Chapter 7
Jarrod Barkley sat at his desk, going over the events of the last few days in his mind. What in the world had he done? He was a defender of truth. He hated lies. And yet he was living one now.
When it had come down to it, a woman's gratitude meant more to him than the truth. And it wasn't just any woman. It was Katelyn Mahoney! With any other woman he would have brought up the truth as kindly as possible, even if it caused discomfort or some pain. After all, he hadn't started the lie.
But when he looked into those eyes, seen the alarm on her face...he hadn't thought twice. Just jumped into the fray, playing the gallant hero.
It had made sense then... but now. With every passing moment he teetered between the truth, keeping up the charade, and taking Katelyn up on her mythical court case in Stockton.
He wanted - no needed - Katelyn to trust him, so in return, maybe he could trust her too. He had to be sure of his own feelings for her. Had to be sure he could place his trust in her. All he knew was that he never felt for another woman what he felt for Katelyn.
Of course, the easiest solution would be to follow Kate's suggestion and pretend to go back to Stockton for a case. But he didn't want to do that. No, what he wanted was to be near Katelyn. And while their fake marriage might have a lot of drawbacks, it did allow him that time. Time with Katelyn.
Besides, they weren't doing this just as a lark. It was for Kate's mother. The woman was clearly still fragile and if this would help her regain her health, then it was worth it, wasn't it? It wasn't as though he were toying with Katelyn's affection. She knew as well as he did that this wasn't real...
Even as he made the assertion, he saw again the way she'd looked at him this morning: the uncertainty, the questions swirling in those big, blue eyes; eyes he could easily drown in...
He shook his head then uttered a sigh. With any luck, down the road they would laugh about this and draw closer because of it. And when her mother was strong enough to hear the truth, he would be the first to tell her.
Katelyn had had just about enough. She couldn't take the lie anymore and was going to tell her mother the truth. The three had gone out for a late brunch and when Carol had excused herself, Katelyn told Jarrod she was ready to come clean. Jarrod had agreed to help her when they got back to the townhouse.
"Mother, we need to talk to you," Katelyn said. They had just gotten back and had entered the parlor. Jarrod was behind Katelyn at the bar, pouring them all something to drink. For someone who said he'd stand behind and support her decision, he was certainly far enough away!
"Actually, I need to tell you something...about Jarrod and me."
"This sounds serious." Carol sent a worried glance at Jarrod.
"Well, it is."
"I better sit down," Carol said, touching her hand to her chest as she sat down. Her breathing was shallow and Katelyn was alarmed.
"Mother, are you all right?" Katelyn moved to sit next to her mother, taking her hand in her own.
Carol patted the back of Katelyn's hand, but her face was pale. "It's just a little spell. It will pass."
Jarrod knelt in front of them with a glass of water. Katelyn waved it away. "I'm not thirsty."
"It's for your mother."
"Oh," she said and quickly took it. Her mother rested a shaky hand on top of Katelyn's as she took a sip of water.
"Maybe you should go lie down," Katelyn suggested, hoping her mother wasn't having a relapse.
"I'll be fine," Carol said weakly. "Now, what was it you wanted to tell me?"
Oh no. No way. Not now. Not after what just happened. If anything happened to her mother because of her, Katelyn would never forgive herself. Now was not the time for making herself feel better. And after all, isn't that why she'd been ready to tell the truth? To get out from under this feeling of guilt and being wrong?
She'd just have to deal with it for now. Her mother was more important. Katelyn would wait a few more days.
"Nothing. You go rest."
"If you insist," she said and she sighed. Carol held out her hand for assistance. Katelyn helped her mother up off of the sofa and up the stairs.
Jarrod watched the ladies leave the room. He hadn't been sure until that last "If you insist" complete with the heavy sigh...all perfectly executed, perfectly designed to steal the color and confidence from Kate's face. Remembering the fear he had seen in Katelyn's eyes, he felt his jaw tighten and forced himself to relax. Carol's "spell" was just too convenient. He'd suspected it had more to do with Carol not wanting to hear any bad news concerning her daughter than it did with the woman's health.
Jarrod didn't like the way Carol pulled Katelyn's strings. For a moment, he seriously considered marching into Carol's room and confronting her, telling her he wasn't going to allow it, that he wouldn't permit her to play her daughter this way.
But the truth was, he didn't have the right to do any such thing.
If he were really Kate's husband, he wouldn't hesitate to stand up to Carol. Gently, of course. And as with much kindness as possible. But with a firmness that let her know all the spells in the world wouldn't work on him - or his wife. But he wasn't Katelyn's husband. Wasn't even her fiancé. He was a fraud, nothing more. And that didn't give him the right to protect anyone...least of all the woman he was coming to care more for.
The next morning at breakfast, Jarrod asked Katelyn to come into work with him for a few hours. He had to be in court that morning and he could have taken Mr. Pierce, the temporary secretary, but since Katelyn had worked on the case with him he thought it was best to take her. Carol said she didn't mind and was looking forward to spending a little time alone. She would spend the morning resting up after her "spell" (Jarrod had to put forth his best poker face when she mentioned that) and would look forward to seeing them later.
As Katelyn readied herself for the day, she thought about her mother's health. She looked better this morning, though still a little pale. She also noticed Jarrod's reserved manner with her mother. He was still very polite, but something was different. Perhaps he was tiring of playing along. She couldn't blame him. She had told him yesterday that she was coming forth with the truth and figured they would be out of his townhouse by this morning. Instead, they were all going to go for a carriage ride when they returned after lunch. Katelyn watched her reflection in the mirror, and saw the signs of strain showing on her face. She put the finishing touches on her hair and walked downstairs to meet Jarrod.
They had finished in court sooner than expected and were standing outside the courthouse while Jarrod spoke with his client. Katelyn stood next to Jarrod, not paying attention to the conversation between the two men. Jarrod's client excused himself and Jarrod turned to Katelyn with a smile on his face. She noticed the smile die when he looked over the top of her head. She turned to see one of the most beautiful women she had ever lain eyes on walking toward them. Her auburn hair was put up carefully and her dress was made in the latest style. She exuded regalness and Katelyn felt like an urchin as she stood next to her.
"Why Jarrod Barkley. You have been such an impossible man to track down," the beautiful woman said, batting her eyelashes at Jarrod.
And yet you still managed it. Though how hard can it be to find a lawyer at the courthouse? Jarrod thought sarcastically.
"I've been busy, Miss Altman," Jarrod said, and Katelyn could tell by his tone that he was uncomfortable. She knew it had to be because of her and she was right. It was. But not for the reason she thought.
"And who is this lovely creature," Amanda asked, sneering just a bit as she said "lovely".
Jarrod moved closer to Katelyn in almost a protective stance.
"This is Katelyn Mahoney. Now if you'll excuse us, we have some appointments to attend to," Jarrod's voice was dismissive and Katelyn couldn't help but wonder what was going on.
"But Jarrod, dear, I was so hoping we could talk. I've been missing you."
Jarrod felt Katelyn stiffen beside him when Amanda called him 'dear' and saying that she had missed him. He closed his eyes for a second before he turned around to face Amanda.
"I felt I explained myself quite well to you, Miss Altman. If you have need of legal services, you can either make an appointment with my secretary or seek counsel somewhere else. Good day."
Jarrod took Katelyn's arm and escorted her to their carriage. He couldn't believe Amanda would make such a scene in public. He was furious!
Katelyn could sense his anger, but didn't know if it was directed at her or not. She wisely stayed quiet, wishing she had just told her mother everything yesterday and had gotten him out of this mess. That way, if he had wanted to stay with Miss Altman, he could have.
Jarrod eventually calmed down and looked over at Katelyn. He watched her profile and wondered what she was thinking. He reached over and took her hand, squeezing it slightly. She turned to him, her expression causing his heart to pain.
"I'm sorry, Jarrod. You could have stayed back there with Miss Altman."
Jarrod raised an eyebrow. "Are you trying to punish me, Kate?"
She looked at him in confusion.
"I didn't and I don't ever want to stay with Miss Altman. Yes, we were involved briefly, but things did not work out between us and I ended it."
Katelyn admitted she felt better at knowing that. She smiled at him and took back her hand. Jarrod felt an overwhelming urge to take her hand again, but knew she would question him if he did and he wasn't ready to have that conversation yet.
Since they had finished at the courthouse earlier than expected, Jarrod decided to go back to the office. Katelyn said she was going to check on Lucky and then would meet him at the townhouse. Jarrod had been by a few times to check on the dog, but Katelyn wanted to spend a little time alone before their ride this afternoon.
When Katelyn arrived back at the townhouse it was a little after one o'clock. Jarrod wasn't there yet and Carol was sitting in the parlor reading. Katelyn went upstairs to change into more casual clothes and when she came back down, heard the front door opening. The person walking through the door was not Jarrod, but an older woman. The woman looked at Katelyn in surprise.
"I'm sorry, Miss. I didn't know anyone was here." The woman raised her eyebrows, looking around, looking very suspicious.
"That's Mrs.," Carol said, having come to stand beside Katelyn. "Mrs. Jarrod Barkley."
Katelyn's eyes widened. The woman had a key to the townhouse so she obviously had a reason to be here. And she had to know there was no Mrs. Jarrod Barkley!
"Please call me Katelyn. And you are?"
"Mrs. Barr. I clean Mr. Barkley's townhouse. He's never mentioned a wife to me," she said with pursed lips.
Uh oh, Katelyn thought and put her best smile on her face, the one she used when greeting Jarrod's clients.
"Likewise, I'm afraid he failed to mention you." She desperately pasted an isn't-this-a-funny-mistake? look on her face. "We usually stay at my place."
The explanation didn't sound right, even to Kate's ears. She recognized the look on Mrs. Barr's face as the one her mother had sported when she found out they had two places.
"We haven't had time to look for a bigger place," she said, hoping to ease the suspicious look from the other woman's face.
"Humph. I can clean now or not at all. I have another house to clean."
"Now is fine." Katelyn stepped out of Mrs. Barr's way and the round woman came in. Please, please don't let Mom think anything is out of the ordinary.
But her mother seemed to accept the situation and moved to sit in the parlor, out of Mrs. Barr's way. With a relieved sigh, Kate went and sat with her, determined to corner Jarrod when he came home and find out if there were any other surprises she should know about.
About twenty minutes after Mrs. Barr's arrival, Jarrod came home. In contrast to Kate's turbulent emotions, he seemed calm and relaxed. He handed her a dozen red roses and kissed her on the cheek.
Her frustration over Mrs. Barr's unexpected arrival faded as she buried her nose in the fragrant blossoms. She gave Jarrod a quick smile and headed for the kitchen to find a vase. He really was the most considerate man. She smiled as she eased the stems into the vase. She'd never received so many flowers before.
It looks good, remember? Appearances are everything.
Her smile faded. Of course. He wasn't bringing the flowers because he cared about her. It was to keep up appearances. But then, what did she expect? Did she think getting the man into this ridiculous situation would endear her to him?
No. More than likely, Jarrod couldn't wait to be free of her and their mock marriage. She touched one of the soft, velvety petals, fighting the urge to cry. She'd better enjoy the flowers while she had them. When the month was up, she could be sure Jarrod's attention would be elsewhere. Maybe back to Miss Altman.
With a sigh, she carried the roses back into the living room and set them on the table. As she did so, she heard Jarrod say, "Where would you like to go, Mother?"
"Oh, just somewhere quiet. I've been cooped up too long. And it would give your housekeeper a chance to do her job in peace without an audience."
"Mrs. Barr is here?" Jarrod gave Katelyn a quick look. She responded with a sharp nod.
"That's right. Today is her cleaning day." He considered Kate thoughtfully. Before she could say anything, Carol rose and smiled at the two of them.
"I'll go change for our ride," she said exited the room.
Mrs. Barr came out of the kitchen and started to head toward the stairs to the bedroom.
"Good morning, Mrs. Barr," Jarrod said. He received a stern look and curt nod while continuing on her way.
"You could have warned me you had a housekeeper coming!"
"I didn't think about it. I'm sorry."
"She didn't look too pleased to see us here, but bought the explanation quickly enough. One has to wonder if she's used to seeing other women here." Where had that come from, Katelyn wondered. She shouldn't have said that, but found that she desperately wanted to know the answer.
"I'm ready," Carol said cheerfully, coming down the stairs, abruptly ending the conversation.
Kate searched Jarrod's face a moment for the answer. It wasn't there. She would never know now because his love life was a subject she wasn't going to bring up again. She hadn't meant to say anything. It just shot out of her mouth. It really wasn't any of her business. And the sooner she resolved herself to that fact, the better off they would both be.