get me wrong, Jane’s lecture today was interesting, but was it necessary? How does learning the history of accounting help you all be better accountants?” He shook his head.
Babs thought it a good idea to change the subject before he delved too deeply into exactly what went on at her job. “Did you really mean what you said earlier?”
“That I want to lick your teeth? No, I was using that as a sort of hyperbolic euphemism.”
“No, I mean do you really view yourself as the black sheep of your family?”
“Definitely,” he said.
“Darren that’s terrible. Maggie and Amelia love you.”
“I know they do, but I’ve never been the go-to brother. Both of them prefer Johnny, and they always have. And I get it, he’s sweet and loving, patient and enthusiastic. He’s always been good at nursing their hurts. But he has Down syndrome; he lacks the capacity to be strong for them, to take care of them, to protect them. I’ve always tried to do that, to step in and advise them, to try and keep them on the right path. I guess it’s not surprising they prefer the fun brother.”
“Oh, wow,” Babs said sadly. She thought of everything Maggie had told her about Darren and his overbearing interference into her life. Only now she saw it from his perspective, as a brother trying hard to take care of his sister the best way he knew how. And despite his best efforts, being repeatedly rejected and pushed aside. She gave his arm another squeeze and pressed her head against his shoulder. “You’re good people, I think.”
“Back at you,” he said, touching his head to hers.
“But you don’t actually know me,” she said. She stopped short and faced him, ready to blurt another fault, but he preempted her, touching a cold finger to her lips.
“I feel like I do. My sister talks, and I listen. More than a few stories have had you as the star. I know what a good friend you’ve been to her. I know you have a fun sense of humor, are smart, capable, a hard worker. Really, what else is there? I wanted to meet you based on her description. The fact that you’re adorable, well, that’s just gravy.”
“Swoon,” she said and winced. “You make me blurt things. Time for a distraction.”
“What did you have in mind?” His chilly finger trailed her cheek.
“I’m going to warm your fingers.”
“Bring it,” he said.
She peeled off her gloves, took his hands in hers, brought them to her mouth and blew the warmth back into them.
“That’s delightful, but I have an alternate methodology for your consideration.” He eased his arms around her, cinching her close, his hands pressed to her back, beneath her coat.
“I accept your hypothesis and intend to give it due consideration. And now I’m out of scientific jargon. Definitely regretting that degree in Communications, now more than ever.”
“On the contrary, I think a degree in Communications sounds highly promising,” he said, cinching her impossibly closer. Babs stood on her toes. Someone brushed by them. Instinctively Babs turned to look, resisting the urge to do a double take when Agron Hoxha, the head of the Albanian crime family, breezed by. Babs felt momentarily indecisive. They were working, she should follow, find out what he was up to. But Darren was right there, his arms warm and inviting.
She glanced up and saw him watching her with kindling interest.
“I’m regrettably task-oriented and work focused,” she said.
“And what exactly does that mean in this moment?” he asked.
“It means let’s keep walking.” She eased out of his embrace, took his hand, and tugged him onward.