Love Rising: Spring (Mandrake Falls Series Romance Book 4)

by Catherine Lloyd

  “I’ve got a late night at work tonight,” Andrea said by way of explanation although Jocelyn hadn’t said anything. “I’ll be missing dinner.”

  Jocelyn was high on some buzz cloud. Some wealthy investors had picked her company to dump a pile of money on and Andrea was almost puked with disgust when she heard the news. There was poor Jeremy, madly in love with her and Jocelyn had no feeling for him at all. She had no feeling for anyone. Why did she get so much attention? Jocelyn Tate was, tall, thin and exquisite. She was so beautiful Andrea almost forgot she was a person.

  “I don’t understand why you’re so hot to find Jeremy all of a sudden. You usually avoid him like a disease.” She sucked on the straw complacently.

  “Not that’s any of your business—I want to give him the good news about the investment. Have you seen him around? That’s all you have to tell me.”

  “No, I haven’t seen him. It’s possible he’s avoiding you. That’s something you might want to think about.”

  Jocelyn laughed. “Why would he be avoiding me? What have I done? It wasn’t me who put the ad in the paper and let my co-worker take the blame. Jeremy told me Jason said he did it—and you let him take the fall for you. Don’t come off all innocent eyes and what-who-me? I know it was you.’

  “Sure, it was me—it was a mistake. You know what mistake is, don’t you, Jocelyn? Like when you tell everyone you’re going out with a man almost twice your age and he’s actually in love with a TV star.”

  “Daytime soap opera actress. There’s a big difference.” Jocelyn sounded cool but she was red in the face. “That ad didn’t get into the paper by mistake. You did it on purpose. There is no way you could’ve read that announcement and thought it was real.”

  “Nope. You’re right about that.” Andrea sucked on her straw and met Jocelyn’s eyes with a bland stare of contempt.

  “You admit it?”

  “I admit nothing because there’s nothing to admit. It was a mistake and if you don’t like it, tough. I don’t know what you’re so freaked out about. It’s not like you didn’t get what you wanted. Jeremy Marks hasn’t seen you for what you really are yet. Looks like you still have a shot at marrying rich. But I’d act fast if I were you. He’s bound to see your true colors sooner or later and then some lucky, more deserving girl will have a chance with him.”

  “Like you for instance?”

  Jocelyn was hot in the face. Andrea had obviously struck a nerve. Princess Grace was seriously pissed off.

  “No, not like me,” she said blandly. “Jeremy is a friend. I don’t have a stupid-ass crush on the guy and I’m not going to get one now just because he’s Kenneth Marks’ son. I’m not like you.”

  Jocelyn looked pointedly at the milkshake glass. “You got that right. You’re not like me. Keep shoving food in your mouth, Andrea. Maybe it’ll make you feel better for coming out with random insults to avoid taking responsibility. Why are you dragging Jeremy’s dad into this?”

  Andrea didn’t plan on saying anything but after that crack about her diet, nothing would have stopped her. Jocelyn Tate deserved to have her ass handed to her.

  “Kenneth Marks is rich. As in Fortune 500 rich. As in the much-ballyhooed one percent rich. Look him up. I’m surprised an enterprising girl like you hasn’t checked out Jeremy’s portfolio before this. Oh, that’s right! You assumed because the guy worked for a living that he was worthless! Oops. Wrong again, Princess. Jeremy Marks is a trust fund baby. The fucking heir to the throne and you threw him back for being poor. Hah!”

  Andrea almost choked on her milkshake; the look on Jocelyn’s face was too hilarious. “Go on, go after him! Don’t let it end this way! Hunt the guy down and declare your love. I’m sure it’s not too late. What are you waiting for? Did you already find somebody else? Ryan McIntyre, for instance? A little bird told me you corralled him in his office on Wednesday after hours. Strictly business, of course.” Andrea laughed. “Your secret is safe with me. I won’t breathe a word of it to Jeremy. The poor bastard can find out what you are like on his own.”

  Jocelyn bolted from the booth, her face chalky white. She looked like she was going to be sick. She flung open the door of the diner, leaving Andrea to pick up the check.

  Andrea shrugged. It was worth it to get that reaction. Freaking out because she’d scorned Jeremy and ruined her chances at landing a rich husband. Andrea was so delighted with her handiwork that she ordered a piece of pie to celebrate.

  ♥

  JOCELYN STUMBLED into the brilliant spring day.

  Jeremy lied to her. Okay, maybe he didn’t lie to her but he didn’t tell her the whole truth and he promised he would. Everything he said when they were together made sense now. The clubs his father belonged to. The private schools paid for by his mother’s insurance money—he even lied even about that. The girlfriend named Ashley—her father’s medical bills!

  She was a shallow human being—a gold digger—but the night she slept with him, she thought he trusted her as much as she trusted him. Obviously, he didn’t. Jeremy didn’t tell her who he was because as soon as did, he wouldn’t believe her a word that came out of her mouth. Jocelyn had an agenda. Jocelyn was the sort of girl rich guys couldn’t trust. That’s why he didn’t tell her.

  Kenneth Marks must have found out about her. Of course he did. He would’ve done a background check as soon as the notice appeared in the paper. In that moment, Jocelyn was as baffled and humiliated as it was possible to feel, and that included the day Norm had smacked her in the street.

  She lurched away, jogging down Main Street, her eyes hot and teary. It was really over this time. She never wanted to see him again. What could she tell him now that he would believe? I had an epiphany, Jeremy and now I know I love you. Coincidentally, I figured this out around the time Andrea told me you were rich. He was a goofball—he wasn’t stupid.

  And neither was she. They had a deal and he broke it. She was one hundred percent honest about herself and he used that information against her. He pretended he liked her, he pretended he trusted her—he pretended they were the same—!

  Jeremy pulled up beside her in the Toyota. He waved at her to stop.

  Jocelyn froze in her tracks. Her breath literally stopped in her throat. Seeing him again—it felt like they’d been apart for months. He was so ... eager. Why was he happy when she wasn’t? Jocelyn drew her arms around her middle and fixed her eyes on the sidewalk. As luck would have it, the street was busy at this hour.

  “Can we talk?” He was trying to make himself heard through the passenger side window. “Get in.”

  She opened the door and slumped in the seat, one leg stuck out to make it clear she wasn’t staying. The door swung open over the sidewalk.

  “Can you—please, Joce, it’s kind of personal. Can we talk with the door closed?”

  She slammed it and stared through the windshield. “Say what you have to say.”

  Jeremy swallowed and beat a nervous tattoo on the steering wheel. “How’ve you been?”

  “Absolutely fantastic. How have you been?” She glared at him. “Did you enjoy your all-you-can-eat spaghetti dinner on Wednesday? Letitia Murdoch told me you were at the diner stuffing your face with pasta. I’m glad to hear our break-up didn’t upset you for long.”

  He met her eyes stonily. “I’m glad that you’re glad. How did it go with Ryan by the way?”

  Jocelyn caught her breath, stung by his heartlessness. “He doesn’t want to go out with me. That’s how it went. Unlike you, I’m honoring our pact to tell each other the truth no matter how stupid we look. Ryan is a good guy. He didn’t mess me around. But we aren’t going to be anything more than friends.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that.”

  “Are you?” She turned on him. “I thought you’d be thrilled. I was the woman of your dreams. You were madly in love with me. Wow, that was fast. It hasn’t even been a week. Maybe hanging out with the poor girl from the dump and her sick dad killed your affection. It’s okay if it
has. Just be honest with me—like you promised.” Jocelyn crossed her arms over her chest and fixed her gaze on the scene outside the window to keep from crying. Mandrake Falls was carrying on with the day just as if nothing was happening.

  “What is wrong, damn it!” Jeremy exploded. “What have I done to piss you off? I didn’t end it with you—you ended it with me! Honoring our deal—what a load of crap. You bailed the first chance you got. You know what? You’re right. I’m glad it didn’t work out with Ryan. You got exactly what you deserved. We could have figured out your dad’s medical bills together but you have no faith in me or in anything that isn’t a giant dollar sign. Money doesn’t solve everything.”

  Jocelyn wrapped her arms tighter around her chest to keep from clobbering him. Her mouth tightened to a hard line. She looked at him, so angry that her face felt frozen in a mask of pure hatred. “Money doesn’t solve everything?” she hissed. “Did you actually just say that to me? Are you lecturing me about money? Money doesn’t matter until you find your father half-dead in his crappy house and you have to get him medical treatment. Money doesn’t mean squat until you can’t turn on the taps in your house because the pipes leak and your slumlord won’t fix them. Speaking of medical treatment—the hospital called and said my fiancé had taken care of Norm’s bill. There was no cost. Now, how could that be, huh?”

  Jeremy reddened and pushed his glasses up on his nose. “I guess they accepted the extended coverage. That’s good. For your dad, I mean. How is Norm doing now? Is he feeling better?”

  “He’s doing great. He was released this morning. I brought him home in a taxi,” she said icily. Jeremy had obviously decided to keep lying to her. She’d given him every opportunity to tell her the truth and he refused. “We’re all doing great. I have an investor for my business so I’ll be able to pay you back for the hospital bill.”

  He waved her offer away, looking ashamed, as well he should. “That’s not necessary. It’s all covered, not out of my pocket. It’s the plan I have through the theater.”

  Another bald-face lie.

  “I’m curious. When you said you loved me was that a lie to get me into bed?” She met his chocolate brown eyes. He was obviously puzzled and in deep distress and she didn’t care. “Well?”

  “I—I love you. I never lied about that. I couldn’t if I tried. I love you but you don’t love me so I’m trying to move on with my life. I thought that’s what you wanted.” Jeremy seemed to hesitate and then he said: “Have I done something wrong? Why are you acting so strange?”

  She would not dignify that with a response. It was a trick of guys to blame women for acting strange over shit they’d caused but didn’t want to own up to doing. She wasn’t going to rise to the bait. Jocelyn tried to look puzzled and innocent. “No. Why? Everything is fine.”

  “Everything is not fine. You’re different with me. What happened? I thought we were getting along pretty well.”

  “Did you? I thought we were kidding ourselves. I thought we were trying not to hurt the other person’s feelings.” Jocelyn seethed with righteous indignation. If anyone was in the wrong here, it was Jeremy. She didn’t care how wounded he looked right now.

  Jeremy pushed his glasses up on his nose. “Don’t say that. You’ve already told me you don’t care about my feelings. It’s one of the things I like best about you.”

  She nodded her head with sharp, jerky movements, privately steaming. “Great. And you don’t care about mine so I guess we’re even. The experiment is over. This contest, or whatever you want to call what we’ve been doing, is finished. I won.”

  “How do you figure that? It hasn’t even been a week and you’ve already broken our deal by not wanting to talk to me anymore. You said you’d be cool with me and we’d be friends and you’re acting like I’m poison again. You tell me you’re going to jump into Ryan McIntyre’s bed not ten minutes after leaving mine and I’m not supposed to be upset? Okay—yeah—you win because I am upset. So I went out for a spaghetti dinner because I couldn’t stand to be in my apartment without you. So my life sucks right now because you don’t want to see me. Yeah, Jocelyn, you win. Congratulations.”

  “Fine. I won’t complain about the crush you have on me or try to avoid you or be a bitch. Are we done here?”

  “It’s not a crush.”

  She turned on him, her face angry. “Call it whatever you like. It’s not love. Congratulations to you too, Jeremy Marks. Did Daddy tell you not to be honest with the big bad gold digger? Or did you come to that decision all by yourself.”

  Jeremy skin color turned a shade of sickly green. “Who told you?”

  “Andrea Tarnham.” Jocelyn spat out the name. “Andrea-hates-my-guts-Tarnham. She couldn’t wait. She practically jumped out of her chair to break the news. I couldn’t tell her I already knew who you were—because I didn’t! Andrea knew more about you than I did and I slept with you! You are a pig and a bastard and I never want to lay eyes on you again. If you come near me, I’ll call Sheriff McIntyre and get a restraining order. I don’t want to hear your voice or know anything about you. Got it? I hate you, Jeremy Marks. So congratulations.”

  Jocelyn fumbled blindly for the door handle, wrenched it open and practically fell onto the sidewalk. She slammed the door and jerked away at a half-run down the street. She hurt like hell—every molecule in her body felt bruised—but she also felt weirdly free. Free as the spring day. For the first time since she was fourteen, Jocelyn Tate felt like her own woman.

  She jogged home, a broad smile on her face.

  Being her own woman was the sweetest feeling in the world.

  Chapter 15: The Woman He Wants

  JEREMY LEANED back against the car seat, slightly out of breath from the tension. He watched Jocelyn running down the street, trying to get away from him as fast as she could.

  “What the hell just happened?” he said out loud. “She was getting everything she wanted and she dumps me?”

  The Gazette was across the street, a block away. He could see the sign from here. Jeremy jumped out of the car and slammed the door without locking it first. Andrea Tarnham—he was going to wring her neck. How did she find out about his dad’s money? No one in town knew he had a wealthy father.

  He opened the door and stood in the reception area, his blood boiling. Andrea wasn’t at her desk and the back offices were quiet.

  “Hey!” Jeremy yelled. “Where is everybody? I want to talk to Andrea!”

  Jason stuck his head around the corner. “Hey buddy, what’s up?” he asked genially.

  “Where’s Andrea?”

  Jeremy paced in front of the reception desk. He pushed his glasses up on his nose and speared his fingers through his hair, wildly.

  Jason came all the way into the room and sat on Andrea’s desk. “She’s out on a story. Can I help with something?”

  “If I don’t get some answers here, I’m going to lose it, Jason. Jocelyn found out who I am and now she hates me because I didn’t tell her. We had a pact to be upfront with each other for the sake of the experiment and I broke my end of the deal. I was going to tell her eventually but thanks to Andrea, I didn’t get the chance.”

  “Tell her what? Who are you?”

  Jeremy rounded his shoulders and settled his hands loosely on his hips. “My father is Kenneth Marks. He owns Marks Communications. He’s one of the five hundred richest men in the world.”

  Jason whistled slowly. He shook his head and squinted at Jeremy. “Are you sure? No offense man, but you don’t look like a trust fund baby.”

  “I’m not. I mean, I am but I don’t get the money until my twenty-fifth birthday. That’s not the point. The point is Jocelyn hates me. I don’t think about the money. It’s not mine, it’s my dad’s and that’s why I didn’t tell her about it—because it’s irrelevant—but she doesn’t know that. If I had time to explain—”

  “Wait a minute,” interrupted Jason. “The way I understand it, is you didn’t tell Jocelyn you’re rich because yo
u didn’t want her to fake being in love with you to get at your money. That’s totally reasonable given her history.”

  “No, no, no. You have it all wrong. But I guess that’s what she’s thinking. She thinks I didn’t tell her because I don’t trust her.” Jeremy pulled wildly at his hair. “What an idiot I am! I should have told her my whole history but I totally danced around it. Jocelyn wouldn’t have pretended anything. She didn’t bother with that crap with me. She would’ve treated me the same as always.”

  “Are you sure about that? That doesn’t sound like the Jocelyn we know.”

  Jeremy blinked at Jason. “Yeah, I’m sure. We had a deal and she stuck to it all the way. Even after she found out, she told me what she thought of me. I don’t know why I didn’t tell her myself. I like that I’m the same as everyone else in town. You guys assume having money makes everything easier, and it does. I’m not going to lie. The thing is it makes coping with life so much easier that most of the guys I went to school with don’t know how to cope at all. They feel like shit most of them time. Instead of figuring out the problem, they go scuba diving or windsurfing or take recreational drugs. There are plenty of distractions available for a guy with money. It’s not their fault—they aren’t lazy. Their parents forgot how good it feels to accomplish something. Being broke can be good for a person.”

  Jeremy stopped and looked away, red in the face. “I’m sorry,” he muttered. “Jocelyn already gave me shit for lecturing her on the subject of money. For most people working is not an option. I’m not one of them. After everything that’s happened, I think the best thing for me to do is leave town. I don’t know what I was trying to prove—I’m a fraud. I pursued a girl like Jocelyn because I have the same entitled attitude as my friends back home. Who cares that I’m a total nerd—I’m rich. Do you know the kind of husband a girl like Jocelyn could attract in my social circle? A thousand years ago, my father would’ve had to cough up a goat to get a woman like that for his son.”