Wedding Bell Blues (35 page)

Whoa, when had he become a romantic?

"Me, too." I took his hand and pressed it to my lips.

"At the risk of sounding unromantic, I have to admit I'm more
than a bit inhibited right now," he added a few moments later.

"Tell me about it." I relaxed, until then not aware of just
how
tense I'd been, worrying he'd want to make love and not sure I could.
"I'm sorry, Colton. I want to, really. But I can't. Not with my parents
just down the hall."

"Thank God." He laughed again, softly, and pulled me close.
"Jess, I
love you and I want to spend the rest of my life making love to you
but, babe, not with your mother down the hall from us."

The breath exploded out of me in a whoosh of surprise, and I
leaned
back far enough to look into his eyes. Moonlight streamed in through
the window, letting me see just how serious he was. I swallowed once,
hard, as the import of his words sank in. A smile turned up the corners
of my mouth, slowly at first, and then there I was, grinning like an
idiot. A week ago if you'd asked me, I'd have said I hated the very air
Colton Dougherty breathed. Now, he was a part of me and I didn't want
to be without him.

"Colton." I bent and nibbled his lower lip. "There's never
been anyone but you. Not really."

"Then say it. I need you to say it." His hands slipped under
my tee
shirt, cupping my breasts and making my breath catch in my throat.

"I love you." So easy to say when you really mean it. Amazing.
"I love you, love you, love you." I couldn't say it enough now.

I dipped my head again, my mouth fastening on his, my hands
searching, seeking. Maybe we ought to do as my mother wanted after all.

For once, I didn't mind when morning came. How could I when I
was
awakened not by the blaring of the alarm clock but by the soft
insistence of Colton's mouth on mine? His hands roamed from shoulders
to waist and below, warm and gently demanding. Even before my mind
fully woke, my body responded, and I reached for him. Yes, this most
definitely was a wonderful way to start the morning.

It was also something new. There was gentleness to our
lovemaking
that hadn't been there before. The desire, the need was no less than
the other times we'd made love. Quite the contrary, in fact. But this
time it was as though we no longer felt we had to hurry before things
changed yet again. Maybe it was because we'd said the "L" word last
night. When we'd been together so long ago, we'd never really said it
to one another. I'd just assumed it. Now, however, it was out in the
open and everything had changed, and that change was for the better.

"I love you," I whispered as I nipped at his jaw.

His only
response was to tighten his grip on my waist. That was enough.
Especially since that wonderfully talented mouth of his was busy just
then. I didn't need the words when his actions spoke so loudly.

My fingers twisted in his hair and, when he came up for
breath, I
guided his mouth to my breast. Good as he was with his mouth, I wanted
more just then. No, I needed more. I needed to satisfy him just as he
was working so hard to satisfy me.

"Oh, God, Jess, I love you."
He smiled down at me, his hands braced on either side of my head. "I
could stay in bed with you all day, every day."

"As much as I'd love to do just that, my sister might be a bit
upset
with us." I fastened my legs around him and quickly shifted my weight.
With a surprised grunt, he found himself lying on his back in the
middle of the mattress with me leaning over him. I kissed him quickly
and then leaned back. "So, there's only one thing to do. After the
wedding, we have to go away somewhere with room service. That way we
won't have to leave bed unless we want to."

"Where do you want to go?"

"I don't know. Maybe somewhere warm? Or somewhere cold where
we can
lie in front of a fireplace and not feel obligated to get out."

"When can you leave?" he asked as we shifted again, this time
to lie in each other's arms.

"Whenever you can. I have vacation days left and, as you've
seen,
Mamie Patterson won't shed any tears if I don't go back to the school
right away."

"Then, as soon as I wrap this case up, we'll run away. How's
that sound?"

"More wonderful than you can know."

Later, sharing the shower with him, continuing with what we'd
left
unfinished in bed, I knew this was different. When we'd been together
before, it had been all hot passion and not much more. Colton had been
right. We hadn't been ready ten years ago to make a lasting commitment.
Now I was not only ready to do just that but I wanted it. I wanted him
to be a permanent part of my life.

I swallowed hard and buried my face against his chest as the
impact
of that realization struck. I wanted more than to just have him in my
life. I wanted him, needed him to be a permanent fixture in it. If that
meant marriage - dear God, what is it about a wedding that makes people
go crazy? - then so be it. I'd even put up will all my mother's
craziness in planning the wedding if it meant Colton would always be
there.

What a difference a week makes.

"I have to run into the station for awhile this morning,
Jess," he
said as he tucked his shirt into his pants. "But I won't be long, I
promise."

"I know. Will you let me know what's going on?" I didn't ask
if he'd
let me know if they'd managed to find and arrest Janie. He'd tell me as
soon as it happened.

"I will." He planted a quick kiss on my lips. "Will you
explain to your mother and sister for me?"

"Coward." I smiled as he ducked his head and stared at his
feet like a kid caught about to do something he shouldn't.

"Guilty
as charged." He looked up and grinned, not a bit ashamed by the
admission. "And I promise I'll be back in plenty of time to do my
duties as groomsman. After all, I haven't seen you in your maid of
honor dress yet."

"Don't remind me," I groaned. "You've got to promise me
something."
I gripped his shirt in my hands, not caring if I wrinkled it. "You've
got to promise never to remember what it looks like and to never, ever
mention it again after today. Swear it!"

He threw his head back and laughed. Bastard. Just wait. He
wouldn't think it was so funny when he finally saw the dress.

"All
right," he said finally, carefully opening my fists, one finger at a
time, before closely checking to make sure he didn't need to change
shirts before leaving. "I'll be back by noon."

Another kiss and he was gone, leaving me to explain to my
family
that he'd soon be back.
Of course, that was easier said than done. The moment I stepped into
the kitchen, Maryanne pounced. Where was Colton? Was he still upstairs?
What did I mean he'd already left? What if something happened and he
didn't make it back for the wedding?

"Easy, little sister, easy," I soothed, turning a panicked
look at
our parents where they sat at the breakfast table. The hysterics of the
day before were a pale shadow compared to those lurking in Maryanne's
eyes just then. Maybe I should have gone with Colton. At least that
way, if he did get caught at the station, I wouldn't be here to deal
with the mess.

"B-b-but, Jessie."

"Shh." I held her close, just as I had when we were kids and
someone
had been picking on her. "He'll be here. He promised, and you know
Colton never breaks his word." I waited until she nodded once before
running her hand under her nose and sniffling. "He needed to go check
on a couple of things. That's all. And he promised he'd be back no
later than noon. That's plenty of time before we have to be at the
church."

"Jessie's right, sweetheart," Daddy put in, his voice soft and
reassuring. "Now, why don't you sit back down and try to eat some of
the pancakes your mother made for you."
Another sniffle, a watery smile, and Maryanne did as he said. I mouthed
a silent "thank you" to him and then turned to the counter where the
coffee maker rested. Before I could reach for a mug, Mom was there.
With a wink and a look I really didn't want to think about, she handed
me a mug of coffee and motioned for me to have a seat. A moment later,
a plate of pancakes appeared before me.

"When
are the other bridesmaids getting here, Maryanne?" Mom asked, even
though she knew the answer. I always said my mother is a smart woman.
Keep Maryanne focused on the details of the wedding and she wouldn't
obsess about the fact Colton had gone out.

"At eleven-thirty. The limo will be here at twelve-thirty to
take us to the church."

"Is there anything you want either of us to do this morning?"
Dad asked as he passed me the syrup.

"Just stick close." Maryanne gave a nervous smile. "I know
it's foolish, but I'm scared."

"Of course you are, darling. It's your wedding day. You're
going to
be scared, excited, anxious, nervous, elated and so many other emotions
all together and separately. It's normal."

"You felt that way?" She stared at Mom in disbelief, not that
I
blamed her. It was hard to think of Dr. Faith Jones being anything but
cool, calm, and completely in control.

"Maryanne, I was a
nervous wreck the day I married your father. I was so afraid he'd come
to his senses and realize he was about to make the biggest mistake of
his life." She reached for Daddy's hand and brought it to her lips, her
eyes shining with her love for him. "Fortunately for me, he still
hasn't figured that out."

Maybe it was the realization of just what I felt for Colton
but, for
a change, this sort of talk from my parents didn't weird me out - too
much. Instead, I smiled in understanding, knowing that the love they
had for one another was a rare and wonderful thing. Too many of my
friends growing up had come from divorced parents. I'd seen how some of
them had been used in that awful tug of war that so often happens when
divorcing spouses use the child as a weapon against their soon to be
ex. Maryanne and I had been so lucky to be spared all that.

"Your father and I are going to take a quick drive to the
country
club to check on the reception room. Is there anything else you want us
to do while we're out?" Mom asked as we cleared the table a few minutes
later.

"You'll be back before the girls get here, right?"

Again, Maryanne's panic leapt to the forefront and Mom hurried
to
her. Much as I had done earlier, she pulled Maryanne into a hug and
softly reassured her. Watching them, I smiled. Mom might be a little
misty-eyed about seeing her youngest daughter getting married, but her
love and pride in Maryanne outweighed it all.

"Well, before the two of you get all weepy, we'd better be on
our
way, Faith," Dad said, pushing back his chair and getting to his feet.
"Are you sure there's nothing else you want or need us to do, baby?"

"Just get back soon, Daddy."

He nodded and, for one brief moment, worry clouded his
expression.
It wasn't hard to guess why. Despite everything Colton had done,
despite his best arguments, his bosses had withdrawn the guards
outside. As far as they were concerned, there was no more danger. The
mastermind
behind
everything had been identified and would soon be arrested. It was time
to return to normal.

I wished I shared their certainty that nothing else would
happen.

Ten minutes later, it was just the two of us, and I'm not sure
which
of us was more nervous. Maryanne because, well, brides are supposed to
be nervous or me because I wasn't sure what to expect next from her.
Until this week, I'd never seen her display such a wide range of
emotions, nor had I seen her change from happy to sad, ecstatic to
terrified in such a short time span. Weddings really did bring out the
best and worst in people - sometimes at the same time.

"So, what now?" I asked as I folded the dishtowel and hung it
over the oven handle.

"I don't know." She smiled and shook her head. "Jessie, I
can't
believe today is finally here. In less than five hours, I'm going to be
Mrs. Brett Boudreaux."

"I know, little sister, and I'm so happy for you. All I have
to do
is look at you to see this is exactly right." And it was. I had no
doubt about it.

"It really is." She hugged herself, smiling so broadly it was
a wonder she didn't split her face.

I got ready to comment when the doorbell rang. Before I could
go see
who it was, my cell phone chimed from my pocket. Maryanne told me to
answer the call and she'd go see who was at the door. Not thinking
anything of it, I nodded and dug the cell phone out.

"Hey, babe, it's me," Colton said as soon as I answered.

"Hey, what's up? And you'd better not be calling to say you've
been
held up." I slowly left the kitchen, making my way to the front of the
house to see if Maryanne needed any help.

"No. I just wanted to let you know that I'm about to leave.
There's
still no word on Bickerstaff, but teams are out looking for her."

"Damn. I'd really hoped for better news than that."

"I know, babe, so did I," he replied. "How's your sister
holding up so far?"

Before I could answer, the front door slammed shut. I froze in
my
tracks as my mental alarms came alive. The unmistakable sound of flesh
striking flesh filled the air and I gasped in fear. Then, hearing
Maryanne cry out in fear and pain, I started forward, knowing I had to
go to her, had to help her.

"Jess?" Colton's voice buzzed in my ear, barely audible over
the
rush of blood pounding with each heartbeat. "Jessica, what's wrong?"

I slid to a halt, my mind once more starting to function. I
had to
think. Instinct wasn't enough. Not now. I had to figure out what was
happening. I had to tell Colton. Then I could go to Maryanne's rescue.