He thought about the marriage license Paul and Katherine had obtained from the courthouse. Paul had bragged to the clerk that they were getting married December twenty-first.
“Put Carl on the line,” Jared told the coin collector.
“I'm here,” Carl said into the telephone. “Your lady friend's a real looker. No wonder you can't sleep.'
“She didn't catch you following her, did she?'
“Hell, no. She's in the office waiting for Lester to give her an estimate of the value on them coins. I've been stuck in this storage room most of the time. What kind of a detective would I be if I let her catch me? I peeked through some wire. What do you want me to do?'
“Reimburse Lester for whatever amount he gives Katherine. If you don't, the check he gives her will bounce higher than the Washington Monument.” He paused. “Give Lester the reward we promised him for helping us out. Oh, and don't forget to bring the coin collection to me.'
“Got it covered,” Carl said.
Half an hour later, Jared couldn't believe his eyes. Katherine was standing in his office, not two feet away from him. She must have left the coin collector's office and came directly to Jared's.
His pen clattered onto the desk.
She placed her briefcase on a chair and pulled her coat tighter. “I can't stay long. Don't say anything, just listen, please. I couldn't get in touch with you until now. I lied about Paul and me making up and our happy marriage plans.'
She spun around and paced the room. “I was afraid you'd do something stupid, Jared Randall. You know how I hate that. I had to think of my family. I didn't mean to hurt you.” She glanced over her shoulder at him. “Can you forgive me?'
He wanted to drag her into his arms and kiss her. And he intended to do precisely that, after they solved their mutual problem-Paul.
“There's nothing to forgive. I got your message loud and clear when we talked on the phone.'
Her jade eyes stared, and she seemed bewildered.
He repeated the words she'd used to tip him off. “'Trust me. Don't come over here like Superman.'” He stood and moved to face her. “I understood what you implied, sweetheart. If I'd tried to contact you, Paul might suspect I didn't believe you. I'd jeopardize you and your family.” His hand grazed her shoulder.
“What do you know about Paul and the jeopardy he's placed my family in?” she asked.
“I'm not going into details, but I found out that Paul had bought up your father's loans.” He put his hands up to stop her objections. “I haven't done one single thing that would jeopardize your raising the money.'
When she looked up at him, tears shimmered on her lashes. “I know that. Do you really think about me the way I think about Matt and my mother?'
He smiled faintly. “And then some.'
Her eyes were puffy from crying, but to him she looked beautiful. She shifted from one booted foot to the other and checked her watch.
Her shoulders slumped.
“Everything's falling apart. I promised Dad I'd look after Mom after he died. Look at this mess. I'm juggling so many balls already and another one is tossed into the air.” She shook her head and exhaled.
Was she in some other danger he didn't know about?
He frowned. “What other ball are you talking about?'
“Mother and Thomas.” She shrugged. “I can only solve one problem at a time and right now that's Paul.'
“It'll all work out, Katherine. You've got me on your side. You said you couldn't stay long when you walked into my office,” he reminded her.
She checked her watch again. “Paul visits Ann every morning. I have to get back before he realizes I'm gone. I don't want him to get suspicious.'
Paul had become their common enemy. “Anything I can do to help?'
Unlatching her brief case, she withdrew a file and handed it to him. “I've typed instructions for you to follow. I'll arrive at your office at nine o'clock tomorrow morning. At ten o'clock, Paul will arrive. When you read the file, you'll understand why he'll be coming and the paperwork you need to have ready before Paul arrives.'
Jared wrinkled his brow. Why was Paul coming? How in the hell was Katherine going to pull that off?
“I don't have time to explain, so don't ask. Trust me again. That's one of the balls I'm juggling. I'll get him here. Do exactly what I say in the notes.'
“What do you plan on doing to Paul?” Jared asked
“Surprising the hell out of him. And giving him a bit of crow to eat. Care to help me, Superman?'
He grinned at her. “I love your style,” he teased.
Chapter Fourteen
Twenty-four hours didn't sound like much, but Katherine was amazed at how much she had accomplished when her mother's welfare depended on it. She glanced down at Jared's desk calendar and smiled. It was clear except for ringed coffee stains and the day's date, December twenty-first. Jared had written ‘Katherine's Wedding Day', slashed across it with a big X and ‘Hell No'.
Her sentiments exactly.
She leaned back in the chair and glanced at the clock. Only five minutes till the ten o'clock showdown with Paul.
Jared sat behind his desk, wearing a dress-for-power red tie, and repeatedly clicked the pen in his hand. His warm blue eyes studied her. “Paul should be here any minute.” He threw the pen down. “You're a miracle worker, Katherine.'
She shook her head. “You're giving me more credit than I deserve for getting Paul here today. I simply appealed to his greed. Before we married, he made me sign a prenuptial agreement, which he had prepared. This time, I told him to meet us and sign one for me. Just as I figured, he accused me of trying to pull a fast one. He'll probably enter your office swinging.'
He raised a brow. “You want to tell me why you have a dump truck and a wrecker ready and waiting behind the parking lot?'
She grinned. “No, I don't.'
The intercom buzzed twice, Jared's secretary signaled Paul's arrival. Katherine quickly glanced at her briefcase and the folders on Jared's desk.
Jared winked. “You look very professional in that French braid and suit.” He smiled faintly. They both turned to stare at the door. “Ready, set, go get him, tiger,” he whispered as it moved.
“What the hell are you two pulling?” Paul burst into the room and slammed the door shut. “I have no intention of agreeing to Katherine's prenup, so forget it.” Whipping out a document, he threw it at Jared. “She'll sign this one.'
Jared whisked it aside and pulled out papers of his own. “Katherine has asked me to represent her best interest and prepare some legal documents.'
Katherine bit her lip to keep from smiling. His retainer fee of one dollar had almost broken her.
Paul dropped into the chair next to her. “Back off, or you'll regret it, Katherine.'
She pushed her shoulders back and sat perfectly straight in the chair. Her eyes shifted back to Jared. The tight muscles in his jaw rippled like the restless tide.
“As I was about to explain,” Jared continued, laying a document in front of Paul, “I need you to sign an acknowledgment that you have received payment in full from Katherine for her father's debts.'
