It was exceptional work. She had enough of an eye to recognize it. And no one would ever see it but the two of them.
Her eye kept going back to the drawing of her in the nude. It was beautiful. She was beautiful.
“It’s my favorite,” he said, startling her from her thoughts. “I’m going to do it in oils. I think it will be the finest thing I’ve ever done.”
“Jayden,” she said, turning around to meet his gaze.
“I drew it that first night we were together. I woke up in the night and went to turn off the lights and close up the house, and the sight of you literally took my breath away. I went and got my sketch pad and stood there for I don’t know how long until I captured you exactly in that moment. That’s when I realized I love you, and that’d I’d do whatever it took to keep you. Even if that meant leaving Surrender.”
“I love it here,” she said.
“That’s just an added bonus,” he said, smiling.
He looked like he’d just fought a battle, as he often did when he was working, but her feelings for him were practically bursting from inside her. She didn’t know how to handle this, didn’t know how to process what it meant for the two of them to love each other, so all she could do was go to him. Give herself to him.
When they were done, they lay on the floor of the studio and tried to catch their breath.
“Not that I’m complaining,” he said. “But why did you come up here?”
“Oh, crud,” she said, sitting up and pulling her clothes back on. “We’re supposed to be at dinner. We’re late. Like, really late.”
“I’m sure they’ll understand,” he said, running a finger down her spine.
“No they won’t,” she said. “We promised.”
“All right, all right,” he said, rolling to his feet. He gathered up his clothes and went downstairs naked. “Sorry, Winston,” he said when the dog averted his gaze. “Your something of a prude for someone who never wears pants.”
Holly came flying down the stairs behind him and she slapped him on the behind as she passed.
“That is not the way for us to get out of here faster,” he said. “That’s how you end up with round two.”
“If you can shower and dress in five minutes, I’ll give you round two on the ride home tonight.”
“Deal,” he said. “This is going to be a very short evening.”
* * *
By the time they made it to the barn they were more than a half hour late. But that had been the plan all along. It was the twelfth of February and in three days it would be Holly’s birthday. They’d been planning the surprise party for weeks.
“I hate making a late entrance,” she said as they approached the big barn doors.
Jayden snickered under his breath and pushed them wide open, and the deafening shout of “Surprise” knocked her back against him.
“Happy birthday,” he said, leaning down to kiss her neck.
“But my birthday isn’t for three days.”
“That’s what makes it a surprise,” he said.
His entire family was there, and one by one, they came up to hug her and wish her happy birthday. His parents and siblings were first to congratulate her, and he loved the way his mother wrapped her in a tight hug and held her with a warmth that made his heart full. Cooper and Claire were next, followed by their two sons. Then his Uncle Grant and Annabeth, and he watched Holly curiously as she blushed crimson with whatever Annabeth told her. Next was his Uncle Riley and Aunt Maggie, then Thomas and Cat and their four children.
They wound their way through the room, dodging waiters passing hors d' oeuvres and drinks and kids playing hide and seek. Mac was there, but she said her parents had some urgent business at the D.C. office of MacKenzie Security, so they hadn’t been able to attend. And last, but not least, was Declan and Sophia.
Holly hadn’t been able to see them in months, and she ran into his arms and hugged him fiercely. In Jayden’s opinion, this was the perfect night. They were surrounded by family, and love was thick in the air. There was no better place than this for one more surprise. He was going to ask her to marry him.
* * *
The second Holly saw Declan, she ran toward him and threw her arms around him. The smile on his face was grim, and probably matched her look of panic. He was a handsome man in his early fifties, and she’d always been intrigued by the white scar that ran along his jawline.
“We need to talk,” she said.
He nodded. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I never imagined this would happen when bringing you here.”
“It’s not your fault,” she told him fiercely. “You did what you do best. And I had no plans of anyone ever knowing the truth. If things were different, no one ever would. But I love him.”
His lips twitched. “That’s what I’ve heard from just about everyone. We’ll figure something out. Enjoy your birthday for now.”
She nodded. Declan would know what to do. He had the connections and the power to make things right. The hardest part was going to be making things right with Jayden.
She hadn’t realized a band had been playing when they’d entered. Her senses were completely overloaded, and everything was like white noise at this point. But when the band stopped playing and Jayden tapped on the microphone, everyone’s attention went to the stage.
“Hey, everyone,” he said, holding up a glass of champagne. “Everyone should get one of these. Except for the kids.”
“Never stopped you,” Cooper called out, making Jayden grin.
“That’s a story for another time and another place,” Jayden said. “Today is for celebrating Holly.”
“Here, here!” several people called out.
“Happy birthday, Holly,” he said, lifting a glass and the crowd repeated the gesture.
“You’re one of the most incredible people I’ve ever met,” he said. “But first I want to thank Dec for bringing her here. It’s as if she’s always been here and always been part of the family. Because of you, this is home.”
Declan was still standing beside her and he raised his glass in salute even though his smile was tight.
“I was going to wait until later to do this,” Jayden said. “But the timing seems right, and I don’t think I can wait anymore.”
It felt like molten lead was coursing through her veins and the room started to spin. She felt Declan move in closer to her, and she was almost positive he uttered an expletive under his breath.
“Holly Hammels,” he said.
The utterance of the name that didn’t belong to her had her closing her eyes. Maybe if she closed her eyes this would all go away.
“I’ve loved you almost since the day I met you. I never understood what it was to be in love. To be in another person’s presence and feel your soul answer the call of theirs. To know without a shadow of a doubt that you’d move anywhere, go anywhere, or be anywhere just to stay in your presence.
“I can’t imagine living the rest of my life without you. So without further ado,” Jayden said, taking a ring box out of his pocket. He put the glass of champagne down, so he could open the box.
“Oh, God,” Holly said, just as the crowd started to cheer.
“Will you marry me?” Jayden asked, love shining in his eyes as bright as the diamond he held.
“Pretend to faint,” she heard Declan said. “Now.”
It wasn’t very hard to pretend.
Chapter 12
Holly felt Declan’s arms come around her, and they were moving quickly through the crowd and out of the main dining hall. He bumped open the doors to what looked like a men’s lounge and laid her on a leather sofa.
Several people came rushing in after them, asking if she was okay. And then she heard Jayden’s voice as he tried to get through, and she closed her eyes again.
“It won’t work a second time,” Declan said. “It’s time for both of us to face the music.”
She carefully sat up on the couch and someone put a cold bottle o
f water in her hand, and someone else gave her a cool washcloth to put on her head.
“Sorry about that,” she said, looking up in Jayden’s parent’s faces. Grant and Annabeth had also come in, along with Cooper and Clair and Thomas and Cat.
“Let me take a look at her,” Thomas said.
She’d forgotten he was a doctor, and the last thing she wanted was anyone poking at her.
“No, it’s okay,” she said. “I’m fine. I was just…overwhelmed.”
“In a good way, I hope,” Jayden said. “But there was worry in his eyes.”
She took a deep breath, but before she could summon the courage Declan spoke up.
“We’ve got something important to tell you,” he said to Jayden. “To all of you, but mostly to Jayden. I brought Holly here for her protection,” he said.
“I was able to figure that out for the most part,” Jayden said. “Though I didn’t know the details.”
Holly couldn’t bear to see the wounded look on his face.
“Her father was one of my closest friends,” Declan said, “And when he died she was left with no one to protect her. He asked me to take care of her.”
“She seems like a capable woman to me,” Charlotte said, positioning herself next to her son.
“He asked me to take care of her and I didn’t do that. I know better than most that people aren’t always what they seem. And Holly was still young when her father died, only twenty-four, and at his death she became the sole heir to a whole lot of money. Sometimes when you’re grieving you’ll cling to the first thing that brings you comfort, and that was Derek Campbell.”
Holly swallowed hard and felt like it was her turn to pick up the story. “He’d said he’d known my father, was there at the funeral, and helped with arrangements. He made things so easy, and I just let him take control. It wasn’t like me at all, but I was just so tired and so broken. My mother came to the funeral for show, but she was not a grieving widow. When they read the will she went into a fit of rage, and the estate attorney had to go to the hospital for stitches.”
“Good God,” Dane said.
“I didn’t realize that Derek and my mother had been working together. That they knew each other well, and had even been lovers for a time. They both had the same goal. They were the good cop and the bad cop. The more abusive and vile she became toward me, the closer I moved toward Derek. He promised me he could keep me safe from my mother. That she’d never get what my father had left me.”
Holly took a drink of water and looked at Jayden. His face had gone pale, but he waited for her to finish.
“So I married him,” she said.
“He held a knife to my throat our wedding night, and told me he’d bleed me of every cent my father left me. And then he told me in detail how he and my mother had planned this for months, ever since they’d found out my father’s cancer was most likely terminal.”
“You knew this?” Charlotte asked, her eyes flashing toward Declan.
“Yes,” he said. “I hadn’t been there to stop the marriage from taking place, but Holland didn’t wait long after things went bad to come to me. All we could do at that point was do damage control and try to keep her alive.”
“Holland,” Jayden said.
“My real name,” she told him. “Holland Hamilton.”
“Keep things as close to the truth as possible, huh, Dec?” Dane said, the fury bright in his eyes.
Her throat was dry as dust, but she pushed on. “They hired men to coerce me to sign the documents so they had access to the trusts.”
“But Henry was no fool,” Declan said. “Names could be added to the trusts, but never transferred. If anything ever happened to Holland the funds would be frozen and then given to the beneficiaries listed in her will. When Derek and Margaret found out about the clause, they knew they couldn’t kill Holland as planned. But the abuse didn’t stop. And Derek is a very powerful attorney. No judge or law enforcement agency in New York would cross him. Which is why I had Holland file her will and estate papers in the state of Connecticut.”
“They were planning to kill her?” Thomas asked.
“We got confirmation through a wiretap,” Declan said. “The only way I could keep her safe and get her away was to fake her death. So that’s what we did. Holland Hamilton died in a car crash, and her will is tied up in a probate court in Connecticut, despite Derek’s attempts to get it moved to New York.”
There was silence for several minutes as the information sunk in.
“Well,” Charlotte said, taking a deep breath and looking her in the eye. “I’m sorry for what you suffered. No one should have to go through that. And I understand that coming here was your sanctuary. There’s nothing wrong with that. The problem is…” she said.
“You’re married to someone else,” Jayden said.
“I know,” she told him. “And I don’t know how to fix this. Because if things had been different I would have said yes to you that day you told me I’d be your wife at the diner. I love you. That hasn’t changed.”
And then he turned around and walked out of the room.
Chapter 13
Holly had to give the MacKenzies credit. What was talked about in the network, stayed in the network.
Things had gone fuzzy after Jayden had left that night three weeks before. His family had looked on in sympathy, and at the sight of his retreating back, the dam had finally broken and the tears had come.
Why did she let things go on like they had? She’d known it would come to this. She’d known there was nothing that could be done without alerting Derek that she was still alive. And she’d been too terrified to think of that as an option.
Questions, insults, and threats had been hurled at Declan not long after Jayden had left, but Holly had just sat there, numb to it all. Though by the time Declan was finished, she could see why he was in charge of the largest security company in the world. He’d gathered up his wife, kids, and Holly, and driven her back to the lake house without a goodbye to anyone.
And then he’d come back the next day and told her it was time to get down to business, and that if she really wanted Jayden she couldn’t stay hidden forever. Fortunately, Declan had that foresight, and already had attorneys and witnesses in place, including the wiretap recordings and evidence they’d collected against her mother and Derek.
And then they’d dropped the bomb and revealed that she was alive and well, and despite the several feet of snow on the ground, several industrious reporters had made the trek to Surrender to get the scoop.
But Surrender took care of their own, and they’d protected her, despite the hurt she’d caused. But there’d been no word from Jayden. She’d had long talks with his parents, and aunts and uncles and cousins. To them, she was the same person she’d always been, only name was a little different. But not even they had heard from Jayden.
His mother had told her to give him time, but that was easier said than done. She’d been working herself into exhaustion, so she could go home and fall into the empty bed without getting trapped in her own thoughts and heartache.
It was her own fault. And whatever the consequences, she was going to have to live with it.
The store closed at eight, and it was just a few minutes till when she walked down the stairs with her briefcase. Her assistant manager was set to close, and there were no customers left.
“Burning the midnight oil again,” he said, counting the money in the register.
“At least I’m all caught up. I’ve got to take a couple of days next week to take care of some personal business.”
She had to fly to Connecticut with Declan to meet her attorneys and give a deposition. Despite the legal tangle of dealing with insurance and estate fraud, all of that would eventually be handled. But it was the evidence that had turned up against Derek that was the real news. It didn’t matter whose pockets he’d lined over the years. He was guilty of so many charges of ethics violations, attempted murder, and a laundry list of othe
r things that Declan said he’d be surprised if he ever got out of jail.
She got in the SUV and started the long trek home, and about halfway there it started to snow again. Maybe Connecticut would be nice, considering most other states celebrating spring. She glanced briefly at the tree that sat between the fork in the road, and as a last second decision, she veered to the left and toward Jayden’s house.
* * *
Jayden been sitting on her back porch for what seemed like hours. It didn’t matter. He’d wait there until she came home. He had to see her. Had to talk to her.
His thoughts had been jumbled the night he’d left the party. He hadn’t known what to feel or what to say. He knew he hurt for her. He couldn’t imagine anyone putting a mark on her. But he also knew, no matter how horrible a person he was, she still belonged to another man.
They only way he knew to deal with the rage and grief inside of him was to paint. He painted for days without stopping for sleep or to eat. He painted as if his life depended on it. What he created on canvas was alive and raw, violent colors and motions that ebbed and flowed like tide.
And when he’d gotten his anger out, he’d fallen into fitful sleeps for days.
At the end of the day, he only knew one thing. He still loved her. And he’d stand by her, no matter what happened when the whole truth came out.
After peace settled over him, he went back up to his studio and started to paint again. This time from the sketches on his table. And he’d been right. It was his best work. And it all belonged to her.
He wrapped up the one of her lying on the bed, told Winston goodbye, and then drove over to her house. Where he’d been waiting ever since.
What was she doing? She should have been home from work hours ago. And then he started to worry something had gone wrong, so he called the sporting goods store and was told she’d just left.
Jayden’s Hope: MacKenzies of Montana Page 9