"How"s Sh.e.l.ly?"
A frown creased his brow. "Still having breathing problems. None of the tests have shown anything conclusive. It"s frustrating."
Madison wanted to put her arm around him. To pull him close and console him. Instead, she put her hand on his leg. "I hope they find out what"s wrong soon."
"Yeah. Me too."
Carrie entered the room and Madison withdrew her hand like she"d been caught sticking it in the cookie jar. Carrie threw her a knowing look, then smiled. "I"m ready."
They piled into Jared"s car, Carrie quickly taking the back seat so Madison was forced to sit in front. As soon as they were on the road, Carrie rested her arms on the backs of the seats and stuck her head between them. "So, Jared, what"s it like planning a pretend wedding?"
He shifted. "Pretty much like you"d imagine."
"Fun?"
"Awkward."
"Oh." Carrie"s face fell. "But there"s something a little magical about a wedding, don"t you think? Something that makes you want to fall in love?"
Madison shot Carrie a dirty look. What was she trying to do? She said she"d watch him, not grill him.
"Never really thought about it," Jared mumbled.
Carrie leaned forward. "I mean, doesn"t it almost seem like fate is bringing you and Madison together?"
Madison gave Carrie the "shut up now" signal, which was basically a murderous stare.
Jared raised an eyebrow. "What are you trying to say, Carrie?"
Her "I"m going to kill you" look must have gotten through to Carrie because she slumped back in her seat. "Nothing. I just think you two make a cute couple."
Jared squirmed, heat rising to his face. Even Carrie could see his attraction for Madison. He chanced a glance beside him. Madison sat rigidly, a look of sheer terror on her face.
Great. If the thought of them being a real couple garnered that kind of a reaction, he should give up now. She obviously disliked the idea.
"Is Mark dating anyone?" Madison asked, changing the subject.
"Not that I know of." Jared eyed her, suspicion growing in him. "Why?"
She tossed her hair over her shoulder. "No reason."
Perfect. She"s interested in Mark. He sighed and flipped on the radio.
Carrie leaned forward. "I wanted to know. She asked because of me."
"Oh."
This week away from Madison had been the longest week of his life. He"d tried to go back to his old life. Jump both feet into the way things were and forget about her. But he found his life hollow and lacking. He missed her. The way she laughed with her whole body. Her smile. Her jokes. Even her catty remarks.
Over the last week, he"d pondered the situation. When had he fallen for her? That first night, when she ate Irene"s horrible potatoes? Or when she"d conned him into writing the check? Or maybe it was when she trusted him enough to tell him about her horrible family life.
He wasn"t sure how it happened, but he knew he couldn"t walk away from her after this. He had to show her he cared. Convince her to give him a chance. Maybe they could continue the farce while they dated for real. The thought of continuing to see her made him smile.
But the terrified look she wore at the thought of them being a couple had blown his confidence away in the hot August wind. She wasn"t interested in him. Her goal was to become a famous Hollywood actress, which he was sure she"d achieve. Why would she want to date him? He"d only pull her down and tie her to a small Midwestern town with nothing to offer.
She sat in the pa.s.senger seat, her long legs crossed, hair pulled back, more beautiful than he"d ever seen her. Their eyes met, and he turned away, embarra.s.sed to be caught ogling.
Tension mounted in him as they drove. Carrie chatted in the back, thankfully. Otherwise, he and Madison would have sat silent the entire way. He nodded and made approving noises where appropriate.
They pulled into the curved drive and parked, his stomach tied in so many knots a sailor would be proud. The day was promising to be another hot one. He grabbed the luggage from the trunk.
As Irene welcomed them into the house, Madison slipped her arm through his, effortlessly easing back into her role of fiancee. It seemed so natural for her. Another knot formed.
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 fiancee. 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 Sat.u.r.day." 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 G.o.d 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. "Marriage...that blessed arrangement. That dream within a dream." He appeared to be getting into the role, because he raised his hands dramatically. "You should treasure your love. True love will follow you forever."
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 p.r.o.nounce 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 p.r.o.nounced 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 a.s.sent, 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 pa.s.sionately. 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 Sat.u.r.day 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 fiance, 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 embarra.s.sment.
"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 gla.s.s 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.