The Waitress's Secret

by Kathy Douglass

  “If you’re so grown-up, then why are you playing make-believe?” Jax demanded. “Adults don’t pretend to be someone that they aren’t. Or are you going to tell me that Danielson forgot your name?”

  “You don’t understand. And it isn’t any of your business!”

  “You’re right. I don’t understand. Don’t tell me you’re in that waitress getup because of your low salary as a teacher. You do get regular payments from your trust fund.”

  “He needed help.”

  “And you just volunteered. Next he’s going to need money. Are you going to volunteer that, too? Blake already told me you plan on giving money to his sister.”

  “Jax. That’s enough.” Blake stepped in between Arden and Jax. “Come on, Arden. It’s time to leave.”

  “I’m not getting into a car with him.” She glared at Jax, wishing she had the power to vaporize him. Or that she could at least knock that smug look off his face. “I’ll walk.”

  “You don’t need to walk. I’ll leave Jax here and drop you off. A little fresh air will do him some good.”

  “Fine.” Arden let Blake lead her to a late-model luxury sedan and snatched open the door before he could. She stared straight ahead, her feelings a jumbled mess. She was angry and disappointed. And hurt. She wouldn’t let herself feel the pain of losing Brandon now or she would cry. Instead, she let out her sense of betrayal. “I trusted you, Blake.”

  “I didn’t do anything wrong. You wanted money for this community center. I don’t usually make site visits, but I figured I could check it out and see you at the same time. I didn’t know you were pretending to be someone else.” He gave her a pointed look.

  Arden huffed out a breath. As much as she wanted to blame her brothers for this mess, she knew the fault was hers. She was the one who’d lied over and over. When her friendship with Brandon had developed into a more romantic relationship, she should have come clean. She’d had plenty of opportunities and, like a coward, had let them pass by.

  Heck, she should have been honest before then. She’d known almost from the time they’d met that Brandon was nothing like Michael-the-pit-stain. Brandon was as honorable a man as they came. He was a real live hero.

  And because she hadn’t given him enough credit—hadn’t given him the trust he had earned—she’d lost him.

  She couldn’t imagine what he must be thinking. That was a lie. She knew exactly the painful thoughts that were circling his mind. He thought she was just like Sylvia, a woman who had lied to him about her identity. True, Arden had lied, too. But she hadn’t played with his heart with no care as to whether or not she broke it. She cared very much. But nothing in her actions would tell him that.

  If only he knew how much she loved him. If only he’d give her a second chance. This time she’d take the utmost care with his heart.

  * * *

  Brandon held his anger and hurt in check as he prepared meal after perfect meal. Ordinarily cooking soothed him in a way nothing else could. Tonight it didn’t. He was more unsettled than he had ever been and had to rely on his training. It took all of his focus just to keep the orders straight.

  The urge to smash something—anything—nearly consumed him, but he resisted the impulse. His grandfather would never have tolerated such behavior in anyone, much less his own grandson, and Brandon respected his memory too much to act that way. Besides, his employees were present and he wouldn’t create a scene in their presence. They were already sneaking glances at him and murmuring about Arden. Apparently, news of her true identity had already made the rounds.

  He stole a glance at the clock. What was taking the night so long to pass? The one time he needed to lose himself in the work, he couldn’t. His usual pleasure in the kitchen was missing and all he wanted to do was leave. He needed to be alone where he could yell out his pain.

  His mind kept replaying the scene in the dining room. He could see Arden’s shocked and guilty face as she was caught in her lie. Would she ever have told him the truth? He doubted it. To her, the entire thing had been a lark. She’d been a bored heiress wanting to see how the other half lived. Fool that he was, he’d fallen for her act, believing every word she’d uttered while she’d laughed at him. He’d been falling in love while she’d been playing a game.

  Frowning, he checked the finished meals on a tray and then nodded to the waitress. She touched his arm before she took it, and he saw the sympathy in her eyes. Great. He’d become an object of pity among his employees. A moment later Joni rushed into the kitchen. Good news sure traveled fast.

  “If you came to check on me, you shouldn’t have bothered. I’m fine.”

  Joni glanced around the kitchen before speaking. Everyone was busy working, but she stepped closer and kept her voice down anyway. “You don’t have to pretend with me. I know you’re hurt by Arden’s betrayal. I’m pretty furious with her myself.”

  He exhaled slowly. “She lied.”

  “I know.”

  He gritted his teeth at what a fool he’d been. Again. “You might believe every woman is not a liar, but you can’t prove it by me. I should have kept my distance.”

  “At least give her a chance to explain.”

  “I don’t need to hear an explanation or some lame excuse. All I want is for her to leave and never come back.”

  “Brandon.”

  “I can’t take any more hits. Every time I open myself up, I end up on the losing end. I’m done, Joni. I’m done.” He turned back to the stove, determined to put Arden out of his heart and mind.

  * * *

  Arden was sitting on the bottom step of her apartment when Brandon’s truck swung into the driveway, headlights illuminating the rows of flowers lining the yard. Nerves set butterflies free in her stomach, and she circled her arms around her waist in a futile attempt to still the churning inside. Her body went suddenly weak and she wondered if her legs would hold her.

  Brandon parked beside her car and slammed the door. She heard him swear as he stalked angrily across the lawn. He stopped abruptly when he saw her. Nibbling on her bottom lip, Arden stood shakily and wiped her suddenly moist hands on her skirt.

  “What are you doing here?” he asked.

  “I wanted to talk.”

  “I’m not interested in what you want.” He headed for his house, cutting through the grass. She ran to catch up, grabbing his arm. The look he shot her chilled her very soul. She had expected anger and disappointment, but this was something more. This was rage. Controlled rage, but rage, nonetheless. For the first time that night, she worried that he might not give her a chance to explain. And if he didn’t understand, he’d never forgive her.

  “Please, Brandon, just listen to me. Then if you still want me to go, I’ll leave and stay out of your life. I promise.” She’d already piled her belongings into the back of the Beetle and booked a room at the Come On Inn just in case.

  He pulled away from her grasp and folded his arms across his chest. Those arms had once wrapped around her, providing protection and comfort. Now they created an impenetrable barrier between her heart and his. “You seem to believe you have a say in this. You don’t. This is my home. My property. I let you stay in my apartment because I believed you needed a place to live. But you don’t. So you can get out of my apartment and out of my life.”

  “I can explain everything if you would just listen.”

  “I don’t want to hear your explanation. There is nothing you can say that will justify lying to me. If you wouldn’t even tell me your real name, what else are you hiding?”

  He climbed the back stairs to his house and she ran to keep up with him. This was her one and only opportunity to talk to him. If he made it inside, the chance would be lost. “I love you,” she yelled.

  He stopped and spun around. “What?”

  She exhaled and said more softly. �
�I love you.”

  “Don’t even try it,” he snarled. “You don’t love me. You don’t know what love is.”

  His words cut her to the bone and she staggered back from the impact. “It may look like that to you, but you’re wrong. I love you with everything inside me.”

  “You’ve got a funny way of showing it. I may not be an expert on the methods of expressing love, but I know lies and deceit aren’t among them. You might want to remember that the next time you decide you love someone. He might not appreciate being involved with a liar any more than I do.”

  Arden sucked in a painful breath. When she spoke her voice trembled with emotion. “There won’t be anyone else. I won’t love anyone else because my heart belongs to you.”

  “I don’t want your heart, Arden. Feel free to give it to another sucker. Then you can play all the games you want with his heart.”

  “It wasn’t a game, Brandon. I just wanted you to like me for me.”

  He climbed the stairs and disappeared into his house. A moment later the door closed firmly and the lock clicked into place. She sank to the ground and cried. It was over.

  * * *

  Standing inside the kitchen, Brandon steeled his heart against the sound of Arden’s heartrending sobs. No doubt she wanted him to hear, run to her like a fool and say all was forgiven. She probably was only crying crocodile tears. She was nothing if not a world-class actress. She’d certainly had him fooled. He’d believed she was as honest as they came. Instead, she was no different than Sylvia. In fact, she was worse.

  At least Sylvia had a justifiable reason for her lie. She was trying to bring down the drug dealer who’d killed her brother. Arden had just been looking to amuse herself, pretending to be a regular person when she was from one of the wealthiest families in the country. How she must have laughed at him. No doubt she and her worthless friends would have a good chuckle at the expense of the country bumpkins she’d met in Sweet Briar. She could entertain for hours on end with details of their less-than-sophisticated ways.

  He turned out the light and walked to his bedroom, refusing to turn his head when he passed the guest room. She hadn’t stayed there in weeks, yet the scent of her perfume lingered in the air as if taunting him.

  His mistake had been getting seriously involved with Arden. He’d foolishly opened his heart to her and basically let her move in. He thought he’d learned his lesson with Sylvia. Somehow he’d let Arden convince him to take a risk again. What an idiot. That was a mistake he was never going to make again. He let himself feel the pain, searing it into his memory so that he’d never forget this agony. No woman was ever getting close to his heart again. In the future he would limit his involvement with women to brief and unemotional encounters.

  The old gullible Brandon Danielson was gone for good.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Brandon frowned at the first rays of sunlight streaming through his window. He’d barely slept, but he needed to get to the markets. His assistant manager, Marcus, had offered to go, but Brandon refused to allow Arden to control his actions. She may have made a fool of him with her lies, but he would not allow her to diminish him in the eyes of his employees. He’d recovered from a woman’s treachery before and he could do it again. He would carry on as he always had.

  Twenty minutes later he pulled into the parking lot at the fish market. He was nearing the store when he heard his name being called. He recognized the voice and spun around, fury and joy battling for dominance inside him.

  Arden stepped away from her car and tentatively crossed the lot until she stood directly in front of him. Despite his anger at her, he couldn’t help but notice how lovely she looked in white denim shorts that hit midthigh and a purple floral top that clung to her breasts. The wind ruffled her short curls and she lifted a delicate hand and pushed the locks out of her eyes. Although she clearly hadn’t gotten any more sleep last night than he had, she still was more beautiful than any woman he’d ever seen. She nibbled her full bottom lip, something she always did when she was nervous.

  Irritated with himself for remembering that habit of hers, he stepped around her without speaking and headed toward a small fish store.

  “Brandon, wait. Please.”

  He heard the anguish in her voice but suppressed his concern for her. There was no way he was going to feel compassion for someone who didn’t care a bit about him. He stopped but didn’t turn around. “What are you doing here?”

  She stepped around him until they were face-to-face. Her familiar scent teased his nostrils. “You wouldn’t listen to me last night.”

  “So you took that to mean I’d listen to you today?”

  “I hoped you had time to cool off.” When he didn’t respond she rushed on, her words running into each other. “I know you think the worst of me, but I wish you’d just listen. Please.”

  Brandon told himself to ignore the begging in her voice and the sorrow on her face. He might have succeeded in doing that, but he couldn’t ignore the tears that glistened in her eyes no matter how badly he wanted to. “Fine. You’ve got five minutes.”

  He grabbed her elbow and led her to a secluded area away from the stores where they wouldn’t be disturbed. Leaning against a light pole, he folded his arms against his chest so he wouldn’t give in to the traitorous desire to touch her. He remembered all too well how soft she felt and longed to experience that sensation just one more time before she was out of his life forever. “Well, talk.”

  Arden seemed to shrink at his words and she looked at him with hurt in her eyes. “I was going to tell you my real name last night.”

  “Of course you were.”

  “I’m telling the truth.”

  He raised an eyebrow and steeled his heart. He’d been down this road before. Luckily, this time bullets weren’t involved so there was no risk of being killed. Too bad the pain in his heart was just as bad if not worse.

  She huffed out a breath and rubbed her hands against her shorts, another sign of just how nervous she was. “Let me start at the beginning.”

  He shrugged. “This is your show. Use your time however you want. But in five minutes, I’m gone.”

  “My name is Arden Isabella Wexford. I’m the youngest child of Winston and Lorelei Wexford. The Wexford name is well-known in Baltimore. Heck, it’s well-known all over America. People treat me differently because of my family name.”

  “Poor little rich girl.”

  “You said I had five minutes to talk.”

  He waved a hand at her. “I’m just letting you know I don’t understand why you decided it would be fun to use a fake name and create a whole new persona.”

  “It wasn’t like that. At least not at first. I had been involved with someone who was only with me because he wanted to get his hands on my money. Can you maybe understand how much that hurt? I was through with guys like that. I was through with guys, period. That experience made me cautious. I didn’t trust my judgment anymore.”

  “And you thought I would do the same? I don’t want your money, Arden. I never did.” It was amazing how deeply it hurt to realize how little she thought of him.

  “I know that now. But at the time I didn’t know anything about you. And I wasn’t planning on staying in Sweet Briar any longer than it took to get my car fixed. But then everything changed. You needed a waitress. You’d helped me and I wanted the opportunity to return the favor.

  “I started making friends and became a part of this wonderful close-knit community. I have never felt such a sense of belonging in all my life. It felt so good I just didn’t want to give it up. Then I fell in love with you and knew I had to tell the truth. I just hadn’t figured out how.”

  Although part of him wanted to believe her, he couldn’t take that leap. His trust had been battered too badly to take her at her word. He knew how skillfully she lied. Sh
e’d had him believing every word she said and none of it had been true. He’d fallen for a deceitful woman twice now. That was two times too many. “Is that the whole story? Because if you’re telling me you lied because you didn’t want people to know you were rich, that doesn’t change my mind about you.”

  Her head dipped and she didn’t respond. Apparently, she had nothing more to say.

  Disappointment flooded him. He’d hoped to hear an explanation that would somehow warrant forgiveness for her lies. Instead, she’d revealed how she’d questioned his character. He pushed away from the post. “Time’s up. Have a nice life.”

  She jumped in front of him and grabbed his arm. “Remember I told you a relationship I was in ended badly? What I didn’t tell you was that I caught my boyfriend and my supposed best friend hiding cameras around his bedroom. He was planning on making a secret sex tape. Once he had the tape he planned to blackmail me. He was going to post it on the internet if I didn’t give him a million dollars. He didn’t care about me. He only wanted my money.”

  Brandon sucked in a breath. He’d run into some lowlifes in his time, but this guy took the cake. He could only imagine how deeply Arden had been hurt. Yet, that didn’t give her the right to turn around and play games with him. He hadn’t been after her money. “That’s low. And I hope he gets what is coming to him. But that didn’t give you the right to deceive me.”

  She sagged as if all the fight had gone out of her. “I just want you to understand where my head was when I arrived. I had planned to seclude myself in my parents’ Florida home so I could lick my wounds in private. But then I met you and Joni. I liked you both so much. You became my friends.”

  “Why lie?”

  She shrugged. “I liked being a regular person. You called me a poor little rich girl, and to you my problems might seem petty. But you have no idea what it feels like to never be sure who your friends are. People have tried to use me all of my life. It felt good to know you liked me for who I am and not what I have. Then we got closer and I knew I had to tell you the truth. So many times I opened my mouth to tell you.”