Secrets of a Shy Socialite Read online

  This wasn’t about money as much as it was about creating the need for Jaci to take care of the twins, without Jena around, for more than an hour or two. An opportunity to put Jena’s mind at ease, to confirm that Jaci was, in fact, the right person to entrust with her precious girls. Just in case... And Jena was running out of time.

  But, “If I need money I’ll work for it, thank you very much.” And get paid for it, in an actual paycheck which she would put in her personal bank account which she had sole control over. “And for your information, Mary most certainly did check my references on a Friday night. I gave her the home numbers for the doctor who visited mom at home while I cared for her, for six years, and for the family practice MD I worked part time for while I was down in South Carolina. Both gave me very high recommendations because even though you seem to think very little of me, I am a hard worker and an excellent nurse.” Now he’d gone and made her crabby. She stared out the window at the darkened street where she used to ride her bike as a child.

  Justin turned up the long drive, slowing when the guard walked out of his little guardhouse. “You think there’s still a picture of me with orders to shoot on sight?” he joked.

  “Let’s hope not.”

  Thank goodness she recognized the man on duty.

  Justin lowered his window. The guard scowled. Jena leaned toward him so he could see her. Her hand in contact with Justin’s muscled thigh—for support, her back resting against Justin’s chest—for balance, her nose inhaling Justin’s arousing male scent—for the pure enjoyment of it... Oh, right, “Hi, Mitch. It’s me. Jena.”

  He smiled. “Welcome home, Miss. Is Mr. Piermont expecting you?”

  Shoot. “He’s home? On a Friday night?” She considered asking Justin to turn around.

  Mitch nodded. “I’ll have to announce you.”

  She gave him her sweetest smile. “Would you mind announcing me after we’re through the gate?”

  He hesitated then smiled back. “Only for you, Miss.” It paid to be nice and generous to one’s employees.

  Justin started to drive. “Why do you have to be announced in your own house? Why have you been staying with Jaci? What aren’t you telling me?”

  The stately white mansion and grand columns looked spectacular all lit up at night. And to the right, mom’s pride and joy, bed after bed of colorful perennials, accented by huge, expertly carved and maintained topiaries, spotlighted, still magnificent, the highlight of the perfectly manicured grounds. So many happy childhood memories. Until her mother’s breast cancer had invaded their perfect lives. Chemotherapy. Radiation. Hair loss. Weakness. Nausea. Vomiting. Bilateral mastectomies.

  Mom and dad’s relationship changed after that. Mom changed. Life changed.

  The heat of Justin’s large, warm hand on her thigh brought her back to the present. “You okay?”

  She nodded. “Reminiscing.” To avoid thinking about Jerald’s temper. While he’d never raised a hand to Jena in anger, he had to Jaci. Many times, because she stood up to him. Defied him. Like Jena had done, for the first time, when she’d left town, and again at Jaci’s benefit two weeks ago.

  They hadn’t spoken since.

  Justin steered around the final curve, the headlights illuminating Jerald, standing on the front porch, waiting for her.

  Bringing Justin had been a mistake bound to make the entire situation worse. Jena covered his hand with hers. “Please stay in the car.”

  “Your hand is like ice.” He slammed on the brakes about twenty feet from the porch and turned to face her. “What’s going on?”

  “I’m not one of his favorite people at the moment.” And Jerald in a rage was a frightening sight indeed. “Maybe I should come back tomorrow.” When Jerald was at work.

  An abrupt knock on the window made her jump. Heart pounding she turned to see Jerald looking back at her. He tried to open her door. Thank goodness it was locked.

  Justin lowered her window halfway.

  “It’s about time you came to your senses,” Jerald said, trying the door again. “This house is where you and your daughters belong. I had the room next to yours made into a nursery.”

  A total turnaround from his “I’m through with both of you” declaration to her and Jaci as he’d stormed off after their last encounter. Jerald could be so nice and accommodating. In order to achieve his desired objective, she reminded herself, which in this case was to get Jena back into the family home, back under his control so he could continue his quest to barter her future and her fortune for the benefit of Piermont Enterprises.

  “Rather presumptuous of you, Jerry,” Justin said, calling Jerald by the nickname he hated.

  At the sound of Justin’s voice Jerald went rigid. Slowly he bent to look through her window into the driver’s seat.

  Justin gave him a goofy smile and waved.

  “What the hell is he doing here?” Jerald yelled.

  Friendly welcome over.

  Abbie let out an unhappy whine at the noise.

  Jena unlocked the door and got out. “Keep your voice down,” she said to Jerald, pulling him away from the open window.

  “Yeah, keep your voice down,” Justin added, getting out of the car. “My daughter is sleeping.”

  “You promised to stay in the car,” Jena reminded him.

  “I did not,” Justin said. “So how’ve you been, Jerry?” he asked, enraging Jerald further.

  “You and your spawn are not welcome on my property,” Jerald blustered. “Leave now or I’ll call security and have you forcibly removed.” He put his arm around Jena and held her to his side.

  “Stop it.” Jena twisted away. “She’s my daughter, too, and has just as much right to be here as I do. This is the Piermont estate. It’s on Piermont property. And whether you’re happy with me or not, I’m still a Piermont.”

  “Him?” Jerald said, sounding like the remnants of something foul coated his tongue. “That degenerate is the twins’ father? Have you completely lost your mind? He ruined your sister’s reputation.”

  Technically, Jaci had ruined her own reputation back in high school.

  “Here I thought I was the last to know the girls were mine,” Justin said, amused.

  “Be quiet.” Jena glared at him, hoping he got the full effect of her displeasure despite her being in the shadows.

  “It wasn’t enough to corrupt Jaci and destroy her chances for a respectable marriage. You had to go after Jena, too,” Jerald accused. Then he turned to Jena, softened his tone and said, “Honey, I warned you about men like him, men who will do anything to snag themselves a Piermont,” pretending to be a concerned big brother.

  “It’s not like that,” Jena defended Justin, praying he didn’t share the circumstances of their night together. The humiliation of Jerald knowing would be too much.

  “Don’t be a fool, Jena,” Jerald said. “What happened to your insisting you wouldn’t marry without love?”

  That’d been her silly hope, an unrealistic dream.

  “Men like him don’t know how to love,” Jerald went on. “He’ll tell you what you want to hear to get what he wants. He’ll marry you but he won’t be faithful.”

  “Hey, wait a minute,” Justin piped up.

  “He’ll sneak around,” Jerald said. “But the wife always finds out. You have a soft heart, Jena. He’ll hurt you. You’ll be miserable married to a man like him.”

  “You can save your arguments,” she said to Jerald. “He doesn’t want to marry me.”

  “I’m standing right here, you know,” Justin said. “And I’m capable of speaking for myself.”

  “So speak,” Jerald challenged. “Profess your undying love. Make an offer of marriage. Go ahead. We’re waiting.”

  Jerald should consider himself lucky Jena didn’t see anything within rea
ch she could use to clobber him over the head. Justin wanting to marry her, no matter how misguided his reasoning, would only further complicate her already complicated life.

  Thank goodness Justin had the good sense to keep quiet.

  “Just as I thought,” Jerald said and turned to Jena. “I’ve been in contact with Thomas Rosendale’s father. You remember Thomas?”

  Her lab partner in AP Physics. Graduated second in their class. “I thought he was gay.”

  Jerald hopped right over the question of Thomas’s sexual preference and said, “He needs a wife. He’s up for partner in a prominent law firm on Madison Avenue. He owns a three bedroom on the Upper East Side. He’s very successful and polite. He’d make a good husband. His father assured me Thomas would do his best to make you happy, and he’ll adopt the twins and raise them as if they were his own.”

  “Over my dead body,” Justin yelled.

  “That can be arranged,” Jerald taunted. “What do you say?” he asked Jena. “Will you at least think about it? Please?”

  “No she will not think about it,” Justin snapped.

  Only because she had other more pressing matters to deal with first. But, “Please?” She looked Jerald in the eyes. “For years you have been trying to force the most horrible men on me,” she said. “You accepted invitations, on my behalf, for dates I did not want to go on, with men you should have been protecting me from rather than pushing me to be seen with in public. When that didn’t work to marry me off you used your position as my business manager to deny me access to my money. When I left you stopped paying my credit card bills and cancelled my company health insurance in an effort to make me come home. The hospital where the girls were born is threatening to put me into collection, for heaven’s sake. And after all that, I finally get a please? Why are you asking so nicely? What’s so special about Thomas? What’s in it for you?”

  “I didn’t know you were pregnant,” Jerald said. “If you’d have called me—”

  “You could have called me,” Justin said. “You should have called me. You don’t need to bow down to your brother and marry when you don’t want to. I have money saved up. When we get home—”

  Jerald let out a condescending laugh. “How sweet. He has some money saved up,” he mocked.

  “Stop it,” Jena said. It was sweet.

  “She doesn’t need whatever paltry sum you’ve amassed working as a minimum wage security guard. This is rich.” Jerald laughed again. “He’s pretending he has no idea how much you’re worth once you marry.”

  “What’s he talking about?” Justin asked.

  “You mean you really don’t know?” Jena asked. “Jaci didn’t tell you? Ian didn’t mention it?”

  “You’ve been home with my twin daughters for two weeks, living in the same building as me and I just found out about it tonight,” Justin said. “I think it’s safe to say Jaci and Ian don’t feel it necessary to keep me in their loop.”

  “Don’t believe him,” Jerald spat. “He knows. It’s not a secret. Why else do you think he slept with you? What’d he feed you, some lie about a broken condom? Did he even wear one?”

  Justin charged around the car.

  Jerald went into some ridiculous martial arts pose as if that would effectively ward off an attack by a six-foot-tall enraged cop.

  Abbie cried out.

  Justin stopped.

  Jena ran the few steps to the car and opened the rear door. “It’s okay,” she whispered. Please don’t start crying again. “Mommy’s right here.” Abbie blinked and stretched but closed her eyes and went back to sleep.

  Thank you.

  “Bring her inside,” Jerald said, opening the rear door opposite her. “Where’s the other one?”

  “Home with Jaci. We’re not staying. I’m here to pick up some of my things.” She turned to Justin. “Watch Abbie, I’ll be out in a few minutes.”

  “We’ll come with you,” he offered.

  “No.” It’d be quicker if she went herself, so she turned and ran up the marble steps into the grand foyer.

  * * *

  “You’re not worthy of her,” Jerald told Justin after Jena disappeared into the house.

  No, he wasn’t, but he and Jena shared two infant daughters. And tonight he’d learned enough about her to peak his interest, to make him curious about the girl who’d spied on him with a high-powered telescope, who’d crushed on him from afar and the woman who’d chosen him as her first lover, who’d given birth to his babies without asking for or expecting anything from him. The millionairess socialite who’d been manipulated and controlled by her brother for years, yet had the inner strength to escape him despite being cut off from her funds and having to take a part time job in a doctor’s office, while pregnant with twins, to support herself.

  “How much will it cost me to get rid of you?” Jerald asked.

  “I’m not for sale, Jerry.”

  “All men like you have a price.” He scrunched his face like a troll. “Name it.”

  Justin closed the car door as quietly as he could so their conversation wouldn’t disturb Abbie. “You seem hell bent on lumping me in with some unsavory fellows, Jerry.” He kept his tone light but made it a point to insert “Jerry” in as often as possible to piss off the pompous ass. “But I’m in a league all my own.”

  “Because you’re so vile and disreputable no one wants to sink low enough in society’s regard to join you.”

  Justin crossed his arms and nodded. “Not bad, Jerry. Sounds like someone’s developed himself a sense of humor over the past few years.” About damn time.

  “Stay away from her.”

  “No can do.” Justin walked over to Jerry, acting all casual and carefree like the bum Jerry thought him to be. “You see now that she’s back I’m thinking one night in the sack wasn’t near enough. And I plan to use my status as her

  babies’ daddy to my full advantage.” Jerry wasn’t the only one who could taunt. “And a great big FYI,”—for your information. “My little security business is something I do on the side.” To earn enough money to keep him in his luxury high rise. “My full time gig is police officer.”

  From Jerry’s surprise he had no idea.

  Good. “That’s right,” Justin said nonchalantly, kicking the toe of his boot against a clump of something lodged in the thick grass. “I’ve taken an oath to uphold the law.” Which is the only reason Jerry wasn’t lying in a bloody ball for the crap he’d put Jena through. “And first thing Monday morning I plan to make use of every investigative and legal resource at my disposal to find out what laws you’ve broken by denying your sister access to her money.”

  Jerry didn’t flinch. But he swallowed.

  Play time over. Now to seal the deal. “Notice I’m planning to hold off until Monday.” He leaned in and lowered his voice. “Because I think this weekend is all the time I’ll need to come to Jena’s rescue and ease her financial burden. How do you think she’ll show her appreciation? Huh, Jerry?” He elbowed Jerry in his stiff side then rubbed his palms together conniving style. “Maybe she’ll give me the opportunity to knock her up with another set of twins. You think?” Take that you overbearing, condescending jerk.

  Footsteps sounded behind them. Jena ran down the stairs, a stuffed medium-sized duffel bag in one hand and a cloth carryall in the other. “I’m done.”

  “Let me take that for you.” Justin grabbed the duffel, which turned out to be heavier than it looked, a bit surprised she hadn’t sought out a servant to carry it for her. With a few short hours in her presence, Justin had come the realization he’d made a few glaringly incorrect assumptions about Jaci’s homebody, except when out in high society, not as shy as he’d thought twin.

  “Hold on a minute,” Jerry said. “I need to give you something.” He speed-walked toward the porch. “Don’t lea
ve,” he yelled over his shoulder.

  Atta boy. Go fetch Jena the info needed to access her accounts so they could put all this talk of marriage and Thomas what’s-his-name behind them, so she wouldn’t be in a position where she needed to take the job at the urgent care center and could stay home to take care of the twins. Where she belonged.

  Jena looked up at him? “What was that about?”

  Justin shrugged. “No idea.” He carried her bag to the car and placed it on the backseat next to Abbie.

  No sooner did he close the door then he spied Jerald, hurrying back in their direction, too high class to full out sprint, but moving as fast as possible without officially lowering himself to the point of actual running. “Here.” He handed Jena an accordion file folder, panting from his exertion, although he tried to cover it up with an elegant cough. “It’s all in here.” He patted the folder now in Jena’s hands. “Your most recent bank statements, your checkbook, and a snapshot of your investment portfolio from August. You may not remember, but you signed signature cards when you turned eighteen so you can write your own checks.”

  Jena clutched the folder to her chest, looking overwhelmed, relieved, and on the verge of tears. “Thank you,” she said quietly.

  “I’m happy to go over it with you and answer any questions,” Jerry said actually pulling off a caring tone. But the only things he cared about were his company’s bottom line and himself.

  “Let’s go.” Justin put his arm around Jena’s shoulders and guided her to the car. Before getting in she looked over at Jerry and said, “I’ll think about Thomas.”

  Oh no she wouldn’t.

  “Thank you,” Jerry said. “Come back any time, Jena.” He glared at Justin. “You and my nieces are always welcome.”

  The ride back to the condo was a quiet one and Justin used the time to think. And come to the conclusion, if Jerry acted as Jena’s business manager, paying all her bills and managing her money, there was the possibility she didn’t know how to do either on her own, which would explain the uneasy tension emanating from her side of the car.

  Jena spent the trip staring out the window, maintaining a tight grip on her financial data like someone might try to wrestle it from her at any moment. Which was kind of disconcerting since the only other person in the car capable of wrestling was him.