by Wendi Zwaduk
Fun? It sounded wonderful. Jaden took the device from Judi. “Heck yeah, I want to go. She told me all about how they drive in circles and get mud all over everything. She even said there were tons of hot guys in the pits—whatever those are. Now I’m not in the market for a man, but why not look at the goods? I’ve got nothing to lose and eye candy is fat free.”
“You gawk all you want, but realise some of those boys aren’t as naïve as they look. We grow them rowdy in Ohio, too.” Giggling, Judi grabbed Sparky’s leash from the kitchen. “No one has ever got nothing to lose. We all have something near and dear, even if we don’t realise it yet.”
Okay, what did Judi know? Nibbling her top lip, Jaden clicked the leash onto Sparky’s collar. He barked and slapped his tail on the carpet. “Do you know who I was, Judi? ‘Cause if you did, you wouldn’t warn me, you’d warn them.”
Thumps like the tap of a hammer on the roof peppered the conversation. Frowning, Judi shuffled papers on her roll top desk. “If you mean reincarnation, well, I don’t believe in that, but if you mean your life in Hollywood, then yes. Saying you were a pill is putting it mildly. You lived enough for three or four lifetimes, but I know that wasn’t you.”
“No, that was me. I ran with a rough crowd. Would you believe I have more than two million dollars waiting on me, but because I couldn’t get my head out of my ass, I can’t have it? If that’s what you mean by something to lose, I never really had it to begin with.”
When Judi frowned, Jaden nodded. “Yep. My mother left me a trust fund, but I can’t access it unless I do something charitable with it. Until this past year, I couldn’t get past my selfishness long enough to even consider doing something for someone else. I’ve got money from the last D-list movie I made, but it won’t last forever. I’m at rock bottom.”
Another round of thumps echoed in the room. “What’s going on out there? Are you tearing the roof off or did you give Steven the hammer for stress relief?”
“Steven went to Baltimore for business. His stress is of his own making, but the next time he calls and gripes at you, let me know. He can’t holler at me without getting an earful.”
Jaden grinned. Having Judi as a mother-figure felt nice, like a treasured gift she didn’t deserve.
A smile built at the corners of Judi’s mouth. “I didn’t want the porch to leak this winter so I have a boy here doing repairs.”
Before Jaden could question Judi’s statement, Sparky jumped and growled at her feet. Jaden shook her head. “Okay, okay. I guess you’re ready to go and I don’t want to clean up more piddle. We’ll be back.”
“I’ll see you after a bit.” Judi patted Jaden’s arm. “Call Cass. I think you’ll have a great time at the races. I know I did the last time I went. Plus, Sparks needs a few hours to rest. He’s not used to all the exercise.”
“You got it.” As Jaden strolled out onto the porch, a silver ladder blocked the stairs. At least it wasn’t grouchy Steven. Sliding on her sunglasses, she called back into the house. “Um, how am I supposed to get off the porch? The boy has the steps blocked.” She added, “The moron,” when she turned back towards the street.
A pair of work-boot-encased feet descended the ladder. Dusty jeans clung to the legs. Some men could get away with the grubby workman look. Wonder if the rest of him is hot? she mused. Once the legs came into view, Jaden realised who was responsible for the hammering. “Marlon?”
Peering between the rungs of the ladder, he grinned. “I’m Marlon, not moron, but thanks for shouting it all over the neighbourhood. People wondered and now they know.”
Her ears burnt. Great, she’d told him she hated him and compounded it with an insult. Wonderful. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know you were up there. She said it was a boy.”
Even under the bill of his racing cap, his green eyes sparkled. The dimple in his left cheek deepened as his grin grew. “Would it have made a difference?”
Sparky yelped. Realising the dog wanted to go for his walk, she snapped her attention away from the thick muscles rippling underneath Marlon’s tight, dirt-smeared T-shirt. Heat swirled low in her belly. God, what would it feel like to smooth her hands all over his body? To clean him up after a long afternoon of hard work?
“Jaden Marie?”
Shifting her gaze from his chest to his eyes, she blushed again. Damn, he’d caught her looking. Her stomach clenched as the quivers made their way down her spine. She liked his appraisal, even if he said nothing at all.
Marlon nodded at the dog. “You’d better get moving. Sparky just peed on your tennis shoe. Are Azad originals waterproof?”
As she wriggled her toes in her high-heeled sneaker, the dampness seeped into her sock. Swell. She sighed—so much for name brand. Nope, the dog and the man weren’t going to break her mood. If Sparky wanted to walk, then they’d walk. If Marlon wanted to laugh at her, then let him laugh. Spying the side exit off the porch, she made a beeline for the second set of steps and shoved her sunglasses higher on the bridge of her nose. “I won’t melt. Come, Sparks. Let’s go for your walkies.”
With a happy yelp, Sparky surged off the porch and into the yard. Although it took a block to calm him down, she let him go at his own pace. At least she’d got away from Marlon and his mouth-watering body. If she’d lingered any longer, she might have told him flat-out she wanted him.
Sparky seemed to like walking three blocks north and sniffing the trash around the bakery before heading two blocks east to the municipal building then back the way they’d come. Along the way, Jaden admired the turn-of-the-century brick buildings lining the main drag of Crawford. Each storefront bore the owner or the builder’s name. Grand windows faced the street, some filled with goods, like in the hardware store, while others had plastic taped to the other side, hiding the emptiness.
Unless the stores had clothes, she’d rarely paid attention to the buildings in Beverly Hills. Heck, most of what she’d seen of California had been the inside of nightclubs and the interior of limousines.
As she strolled, her phone rang. Without looking at the ID screen, she flipped it open. “Hello?”
Her father spoke on the other end of the line. “Are you ready to come to your senses and come home? Ohio isn’t ready for Jade Weir, remember? We learned that when you chased Logan a year or so ago.”
Gritting her teeth, Jaden clenched the phone. “You don’t want me home because you care about me. You miss the ridiculous things I did that sold copies of your magazine.”
“You’re my daughter. I worry about you.”
“No normal father gives his little girl the green light to pose nude on her eighteenth birthday!”
“So that wasn’t a bright decision. It still doesn’t mean I don’t love you. But you’re a beautiful woman that men want to see. Call the pictorial my gift to the masses.”
“Gift? You charged ten bucks for the issue. You love that magazine, not me.” She kicked a rock in the middle of the sidewalk. “Now stop calling me. I don’t need a shadow.”
“I doubt it. Shadows work well in the right circumstances. Then there’s always airbrushing. Think about what I said.”
Before she could answer, he cut the connection. Jaden slid the phone into her back pocket with more force than necessary. Damn him! Damn Delish magazine. The tabloid rag ruined lives and tore relationships apart. And what did he mean about a shadow? Clicking her tongue, she got Sparky’s attention. “Let’s go.”
When Sparky stopped to nose a pile of leaves and snort, Jaden noticed the slap of footsteps on the sidewalk behind her. When she turned, a blond man with a jagged scar bisecting his right eyebrow like a C stared at her. She shivered. He reminded her of the endless throngs of paparazzi and grunt news people waiting for her to falter. “Can I help you?”
“Are you?”
Narrowing her brows, she wrapped her hand around Sparky’s leash. “Am I who?” The dog forgot the leaves and growled low in his throat. Maybe he read her fear. Or he didn’t care for strangers.
&
nbsp; The man’s sky blue eyes widened and his mouth fell open. “You’re Jade Weir! Miles wasn’t kidding. He said you moved to town because you went off the rails. Fuck, yeah. Can I take you out sometime? I have my own car.”
Stepping backwards, she attempted to put distance between the blond fan and her position. “I’m Jaden Marie, not Jade Weir. I have the unlucky coincidence of looking like that blonde airhead.” On the inside she winced. Jade was a bimbo. Aw hell.
“No.” He shook his head. “I’d know that body anywhere. You chunked on a few pounds and need a diet bad, but you’re still doable. How about me and Miles at the same time? I heard you liked kink. He likes to use the video camera. Will that do?”
Sparky growled and barked. Spittle spewed from his jowls. The blond man jerked back a step or two. Her heart thundered in her chest. What a great time to have a dog! Maybe she’d get Sparky a brother or two—or ten.
“She’s not doable, into kink or any of that other bullshit you mentioned. You need to leave or I’ll make you leave.”
Jaden knew that voice. She whipped around and smacked into Marlon. Although the fur on Sparky’s back no longer stood on end, he continued to growl. She squared her shoulders and her fear ebbed a bit. Yes, maybe she needed the backup, and Marlon definitely made great backup, but what the hell? Was he following her, too?
“Who the fuck are you?” the blond man spat. “Her lapdog?”
With a sneer, Marlon’s lips curled. If it was possible, she’d swear he became larger and more imposing. “That’s Deputy to you, asshole.”
Ducking behind him, Jaden rolled her eyes. What movie did he get that line from? Sparky, apparently not interested in the fray any longer, tugged her back down the sidewalk.
Marlon’s voice, strong and sure, echoed on the lonely sidewalk. “Leave her alone. Jade Weir wouldn’t be caught dead in Crawford, Ohio.”
Tears pricked her eyes as she allowed Sparky to pull her away. Maybe his words were meant to send the jerk away, but they still pricked her ego. He saw her as worthless. Marlon knew about her party-hearty past and believed she still lived it. She stared straight ahead. The hunter green car rolled down the street before her. Well, swell. Another reoccurring annoyance. She caught sight of black hair and a pointy nose. Mirrored glasses hid the rest of the driver’s face. Where the hell was Bobby at a time like this? Instinct dictated she get far away from the cretin in the car—protection or not.
Thankfully, Sparky found his second wind. Shocked that the Basset could walk at such a quick clip, she headed home.
Marlon clenched his fists as the man walked away. He committed the jerk’s image to memory. If he wanted to pick at Jaden, then he’d have to go through hell first. The virtue of protecting and serving ran in his blood. “You’re safe.” Willing his heart rate to slow, Marlon turned. “Jaden Marie?”
No matter where he looked, she wasn’t there. How had she got down the sidewalk so fast with the low-rider dog leading the way? He didn’t recall hearing a car, so she hadn’t been picked up. Damn.
Breaking into a sprint, he headed towards the square. His heart pounded in his chest, and not from the brisk run. He worried that another zany, one with more moxie, would find her. What if another crazed fan decided to get violent? No, he couldn’t keep an eye on her twenty-four seven, but he would work like a dog to keep her safe anyway.
One block from the Pennywood house, he saw her. Sparky’s quick pace must’ve petered out and Marlon thanked God. If he could talk to her for a few minutes before she ran inside, maybe he could do some damage control. Throwing caution and his pride to the wind, he called to her. “Jaden!”
Although she didn’t turn around, she stopped. Sparky sat at her feet, panting. Her shoulders trembled. Was she crying? His heart squeezed within his chest. No one had the right to make her cry—not even him.
“Jaden? Honey? Are you okay? You shouldn’t be alone.”
Her voice came out shaky and just above a whisper. “I can’t hide and I can’t outrun him.”
Placing his hands on her shoulders, he rested his forehead against the back of her head. “What can’t you outrun? Who can’t you hide from?” He had an inkling, but if she’d just tell him, he’d help her. “Tell me, Jaden.”
Shrugging out of his grasp, she turned and wiped the tears from her eyes with her sleeve. “I’ll be okay. You don’t need to clean up after me.”
No, he wasn’t going to let her dismiss him. It didn’t matter that he’d more or less shoved her away the weekend before. Right now, she needed a friend and he insisted on being a rock for her. “The bastard got under your skin. You don’t deserve to hurt and I won’t let him treat you like shit. I’m not about to let any jerk who wants to exploit some socialite run my town, especially when that socialite doesn’t live here.”
She shook her head. “No. I am not leaving because you don’t want me around. I’m happy here. I like—”
Before she could finish her answer, Marlon sealed her lips with his. Although she fought him for a moment, once his tongue danced against her lips, she opened and softened. Dear God, her taste reminded him of the best wine and sunshine. Was it possible to taste sunshine? Hell, he wasn’t sure and didn’t care. The whimper bubbling in her throat spurred him on, drawing her closer. He groaned. Who cared that they stood on the sidewalk with a howling dog tangling around their legs?
When the kiss ended, Jaden gazed at him with glazed eyes. “You didn’t have to do that—but I liked it.”
He smoothed his thumb over her cheek, savouring her silky skin. “Does that mean I can kiss you again?”
She nodded, sending a flood of warmth through his body. “I don’t hate you.”
“Good, because I’m rather fond of you, Jaden Marie.”
“What about that other chick?” Her voice wavered. “Sabrina. Isn’t she your woman?”
Sabrina? She hadn’t been faithful when they had been together. Why the hell would Jaden think…? The incident in the apartment parking lot came back in a rush. “She’s nothing more than a friend with the wrong ideas.”
“You don’t have to be my personal bulldog. Although no one believes it, I can handle myself.”
Marlon brushed a rogue hank of hair from her eyes and cupped her skull. She felt so small in his hands, but so strong. She could handle whatever life dished out and yet he wanted to be there. “You’re tougher than nails.” He glanced at Sparky who thumped his tail against the ground with a steady beat. “I don’t want to start any rumours, but I’m pretty sure Sparks would like to go home, so why don’t we drop him off? I want to make things up to you.”
As they began to walk towards the house, Jaden stopped and gasped. “Man.”
He froze and scanned the area for anything or anyone out of place. “What? Who do you see?”
“There he is again.”
“Who?”
She nodded down the street. “That green car. It’s been everywhere I am.”
“The one on the corner?”
“Ford…Mercury, maybe. I couldn’t tell the make, but it has a dented rear fender and a bent rear bumper—like a frown.”
Noting the car she pointed to, Marlon committed the make and model to memory. “He’s leaving, but I’ll look into it.”
She slapped her thigh. “Dammit. I was supposed to call Cass. She wanted to know if I wanted to go to the races. Why don’t we take a rain check?”
Not wanting the good feeling to end, Marlon scooped her into another embrace. “My detail tonight is the races, so why don’t you call her and I’ll meet you there? I owe you a good time after my behaviour last weekend.”
A smile crept across her lips. “I’d like that.”
Strolling with their fingers entwined, they stopped in front of Judi’s house. Marlon released her hand and cupped the back of her head. “I’ll see you later? No running away from me, even if you don’t like me much?”
“You do realise there is a real chance we won’t work out? My track record sucks.” Jaden pun
ctuated her words by poking her index finger into his stomach. “I’m rather shitty with commitment.”
“Are you throwing down a challenge?”
“Just don’t expect to win.”
“Why?”
“Because you won’t.”
Chapter Eight
Cass smoothed the blanket on the hill and placed the baby seat in the middle. Clumps of grass popped up around the edges of the crocheted cotton like little tufts of hair. Jaden crossed her legs and sighed. Mason, one of the engine builders for Cass’s dirt racing team, sat next to her and talked non-stop about gear ratios. Her head span. Maths had never been her favourite subject with her tutors. Then again, the only science she understood was biology, and that came from putting the knowledge into practice. So much for practicing.
Propping her head in her hands, she scanned the crowd again. People dressed in various team colours littered the stands. Everyone seemed to have a favourite. She leant over the baby seat and nudged Cass. “Are you going to expose him to all the noise? Seems really loud for an infant.”
Cass held up a thick set of earphones. “He wears these and tends to sleep through the races. I think the earphones diffuse the sounds into a low buzz and it lulls him to dreamland. Plus, I cover the carrier with a blanket to keep the dirt off him. He’ll be fine. Speaking of a buzz, have you seen Logan?” She checked her watch. “I thought he’d be here by now.”
Jaden shrugged. “Where did he go?” Since Logan had dropped off the national radar to be with Cass, his life was of his choosing. She coveted his decision to be his own man without the cloak of celebrity. Someday she’d make the dream a reality in her life as well.
“The local news wanted him and Corbin for an interview.” Cass stretched and crossed her ankles. “You know how he loves the cameras. He says it doesn’t faze him, but the man primped for an hour to make sure he looked good at every angle. He’s a dork, but I love him.”