But first she needed to return the diamond bracelet Eric had bought her. The man was as dumb as a bag of rocks, but he knew how to give a nice gift. Too bad he broke up with her.
Loser. He’d regret his choice. Even though he was a millionaire, he smelled like fish and laughed through his nose. He’d never find a girl who would date him for his personality.
She waltzed into the jewelry store and handed the bracelet to the clerk. “I need to return this. It doesn’t go with my earrings.”
Lucky for her, she’d found Jared back in town right after breaking up with Eric. Jared owned his own company down in some two-bit town. He was worth a tidy sum.
“Do you want store credit, or shall I credit the debit card this was purchased with?”
Veronica looked down her nose at the woman behind the counter. Not the owner, obviously, wearing some hideous discount blouse from ShopMart. “I don’t want credit. I want cash.”
The woman’s gaze flickered over to the register. “I’m sorry, ma’am, but it’s store policy to put all returns back on the card with which they were paid.”
Veronica straightened her spine. She knew how to get things done. “Listen here,” she paused and stared at the nametag pinned to her shirt. “Margaret. My boyfriend and I are loyal customers. Do you know who Eric Holloway is? We shop here all the time. I would hate for something like this to ruin your store’s perfectly good reputation.”
Margaret’s face paled. “I, um, will have to call my manager.”
“You do that.” She crossed her arms and tapped her foot.
The woman went into the back room. Several minutes later, she re-appeared. “I’m sorry, Mr. Holloway prefers the return to go back on his debit card.”
Veronica clenched her teeth. “I didn’t tell you to call Mr. Holloway. And for your information, he gave me that bracelet. It’s mine.” She snatched it out of the woman’s hand and stalked out of the store.
She’d get a few hundred bucks at the pawn shop.
Then she’d go home and find out all she could about Jared’s girl and this rushed wedding.
Chapter 11
A light evening breeze blew past Madison as she walked on the plush green grass in Maxwell and Irene’s beautifully landscaped backyard. A stone wall encompassed a grand area that had flowerbeds, statues, and even a waterfall. A gate led to a stone path with a pond and a gazebo. Orange and yellow flowers dotted everything, and climbing vines created an almost fairytale look.
“We can set up the dance floor here.” Patricia motioned to one area. “And have some tables set up over there.”
Madison nodded and smiled. This backyard would be perfect. The decorations, her dress, the music, everything would be perfect. Everything except the fact it wasn’t real.
Her stomach churned. Could she really go through with this? All his family would be there. And they were so kind to her. She thought about his sick aunt. The look on her face when she found out they would move the wedding forward—pure joy. She couldn’t disappoint her.
Calling off the wedding now would only cause them heartache. She and Jared would just need to pretend to get married, go back to Crimson Ridge, and wait until an appropriate time to announce their break up.
It wasn’t that bad. Right?
“What do you think?” Patricia stood under a trellis covered in little white flowers. “Should we have the ceremony here?”
“It’s lovely.”
Patricia beamed. “I think so, too.” She approached Madison and linked arms with her. “Everything is going to be so wonderful. A truly picture-perfect wedding.” Her gaze fell. “I only wish Mom were feeling better.”
“How is she doing?”
Sadness washed over Patricia’s face. “She’s being released from the hospital tonight. I wish it were good news, but I don’t think it is. They’ve run all kinds of tests, and they all come up negative. They don’t know what’s wrong. I fear they’re giving up.”
Madison patted her hand. “They’re not giving up. I’m sure they’re doing everything they can.”
A small nod, almost imperceptible, then Patricia squeezed her hand. “You’re right.”
“Getting negative results is a good thing. They’re ruling things out.”
“Yes. I know.” Her shoulders slumped. “It’s difficult not knowing what’s wrong. I feel so helpless.” She sniffed, and her chin trembled.
Emotion choked Madison, and she drew Patricia into a hug. “I’m so sorry.”
Patricia clung to her, like she was a lifeline. “I am going to miss her so much. She means everything to me.”
Madison patted her on the back and consoled her as much as she could. She knew the pain of losing a loved one. She’d never really gotten over losing her grandmother. She’d learned to live with it, and over time, the pain had lessened a bit. But it was always there, just the same.
“Maybe they’ll find out what is causing her symptoms, and they’ll be able to fix it.”
Patricia wiped at her eyes. “That is my sincere hope. Thank you for letting me bawl all over you. You’re a true friend.”
Guilt bubbled up, and Madison’s appetite went scampering over the garden wall. She wasn’t a true friend. She was a liar.
Jared opened the patio door and stepped onto the concrete slab. He nodded an acknowledgement. Something about him seemed different. Madison couldn’t put her finger on it. Maybe it was the jeans and t-shirt that made him look more like a regular guy and not some stuffy ‘suit’.
Patricia glanced at him, then Madison, and smiled. “I’ll get out of your hair. You two have some alone time.” She wiggled her eyebrows, then gave Madison another quick hug. “Thanks for letting me vent.”
After Patricia left, Jared sauntered over to her, his thumbs hooked onto his belt loops. “I think Patricia is expecting us to make out.” With a glance back at the house, he pulled her into his arms. “It might be awkward if I don’t give you at least one kiss.”
Madison’s heart pounded against her ribcage. The response to his touch was ridiculous. They weren’t a couple. It was silly to get all ‘school-girl crush’ on him.
He reached up and brushed the hair from her face, his fingers wrapping around her neck, his thumb caressing her cheek. “We should keep up appearances.”
“Yes.” Why did she sound so breathless?
His grey eyes captivated her. He leaned closer. “We wouldn’t want them to find out.”
She swallowed. “Right.”
His lips met hers and ignited a fire inside. She tried not to kiss him back since this was a fake kiss, but it didn’t work. She got wrapped up in the moment. Her body tingled and burned at the same time. His lips moved against hers, sending waves of pleasure through her.
She’d never had anyone kiss her this way before. Her knees grew weak, and she clung to him. When he broke the kiss, she had to catch her breath.
“Well,” she finally managed. “I guess we showed them.”
His lip twitched. “Yes.” He motioned toward the garden path. “Let’s take a walk.”
He took her hand, which surprised her. What was he doing? First the kiss-to-end-all-kisses, now he was holding her hand? She glanced behind her, thinking maybe Patricia was at the window, but no one was watching. Could he be interested in her?
They walked through the gate and down the path to the gazebo. A waterfall cascaded down large rocks and landed in a pond populated with goldfish. The heat of the day had cooled into a delightful evening. His thumb brushed against the back of her hand and she almost melted. Jared motioned for her to sit on the bench running along the inside of the gazebo.
“This is lovely.” Gah, why did she say that? She sounded like a stupid teenager with a crush. Dumb. But she felt like a stupid teenager with a crush, so she supposed she was acting appropriately.
Jared sat next to her, and she noticed a lipstick smudge on his cheek. A burning sensation ignited in her chest, and she turned away. How stupid she was. Here she was thinking he
was interested, and he was out kissing Veronica behind her back. She stiffened. “You see Veronica today?”
His eyes widened. “Yeah, how’d you know?”
“Lucky guess.”
Acid burned in her stomach. Jared wasn’t into her. He was into his rich ex-girlfriend. Of course. That made perfect sense. She and he made no sense at all. She stared at the pond and watched the fish glide under the water.
“I have something for you.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a little box.
A hole opened up in her chest. The fake engagement ring. Great. She took the box and opened it. A gasp escaped. She couldn’t help it. The ring was gorgeous. The diamond was larger than any she’d ever seen, and it sparkled in the sunlight.
“Wow. Is this real?”
He chuckled. “Yeah.”
“You sure know how to pick a fake engagement ring.” She slipped it on her finger. It fit perfectly.
He slid off the bench and got down on one knee. “Will you pretend-marry me, Madison?” The breeze ruffled his hair, and his lips curled up in a half-grin.
Why did he have to be so cute? Why couldn’t she pretend-marry someone else? Someone who wouldn’t break her heart. She swallowed a lump forming in her throat. “Yes, I will pretend-marry you.”
His smile grew, and he stood, pulling her up as well. “Good. I was afraid you’d say no.” He drew her close.
She squirmed out of his embrace. How could he go see Veronica, then come home and flirt with her? Anger rose. What a two-timing, manipulative, jerk! She slapped a mosquito off her arm. “Let’s go inside. I’m getting eaten alive out here.”
Chapter 12
Madison opened the sliding glass door, Jared close on her heels. Patricia eyed her with one eyebrow raised. “What were you two doing out there?”
Thinking of Jared and Veronica had totally ruined the whole ring-giving thing, but she was an actress, and she needed to play a part. Any girl who had been given a gorgeous ring would be thrilled. She plastered on a big smile, and held up her hand. “I guess it’s official now.”
Patricia squealed, clasped her hands together, then ran over to Madison and pulled her hand close. “Wow, that’s gorgeous! Jared, you really know how to pick out an engagement ring. Look at the setting. Absolutely stunning!”
Patricia continued to gush, while Madison acted like the excited bride she was supposed to be. Jared put his arms around her, tucking her head under his chin, which made her blood boil.
“I know Jared proposed already, but seeing the ring, it’s almost like it just happened. Zachary proposed while we were hiking. We had reached a lookout, over the trees and a tiny stream. The sun was setting, and it was breathtaking. We sat on a log, and he brought out the ring. It was amazing.” Patricia gazed at Madison. “How did Jared propose?”
The urge to get back at Jared for being with Veronica was too great. “It was really sweet. You see, he knew my favorite ballet was Swan Lake. So he put on a pair of tights and—”
“I did no such thing.” Jared released her and took a step back.
Madison touched his arm. “Don’t be embarrassed, love. It was adorable.” Patricia giggled, and Madison had to swallow a laugh. “He blasted the music on his iPod and played the part of Siegfried, dancing around my apartment, doing jumps and pirouettes, in a leotard and ballet shoes. Then he gave me a single red rose, knelt on the carpet, and recited a poem he wrote.”
Patricia gasped, and shoved his shoulder. “Jared! A poem? I didn’t know you could write poetry.”
Jared’s face drained of color, and he appeared to be having trouble breathing.
“Yes. It was really good, too. One of those complicated haiku things.”
A look crossed Patricia’s face and her eyes widened. “Omygosh! You must write a poem for your vows.”
Jared opened his mouth, but nothing came out.
Madison hid a smirk. “What a fantastic idea. Share your great haiku writing talent with everyone at the wedding.” She whacked him on the back. “You have such a way with words. You left me speechless.”
He shut his mouth, opened it again, and then closed it. Shaking his head, he left the room.
“Awe, he’s overwhelmed with emotion. He probably didn’t think the poem meant that much to me.”
“I can’t believe the transformation in him. Before he met you, it’s like he was a totally different person.”
Yeah, an uptight, inconsiderate, oaf. Madison bit those words back. “He’s something else, that’s for sure.”
“Well, when he looks at you, I can see it in his eyes. He loves you. I wasn’t sure that would ever happen. He’s had a rough time with women.”
Ignoring the comment about Jared loving her, she tilted her head. “How so?”
Patricia bit her lip. “He was so young when his mother died. I’m sure that affected him. And I think he fell hard for Veronica, when he was a teen. She really pulled a number on him. Cheating behind his back. Using him. Manipulating him into buying her whatever she wanted.”
Madison’s mouth went dry. She knew Veronica was bad, but hadn’t thought too much about what she’d done to Jared.
Patricia glanced into the other room and lowered her voice. “She ruined his prom night. She sent Jared off to fetch something from the car, and when he got back inside, she’d disappeared. He found her in the chemistry lab—in a compromising position with his best friend.”
Madison sucked in a breath. “How terrible. Why would he even want to be around her now?”
“I don’t know. She’s horrible. Back in high school, when I tried to warn him about her, she found out, and I became her target.”
“What did she do?”
“She poured a milkshake over my head in the lunchroom, then said it was an accident. She spread lies about me. Made my life a living hell. But somehow she explained it all away. Made it seem like I was the crazy one. Jared never saw her for what she really was.”
Madison thought about what it must have been like for Patricia. She knew what being bullied felt like. She’d had enough of that at school when all her grandmother could afford was clothes from the second-hand store. “I can’t believe Jared is still into her.”
Patricia stiffened. “You think he’s still in love with Veronica?”
Madison realized her mistake, and tried to backpedal. “Oh, well, you know. He still talks to her and stuff. That’s all I meant.”
“You watch out for her. If she had her way, I’m sure you’d be out the door and she’d be back to sucking the life out of him. You gotta let her know you’re not going anywhere. You and Jared are in love, and she can’t worm her way in between.”
Madison frowned. Veronica was already working her way in. Unfortunately, Madison had no claim on Jared. He was a free man, in reality. He could go back to Veronica if he wanted. Although the thought of Jared being taken advantage of by that conniving she-devil made her skin crawl. Maybe she could find a way to make Jared see what Veronica was truly like.
“I’ll keep an eye on things.” Madison shifted her weight.
“Yes. And I’ll try to talk some reason into him. Why he invited her to the wedding is beyond me.” She glanced out at the dark backyard. “I’d better go. Zachary is waiting for me.” She patted Madison’s arm before leaving the room.
It was late, and the long day had worn on her. She would appreciate slipping under the covers. Madison sprinted up the stairs. When she entered the guest bedroom, Jared rounded on her. “What was that all about?”
“What?”
He glowered at her and folded his arms across his chest. “Tights? Really? What did I do to deserve that?”
She dug her fingernails into her palm to keep from laughing. “Oh, that.” She bit her lip. If Veronica was really as bad as Patricia made out, maybe it wasn’t his fault. Maybe she was coming on to him. She suddenly felt bad for him. “Sorry.”
“You’re sorry?” Frustration rolled off him, and he began to pace the room like a caged pant
her. “Now I have to write a poem for my wedding vows. Oh, but not just any poem. A friggen haiku, for heaven’s sake.”
A giggle escaped and she clamped her hand over her mouth.
“Yeah, real funny. You know, I can’t figure you out. Just when I think we’re getting along, you pull something like this.”
“I’m sorry. I got a little upset at you.”
“Saying I sing you to sleep would be a little upset. Putting me in tights and writing poetry? That’s serious.” Jared’s hooded gaze traveled over her. “Spill it. What did I do?”
“I, uh…guess I felt bad you were sneaking off to see Veronica.” She paused to gauge his expression. Surprise flitted across his face. She rushed on. “I mean, I know we’re not really getting married. But we should keep up appearances, right? What if someone saw you and her together?”
Jared stepped forward and wrapped his large hand around her arm. “I’m going to say this once, and only once.”
The way he was so serious took her aback, and she simply nodded.
“There is nothing between Veronica and me. Nothing.”
His intense gaze and close proximity played havoc with her heart, causing it to beat erratically. “But I thought—”
He put his finger on her lips. “You don’t have to worry about Veronica. I know how she is. And it’s not her I’m fake-marrying.” He brushed her hair behind her shoulder, and tilted her chin up with his knuckle. “It’s you.”
Before she had the chance to think, his lips were on hers. It was a hungry kiss full of passion and urgency. Her hands entwined in his hair, and he pulled her close. His lips roamed to her jaw, then her earlobe. A fire burned in her, and she closed her eyes. The world began to spin.
His kiss came back to her lips, more demanding and more passionate. Her concerns about Veronica melted away, and all that was left was Jared. His kiss created a whirlwind of emotion in her, and she couldn’t get enough of him.
A Fake Marriage Romance Collection Page 8
