Irene played the perfect hostess. “So nice to meet you, Carrie. Let me take your things. Follow me up the stairs, and I’ll show you to your room.”
Jared jogged up the steps behind everyone and set the luggage on the floor of their guest bedroom. He wasn’t sure how, but he needed to find out if Madison was interested in pursuing a relationship after the wedding was over. What an awkward conversation that would be. ‘Hey, after we’re married, do you want to go on a date?’
He shook his head. No. Maybe he could show her he cared over the next couple of days. Maybe she would really fall in love with him.
Yeah right. Like that would really happen.
Chapter 18
Madison found it easier than she thought to reclaim the role of being Jared’s fiancée. She cozied up to him at lunch and slipped her hand into his when they went out back to admire Irene’s setup for the wedding. Jared responded warmly, even kissing her on the forehead when they were standing on the stage where the dancing would take place.
Irene had transformed the backyard into the perfect setting. A beautiful white runner lay on the ceremony path. The twinkle lights still hung from every branch.
Others began arriving: first Pastor Ryan, then Mark, Zach and Patricia, and finally Jimmy. Dressed as he was in full ministerial attire complete with black robe and white collar, Madison worried Jimmy was over-doing it. She soon relaxed, though, when everyone accepted him as the real deal.
They sat in the living room chatting, staying inside where it was cool as long as they could. Patricia and Zach sat on the love seat, clasping hands. Patricia’s face practically glowed. If Zach was nervous, he didn’t show it.
Carrie managed to sit by Mark, and flirted ruthlessly. Madison figured they’d be a couple by tomorrow. Carrie usually hooked the guy she wanted, the one exception being the handsome teller at Wells Fargo who, they found out later, had a boyfriend.
Pastor Ryan reminded Madison of George Clooney. She could imagine him breaking a lot of hearts in his younger years. He leaned forward and cleared his throat. “Before we walk through the ceremony, I’d like to take a few minutes, if that’s okay.” He glanced at Jimmy, who seemed oblivious. When the pastor didn’t get a non-verbal go-ahead, he said, “Pastor James?”
Jimmy started and glanced around the room. “Who, me? Yeah, sure, go ahead.” He waved his hand.
Pastor Ryan nodded. “I’m so thrilled you’ve invited me to be a part of this happy occasion. Patricia, Jared, I’ve known you both since you were small. You are like family to me. And this is why I must be bold and say this.” He paused and looked them in the eye. “Marriage is not to be taken lightly.”
Madison’s stomach dropped. Guilt flooded through her, and Jared’s face drained of color.
“Not to say that a couple needs to date for years before they tie the knot. I firmly believe when you know it’s the right person, there’s no reason to delay. In fact, I’ve always felt putting off marriage and family isn’t good. But I want to impress upon you the importance of what you’re doing here on Saturday.” His gaze pierced through Madison, and her soul shrunk back like a child caught drawing on the bedroom wall.
“Marriage is a commitment. You will stand before God and pledge to love, honor and obey for the rest of your lives. I expect you all to take the commitment seriously.”
Everyone nodded, and Patricia wiped a tear from her eye. “Yes, we do take it very seriously, Pastor.”
“I know you do. And you’ll be happy for years to come, I’m sure of it.” His face relaxed into a smile. “Pastor James, anything you’d like to add?”
Jimmy stood. His baby-smooth skin and gangly appendages made him look like a teenager. “Yes, thank you, Father…I mean, Pastor. I just wanted to say that marriage…” His gaze bounced around the room, and he fidgeted, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. “Marriage is what brings us together today.”
Jimmy rocked back on his heels while the room sat in silence. Madison tossed Jared a feeble smile. Jimmy continued quoting lines from movies, going from Four Weddings and a Funeral, to Forrest Gump, and even Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure. He appeared to be getting into the role, because he made a dramatic flourish with his hands, and sat down. Everyone nodded, apparently satisfied with Jimmy’s words of wisdom. Madison wondered what she’d been thinking, hiring him to play the part.
“Then I’ll give a short speech, you’ll exchange vows and rings, I’ll pronounce you man and wife, then you will kiss your bride. Why don’t you practice the kissing part?” Jimmy wiggled his eyebrows.
Jared suppressed a smile. Kiss her? He’d love to. But she’d pronounced the ‘no kissing’ rule last week, and he didn’t want to do anything against her wishes. He stared at Madison, searching her blue eyes for silent permission. When she inched toward him and raised her chin, he took it as assent, and he pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her slender waist. With as much self-control as he could muster, he grazed her soft lips.
The feel of her skin and the light flowery scent of her perfume pushed his heart into overdrive. Sparks ignited under his skin, sending tingles through him. She responded by entwining her fingers in his hair, drawing him closer. She seemed like she was into the kiss, but was it just an act?
Unsure when the ‘no kissing’ rule would be put back into place, he decided to take advantage of the moment, figuring he might not have another chance to show her his deepening feelings. When they parted, he swung her around in a dramatic dip, his arm supporting her back. She let out a surprised squeal, but the corners of her mouth lifted in a smile. He pressed his lips to hers again, this time more passionately. The crowd hooted and clapped, and when the kiss ended, she laughed—the kind that came from her toes and warmed his heart.
His father shot Irene a look he couldn’t comprehend, and she smiled in response. Patricia giggled like a fifth grader. Jimmy stared at them with a half-grin on his face.
“Okay,” Pastor Ryan said as he stood. “That will conclude the ceremonies.”
Irene clapped. “Thank you Pastor Ryan, Pastor James. Since the August heat has decided to grace us, we’ll eat indoors. Fortunately, the weather forecast for Saturday looks to be much cooler.”
After the rehearsal dinner, when things had settled down and everyone lounged around in the living room area, Madison excused herself to use the powder room. Jared had acted the perfect gentleman the entire evening. Played the part of fiancé, holding her hand and gazing lovingly into her eyes. The more the evening progressed, the more she found herself getting wrapped up in the act, almost able to believe their love was real.
But it wasn’t, and she needed to get her head on straight. She turned on the faucet and splashed her face. The water combined with the frigid air conditioning caused her to shiver. She grabbed a soft towel and patted dry.
Just two more days. That was it. Then she’d be able to go on with her life. If she couldn’t find a job here, maybe she should go back to waitressing in California. Surely there was a restaurant that would hire her. She’d only been fired from a few of them. Plenty more to try.
She was headed down the hallway when the locked door caught her attention. Not meaning to snoop but fraught with curiosity, she wiggled the handle once more. Still locked. Maybe if she crouched down and peeked into the keyhole, she could figure out what was inside.
There wasn’t much she could make out. A little bit of light filtered in from somewhere, casting shadows of objects she could only guess at. A flash of blue, and a spot of green, and something gold in the far corner.
“What are you doing?”
Jared’s deep voice startled her, and she jumped back, tripped over her own feet and landed on her rump. “Oh! Um, nothing.” Heat rushed through her in a full body blush.
Jared reached down and helped her up, the corners of his mouth twitching. “Peek in keyholes often?”
Her face inflamed, she let out a nervous giggle. “No. It’s just, uh, curious, is all.”
“See anything?” Jared shoved his hands in his pockets and was obviously enjoying her embarrassment.
“Not really. A few splashes of color.”
The playfulness vanished from his face. “Good. Doors are locked for a reason.” He turned and started down the stairs.
“Wait.”
Jared stopped and faced her.
Madison twisted her hands. “I didn’t mean to pry. I’m sorry. You don’t have to tell me what’s in there.”
For a moment, Madison thought he was going to come back up the stairs, but he shrugged and said, “Okay,” turning back.
“I mean,” she said, forcing him to stay. “I really want to know. But if it’s private, I understand. It's not like we’re really getting married or anything. You don’t have to tell me your private things.”
He sighed and trudged up the steps again, but the twitching of his lip betrayed him. “It’s just my mom’s old studio. All that’s in there are some dusty paintings.” He reached up to the top of the door frame and produced a key, which he used to unlock the door. With a flick of the switch, the room illuminated.
In a room not much larger than a walk-in closet, Madison was surprised to find a desk, chair and easel along one wall. The rest of the room contained stacks of canvas, frames, and paintings in various stages of completion. A large painting of a field of wildflowers hung on the wall. Madison sucked in a breath. “That’s gorgeous. Why isn’t it hung where people can see it?”
Jared stared at it, clenching his jaw. Then he shrugged. “Dad doesn’t like to be reminded of her.”
Madison flipped through a few paintings leaning up against the wall. “These are really good. Your mother had exceptional talent. It’s a shame to keep these locked up in a stuffy room where no one can see them.”
Again he shrugged, but said nothing.
As she continued to look through the artwork, the feeling of the paintings began to change. They grew darker, more foreboding. Happy scenes with sunshine turned to macabre still lives. Broken bits of glass with doll heads lying on the floor, their eyes bleeding. A dark graveyard, bony hands reaching out of the ground. A small child, his lifeless body floating in a sea of dark water. The last painting had been slashed with a knife until the picture was unrecognizable.
Jared glanced down at the haunting images and turned away. “We should go.”
The tone of his voice chilled her. Madison pushed the paintings back in position and followed him out of the room.
Chapter 19
Madison slipped between the cool sheets and rested her head on the pillow. The sound of running water came from the bathroom as Jared prepared for bed. His quilt lay on the floor.
The disturbing images of his mother’s paintings floated around in her mind. Why would she go from creating such beautiful scenes to painting eerie and disconcerting pictures? And why would she ruin a painting by slashing it? Unanswered questions about his mother plagued her.
The water turned off, and Jared opened the bathroom door. He crossed the room and got situated on the floor. “Good night.”
She switched the light off and lay for a few minutes in the dark. The sound of intermediate rustling divulged Jared’s restlessness. She bit her lip, unsure if she should voice what was running through her head. Finally, she couldn’t stand it anymore. She needed to know. “How did your mom die?” she asked, her voice soft.
Jared sighed. “I figured you’d start asking questions.”
When he didn’t say anything else, she rolled over on her side and peered at him in the dark. She could just make out his features. He lay on his back, his arms beneath his head, staring at the ceiling.
“Did she…?” The unfinished question was left hanging in the air.
Another sigh. “She struggled with mental illness the last year of her life. No one knows what happened, why it started. She was fine, and then one day…she wasn’t fine anymore.”
Madison waited for him to say more, but the silence stretched between them. Rather than push, she let him take his time. Finally he spoke, his voice thick with emotion. “The paintings were the first sign that something wasn’t right. She became obsessed with death. Then the paranoia set in. She wouldn’t go see a doctor.”
A lump formed in Madison’s throat. Dealing with her own mother’s erratic behavior, she knew what it was like. Her stomach tightened. “I’m sorry. That must have been so hard.”
“I was only five. I didn’t understand what was going on. All I knew was that my mom wasn’t acting like she used to. Dad’s words were sharper, filled with tension. And Mom didn’t want to hug me anymore.”
The pain Madison felt as a child, unwanted by her own mother, came back to her in a rush of emotion. She remembered curling up on her bed and crying herself to sleep because her mother had promised she’d come back and tuck her in, only to be disappointed once again. Her eyes stung, and she blinked away the moisture.
“She spent more and more time in her art studio, attacking the canvas with her brush. I went to see her one day after school, and I found her sitting on the floor, red paint dripping from her face and arms. I screamed. I thought it was blood.”
Madison clutched the blanket. “I’m sure that was scary.”
His voice turned soft. “Then one day, Mom left and didn’t come back. They found her car by the lake… and her body at the bottom.”
Madison sucked in a breath. “How awful.”
“I thought she was mad at me. That if I would just be a good boy, she’d come home. Then Dad brought home a replacement mom, and I knew she was never coming back.”
The pain in his voice broke Madison’s heart, and tears spilled down her cheeks. She slipped out of bed, climbed under his blanket and put her arm around his chest. “It wasn’t your fault.”
Jared pulled her close, and she nuzzled his neck. His fingers brushed against her cheek and jerked away at the moisture. Then he cradled her face and his thumb wiped away her tears. “Don’t cry for me, Maddie girl,” he whispered.
She squeezed him and buried her face in his chest, savoring the musky smell of him. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, patting her back.
Warmth enveloped her, and she knew. She had jumped off the cliff. But instead of crashing to the earth, she soared above the clouds in a rush of emotion. And as she drifted off to sleep, she gave up trying to save her heart, because it was no longer hers. Jared held it firmly in his hands.
Madison awoke wrapped in a warm cocoon, and her eyes flew open wide. She’d fallen asleep next to Jared. He lay with his arm tucked around her waist. She wormed her way out from his grasp. He didn’t wake, and she snuck into the bathroom to shower.
Emotions surged through her. She’d spent the night in Jared’s arms, and even though the floor was hard and cold, she’d slept in blissful peace. Her heart hammered in her chest as she squeezed the shampoo from the bottle.
Last night she’d surrendered her heart to him. She had nothing left to hold back. The feeling both excited and terrified her. Jared could crush her, dash her to pieces by simply saying goodbye. But it was too late to stop her descent. She’d fallen for him, and with an aching in her chest, she realized she loved him.
Apprehension filled her as she stepped out of the shower. The unknown future hung before her, foreboding. Jared’s actions toward her were inconsistent. He seemed aloof one minute, and passionately kissed her the next. Of course, the kisses were a show for his relatives. But there was something deeper there. At least she felt it. Maybe she was the only one.
Madison wasn’t sure what the day held. Irene had been cryptic. ‘Help with the last-minute setup,’ whatever that meant. She didn’t know what else there was to do. The flowers wouldn’t arrive until tomorrow morning. Everything else appeared to be done.
She finished up in the bathroom, then crept around the bedroom so as to not wake Jared, who still lay on the floor. The bed hadn’t been used much, so straightening the covers only took a second. She tucked her pajamas into her laundr
y bag and shoved it into her overnight case.
Jared’s cell lay on the dresser. She peered at him, his chest rising and falling in slow rhythm. He wouldn’t care if she peeked at her horoscope, would he? She picked up his phone and called up the app.
You feel wound up and restless. People find you tense and excitable. Channel this energy into a useful activity instead of letting yourself be a victim of circumstance. Allow yourself to express your emotions to those you love.
Yeah, right. If she expressed her emotions to Jared, he’d run away, screaming.
“Sleep well?”
His voice startled her, and she whipped around, hiding the phone behind her back. “Stop doing that.”
Jared raised his head and rested it on his hand, his elbow on the floor. “Stop what?”
“Sneaking up on me. It’s rude.”
His eyes held a smile. “I didn’t sneak. Someone was making noise and woke me up.”
“Sorry.”
“You don’t sound very sorry.”
She slipped his phone in her pocket and sat down on the bed. “What do you want, a card? And in answer to your question, I slept very well, thank you.”
His upper lip twitched. “So did I.”
A warm blush spread over her. “You’d better get ready. Irene keeps saying we have a full day ahead of us.”
“Yeah, I know.” His lips spread into a real smile, and his eyes held a secretive gleam.
“Wait, you know something. What’s going on today?”
“I’m not saying a word.” He mimicked zipping his lips and locking them, then tossed the make-believe key over his shoulder.
Madison laughed. “Fine. I’ll go find out from Irene.” She pulled on her sandals. When Jared turned his head, she put the phone back on the dresser and headed down the stairs. Something caused her to pause for a moment at the locked door. It was a shame they kept the lovely paintings hidden away. Maybe someday the pain would lessen to a point where Jared could hang them up and enjoy their beauty.
A Fake Marriage Romance Collection Page 13