The Billionaire Playboy(45)

“Do you plan on buying that?” the young cashier at the registered asked as she snapped her chewing gum.

The young woman's annoyed tone pulled Charlie back to reality. Without a second thought, she handed the magazine to the cashier.

Once outside she tossed the bags of groceries into the trunk as fast as humanly possible. Then she climbed in the front seat and pulled open the magazine. Colored pictures of Jake with a dark-haired woman who looked almost too beautiful to be real greeted her. Below the pictures was an article by Marcy Blake, the reporter Jake had told her about.

Charlie clenched her teeth as she read the words. Was it true? Had Jake walked out on his pregnant girlfriend, Blair Peters? According to the article he had. Dropping the magazine onto her lap she took a deep breath. She didn't want to believe it about him. But it was possible. He did have the reputation of being a playboy. Yet the Jake she'd come to know didn't fit with his reputation. That combined with the way he acted around his family made it hard to believe he could walk away from an unborn child.

You've only known him a few weeks. A person could pretend to be anyone for that short of a time.

Charlie raked her fingers through her hair then picked up the magazine to reread the article. Unfortunately a second pass didn't change its contents. Unease clawed at her. Was Jake just like her father? A man willing to walk out on his children without a backward glance? Even an unborn child?

As if on autopilot she slid the key into the ignition and started the car. Just as she was about to shift into reverse her cell phone rang. She recognized the number on the display. Jake. He'd called her the day before and promised to call her sometime today.

Charlie picked up the phone and held it with her thumb poised over the talk button. Did she want to talk to him right now? She wasn't sure. Hell if what the magazine article said was true she didn’t ever want to talk to him again. Avoiding him wouldn't answer her questions though. Still that didn't mean she had to speak with him now. Later after she digested the article might be a better time to question him.

After a few more rings the phone became silent, and Charlie tossed it onto the passenger seat. Then after one more glance at the magazine on the passenger seat under the phone, she headed back to the Victorian Rose.





Chapter 9



Jake drummed his fingers on the steering wheel Friday night and waited for the car in front of him to move. Traffic on I-95 hadn't budged in five minutes which only added to his current state of frustration.

Thanks to a combination of bad luck and a hectic schedule, he and Charlie had played phone tag on Thursday. Or at least he told himself that was why they hadn't spoken. His subconscious kept telling him a different story. While she had returned two of his calls and left messages when he didn't answer, she had not gone out of her way to reach him. Did that mean she was avoiding him? Had she already learned about the situation with Blair?

The uncertainty had been making him edgy all day. Earlier he'd nearly snapped Cindy's head off when she'd asked if he'd finished some reports. He'd immediately apologized, but he still felt like a complete ass. She didn't deserve to receive the brunt of his temper.

When he pulled into the parking lot of the bed and breakfast an hour later the outside lights welcomed him. Jake carefully maneuvered his rental car in between a Prius and Charlie's Jeep then killed the engine. For a moment he considered leaving his bag in the car. If Charlie had seen the magazine article she might tell him to get lost. Even if she hadn't seen it, once he explained the situation she might decide being involved with him wasn't worth the headache and show him to the door.

How much easier life would be if he hadn't been born a Sherbrooke. Once again Jake found himself envying his half-sister Callie who had grown up not knowing the truth about her father. In so many ways she'd had a better life than him, though he'd never admit that to anyone. If he did, it would make him look like a complete ass. People saw all the privilege and opportunities he had. They didn't see the paparazzi who shadowed him just waiting for a juicy story. Or the people who used their association with him only to satisfy their own agendas.

Get off the pity train. Jake climbed out of the car and started to close his door. At the last minute he pulled it open again and grabbed his bag from the back seat.

The sweet smell of fresh apple pie greeted him when he walked in. Immediately his mouth watered. He had breakfast but meetings kept him busy through lunch and his dinner on the plane had been less than satisfying.

Closing the door behind him, Jake looked around. The dining room to his left as well as the sitting room to his right were empty, but he could hear voices coming from the back of the house. He decided to head in that direction when Maureen O'Brien walked down the hall toward him wearing her flowered apron.