An Unforgettable Lady(62)

"I don't know how to thank you."

"I do. Tell me you and Ranulf are coming tonight."

Grace hesitated, overcome with the need to see her friend. "Ranulf is... busy. I think I'll bring someone else."

"Great. Who is she?"

"He. Actually. Ah... He's a friend."

"Really? Is he single?"

"Er—yes. I guess so."

"Think he'd be interested in a thirty-four-year-old, overworked, single mother?" Bo chuckled. "Now there's a personal ad guaranteed to get results."

Grace wasn't sure how to respond to her friend's innocent suggestion. The idea of John with another woman made her sick to her stomach.

When she hung up, she looked over at him and wondered whether there was a woman in his life. She couldn't imagine him being married but that didn't mean he was alone.

Might be something to explore before she made her final decision, she thought grimly.

"So I'm putting on the tux?" he asked. His keen eyes told her he had missed none of the emotions she was feeling.

She nodded slowly. "Bo is a hard lady to turn down."

"Obviously."



* * *



It was almost six-thirty when Grace came out of her room. Smith was standing in the living room dressed in his tuxedo, the jacket hanging loosely over his arm. Grace slowed down as she approached him, thinking that the white of his shirt made his hair look darker.

Everything faded as she saw that he was looking at her lips.

"That's a beautiful dress," he said in a low, very male voice.

She glanced down at the lemon yellow chiffon. The gown was shoulder-less, long, and simple.

"Thank you."

He walked over to her. "The necklace, too."

He reached out and touched one of the canary diamonds. There were six of them, linked by clusters of white diamonds.

"It was my grandmother's." Her voice was breathless as his fingertips hovered above her skin and she gripped her wrap and purse tightly.

His hand slowly went down to his side and she watched as the simmering emotions in his face were shut off.

"Are we ready?" he asked sharply.

She nodded and thought, as they went down in the elevator, there was a very real possibility she was going to get her heart broken by him.

Eddie took them down to the Plaza. As he pulled up in front of the hotel, he said, "I hope you have a splendiferous evening."

Smith shot him a look as a doorman stepped forward and let the cold air in. "That's a fancy word."

"Yeah, isn't it great? I'm liking adjectives. You need to work your vocabulary, it's like a muscle. Ummm—happy birthday, Grace, by the way." Eddie passed a small, carefully wrapped present back. "I know this isn't the best time or anything but I figure, what the hell, give it to her now."

"Why thank you, Eddie."

"You don't have to open it."

"Of course, I do! This was very thoughtful of you." She ripped off the paper. "Why, it's... Mace."

She smiled at him.

"I know it's illegal in New York but you should really keep some with you all the time. Do you know how to use it? Just slide your finger in here and point it toward the face." He showed her the discharge mechanism and was satisfied only when she practiced twice. "Put it in your purse. You take it everywhere, okay?"

"Okay, Eddie. I'll do that.” She slipped it inside her little silk bag and then leaned in and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "Thank you again."

Eddie was smiling as he pulled away from the curb.

"That was really kind of him," she said as she waved.

"Yeah, it was. He likes you. But then so do most people."

She looked up at Smith but he was scanning the park, the street, the pedestrians in front of the hotel.

"You sound surprised," she said softly.

His eyes came to rest on her face. "There's a lot about you I find surprising. Let's go."

She wanted to pump him for specifics, but she lifted the hem of her dress and walked up the red-carpeted stairs. As they passed the Palm Court, Grace stopped to talk to a couple and then they headed for the elevators.

When they got to the suite, Grace knocked on the door and her friend opened it wide, sweeping her into an embrace.

"Here she is!" Bo exclaimed.