Untrusting Hearts: A Contemporary New Orleans Romance (18 page)

She shook her head. “In other words, I’ve seen all of New Orleans I want to see. I’d rather spend the time I have left visiting with my aunt.”

He snorted cynically.

Here we go again.
“She refers to me as her niece. What else would I call her? I can’t exactly recite our entire lineage every time I mention her.” She shoved past him.

“Jade, wait.” He grabbed her hand to stop her.

She paused to stare at him.

He met her gaze with steady eyes. “I’m sorry. Let me drive you back to the house.”

“Not interested. I’ll walk.” She tugged her hand free.

He heaved a deep sigh. “It’s not safe. Let me call you a cab. Please.”

She chewed her lip for a second, and then relented. “Okay. Thank you.”

He picked up the phone and she escaped to the bathroom to splash cool water on her flushed face. She wondered if he’d be waiting when she emerged, eager to prolong this uncomfortable night with more provocative or awkward conversation. She almost dreaded opening the door again.

She found him staring out the blinds in his living room, hands in his pockets, broad shoulders slumped. In spite of herself, she felt a small tug on her heart. Why did matters always go so badly for the two of them? How did they seem to go from being near-lovers to bristling adversaries in the blink of an eye? Her keys rattled when she picked up her purse and he turned to face her.

“The taxi’s on its way. I’ll wait with you downstairs on the porch until it arrives.”

“That won’t be necessary.” She grabbed her damaged clothes and slid the strap of her bag over a shoulder.

“No argument on this one, Jade.” His voice was rock-hard. “I’ll watch you get into that cab with my own two eyes, or you’ll spend the night here. Your choice.”

“Fine. Come with me, then.”

With one hand lightly on her back, he guided her through the door and down the stairs. They descended in silence. From the top of the porch steps he watched as she boarded the cab and it pulled away.

Settling into the backseat, she relaxed the tight hold on her emotions. Tears stung her eyes, blurring the lights of town outside the windows as she returned to Maylene’s mansion.

Chapter 13

Jade’s cell phone rang at eight the next morning. Groaning, she rolled over and plucked her phone from the bedside table, pulling the charger free. “Hello?”

“Jade! It’s Ty. Please don’t hang up.”

If she’d been more awake she might have done just that. As it was, she sat up on the side of the bed and yawned hugely. “What do you want, Ty?”

“I need to speak to you.”

“That’s what you’re doing,” Jade snipped as she slid her feet into her house slippers and ambled toward the bathroom.

“I mean in person. Please say I can come over.”

“It’s your aunt’s house; it’s not as if I can keep you away.” She grabbed her toothbrush and loaded it with paste, ready for when the call ended, which she hoped would be soon. She had nothing to say to the man, except hateful things, and she was holding her tongue.

“I’d like you to say it’s okay. I really, really need to talk to you in person. To explain last night.”

“There’s not much to explain, is there? You attacked me and I escaped.” Tears gathered in her eyes as she remembered the horror.

“Please?”

“Fine. I’ll give you ten minutes. I’ll meet you on the porch in an hour.” Jade pressed the end call button and set the phone on the counter. She gazed at herself in the mirror for a second, surprised to find she didn’t look tarnished. Grabbing her toothbrush, she vigorously cleaned her teeth, rinsed, and wiped off her face. After taking care of necessities, she hopped into the shower, washed quickly, towel-dried and combed out her hair. It hung in damp waves about her shoulders.

Donning a pair of olive-colored Capri’s and a short-sleeved yellow pullover, she hurried downstairs for breakfast. Maylene wasn’t present and Jade had no idea where her aunt was. But the buffet was still up and held a variety of covered dishes. Jade filled her plate and ate alone.

At the time specified, she went outside and sat on a bench on the porch. It was only minutes before Ty’s car pulled up. The young man jumped out, walked hurriedly up the steps, and stopped short of Jade. He leaned against the railing and looked like a whipped pup.

Jade pointedly checked her watch. “You’ve got ten minutes. Make them count.”

Ty ran a hand through his tousled hair. “I don’t…oh, Jade, I can’t say I’m sorry too many times. Ever since you arrived I’ve been dwelling on Aunt Maylene’s money and what part of it you might get. I came up with this plan to woo you, to win you over, and marry you so I wouldn’t have to lose anything to you. And the ironic part is that I don’t even know if I’m in the will. I’m not much of a nephew. Or employee, for that matter. It seems like all I do is screw up.”

“You call that an apology?” Jade started to rise but Ty held out an imploring hand and she sat back.

“Please hear me out.”

“I’m listening.”

Rubbing both hands down his face, Ty groaned. “I made such a fool of myself last night. I thought we were having fun. When we ended up on that deserted street, I just lost my senses. You were so beautiful and with all the booze I’d had to drink, I thought I’d won you over and that you wanted me. It’s no excuse but it’s the truth.”

“Won me over?”

“I know, I know. After you ran away, I went home and drank myself into a stupor. This morning everything came flashing back and I was humiliated. I thought about just avoiding you the rest of your visit, but to tell the truth, Jade, I like you too much. I want you as a friend, if you can bring yourself to accept my apology. I’m very sorry. I can’t say it enough.”

Jade shook her head in surrender. “I don’t understand why everyone thinks I’m going to get any of Maylene’s money. For god’s sake. I only met the woman less than a week ago; we hardly know each other.”

“Everyone? Who else thinks thi…oh, Pichot. Has he been giving you trouble?”

“He’s
just a little
overprotective of Maylene and I can understand that. But you? It sounds to me like you do have designs on her money. Do you even care for your aunt?”

“Of course I care for her; she’s the only one that’s ever treated me kindly, well, she and Jean Pierre. But when I drink I become someone else.”

“Then stop drinking.”

“I’m afraid that’s not going to happen, though I promise I’ll try to cut back. Last night was a mistake, a terrible mistake. I’m just glad I didn’t hurt you.”

“You did hurt me. You hurt my pride, my faith in people, and my sense of security. I don’t know when I’ll be able to trust a man again.” Her thoughts instantly turned to her time with Gage the previous night and she realized she was somewhat of a hypocrite. She’d had all day to replay their interaction and had realized she’d been overly sensitive about his comments. The pendulum of her feelings now swung the other way and she was ready to forgive his slip of the tongue.

“I was that bad?” Ty looked ashamed.

“You were bad. I was truly scared. It was a dark street, no one was in sight, and you assaulted me. You wouldn’t take no for an answer. I couldn’t reason with you. Any woman would have been afraid.”

“I’m sorry.” He stared at her pleadingly. “Can we be friends? I promise not to hit on you again, no matter how hot you are.” The corners of his mouth turned up in a small smile.

“How
hot
I am?”

“Alright, horrible choice of words. How about this: no matter how desirable I find you, I will behave like a perfect gentleman from now on. You have my word.”

Jade caved. She stood up and walked over to him with her right hand out. “Apology accepted. Friends we will be.”

“Lord, Jade, thank you.”

He toed the porch for a minute. “Hold on. I have something of yours.”

Jade frowned as Ty took the stairs two at a time and reached through the open passenger window. When he turned, she saw the bag with the t-shirt she’d bought last night.

Coming back up the stairs at a more sedate pace, Ty handed her the sack.

“Thanks.” Jade took the bag and fiddled with it as they continued to talk for a few minutes until Ty made an excuse to leave. Jade watched him drive away; she hoped she’d made the right decision. He had seemed sincere when you got right down to it. And he hadn’t actually hurt her, though he had ruined a perfectly good outfit.

Maylene was waiting for Jade when she reentered the house. “I saw you and Ty on the porch but didn’t want to disturb you. It looked like you were having a serious conversation; can I assume my nephew has been up to no good?”

“Oh, I wouldn’t go that far,” Jade lied. “We had a misunderstanding and Ty was setting things right. All’s well that ends well, so they say.”

“I’m glad. Now, dear,” Maylene took Jade by the arm, “Today this place is going to be busy, busy, busy. People are coming in to help with the cleaning. Others will open and air out the ballroom and set up tables and chairs for dinner tomorrow evening. And, of course, the caterers will drive Philomene crazy but it can’t be helped; there’s no way she and Ciana can handle such large doings alone.”

“So, I need to keep out of the way.” Jade laughed, surprised that the house had a ballroom and she hadn’t ever seen it.

“Of course not, silly.” Maylene released her arm and reached for her purse. “You and I need to find outfits for tomorrow.”

“Can’t we just select something from the attic?”

“We could have if I hadn’t run out of time to have things cleaned and resized. And anyway, it’ll be much more fun to pick out something new; well, not new exactly, but different. We’ll get them from Carl Mack’s.”

“Carl Mack’s?”

“The premiere costume designer in the area. You’ll love his selection. Now, grab your purse and let’s get going. I have a million things to do.”

Later, as they pulled up outside the shop, Maylene gushed, “Oh, I hope Carl is in. He is such a character; you’d love him.”

But once inside they faced disappointment. Carl was out, but they quickly cheered up as Joy, the lively woman waiting on them, put them at ease and made their shopping experience enjoyable.

Jade finally settled on a layered dress. The top half looked like a barmaid’s blouse from the renaissance period in dark maroon, covered by a black laced-up bodice. The waist, hem, and off-the-shoulder neckline of the garment were trimmed in lace. Beneath the skirt was another skirt in black that fell to the floor. “This is perfect. I have a pair of black half-boots that will completely work with this dress.”

“Don’t forget your mask,” Maylene’s voice called from the dressing room. “But wait just a second.” The door opened and Jade’s aunt stepped out. She was stunning in an emerald green silk dress that fell to the floor. The front had a square neckline and was graced with an motif that screamed Mardi Gras with its purples and golds. The sleeves were three-quarter length.

“Oh, Maylene! That’s beautiful.”

“I have the perfect necklace for this outfit. Oh, and for the coup de gras...” She turned back to the dressing room and returned holding an ornate gold and purple half-mask. The top was formed like a crown and when she held it up to her face she looked regal.

“Magnificent.” Jade clapped happily.

Maylene beamed. “You should have plenty of time to choose your own mask while I change.”

Joy pointed out that many of the masks were scattered throughout the store while the main collection adorned the rear wall. Jade perused the selection but wasn’t taken by any of them. As Maylene emerged from the dressing room, Jade meandered in her direction. Suddenly she stopped. There, above a rack of dresses, was
the
mask.

“Joy,” Jade called out to the clerk who came right over. “I’d like to try that one.” She pointed.

Joy held up a hand, went to the front counter, and returned with a long-handled grabber in which she snagged the item in question. “This is a wonderful choice.”

Jade admired the deep maroon mask with black and rose colored feathers fanning out from the outer corner of each eye. The mask itself was slightly pointed beneath each eye and had two small feathers in the center of the top. She held it up to her face and peered in a nearby mirror. “Ah.” Jade breathed. She turned to Maylene.

“Perfect, darling. You’ll take away everyone’s breath.”

“Is there anything else I can help you ladies with?” Joy asked.

“No. I think we’re good.” Maylene smiled as she handed over a credit card. “We’ll take everything with us today.”

On the way home, Jade asked, “When do we have to return these?”

Maylene reached a hand over and petted her gently on the arm. “You’re so sweet. We won’t return anything; I bought the lot.”

“Maylene!” Jade raised her voice to protest.

“Yes?” Maylene asked slowly. Her tone left Jade no recourse but to accept gracefully.

Jade managed a smile. “I just wanted to say thank you.”

“You’re most welcome, dear.”

Back at Maylene’s, Jade asked if she could do anything to help. “Point me in the right direction and I’ll do whatever you need done.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, darling. This party is for you; I’d never allow you to assist in the preparations. It wouldn’t be right.”

“But, Maylene. I’ll feel terrible just standing around.”

“Then you’ll feel terrible. Try taking it easy. You’ve been on the go since your arrival. Why don’t you take a book out back to the gazebo?”

“I
do
need to call home and I
could
use some downtime. I’ll grab something to read and get out of the way.” Jade smiled to let Maylene know she wasn’t angry.

After Jade spoke to Jeff, she stretched out on the padded seat of the gazebo and opened the mystery. Several chapters later, she yawned. Lowering the book to her chest, she closed her eyes, intending only to rest them for a moment. She was awakened by voices nearby. By the sound of things, Gage and Ty were continuing a discussion, unaware they weren’t alone.

“I want to know what the hell you think you’re doing,” Gage demanded.

“What do you mean?” Ty’s voice was full of contrived innocence.

“You know what I mean. What’s going on between the two of you?”

“We’re friends,” Ty said brightly. “For now, anyway. But there’s every indication we’ll grow much closer.”

Gage said, “I guess the lure of the Dubois family fortune is too much to pass up. Makes even
you
look like a catch.”

“It has nothing to do with that,” Ty snapped.

“Oh, I think it does. Haven’t you ever noticed the greedy gleam in her eye?”

Ty snorted. “It’s not greed. It’s desire. She’s attracted to me.”

Gage laughed softly. “Attracted to your inheritance.”

“Talk about sour grapes,” Ty said. “You had plenty of chances to do what I’m going to do. Don’t blame me if you couldn’t seal the deal. Obviously she has good taste in men.”

Jade cringed lower on the gazebo bench, hidden in the shadows. Her face burned with anger and humiliation.

“Look, I don’t care what you do with your life,” Gage said. “Just don’t cause Maylene any grief.”

“On the contrary, Pichot. I think you do care. You’re jealous. Jealous of my lineage, of my talent, of my looks…hell, just about everything.”