“Okay, Jessie, let’s be good now. You need to listen to your mother.”
Jessie stopped immediately and turned to look back at him with big, blue eyes that were full of reproach. Maybe it was because this was only her third time meeting him or maybe it was the sound of a male voice, Drake couldn’t tell which, but after that Jessie calmed right down and began walking sedately by her mother’s side.
He smiled to himself as he followed behind. It felt good to be out on a sunny day for a family excursion. And that was what it felt like – family. Was this what he’d been missing all this time? Tyson had often teased him about being a loner and he’d never let it bother him too much. It wasn’t as if he was short of women to go out with. But this, he’d never had before. And he wanted more.
“Hey guys, wait up,” he called out. He caught up with them and together they began their sightseeing journey, exploring the mysteries of the ocean deep.
From stingrays to sharks to belugas, they saw them all. They had to pull Jessie away from the dolphins she loved so much. Then they explored the Caribbean reefs with their strange and sometimes scary-looking inhabitants – sea turtles, spiny lobsters and the ominous-looking moray eels.
After Jessie had had her fill of jellyfish and octopuses they took a lunch break then set off for the children’s museum. There, Jessie had a ball conducting science experiments, building architectural structures and her favorite, drawing. When the presenter announced that they’d be showing a movie about how the earth was formed Jessie was the first among the children to jump up and raise her hand. Drake smiled as he watched her, so bold and confident. There was not an ounce of shyness about her.
“Parents,” the uniformed attendant called out, “please make yourselves comfortable in the waiting lounge. The movie will only take forty-five minutes."
Meg's eyes widened in surprise and she turned to look at Drake. "That long? I hope she can sit still through it."
"I'm sure she will," Drake said with confidence. From what he'd seen of Jessie he had no doubt that she would adapt to her situation. "Don't worry. She'll be fine. Let's grab a seat by the windows."
Meg seemed to take his word for it because she relaxed visibly then walked ahead of him, heading for the seats along the plate glass windows. She plopped down onto the padded bench and patted the seat beside her. "We might as well relax," she said with a crooked smile. "We have a long wait."
For a moment Drake just stared at her as the brilliant smile lit up her face. Maybe it was just him. He was probably in a state of euphoria but as she smiled all he could think was, I want this woman in my life. What would it take to get her to marry him?
Whatever it took, he would do it. He'd been waiting ten years and three months now and this time he would not let go until the woman smiling at him became Mrs. Meg Duncan.
******
Why was he staring at her like that? Meg’s smile wavered as she tried to figure out the strange expression on Drake’s face. His body was here but with that faraway look in his eyes and that half smile she could see that his mind was miles away. Then, as if suddenly snapping out of a trance, he shook his head and began walking over to the bench where she was already sitting.
“Are you all right?” she asked as he sat down beside her.
“Perfect,” he replied, and she could not dispute it when she saw the pleased expression on his face. Whatever he’d been thinking about had certainly made him a happy man.
And, for what it was worth, she was happy, too. She was having a wonderful time with two people whose company she enjoyed – her beloved Jessie and now this man who was stealing her heart a little piece at a time. And there was nothing she could do to stop him.
Dressed in khaki slacks and a soft brown wool sweater he looked both casual and cultured at the same time. She loved the way his gray eyes sparkled as he laughed with Jessie. He seemed to have so much fun with her. Who would have known that the big-shot billionaire would actually take the time to make her daughter feel special? She’d listened to hours of narration about his life, had taken the notes and prepared the outline, but nothing he’d said had given her as authentic a picture of who he was as the hours he’d spent with her child. She was seeing a side to him which she was sure few knew existed.
As Drake slid back onto the seat all the way and crossed his arms, Meg looked down at her hands. Okay, so he was here beside her. Now what? Were they going to spend the next forty-five minutes just staring out the window? Her mind raced, trying to find a topic of conversation that would interest him. What did men like to talk about, outside of sports, cars and women? She knew very little about the first two, and for the third, she could hardly have a conversation with a man about women.
She cleared her throat then glanced over at him. “So…since we left college you’ve been pretty busy building your investment empire.”
He shrugged. “You know all the details. I’m counting on you to pump some excitement into the boring story of my life.”
She narrowed her gaze as she looked at him. “You became a billionaire in under ten years and you call that boring? I should be so lucky.”
“Hey, you can be a billionaire writer. Look at J. K. Rowling. I’ll be looking for your name on that list next.”
“Yeah, right,” she said with a laugh.
After that they fell silent again, with him staring at the people milling around in the lobby at the end of the hall and her alternating between staring at her hands and out the window.
Finally, she decided to be brave and ask him about that part of him he had not shared with her during the interviews. “Uhm…may I ask you a personal question, Drake?”
“Sure,” he said as he turned toward her. “Go ahead.”
“For a man as successful as you…and as handsome, why didn't you ever get married?” She could feel herself turn red even as the words left her mouth. She’d actually asked the question that had been on her mind all this time. Holy cow. What must he think of her? Miss Nosy Parker, he was probably saying in his mind.