Page 20 of Inviting Trouble
She slowly shook her head. “Nothing.”
“Come on, it’s something.”
She stood abruptly. “We should get going.”
He stood, concerned and hurt that she wouldn’t come to him when she had a problem. She always used to. He’d been away too long.
They walked toward the exit. “Mad, I’m home now. Whatever kind of trouble it is—”
“No trouble. Forget I said anything. Really. I’ve been hanging with the girls too much.” She waved a hand in the air. “Girl-talk stuff. Sharing and caring.”
His brows scrunched together in confusion, not quite sure what girl talk had to do with her problem. “Sure?”
“Yup.”
When they reached the hallway, he reached over and ruffled her hair. “You change your mind, you know where to find me.”
She smoothed her hair and frowned. “See ya tonight,” she snarled before jogging off in the opposite direction.
“See ya, mini.”
She turned, opened her mouth and shut it, and then turned away without another word. Damn, she was moody. One minute sweet, the next sour. What happened to the girl that used to look at him like he was her hero?
Chapter Six
Mad was spitting mad by the time she and her friends pulled up in a limo to Claire’s log cabin for the tree-decorating party later that day. She felt like bopping Park over the head to knock some sense into him. Not even her oldest brothers, twins Jake and Josh, treated her like a little twerp the way Park did. Seriously, look at Josh, who’d helped her get settled at a new job and community college. He was hands off, only occasionally inquiring how she was doing. She knew she could ask him for help if she needed any, but guess what, she didn’t! Because she was doing just fine!
“Is that cashmere?” Charlotte asked, feeling the sleeve of Mad’s white V-neck sweater.
“Yeah,” Mad said. “Hailey found it at the consignment shop, but it made her itch. I don’t know why. It’s so soft.”
“I guess I’m just supersensitive,” Hailey chirped from the seat across from her. “It looks cute with your black jeans and boots.”
The other women agreed.
“Thanks,” Mad muttered. Not that it mattered that she was all dressed up like some kind of Hailey wannabe. Park hadn’t given her a second look in her barely there workout clothes.
They stepped outside. The place really shouldn’t be called a cabin. It was a sprawling two-story home with six bedrooms and a three-car garage. Only Jake, Claire, Claire’s family, and Claire’s bodyguard were staying there. Mad glanced around, spying security cameras discreetly placed along the big wraparound porch. Probably more around the place that she couldn’t see. They’d passed a few no-trespassing signs nailed to the trees too.
Hailey rang the bell. A man in a tuxedo answered, escorting them in and taking their coats.
She stepped inside the two-story great room with an enormous flagstone fireplace, a tall Christmas tree with white lights in the corner, and several burgundy leather sofas and chairs arranged in front of the roaring fire.
“You’re here!” Claire Jordan, the bride-to-be and internationally famous movie star, exclaimed, rushing over to them. Her hair was back to blonde, up in a sophisticated twist, her flawless skin glowing. She wore a cap-sleeved red dress with roses and black lace that gave peeks of the skin underneath. Her bodyguard, Frank, stood nearby, back to the wall, his expression stone.
Hailey got to Claire first and gave her a warm hug.
Claire kissed Hailey’s cheek and beamed. “I’m so glad you all could make it!” They’d seen her only a few weeks ago back in LA for the premiere of Claire’s movieFierce Longing. They’d all been invited to the red-carpet event both because they were friends with Claire and because they’d all played extras in the corporate party scene.
Claire gave Mad a hug and then squeezed her hands. “Now we’ll really be sisters! This time tomorrow night.”
Mad got an unexpected lump in her throat. She hadn’t really thought of it like that. “I always wanted a sister.”
“Me too!” Claire said, beaming her perfect Hollywood smile. If she wasn’t such a down-to-earth person, Mad would find her perfect good looks irritating. Claire had managed to hook Jake, even in disguise as a regular girl with no makeup, a red wig, green contacts over her hazel eyes, and no glam clothes at all. She was a natural flawless beauty, but when she glammed it up, she was stunning. The cameras loved her.
Jake strode over in a designer light blue button-down shirt and gray pants. His thick brown hair was freshly cut for the wedding. He smiled at Mad, crinkles forming at the corners of his dark brown eyes. “How’s the resort?” he asked, giving her a one-armed hug and ruffling her hair.
She smoothed her hair. Geez, none of her brothers gave a crap about the fact that it took time to make your hair look good. She’d let Hailey put in some anti-frizz stuff. “Stop with the hair. Geez, I’m not nine years old.”
