such a bad idea after all.
Chapter Seven
One hectic week of learning how to run a vacuum cleaner, hand-washing dishes, and scooping dog poop from the back lawn later, Jaden collapsed onto her bed. If someone had asked her two years previously how she’d feel about leading the Poop Brigade, she would’ve laughed and stuck her nose in the air. But knowing that her work kept Sparky not only healthy, but happy, made her day. Hell, it made her year. Someone depended on her, she wasn’t letting them down as she usually did, and her father didn’t run her life.
She closed her eyes, and her mind drifted to Marlon. His words still stung a week later. Yes, two years ago she’d had the world’s biggest crush on Logan Malone. Who hadn’t? He made movies, had a hot ass, and had chased her in return. Yes, when he’d fallen head-over-heels for Cass Jensen, it had hurt, but not for long. He was happy, and who was Jade Weir—socialite and loose cannon—to argue? He looked sexier in love anyway. But to have an affair with him? No. Her friendship with Cass was too great to chance it.
Besides, there was Marlon.
How could one man, a cop at that, drive her insane and keep her wanting more at the same time? Because he was different from the men she’d usually chased. He didn’t define her by what she could do for him or what her father’s money could buy him. He saw the scared little girl who wanted to go home, and until now had shown her a bit of human kindness. So why did he want to tear her down?
Maybe the ‘I hate you’ remark? She balled her fists. How else was she going to show his lack of confidence hurt like hell? Tell him? Like that ever worked. She’d given her father the truth and he’d acted as though she wanted him to rip his own heart out.
Tears threatened at the corners of her eyes. No. She wasn’t about to cry over one man who didn’t care and another who wasn’t interested. Forget it. The way her luck ran, Marlon probably knew the skeletons buried in her past, or worse, he’d talked to her father.
“Jaden! Can you come down here?”
When Judi called, Jaden sat up. Even her new friend knew she didn’t need to cry over stupid men. Pulling her hair back into a rhinestone clip, she rose from the bed and started down the stairs. “You needed me?”
Cell phone in hand, Judi grinned. “Sparks wants to go for walkies and Cass called. You left your phone down here so I answered. She wanted to know if you wanted to go to the dirt races with her. Sounds like fun.”
Fun? It sounded wonderful. Jaden took the device from Judi. “Heck yeah, I want to go. She told me all about how they drive in circles and get mud all over everything. She even said there were tons of hot guys in the pits—whatever those are. Now I’m not in the market for a man, but why not look at the goods? I’ve got nothing to lose and eye candy is fat free.”
“You gawk all you want, but realise some of those boys aren’t as naïve as they look. We grow them rowdy in Ohio, too.” Giggling, Judi grabbed Sparky’s leash from the kitchen. “No one has ever got nothing to lose. We all have something near and dear, even if we don’t realise it yet.”
Okay, what did Judi know? Nibbling her top lip, Jaden clicked the leash onto Sparky’s collar. He barked and slapped his tail on the carpet. “Do you know who I was, Judi? ‘Cause if you did, you wouldn’t warn me, you’d warn them.”
Thumps like the tap of a hammer on the roof peppered the conversation. Frowning, Judi shuffled papers on her roll top desk. “If you mean reincarnation, well, I don’t believe in that, but if you mean your life in Hollywood, then yes. Saying you were a pill is putting it mildly. You lived enough for three or four lifetimes, but I know that wasn’t you.”
“No, that was me. I ran with a rough crowd. Would you believe I have more than two million dollars waiting on me, but because I couldn’t get my head out of my ass, I can’t
Chapter Seven
One hectic week of learning how to run a vacuum cleaner, hand-washing dishes, and scooping dog poop from the back lawn later, Jaden collapsed onto her bed. If someone had asked her two years previously how she’d feel about leading the Poop Brigade, she would’ve laughed and stuck her nose in the air. But knowing that her work kept Sparky not only healthy, but happy, made her day. Hell, it made her year. Someone depended on her, she wasn’t letting them down as she usually did, and her father didn’t run her life.
She closed her eyes, and her mind drifted to Marlon. His words still stung a week later. Yes, two years ago she’d had the world’s biggest crush on Logan Malone. Who hadn’t? He made movies, had a hot ass, and had chased her in return. Yes, when he’d fallen head-over-heels for Cass Jensen, it had hurt, but not for long. He was happy, and who was Jade Weir—socialite and loose cannon—to argue? He looked sexier in love anyway. But to have an affair with him? No. Her friendship with Cass was too great to chance it.
Besides, there was Marlon.
How could one man, a cop at that, drive her insane and keep her wanting more at the same time? Because he was different from the men she’d usually chased. He didn’t define her by what she could do for him or what her father’s money could buy him. He saw the scared little girl who wanted to go home, and until now had shown her a bit of human kindness. So why did he want to tear her down?
Maybe the ‘I hate you’ remark? She balled her fists. How else was she going to show his lack of confidence hurt like hell? Tell him? Like that ever worked. She’d given her father the truth and he’d acted as though she wanted him to rip his own heart out.
Tears threatened at the corners of her eyes. No. She wasn’t about to cry over one man who didn’t care and another who wasn’t interested. Forget it. The way her luck ran, Marlon probably knew the skeletons buried in her past, or worse, he’d talked to her father.
“Jaden! Can you come down here?”
When Judi called, Jaden sat up. Even her new friend knew she didn’t need to cry over stupid men. Pulling her hair back into a rhinestone clip, she rose from the bed and started down the stairs. “You needed me?”
Cell phone in hand, Judi grinned. “Sparks wants to go for walkies and Cass called. You left your phone down here so I answered. She wanted to know if you wanted to go to the dirt races with her. Sounds like fun.”
Fun? It sounded wonderful. Jaden took the device from Judi. “Heck yeah, I want to go. She told me all about how they drive in circles and get mud all over everything. She even said there were tons of hot guys in the pits—whatever those are. Now I’m not in the market for a man, but why not look at the goods? I’ve got nothing to lose and eye candy is fat free.”
“You gawk all you want, but realise some of those boys aren’t as naïve as they look. We grow them rowdy in Ohio, too.” Giggling, Judi grabbed Sparky’s leash from the kitchen. “No one has ever got nothing to lose. We all have something near and dear, even if we don’t realise it yet.”
Okay, what did Judi know? Nibbling her top lip, Jaden clicked the leash onto Sparky’s collar. He barked and slapped his tail on the carpet. “Do you know who I was, Judi? ‘Cause if you did, you wouldn’t warn me, you’d warn them.”
Thumps like the tap of a hammer on the roof peppered the conversation. Frowning, Judi shuffled papers on her roll top desk. “If you mean reincarnation, well, I don’t believe in that, but if you mean your life in Hollywood, then yes. Saying you were a pill is putting it mildly. You lived enough for three or four lifetimes, but I know that wasn’t you.”
“No, that was me. I ran with a rough crowd. Would you believe I have more than two million dollars waiting on me, but because I couldn’t get my head out of my ass, I can’t
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