The Throwbacks, Book 1 of The Scotland Yard Exchange Program Series

The Throwbacks, Excerpt #13

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            The only thing that penetrated Grace’s awareness was the way he quietly possessed her with his hand at her back as they walked through the doors of the Boston Design Center.  She felt like she was glowing and everyone would know she was falling in love.  She stopped inside the doors and struggled to stop herself from getting carried away.  He was her client.  She was a professional and they were in her professional milieu.  There would be plenty of time later for their courtship—because that’s what it would be--a courtship.  He was so deliciously old-fashioned.  Just like her.

            Rory walked fast in her direction with his small quick steps clapping on the tile floor, his hands clasped in front of him as if he were praying and the usual pained smile on his face.  He always looked as if smiling were a crime punishable by flogging and he anticipated the painful cost.

            “Dear Grace, you look ravishing—you always do.”  Rory took her hands between his and shook them.  Then he immediately turned his attention to David.  “And who do we have here?”

            “This is David Young, my client with the empty townhouse on Beacon Hill.  The emergency case I was telling you about,” Grace said.  She realized how silly that sounded to David when he raised his brows.  Maybe emergency was too strong a word, but…

            “How do you do?” David said and shook Rory’s hand with a nod and a perfectly wonderful, pain-free and understated smile, she thought.

            “And he’s British too!  This is marvelous, Gracie!  Well let’s get down to it, shall we.  Come right this way,” Rory said.

            “I thought we’d start with some fabrics to get a sense of David’s color tastes first,” she said and smiled up at David, hoping she didn’t lose his interest.  “How does that sound?”

            “You know everything sounds wonderful coming from those luscious lips of yours,” he said in a whisper.  She felt herself warm and touched her cheek wondering if it was pink. They followed Rory towards the aisles of upholstery and draperies.

            Then David’s phone rang.

            “Oh, I forgot to mention that they have a strict rule against cell phones here,” Rory said.  “Just kidding!”

            “I’ll only be a second.  Tell them it’s important police business,” he told Rory as he took a few steps away for privacy in the huge open space.  She smiled, but wasn’t sure the call really was police business when she saw his face tighten in that subtle way he had after he put the phone to his ear.  The pleasant smile never left his face and he watched her as he spoke and listened to his call from a few feet away. 

Rory had kept walking and looked back at her, suddenly aware that they’d stopped following him and she shrugged at him.  He stopped and put his hands on his hips and began tapping his foot as if he were tracking the time in milliseconds.

            When David walked back toward her as he snapped his phone closed, she was certain it was bad news and felt her heart beating faster.  Bad news in the police business could be real life-or-death bad, not like her trivial decorating emergency.

            “Was it important police business?” she asked.

            “No, much worse.  I’m afraid I’m going to have to cut short our visit here.    I do apologize,” he said. 

She froze.  He looked as unreadable as a statue and that made her take in a frightened breath. 

“I’ll tell you about it in the car,” he said and went to put his hand on her back, but then dropped it by his side.  Instead of escorting her in that beautiful possessive way he had, he walked ahead of her toward the door.