by Karen King
‘Amber.’ Callie’s voice took her by surprise. Her friend wasn’t normally up this time on a Saturday morning. Her next words took Amber’s breath away. ‘I thought I’d better warn you that Jed’s looking for you.’
Jed.
Amber sat up shutting her eyes and gripping the receiver tightly as the memories came flooding back. Jed’s smile, his drop-dead sexy face, his caress, his kisses …
The way he’d deceived her. Walked out without even saying goodbye.
She moistened her lips. ‘What does he want?’
‘I don’t know but he called at Aunt Sophie’s yesterday asking if she knew your address, saying he’d lost your phone number and charmed her into giving him mine. Then he phoned last night when I was out and Suzy, my dippy new flatmate, gave him the address of our flat so he’s coming to see me this morning. He’s bound to ask for your phone number or address. What shall I do?’
In her heart Amber longed to see Jed but she knew it was pointless. They couldn’t turn the clock back. Jed hadn’t trusted her and he never would. He would always believe she was after him for his money. And she would never forgive him for keeping the truth a secret from her, for letting her think he was something he wasn’t. For making a fool of her.
‘I don’t want to see him, Callie. Don’t give him my phone number or address, please,’ she begged. She’d changed her mobile phone number some time ago so Randy couldn’t contact her – he’d been so persistent. Had Jed been trying to contact her on her mobile?
‘Are you sure? You still love him, I know you do. And he’s come all the way from America to see you. Maybe you should hear what he’s got to say.’
‘No.’ Amber was determined. ‘I never want to see him again.’
‘Is that what you want me to tell him?’
‘Yes. Tell him to go back to America. He’s wasting his time trying to find me. We’ve got nothing to say to each other.’
‘If you’re sure it’s what you want.’ Callie sounded doubtful.
‘It is.’
Amber put the phone down, her hand shaking. Why did Jed want to speak to her after all this time? For a while, when her anger at how he’d deceived her had subsided she’d hoped, prayed he would come back to her, try to sort things out, but he hadn’t. And now it was too late.
She didn’t trust Callie not to give Jed her address. Her friend had made no secret of the fact she thought Amber was wrong and should see him. She’d been telling Amber for ages to write to Jed and explain what had happened. And Jed could be charming when he wanted to be, look how he’d charmed Callie’s aunt and her flatmate into giving him information. So she decided it was best if she went away to visit her parents for the weekend, just in case Jed came calling. Hopefully, if he did turn up and found she wasn’t there he’d go back to America and leave her alone.
If I set out now I’ll be there by nine, she thought, throwing back the duvet and heading for the shower. Her parents were early risers so she knew they’d be up and delighted to see her. She’d invent some excuse for arriving so early, perhaps ask her mother to come on a shopping trip with her. Anything was better than coming face to face with Jed again. It had taken her months to put him to the back of her mind and get on with her life. She knew she couldn’t cope with seeing him again.
Amber was delighted to see her parents looking so relaxed and happy. Her father was now back in work, their debts were paid off and the top floor flats were almost ready. Apparently they had tenants already waiting to move in. She had been stupid to think she had to marry a millionaire to help them, she thought as she sat in the kitchen, sipping a cup of tea while she waited for her mother to get ready for their shopping trip. If only Callie hadn’t come up with that wild scheme she would never have met Jed and would have been spared a lot of heartache.
Did she really wish she’d never met Jed? At least now she knew what real love was. What she’d felt for Rod had been nothing compared to the feeling she’d had – still had – for Jed. What was that old cliché? It was better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.
‘You look miles away, love. Are you OK?’ her father asked.
Amber gave him a reassuring smile. ‘Fine, thanks, Dad. I was just thinking how good is was to see you fit again, and you and Mum looking so happy.’
Her father’s face was etched with concern. ‘I wish I could say the same for you. You’ve been looking so peaky the past few months. Are you sure nothing’s worrying you?’
‘I’m fine, Dad, Honest. Just working a bit hard,’ she reassured him.
Thankfully, her mother than appeared, ready to go shopping, and saved her from further questioning.
They had a good day. Amber bought herself a new top and persuaded her mother to buy a camel skirt that she loved but was worried might be too young for her, then treated her to lunch at a café.
‘Is it a man?’ her mother asked as they tucked into cheese omelettes and salad.
‘Is what a man?’ Amber pretended to be puzzled although she knew perfectly well what her mother was talking about.
‘You’re not sleeping or eating properly and the sparkle has gone out of your eyes,’ her mother replied. ‘That usually means man trouble. Is it finished for good?’
‘Completely dead and buried,’ Amber admitted.
‘That’s a shame. It would be nice for you to find someone else,’ her mother said. She sighed. ‘Are you sure there’s no chance of you making up?’
‘None at all.’ Amber half-heartedly, pushed the omelette around her plate. ‘So please can we change the subject?’
Her mother gave her a sympathetic look but didn’t probe any further and started to relate some family gossip.
After the meal they resumed their shopping, finally arriving aback at six thirty. They showed her father what they’d bought – which included a new shirt and book on fishing for him – then settled down to eat dinner and watch TV. Amber found it hard to concentrate, her mind kept drifting to Jed, wondering what he wanted to see her about and whether he’d persuaded Callie to give him her address or phone number. She’d deliberately switched off her mobile so no one could contact her and find out where she was.
‘Are you all right, dear?’ her mother asked. ‘You look miles away.’
Amber yawned and glanced at the clock. It was almost ten thirty. She knew her parents would be turning in pretty soon. ‘Just a bit tired, that’s all,’ she said. ‘I think I’ll pop up now. Good night’
‘How about some hot chocolate before you go?’ her mother asked. ‘I’ve got some marshmallows.’
Would hot chocolate and marshmallows always remind her of Jed? ‘Thanks, Mum, that’d be lovely. I’ll take it up with me, if you don’t mind.’
‘Of course not. Tell you what, you go and get ready and I’ll bring it up.’
I feel like I’ve regressed to being a child again. Amber thought, as she sat in her childhood bedroom reading and sipping hot chocolate, two pink marshmallows melting on the top. Still, it was nice to be back home and cosseted for a while. It made her feel safe and secure. Jed couldn’t hurt her here.
The next morning was a lovely, crisp autumn day so she set off across the meadow for a walk. She passed a dog barking happily as it chased the falling leaves and her thoughts drifted to Tess. She wondered how Tess and Mike the warden were doing. She’d enjoyed the time she spent on Blyte Island with Jed. Stolen time, like nothing else had mattered but the two of them. When Jed had just been Jed Curtess the wildlife photographer and millionaire’s hired help, not Jed Curtess, American property tycoon and hotshot billionaire. She’d loved him so much. Still did if she was honest. And now he was back in England and looking for her. Why?
Whatever the reason was she knew she didn’t want to – couldn’t – see him. It would hurt too much.
After an hour or so she set off back, feeling calmer and stronger. There was no need for her to run away like this. She didn’t have to talk to Jed even if he turned up at her flat. She just
wouldn’t answer the door, he’d soon get the message and leave her alone. It was hardly likely he’d come all the way to England just to see her, anyway, he was probably on business and decided to look her up while he was here.
Why would he want to do that after the way they’d parted?
As she walked up the drive she noticed a sleek black BMW parked outside the house. Her parents obviously had company. She didn’t fancy making polite conversation so decided to go straight to her room and leave them to it.
‘You’ve got a visitor, Amber,’ her mother called as Amber opened the door. ‘He’d travelled all the way from America to see you.’
America?
Jed!
‘Hello, Amber.’ Jed came out of the lounge and her heart flipped. ‘It’s good to see you.’
She stared at him dumbfounded. What was he doing here? She opened her mouth to speak but no words would come out so she shut it again quickly.
‘Surprised to see me, eh?’ he asked softly.
She found her voice but it came out in a squeak. ‘You could say that.’
Her father glanced from one to the other. ‘Jed said you were old friends.’
Friends? She thought they had been a bit more than that. ‘Perhaps we could go for a drink,’ Jed suggested. ‘We’ve got a lot of catching up to do.’
She didn’t want to go for a drink with him, but she didn’t want to talk to him here, in front of her parents either. It would be too awkward. So she agreed.
‘I guess Callie gave you this address even though I told her not to let you know where I lived?’ she asked as she got into his car.
‘She took some persuading, but she finally gave me the address of your flat. When I arrived and found you gone she guessed you’d gone to your parents so gave me their address too.’ He fastened his seat belt and switched on the engine. ‘Your parents are nice and your father tells me he’s back at work now.’
‘Sounds like you had a good chat whilst you waited for me!’ she snapped. ‘Fished out what information you could, I suppose. Found out whether I’d married a millionaire or not.’
He checked his mirrors then pulled away from the kerb. ‘Can we discuss this when we get to the pub, please?’ he asked, calmly. ‘I like to keep my attention on the road when I’m driving. Especially as I’m used to driving on the other side of the road.’
She threw him a scathing look but said nothing. Actually, it was a relief to have an excuse to be silent for a while, give her chance to get her jumbled emotions in order. She couldn’t believe Jed had actually tracked her down. And that she was reacting in the usual way to his presence. She’d hoped she’d got over him but the way her nerves were tingling all over warned her she was still attracted to him. What did he want?
It wasn’t until they were seated at a secluded table in the village pub, each with half a pint of shandy in front of them, that she plucked up the courage to ask him.
‘What do you want? Why are you here?’ she asked, forcing herself to meet his eye. Her heart flipped, as she knew it would.
‘I wanted to see you. To apologise,’ he told her.
‘Apologise?’ It was the last thing she expected to hear.
‘Yes. For running off like that. It was unforgivable of me. I should have given you chance to explain but when I saw the article I thought …’
‘I know exactly what you thought.’ She couldn’t keep the bitterness out of her voice. ‘That it was you I was after all along. That I’d agreed to marry you because you were rich. That I was after your money.’
His eyes never left hers. ‘Yes,’ he agreed.
‘Well, you were wrong. I didn’t know. I had never seen the magazine. Simon brought it home to show Callie when I was out with you.’ She swallowed. ‘He’d thought he recognised you but couldn’t think why. Callie put it behind the cushion so she could show me later.’
‘I know. She told me. She wanted to see your face when you found out the man you loved was a millionaire.’
Her throat felt dry. ‘Why have you come back to apologise now? It’s been eighteen weeks.’ Oh, that’s right, Amber. Let him know you’ve been counting.
‘And four days,’ he added solemnly.
She stared at him, uncomprehendingly. What did he want?
He took a sip of his shandy. ‘I came back the next morning, you know. I couldn’t sleep all night. I wanted to believe that you hadn’t read the article, to give you chance to explain. As I arrived I saw you leaving with Randy. He was carrying your suitcase.’
‘And you thought I’d moved onto him seeing as you’d sussed out my plan?’ She stared at him incredulously. How could he believe she was so ruthless? So mercenary?
He had the grace to look embarrassed. ‘It seemed logical at the time.’
‘I expect it did seeing as I’d confessed to being a gold digger,’ she replied, bitterly. ‘So what made you decide you might be wrong about me?’
‘I saw – or rather my sister did – an article about Randy and Tamara’s wedding. That’s when I realised you hadn’t married him.’
‘Yes, Tamara was making a play for you, you know, but when you left she and Randy decided to join forces.’ Then she realised what he’d said. ‘Your sister knows about me?’
‘A little. She could tell I wasn’t myself when she came back and guessed that “woman trouble” was the reason.’
‘Like my mum.’ She couldn’t help but smile. ‘She told me I should come and find you, give you a chance to explain. That a woman who was so totally honest as to admit to me that she was looking for a millionaire to marry – and for such honourable reasons as yours – didn’t sound the sort of woman who would be so deceitful. She was convinced you hadn’t read the article, that you would have asked me about it if you had. Actually, she said you’d have been mad at me.’
Too true she would have. ‘Nice that someone had faith in me.’
‘I’m sorry,’ he said, softly. ‘But you must admit it looked black.’
She nodded thoughtfully. ‘I know, but I’d always been honest with you. I wouldn’t have – couldn’t have – pretended I loved you just so I could marry you for your money. I thought you knew me better than that.’
‘We don’t actually know each other though, do we?’ Jed pointed out. ‘We only had a few days together and our feelings took over. We didn’t have chance to gather our thoughts, we were just swept up by our emotions. At least that’s what it was like for me.’
‘Me too,’ she admitted.
They both sipped their drinks in silence for a moment, digesting the things they’d learnt, the feelings they’d admitted for each other.
‘So why didn’t you marry Randy? Callie said he’d begged you too.’
‘Because I loved you,’ she said simply. ‘Marrying Randy when I thought I would never love again, when we were both doing it as a business arrangement was fine. At least, it seemed it. But marrying him when I loved someone else was wrong. I couldn’t do it.’
‘What about helping your parents?’
She told him how she’d planned to sell her flat and move it with them but her parents wouldn’t hear of it and were turning the top floor into flats instead.
‘So that’s why you accepted my proposal? You’d worked out another way to help your parents out?’
‘Yes. Marrying a millionaire was a dumb idea of Callie’s. I should never have gone along with it. I doubt if I would have been able to carry it through. I was just so worried about Dad and desperate to help I wasn’t thinking straight.’
He reached out and took her hand, caressing it gently, sending shivers up her arm, down her spine, making her knees turn to jelly.
‘Well now we’ve sorted everything out we can go back to how we were, can’t we?’
‘What do you mean?’
‘We can get married. Like we were going to.’
Get married? He couldn’t be serious.
She pulled her hand away from his. ‘No we can’t. I can’t marry you!’
> ‘Why not? You love me, I know you do. And I love you.’
‘Because you aren’t the man I thought you were. You’re not Jed Curtess the hired hand of a millionaire and part-time wildlife photographer. You’re Jed Curtess, American billionaire and property dealer.’
‘What difference does that make?’ he asked, bewildered.
‘Maybe none if you’d been straight with me at the beginning’ She stood up and gathered her coat and bag. ‘Only you weren’t honest with me, were you? You didn’t trust me enough to tell me the truth.’ She forced herself to keep her voice calm. ‘That’s the reason I didn’t come after you and try to explain about the article, Jed. Because you deceived me. I was honest with you but you didn’t trust me enough to be honest with me. And it we got married it would always be there in the background. You’d always be wondering if I married you for your money.’
‘I wouldn’t,’ he protested, standing up.
‘Yes, you would,’ she told him. ‘You might not want to but you wouldn’t be able to help yourself.’
Then without as much as a backward glance she walked out.
Chapter Eleven
Jed’s Rules: If you love her, fight for her.
She’s right, Jed realised. He was the one who had been dishonest, not her. He hadn’t trusted her. He’d lied to her whereas she had always been completely honest with him. He now knew beyond any shadow of doubt that she wasn’t after his money. On the contrary, it was the knowledge he was a billionaire that was preventing her from marrying him. She loved him. He could see it in her eyes, hear it in her voice. He would never, ever wonder if she had married him for his money. But she would always think he did. Like she said, it would always hang between them.
He ordered a soft drink and sat nursing it while he considered what to do next. He wanted to go after Amber, ask her to change her mind but he was worried if he followed her back to her parents’ house she would refuse to see him. He tried to think what Chloe would advise him to do. ‘If you love her, fight for her,’ she’d urged him as he left. The trouble was, he didn’t know how to fight for a woman. He’d never had to too. Women had always chased him, fallen at his feet, been eager to fall into his arms. Amber had never done that. He’d judged her as if she was one of the scheming gold-diggers that always hung around the haunts of millionaires yet he’d known deep in his heart she was different. Only he’d been too scared to trust his heart, too scared of getting hurt. And now he’d lost her.