Catch Twenty-Two Read online

  Table of Contents

  Catch Twenty-Two

  Copyright

  Acknowledgments

  Epitaph

  Synopsis

  Westover Prep Series Information

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Chapter 42

  Chapter 43

  Chapter 44

  Chapter 45

  Chapter 46

  Epilogue

  Kincaid Excerpt

  Social Media Links

  OTHER BOOKS FROM MARIE JAMES

  Catch Twenty-Two

  Marie James

  Copyright

  Catch Twenty-Two: A Westover Prep Novel

  Copyright © 2020 Marie James

  Editing by Marie James’s Betas

  EBooks are not transferable. All rights are reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be scanned, uploaded, or distributed via the Internet or any other means, electronic or print, without the publisher’s permission.

  This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locale, or organizations is entirely coincidental.

  Acknowledgments

  I always feel like I’m repeating myself in this section, but then I realized that it only feels repetitious because I have a fantastic team behind me, people that have stuck by my side for the last almost five years. That squad continues to grow, and I’m BEYOND grateful for the support!

  My BETAs! Brenda, Laura, Jamie, Raquel, Mary, MaRanda, Michelle, and Shannon, thank you for all of your help! The suggestions, the corrections, even the critiques I wanted nothing to do with, this book wouldn’t even come close to what the final project is without you! Your guidance and encouragement keep me going! Love you, babes!

  Mary with Mrs. K’s Edits, you gal are one in a million, and I’m lucky enough to work with you on my novels! Thank you for your quick turn around and dedication to your craft! You make me a better writer!

  Virginia Tessi Carey, lady you rock! Thank you for your keen eye on this one, and I look forward to working with you again!

  Christine and Wildfire Marketing and PR… what can I say? You do all the heavy lifting and I couldn’t be in better hands! My hat’s off to you ladies! Thank you!

  Natasha with RRR Promotions, it’s always a joy to work with you. You streamline my releases and deal with me with (Hopefully) a smile when I forget what day it is! Thank you!

  The number one man in my life, Mr. James… you are my hero, my HEA, my always and forever. Thank you for being an amazing man which makes it so simple to write about guys with love and dedication in their eyes. It’s easy when I’m also living the fairy tale.

  Bloggers! Keep up the great work, and thank you a million times for putting I the time and energy promoting my work!

  Readers! Where would I be without you?!?! Probably sad and lonely still sitting at a desk forty hours a week and hating life. Because of YOU, I can do what I love. There are no words for that, but THANK YOU!

  Until next time!

  ~Marie James

  Epitaph

  You are so selfish.

  Even after breaking my heart,

  you keep coming back just to make sure it can’t recover.

  -h.m.

  Synopsis

  He can't stand anything about her, but can't keep his hands off of her.

  Frankie

  I wasn't looking for him.

  He found me.

  With his sexy smirk and irresistible body.

  I wanted nothing to do with someone like him.

  Judgmental and brooding.

  So full of himself.

  But now, I'm stuck playing the fool.

  Falling for him.

  And losing it all.

  If only for one night.

  ZEKE

  Stuffy, rich, entitled.

  The kind of girl that gets what she wants.

  When she wants it.

  And I want nothing to do with her.

  Yet, I can't stay away.

  I'm drawn to her kindness and compassion.

  Her beauty.

  She holds me when the pain won't subside.

  And now, if I can help it, I'm going to hold on to her…

  Forever.

  Westover Prep Series Information

  Catch Twenty-Two is a standalone in the Westover Prep Series, but it’s best to read book one first because you’re introduced to the characters.

  Grab One-Eighty here:

  US: http://bit.ly/OneEightyUS

  UK: http://bit.ly/OneEightyUK

  CA: http://bit.ly/OneEightyCA

  AU: http://bit.ly/OneEightyAU

  Synopsis:

  He loves what he can't remember —she can't forget the truth...

  PIPER

  Arrogant, controlling, and an absolute jerk.

  He's everything I loathe, and everything I want to forget.

  But he doesn't remember a bit of it.

  One accident, one misstep, changed everything.

  Changed him.

  Now, he's different and unbelievably sexy.

  But I refuse to fall for a bully.

  DALTON

  Sexy, smart, feisty, and perfect.

  She's everything I want, and nothing that I remember.

  What she says I am, I refuse to believe.

  For her, I will be anything.

  I will do anything.

  Even destroy the bully from before.

  A standalone enemies-to-lovers romance.

  Chapter 1

  Frankie

  “I need to go home.” I sigh into the phone when I’m met with silence on the other end. “Mom, please.”

  “That’s not possible,” Mom argues. I can tell she’s distracted. Both of my parents are always distracted. Why they even had a kid when they’re never around is beyond me.

  “It’s simple. I can get Nan to take me right back to the airport. I’ll even use my own money. Piper needs me.”

  “Piper has her parents, and from what you told me, she’s going to be fine. You’re needed there. Nan needs your help.”

  My dad is somewhere in the room urging Mom to get off the phone, and just the sound of his voice through the line grates on my last nerve.

  “She was in a major car accident. I need to be in Westover, not in the middle of a field in Utah.”

  “You agreed to h
elp Nan this summer. We’re not letting you back out of that promise. Now I need to get off the phone. I haven’t even packed for our trip.”

  “But, Mom—”

  Silence fills my ear once again, but this time I know it’s because she hung up on me. There was no goodbye. No I love you before she ended the call. Nothing. Just dead air.

  My parents are heading to Europe, a vacation they’ve been saving for and planning for the better part of twenty years. I don’t begrudge them their once in a lifetime twenty-fifth wedding celebration, but there’s no point in me even being in Utah. They leave me home alone more times than not, and I get along just fine. As a pharmaceutical rep, my dad is gone for weeks at a time. My mother is a flight attendant, and I see her less than once a week because she opts to stay in a hotel near the airport on her days off, or she spends her time off out of state. I’ve always been an afterthought. For the last two years, they’ve deemed me responsible enough to stay alone.

  Their excuse of wanting me to help my nan on her farm is ridiculous. Even at sixty-five, Nan is up with the sun and works all day long. She’s not some feeble old lady who needs help with her daily life. But since Mom hasn’t bothered to visit in years, she assumes that her mother is frail and in desperate need of assistance.

  I squeeze my cell phone in my hand until my palm aches from the pressure. Frustration fills every cell in my body. My best friend Piper was in a car accident two days ago. No one notified me that she was hurt. Why would they? We’re the outcasts, the girls everyone likes to make fun of, the bullied of Westover Prep.

  I got on a plane mere hours after leaving the end of the school year party without even knowing that my best friend was in the hospital. Before getting into my own car, I’d heard people talking about her leaving with Dalton Payne, and although that was weird because they hate each other, they also live right next door to one another, so it sort of made sense in an alternate universe kind of way.

  They ended up in an accident, and Piper didn’t even mention Dalton when she called to let me know that she was going to be okay.

  And here I am, in the middle of Nowhere, Utah when I’m needed there.

  The room Nan directed me to just under an hour ago is bright and clean. It’s the same room my parents would stay in when I was younger, and as happy as I am to have an en suite, I still would rather be anywhere but here.

  I don’t know a dang thing about farms or crops or smelly animals. Westover isn’t exactly urban, but since it’s in the center of Colorado, we have mountains and steep upgrades rather than mooing cows and clucking chickens.

  Looking out the window only increases my annoyance. Other than a small house about a quarter of a mile away, there’s nothing but fields dotted with cattle as far as I can see. I can only imagine what it’s going to smell like around here when the temperature increases.

  I’m supposed to be up here resting, per Nan’s instructions, but sleep is the last thing on my mind. I’ve been here less than two hours, and I’m already bored out of my mind. An entire summer of doing nothing is going to be the death of me. I cringe with the thought, knowing just how lucky Piper is to have survived the crash. Tears sting the back of my eyes as a heavy sense of helplessness settles in my bones.

  I’m considering taking a nap just to pass the time when an old pickup truck enters through Nan’s front gate, making its way down the winding dirt drive. Kicking up dust as it nears the house, the truck turns toward the barn rather than pulling up directly in front of the house.

  “Thank God for small favors,” I mutter.

  The last thing I’m in the mood for is meeting people. I know it’s going to happen sooner or later because Nan mentioned introducing me to a hoard of folks on the drive back from the airport. The entire town has been awaiting my arrival if I go by her excitement of my being here. Clearly, she’s been anticipating my visit and telling everyone who will listen.

  My jaw practically unhinges when the passenger door opens.

  “What do we have here?” I mumble, taking a step closer to the window for a better look.

  The hottest guy we have at Westover Prep is Dalton Payne, but he’s the biggest jerk that walks the earth, hateful and vicious in his dislike of Piper and me.

  Dalton has nothing on the dark-haired, boot-wearing stranger climbing out of the truck. Even from fifty yards away, his strong jaw and wide shoulders are the stuff fantasies are made of. Maybe my forced visit to Utah won’t be so bad. If I can’t go home to be with my best friend, at least I’ll have this guy to look at in the interim.

  As if he can feel my eyes on him, the stranger turns his head, finding me standing in the window gawking at him. My first instinct is to dart away and hide behind the thick curtains, but his eyes are on me before I manage to move. I’m locked in his stare, unable to pull my eyes from his.

  Like a bumbling idiot, I raise my hand and give him a quick wave. It’s something I’d never do back home, but Utah is different from Colorado. Nan assured me the people who live around here are hardworking, gracious, and kind. I’ve never found much of that back in Westover, especially not walking down the hallways of school.

  This guy mustn’t have gotten that memo because instead of waving back or tossing a simple smile my way, his lips turn down in a sneer. He’s all the way across the yard, and I can still feel the hatred rolling off of him as he glares at me.

  In return, I narrow my own eyes. I’m no stranger to hate-filled stares. I’ve spent the better part of my life hiding in the shadows, keeping to myself, and doing my best to stay off the radar of the spiteful people I go to school with, but it’s unnerving that even hundreds of miles away, this stranger seems to feel exactly the same way about me.

  He doesn’t pull his eyes from me until the man driving the truck yells to get his attention. When he turns his face away, only then can I move, as if some connection has been broken.

  I’m not one to focus on the bad things in life, having a defeatist attitude is a waste of time, but the malicious look that guy just gave me is making me want to reconsider my stance.

  Anger and agitation settle inside of me. I haven’t been here long, but I don’t imagine there will be many people around that are close to my age. I’m not surprised the handsome guy helping on the farm would hate me at first sight. From experience, I know my tiny, pixie-like frame isn’t exactly what guys are looking for. Guys want girls with big breasts, tiny waists, and hips they can grip when—

  I clear my throat as I turn from the window, refusing to let self-deprecating thoughts back into my head. I promised myself I’d be different this summer, and I’m sticking to it. Who cares if one guy on this stupid farm doesn’t like me? That doesn’t mean there aren’t other people I can make friends with. Nan mentioned a sweet boy named Ezekiel that she wanted to introduce me to, and I bet he’s even better to look at than the jerk at the barn. Besides, looks aren’t everything. Kindness and common decency go a long way in making someone attractive, and in reverse, a bad attitude and lack of compassion can make the most gorgeous guy hideous.

  Refusing to let one stupid boy make me feel bad about myself, I lie down on the bed, taking Nan up on her suggestion for a nap. With any luck, when I wake up, he’ll be gone, and I’ll never have to look at him again.

  Chapter 2

  Frankie

  “I think the casserole is ready to be pulled from the oven.” Nan angles her head toward the double oven on the other side of the kitchen. She’s elbow deep in biscuit dough, so I don the oven mitts.

  “Whoa. How many people are coming over for supper, Nan?” The casserole is actually two huge pans of something that smells amazing and has enough bubbling cheese on top to compete with a Brooklyn pizza place.

  “I invited the Bensons, but I imagine only Ezekiel will be joining us. Eden doesn’t leave the house very often these days.” Nan smiles at me as I place the first casserole on the table. “You can leave the other one on the counter. I’ll send it home with Ezekiel after supper.”

/>   I woke up from my nap refreshed and a little excited to be here. I’m forcing myself to think of this summer as an adventure. The people here don’t know me. They don’t have a clue that I was the overlooked and bullied girl in Colorado. I can be anyone I want to be, and even though I don’t know exactly who that is, I know it’s not the girl who hides in fear of being mistreated by people who don’t know a single thing about her.

  “So,” I begin, “Ezekiel works here?”

  I don’t know how else to start the conversation, but I hope Nan doesn’t think I’m being too forward asking about him.

  “His father, Daniel, runs the show, and Ezekiel has been helping him now for years.”

  “I don’t know a thing about farms,” I remind her.

  “It’s a ranch,” a husky voice says from the other side of the room. Just the gravel in his voice makes my skin tingle with anticipation.

  My pulse races when I turn around and see the boy, make that man, standing in the kitchen doorway.

  The sneer that was on his face when he looked up at me in the window is now gone, replaced with a sweet smile that transforms his face from a vicious villain to one more reminiscent of a choir boy. I stare at him, unmoving, refusing to be fooled. I’ve seen it before. Just recently one of the guys from the junior class tricked my friend into believing he liked her, only to turn around and embarrass her at the party we went to a few days ago. Guilt swims in my gut when I think about Vaughn and the way he treated Piper. We’ve been the brunt of many pranks, but his actions were an all-time low.

  “Excuse me?” I finally manage, realizing he must be waiting for me to answer. Did he ask a question?

  “It’s a ranch, not a farm. We raise cattle. We don’t grow crops.” His smile is warm, and the dimples indenting both of his cheeks are almost enough to make me forget the hateful way he looked at me earlier. “I’m Ezekiel Benson. My friends call me Zeke.”

  He takes a few steps in my direction, his hand extended to shake mine.

  I dart my eyes toward Nan, wondering just how rude it would be to refuse to touch him. She’s watching us like we’re meant to fall in love, and even though it goes against my better judgment, I hold my hand out to shake his, only he doesn’t shake it. He claps my fingers and brings my hand to his mouth, brushing warm lips over the top.