Blame It On Christmas (Southern Secrets Series Book 1)

by Janice Maynard

  J.B. didn’t want to be married. And no matter how great the sex, no man was going to tie the knot when he wasn’t emotionally involved. Mazie wasn’t convinced J.B. would allow himself to be that vulnerable.

  If she went along with this plan, he might destroy her all over again. Still, she couldn’t say no to his mother, not under these circumstances.

  “I don’t know that I am, Jane. But if it will make you happy, I’ll let this arrangement ride for the moment.”

  Jane beamed. “Thank you dear. Now let me see the ring.”

  Mazie blushed again. “How did you know?”

  “You’ve been hiding your left hand since you walked into the room. Not only that, I practically ordered my son to take you ring shopping today, and I was fairly certain he wanted to pacify me.”

  “It’s a little over the top,” Mazie confessed.

  She held out her left hand. Even now, in this sterile, medical setting, the ring blazed with life.

  Jane took Mazie’s hand in both of hers and studied the diamond from all angles. “Wow,” she said.

  Mazie wrinkled her nose. “I know. It’s too much, isn’t it? I don’t know what he was thinking.”

  “I always told my children to go big or go home.” Jane closed her eyes, rubbing her chest absently.

  “Mrs. Vaughan? Jane?” Mazie looked at her in alarm. “Are you okay?”

  “Just tired, my dear. Why don’t you read your book now, and I’ll nap for a few minutes...”

  “Of course.” Mazie tidied the mostly empty food tray and covered everything. Then she rolled the little table away from the bed so Jane could relax in comfort.

  When she glanced at her watch, she saw that the Vaughans had been gone only fifty minutes. If they followed Jane’s directive, they would stay away another hour. Mazie pulled her iPad mini from her purse and queued up the book she was reading. It was a romantic comedy about a dyslexic librarian and a handyman who liked to work after hours. The story was charming and funny, but it failed to hold her interest.

  At last, she dropped the device into her purse and studied the woman in the bed. Mothers, in general, were supposed to have keen instincts when it came to the love lives of their children. Jane was more dialed in than most. The fact that she saw through the false engagement ruse meant that she really did understand how J.B.’s mind worked.

  What the other woman didn’t know was that J.B. had already rejected Mazie once. He had broken her heart. He’d left her vulnerable and hurting.

  You could argue that something so long ago wasn’t real or even very important. But Mazie still carried the scars. For J.B.’s mother, she would let this charade continue a few days or weeks.

  Nothing more, though.

  She was not going to be foolish enough to believe that the ring and the situation were anything more than a son’s desire to cheer up his mom.

  J.B. stood in the doorway of his mother’s hospital room and studied the two women inside. His mother was napping. Every report they had received so far was promising. Surely that meant she was beyond the worst of the danger.

  Beside the bed in an ugly recliner covered in faux leather, Mazie snoozed as well, one hand tucked beneath her cheek. It was no wonder. She had waited at the hospital with him a big chunk of the night, and then this morning at his house, she had been otherwise engaged.

  The memory of making love to Mazie disturbed him. He liked keeping things in neat compartments. His feelings for the woman with the whiskey-colored hair and the amber eyes slopped over into several boxes.

  Business contact. Longtime family friend. Childhood confidante. Lover.

  Most disturbing of all, she was his best friend’s sister. It was the last designation that gave him heartburn.

  A physical relationship with Jonathan’s sister seemed fraught with danger. For years he had kept her in a box labeled not for me. Now, to make things worse, J.B. himself had invented a fake engagement to give his mother something on which to focus her goals for recovery. How far would he have to play out that scenario before he put a stop to it?

  Not that he thought Mazie would take advantage of the situation. If anything, she was a very reluctant fiancée.

  He must have made a sound, because Mazie’s eyes flew open.

  “Oh, hey,” she said. “You’re back. Where are the others?”

  His mom roused, as well. “Hello, son. Did you all get something good to eat?”

  He nodded. “We did, Mom. Dad and the girls have gone home to sleep. I’m taking first shift. I’ll be here overnight.”

  “I don’t need a babysitter.”

  He leaned down and squeezed her hand. “Humor me.” He glanced at Mazie. “If you’re ready, I’ll walk you down to your car.”

  “Take your time,” his mother said with an arch smile.

  Mazie’s cheeks heated.

  He rolled his eyes. “Behave, Mom.”

  She was unrepentant. “The moon is out. It’s a beautiful night. I’m not going anywhere. And by the way...”

  “Yes?”

  “You did well on the ring. It’s gorgeous.”

  For some reason, the tops of his ears got hot. “We’re glad you like it. I wanted something unique and special...like Mazie.”

  His fiancée stood and stretched. The stone on her hand flashed and sparked as she moved. “Enough blarney,” she said.

  She gave his mom a smile. “I enjoyed talking to you, Jane. Maybe I’ll see you tomorrow? If you feel like having a visitor?”

  J.B.’s mother waved her arms. “Come here. Give me a hug. And yes, I’ll be expecting you. I’ll send the rest of them out for coffee, so we can gossip.”

  “As long as you’re doing everything the doctor orders, we can gossip to your heart’s content. Good night, Mrs. Vaughan. See you tomorrow.”

  “I’ll be back shortly,” J.B. said.

  He took Mazie’s arm and steered her toward the bank of elevators. “Thanks for doing that. It makes her feel good to know that the rest of us are obeying her orders.”

  “She’s not that bad,” Mazie protested. “She only wants what’s best for all of you.”

  “Uh-oh,” he said, faking alarm. “She’s indoctrinated you.”

  Mazie punched his arm. “Don’t be mean. Your mom is a sweetheart.”

  He tapped the button for the lobby. “I agree one hundred percent. But don’t let her fool you. She’ll have you dancing to her tune in no time.”

  Outside, he walked Mazie across the courtyard and to the far parking lot where she had left her car.

  She unlocked the door and tossed her purse on the passenger seat. “You should hurry back inside,” she said. “In case she needs something.”

  He leaned an arm on the roof of the car, boxing her in. “Trying to get rid of me, Ms. Tarleton?”

  Mazie looked up at him, her features shadowed. “No.”

  He stroked a wisp of hair from her cheek, wishing they weren’t in a public arena so he could kiss her the way he wanted, needed. “I missed you today.”

  She murmured something that was neither agreement nor dissent.

  He frowned. “You are my fiancée, after all.”

  Her head snapped up, her demeanor indignant. “Fake fiancée,” she insisted.

  “What are we going to do about this thing between us?”

  “You’re talking about sex.”

  “Yes. But it’s not easy and fun, is it? We’re digging ourselves into a pretty big hole.”

  “I agree. It seems smarter to end things now.”

  “What if I don’t want to? You and I are crazy in bed—crazy good.”

  “I’d like to point out that we haven’t actually tried sex in a bed. We seem to go for more inappropriate locations. Bank vaults. Your living room sofa.”

  He kissed her temple. “Nothing wrong with a so
fa.” It struck him suddenly that he didn’t want her to leave. He liked having her at arm’s length in the midst of his family crisis. She made everything easier.

  The implications of that shot alarm and adrenaline coursing through his veins, but he ignored the internal upheaval, intent on having his way.

  “I have an idea,” he said. “Why don’t you move into my place for a few days? My mother likes you, and you could help us keep an eye on her. Plus, my house is close to All That Glitters. Cut your commute time in half.”

  “That’s a fairly elaborate setup just so you and I can have the occasional booty call. What’s your end game, J.B.?”

  Why did women always want to strangle a man with emotion and romance? This was physical. Nothing more. Mazie had to know that.

  “There is no end game,” he said gruffly. “With Mom sick and you working and me trying to work, this is the only scenario I can come up with for you and I to get a moment alone.”

  “For sex.”

  “Yes,” he said, grinding his jaw. “For sex.”

  “How long are you thinking about?”

  “I don’t know. A week, maybe. Or two.”

  “That takes us up until Christmas.”

  “I guess it does.” He slid his hands into her hair and cupped her head, tilting it back so he could kiss her. “Spend Christmas with me, Mazie. Today wasn’t enough,” he said, his body already taut with need. “I want you. Beyond reason. Tell me you feel it, too.”

  She was soft and warm in his arms, her body a feminine foil for his harder, bigger frame.

  “Yes,” she said, her voice barely audible. She sounded more resigned than happy. “But I like a lot of things that are bad for me. Rich chocolate mousse. Salted caramel ice cream. Bad boys who insist on getting their own way.”

  He dragged her closer, closing the car door and leaning Mazie against it until his lower body pressed hers. His erection ached.

  “I have to go back inside,” he groaned.

  Mazie cupped his face in her hands and kissed him slow and deep, her tongue teasing his. “I’ll think about your offer, J.B.” She flattened her palms on his chest and shoved. “We’re not having sex in a parking lot. I have to draw the line somewhere.”

  He might have whimpered. He nearly begged. But she was right, damn it. Gulping in huge breaths of the chilled night air, he forced himself to back up. “Pack a bag tonight. Please.”

  “Don’t push me. I said I’ll think about it.” Ducking out of his embrace, she opened the driver’s door and got into her little sports car. “See you tomorrow.”

  Thirteen

  Mazie was starving when she finally got home. She’d never actually gotten around to eating the peanut butter crackers in her purse. All of the household staff were long gone by now, but she could cook well enough on her own. Which was pretty surprising for a woman whose mother hadn’t been around when she was a teenager. Fortunately, more than one housekeeper had taken pity on a moody preteen and let her putter around the kitchen.

  Jonathan found her there. The smell of bacon frying had clearly drawn him away from his home office.

  “Late dinner or early breakfast?” he asked, sniffing the air with an appreciative sigh.

  She took a carton from the fridge. “I missed supper. You want any scrambled eggs?”

  He sat on a stool at the counter. “Actually, that sounds pretty damn good. I had a salad with a client, but I wasn’t in the mood for a big meal.”

  “Still feeling rotten?”

  He nodded. “I haven’t wanted to tell you this, but I guess it’s time. My doctor wants me to go to some hippie-dippie holistic retreat out in the desert to see if we can break the cycle of these headaches. The doctors and counselors who run the program use a combination of meditation and medical assessment and organic or natural medicines.”

  She tended the eggs carefully. The strips of perfectly crisped bacon were already draining on a paper towel.

  “No offense, Jonathan, but that doesn’t sound like you at all.” His air of brooding exhaustion made her worry about him.

  “You’re right. In fact, you couldn’t be more right. But I’m getting desperate.”

  “Here. I’ll have toast ready in a minute. Start on this.” She gave him the eggs and bacon. “But why wouldn’t you want to tell me that?”

  “Because the retreat center is booked months in advance. The only opening they had was the week that includes Christmas.”

  “Oh.” Disappointment curled in her stomach. “Well, it’s just one day on the calendar. Daddy and I will be fine.”

  Jonathan grimaced. “That’s the other part. Dad’s been invited to go on a cruise with his college buddies. He asked me what I thought, and I told him it would be good for him to get out of the house. But that was before I knew I’d be leaving, too. I feel terrible about this, Mazie. I’ve dreaded telling you.”

  She managed a smile. “Don’t be ridiculous. I’m a grown woman. Besides, there are tons of places I can celebrate the holiday. Don’t worry about me at all. The important thing is for you to get well.”

  Relief lightened his face. “I’ll make it up to you, I swear.”

  “I’ll be fine. Eat your eggs before they get cold.”

  She added the toast to their plates and joined him. For several minutes, peace reigned in the beautiful kitchen. Mazie often thought about having her own place. A man to cook for, or one who might cook for her. A couple of kids running through the halls, leaving toys scattered about. Maybe a mongrel dog, or two...

  “Jonathan?”

  “Hmm?” He had cleared his plate and was now slathering butter and honey over a piece of toast.

  “J.B.’s mother came through the surgery well. But right before she went under the knife, J.B. did something kind of dumb. They were all afraid she wasn’t going to make it. Even Jane, his mom, wasn’t sure.”

  “And?”

  “J.B. told her we were secretly engaged. He said she had to get well so she could play with all the grandchildren we’re going to have.”

  “Stupid bastard.” But he said the words with wry affection.

  “I know. I couldn’t even be mad at him, because he was so worried and scared.”

  “But now you have to wait a little while before you can break it off so you won’t upset her.”

  “Something like that.” She didn’t bother explaining that Jane Vaughan had already seen through the ruse. What did it matter?

  Jonathan opened the dishwasher, tucking his few items inside. “If you want my advice, I wouldn’t bother telling Dad. It will only confuse him. I hate to say it, but I see him slipping a little more with each week that passes.”

  “And you think that won’t be a problem on a cruise?”

  Jonathan grinned. “It’s not like he can wander off. Seriously, though, I know all of his gang. They’ll look out for him.”

  “As long as none of them is like Daddy.”

  “The cruise is billed as an all-inclusive event for older adults. Much older. He’ll be fine.”

  “I hope so.”

  Jonathan glanced at the clock. “Don’t move. I have something I want to show you.”

  When he disappeared, Mazie tidied up the kitchen. The housekeeper could have done it in the morning, but Mazie hated leaving a mess overnight. She had just wiped down the counter when Jonathan returned carrying a small box, much the size of the one that had come with her ring.

  This box was red leather, and it wasn’t wrapped. Mazie was standing at the sink when Jonathan tucked his arms around her from behind. “I hate like hell to miss Christmas, sis. I want you to have your present early.”

  He hopped up on the granite-topped island and folded his arms across his chest. “Go ahead. Open it.”

  Mazie pulled on the hinged lid and caught her breath. Inside was a delicate necklace. A gold
chain, featherlight, coiled in the box. It supported a single, gorgeous pearl, as fat as a child’s marble.

  She lifted the necklace carefully, rubbing a fingertip over the luminescent sphere. “It’s beautiful, Jonathan.”

  “Dad put my name with his on a lot of legal stuff recently. When I was going through the safety deposit box, I found a bunch of Mom’s jewelry. Evidently, when he sent her away, she had to leave it all behind. I know how much you miss her, especially during the holidays. I thought you could wear this and feel close to her...until you and I can go to Vermont after the first of the year.”

  Mazie eyes were damp. “Thank you, Jonathan. I adore it.”

  He waited as she wrestled with the clasp. “It will all be yours someday anyway.”

  She frowned. “No. That’s not fair. You and Hartley will take a share for your spouses.”

  “Hartley is out of the picture, and I don’t know that marriage is in the cards for me.”

  “Why do you say that?”

  His gaze was stormy, troubled. “I’ve wondered if these headaches are a precursor of something worse. What if I’ve inherited Mom’s instability? I don’t want to doom a wife or a baby to the kind of life you and I experienced. It wouldn’t be fair.”

  She was shocked. Had he been wrestling with this possibility for months? Shaking her head vehemently, she touched his knee. “Oh, Jonathan. I had no idea. I don’t think that could be true. You’re brilliant. You run a multinational shipping empire. Hundreds of people depend on you, and you handle it all with such grace, including your ability to make sure Daddy still feels needed. You’re not going crazy. I would tell you if I saw any inkling.”

  Some of the clouds left his face. “Thanks,” he said gruffly.

  “Don’t worry about the holidays,” she said. “I might spend Christmas somewhere else since you and Daddy will both be gone.” Was she rationalizing her decision? Trying to put a positive spin on a choice she knew she should never make? “J.B. offered a room at his house.” And a whole lot more...

  “For a fake fiancé, he sure has a hell of a nerve. Are you sleeping with him?” Jonathan’s tone was truculent.

  She scowled at him, long accustomed to his protective nature. “I love you, big brother. And I love my gift. But I won’t have this discussion with you. Are we clear?” Some things were far too private.