That should give her plenty of ammunition to play with, she thought, deleting her sent items with a guiltless heart.
“Hi, you must be Brenda.”
She flinched and shot to her feet as Jessica caught her unawares.
Awkward eyes summed up Whip’s friend. Not model material like Donna, but her smile was friendly and she had nice sleek hair, but that didn’t make her a nice person. And she for one was not going to be taken in by the American interloper like the rest of the family. “Well, you don’t have to be Einstein to figure that out.”
“Pardon me?”
“So, what was the big emergency? Nothing major I’ll bet.” She couldn’t be so lucky as to have some catastrophe occur that required Jessica to board the next plane back home.
“As a matter of fact yes. My mother’s had a heart attack, but she’s out of danger and doing well. My father’s taking her to convalesce with my Aunt Lucy. He assured me there’s no need to rush home.”
A plan began to take shape in Brenda’s mind. If Jessica wasn’t going to leave of her own free will then perhaps she could give her a helping hand.
“Heart attack hey, that’s too bad.”
“Yes, a bit of a shock really, but Dad said as long as she doesn’t have any stress and takes it easy she should be fine.”
“Then I guess you wouldn’t want Mom or the Reverend reading Dirty Talk and Scandalous Thoughts now, would you?”
“What?”
“Oh, you heard right.” She moved away from the computer. Her eyes never wavered as she watched Jessica look to the screen. First her brows drew together, then her face turned red. Brenda knew she’d hit a home run. Talk about being in the right place at the right time.
“You’ve been in my e-mails?” It was incredulous, Jessica could hardly believe the nerve, but the evidence was right before her eyes. The folder entitled Whip was open and it hadn’t been when she’d left the room.
The smirk on Brenda’s face confirmed Jessica’s suspicions, and she seethed with an anger she’d not experienced before. What on earth did this child think she was playing at? They’d only just met, hadn’t even been introduced properly, and yet Jessica could feel the antagonism radiating off the teenager in waves.
Nothing would be achieved by hostility, so she tamped down her anger with hard-found willpower. Brenda was Whip’s sister and she, as a guest in their house, owed the girl the chance to explain.
Jessica fiddled with her blouse. “Brenda, I don’t understand. Perhaps we got off on the wrong foot, so how about we start over? Shall we?”
“What for? I know what you’re about.”
“Then please fill me in, since I have no idea where you’re coming from.” Jessica tapped her foot as she waited for the explanation, the adrenaline coursing through her veins. If anyone had a right to be angry it was she, not Brenda, who was in a snit over something and wanted to get it off her chest. Why the teenager had been so rude and ill-mannered though as to rifle through private e-mails was anyone’s guess.
Jessica folded her arms and willed her toes to stop tapping and her fingers not to drum as she waited to be enlightened, but the teenager swept a glance over her from head to toe as if she was nothing more than a spec of dirt, further angering her.
She was determined then to give the girl a good dressing down when Brenda confounded her.
“I want you out of my house and out of my brother’s life today. Is that plain enough for you?”
Jessica’s mouth fell open. Of the many things Brenda could have said, that one was out of left field. “Why on earth would you say that? You don’t even know me!”
“You’re mistaken. I know my brother paid for you to come here, and I know if you don’t leave today then the Reverend and Mrs. Butler-Reid are going to receive a very colorful e-mail entitled Dirty Talk and Scandalous Thoughts.”
“You wouldn’t dare. I just told you my mother is unwell.” Her words were hissed as she struggled to keep her rising temper in check, not wanting the situation with Whip’s only sister to deteriorate any further.
“No? Just see if I don’t. I hope your mother’s heart holds out when she learns you’re nothing more than a gold-digging Internet whore. And say one word to Whip about this, and I’ll send it anyway, along with a detailed account of exactly what you’re doing here, and it’s got nothing to do with books.”
“Why you little witch, you’re blackmailing me!” Sadly, though, Jessica believed the threats weren’t idle. Her relationship with Whip was deepening, he’d captured her heart as no other could, but her happiness was not worth risking her mother’s life.
“Call it what you like, but trust me, I mean what I say.”
“You thoughtless little brat, this is someone’s life you’re playing with, not a game.” The girl needed pulling down a peg or two, and Jessica was in the right frame of mind to do it. “What sort of a girl are you? Do you have any morals at all? And where do you get off going through my personal correspondence? That e-mail was private, sent from your brother to me—for our eyes only. And where do you get the audacity to read it, let alone threaten to forward it to my parents whom you’ve never met? They’ve done nothing to harm you! They’re good people and don’t deserve a little upstart like you causing them grief.” Her chest heaved with temper and she glared at Brenda, who shuffled and chewed her bottom lip. But when Jessica stopped talking, Brenda straightened her back and jutted her chin.
“You should have thought about that before you tricked my brother into bringing you here.”
“You know nothing about it.”
“I know you’re nothing more than a skanky gold digging prostitute, and my brother deserves better than you. So go home where you belong and leave us alone.”
“And you are a spoilt little manipulative brat, and if you were my sister I’d paddle your ass.”
“What the hell is going on in here?” Whip blew into the room like a hurricane, glancing from one female to the other.
The instant Brenda heard her brother’s voice she dissolved into tears and catapulted into his arms.
“Whip, she’s been so awful, accusing me of reading her personal e-mails. You know I’d never do that.” She sobbed. “It’s not my fault she left her account open when she went to the phone. I just wanted to search the Web, but when I tried to explain that to her, she called me a liar and threatened to hit me. I’m sorry, Whip, I know she’s your friend, but I don’t deserve . . .” Brenda broke off, dropping her face into her cupped palms, her shoulders rising and falling as she cried again with renewed energy.
Give the girl an Oscar. “I think it’s best if I leave, Whip.” Jessica’s voice was flat and without emotion. She knew when she was beat. Still, it was hard to credit this vicious young girl was related to the McGregor clan. They were the epitome of hospitality and kindness wrapped up in perfect packaging, each one of them. Annie, too, had bent over backward to make her feel welcome. Even Gladys and Cyril had done their bit to make her feel at home.
“No one’s leaving and no one’s paddling anyone’s arse.” Whip put his sister aside and turned to face Jessica. “This has to be some kind of misunderstanding. Brenda would never deliberately go through your personal stuff. If she said she didn’t do it, then you can believe her.”
Jessica caught the glee that lit Brenda’s eyes, but they also narrowed with warning, and if that wasn’t enough to convince Jessica, the index finger placed on her lips was.
Even if her mother’s well-being wasn’t at stake, she couldn’t have made Whip choose between his sister and her. That wouldn’t be right. But for some unfathomable reason, Brenda had taken an instant dislike to her and was deadly in her quest to get her out of the picture.
“I think it’s best if I go to a motel.” Jessica’s shoulders sloped and her pitch lowered as she spoke.
>
At the taste of victory, Brenda stemmed the flow of crocodile tears.
“Jessie Rose, for God’s sake, don’t leave. This is crazy, we can work it out.” Whip’s bewilderment came through in the tone of his words.
Well, that made two of them.
She shook her head from side-to-side. “No, Whip, I don’t want to cause any trouble. It’s best if I leave. I’ll go up and pack now.”
“Brenda,” Whip snapped, and reeled around to face his sister.
Her chin came up, and she sniffed. “Don’t feel you have to leave on my account, Jessica.” Her mouth compressed into a mutinous line.
Jessica could not dignify that with an answer. The little witch was the only reason she was leaving. With her back straight and head held high, she turned and climbed the stairs. Knowing Whip was right behind, she kept it together with a mighty effort.
“Babe, what is going on here?” he asked, shadowing her into his room. “This is all a crazy mix-up.”
“Whip, leave it. I’ve made my decision. I’ll stay in town tonight, and tomorrow I’ll travel to Sydney. My dad called earlier. Mom’s had a slight heart attack. She’s okay but heading home now might be for the best.”
Nothing could be further from the truth. The urge to weep was strong, but she blocked it. Whip was confused and so was she, but she was bound and gagged, metaphorically speaking. There was nothing more she could do or say. The risk was too great. If Brenda did as she’d threatened, at the very least her dad would be mortified, but her mom could relapse.
“Thank God your mum’s all right, but please reconsider,” Whip begged.
“Uh-uh, my mind’s made up. Please don’t try and change it,” she pleaded as she gathered her toiletries and tossed them haphazardly into her suitcase along with her clothes. “This is Brenda’s home, and let’s face it, I’m only here on a whim. She’s your sister, and blood is thicker than water.” She zipped her bag. “It’s not that I’m ungrateful, please don’t ever think that. I’ve had the best, most amazing time ever, but I’d be leaving next week anyway, so there’s no point upsetting Brenda further. You know how temperamental teenagers can be.”
“I’ll speak to her, this is too important.”
Whip turned to leave the room, but she placed a restraining hand on his arm. “It won’t do any good.”
“Then I’ll stay with you.”
An inner warmth spread through her. “Cowboy, this is her first night home from school. In light of what’s happened it’s best if I go, and you spend the night here with your family. We can meet and talk about it at lunch tomorrow if you like.” A pang of guilt strangled her throat. She intended to be long gone by then, but her other options were zilch. Brenda had seen to that.
It also saddened her that she wouldn’t be at the party tomorrow night. Annie, Gladys, Cookie, and she had put in a mammoth effort cleaning the silverware and baking for days in preparation. Mark and Drew had also done their bit yesterday, butchering a calf and decorating the barn. She’d been so looking forward to the night; it would have been the first time anything like that had been done in her honor, and it was only human to feel disappointed.
With a last nostalgic glance around the room, she headed for the door. Whip picked up her suitcase. When she went to hoist her cabin luggage over her shoulder he took that too. With determined steps but a sad heart, she marched out of the room and down the stairs, shoulders sagging, Whip following quietly behind.
When they reached the foyer, Brenda was conspicuous in her absence. The family was nowhere to be seen, and for that she was grateful. She made a mental promise to call Annie once she reached Sydney, to thank her for the kindness and friendship she’d shown her. The explanation and lengthy good-byes she’d leave to Whip.
Chapter 14
Drew, Mark, and Brenda were seated at the dining table in somber silence when Whip arrived back from driving Jessie Rose to the motel. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t change her mind about leaving. When that became apparent, he’d swapped tactics and insisted on staying over. As persuasive as he’d been, she wouldn’t have a bar of that either, reiterating the importance of his being with Brenda on her first night home for the holidays.
Yeah, all things being normal, he’d agree with that, but things were far from normal.
At sight of him, Brenda sprang out of her chair.
“I’ll get your dinner. Gladys put it in the oven to keep warm,” she said, charging off into the kitchen.
“All alone then?” Drew asked, shoveling the last morsel of beef into his mouth.
“I’d have thought that would’ve been obvious, even to you,” he snarled, in no mood for games.
“Hey, no need to bite his head off, bro.” Mark’s defense of Drew was typical and should have been expected. “He was only trying to be sympathetic, we all are. We know how much you liked her.”
“Like. Present tense,” he corrected as he took his place at the head of the table.
“After what she said to Brenda? Drew and I still can’t believe that.” Mark shook his head from side-to-side, his eyebrows drawn together in contemplation. “She seemed so nice and normal. Guess you never can tell.”
Brenda arrived at the tail end of the conversation and placed a plate of food before him.
“Good riddance, I say, although I am sorry you were taken in by her, Whip.” She placed a hand on his shoulder before returning to her seat.
He narrowed his eyes and cast them over his sister. “You and I need to talk,” he said. There were too many anomalies for his liking. Brenda wasn’t the teary type, nor was she the type to make up stories. She’d never lied or given him reason to mistrust her before. She’d always been forthright and honest, owned up to her mistakes, and took the punishment on the chin. Now, though, she was avoiding eye contact like it was an Olympic event, and something in her demeanor earlier today didn’t ring true.
Jessie Rose had been consistent when he’d questioned her on the drive to the motel, sticking to her story that Brenda went through her personal e-mails. He prayed she was mistaken, not only because it was the wrong thing to do but also because some of those e-mails were X-rated and not for teenage eyes.
If he found out Brenda was lying, he’d paddle her arse himself. Jessica was adamant, but when he’d queried her as to what proof she had, she’d fumbled for words, colored up like a red-hot chili pepper and stammered, ‘she could just tell.’ Not very articulate for a wannabe writer. Besides, she’d bared her soul to him and was never lost for words, so why clam up now? But if in fact Brenda did do it, what was her motive? And why not just admit she’d snooped?
“What do you want to talk about?” Brenda asked, all light and airy, snapping him back to the present.
Playing dumb was also out of character for her. “I think you know the answer to that. And before either of you two say anything, I don’t need an audience.” He addressed the latter statement to Drew who had opened his mouth to speak, then Whip’s glare silenced Mark before he could do the same.
“We were just leaving anyway.”
Drew stood, and Mark followed his lead. “Yeah, we’ve got a big night planned. The word is some of the high-school seniors from St Therese’s are meeting up at The Royal Oaks for drinks, and we plan on offering the girls our services.” Drew’s grin was goofy and he waggled his brows.
“Yeah, should be a blast and to top it off, it’s your turn to drive, sport.” Mark tossed Drew the keys to the SUV.
“Which seniors?” Brenda wanted to know.
“Ah, a gentleman never tells.”
“So spit it out then.”
“I’m crushed. Are you saying Drew and I aren’t gentlemen?”
“In a heartbeat.”
“If you two are leaving, then hop to it,” Whip barked.
“All r
ight all ready, come on, mate, we know when we’re not wanted. See you Mudrat.” Mark ruffled Brenda’s hair as he passed by.
Whip waited until the front door closed before speaking. “So what’s the deal, Brenda? And I want the unabridged truthful version.”
Brenda pushed back her chair and stood. “I’ve already told you,” she grumbled, picking up an empty plate and began clearing the table.
“Humor me,” he told her, lending a hand and following her into the kitchen.
“It’s like I said before. Jessica went to answer the phone, her father called. Do you know he’s a religious minister, and she lied to him? She told him she was in Australia investigating locations for some bookstore and that Highland Glen was a guesthouse?”
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