Nice & Naughty (15 page)

Adding peppermint fudge to the chocolate, Jade forced her expression to stay cheerful. She wasn’t surprised that it actually hurt her face.

Not nearly as good at faking happy—why should she be, when Jade was the big faker in the family?—Beryl sniffled.

“Okay, that’s enough,” Ruby snapped. “I want to know what the hell is going on. You’d better just tell me now because I won’t quit nagging until you do. You aren’t ruining Mom’s party with these crappy moods.”

“Beryl, what’s wrong?” Jade asked, setting the finished candy dish on the counter before moving to her little sister’s side. “Sweetie, you’re so unhappy.”

All it took was an arm around her slender shoulders to turn Beryl into a crying puddle of mush. She clutched her sister, making Jade wince as her fingers dug into the delicate crochet of her knee-length vest.

“Neal and I had a fight,” she sobbed into Jade’s neck. “That’s all we do lately. Fight.”

“What are you arguing about?”

“He wants to move away. He’s obsessed with going south, somewhere by San Diego or El Centro. His mom hates me—she must because she won’t let me come out to their house. He is snappy and moody all the time—” she paused to suck in a breath, then before either of her sisters could say anything, she finished in a sob “—and I think he’s cheating on me.”

Jade blinked a few times, trying to process the laundry list of fighting topics. She gave their older sister a questioning look. Engaged couples fought all the time, didn’t they? Well, she and Eric hadn’t, but she didn’t think they were the stellar example of a successfully engaged couple. Not when marriage was the final test, at least. So she didn’t know. Were these normal reasons? Ruby’s frown said this was something to worry about, though.

Her stomach tumbled at the concern on her sister’s face. She pulled Beryl into a tighter hug.

“Why do you have to move away?” Ruby asked, tackling the easiest issue first as she rubbed Beryl’s knee. “You love Diablo Glen. Both of you have family here, there are jobs and the real estate is more reasonable here than in most of California.”

“He wants somewhere else. South, closer to Mexico. I still have a semester left of college and I kinda wanted to stay here for a while. Just, you know, to give it a chance before trying something else.”

For one second—admittedly a bitter-tasting second—Jade wondered what it was like to have that sort of freedom. To only worry about what you wanted to do, where you wanted to be. Then, like dirty laundry and ugly shoes, she hid the thought away where she didn’t have to see it, think about it or admit to having it.

“There’s nothing wrong with staying here when you’re through with school. Just for a while, to try it out,” Ruby said.

“If you want to stay, tell him,” Jade suggested. “You’re building a life together, which means you get equal say. Don’t give up what you want without a fight.”

There it went, Jade’s mental fraud meter, dinging out of control again. She really needed to live the life she preached one of these days.

“What if he says no?”

“Then maybe he isn’t the guy for you,” Jade said gently, giving her sister’s hand a sympathetic squeeze. “But if he loves you, he’s going to listen. He’s going to understand why you want to stay here.”

“Do you really think so?” Beryl asked with a flutter of wet lashes.

“Of course, sweetie,” Ruby assured, giving her a tight hug.

“Heck, if you were staying for a while, you could have my place while you decided,” Jade muttered. Her eyes rounded when, at her sisters’ stares, she realized she’d said that aloud.

“Where would you live?” Ruby asked.

“Somewhere. Maybe somewhere else, you know.” Jade shrugged. Excitement spun in circles in her tummy at the idea of time, even just a little bit, to spread her wings again. Only this time, instead of seeing herself clubbing and making her fashion mark in a big city, she was cuddled up on a couch looking out a window at the cityscape, Diego’s arms holding her close.

Pain, sharp and jagged, cut through her. Since when had he replaced her dream of happiness? And how stupid was she to have not stopped her heart before it got this close to danger.

“What’s the deal?” Beryl pulled back to get a better look at her sister’s face. “Is it that sexy cop? Is he why you’d give up your house?”

“I wouldn’t give anything up for a man,” Jade exclaimed. Well, anything besides her heart, her panties, her body, her dreams. All that minor stuff.

“You love your house,” Beryl said, shaking her head. “I couldn’t take it.”

Knowing Beryl would guilt herself into moving out of town rather than take the cottage and inconvenience her, Jade rushed to say, “Maybe I could try something else. You know, somewhere else.”

As soon as the words were out she bit her lip, as if she should pull them back in.

Ruby exchanged a long look with Beryl this time. Both sisters settled their butts more firmly in their chairs, as if gearing up for battle. Both folded their hands together on the tabletop and, damn them, both gave Jade identical knowing looks.

“You want to leave.” Ruby made it a statement, not a question. “Why haven’t you said something before?”

Tracing an invisible design on the hardwood with her fingertip, Jade stared at the table instead of answering.

“She did say something about checking into jobs in San Francisco. Wasn’t it last spring that you mentioned it?” her little sister asked.

Jade’s shoulder twitched.

“And then I got engaged and said I was moving out of town,” Beryl realized.

“And you figured you had to stay for good. Be here to take care of Mom,” Ruby realized.

“You both had other stuff going on,” Jade said, trying to make it sound as if it didn’t really matter one way or the other.

“Saint Jade, always sacrificing.” Ruby sighed, her tone somewhere between exasperated and angry.

“You both have lives outside town,” Jade defended, irritated that her, yes, sacrifice was so unappreciated. “You’ve got a job and a life and Berry’s got school and a future to build. I had, what? An underpaid internship and a ton of student loans. It makes sense for me to stay here.” Sweet girl that she was, Beryl nodded. Ruby just rolled her eyes.

“Do you think Mom would want you giving up your dreams? Because, what?” she asked, the exasperation gone and anger taking full hold. “You have to babysit her?”

“I’m not babysitting,” Jade snapped. Then, leaning forward so far her butt left the chair, she glared at her sister. “And don’t you dare say anything to her.”

Ruby shifted, too, so their glares were nose-to-nose. Before she could respond, though, the doorbell chimed. As one, the sisters winced and glanced at the cookie-shaped clock above the stove.

“Guests.” With one last shake of her head, Ruby rose and gave Jade a narrow look. “We’re not through with this.”

“She’s mad at herself,” Beryl pointed out quietly as Ruby swept from the room. “You know Ruby. If someone’s going to score the major sacrifice points, she wants it to be her.” Jade’s laugh was weak. So were her knees, because she knew damn well Ruby would follow through with her threat. They’d be having that talk, and as far as confrontations went, Jade figured it was going to be an ugly one.

“But just so you know, as soon as she’s through with the sacrifice lecture, I want all the details on you and the hottie cop,” Beryl said. It was clear from her tone that she knew she was adding punishment on top of punishment. It was just as clear from her smile that she was enjoying the idea.

Jade almost growled.

“Darlings,” Opal said as she wheeled into the kitchen, her bright red scooter decorated with holly and pine boughs, her face so bright and cheerful she looked like a three-wheeled Christmas decoration. “People are arriving and you’ve spent enough time in the kitchen. Now, join me so we can celebrate the holidays.”

Grateful for an excuse to run away, even if just for a few hours, from the box of worms they’d opened, Jade leaped to her feet and gathered as much food as she could hold to carry it into the dining room.

The Carson Family Open House was in its twentieth year, and the girls all knew the drill. Greet everyone and make sure they had food. Socialize with everyone and make sure they had more food. Keep everyone chatting with everyone else, and, again, make sure they had food. Opal Carson had a moral objection to anyone leaving her party anything less than stuffed till they groaned.

The sisters went their separate ways, and for once Jade was grateful for her mom’s divide-and-conquer hostessing rule. She was kept busy enough to avoid even looking at her sisters. But there weren’t enough people in all Diablo Glen to keep her from glancing toward the door every few minutes, hoping Diego would walk through. She’d invited him. Opal had invited him. She’d even heard the mayor invite him. Two hours into the party, she glanced at her watch. Shouldn’t he be here by now?

“Did you hear the latest?” Mrs. Green asked, stubbornly standing with her crackers and cheese instead of sitting comfortably. “Applebaum got the go-ahead on the local police department. He and his crony mayors really did it.”

“I’d heard that rumor.” Almost a dozen people at the party alone had mentioned it. It was gossip, yes, but Jade knew most had said it as encouragement. Her seeing Diego was hardly a secret and they were all trying to make her feel better, as if there was a chance he’d stay. She knew better, though.

“Your pretty detective should take the job. He’d be good at it. He’s got that strong, silent thing going on, like Clint Eastwood. But he’s got a sweet side. Everyone likes him. More important, they respect him.”

“He’s fitting in really well,” Jade agreed. Her face hurt from keeping the smile in place. It was like Eric’s desertion all over again, only this time everyone was offering preemptive support. They were doing it to show they cared, but she really wished they’d stop reminding her of what she didn’t—couldn’t—have.

“I’d like it if he stayed around,” the woman decided in her creaky voice. She inspected a pepper cracker from all sides before scooping up some cheese dip and giving Jade a wink. “He’s got a nice butt. Strong, but pattable. That’s what you want in a man.”

Strong, but pattable? Jade’s stiff smile melted into a delighted laugh.

“You’re a treasure, Mrs. Green.” She hugged the elderly woman carefully, so glad to have this kind of support. These kind of people in her life.

“Jade, we’re running low on snickerdoodles,” Ruby said quietly, offering Mrs. Green a friendly smile. “I’ve got to get more ice from the garage. Could you check the cookie trays?”

Jade gave the front door a hopeful glance, then deflated. She’d clearly used up all her holiday wishes, because it wasn’t Diego who came in, but Neal and Marion.

She looked around for Beryl, sure her sister would greet them. But Beryl stayed in the corner, talking to a group of her girlfriends and their families. Brows arched, a little irked that she was now on greeting duty and a quest for snickerdoodles, Jade hurried to the door.

“Happy holidays,” she said, her words as cheery as her smile was fake. Marion had been getting more and more irksome lately, and now that Neal had upset Beryl, Jade’s mind was compiling lists of reasons why he was a jerk. “I’m glad you could make it. Let me take your coats.”

“Your cat isn’t here, is it?” Neal asked, looking around nervously. “I swear, it’s got it in for me. All that growling and hissing and stuff.”

“She’s home, locked up safe and sound,” Jade assured him as she draped his denim jacket over her arm.

“I’m surprised they haven’t done something about her,” Marion said, sliding out of her coat. Jade’s brows rose as she took the rich, buttery-soft leather. The quilted design was gorgeous. Brand new, too. Oranges must be paying well this year.

“Who are ‘they’ and why should anything be done about my cat?” Jade asked as she turned to take their jackets to the small room designated as coat check.

“She’s a menace. Neal already proved she’s the problem behind the stolen underwear. Maybe they should put her down or something,” Marion said contemplatively. “Isn’t that what they do with dogs who’ve gone bad?”

Frozen in place by that horrible image, Jade’s jaw clenched almost as tightly as her fists. “Persephone hasn’t done anything wrong.”

“She’s caused stress and drama all through town,” Marion countered.

Jade wanted to point out that Marion had done plenty of that herself. But the woman was a guest in her mother’s house. Which meant it was time to get away before Jade said something her mother would make her regret.

“Help yourselves to the buffet,” she snapped.

Forgetting the snickerdoodles, Jade tossed their jackets on the bench, not bothering to hang them up. Not even the gorgeous leather, which spoke to how angry she was. Needing air, needing space, she bypassed the kitchen and headed for the backyard. Blinded by anger, she made it all the way across the wraparound porch that encircled the house before she stopped short.

What the hell?

She blinked.

Then, ignoring her party makeup, she rubbed her eyes and blinked again.

“Mom?” she breathed.

There, seated at the old picnic table with her mother, was the mayor. His graying hair gleamed in the winter sunshine. She couldn’t see his expression, though. Because his face was plastered up against her mother’s.

Her mom? And Mayor Applebaum?

Since when? And how? And, oh, God, why?

Baffled, too freaked to even want any of those questions answered, Jade hurried around the porch toward the side, then the front of the house.
Home
was all she could think. There were snickerdoodles there. She’d bring them back after she’d sifted through the emotional hurricane of the last ten minutes. She figured it was a good sign when she reached the front of the porch undetected. Then her eyes landed on the eight-foot-tall blow-up Santa globe on the lawn.

She dropped to her butt on the top step and dug her fingers into her scalp, then lifted her head again.

Yep. Those were her panties, a bright red thong with glittery accents. In true holiday fashion, they were draped over the white fluffy ball of Santa’s hat. Too high for her to reach. But in clear view, like a naughty beacon, for all to see.