Maxwell scrubbed his hand over his face and peered out the window. He’d only opened it to let in the morning breeze. He never meant to eavesdrop.
Chapter 14
Maxwell slid the window shut. Jared and Madison…not really a couple? The news shocked him. He knew Jared had commitment issues, but never thought he’d do something like this.
He sat back down at his computer, not seeing the screen. Why would Jared hire a girlfriend? And why would he pretend they were engaged? It didn’t make a lot of sense. Sure, he’d put some pressure on Jared to find someone. Maybe too much pressure, he admitted reluctantly. But he only wanted him to be happy.
He thought back to when Jared first told him he was seriously dating. It was Easter. They were gathered around the table, trying to choke down Irene’s dry ham and cold scalloped potatoes. Maxwell asked if Jared had anyone in his life. Before he could answer, Shelly said something about how worried she was about him being alone. Then Mark made a comment about his sexual orientation. That’s when he announced he had met someone.
At the time, he’d wondered if it were true. Seemed like something Jared said to get everyone off his case. Jared was evasive when questioned. His instinct must have been right. And as they talked on the phone, he’d ask if they were still dating. He had been pushy, looking back.
And he’d practically hounded him to bring her to his birthday celebration. No wonder he felt backed into a corner. But hire an actress? What was Jared thinking?
And there was no need to tell everyone he was engaged. What purpose did that serve? Wait. It hadn’t been Jared who made the announcement. It had been Madison.
Maxwell chuckled, now remembering the look on Jared’s face when Madison informed them of their engagement. He wasn’t sure exactly what happened, but he was positive she’d surprised him.
And then Shelly collapsed, ended up in the hospital, and asked them to move up the wedding. Caught between the lie and disappointing his aunt, Jared must have decided to go through with the charade.
His leather chair squeaked as he shifted. Something was still bugging him. Maxwell saw how Jared looked at Madison. The sidelong glances. The way his lip twitched when he was trying not to smile. Jared was developing feelings for her. Real ones.
And Madison—if she wasn’t in love with Jared, he’d eat Irene’s greasy, two-pound cheese soufflé. The way she gazed at him said it all.
Maxwell touched the tips of his fingers together. They were falling in love. They just needed more time together to figure it out.
And Veronica could be dealt with pretty easily. Blackmail only works if the secret is still a secret. He picked up the phone and pressed the speed dial.
“Shelly? It’s Max. You’re never going to believe this.”
Jared stomped up the stairs and slammed the bedroom door. How dare she? Fifty thousand dollars! What, did she think he kept that kind of money sitting in the bank? Of all the stupid…
Madison opened the door. “What’s going on? It sounded like an elephant stampeded through the house.”
Jared let out an exasperated breath. He didn’t want to tell her. Didn’t want to admit he was being manipulated by the pathetic waste of human flesh named Veronica. It was prideful, but he didn’t care. He was embarrassed to not have seen through her façade before now. “It’s nothing.”
“Really?” Madison arched one eyebrow, one hand on her hip. “Nothing? You look like you’re about to breathe fire.”
Jared plopped down on the edge of the bed. “It’s something I have to deal with, that’s all.”
Madison’s gaze swept over him. Then she sat next to him and rested her hand on his leg. “Honey, if we’re going to make this marriage work, we’re going to have to learn to open up to each other.” She batted her eyes at him, and her mouth quirked.
He was too mad to laugh, but his mood lightened considerably. “Funny.”
“Just tell me what’s got you all worked up. It can’t be that bad, can it?”
He stared at her big blue eyes, trusting, and suddenly he wanted to tell her. He didn’t know why. He was used to keeping things to himself. But for some reason, the urge overcame him. “Veronica found out about us. She’s threatening to tell if I don’t give her fifty thousand dollars.”
Madison sucked in a breath. “What? I can’t believe it. Why would she do that?”
“Because she’s psychotic.” Which was a good description of Veronica. She’d been poison from the start. He should have seen it.
Madison bit her lip. “Maybe we can beat her at her own game.”
He could see the wheels turning in her head, and apprehension filled him. Her insane ideas never worked the way they were supposed to. “You have that look on your face.”
“Hush. I’m thinking.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of.”
She tossed him a stony expression. “I’m helping. What exactly did she say?”
He sighed. “She knows I hired you to pretend to be my fiancée. If I don’t pay, she’s going to tell Shelly.”
“We could call her bluff. She wants money. I’m not convinced she would talk to Shelly if she didn’t get her way. What if you simply didn’t pay?”
“That’s your big plan? Not pay?”
“Well,” she said slowly. “She might not tell her. But in case she does say something, we just need to tell Shelly you did hire me to pretend to be your girlfriend…maybe to ward off some chick at the office. And that’s really how we met four months ago. But we fell in love. The engagement is real. Veronica overheard stuff and got it a little wrong.”
Jared quirked his head. It wasn’t a bad idea. Actually, it was a pretty good idea. It might work. “So, we confess to lying about how we met.”
A smile spread across her face. “Yes. We were embarrassed about the whole hiring thing. So we made up the opera story.”
He rolled his eyes. “Yeah, because meeting in the women’s bathroom was much less embarrassing.”
Madison let out a belly laugh, then clamped her lips together and cleared her throat. “Sorry about that.”
She was sure cute when she was trying to put on a straight face. “No you’re not.”
“You’re right.” A giggle escaped. “Every time I imagine you stumbling around the ladies room, literally bumping into women, it’s hard not to laugh.”
He hid a smile. “You’re thinking of it right now, aren’t you?”
She whacked his arm. “Stop trying to make me laugh.”
“All right. How about we confess that I didn’t hire you to work at Jameson Technologies, but hired you to be my girlfriend instead. Then we don’t have to change much of our story.”
“Perfect.” Her smile made her glow. Something about her made him want to be closer to her. Learn all he could about her. She intrigued him like no other woman ever had.
He brushed her cheek with the back of his knuckles and reveled in the feel of her velvety skin. The urge to kiss her flooded him, but he pushed it away. The last thing he wanted to do was take advantage of her. She deserved better.
He pulled his hand away, and she stared down at her lap, her eyelashes brushing her cheeks. “We’d better gather our things. I’d like to visit Shelly, then I need to get to the office before they let Darlene take over.”
She nodded, but he thought he saw disappointment flit across her face before it vanished.
Madison put on the clothes she had worn out to Highland Falls. Irene had washed them for her. There wasn’t much to pack. A toothbrush and hairbrush she’d bought at the department store. A pack of Tic Tacs from the gas station. She stuffed them in her purse.
Why did it feel like she was preparing for a funeral? It was ridiculous. No need to be sad about leaving. It wasn’t like they were really engaged. But even as the thought surfaced, she knew the truth. She had deeper feelings for Jared than she wanted to admit.
The way his lip twitched when he was trying not to smile. The sadness in his eyes when he talked about his mo
ther. The way she felt when she was with him. All reasons to get through this fake-wedding, then get as far away from him as possible. He didn’t love her. And the more she allowed herself to fantasize, the more it would hurt when they parted.
Jared stuck his head in the room. “We’ve got a problem.”
Her head jerked up. “What?” His face looked so serious, her heart raced to her toes. “Is it Shelly? Is she okay?”
He put his hand up. “No, nothing like that. My father’s giving us an engagement gift.”
A gift? How was that a problem? “What’s he giving us?”
“Two tickets to the Henry Doorly Zoo.”
What an odd engagement present. She tried to plaster on a smile. “Okay. Tell him thanks.”
Jared rubbed the back of his neck. “They’re only good today. I guess he got some kind of deal on them. They include the IMAX theater, and he’s insisting we go…have some alone time.”
Several emotions raced through her, grappling with each other to see who would come out on top. Happiness, at the thought of being able to delay their separation by a few hours. Dread, knowing she was walking on the edge of a cliff, about to fall off. And amusement, at the thought of Jared at the zoo. The happiness and amusement won out, and she smiled. “Sounds like fun.”
“Really? Because I could tell him I must get back to work…”
Her chest tightened. “No. Don’t do that. My horoscope today says I should not make waves. I think we should thank him and go.”
“When did you check your horoscope?”
“When you were in the shower. I borrowed your phone.”
A wary look crossed his face. “How often have you done that?”
She plastered on a sheepish look. “Every day. I…uh, installed an app.”
“Is that why I’ve been getting texts from that psychic Madame Geary?”
“Oh, she’s good. You should call her.”
He pinched his lips and closed his eyes. When he opened them, she could tell he was trying not to yell. “Just check your horoscope in the paper, okay?”
“Sure. No problem.”
He fingered the door handle. “There’s one other thing. The zoo is an hour away, in the opposite direction. If we stop by Aunt Shelly’s house, then head to the zoo, we won’t have enough time to drive home. We’ll have to come back here and spend the night tonight.”
She tried to keep her heart from hammering in her chest. “That’s fine, we can spend another night here.”
“All right. I’ll go tell my father.”
Madison changed into one of Irene’s cute sundresses, perfect for a day outside. She slipped her feet into a pair of beaded sandals, glad she and Irene were the same size. Then she stuffed her clothes in the dresser drawer and tossed her toothbrush and hairbrush on the bathroom counter. On her way to the stairs, she stopped at the first door on the left. It was the only room where the door had remained closed, and she had no idea what was in there. Maybe it was a closet. She tried the handle, but it was locked. Who would lock a closet? She shrugged and continued down.
Maxwell and Irene practically shoved them out the door, telling them to have fun and to come back hungry because they were planning a special dinner. Jared raised his eyebrows but didn’t say anything.
Shelly’s house wasn’t far, although the neighborhood was very different. Smaller homes and much closer together, but still an affluent part of town. They rang the doorbell and Patricia answered.
“I’m so glad you’re here. Mom’s been grouchy and taking it out on me.”
A voice from the other room called out, “I can hear you, ya know.”
Patricia rolled her eyes. “See what I mean?” She waved them inside, shut the door, then lowered her voice. “She’s been having trouble breathing today.”
Jared’s face paled, and Madison touched his arm, hoping the gesture would let him know she was there for him.
Patricia called out, “Mom, Jared and Madison are here to see you.”
“I know. It’s not my ears that are having trouble.”
“Geesh. Go on in.” Patricia turned on her heel and disappeared.
They entered a hallway, then a light-blue bedroom with white accents. The furniture was all antique. Beautiful pieces. Shelly lay in an old-style poster bed, pillows propping up her head and upper body.
“Hey, Shelly. How are you doing?” Jared bent down and gave her a hug. Shelly motioned for Madison to come closer.
“Terrible, sweetie, but don’t let me get you down. I heard you’re going to spend the day doing something fun.”
Jared raised an eyebrow. “Word sure gets around fast, huh?”
Shelly laughed, and a wheezing sound filled the room. “Was just talking to your father. I do have some good news.”
“Yes?”
“The doctors say my heart is strong. Whatever is wrong, it’s not heart disease.”
Jared smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “I’m glad. That is good news.”
They chatted for a few minutes, and then Shelly seemed to grow tired. “Thanks for stopping by you two, but you’d better be on your way. Go have fun.” She made a shooing motion with her hands.
“All right, we’re going.” Jared leaned over to give her another hug, and when he was done she opened her arms to Madison.
“You take care of him, okay?” she whispered.
A cold ball of lead thudded into her stomach. “Sure will.”
They drove in silence for a while. Then Jared turned on the radio and the mood lightened.
“What kind of music do you like?”
“All kinds. Soft rock, pop, country, jazz.”
“You like jazz? Great.” He pressed a preset button and lively saxophone music filled the car. She snuck a sideways glance at him. He wore a dark t-shirt and faded blue jeans. He looked like he belonged in a soap commercial. Smelled like it, too. She fiddled with her purse strap.
She needed to get a grip. Imagine him with pock marks all over his face, and a beer belly. Perform some kind of cleansing to get him out of her system. She frowned. No detox diet would get rid of this.
He tapped the steering wheel with his thumb in time to the music and glanced at her. “What’s the matter?”
Heat rose to her face. She couldn’t tell him she was hoping he’d suddenly become unattractive to her. “Nothing.” She plastered on a smile. “Why do you think your dad bought us tickets to the zoo?”
“I don’t know. He and Irene were acting funny.”
They sure were. The way they kept exchanging glances, like they shared some little secret. And Irene’s smile held a message she couldn’t decipher. “Yes. They’re definitely up to something.”
The hour passed quickly, and soon they were in line to enter the zoo. The day hadn’t yet turned hot, and a pleasant breeze fanned them. “I’ve never been here,” Madison admitted. “I’m looking forward to it.”
Jared turned to her, a half-grin on his face. “You know, I used to come here with my parents when I was little. I couldn’t say Henry Doorly, and my parents got a kick out of me requesting to go to the Hunky Doorey Zoo.”
Madison laughed. “That’s cute.”
His face grew serious. “Then my mother died, and we stopped coming.”
She slipped her hand in his without thinking, then regretted the intimate gesture, but couldn’t remove it without drawing attention, so she left it. “Maybe today will bring back some good memories.”
“Maybe.”
They got through the gate and studied the map. All of the attractions looked good. Madison wasn’t sure which to start with. “What do you want to see first?”
He glanced around. “This place has changed a lot since I was a kid. They’ve built a bunch of new buildings.”
“Ooh, look. There’s one called Kingdoms of the Night. It sounds interesting.”
“Sure.” He squeezed her hand and shivers coursed up her arm, which she tried to ignore.
Kingdoms of the Night turned
out to be a wonderfully fabricated cave with exhibits showing bats, snakes, scorpions, and other such creatures. The lower level took you through a dark swamp with water containing beavers and alligators. It was a little spooky, and Madison found herself clinging to Jared’s arm, and immensely enjoying the experience.
Jared couldn’t deny the feelings invading him as he walked through the exhibits with Madison. His pulse raced with every touch. She grew more excited with each display, pointing to the little creatures scurrying under the brush, and leaning over to see the animals swimming in the dark. She hid nothing. Most people he knew wore masks. Madison’s personality didn’t seem to allow it.
“Let’s go to the jungle next.” Her smile lit up her eyes.
They toured the Lied Jungle, Madison reaching out from the suspension bridge to touch the waterfall, and squealing when the monkeys jumped from one vine to the next. He glanced down at the ring on her finger, the one he’d given her, and a part of him wished it wasn’t pretend.
After the jungle, Madison pulled him over to another map. “Let’s ride the train!”
She looked so happy, he didn’t have the heart to tell her it was probably for little kids, and they’d be sitting with their knees up to their chins. “Okay. I think we can buy tickets over here.”
While they waited in line, he heard someone call to Madison.
“Madison Nichols? Is that you?” A young woman tugging a two-year-old behind her approached them. A casually dressed man followed them, his hands in his pockets. The woman’s hair was pulled back in a French knot, a pair of designer sunglasses on top of her head.
Madison’s expression turned wary. “Debbie?”
“Madison, I haven’t seen you in ages.” Her sneer belied her words. “I told Derrick that was you, but he didn’t believe me. You remember Derrick from high school, right? Captain of the football team.” The woman indicated the man, ignoring the child now looking up at Madison with large blue eyes.
A Fake Marriage Romance Collection Page 10