After grabbing the remote for the TV he flipped through the stations searching for something to distract him. The restlessness that plagued him when he wasn't in the field had returned as soon as he entered his office Tuesday afternoon. So far that week numerous pressing issues regarding the foundation had kept him busy but it wasn't enough. As usual he longed to get back into the field. Being cooped up in the office gave him too much time to dwell on his regrets; all the other things he felt were better kept locked away.
Tossing the remote onto the leather sofa, Jake abruptly came to his feet. The need to be moving was suddenly too great to ignore. What he wouldn't give for an excuse to get back into the field and to do some hands-on work. Or to see Charlie again. It'd only been two days, yet it felt much longer. He missed her more than he ever would've imagined considering the amount of time they'd known each other. He'd been in relationships before and been forced to spend time apart but it hadn't ever bothered him all that much. In the past he went on about his life, content to see the girls he dated whenever it was convenient for both of them.
This time the separation only added to his internal unease, an unease he hadn't felt in weeks. In fact he hadn't felt it since he'd learned of the broken dam and the destruction it caused in North Salem and headed to Massachusetts.
He'd expected it to return the minute he saw his parents at his sister's wedding. Oddly though it hadn't, at least not to the extent it usually did. Sure, he'd been frustrated by his father's grilling and his mother's hounding him about entering politics. Yet the normal feelings of regret and frustration at the fact that they couldn't accept the decisions he made hadn't presented themselves with Charlie around.
Leaving the television on, he opened the sliding glass door and stepped outside onto the deck. Splashes of pink and red painted the evening sky as the sun started to set, and a warm breeze stirred the air. Only one thing kept the evening from being perfect. He was alone. Not that he couldn't find someone to share it with him if he so desired, but he didn't want just any woman. The one he wanted was hundreds of miles away.
What was she doing tonight? Had she gone out for an evening run? He knew that she liked running at night. When he'd asked her about it, she told him it helped her to relax after a stressful day. Had she decided to head out for a run tonight? Or was she busy helping her mom in the kitchen? When he'd left there had been a few displaced citizens still staying at the Victorian Rose. Either way he couldn't do anything about it. Jake dropped down into a chair and stretched his legs out in front of him. Then he forced his mind to focus on the meeting he had first thing in the morning.
Jake remained outside until the stars filled the sky. Inside he could hear a sportscaster talking about the Orioles starting lineup for their game against the Rangers. He pushed himself up from the chair intending to go in and do some more channel surfing. He received every channel under the sun. There had to be something worth watching on one of them. His ringing cell stopped him in his tracks. It was Sara's ring tone. Since he knew she would only keep calling until she finally got him, he pulled the phone from his pocket and answered.
“Have you seen this week’s copy of Today magazine?” she asked after greeting him.
He'd been expecting her to ask how he was, so when she asked her question he was momentarily thrown.
Dread settled in his chest making it feel as if an elephant had just sat on him. He knew his lawyer had called Marcy Blake to convince her to back off the story. She'd told him she would think about it. By the sound of his sister's voice, the reporter had made her decision. Damn. He couldn't wait for Blair to get the paternity test done so he could put this emerging scandal behind him. But Blair and her lawyer were dragging their feet.
“No. It's not on my reading list.” Jake rubbed at the tension building in his neck. “I'm guessing you have, so tell me. How bad is it?” He tried to keep the aggravation out of his voice. His sister hadn't caused the situation so there was no need to take it out on her.
Sara didn't reply right away, and he took that as a bad sign. “Out with it, Sara.”
“It says you walked out on Blair Peters when you found out she was pregnant a few weeks ago.”
Anger and frustration washed over him. Jake slammed his fist down on the deck railing but he didn't get the satisfaction he desired. What he wanted was to physically destroy something. His preferred object of choice was Marcy Blake's computer, but at the moment just about anything would suffice.
“It also says you’re already seeing a new woman.”
Had someone at the wedding decided to capitalize on the fact he'd attended the wedding with a guest? Or was the reporter once again making up stories? Jake walked back into the house. The semi-tranquility he'd found outside had disappeared the minute Sara told him about the magazine headline.
“I thought you should know,” Sara said softly with real concern in her voice.
“Thanks. I have an appointment with my lawyer again tomorrow. I guess we'll have to step up the pressure to get the test done.” Jake clenched his fists as he fought to keep his emotions wrapped up.
On the other end of the line Sara cleared her throat. “Is there anything I can do to help? Maybe if I talk to Blair I can...”
“Thanks for the offer but I don't want you talking to her, Sara. For now I think the best thing to do is let the lawyers handle things.” Knowing that Sara as well as Dylan and Callie believed him about Blair helped alleviate the annoyance he felt toward his parents who doubted him. However, he didn't see how Sara confronting Blair would help the situation. In fact, it might only make it worse. Blair was after revenge or money or maybe both and a little girl talk wasn't going to change her mind.
“Okay, but if you change your mind let me know.” Sara paused before continuing. “Are you still seeing Charlie? Have you told her about this situation? She deserves to know, if you haven't.”
Jake almost dropped the phone. No he hadn't mentioned it to Charlie because he'd hoped his lawyer would take care of the problem so he wouldn't have to. If it was on the cover of Today magazine though, Charlie may have already learned about it.
“Damn!”
“I'll take that as a no.”
“Sara, I've got to go but if anyone asks you about this-”
Sara didn’t give him a chance to finish his sentence. “I have no comment. Come on Jake I know the drill.”
“I know you do. Listen, thanks for the heads up.”
“Call me if you need to talk or anything.”
Surprised by Sara's comment, he didn't respond right away. Lately he was the one to offer help not the other way around. “Okay.”
After ending the call with his younger sister Jake dialed Charlie's cell again. If she hadn't seen the magazine cover yet, he wanted to explain things to her before she did. While he'd rather tell her in person, he also didn't want to wait till he saw her Friday night. And if she had seen the article he needed to do some damage control. Something that also couldn't wait till Friday.
Like before, Charlie's phone rang several times before kicking over to her voice mail. Again he left a short message only this time he told her he needed to talk to her about something important. Then he hit end on his phone and sent it sailing across the room in frustration. The brand new smart phone hit the wall and then the hardwood floor with a thud.
***
The traffic light turned red and Charlie brought the car to a stop. Grocery shopping was not how she wanted to spend her evening. Yet she'd promised she would do it while her mom went to the doctor's office. Her mom had felt lousy all week, but that afternoon she'd come down with a high fever. She'd only agreed to see the doctor after Charlie promised to get the groceries.
When the light turned green she turned left down Maple Street and noticed that things looked even better today than they had the day before. In fact it seemed like every day things in town got a little closer to normal. Last week most of the town had still been without electricity but today everyone had power.
The majority of the fallen trees and other random pieces of debris had been removed so that the streets were again accessible. It seemed almost impossible that only weeks before a hurricane had swept through knocking out the dam and turning the town upside down. Sure, work still remained, especially on the dam and the homes that had been flooded, but for the most part people were now able to go about their everyday lives again. Even the schools were open again.
Most of it wouldn't have happened if not for Jake and his foundation. At the thought of him her heart rate increased and her body quivered in anticipation. He was due back in town on Friday and she couldn't wait to pick up right where they'd left off Monday night. On his last night in town they'd stayed up late exploring every inch of each other’s bodies before falling asleep wrapped around each other. Not wanting her mother to know how she'd spent the evening, she woke up before dawn on Tuesday morning and returned to her own bedroom. If her mom or brother suspected anything sexual existed between them neither said anything to her. The only indication her mom gave that she suspected something was a brief questioning look when Charlie told her Jake was returning and would need a room. She'd used the excuse that his return was to check on progress but she didn't know if her mom believed her or not.
Not that it mattered. She didn't have to explain her actions to her family. If she chose to be involved with Jake it was her business and hers alone. It didn't concern anyone. Besides, she didn't plan on marrying the guy. They were just having some fun together. There wasn't anything wrong with that. They were both consenting adults, free to be with whomever they wished. Even now he might be with someone. The words “committed relationship” had never been spoken. Neither of them had expressed the desire to be solely with each other.
Before she could stop it from happening, a vision of Jake with his arms wrapped around another woman popped into her head. Anger and jealousy doused the previous anticipation she'd felt. Charlie gripped the steering wheel until her knuckles turned white and tried to purge the image from her mind, but it stubbornly stayed. The traffic light ahead turned red and she brought the car to a stop.
Pull yourself together, she thought. What did it matter what he did on his own time? They weren't in an actual committed relationship. There were no emotions involved. Theirs was a strictly physical relationship.
“The type I prefer,” Charlie said as a reminder to herself. Once you let emotions enter the arena, relationships become too dangerous. They leave you exposed. Physical ones are safer and easier to control.
When the light turned green, she hit the accelerator while repeating her thoughts over in her head. Yet the jealousy remained, churning in her stomach and making her wish she'd skipped lunch.
Gradually her jealousy dissipated and by the time she walked into the supermarket, she had her emotions back under control. The green-eyed monster was defeated.
With a shopping cart full of groceries, Charlie headed to the front of the store eager to check out.
The magazine rack at the checkout was loaded with the usual tabloid magazines as well as copies of Time and National Geographic. She had no interest in the tabloids. Charlie knew that magazines like them would print anything to increase sales even if it meant making up stories. How else could you justify how two magazines could report completely opposite stories about the same people at the same time. So as she stood in line she didn't even glance at the tabloids, instead she reached for the most recent edition of National Geographic. Charlie opened the cover prepared to flip through the pages when another cover caught her eye. Behind the magazine she'd picked up sat a copy of Today.
Jake's intense blue eyes stared back at her from the magazine's cover. It wasn't the first time she'd seen his picture on a magazine cover and she knew it wouldn't be the last. Unable to stop herself, Charlie reached for the magazine, her curiosity too great to do anything else. Instantly she wished she hadn't. The headline below his picture read, Prince Charming, Jake Sherbrooke soon to be a father. The words sent her heart plummeting to her feet. Charlie stared at them. Maybe if she looked long enough they would change or disappear altogether. They didn't.
“Do you plan on buying that?” the young cashier at the registered asked as she snapped her chewing gum.
The young woman's annoyed tone pulled Charlie back to reality. Without a second thought, she handed the magazine to the cashier.
Once outside she tossed the bags of groceries into the trunk as fast as humanly possible. Then she climbed in the front seat and pulled open the magazine. Colored pictures of Jake with a dark-haired woman who looked almost too beautiful to be real greeted her. Below the pictures was an article by Marcy Blake, the reporter Jake had told her about.
Charlie clenched her teeth as she read the words. Was it true? Had Jake walked out on his pregnant girlfriend, Blair Peters? According to the article he had. Dropping the magazine onto her lap she took a deep breath. She didn't want to believe it about him. But it was possible. He did have the reputation of being a playboy. Yet the Jake she'd come to know didn't fit with his reputation. That combined with the way he acted around his family made it hard to believe he could walk away from an unborn child.
You've only known him a few weeks. A person could pretend to be anyone for that short of a time.
Charlie raked her fingers through her hair then picked up the magazine to reread the article. Unfortunately a second pass didn't change its contents. Unease clawed at her. Was Jake just like her father? A man willing to walk out on his children without a backward glance? Even an unborn child?
As if on autopilot she slid the key into the ignition and started the car. Just as she was about to shift into reverse her cell phone rang. She recognized the number on the display. Jake. He'd called her the day before and promised to call her sometime today.
Charlie picked up the phone and held it with her thumb poised over the talk button. Did she want to talk to him right now? She wasn't sure. Hell if what the magazine article said was true she didn’t ever want to talk to him again. Avoiding him wouldn't answer her questions though. Still that didn't mean she had to speak with him now. Later after she digested the article might be a better time to question him.
After a few more rings the phone became silent, and Charlie tossed it onto the passenger seat. Then after one more glance at the magazine on the passenger seat under the phone, she headed back to the Victorian Rose.
Chapter 9
Jake drummed his fingers on the steering wheel Friday night and waited for the car in front of him to move. Traffic on I-95 hadn't budged in five minutes which only added to his current state of frustration.
Thanks to a combination of bad luck and a hectic schedule, he and Charlie had played phone tag on Thursday. Or at least he told himself that was why they hadn't spoken. His subconscious kept telling him a different story. While she had returned two of his calls and left messages when he didn't answer, she had not gone out of her way to reach him. Did that mean she was avoiding him? Had she already learned about the situation with Blair?
The uncertainty had been making him edgy all day. Earlier he'd nearly snapped Cindy's head off when she'd asked if he'd finished some reports. He'd immediately apologized, but he still felt like a complete ass. She didn't deserve to receive the brunt of his temper.
When he pulled into the parking lot of the bed and breakfast an hour later the outside lights welcomed him. Jake carefully maneuvered his rental car in between a Prius and Charlie's Jeep then killed the engine. For a moment he considered leaving his bag in the car. If Charlie had seen the magazine article she might tell him to get lost. Even if she hadn't seen it, once he explained the situation she might decide being involved with him wasn't worth the headache and show him to the door.
How much easier life would be if he hadn't been born a Sherbrooke. Once again Jake found himself envying his half-sister Callie who had grown up not knowing the truth about her father. In so many ways she'd had a better life than him, though he'd never admit that to anyone. If he
did, it would make him look like a complete ass. People saw all the privilege and opportunities he had. They didn't see the paparazzi who shadowed him just waiting for a juicy story. Or the people who used their association with him only to satisfy their own agendas.
Get off the pity train. Jake climbed out of the car and started to close his door. At the last minute he pulled it open again and grabbed his bag from the back seat.
The sweet smell of fresh apple pie greeted him when he walked in. Immediately his mouth watered. He had breakfast but meetings kept him busy through lunch and his dinner on the plane had been less than satisfying.
Closing the door behind him, Jake looked around. The dining room to his left as well as the sitting room to his right were empty, but he could hear voices coming from the back of the house. He decided to head in that direction when Maureen O'Brien walked down the hall toward him wearing her flowered apron.
“Jake, it's nice to see you again. Charlie said you were coming up this weekend.” Maureen gave him a motherly hug. “We just ate, but if you're hungry I can make you something.” Her soft spoken voice and warm embrace instantly made him feel at home.
“It’s good to see you too. If you have any leftovers that'll be fine.”
Maureen started toward the kitchen and nodded for him to follow. “Follow me. Charlie's putting the leftovers away now.”
Jake hesitated for a second. Charlie was his only reason for being here, and he hated not knowing what to expect from her. Would she throw him out the minute she saw him? Or would she give him a chance to explain. Only one way to find out.
The Billionaire Playboy Page 12