was the team’s biggest booster. No. He wouldn’t have wanted to hear about Caleb’s behavior. And in the end, he didn’t care about the fact that the football team had started a rumor that had wrecked everything.
When he’d heard those rumors, he’d chosen to believe them.
And it was the height of irony that, months later, the boy who had attacked her in the locker room against her will was the very same one who had accosted her in the hallway outside her physics class and called her a slut for sleeping around with Colton St. Pierre.
He’d pointed his finger at her while a group of other football players, Topher Martin among them, had stood by and laughed.
And none of them had paid a price for their lies or their cruelty. They’d gotten away with it because they were members of a powerful and entitled group.
Not much had changed. Caleb was still in a position of power over her. He sat on the design selection committee, along with Harry Bauman. And she wanted that commission more than anything.
Harry, an avuncular old gentleman, waved at her as he came down the hall. “Jessica, I hear you’ve been a busy girl.”
What was Harry talking about? What did he think she’d been busy doing? What were people gossiping about today? She hated it when people started conversations this way. It always made her feel left-footed and just a little out of sync.
But she covered her worry by pasting a smile on her lips as she held up the cardboard tube containing her entry into the design competition. “I have been busy. Working on my entry for the City Hall design. Thought I’d drop it off myself a day early.”
His eyes lit up. “Oh, good.” Harry turned toward Caleb. “You remember Jessica Blackwood, don’t you? She used to be a lifeguard up at the yacht club.”
“I do.” Caleb gave her an oily smile as his gaze slid from the top of her head down to her not-very-expensive ballet flats. Why did this man make her feel so small and dirty? “So, do you work for an architectural firm in town?” he asked.
She wanted to spit in his big blue eyes. “I have my own business. And we’re doing well. In fact, I just moved my company into new space above Daffy Down Dilly.” She delivered this line with forced innocence and enjoyed every moment of his surprised expression.
She had stolen that office space away from him. Bobby Don Ayers down at Berkshire Hathaway had told her Caleb Tate had wanted the office above the boutique and wasn’t happy when she’d beaten him to the punch. Score one moral victory for her side.
“Oh, that’s wonderful,” Harry said. “I’m glad business has been good for you.” He turned toward Caleb. “Jessica has been designing a lot of interesting houses in the area.”
“Yes, I was the architect of the Akiyama house that was on last year’s house and garden tour,” she said in her best Southern-lady voice.
“That’s the one that looks like a bird taking flight,” Harry said. “And speaking of birds, I’ve heard from several in the neighborhood that Topher Martin has hired you to design a house out on Lookout Island.”
“I—”
“Topher?” Caleb interrupted. “Topher is back in Magnolia Harbor?”
“Yes. He is. He’s staying at Howland House,” Harry said.
“Damn. I need to look that boy up,” Caleb said. “I heard he made billions after he gave up football.” As if Topher’s billions were all that mattered—probably because campaign contributions were Caleb Tate’s lifeblood.
“Well, it was nice to see you again,” she said, and then edged away from the two men. She couldn’t get away from Caleb fast enough. “I’d like to get this into the clerk’s office as soon as possible.” She managed to sound confident as she held up the cardboard tube containing the architectural drawings.
“Of course,” Harry said with a genuine smile. “Good luck. I’m always rooting for the hometown team.” He gave her a little wave and headed down the hall.
Caleb straggled behind a bit, turning to look at her in a way that made her want to run away like a scared rabbit. But she held her ground and stared right back at him until he turned around and hurried after Harry.
* * *
Jessica walked down the crushed-shell path of the Howland House garden on Tuesday morning with her portfolio tucked under her arm. Her design concepts for Topher Martin’s house were finished, even if they were a bit on the sketchy side.