She settled into one of the hand-crafted deck loungers and took a deep breath. She heard a splash and saw a flash of green as a fish flip-flopped in the lake. A loon called nearby, tree frogs sang a lazy afternoon tune and dragonflies buzzed the surface of the blue water. The air carried the scent of lake water, grasses and distant flowers.
Her phone vibrated. She sighed and pulled it out of her pocket. Marina. Jada knew she’d left phoning her sister for too long and answered the call.
“What are you doing?” Marina asked by way of greeting.
“I’m relaxing beside a gorgeous lake in an outfit that probably cost more than my first car.”
“Ooh, I’m so jealous. Tell me more. What’s happened so far?”
“I’ve been on tours of the house and grounds, and I’ve had lunch. And a helicopter brought in Ms. Kitty and a crapload of new clothes for me.”
“Oh-my-God. That’s cray-cray. Tell me about the clothes.”
“I can’t. I’ve hardly had a chance to look at them. The maid’s putting everything away,” Jada said.
“You’ve got a maid? At a cabin?”
“Well, it’s not really a cabin after all. Hold on. I’ll send you a pic. Call me back when you get it.” Jada turned in her seat, took a quick snapshot of the house on the rise, then turned around and took a picture of the lake. She sent both to Marina.
Her phone buzzed again in mere moments.
“Seriously?” Marina’s non-question was high and loud. “That’s what Ian called a cabin? I love billionaires. Can you imagine?” She spoke as deeply as her voice would go, mimicking her idea of a rich toff. “Hello, darling. Would you like to spend a few days at our rustic cabin by the pond? I know you don’t care for roughing it, but I think we can make do if we imbibe enough fine wine to dull the sharp edges of the boondocks.”
Jada laughed. “But darling, will I have to turn down my own bedcovers at night? You know how I despise manual labor.”
“Ha! What’s the inside of the house like? Your room?”
“Words can’t describe.”
“Go take pictures for me then.”
“I can’t. I’m exhausted from the general decadence and the staff’s extreme-solicitude.”
Marina snorted. “Poor you. I bet.”
“I am! I feel like I’ve been in that old cartoon, the one where all the servants have been enchanted and turned into furniture and stuff. The people around here are so enthusiastic and in need of something to do, the only thing they haven’t done is break into a song and dance number about how glad they are to have a guest. This is the first moment I’ve had to myself all day.”
“I can’t believe you’re bitching about being pampered.”
“Yeah, well, you’re probably right. Guess what? There’s a full-time member of the staff whose job is, literally, pampering people. She’s an esthetician and masseuse. She can do manicures and pedicures, even trim your hair. You name it. She wants to plaster me with mud.”
“You’ve got to be the luckiest woman on the planet,” Marina said wistfully.
“I’d think so, too, if there weren’t this issue of my also being on the press’s most wanted list. And that reminds me. I’ve got something for you to do.”
“What?”
“I need you to get in contact with anyone you know at the courthouse. Dig around, see what you can find out about the fake marriage license. Is this just a bizarre error, or what? Try to get someone to talk.”
“Er, really? Isn’t Ian’s team all over that?”
“Yeah, and I wasn’t too crazy about how they acted like I couldn’t help myself. I, however, know I have an ace in the hole, and that’s you, my dear little sister, the best reporter in the world. You’ll be able to find some answers, I’m sure.”
“I don’t know, Jada. I’m kind of busy. I’ve got plans this weekend and—”
“Seriously? Come on. You’re the perfect person to figure this thing out.”
“I can’t do anything Ian’s team can’t. With his power and connections? It’d be a waste of time to try.”
Jada blew out a loud breath. “Not true. You’re at the courthouse all the time, aren’t you? Getting info for the paper? You know people over there. Like Sylvia. That’s her name, right? She gives you the heads up when something big happens, right? You’ve told me about her. You said she’s in one of the records departments. Ask her if she knows or has heard anything.”
“It won’t help. Syl won’t know anything.”
“You can’t be sure until you ask. Come on, Marina. Be an investigative journalist for your big sister.”
Marina was quiet for a few seconds, before saying with a sigh, “Fine. I’ll try, if I get the time.”
“Make the time.”
“God, Jada, you spend a couple of hours with doting servants and you’re suddenly tossing out orders like you’re the queen of the universe.”
Jada smiled. “That’s right. Chop-chop, young reporter. Get to it.”
“Whatever. I’ve got to go. Send me some pictures of the inside of the house when you can bear to walk around again ... if you have the energy to click a pic.”
“No wor
ries. If I don’t, I’ll ask Elly to do it. Elly is my maid.”
“You’re killing me, you know.”
“Yeah.”
“Hey, Jada. Seriously, joking aside, keep safe out there, okay? I’m worried about you.”
“How sweet. I’m told it’s Fort Knox out here, and if you saw the woman in charge of security, you’d believe it. I’ll be fine.”
“Okay. I love you, Jada.”
“That’s the second time today you’ve said that. What the hell?”
“I guess I’m feeling sentimental. You did just get married, you know.”
“Remember, you didn’t lose a sister, you gained a brother.”
“Don’t I wish. If only he had his own billionaire brothers to introduce me to. And he doesn’t, just so you know.”
Jada ended the call grinning. Before she put her phone away, she noticed she’d received a text.
It was from Elly. “Are you comfortable? Can I bring you anything? A drink? A snack? A blanket?”
Jada assured Elly she was fine. These people seriously needed more guests to keep them busy. They were kind, though, and Jada wouldn’t have hurt their feelings for the world.
She closed her eyes and crossed her hands over her stomach. The peaceful sounds of nature lulled her, relaxed and quieted her busy mind.
She wondered how long she’d be staying at the lake cabin. And she hoped, with a pleased kind of naughtiness, that Marina didn’t solve the case of the fake marriage license too soon. The easy life might be overwhelming at times, but mostly, it was seductively wonderful.
Like Ian’s eyes.
Oops. She didn’t know where that came from. He did have lovely blue eyes, though. Funny how she guessed the color before she saw them.
She drifted off to sleep on that thought.
Chapter Seven
IAN PAUSED ON THE PATH to the lake. He could see part of Jada from where he stood, stretched out and languid in one of the deck loungers. He thought she might be asleep, but couldn’t see her eyes to be sure.
He felt silly, standing there uncertain of how to proceed. Billy waited behind him, loaded down with fishing gear.