Sweet Salvation (31 page)

The girls shared a look that was not lost on the guys. They looked at each other, puzzled.

“Something you want to share,
cara
?” Marc asked of Jessie while Jared gave Stacy an inquiring glance.

“I was just wondering if you had any say over the guest list, Jared.” Jessie’s tone was normally sweet, but this morning it carried more than a hint of accusation.

Jared stiffened reflexively. Something was definitely up. “Of course, Jess, it was our party. Why? Was someone left off?”

“On the contrary,” Jessie’s tone became acidic as she hissed at Jared, infuriated by his insensitivity. “Someone was left on. What on earth were you thinking, Jared Baker?”

“Jess, not here, please. I’ll take care of it later,” Stacy warned under her breath.

“Excuse me, but I am obviously missing something here. What is it you think I’ve done?” He took in the blush of anger on her cheeks and the snapping blue eyes.

“How could you have invited that awful woman? It was a slap in the face to Stacy. I didn’t know you were such a callous bastard.”

“Jessica! What’s gotten into you?” Marc seemed stunned.

“I’m mad and can barely stand your company. I’d leave, but I won’t punish Stacy by abandoning her without reinforcements.”

Jared had known Jessie for three years and had never seen her this incensed unless it was in defense of a friend or if she was advocating for one of her patients. She didn’t defend a slight to herself with this much vehemence.

Jared turned to his fiancée, who had stayed unusually quiet throughout the exchange. “Can you tell me what she’s going on about?”

Head down, she murmured, “I’d rather not do this here, Jared.”

Jared could see the white-knuckled death grip she had on the linen napkin in her lap and her hands trembled slightly with the force of her exertion. He slid a hand over them in an act of reassurance and was surprised when she flinched and jerked them away. He was even more shocked when a tear splashed against the back of his hand. “Stacy, what is it?”

When she shook her head, it was too much. He shot a searing glance at Jessie before he warned in a hushed tone, “Someone had better start talking and tell me what the hell is going on.”

The waitress chose that inopportune moment to come take their order.

“We need a minute,” Marc said, sending her away. “Jessica, start talking.”

Jared slipped an arm around Stacy’s shoulders in support. When she tensed, he turned his head to whisper, “If you pull away from me again, I am going to lose it. Just sit still and let’s work this out.” He met Jessie’s angry gaze and ordered, “Talk.”

“Stacy had a run-in with a Mrs. Jared Baker wannabe in the ladies’ room last night. I wasn’t there but from what she said it was rather unpleasant.”

Floored, Jared racked his brain. His last steady relationship before Stacy had been over almost four years ago. He dated casually after her but nothing serious until he started seeing Stacy about a year ago. For the life of him, he couldn’t imagine who it could be. “Do you have a name?”

“Rachel, she didn’t give her last name.” Stacy said quietly.

At a loss, Jared sat there confused. “I don’t know a Rachel… What did she look like?”

“Tall, brunette, pretty,” Stacy admitted the last begrudgingly.

“Come on, Stace, that could be anyone,” Jessie prodded.

“Jess, please.”

“She’s right,” Jared agreed. He was determined to get to the bottom of this. “That description doesn’t tell me anything and I’d like to be able to defend myself, although I’m not exactly sure what I’m being accused of.”

“Fine. If you insist on doing this here…” Stacy’s voice held more than a tinge of anger now. “She looked like a model, was at least six feet tall, flat-chested and reed slender, my complete opposite. She said you preferred your women that way. She also told me I wasn’t good enough for you and someone like me could never keep you. She said you dated her before me and Angie, the little toady she had with her, backed up her claims.”

“She also had an invitation,” Jessie added coolly.

Jared looked at Marc for help; none of this was making sense at all.

“Isn’t Angie the name of our Xgeva rep? She’s been coming around with a tall brunette lately. They did that luncheon last month at the office.”

“I remember the trainee who came with her the last time.”

Jessie snorted in disgust, mumbling under her breath, “I’m sure you do.”

She suddenly yelped and frowned at Marc, who said in a low tone, “Behave.”

Ignoring Jessie’s interruption, Jared continued. “As I was saying, she fits the description. We spoke at length about the new drug profile and some others they have in research and development. In fact, she came back twice since then, bringing me samples and literature. Surely that can’t be her. It was all very professional.” Turning to Stacy, he reassured her, “If this is her, she’s a pharmaceutical rep, Stace—nothing more.”

Her eyes met Jessie’s across the table and Jared observed their exchange; he could tell there was silent communication going on. This irritated Jared further and his frown deepened. Her lack of trust in him was cutting. They had been through this repeatedly. Unfortunately, his previous lessons hadn’t stuck.

“I think we’ll swing by my parents’ house after we finish here to see what this is all about.”

“I should have told you last night,” Stacy said begrudgingly, “but I didn’t want to spoil the evening.”

“You had plenty of other opportunities, both last night when we got home and this morning. I thought you were tired, Stacy, not stewing about some perceived wrong.” His answer was more abrupt than he meant it to be, but he was ticked. Still, from her end, it was probably as upsetting. “We’ll figure this out, honey.” He reached for her hand and squeezed. This time she didn’t pull away and he saw that as promising.

The remainder of the meal was subdued and rather rushed. Jared could tell his companions were as distracted by the mystery as he was. As they were leaving, Jessie gave Stacy a hug and he overheard assurances to call later with details. He sighed in aggravation as he steered her to the car. He didn’t begrudge them their friendship, but he expected more faith or at least honest communication from his fiancée.

* * *

They found Joanne and Russell waiting for them in their study. They were both dressed in tennis whites. Jared had called from the car and caught them right before leaving for a doubles match at the country club. No wonder they looked so fit, Stacy thought. Joanne at fifty was more active than she was at half her age.

“Thank you for waiting for us. We have a little mystery that we need your help solving. I’m sure we won’t keep you more than a few minutes.”

“Of course, dear,” Joanne said agreeably. “How can we help?”

“Did either of you invite anyone by the names of Rachel or Angie to the party? I think they might be pharmaceutical reps.”

Taken aback by the question, Joanne and Russell looked at each other inquiringly.

“I didn’t,” Jared’s father said.

Joanne frowned, concerned. “I don’t remember those names.” She stood and went to the desk, pulling out a folder. “Here is the final guest list I showed you, Jared. There were no additions afterward.”

Jared took it and scanned over the names. “It’s the same one I remember approving.” He passed it to Stacy, watching her closely. “Those are all the invitations that were sent out.”

“They had an invitation,” Stacy confirmed. “I saw it.”

Joanne looked at her with sympathy; it was clear Stacy was upset by it all. “I guess these women could have come with an invited guest, but I met all of them last night. There were only four RSVPs with a plus-one.” Her brow furrowed as she thought out loud. “Non-members brought their invitations to present at the gate. Because it was an exclusive event, the invitation was like a ticket.” She looked to Russ speculatively. “There were a few other events going on last night. Someone could have easily picked up a discarded invitation and wandered into ours, don’t you think?”

Russ went to the desk and shuffled through a stack of papers. After perusing one he located in a drawer, he passed it to Jared. “I think this will solve the mystery, son.”

Unable to hold back her curiosity, Stacy peeked over his arm and saw it was an event calendar for the country club.

“In addition to our party, there was a welcome dinner for Dr. Ambrose, the new rheumatologist and an anniversary party for the Briscoes. I’m not sure what this solves, Dad.”

“Look at the sponsor for Dr. Ambrose’s dinner. I believe they are the manufacturer of Xgeva. I suspect your ardent admirer found the opportunity to harass your fiancée while she was there for another function. I know the regional manager personally and will be giving him a call first thing Monday morning. If my hunch pans out, I’ll see that they never bother Stacy again. This is stalker-like behavior, which is fucked up. No one will want them in their office after this.”

Stacy’s hand flew to her mouth in horror. She should have gone to Jared with this immediately. As Russ had said, this was fucked up and she’d had a hand in it. What little breakfast she’d had sat heavy in her stomach.

“Russ! Such language, what will Stacy think?” Joanne complained.

“Nothing she hasn’t heard before, Mom, I assure you.”

“We’re going to head out, unless you need something else, son,” Russell offered. Stacy could feel his astute gaze summing up the situation as Jared shook his head.

“I think our family drama is over for now. Thanks,” Jared said, as he watched Stacy soberly.

Oh, crap. Stacy didn’t like the sound of that, or the disappointed look on his face.

“Okay, let’s skedaddle, Jo. The Richardsons won’t hold our court forever.”

She watched as Jared’s father guided his mother toward the door, while Joanne cast sympathetic glances back over her shoulder. Russell stopped briefly to say something softly in his son’s ear, to which Jared nodded and gave a tight smile. The older couple then swept up their tennis bags and hurried out the door. Silence reigned in the library for several minutes.

Dying from curiosity and looking for a way to break the awkward silence, Stacy asked softly, “What did your dad say?”

Jared’s serious gaze met hers. “He said that I needed to get you in front of a judge quickly so we can get past all this pre-wedding crap that’s freaking you out. Then he suggested I paddle your backside for lack of trust.”

Stacy’s mouth dropped open; kindhearted Russell Baker was a spanker? Who knew? As she eyed her fiancé, she marveled at how much he was like his father. Not just in appearance, because he was the spitting image of his dad, but he also had the same calm, easygoing exterior. They shared some other characteristics as well; both were wonderfully romantic and considerate of their women, passionate about things that were important to them—medicine, patient care, family—as well as playful and fun-loving. It made sense they would have the same sense of right and wrong, and similar methods for correcting those wrongs.

“You’re a chip off the old block, aren’t you, Jared?”

“Yes, sweetheart, I am indeed my father’s son.”

“Does he… you know, with your mom?”

“We never sat down and discussed the particulars of their relationship, but growing up in this house, there were times that it was quite obvious. There were also times in my youth when I fell under my father’s brand of justice.”

“Your father spanked you?”

Jared walked toward her as he spoke, recounting transgressions that shocked the spit out of her. Like when he was twelve and set fire to the garage when he’d tried cigarettes, or the time he’d stupidly gone out joyriding with some older boys at fourteen, and at sixteen when he and some friends had gotten puking drunk on George Dickel and Mountain Dew, of all things.

As he spoke, he passed her, moving to his dad’s desk and stepping behind it. “He used to keep something in this bottom drawer. Ah-ha!”

Jared pulled out a wooden paddle, about eighteen inches long and four inches wide.

“That looks like a fraternity paddle,” Stacy commented, the concern ringing clearly in her voice.

“Good eye.” He turned it around to show her. The bold letters spelling out ‘board of education’ were handwritten in black and were flanked by some sort of Greek symbols.

Closing the drawer, he moved around the desk toward her, the paddle held down by his side where he patted it rhythmically against his muscular thigh. “I think we need to have a little discussion about trust, Stacy.”

“I know I should have come to you immediately and discussed this. It was just there were two of them and they seemed, uh… I don’t know a good word for it, but some of the things they said got right under my skin.”

“Master manipulators identify an opponent’s weaknesses and prey upon them. Let me guess. They made fun of your southern drawl, which I find sexy. They made fun of your curves, which I adore. There was also a redneck or hick joke thrown in somewhere, I’m sure.”

“Country bumpkin and dumb blonde were mentioned.”

“I have said many times that you are both intelligent and beautiful. I have also said I like soft and your curves are sexy as hell. So, it hurts that you believed two strangers over your fiancé who has been telling you that he loves everything about you, repeatedly, for almost a year.”

Coming to a stop behind her, she heard a loud thwack and jumped. She imagined him slapping the paddle against his palm and could almost feel it landing across her bottom, which she was certain was coming soon, swift and sure.

“I know I’m in the wrong here, but imagine, Jared, if an old boyfriend of mine arrived last night out of the blue, holding an invitation and started telling you how I preferred everything that you were not. I was jealous and filled with doubts, which affected my judgment.” Turning to him, she ignored the menacing paddle and looked up into his stern, but handsome face. “I can only say how sorry I am, Jared, and I’ll try to do better in the future. I’ll accept my paddling without complaint if you can forgive me. Please, Jared. I love you so much.”

Tossing the paddle onto a nearby chair, Jared pulled her into a crushing embrace. “Of course, I forgive you, Stace. I love you, more than I ever thought possible.”