ash.
“I was on my way to see my brother,” he said calmly, though his heart raced and his palms felt suddenly damp. He didn’t like where this conversation seemed to have veered. “He’s having an issue with one of his students.”
“An issue?”
“There’s a girl—”
“Is her name Jillian by any chance?”
“As a matter of fact, it is.”
Carly muttered something under her breath and covered her face with her hands.
“Wait a minute,” he said. “Stop right there—whatever you’re thinking, stop. This girl at school, Bill said she’s got this, this thing for him. She’s been following him around. Calling his house. Waiting for him in his office. His job is on the line and so is his marriage. He asked me to come up to his office tonight so he could tell her to knock it off. He didn't want to be alone with her but he didn't want to meet her somewhere public either. He thought she might go nuts on him.”
“Jillian would never obsess over a man,” Carly spat at him.
“I never said she would. I’m saying this girl, who by coincidence is also named Jillian, has a screw loose and she’s after my brother.”
Carly glared at him. “Has it happened before?” she demanded.
JD knew exactly what she meant—had there been other girls? He thought of Marilee Rhodes who might well press charges and put an end to Bill’s personal and professional endeavors. Damn Carly for asking. “Yes.”
“How many times? How many times have students lost their heads over your brother?”
Too many to count. But he wasn’t going to say it.
She shook her head. “How many times has it happened to you, JD?”
She was back to accusing him, he guessed. Pissed, he looked her in the eye. “Never.”
“Doesn’t that strike you as strange? You have female students, right? I mean, granted I’ve never met your brother but he can’t be any better looking than you are and yet you manage to keep them from crossing the line, losing their heads. I mean . . .”
She paused, flustered, as if she’d just realized what she’d said. If he hadn’t been so mad, he might have smiled. He hadn’t imagined those long, hungry looks she’d cast him.
“I mean, if I was going to. . . .” She stopped again. “What I’m saying is, maybe it’s your brother and not the women in question.”
“You don’t even know him.”
“I do know my friend. She’s gorgeous. She’s smart. She’s rich. For as long as I’ve known her, she’s had a line of men just wishing she’d talk to them. Nothing you can say would convince me that she suddenly went nutso over your brother to the point that he’d need a witness to back her down.”
JD clenched his jaw, not wanting to see the truth that gleamed out of those blue eyes. But it was there. If they were talking about the same person. And she seemed pretty damn certain they were.
“There were two slips of paper attached to the article Jillian sent me. One looked like it had been written by a man—it said for her to meet him today at four. The other had a girl’s phone number and name on it. I can’t remember her name, though. Mary or Rhonda, Rhoda—”
“Marilee Rhodes?” he asked softly, wishing she’d say no, but of course, she didn’t.
“Yes,” she exclaimed. “Marilee Rhodes. How do you know that?”
He exhaled, shaking his head. “She’s going to file charges against Bill for sexual harassment. Right now, it’s her word against his, but if someone else were to come forward and corroborate her story, it wouldn’t be good.”
“Someone? Like Jillian?”
He didn't answer. He didn't have to. The truth of the matter was too starkly clear.
“All this confirms is that Bill needed to talk to your friend,” JD said. “And that he didn't want to do it alone. It doesn’t mean he ran her off the road.”
“You’re protecting him,” she said, her
“I was on my way to see my brother,” he said calmly, though his heart raced and his palms felt suddenly damp. He didn’t like where this conversation seemed to have veered. “He’s having an issue with one of his students.”
“An issue?”
“There’s a girl—”
“Is her name Jillian by any chance?”
“As a matter of fact, it is.”
Carly muttered something under her breath and covered her face with her hands.
“Wait a minute,” he said. “Stop right there—whatever you’re thinking, stop. This girl at school, Bill said she’s got this, this thing for him. She’s been following him around. Calling his house. Waiting for him in his office. His job is on the line and so is his marriage. He asked me to come up to his office tonight so he could tell her to knock it off. He didn't want to be alone with her but he didn't want to meet her somewhere public either. He thought she might go nuts on him.”
“Jillian would never obsess over a man,” Carly spat at him.
“I never said she would. I’m saying this girl, who by coincidence is also named Jillian, has a screw loose and she’s after my brother.”
Carly glared at him. “Has it happened before?” she demanded.
JD knew exactly what she meant—had there been other girls? He thought of Marilee Rhodes who might well press charges and put an end to Bill’s personal and professional endeavors. Damn Carly for asking. “Yes.”
“How many times? How many times have students lost their heads over your brother?”
Too many to count. But he wasn’t going to say it.
She shook her head. “How many times has it happened to you, JD?”
She was back to accusing him, he guessed. Pissed, he looked her in the eye. “Never.”
“Doesn’t that strike you as strange? You have female students, right? I mean, granted I’ve never met your brother but he can’t be any better looking than you are and yet you manage to keep them from crossing the line, losing their heads. I mean . . .”
She paused, flustered, as if she’d just realized what she’d said. If he hadn’t been so mad, he might have smiled. He hadn’t imagined those long, hungry looks she’d cast him.
“I mean, if I was going to. . . .” She stopped again. “What I’m saying is, maybe it’s your brother and not the women in question.”
“You don’t even know him.”
“I do know my friend. She’s gorgeous. She’s smart. She’s rich. For as long as I’ve known her, she’s had a line of men just wishing she’d talk to them. Nothing you can say would convince me that she suddenly went nutso over your brother to the point that he’d need a witness to back her down.”
JD clenched his jaw, not wanting to see the truth that gleamed out of those blue eyes. But it was there. If they were talking about the same person. And she seemed pretty damn certain they were.
“There were two slips of paper attached to the article Jillian sent me. One looked like it had been written by a man—it said for her to meet him today at four. The other had a girl’s phone number and name on it. I can’t remember her name, though. Mary or Rhonda, Rhoda—”
“Marilee Rhodes?” he asked softly, wishing she’d say no, but of course, she didn’t.
“Yes,” she exclaimed. “Marilee Rhodes. How do you know that?”
He exhaled, shaking his head. “She’s going to file charges against Bill for sexual harassment. Right now, it’s her word against his, but if someone else were to come forward and corroborate her story, it wouldn’t be good.”
“Someone? Like Jillian?”
He didn't answer. He didn't have to. The truth of the matter was too starkly clear.
“All this confirms is that Bill needed to talk to your friend,” JD said. “And that he didn't want to do it alone. It doesn’t mean he ran her off the road.”
“You’re protecting him,” she said, her
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