Debra Burroughs - Paradise Valley 02.5 - The Edge of Lies (2 page)

“This doesn’t look good,” Emily muttered.

“I was passing the bride’s room,” Susan said, looking more serious than usual, “and I heard your phone ringing, Em. I answered it, thinking it might be about Evan.”

“He’s still not here?” Emily’s heart sank.

“No, but the woman on the phone says she’s from his office and she needs to speak to you right away—only you.” Susan held the phone out and Emily snatched it eagerly.

“Hello, this is Emily.”

“I’m so sorry to have to be the one to tell you this, but Evan has gone missing. We lost—”

“What?” Emily widened her eyes and flashed a glance at Susan, who was gesturing frantically, looking impatient to find out the news too.

“He didn’t make his connecting flight. But knowing Evan—”

“What happened? Where is he?” Now, panic was settling deep into Emily’s chest. She knew Evan did dangerous work, and it was all very hush-hush, but today, on their wedding day of all days, he goes missing.

This couldn’t be happening.

“We have no idea where he is or what could have happened. But don’t worry, we’re on top of it.”

Don’t worry?

Emily gave her head a shake. “Where was he the last time you heard from him?”

“Well, the nature of our business prohibits me from giving you specifics. He does check in regularly, but he missed his check-in before the connecting flight back to DC, and he’s not answering his phone. I’m sure it’s nothing, but we’ll—”

“How can it be nothing? Evan is missing. What’s being done to find him?”

“I assure you, we’re doing everything we can. Just sit tight and we’ll be in contact as soon as…”

The rest of what the woman said fell on deaf ears. She wasn’t going to tell Emily anything of substance. She handed the phone to her sister—Susan could handle her good-byes. Emily slowly meandered down the hall, back to the bride’s room, her bouquet hanging limply by her side.

She went to the window again, this time with tears of fear and disappointment streaming down her cheeks. Was Evan all right? Was he even alive?

The woman on the phone was useless, in spite of her Spanish accent, Emily understood that much, and she felt powerless to do anything to help find Evan. Even if she knew where he was when he’d last checked in, what could she do? She was a waitress with a history degree.

Emily whirled around at the sound of a soft knock on the door.

Her sister poked her head in. “You okay?”

“What do you think?” Emily dabbed her tears with a tissue.

Susan stepped inside and closed the door. “Brian went to tell the minister that Evan couldn’t make it, then he’s going to send the guests home.”

“What if something terrible has happened to him?” Emily sank down on a chair at the vanity table.

“Or maybe he’s fine, but…”

Emily narrowed her eyes at her sister. “But what? Don’t hold back now, Susan. Say what you’re really thinking.”

Susan looked directly at Emily, quirking one side of her mouth. “You have to consider that he might have gotten cold feet and put that woman up to calling you.”

Emily shook her head. “He wouldn’t do that.”

“I know, I know. He loves you. He’s a great guy. Yadda yadda.”

“You don’t know him, Susan. And right now, I don’t really need your sarcasm.”

“You’re right, I don’t know him. All I know is what I see—a man who runs off just days before his wedding, and doesn’t even bother to call or show up when it’s most important.”

“He’d be here if he could,” Emily said, confident in Evan’s love. “Something must have happened beyond his control.”

“If you say so.” Susan shrugged. “I was thinking I should go help Brian see all the guests out. At least there aren’t that many.”

The guest list had consisted of some of Emily’s friends from college and a couple of people from the diner where she worked. Evan had invited a few people he worked with as well, including his best man, Roger, whom he described as someone he trusted with his life.

Missing from the guest list were her mom and dad. Emily wished her parents could have been there for her special day—her mom helping her into her wedding gown and her dad walking her down the aisle—but it wasn’t to be. Her mother had died several years before, and her father had been recently checked into an Alzheimer facility. He no longer remembered her or her sister. The only family Emily had left was Susan, and she lived in Maine with Brian and their kids.

“But I’ll stay with you if you’d like me to,” Susan offered.

Emily shook her head sadly. “I’ll be fine. I’d just like to be alone for a while.”

“What about the caterer?”

“Oh no, the reception! I completely forgot.” Visions of the beautiful cake she had picked out danced before her eyes, not to mention the lights she’d had strung at the outdoor venue, the DJ, and the champagne, and the—oh, it was all so much to think about.

Emily dabbed another tear that trickled down onto her cheek. “I’m too upset to deal with it right now.”

“I can—”

“No, no, I’ll do it. Just give me some a few minutes.”

~*~

By the time Emily had pulled herself together and ventured out into the hallway leading to the vestibule, all the guests had gone. Susan and her family were gathered there, as well as the minister, discussing what to do next.

As Emily approached, still wearing her wedding gown, a loud ruckus outside sent her racing to the window, with Susan and the rest following on her heels. A helicopter landed at the far end of the grassy area, the blades whirring, sending the cherry blossoms blowing across the lawn like a blizzard. A trim man in a black tuxedo climbed out.

“Is that Evan?” Susan asked in a breathless voice.

He was so far away they couldn’t see his face, but who else could it be?

The man sprinted across the lawn to the front of the chapel. The church door flew open, and Evan stumbled in, disheveled and out of breath.

“I made it! I promised I would,” he said, smoothing his hair with his hand and trying to button the collar of his shirt. His bowtie was undone, hanging unevenly at his neck. “Could someone help me with this bloody tie?”

At the sight of him, Emily’s heart leapt and she ran to him. He caught her with one arm as she threw her hands behind his neck. He was here. He made it. She knew he would come if he could.

From the look of him, though, something serious had delayed him.

“But, Evan,” Emily said, “it’s too late. Everyone’s gone home.”

“It may not be too late,” Susan countered. “If you give us their phone numbers, Brian can see about getting the guests back here,” she offered, happily volunteering her husband. “And I can help you fix your makeup.”

“Okay.” Emily said, taking a step back and looking at Evan. “But where have you been?”

He had offered no apology, showed up extremely late, and looked like he’d been in some type of altercation.

“I’ll explain later. Right now, we have a wedding to pull back together.”

“Oh no!” Emily’s hands flew to cover herself, as if she were standing there naked.

“What is it, love?” Evan asked.

“You’ve seen me in my wedding dress.”

He chuckled. “That’s okay. I don’t believe in superstitions.”

Emily’s expression softened and her hands relaxed. “Good thing.”

“Sorry, love, but I need to step outside and make a quick phone call.” Evan raised his phone to her and backed toward the door. “You go with your sis and get ready to be married.”

Before she could answer, he ducked out into the portico, the phone to his ear.

Emily tiptoed to the door. Susan reached out, her hand grazing Emily’s shoulder as she slipped past.

“Em, we need to go.”

Emily turned back and lifted a finger to her lips, shushing her. “I’ll only be a minute.” She pushed the door open a little and peeked out. Evan’s back was to her as he leaned a hand against one of the stone columns of the portico.

“I need to get out,” she heard him say. “I love this girl. I just can’t go through that again.”

Get out of what? Go through what again?

Emily felt the pressure of her sister’s hand on her arm and she softly let the door close.

“Em, what are you doing?” Susan whispered. “We need to get you ready for your wedding.”

Chapter 3

Susan helped Emily smooth a few stray hairs back into place and redo the makeup that she had all but cried off. “How did you know Evan would show up?”

“Because he loves me.” Emily sat at the vanity and looked up at her sister. “About that, I have no doubt.”

“I could never be with such an unpredictable man,” Susan stated matter-of-factly as she reapplied Emily’s eyeliner.

“Unpredictable or not, Evan Parker is everything I ever wanted in a man—smart, kind, strong, and sexy.”

“He seems a bit older than you, Em. Exactly how old is he?”

“Thirty-four.”

“That’s a twelve-year difference.”

“I know, Suze, but it’s not like he’s Dad’s age or anything.”

“I can’t argue with that, but still, you just graduated from college, not to mention the fact that you haven’t known him very long.”

“Long enough.”

“I hope you know what you’re doing.” Susan pursed her lips as she shook her head. “Look up.” She brushed a little more mascara on Emily’s lashes. “You never said how you two met.”

“A few months ago, he walked into the diner in the middle of the afternoon and sat in my section. I went to the table to wait on him, and I remember thinking that if I wasn’t careful I was going to melt into a puddle right there on the vinyl floor.”

“He is a pretty good-looking guy,” Susan said.

“I know he isn’t handsome in that Ralph Lauren model sort of way. He’s more the James Bond kind of handsome—rugged and powerful, you know.”

Susan nodded.

“I loved his sandy blond hair and those piercing blue eyes, but when he spoke in that sexy British accent, I was done for.”

“Then what happened?” Susan brushed a light rose blush on Emily’s cheeks.

“After that, he came to the diner for a late lunch several days in a row, and it just blossomed from there.”

Over the course of their lunch visits together, Emily had told Evan about her dream to teach high school history, and he’d said he was a consultant for a global security firm. He’d told her that he travelled a lot with his work, gone for weeks at a time to exotic faraway places, but because of the type of business he was in, he couldn’t talk about his assignments. Between that and the accent it was no wonder he reminded her of Agent 007 himself.

He’d confided that he grew up in England, in a poor blue-collar family. A tragic accident had killed his parents and his siblings. When he turned eighteen, he came to America with hopes of a new life.

“Emily?” Her sister was waving two silver tubes in front of Emily’s face. “Which lipstick do you prefer?”

“You decide, Sis. The only thing I want to think about right now is how handsome my dream man looks in that tux.” Emily tilted her face up and smiled.

~*~

Brian had successfully gathered the small group of guests back to the chapel. Standing silently in the vestibule behind Susan, Emily held her brother-in-law’s arm and her bouquet of red daisies once again, as they waited for the selected music to begin.

While Susan marched down the aisle, Emily caught sight of Evan in his black tuxedo, waiting at the front of the chapel with the minister and best man. The organist began to play the wedding march, the people rose, and Brian escorted Emily in. Her gaze locked on Evan’s as she floated toward him. He flashed her that sexy crooked smile, and it made her want to rip his clothes off. She gripped Brian’s arm tighter as she felt her knees go weak at the thought.

At that moment, she didn’t care what had happened to delay him. She was simply happy he had made it back to her.

Throughout the vows and the reception, as they exchanged knowing glances and winks at each other, she could tell that she and Evan were on the same train of thought—both impatient to get through the reception and head for the honeymoon.

~*~

After the wedding, they’d jetted off to spend two glorious weeks on the beaches of Hawaii. Emily had decided not to push for Evan’s explanation of why he’d almost missed their wedding. She was young and in love, and wasn’t that all that really mattered? She didn’t need to know every single detail of his life. Sometimes knowing someone in your heart was better than knowing them in your head.

During their time away, Evan had let it slip that he was considering giving up his security job. He’d admitted he hated the thought of being away from her for weeks at a time, and he was getting tired of the harsh, snowy winters on the east coast.

Emily had wondered if that was what he’d been talking about when he was on the phone in the portico, but she didn’t want him to know she had been eavesdropping.

However, once they were back in the Washington, DC area she decided, after a conversation with Susan, that it was time Evan came clean with her about where he was before the wedding and why the delay. After dinner their first night back, she pressed him to explain.

“Darling, you know I can’t give you any details about my assignments.” He rose from the sofa and rested his arm on the fireplace mantle. “I simply overslept at the hotel and missed my flight. Let’s just leave it at that.”

She stood and faced him, planting her hands on her hips. “Then why did you have that woman call me and tell me you weren’t going to make it to your own wedding? Why didn’t you call?”

“You’ve got it all wrong, love. She phoned you on her own when I was out of pocket for a few hours. I hadn’t realized my phone was dead until I was rushing to the airport. I know it was silly of me.”

“So how did you get back to DC?”

“I was able to hop on a single-engine plane that was going to another airport where I could catch a proper flight. I was lucky enough to nab a seat. When we landed in DC, I got a friend to give me a lift from the airport in his heli. It was all so ridiculous, I didn’t want to mention it.”

“You looked so messed up when you finally got there, I was afraid you’d been caught in something dangerous.”

“Nothing dangerous, love, just all the dashing about, sleeping on the plane—you know.”