by Mia Caldwell
“We all want to know that,” Sullivan said.
“I think I know who’s behind it. CGTV,” Ian answered.
“Another hatchet job for ratings?” Trey asked.
“Undoubtedly.” Ian was confident he was right. “We’ll know for certain tomorrow morning when the courthouse opens in Springers Glen. I don’t think there’s a marriage license on record the way CGTV claims.”
“Seriously? That’s bold of them. I wonder if that has anything to do with why they’ve been trying to contact me,” Trey said.
Sullivan and Ian perked up.
“What did they want?” Sullivan asked. “Did you talk to them?”
“I didn’t,” Trey answered. “One of my assistants did. Some reporter at CGTV wanted to know if I had any comment on my best friend jilting my half-sister, and wanted to know where the wedding was held.”
“That’s interesting,” Ian said.
“Not really. What’s interesting is they seem to think I attended the wedding.”
“Why would they think that?” Sullivan asked.
“No idea. My assistant gave the usual line that I was unavailable for comment. I could call them and ask them why they think I was at your wedding.”
“My fake wedding,” Ian said. “Don’t forget the fake part.”
“He gets a little panicky when you talk about the wedding like it’s a done deal,” Sullivan told Trey.
“Can’t say I blame him. Though she’s a pretty little thing. And that sister of hers damned sure has it going on. Did you see that as—”
“That’s my sister-in-law,” Ian interrupted.
“Your fake sister-in-law ... who so happens to have a killer as—”
“Trey!” cried a female voice from the doorway.
They turned in time to watch Sasha launch herself at Trey. It never ceased to amaze Ian the way those two behaved together. Seeing Sasha on a runway, aloof and elegant as a queen, he’d never imagine she could leap like a tiger cub onto her huge brother and wrestle him out of his chair.
And Trey. His holdings and worth rivaled Ian’s own. Thousands upon thousands of employees, shareholders and investors relied on the man’s renowned ability to make cold-blooded decisions the business world demanded. It was hard to believe that same man was allowing his half-sister, who for all her height, was tiny in comparison to Trey, to pin him on the floor in an ugly half-nelson hold.
“Uncle! Uncle!” Trey cried.
“I can’t hear you,” Sasha said, panting.
Ian felt the tiny twist in his gut he always felt when he witnessed Trey and Sasha together. He wished he had a sibling, even an obnoxious half-one like Sasha. He had no uncles or aunts, no close cousins. He only had his mother and father, and they were distant, both in mileage and emotion.
He stood, picked his way around the happily-struggling pair and sat behind his desk. He logged into the computer to begin sifting through the emails that had piled up that morning.
While the mail downloaded, he gazed out the big window at the sweeping view of the east lawn. Off in the distance, he saw Jada, Marina and Jack Forest heading toward the stables. He liked the look of it, the way Jada seemed to belong to the place. She was a natural.
“Say you wear granny panties or I won’t let you go,” Sasha demanded of a wriggling Trey.
“I do not wear granny panties,” Trey replied, then heaved himself upward with a mighty growl.
Sasha squealed, clinging to his back like a leggy gnat.
Ian slowly shook his head at their silliness and began digging through emails. Sometimes, it sucked to be responsible.
WHEN SHE WOKE UP THAT morning, Jada had high hopes for the day, thinking she’d be spending most of it with Ian. Now she found herself on the porch with Marina, waiting for Mr. Forest to finish sorting out Trey’s suitcases and car. Ian was long gone.
She sighed.
“Sorry you’ve got to hang with me,” Marina said.
“Yeah, well, you’re my second choice, for what it’s worth.”
“Ha-ha. I know who my first choice would be.”
“Let me guess,” Jada said. “Trey?”
“Gawd, yes. Did you know he’s the seventy-sixth wealthiest man in the western hemisphere? And hot, too. Don’t you think?”
“His father was hotter,” interrupted a shrill voice from behind them. Agatha Brimgore strode up to the sisters. “That’s why I married him. Shallow, I know, but I already had plenty of money from my dead husbands, so I could afford to be superficial.”
Jada didn’t know what to say to that, and so said nothing. It wasn’t necessary, regardless.
“Marina,” Agatha said, “give me your number so I can shoot that info to you.”
“Oh, do you have them already?” Marina asked in a gush. “Terrific! Here.”
They exchanged numbers and within moments Marina was thumbing through Agatha’s texts.
Agatha tucked her phone into her pocket, raised her long nose in the air and looked down at Jada. “Your feline snagged up half the flowers on my bathing cap.”
“Sorry. I’d be happy to pay you for it,” Jada said.
“Unnecessary. That cap was irreplaceable.” She sniffed, then turned to go, waving one hand in the air as she went. “Ta-ta, Marina dear.”
“Ta-ta, Ags,” Marina said, not looking up from her phone.
When the front door closed behind Agatha, Jada scowled at her sister. “What the hell? Ags? Marina dear? Puke.”
“Yeah, we kind of overdid it in the jacuzzi last night. A few too many highballs. It may have gotten a little sloppy.”
“I don’t want to hear about it,” Jada said, though she kind of did. There was a bigger question waiting, though. “What info does she have for you, anyway?”
“She got me the email addresses and phone numbers of our three suspects’ agents. Awesome, huh?”
“What did you have to tell her to get those?”
“Well, um ... don’t be mad. I know you will anyway, but try.” She looked at Jada. “I told her everything.”
“You didn’t. Seriously? Not your part in it, though, right?”
Marina shrugged. “Like I said, there were a few too many highballs. I got to feeling badly about how my part in it could have really hurt Sasha and so I apologized and everything. Anyway, it came out all right. Agatha wasn’t even mad. How cool is that? She forgave me and said she’d help. And she has, too. She’s made my job a lot easier.”
Jada’s blood pressure kicked up a few notches. “I cannot believe you told Agatha your secret. It’s getting harder to count who does know your secret than who doesn’t. That woman will never keep her mouth shut, Marina.”
“I think she will. She was upset when she heard what I knew, and she wants to find out who tried to screw over Sasha.”
Jada would have pursued the subject further, but Mr. Forest was ready to take them to the stables so she had to leave the conversation as it was.
Hours later, after their lovely ride exploring the grounds, Jada and Marina returned to the main house for lunch. Ian and Sullivan remained holed up in Ian’s office, a disappointment for Jada who had hoped Ian would find some time in the afternoon for her.
Late in the afternoon, Jada and Marina joined Sasha and Trey at one of the docks. They dangled their feet in the chilly water and savored the warmth of the sun on bare legs and shoulders.
Sasha told Trey how Marina studied billionaires, embarrassing Marina and instantly transforming Trey from flirty admirer to distant ice man. Sasha found the situation hilarious and ribbed Marina mercilessly, but Jada felt sorry for Marina, knowing Trey probably thought she was a gold digger.
In a way, Jada asked herself, wasn’t that what Marina was? No, Jada wouldn’t believe it. She knew deep down that if it were necessary, Marina would choose love over money every time.
Her sympathy for Marina, however, was short-lived when Sullivan came strolling onto the docks and spoke to Marina in an overly-casual tone.
�
��Hey, Marina, I’ve been meaning to tell you. I looked into your friend’s little matter,” he said. “Tell her it’s fine. Nothing actionable. She might want to keep it on the down-low, though, for now.”
Marina didn’t hide her relief. “Thanks, Sullivan. I appreciate it.”
“No trouble. So what are you all doing down here?”
Jada let Sasha answer his question and grabbed Marina’s arm, pulling her close. She hissed in Marina’s ear. “What was that about?”
“Shh. They’ll hear.”
“Come on then.”
She led Marina up the dock, away from the others. “What was he talking about?”
“I told him about my situation because I was worried I could be in trouble with the law, that’s all.”
“Your situation? You mean, you told him our little secret?”
“Maybe. Yeah, okay. I did. But—”
“That’s it. I’m done with this. You’ve now told everyone except the one person who really should know what you did.”
Marina snagged her by the elbow. “No, wait. It’s okay. I gave Sullivan a dollar to hire him as my attorney, so he can’t tell anyone what I said. Attorney/client privilege.”
“That’s stupid, and only works on TV.”
“I don’t think so. And you heard what he said about keeping it on the down-low for now.”
Jada had. She glared at Marina, who didn’t appear the least intimidated by it. Marina re-joined the others at the end of the dock, leaving Jada to chew over the situation by her lonesome.
Chapter Six
JADA WAS THROUGH WITH KEEPING information from Ian, and by the time she’d showered and dressed for dinner, she was almost positive she was going to tell him everything. Almost.
When she saw Ian standing at the head of the long table in the large dining room, her stomach fluttered. He looked so handsome in his dinner jacket and immaculately-pressed slacks. His eyes sparkled when his gaze met hers and she wondered what he was thinking. Did he like the pretty lavender dress she’d chosen for the night, with its swinging hem and snug bodice that showed off some cleavage?
He pulled out her chair, the one nearest to his, and when his fingers brushed over her shoulders she knew from his touch that he liked what he saw. It was hard to focus on the others’ dinner conversation with Ian so near. More than once his foot brushed hers, and she contemplated slipping off her shoe and running her toes up his strong calf for a little dinner time footsie.
She didn’t have to worry about keeping up with her fellow diners. Everyone seemed content to make do without the pair at the end of the table. Ian and Jada said little, and what they did say was inane, topics like the weather and what the federal interest rate might be next quarter. It wasn’t what they said, but what they didn’t say that had them riveted to one another.
All day long she’d been looking for Ian around every corner, in every room and down every hall she walked. Now here he was at last, and every fiber of her person strained to get closer to him.
Jada felt certain that tonight was it. She was going to sleep with Ian Buckley. No doubt about it. The tension between them was palpable and the simple brush of his hand against hers when he handed her the butter was enough to send a wave of shivers down her spine. Tonight.
After a desert she hardly tasted, everyone decided to gather in the bowling alley for a competition. Jada lagged behind and was relieved when Ian took her aside.
“I had something else in mind for us after dinner. Would you like see it?” Ian whispered, his breath warm and tingly on her earlobe.
She nodded and he smiled, then he took her arm and swiftly led her away from the others. She heard Agatha asking where they were going, and she heard Marina telling her to never mind, that they’d get Deb to come down and even up the teams.
Jada appreciated her sister’s protection. At the same time, her guilt over what she was hiding for her sister’s sake stole some of that gratitude.
Ian ushered her quickly down the main hallway and toward the opposite wing of the house. Jada saw Lydia standing in the hall in front of a pair of double doors and realized with a pang that Ian wasn’t leading her to his bedroom as she’d anticipated. He was leading her to whatever the security chief guarded.
“All’s ready, Sir,” Lydia said with a curt nod. “This time, I guarantee no one, human or beast, will get past me.”
Ian returned her nod, a small twitch turning up one corner of his mouth. “Excellent.”
Lydia stepped aside and Ian stepped forward, flinging both doors open at once and gesturing for Jada to enter.
She walked into a scene from a fairy tale. The room, which she’d toured her first day there and which had been described to her as multi-purpose, had been bland and nondescript, filled with tables and chairs and a podium, like in a conference room. Tonight, it was hardly recognizable as the same place.
It was illuminated by dozens upon dozens of candles in different sizes, some on pedestals, some in groupings on small tables, some tea-light-sized hanging from the high ceiling in golden mobiles that rotated slowly.
Had the wallpaper been this golden and lush when she saw it before? She didn’t think so. In fact, the whole room sparkled.
The floor was a dark parquet that glistened under the flickering candlelight. Had it been such a gorgeous parquet when Jada had been in the room before? She didn’t recall, but then, much of the floor had been covered with tables and chairs, and now it was completely open, the only furniture in the room being some comfortable-looking, plushly-covered sofas and chairs which lined the walls.
The air was redolent with vanilla, black cherry and orange blossoms, the combination of scents blending to create something new.
She heard the doors shut behind her and that’s when the music began. At the far end of the room, on a dais partially hidden behind a silk screen, sat the four musicians responsible for the delightful melody: a string quartet. She nearly clapped her hands in pleasure. Wonderful.
The utilitarian space had been transformed into nothing less than a fantasy ballroom. There could be no other way to describe it. The music, the dance floor, the lighting. It was a ballroom fit for a princess. Beautiful. And Ian had done it all for her.
“It’s splendid, Ian. How did you—”
Ian moved in front of her and bowed slightly. “May I have this dance?”
Jada lifted her hand, meaning to accept, then guilt crashed in from out of nowhere, ruining the romantic moment and sending her arm plummeting to her side.
She blurted a strained response. “We need to talk.”
His face fell. “That’s never good, not when a woman says it like that. Have I done something—”
“Oh, no. It’s not you. It’s me. You’ve been wonderful, and I’ve ... I’ve been lying to you. I’ve got a secret. I’m so sorry. I have to come clean.”
She watched a train of expressions cross his features: confused, startled, disappointed. Her stomach ached. Something big and dry lodged in her throat.
“Should I sit for this?” he asked.
“It wouldn’t hurt.”
She followed him over to a sofa and they sat down. She steeled herself for his anger.
“It’s about Marina,” she said rapidly, ripping off the bandage with one, merciless pull. “She’s involved in the marriage license scam, unwittingly of course, but she’s involved. And I’ve known since yesterday and I didn’t tell you because ... well, because I didn’t. I’ve been lying by omission, which is wrong, and I know that. There’s no excuse, I know that, too. I feel terrible, but she’s my sister and family’s family and, I don’t know. When you hear everything I’m sure you’ll understand. I hope you will, anyway.”
Ian’s brow furrowed. “That’s your secret? That Marina was part of the scam and you didn’t tell me?”
“Yes. And when you hear the whole story—”
“That’s everything? You aren’t hiding something else?”
“No. That’s it. It’s enough, I’d
think. I mean, I’m pretty sure everyone on the estate knows the secret except you, and that’s plain wrong,” Jada said, wishing she’d shut up but was apparently unable to stop digging herself into an ever-deeper hole. “Maybe Trey doesn’t know, but I think he’s the only one. And maybe some of the staff, but everybody else knows. And that’s terrible because you should have been told first, not kept in the dark.”
He took her hand and squeezed it between his big ones. “Jada, I already know about what Marina did.”
“What?”
“I already know. I’ve known since yesterday.”
“Wait.” She pulled her hand away. “You know what Marina did? All of it? How she got CGTV involved and helped the woman who was bribed ... and ... everything?”
Ian nodded. “Yes. All of it.”
Irritation roared in out of nowhere. “Who told you? It wasn’t Marina was it? I mean, she’s told everybody else, but she couldn’t have told you, could she? I’ll kill her if she did. Seriously. Don’t tell me if she told you.”
Ian smiled. “No, it wasn’t Marina. It was Elly. I ran into her not long after she overheard Marina telling you everything. Elly looked upset so I asked her what was wrong. The next thing I knew she burst into tears and started babbling about not being invisible. I’m still not sure what that was about. When I convinced her I didn’t care if she was invisible or not, she told me about overhearing Marina’s confession, and I got an earful about what had happened in your room.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me. Elly is the squealer? But she promised!”
“Don’t blame her, Jada. She felt terrible that she told me. When she finished her story, she said she wouldn’t be able to look you in the eye again.”
“Now that you mention it, I haven’t seen much of her since yesterday. I bet she’s avoiding me.”
“Undoubtedly.”
Jada took a moment to chew over the new info. “So, you knew all along. Why didn’t you say something?”
“I was testing you.”
“Seriously? I think that pisses me off. But then, I wasn’t being honest, and you don’t know me, not really, so I could see why you might not trust me, but still—”