The Truth in Lies (The Truth in Lies Saga) Read online

  The Truth in Lies

  by

  Jeanne McDonald

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination and are used fictitiously. Any resemblance of actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.

  Copyright © 2013 Jeanne McDonald

  All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author.

  Visit the author’s website at www.jeannemcdonald.com

  First eBook Edition: October 2013

  Cover image by: Jada D’Lee Designs and Aleshyn Andrei/Shutterstock

  Cover Design by Jada D’Lee Designs

  ISBN-13: 978-1301453450

  For Marcie:

  Thank you for believing in me.

  Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Acknowledgements

  About the Author

  Contact the Author

  Also by Jeanne McDonald

  Prologue

  “Jared, stop that,” I hissed through gritted teeth.

  His bright golden eyes turned to me, dancing with amusement. “What? I’m just looking. It’s your insurance dollars that pay for all of this. Aren’t you the least bit curious where that money goes?”

  I rolled my eyes. “Not really. Now, stop it.”

  It was bad enough that I was already nervous as hell. I didn’t need to be embarrassed because one of my best friends got caught sifting through medical supplies he shouldn’t be playing with in the first place.

  Impatiently, I sat on the end of the examination table; my upper body covered in a hospital gown, waiting for the doctor. Time seemed to be moving at a turtle’s pace. Anxious and excited, my legs swung back and forth, banging against the bed. I’d waited for this day for a while. This was the day that the doctor would finally reveal my child’s sex.

  I twirled my soft blonde locks around my fingertip, siphoning the circulation, leaving my finger looking bluish at the end. I released the curl and twisted it again. Something about the tight ravel of my hair being pulled and the coldness in my hand helped settle my nerves.

  “Whoa! Jackpot!” Jared exclaimed, as he pulled out a pair of speculums from the drawer. “What the hell are these for?” He dangled them in front of my face like he was holding a dirty Kleenex. “They look like metal nunchucks.” He began swinging them around, acting like he was trying to do some sort of karate stunt. “Hi-yah!” he bellowed.

  “Jared! Oh, my, God, put those up.”

  I covered my face, peaking at him through the slits in my fingers. He danced around the room, swinging the speculums in front of him.

  “Oh, come on, McKenzie. What the hell could the doctor need these for?”

  My hands dropped to my lap. I cast him a blank stare. “They’re used to stretch me open, so she can examine my cervix, you idiot.”

  Jared’s huge grin disappeared, having been replaced with an expression of disbelief and maybe even a little fright. He quickly dropped the speculums back in the drawer and washed his hands.

  “You’re telling me the doctor had those things up inside some woman’s poontang.”

  He turned to me, pulling his green baseball cap off of his uncombed hair. His hair fell in his eyes, temporarily guarding them from me. He pulled his hair back again and placed it under the faded hat.

  “Yes, that’s exactly what I’m telling you,” I stated.

  He plopped down in the chair next to the examination table. Both of his long legs stretched out before him with his ankles crossed left over right.

  “It must be nice to be paid a fortune to play with pussies all day.” The curve of his lips danced into a half smile as his eyes cut to mine.

  Desperate not to laugh, I shrugged, maintaining a look of disinterest. “I figure it would depend on the woman. Some of that stuff could be mighty…” I waved my hand in front of my face, curling my lips upward and wrinkling my nose.

  Jared shuttered. “Ew, good point. I don’t think I would enjoy looking at the flappy pussy of a granny either.”

  “Jared!” I squeaked, eliciting a hearty laugh from him.

  A soft knock at the door silenced us. My stomach fluttered at the sound. This is it, I mused in excitement.

  The first thing that came into view was Dr. Morgan Carter’s bright red hair. Light seemed to bounce off of it, igniting the room in a blaze of fire. Her gorgeous green eyes only added to her luster against the backdrop of her alabaster skin and pale pink lips. A huge rock glittered on her left hand that she certainly was proud of. She was engaged to a prominent attorney in town, which was one of the first things, my best friend, Olivia Hamilton told me about her when she recommended me to Dr. Carter.

  “Good morning, McKenzie.” Dr. Carter smiled, closing the door behind her

  “Good morning, Dr. Carter.”

  Her eyes flashed to Jared. She extended her hand to him. “Oh, and you must be Nathaniel. McKenzie has told me so much about you. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

  It was only natural for Dr. Carter to assume Jared was Nate. Nathaniel Fuller was my boyfriend and father of my child. He was away on business in Chicago, so Jared stepped in to keep me company during this important visit. Nate wasn’t too keen on the idea of Jared being with me in his absence. He’d argued with Olivia to give up whatever she was doing so she could go with me. That practically started World War III, since Olivia felt Nate needed to do the same thing. Finally, Nate swallowed his pride and accepted Jared as my companion.

  Jared shook her hand. “Actually, I’m Jared. Jared Christopher.”

  Morgan’s smile faltered for only a second, but her professional nature resurfaced in an instant. “Ah, yes. She’s mentioned you as well. It’s nice to see McKenzie has such wonderful friends to be with her during this joyous occasion.”

  Jared smiled, and patted me on the knee. “Yeah, I wouldn’t miss this for the world.”

  Morgan turned her focus to back to me. “How are you doing this morning? Still dealing with morning sickness?”

  I rubbed my belly and smiled. “It’s subsided, finally.”

  “Good, good,” she muttered, while jotting something down in a folder that bore my name in thick black ink. “All your measurements look good. Weight gain is on track, a little lower than I’d like to see for eighteen weeks, but still healthy.” She closed the notebook with a snap and set it down on the counter. Her eyebrows rose and fell with each syllable as she spoke. “Are you ready to see what your little one is today?”

  Once again my stomach fluttered with excitement. “I sure am,” I cooed.

  “Why don’t you lay back for me
and we’ll get started.”

  I scooted to the top of the exam table with Jared’s assistance. As per her instructions, I lay back and watched as she toyed with the machine sitting next to the bed. Moments later she pointed to the dressing gown that was covering the bulge of my abdomen.

  “May I?” she asked.

  My head bobbed.

  She lifted the gown away from my belly and tucked several paper towels into my pants.

  “This might feel a little cool,” she warned me, as she picked up a clear bottle filled with a gooey liquid.

  The blue-green gel-like substance that she poured over my stomach indeed felt cold and sticky. I cringed at the initial shock of it touching my skin. She then extracted a wand from the side of the machine and placed it on top of my stomach, rubbing it around. Periodically, she would type something in on the computer. A loud whooshing noise filled the room.

  “That’s the baby’s heartbeat,” she announced. “A very strong heartbeat, I might add.”

  Jared watched the screen with me in amazement. He reached over and took my hand, squeezing it tightly. I wished Nate could have been here for this, but Jared was the next best thing.

  “There you are, little fellow,” Morgan whispered softly to the screen.

  “Fella?”

  “Congratulations, McKenzie. It’s a boy.”

  She drew a circle around my son’s manhood, before printing a copy of the picture.

  “It’s a boy,” I repeated with tears thickening my voice. I might have wished for a girl, but nothing could compare to my little boy. The image of my little angel on that flimsy paper was everything I had ever dreamed of.

  Jared leaned over and kissed my forehead, squeezing my hand even tighter. “Congratulations, McKenzie. Do you know what you’ll name him?”

  My teeth raked over my lips. “We haven’t decided yet.”

  “Well, you have time,” Morgan stated, handing me a Kleenex. “Cleanup, get dressed, and I’ll set you up an appointment for next month.”

  “Thanks, Dr. Carter.”

  She patted my hand before leaving Jared and me in the room alone.

  Fifteen minutes later, we left the doctor’s office. I was feeling on top of the world. My little baby had all ten fingers and toes, and he was growing perfectly inside of me. Most of all, I knew we had a son.

  Jared helped me into my silver Toyota Prius. Once comfortable, I pulled my phone out to call Nate. Jared slipped quietly into the driver’s seat and set out to take me home.

  After several rings, Nate finally answered his phone. “It’s a boy,” I rattled on a single breath.

  “A boy?”

  “We’re having a boy!” I squealed.

  “We’re having a boy!” he shouted out. In the distance, I could hear several congratulating him. A sigh of relief escaped my lips at the sound of his happiness over us having a boy.

  When Nate and I first discovered I was pregnant, he let it slip that he hoped for a girl. The appeal of daddy’s little girl was very strong for him. I secretly thought he worried that if we had a boy, our son would turn out like him. Not that I thought that as a bad thing. Deep down, I knew the good man inside of him. Sure, I struggled with him being absent for work all the time, but I managed to keep myself busy with preparations for the baby. Being a pharmaceutical representative can take its toll on a relationship, but I sucked it up the best I could no matter how alone I felt.

  “We need a name for him, Nate.”

  Jared turned the car down Clark Road without a word. A still smile rested on his lips as he drove. He seemed happy for me which didn’t surprise me. Jared was the most selfless person I knew.

  “What? Harry James doesn’t suit him?”

  We’d bantered over names for a little girl for weeks, but never paid attention to boy names. Once we joked that if it were a boy, we would name him Harry James to pay homage to my love of Harry Potter. The truth was, we never intended on our child being a boy, so it never occurred to us to be prepared.

  “We both know better than that.” Scratching my head, I pondered for a moment as to what we could name our son. “Hmm. What about Lucas?”

  “You only want me to be able to go around telling him,” –his voice dropped to a baritone– “Luke, I am your father.”

  My snort rippled through my chest. “I would never,” I scoffed.

  “Mhm.”

  I laughed. “Fine, if you don’t like Lucas, what about calling him Evan? Sort of play on my last name.”

  “Oh, I like that.” –Silence hung between us for an instance– “And what do you think about making his middle name Brandon after me?”

  I clapped my hands, squealing. “I love that idea. Evan Brandon Fuller.”

  “It’s perfect,” Nate agreed.

  A long lull of silence lingered between us. It was no secret that things had been very strained between Nate and me lately. He knew I hated being alone all the time, but he promised that once the baby was born, he would settle down and help me raise our child. Even with the promises he made, something inside me told me this was never going to change. He loved the open road too much.

  “When are you coming home?” I asked in a small whisper.

  “I’ll be home on Saturday,” he responded. His timbre was cold and distant.

  A muted sigh fell from my lips. My heart dropped to my stomach. That was still three days away. “Okay. I guess I’ll see you then.”

  “Love you,” he rushed in a single syllable.

  My eyes cut to Jared, who instantly returned his attention back to the road. There were no secrets between Jared and me. He knew how much I hated Nate being gone. Every time Nate missed a crucial baby appointment, it was Jared’s shoulder that I cried on. It was one thing to tell him about Nate’s flaws, but to have him see them first hand humiliated me. I forced a smile on my face and replied, “I love you, too.” It was no use though; Jared could see right through my façade. His mouth turned down in a frown, but he held his tongue.

  We drove the remaining distance in silence. I rested my head against the window and stared out toward the Gulf. Three days. That was all I had to wait to celebrate this wonderful experience with the father of my unborn child.

  Chapter One

  A soft gust of wind blew in off the gulf coast, cooling my ruddy face. Covered in sweat from my vigorous run, my skin prickled at the touch of the frigid air. The morning sun was starting to wake up, shining its illustrious hues of orange, yellow, and blue across the water’s edge, setting the gulf on fire.

  White sand clumped under my hands, sticking to my skin, as the water washed up on the shore, inching closer to the toes of my running shoes. Siesta Key Beach was always peaceful during the early morning hours, speckled with avid runners making their way down the beach, as well as the occasional couple looking to make a fantasy into a reality. Countless times, I wanted to tell them to rethink that idea. While having sex on the beach may look pretty in the movies, in real life, it’s dirty, gritty, and terribly uncomfortable.

  Alone on the beach, I found solace, peace, and freedom. No one was there to watch over me. No one was monitoring my every move. The loneliness seemingly evaporated as long as I remained on the quiet shore. It was as if the water was an understanding friend. It never spoke back. It only listened.

  Water rushed toward the shore, spraying my face. It seemed as if the ocean wanted to warn me of the invading runner who was approaching me. I blinked; the water burned my eyes with each flutter of my lids. To appease the burn, I rubbed the water away with the back of my hand. Bright spots from the sunlight appeared behind my closed eyes.

  As I regained my vision, I glanced up to see the intruding runner pass by me. He was tall and lanky, as most runners are; yet, there was something different about this man.

  My eyes were glued to him. He had a fluid stride. His body was straight, and his fists were clenched. There was a certainty in his gait, almost to the point of arrogance. Adorned in typical runner’s garb of a fitted bl
ue nylon pullover and black running shorts, he looked almost as if he were posing for a magazine. His light brown hair, damp with sweat, was pushed back behind the bill of a yellow sun visor, and his eyes were covered by a pair of reflective sunglasses.

  As he approached me, my whole body jolted to life, as if it were on fire. My pulse quickened and my heart began to pound against my chest. He tilted his head slightly to the side, taking notice of me.

  Every hair on my body stood on end. I cupped my hand over my eyes to get a better look at him, without the blaring sun interrupting my view. Slowing his pace to a jog, he lowered his sunglasses, revealing the most intense blue eyes I had ever seen. His lips twitched into a lazy grin, driving his dimples deep into the recesses of his cheeks. I swallowed hard, my whole body reacting to this man.

  Jesus, I need to get laid, I mentally chided myself.

  But it was more than that. It was beyond wanting to have my way with him that sent the rapid blaze of desire throughout my body. With a nod of his head, he acknowledged my existence. My heart skipped a beat. Then, to make things worse, he produced a sexy, breath-taking grin. For a moment, I couldn’t breathe.

  Silly school girl, meet McKenzie Evans.

  I wiggled my fingers in response, praying the sun blinded him enough to hide my enflamed cheeks. He winked at me, then pushed his glasses back up the bridge of his nose and continued down the beach. My eyes were glued to the back of this gorgeous specimen of a man, lost in his fluid motion, and the curve of his calves and thighs as they flexed with each footfall. He turned his head, looking back at me over his shoulder. His lips pursed, teasing me. That’s when I realized I had been busted staring at his butt.

  Gasping, I covered my face and started kicking my feet. He laughed, sending more waves of excitement through me. It was imperative that I regained some semblance of normalcy, so I flippantly waved him off. His laughter continued to fill the air until he disappeared from sight.

  The moment he was gone, my body resumed back to normal. I shook my head, laughing at myself for acting so silly over some strange man on the beach, especially since I had a boyfriend. Not that it mattered. Nate did it all the time with the receptionist at the doctor’s offices he visited. A little flirting goes a long way, he once told me.