Bruce smirked, and she kept talking.

  “They’re all married and all of them have at least two children. Some of them have three children, and I think Matthew has four or five. I can never keep it straight. Like I said, I’m the only girl and the youngest of the whole bunch. My mom told my father if she didn’t have a girl soon then they were going to adopt. Then the day before they were set to go see the lawyer, she took a pregnancy test and found out she was pregnant. They decided to wait and see what the ultrasound showed, and sure enough I was a girl. They were still going to adopt, but the lawyer recommended not doing so, since they already had so many children, and so many other people had none. My parents have regretted they listened to that lawyer. So many kids without homes, and they could have helped. That’s another story all together.”

  “So that’s it? Seven brothers, seven sister-in-laws, and at least fourteen nieces and nephews? Nothing else to share? What do these seven brothers do for money? Are they preachers like your father?”

  “No. My father is a pastor, and he also owns his own construction business. When my father was ready to retire, my oldest brother took over the business. My family owns and operates Smith Construction.”

  “No divorces?”

  “No divorces.”

  “I guess none of the kids have long hair and wear earrings.”

  “My father would bust a gut. He even had a problem when I went home for my first visit. My style of dress had changed. He spent the whole time I was at home telling me long skirts with all the flowers and my extra long hair made me look like a hippie. Don’t get me wrong, he loved that it covered my entire body. But he thought it was too gaudy. I think one of my brothers told him it would ensure I remain single forever, and he became okay with it real quick. He wants me to be happy. I think the thought of me marrying, and someone else being the man in my life, kind of upsets him.”

  Bruce couldn’t help but think what her father would say if he could see her now. Snuggled on a chair in her living room with an unmarried man and no chaperone in sight.

  As he studied her more thoughts came to mind. He asked, “So you were like this before?”

  Elizabeth squirmed under his gaze. “Wh—what do you mean?”

  “Well you said that your dad didn’t like the change he saw when you went home for a visit. I was just wondering what had changed?”

  An intense study of Elizabeth’s nails ensued. When she finally looked up she said, “It’s well, you see, my job…. Oh, it’s complicated.”

  Bruce waited for her to say more but she didn’t. After a few moments, when she didn’t say anything, more thoughts started coming to him. What if she was in some kind of danger, and she had to hide herself?

  What kind of danger could a good Christian girl from Tennessee possibly get into? Maybe she was on the lam, running from the law. Or there was an ex-husband out there trying to find her. Maybe she was one of those black widow women who found men, seduced them, and then took all their money. She was very personable. Come to think of it, how had they become so friendly so quickly? Maybe he should be worried. He’d all but admitted his family was wealthy.

  What would Elizabeth think if she could hear his mind? The thought that perhaps Elizabeth is a gold digger ran rampant.

  “I think maybe you should go. It’s getting late, and we need to get ready for the party,” she said, interrupting his corrupt thoughts.

  Pushing himself up from his seat, and trying to keep his suspicious looks to a minimum, he said, “Yeah, you’re right. It is getting late. I’m still picking you up at eight, right?”

  “Yes.”

  “I’ll see my way out.”

  “Okay,” she whispered, not looking at him as he walked away.

  “I’ll see you in a couple of hours then.”

  “Sure.”

  Bruce walked out her front door, locking it behind him. What kind of woman was Elizabeth? They say if it seems too good to be true then it probably is. Question was, how did Elizabeth fit in all that? Was she the real deal or not?

  And if she was really an innocent, and she was in some kind of danger, could he stop himself from protecting her? The answer to that question brooked no argument. No, if she was in danger, he would help her anyway he could.

  Chapter Seventeen

  When Bruce left, Elizabeth began to pray. Lord, find a way into Bruce’s heart. Be with his family and draw them closer together. And in all things, Your will and not mine be done. Amen.

  It was a shame how Bruce perceived his family. He’d described all of them by their failures, not their successes. To be sure, each of them had succeeded in something. They had to hold at least one desirable quality. Perhaps Bruce had spent so long focusing on negatives in his job that doing so with his family came naturally.

  Sadness filled her after hearing Bruce’s family stories. There seemed to be no happiness through the three generations. Parents that couldn’t work through their issues and tried to make each other miserable. Siblings that didn’t seem to be happy. Even Bruce found a way to talk about himself in a negative light. He took the idea that his brother thought he was a good person, someone that helped people, and turned it into a negative.

  She couldn’t help but wonder if any of them had Jesus as their personal Savior. She doubted all their lives would have been full of failures if they were living for God. Would Bruce understand her thoughts?

  Pushing up from her perch on the chair, she headed upstairs. She took extra pains not to muss her hair as she bathed and dressed for the party. While clasping the strappy sandals to her feet, she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror.

  Makeup was avoided because she wasn’t confident in her abilities to put it on. Still the woman in front of her was an enigma. She wondered if Bruce would be impressed.

  Was this a date? Bruce hadn’t answered her question. George had said they were allowed to bring a date to the party. Which didn’t matter to her personally because she had no one to bring.

  Lisa and Wesley were going together. LuLu had been asked by someone on her floor. And Elizabeth hadn’t thought about asking anyone. When George invited her to the party, Bruce had immediately said they would go together. The idea she could go with someone else never crossed her mind.

  She leaned over the sink and looked closer into the mirror. She wasn’t beautiful, but she wasn’t ugly. She was plain. Normal. Her dull green eyes looked back at her. It was luck she was going to the party with another human being. Why worry about whether it was a date or not. How would she have faced the ridicule of going stag? It wasn’t like she’d had time in the past week to make plans to find a date. Working late every day, coming home and falling into an exhausted sleep, there hadn’t been time to do laundry or check her email. How was she supposed to have time to find a date?

  She could have called in Cole’s offer. She’d talked to him several times on the phone after the incident in the subway. They’d spoken repeatedly about his falling away from the faith. During every conversation, he asked her out.

  If she had invited Cole to tonight’s gathering, no doubt that would have made for a very awkward evening. Besides, she was going with Bruce. If nothing else, the two of them were friends. So it didn’t matter. She would enjoy herself regardless.

  Catching sight of the clock, Elizabeth blinked. It was a quarter ‘til eight. Walking downstairs, she held tightly to the banister. The new red sandals with five-inch heels made movement awkward; every step felt like she was toppling forward. The doorbell rang as her foot connected with the bottom step.

  Elizabeth straightened her shoulders as she headed to the door. The dress she wore was red with spaghetti straps. It clung to her figure like a second skin. As she walked, she felt like Morticia from the Addam’s Family TV show. Instead of taking a full stride, it was more like a slinking wiggle.

  When Elizabeth opened the door, Bruce was straightening his jacket. His black hair was combed over to the side in a Ken Barbie doll fashion. His black leather loafers shone in the porch light. When he looked up, a low whistle escaped his lips. Elizabeth could feel the heat infuse her cheeks.

  His tie was a little crooked. Without thinking she reached out and straightened the material. Before she could drop her hand again, Bruce grasped it and brought it to his lips.

  “You look positively stunning.”

  “Thank you,” she whispered, averting her eyes from his intense gaze.

  He held out his arm to her. “Are we ready to go?”

  “Hmm, yes. Just let me get my wrap.”

  Bruce waited by the door as she wiggled her way to the small table in the foyer. As she grabbed her necessary things, she could feel the heat from his gaze causing tingles to course through her already flushed body.

  As Bruce stepped back to let her pass, her bare arm brushed across his jacketed chest. A swift intake of breath could be heard. The air around them felt charged, as if almost alive.

  Swallowing, she licked her lips in fear, and anticipation. Would he kiss her again? Elizabeth should run away from him. He was her boss. But fear of falling in her new shoes held her rooted to the spot.

  Instead of the kiss she’d hoped for, Bruce placed his hand under her elbow and guided her to the idling car. He chatted about nonsensical stuff. What the weather was going to do. What they would eat at the party. Who they would sit with.

  Once Elizabeth was settled inside the car’s heated interior and Bruce was behind the wheel, all conversation died. He pulled into slow-moving traffic, and Elizabeth settled back into the leather seat to watch the passing scenery.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Bruce was having trouble breathing. The creation of perfection beside him was the problem. If the brief touch of Elizabeth’s arm could send his pulse skyrocketing, what would happen to him when he held her on the dance floor? And hold her he would. In fact he planned on being the only one to hold her.

  Placing his finger under his collar, Bruce tried to move it away from his closing throat. The faintest hint of strawberries drifted toward him. A creamy, white shoulder peeked out from beneath her wrap. Glancing at her form, he saw chill bumps dotting her flesh.

  “Are you cold, Elizabeth?”

  “No.” Elizabeth didn’t look at him when she answered.

  His attempt to act normal before he slid in the vehicle obviously had not relaxed her. It hadn’t worked on him either. If they didn’t get more comfortable with one another before they arrived at the party, she would leave him and hang out with her other friends.

  A plan entered his mind. “Elizabeth, I need your help tonight.”

  Elizabeth turned in her seat. The slit in the side of her dress pulled apart to reveal an exposed length of her thigh. Bruce beat down his desire to touch her and tried to focus on the task ahead.

  Elizabeth said nothing, the air rushing from the vents the only sound in the vehicle. Bruce glanced her way. She was listening, that was all that mattered.

  “It’s about Mrs. Tillman’s case.”

  “Yes?”

  “I don’t know all the details yet, but I believe someone at the firm knows more about her case than we realize.”

  She touched her red, lacquered fingernail to her chin in thought. “That’s the case that involves the Winterbottom Corporation. Correct?”

  “Yes. Mrs. Tillman’s husband died after working for their New York facility. I’m betting others died from working there as well. Now I just have to prove it.”

  “Was that why you needed that document?”

  “Yes. I have the original. The problem is that it’s illegible in certain places. That piece of paper is crucial. It was a letter written when the company first began. It was a warning about the mixture of chemicals that were being used. The company declares in their ads they haven’t changed their formula since the day the company began. If that’s true, they’re still using the chemicals they were warned against.”

  “Oh, I see.”

  “After looking through all those files you dug out, it appears more than one lawsuit was brought against them for wrongful death, but no individual has ever won. The corporation always seems to come out on top.”

  “Have you found any similarities in the cases?”

  “Other than the fact the people suing spent at least a year working at the Winterbottom Corporation’s facility in New York, no I haven’t. They all seemed to have died from natural causes or accidents. Sometimes their families would try to sue after the individual was dead. But they never had enough proof to connect anything back to the company.”

  “Where did you get the original letter?”

  “It was sent to me.”

  “Really? Who sent it to you?”

  “I don’t know.”

  Elizabeth added, “You know, when I was looking for your copy, I discovered the original was owned by a library. The library said only a few choice people had access to it. Don’t you think it’s weird someone gave the original to you? And you’re a criminal defense attorney, right? I think it’s odd you’ve been asked to work on this case anyway. Don’t you?”

  “Yes. Trust me, when I accepted this job with the Hamptons, I was expecting something completely different. Yet this was the only case they handed me.”

  “Strange.”

  “I know.” They were now in front of the hotel. A valet waited for them to pull forward and stop. Bruce felt more relaxed and comfortable with Elizabeth. Question was how did she feel?

  “Bruce? Earlier you said you needed my help. How so?”

  “Elizabeth, tonight at the party, I want you to keep your eyes and ears open. You never know what we might hear.”

  ****

  Bruce jumped from the vehicle and gave the keys to the valet. He walked quickly to the passenger side and opened Elizabeth’s door. Slinging her legs around to the side, one foot gingerly stepped out onto the pavement. Bruce took her hand and helped her out. They were face to face. Their breath mingling in the air. Gone was any thought of cases, or conspiracies. His head slowly dipped forward…

  “Elizabeth! Elizabeth!” came a shout from behind.

  Bruce’s head rose. He rolled his eyes at his missed opportunity. Elizabeth’s head was moving from side to side trying to locate who had called for her.

  “I believe that’s your friends. They’re over by the door yelling for you.”

  “Oh, yes. Now I see them.” Elizabeth grabbed his hand. “Come on Bruce. I want to introduce you.”

  A shiver ran up his arm at her touch. Leaning over and whispering in her ear as they walked, he said, “Elizabeth, I am your date.”

  Elizabeth didn’t stop walking but turned her head to look at him. She gave him a nod to let him know she understood.

  Wesley gawked at her as she neared. “Smokin’!”

  Lisa backhanded Wesley across the chest and all four friends began to laugh and giggle. Wesley continued, “You look amazing. Didn’t I tell you guys I’d transformed the moth into a butterfly? She’s a regular Monarch, she is.”

  “Maybe you have a career in makeovers,” Lisa said, with a grin.

  “Well, you know if my law career falls apart, at least I have a plan B.”

  The group disintegrated into cackles. Bruce felt awkward, leaning his head down he rubbed the spot between his eyes. Elizabeth looked at him and gave him a reassuring smile.

  “Let me introduce, my b— friend. This is Bruce Malone. He’s my…date.” Elizabeth’s face was lit with a beam of delight.

  Bruce stuck out his hand and shook with each of her friends as they introduced themselves by name. His eyebrow rose at LuLu’s name. He couldn’t help himself. But she didn’t seem to notice.

  “What are you guys doing out here?” asked Elizabeth.

  “Oh, we’re waiting for LuLu’s date.”

  “Oh.”

  Bruce wondered why LuLu’s date hadn’t brought her, but he would be the last one to ask.

  “Yeah, I know you guys are wondering about why he didn’t just bring me himself, but he had a good reason. He really did.”

  “Okay, LuLu. Let’s have it. Does he still live with his mother? Maybe he doesn’t have a car? Or maybe it’s a small thing, just fit for one person, hmm?” questioned Lisa with a playful tone.

  Before LuLu could answer, the noise of a squealing motorcycle engine peeled up in front of the hotel’s portico. The engine was shut off as the driver removed his helmet. LuLu walked nonchalantly over to the figure as he climbed off the bike. Her unknown date picked her up in the air and flung her around. Placing LuLu on the ground, he gave her a chaste kiss on the cheek. Bruce could see the girl blush from where he stood.

  The man threw his keys at the valet, handed him his helmet, placed his arm along the back of LuLu’s shoulders and walked toward the small gaping crowd.

  “This is Todd Chester. He works in records. Isn’t he fabulous?”

  “Uh-huh,” was all the ladies could say.

  “Thanks, babes. We better get inside. I need to shed my leather and get more presentable.”

  LuLu giggled at Todd’s attention. The small group followed after the couple, entering the party already in progress.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Entering the full swing of the gala was a shock to the system. The music blared at decibels beyond human limits. The lights blinked and flashed throughout the room like an eighties prom. A stage set against the wall was covered with gyrating girls in short skirts. Bruce placed his hand on Elizabeth’s elbow and led her to a less crowded spot next to the snack tables.

  Elizabeth scanned the crowd for Mr. Hampton. Surely Charles and Janice had no hand in planning such an event. Elizabeth had expected something classy and low key. Perhaps with round tables covered in greenery, with an ensconced candle sitting in the middle. Not a party for the B52’s. This was worse than the Love Shack video.