Jace cleared his throat. “We need to get going Jim. Say hi to Linda and the kids.”
“Will do!” Jim waved then leaned down to Jake. “I’ll be watching your punk ass.”
Great, so he wasn’t just a sport—well, that was a relief—now he was a punk ass kid. Did that mean he would only go to juvy if he went through with his murder plan?
Hmm, things to think on.
The car pulled away and again Jake was left alone in his corner while Char and Jace laughed and talked as if they were already buying a house together.
Shit.
He needed to find his A-game and fast. For the first time in his life he had serious competition. Of course, because karma’s a bitch, it also happened to be the first time he had any real danger of losing not only to said competition, but his heart altogether.
Chapter Thirty
Jace was hot. He was more than hot. He looked like Thor, only his eyes were green, not blue. She noticed because they were framed by such long eyelashes that she almost wondered if the man was wearing some sort of eyelash extensions.
He was incredible.
And his tan skin?
He was like dessert, a really nice dessert that your mom won’t let you eat until after you clean up your plate… the dessert that spoils you for other desserts. The type of man that girls watch from afar but never actually talk to.
And he was talking to her.
Her stomach clenched with excitement, until she looked over at Jake. He was miserable. She didn’t want to feel sorry for him. After all, he was with skanks all night, but still.
While her body was responding to Jace, her heart was calling to Jake, which really sucked if you asked her. It wasn’t even fair; for once in her life it seemed like the guy that was interested in her was actually just as great as everyone else said and her heart decided it wasn’t interested? Seriously?
They pulled to a stop in front of Titus Abby. They still a good week before the wedding but you wouldn’t know it by looking.
Catering vans were everywhere, along with decorators, florists—geez, it was like a wedding magazine threw up on the place.
“Char!” Kacey ran out of the house toward the limo and stopped dead in her tracks. “Holy crap, did you guys hit a rotten cat or something?”
“Rotten cat.” Jace laughed, getting out of the car. “Sounds about right, huh Jake?”
With a groan, Jake got out of the car and made a beeline toward the house.
“Oh, come on, weddings aren’t that bad, Jake!” Jace called after him, laughing.
Char squinted, not liking that Jace was taunting Jake. Truthfully, he deserved that and more, but still. It wasn’t attractive. Not to her.
“Looks like Jake’s returned to his partying ways, huh?” Kacey nudged Char and looped her arm in hers, totally oblivious to the fact that Char’s heart was clenching in her chest over the thought.
He’d spent a few days with her.
And it hadn’t been enough to keep him away from that lifestyle. Which just proved the point again—he wasn’t worth it, because in the end he would always choose himself, his lifestyle, his money. It would never be about her.
“So.” Char ignored the pain in her chest. “Jace is really nice.”
“He’s a senator,” Kacey sang. “And he graduated two years early from college. He’s a MENSA member and I have it on good authority he adopts injured dogs.”
“You talking about Jace?” Travis came up and gave Kacey a kiss on the head. “He’s like p*rn to women. Seriously, if you don’t like him, there’s no hope for you.”
Char didn’t have time to reply. Grandma soon burst into the room carrying a large microphone embellished with small pink crystals.
“Um, what’s that?” Char pointed at the offending device.
“My microphone, for the wedding.” Grandma lifted it out of its case and handed it to Char. “It makes me sound like Mariah Carey.”
“If Mariah Carey was a dying squirrel,” Kacey said under her breath.
“Heard that,” Grandma snapped.
“You won’t be singing at the wedding.” Kacey grinned. “So it doesn’t matter anyway.”
Grandma took the microphone back, careful to put it in its case, which looked a heck of a lot like a caboodle and stuffed it under her arm. “What you and Travis are engaged in is mere child’s play. I dated a Kennedy.” She straightened her blouse. “Enough said. Now move along, I have things to plan. Tonight we celebrate!”
“What’s Grandma talking about?” Char asked, wondering why Travis and Kacey were staring after Grandma as if they could figure out the puzzle that was her life and behavior.
“Dinner party and cocktails for the guests,” Kacey said, still watching Grandma. “I don’t like her tone. What does she know that we don’t?”
Travis scratched his head. “She’s just trying to get in our heads.”
“Feeling left out here.” Char raised her hand. “You guys in some sort of war with Grandma?”
“No,” Kacey snapped and looked back at Char. “A battle of the minds, possibly… but we’ll win. Grandma thinks she’s knows what’s best but for once, she’s wrong. We’ll prove it and then she won’t be singing at the wedding.”
Chapter Thirty-one
Char watched with Travis and Kacey as Grandma moved to the middle of the room and pulled out a red whistle.
“Who the hell gave her a whistle?” Travis muttered an oath under his breath and groaned about how slight breezes were making him horny just as Grandma blew loud enough to cause deafness.
“Hello!” Grandma shouted and then blew on the whistle again.
Char hid a smile as she heard curses erupt from somewhere in the house. Jake clearly wasn’t a fan of the whistle, either.
“I need everyone’s attention.” Grandma pulled out a clipboard. “I’ve been nominated—”
“Volunteered,” Travis corrected. “And quite forcefully, might I add.”
Grandma ignored his outburst and continued talking. “As I was saying I’ve been nominated.” She glared at Travis. “To be the wedding planner for the duration of your stay here at Titus Abbey. Because most of the wedding party will be staying at the house we’ve decided to assign rooms.”
Char listened to Grandma’s voice drone on and on as she peered around the room for Jake’s return. What was she doing? It was only concern that he’d choked on his puke or ran into a door or something.
“And because we only have one suite and Travis has happily taken a vow of celibacy.”
Travis made a shooting motion with his hand and pointed at his head.
“The suite will be have to be shared.” She grinned. “Now the schedule is exact to the minute; try not to be late to any of the activities. We have a lot going on. I expect everyone to go back to their rooms so they can change before cocktail hour.”
Grandma proceeded to hand out laminated schedule sheets. “These cannot be changed so please don’t ask. If you have any questions…” Travis raised his hand. “That don’t have to do with sleeping arrangements…” Travis put his hand down. “Then please ask.”
Char took the schedule from Grandma and groaned. Jace walked up behind her. “Hey, you think Jake will be up to changing bed partners?”
Had Jake said something like that to her, she would have rolled her eyes and laughed, because it was such a Jake thing to say. But hearing Jace say it was like throwing cold water on her; in fact it made her cringe a bit. How was a hot guy flirting with her making her want to cringe?
She managed a small laugh and waved the schedule in his face. “Grandma’s rules are final, believe me, I’ve learned my lesson in that department.”
“Tell me,” Grandma spoke up behind her. “How were those fertility tests, Char?”
Jace’s eyes widened as Char’s mouth dropped open. Holy crap! What was she supposed to say? She stuttered for words. “Hah, very funny, Grandma, you mean the tests you got for Kacey and Travis?”
“Sure.” Grandma winked.
Char’s face heated in embarrassment as she turned to Jace. “She’s kidding. I swear.”
“I like kids.” He grinned and eyed her up and down. “Or let me put it this way, I would think any guy would be lucky to have kids with you.”
And officially too far.
“Right.” She choked. “I’m just gonna go freshen up.”
“I can grab your bags.” He reached for her bag but she swatted his hand.
“No.” Char laughed lightly. “I’ve got it. I’ll see you in an hour.”
He smile was smug as he walked off.
Char ran up the stairs as fast as she could. They had the suite. Her and Jake. It had to be some kind of sick joke. The one and only suite? Meant for Kacey and Travis, and she had to stay in it with Jake? The man-whore who screamed when someone said “commitment” and got drunk to purposefully prove a point to society that he was exactly what everyone believed—a player.
With a grunt, she pushed open the door and immediately dropped her bag onto the floor.
Something was wrong with her. It was like all the pent-up emotion of her childhood, her past, drama with her parents, and finally the pressure of losing her career, were finally hitting her.
Stupid flowers.
It was their fault.
They were yellow roses, just like the ones Jake had gotten her a few days ago. Damn him.
She pulled a rose from the vase and inhaled. For a brief minute she allowed herself to dream, that it was her honeymoon suite. That Jake was her husband, that he’d bought her flowers and hadn’t been puking just an hour ago.
When she opened her eyes, the reality of her situation hit her square in the face. In the form of a single king-sized bed.
So close, yet always so far away; that was the story of her life. She was so close to graduating with honors, but it was Beth who finally clenched the title of Valedictorian.
And when she had her first job interview, her parents had taken her out to dinner only to be disappointed that it was with a news station.
When Beth got her job, she was given a car.
It was as if all the things she’d ever wanted in her life were always close enough for her to want them, yet never close enough for her to grasp them.
She was like that damn hamster and his wheel.
She hated hamsters.
With a huff she sat on the bed and watched as the door swung open, revealing a very haggard-looking Jake. At least someone was having a worse day than she was.
“How you doing, princess?” she asked.
“I hate my life.” With a groan he stumbled to the bed and fell face down on top of it. “Best part of my day… Go ahead, ask me.”
Char leaned back on her elbow so she could see him better. “Almost getting arrested.”
He shook his head.
“Hmm, meeting the youngest state senator in Oregon history?”
Jake showed her his middle finger.
Laughing, Char guessed again. “Finally puking in a toilet like a big boy.”
He sighed and lifted his head so their eyes were locked. “Rooming with you.”