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“There is something else you need to know.”
“Don’t tell me she is pregnant,” Jocelyn said.
He started to laugh. “Not likely.”
“Says every guy before there is an oops unless it's planned.”
“Whatever,” he said. “I know it happened with Royce and Chloe so I get it. That isn’t what I was going to say. I need you to keep quiet on this.”
“I like secrets,” Jocelyn said, rubbing her hands together. “I even wanted to help you out with one Mom tried to keep from you.”
“And that is why I’m telling you this. Because I appreciate the fact you told me. Let’s say I needed their help.”
“Whose help?”
“Mom and Dad’s. Richard’s. The Fierces’.”
His sister’s jaw dropped. “Have they known this has been going on for months?”
“Maybe,” he said, trying to send her one of his charming grins.
It didn’t work. She picked up her pen and threw it at him. He ducked out of the way, laughing.
“You jerk. Why wouldn’t you tell me?”
“Elise doesn’t know. Neither does Royce. Listen. Between us. Not even Mom and Dad. I’m going to give you a bone here but don’t run and chew it in front of anyone else. Do you promise?”
“Depends on how meaty it is.”
“Very,” he said. Not that he’d admit everything to his sister. He could give a little for her to understand more. His parentswouldn’t get it. “I want a witness to this all if it ever comes out. Elise and I knew each other in college.”
His sister grinned. “Did she see all the women you dated and think you were a male whore?”
“Hey,” he said. “That’s rude.”
“Am I wrong?”
“I wouldn’t use that strong of a word,” he said. “It’s not like I slept around with a different girl each week. I dated a lot and didn’t sleep with anyone unless we were in a relationship.”
It wasn’t really a lie. Elise was the only one, but he wasn’t saying that.
“Sorry,” she said. “I didn’t mean to offend you. I’m just still jealous over your skin and looks. So you knew each other in college. Did you date?”
“No,” he said. It wasn’t a lie either. They didn’t date. “Let’s say we have a history and part of our issues come from back then. You don’t need to know what they were. No one does. She thought something that wasn’t true. I might have done the same thing at first. But in time I realized it...”
“You put your foot in your mouth and were a jerk?” Jocelyn asked. “I know you had trust issues for a while with women. Mom and Dad didn’t think so, but I saw it.”
“It’s over with. It’s in the past where Elise and I are keeping it. I wish I could have taken things back and I couldn’t.”
“You would have apologized,” she said. “I know you. You do it if you’re wrong.”
“I did because I was. It didn’t matter. We moved on and came back here. Now we have a working relationship and I wanted to clear the air months ago. We got talking and one thing led to another. Nothing more than that.”
“Then why have it be a secret?” Jocelyn asked. “It seems simple enough. It’s kind of funny because I heard you said you wore her stubbornness down. Sounds like that is really it.”
“It sounds simple, but it’s not. Nothing with Elise is simple. The point is, no one knows that and I’d appreciate if you didn’t say anything to Mom and Dad. Do you feel better knowing something they don’t know?”
“Very much so,” Jocelyn said. “So if Elise doesn’t know everyone knew, what are you going to do when she finds out? Are you telling her?”
