“So, young lady, do you care to explain how you ended up shot and lying practically dead in the emergency room, again? You nearly gave me a heart attack. I swear child —”
“Mom,” Melissa said, laying her hand across Pat’s arm. “I think Jaynee has been through enough already today. I already explained to you. She came here for a book signing and one of her fans kidnapped her. You can hardly hold her responsible for a crazed lunatic.”
Jaynee stared at Melissa. It was a good explanation and darn close to the truth. She wondered how much Melissa actually knew of her abduction and if she knew about Caycee.
She knew Melissa would never utter a word about anything that Jordan disclosed to her now or ever without their permission. She was loyal to the core. Bobby, on the other hand, looked as confused as Pat did. He’d turned to Jaynee at the same time that Pat had drilled her for answers. Now he just gawked at his wife, his mouth practically falling open. Evidently, the story had changed slightly from the original. Oh well, she wouldn’t worry about it; Jordan would handle everything. She was too tired to think of a better explanation.
She yawned without warning, confirming that fact. “I’m sorry, guys. I can’t seem to keep my eyes open.”
Melissa turned to her husband. “Bobby, why don’t you take Mom to the hotel and get settled? I know she’s exhausted too, and that way Jaynee can rest. You can come back for me later, or if we can talk Jordan into leaving Jaynee’s side for a moment, he can drive me. Though, I doubt it.”
“Okay, babe,” Bobby agreed. He lowered his head to Jaynee’s forehead and kissed her quickly. “You take care, little sister. No more scares, okay? I’m getting old, you know. I’ll be fifty in a few weeks, I guess since we’re not going to be able to celebrate your fortieth this weekend we’ll have to double up and have our birthdays together.”
“Sounds like fun, Bobby. I’ll try to keep out of harm’s way. Though, I don’t think that will be a problem. Jordan probably won’t be letting me out of North Carolina without him guarding me anytime soon.”
“Good,” Pat agreed.
Melissa said her goodbyes to Bobby and her mom, then turned her fiery blue gaze on her.
“Jaynee,” Melissa said, sighing. “What on earth are we gonna do with you? Who’s —”
“Not you too, Sissy, you never give me a hard time.”
“I’m just trying to understand. Who is Caycee Jayne? You have a twin sister who took your name? How come you never mentioned her? I never in my life saw a twin who looked so identical … even her voice and manners were the same. I watched some of her videos. It’s uncanny.”
Jaynee’s eyes welled up without her control.
Melissa rushed to comfort her, her hands fluttering to her face immediately. “I’m sorry, Jaynee. I didn’t mean to upset you. Jordan told me not to mention her to anyone, but I figured it would be okay to mention her to you. Where is she? Did the two of you have a fight?”
What could she say? Would Melissa want to hear the truth? Would she believe it? Would anyone who hadn’t had first-hand knowledge believe?
She shook her head, closing her eyes to hide the pain. She knew Caycee wasn’t really gone, but for some reason, it felt as though she’d lost her sister. “Something like that … I’d rather not discuss it now.”
“It’s okay, sweetie. I understand. I’m sorry for whatever you’ve been through. It sounds like you endured an absolute nightmare.” Melissa wiped Jaynee’s bangs away from her eyes. “Your hair needs washed and you could use a trim too. Would you like me to do that for you?” Melissa’s eyes were soft as she peered at Jaynee with her caring baby blue eyes instead of the fire that had been in them only moments ago. Melissa, the woman who’d been her sister-in-law for eighteen years, her real sister.
“That would be nice, Sissy. I’m sure I look horrid.”
“Jaynee, you could never look horrid. You’re still as stunning as you’ve always been. I wish I could age as well as you have. Look at you … still not one gray hair.”
“I found two last week. I plucked them out,” she admitted.
Melissa separated her hair with her fingers, peering at her roots. “Don’t do that again,” she chided. “We can start with some subtle highlights, but it won’t do any good for you to start pulling out your hair. We all get old, Jaynee. Thank goodness, we have more than this life to look forward to.”
As always, Melissa’s words comforted her. Her eyes drooped, and she thought she could fall asleep again. “You’ll stay until Jordan returns?”
“Yes, honey. How else am I gonna fix this hair? It pains me to see your beautiful hair in such disarray.”
Jaynee giggled. “I tried to keep it untangled. I knew you’d be upset.”
“I’m not upset,” she burst out. “I’m horrified!” She continued to pull her fingers through her hair, calming her. “Now go to sleep, honey. You’ll wake up feeling much better.”
Jaynee obeyed. Melissa would care about her hair of all things. She’d been doing her hair for years after Jaynee finally gave into her after several years of horrid haircuts. She had never wanted to impose. She knew her sister-in-law had worked in a salon prior to quitting and becoming a fulltime mom, but she figured she’d quit for a reason and hated to have her stand on her feet working on her. It’d made her self-conscious.
Finally, after years and years of pleading, she’d given in, only after insisting that if Melissa did her hair, she would compensate her with lunch. She grossly underpaid. Melissa was the best stylist she’d ever had, even when she had to do her professional portraits for a book, she’d have Melissa do her hair first.
“I owe you a lot of lunches, Sis,” she mumbled under her breath, already half asleep from the gentle drawing of Melissa’s fingers through her hair.
“Shh, go to sleep.”
“You’re just like Jordan.” But Jaynee wasn’t sure if she got the words out, as she felt herself melt into a drowsy state.
***
Jordan poked his head around the corner of the waiting room and saw Corey and Rachael in deep discussion. It was difficult to imagine Rachael so intent with any man. She’d always been so selfish and childish while married to Ronny.
Not that he could blame her for Ronny going off the deep end and trying to kill Jaynee for insurance money. But Ronny had always loved her, and she’d always seemed incapable of loving anyone back.
Not now. She sat as still as a mouse locked in the eyes of a predator. She seemed to hang on every word Corey spoke. Jordan wondered what Corey was discussing with her; he hoped not Caycee, but somehow, he figured Corey wouldn’t want to breathe a word about Caycee to anyone.
Jordan had asked Melissa not to mention Caycee to any of them. He wasn’t sure what the story would be when the time came, if it came time to explain, but he wanted to talk with Jaynee before discussing anything with the family or the kids.
Rachael’s hand was in Corey’s, and he was gently rubbing his thumb across the back of her hand. He hadn’t been serious when he’d said, Do you want a room? Now he realized maybe he needed to set some ground rules.
He knew Rachael dated, but he was always cautious to make sure men treated her with the utmost respect. She was forty-seven, but she was still his responsibility. They all were after his father had died; that was just the southern way.
“Ahem,” Jordan cleared his throat as he approached the pair.
“Oh, Jordan,” Rachael exclaimed. “Your friend is so sweet and smart. He was telling me about how he lived in California most of his life and then moved to New York for a change of scenery, but now he hates the cold and thought he might try North Carolina. Wouldn’t that be great?”
Jordan smiled at his sister. She sounded like a teenager. “Yeah, it would be great. Can I speak to you a moment, Corey?”
“Uh, sure, will you excuse me for a moment, Rachael?”
“Yeah, I’ll go check on Jaynee. Is she awake, Jordan?”
“She was when I left. Mom, Sis, and Bobby a
re with her.”
Rachael tossed a peek back at Corey as she left, and Jordan watched as Corey gazed after her. It was the strangest thing to watch the reaction in someone else. He knew how he’d felt about Jaynee after seeing her the first time, but it was hard to imagine anyone looking at his sister that way.
Corey turned back to Jordan, and his demeanor instantly changed. A hint of sadness shadowed his features. “Do you think she’ll understand?” he asked.
Jordan stared at him. “Rachael?”
“No, Caycee. Do you think she’ll understand the instant attraction between Rachael and me?”
“Corey … Caycee doesn’t exist. I swear to ya. Whatever happened is over. I was in there with Jaynee for a while; there are absolutely no signs of Caycee whatsoever. She knows who you are, but has absolutely no feelings for you. She is my wife through and through.”
“After last night … I thought that maybe —”
Jordan cut him off. “The question is: Do you have feelings for her?”
Corey thought for a moment, and Jordan appreciated his honesty. The fact that he would search deep and not simply throw out the words he wanted to hear. “I will always feel protective of Caycee. I have watched over her for a long time. But I can honestly say no woman has ever captured my attention as quickly and as deeply as Rachael. It’s amazing, Jordan, the feelings that soared through me. It’s as if we were connected. Like a combined energy flowed through both of us. It feels as though I’ve known her my entire life.”
“I know the feeling more than you could imagine. Now, you know I was only joking about getting a room, don’t you? I’ll not have my sister —”
“Jordan, I know you don’t know me, but I would never think to just … I’m not that kind of man. I would, however, like to take you up on your offer. North Carolina sounds interesting. What exactly do you do for a living?”
Jordan smiled. “Let’s walk, my friend. I need to check on my wife. Then we’ll talk.”
Epilogue
(Tyler)
“I don’t understand,” Tyler said, staring at his mother. They’d just returned home from his father’s funeral, and now she was coming up with this story. “Dad … shot Caycee? He’d never shoot Caycee. He loved her.”
His mother rolled her eyes, the way she always did with his father. Tyler jumped up from his chair and ran to the only sanctuary he had in this Godforsaken world — his room, his computer.
A world where no one knew him, no one judged him.
Why would his father hurt the woman he loved? It just didn’t make sense. It was his mother’s fault, of course. She had pushed him over the edge. His father had told him that he was leaving, that he couldn’t take being around her anymore.
The page he’d been researching before he’d found out that his father had been killed was still up on his screen. He’d been trying to decide where he wanted to go to college when she’d come into his room to tell him. She hadn’t even had tears in her eyes.
“It was his mother’s — no, Sheila’s fault,” Tyler seethed. She didn’t deserve the title of mother. He clicked his mouse, downloading the information to a file folder he’d created for his college research. Now he had even more reason to go to college. The sooner, the better, so he could get away from the woman who’d mentally abused his father.
NYU, he decided. It wasn’t far enough away from Sheila, but since it was in New York, he wouldn’t have to accept a dime from her. With his grades, he was certain he could get scholarships.
And then, as soon as he was old enough, he’d move out and create a new life. Away from her, as his father had planned.
Land of the Noonday Sun
Southern Romantic Suspense
(Nantahala ~ Book One)
by
Carmen DeSousa
For my husband …
If it weren’t for all your hobbies and careers, I’m sure I wouldn’t be able to write as many stories as I do.
Your love of the outdoors and life … and your insistence that I join you in all of your ventures has definitely made my characters more realistic.
Thank you for making me believe in happily ever after.
Chapter One
Cassandra sat in her Mustang GT Convertible at the bottom of the driveway, the car idling while her father held onto her hand through the window.
“Daddy, this was your idea. You’re the one who wanted me to go to Liberty.”
“I know, but I’ll miss you, sweetheart,” her father said for the hundredth time. “It just won’t be the same without you. What am I going to eat? Where will I find someone who’ll be content to just sit and play Chess?”
“You could always call Mrs. Gonzalez back; she never was ecstatic about leaving when I decided we didn’t need her anymore.”
Her father smiled sweetly, lowering his head to kiss her on the forehead.
Surprised, Cassandra wiped one lone tear off her father’s cheek. “Dad, I have to leave. Karen is waiting, and I want to get on the road before rush-hour traffic.”
“I know.” He nodded as he straightened up to his perfect posture. “You’ll call me when you get to South Carolina, right? And don’t go wandering anywhere in Charleston at night. Stay in the hotel, okay. Stick to the schedule.”
“Yes, Daddy,” she said on an exhale.
Her father stepped back, allowing his little girl to drive away. She knew he’d worry the entire time until she called, and then he’d worry until she arrived in Virginia, and then he’d worry some more.
He’d wanted her to fly and have her car shipped to Lynchburg. But she’d reasoned that this would be fun. She had her GPS and mobile; nothing was going to happen. She was eighteen. He needed to learn how to survive without her; she couldn’t take care of her father forever.
Karen was outside when Cassandra pulled into her driveway. “Took you long enough,” she complained as she opened the passenger door. “You said you were leaving fifteen minutes ago. Last time I checked, it didn’t take that long to get to my house.”
Her best friend babbled on as usual. It wasn’t going to be a quiet trip. But that’s what Cassandra liked most about her. Karen was sociable and outgoing, always the first one to strike up a conversation. She was everything Cassandra wasn’t.
Cassandra had always been quiet, reserved, like her father. If it weren’t for Karen, she’d never meet new people, especially guys. She was as shy as they came. Of course, it didn’t help that her father was overprotective. He’d barely let her out of his sight her entire life.
When Mrs. Gonzalez wasn’t there, he was home. Unlike some teenagers who came home to an empty house, Cassandra had never been alone. Until she was sixteen, that is. Her junior year of high school, she’d laid down the law. And since her father was an attorney, he hadn’t argued with her … not too long, anyway. Sixteen was too old for a nanny, and she’d been quite capable of cooking dinner.
Karen fiddled with the radio controls until rock music blared out of the Mustang’s speakers. Luckily, her father had insisted on the best stereo the dealership offered.
After kicking off her shoes, Karen propped her feet on the dash. “So, what do you want to do when we get to Charleston?” Her high-pitched voice broke through Cassandra’s thoughts and the blaring music. “I found a couple of places online that look pretty entertaining.” She wiggled her eyebrows in her devilish manner.
Cassandra turned down the music. “Oh, no. I got my father to agree to a stopover in Charleston, even though it’s an hour out of our way, but he said not to go out at night. We can explore the area tomorrow.”
“But it’s the French Quarter … It’s educational,” her friend whined.
“It’ll be just as educational in the daylight,” Cassandra assured her.
Karen rolled her eyes. “Goody-two-shoes.”
“You love me.”
“Yeah, but I don’t always have to like you,” she countered, crossing her arms in defiance.
Cassandra smiled. She did kno
w that. She didn’t have many girlfriends; actually, Karen was her only real friend. They’d done everything together from first grade through high school.
Her father complained, suggesting Karen was entirely too outgoing for her age, never comfortable with the way she dressed or her late curfew. But since Cassandra had never allowed Karen to rub off on her, he’d allowed their friendship. He’d always insisted they do sleepovers at their house and not Karen’s, though.
Karen didn’t seem to notice or didn’t care. She’d always preferred staying at her house anyway. She’d said Cassandra’s house was more fun, affirming she enjoyed their pool better. Although, Cassandra suspected she liked the teenaged boy who took care of their property more than she enjoyed the pool itself.
Cassandra looked at her friend, who hadn’t stopped pouting. “Okay … maybe just one place,” she said, giving into Karen. “But when I say it’s time to go, you have to promise me that you’ll leave with me.”
“Ahh … there’s my fun friend who pokes her head out of her shell every once and a while. I’ll be good. I promise. Besides … we’re free spirits now. No curfew. No parents telling us when and where to go. I’ll have plenty of opportunities to party in Lynchburg.”
Cassandra released a soft sigh. That’s what she was afraid of. Her first purchase once they arrived in Virgina would be noise-canceling earphones.
The following morning, Cassandra and Karen returned to the highway, heading to their new residence in Lynchburg, Virginia. The pictures Cassandra had seen, and the weekend trip she’d taken last spring, had settled it for her. When her father had suggested Liberty, she’d been apprehensive. She had never lived anywhere but Florida. She loved the beach, loved the warmth, and loved her father.
But something attracted her to Virginia. The land was so green when she’d visited in the spring, greener than any place she’d ever experienced. In Florida, most of the trees remained green year-round, but this was different. All the leaves were brand-new, and you could see and smell the difference. The area was quiet too. She lived in an affluent neighborhood in Tampa Bay, but you could still hear sirens and semis whizzing down the road at all hours of the night.
Southern Romantic-Suspense Boxed Set (Southern Romantic-Suspense Novel Book 0) Page 64
