Weddings Can Be Murder (24 page)

Ben’s arms remained crossed. “You know what Tami says? She says your commitment problems go back to Mom. I’m beginning to think she’s right.”

Carl ground his teeth. “And when did your wife get her shrink license?”

“She’s pretty good at reading people.” Ben looked at Carl as if he was trying to do some reading himself. “It wasn’t your fault. Mom made the choice. She was tired of suffering. And if I’d been the one who’d found out, and
she asked me not to tell? Hey, I’d have done the same thing you did. It would have killed me inside, too. But I’d have done it.”

Carl refused to shovel through the past. “Well, why don’t I just pull out my checkbook and pay for this little session.”

“Just don’t say I didn’t try.” Ben shoved away from the car and waved toward the florist’s shop. “You want to do this together?”

“Isn’t that against your rules?” Carl bit back.

“Get your ass off your shoulders, brother,” Ben snapped.

“Please, take me back to my car,” Katie told Tami, and tried not to let any emotion show on her face. “I just realized I can stay with a friend. I shouldn’t be burdening any of you.”

“It’s not a burden,” Mr. Hades tossed into the conversation.

Tami studied her as if downloading everything from Katie’s mind. “Dad, watch Benny, Katie and I are going to take a walk.”

“Sorry,” Mr. Hades said, “but considering someone might be after her, I think a walk is out of the question. Now, if you want to go sit out on my patio, make yourself at home.”

Tami walked to the sliding glass doors. “Katie?”

Katie could hear the conversation already,
You slept with
my brother-
in-
law without even knowing him, so stop being
surprised that he isn’t living up to your standards. Stop acting
as if he’s broken your heart
.

Well, Katie didn’t need Tami telling her what she already knew. What she needed was a ride back to her car. Yup, the sooner she forgot that man, the better she’d be. But since Carl’s sister-in-law seemed pretty stubborn, Katie stiffened her backbone and stepped outside.

Tami pulled out the two chairs at the patio table. Katie sank down into one and fought the urge to bang her head against the table the way Les did when she got frustrated.

“Let me start with saying I love Carl. And—”

Katie held her hand. “I’m not blaming Carl for anything. It’s my fault. I know that.”

“Your fault?” Tami made a face. “It’s your fault that my brother-in-law is being a total scumbag asshole?” She touched Katie’s arm. “Sorry, but this one isn’t on your head. Carl is in such deep doo-doo with me right now, he’ll never eat another one of my pies as long as he lives. And the next time he comes over with his dirty laundry, I’m washing his boxers in the detergent that gives both him and his brother the worst case of jock itch known to mankind.”

Tears came to Katie’s eyes, and she tried really hard not to let them fall, but one got past her.

Tami huffed. “His balls will be peeling for a week.”

Maybe it was the peeling-balls statement that did it, but suddenly Katie didn’t need to cry. She laughed. “Thanks.”

“No thanks needed. But here’s what I do need.” The woman leaned her arms on the table. “Don’t put yourself in danger because Carl’s an ass. The only thing I know is you are somehow connected to those two women who were found in the woods yesterday. I don’t know details, but I know my husband. And when he comes home and spends half the night in his son’s room, it’s because he’s seen something so ugly that nothing short of watching an innocent child sleep will help.”

Tami inhaled. “Dad and Ben, and even my asshole of a brother-in-law, excel at taking care of people. Don’t go.”

Katie folded her hands together. While she ached to escape Carl, the image of Ben watching little Benny sleep filled her head. “I wish I knew what I’d done to get…banished.”

“Look, I’d say you didn’t do anything. From the get-go,
you had Carl tied in knots. He came over the day after you two were locked up. He made Ben promise to make sure you were safe. And when Ben asked him why he couldn’t go, he got all huffy and said, ‘It’s not my job.’”

“But it wasn’t his job,” Katie said.

“No, but if it wasn’t his job, why was he so worried about you? And Ben told me that Carl got worked up when Ben joked with him about you throwing yourself at him the day he went to see you.”

Katie blushed. “I thought he was Carl that time, too.”

“Oh, I know. The moment I saw your face when you realized you had a hold of my husband’s ass, I stopped worrying.” Tami smiled. “What I’m saying is I think Carl cares about you. That’s why he’s being an ass. Not that it excuses him. And God forbid I tell you to forgive him, or give him another chance, but the best punishment would be for you to stay and make the dirtbag pay. I’ll bet fifty bucks that he can’t stay away from you.”

Taking a breath, Katie asked the question. “Did Carl ask you to bring me back here so he wouldn’t have to deal with me?”

“All he told Ben was that…that he didn’t think your staying at his place was a good idea. For us to bring you here. We thought you knew about the changes until we got there.”

Carl really was dumping her. Welcome to the Poked List!

“But you can’t put yourself in danger because—”

Katie held up her palm. “I’ll stay.” Probably not for the reasons Tami thought. The idea of Carl paying didn’t appeal to her. Okay, it did. He’d been an ass. And revenge could be sweet. But that wasn’t the reason she was agreeing to stay. It was what Tami said about Ben spending hours watching his son. She sure as heck didn’t want to be the next reason Ben Hades or any cop spent hours staring at an innocent child trying to forget how her body had been mutilated.

Now, if she could just convince herself that her heart hadn’t already been handed the same fate.

Carl and Ben walked into the florist’s shop and Carl asked for Sarah. The clerk said she’d be right with them. As they waited, Ben started looking around. “Maybe I’ll buy Tami some flowers.”

Carl walked over to the cooler with his brother; the red flowers from the other day caught his eye.

“Can I help you?”

He and Ben turned to Edwards’s assistant.

“Hi again.” Sarah led them to her office. When Carl introduced Ben as his brother, she appeared surprised. “Normally the grooms or the groomsmen don’t care about the flowers.”

Ben looked at him and flashed his badge. “Actually, ma’am, we need to ask a few questions about your boss.”

The woman didn’t look all that surprised. “About what?”

Carl sat down in one of the flimsy metal chairs. “Do you know if there were any bad feelings between Mr. Edwards and Tabitha Jones, the wedding planner?”

The woman paled. “Is this about her murder?”

“Please just answer the question.” Ben stared at her dead-on.

“I…A few months ago, they were seeing each other.”

Ben’s eyes widened, and Carl could tell that Edwards hadn’t mentioned this in his interview. “Did it end badly?” Ben asked.

“I…wouldn’t know.” Sarah gulped.

Carl leaned in. “Is it customary for you to send flowers to the bride and groom a few weeks before the wedding?”

“You mean, from the florist?”

“Yes,” Carl added. “Just as a congratulations.”

She blinked. “We’ve…never done that.”

Ben and Carl exchanged a knowing glance. “So, the florist didn’t send Katie Ray flowers Monday evening?”

The woman’s brows arched. “You mean the Ray–Lyon wedding?”

“Yes.” Carl’s gut tightened at hearing Katie’s name associated with the man who’d been supposed to marry her.

Sarah appeared confused. “You must be mistaken. Ms. Jones notified us last Saturday that we wouldn’t be doing that wedding. I’ve already canceled the orders on those flowers.”

Someone called to Sarah from the front, and she excused herself. Ben took out his cell phone and punched in a few digits.

“It’s Hades,” he said. “Has Joe Lyon been in to make an ID on the photos yet?” Pause. “Great.” A smile twisted his lips, and he hung up. “He picked Edwards out. I think we got him.”

“You can let go anytime.” Katie pulled out of Les’s embrace. Les had stopped by Mr. Hades’ place unannounced.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “But when I called your cell and Ben Hades said you were with a bodyguard, it really sank in. My best friend has a serial killer after her.”

“Sucks, doesn’t it?” Katie admitted.

“I’ll say.” Les looked around Hades senior’s apartment. “Then he made me swear I wouldn’t tell anyone where you’re staying. Especially my mom, since Mr. Hades said that’s how the creep found our hotel room. I’m so sorry, I never dreamed that—”

“It’s fine,” Katie said. And that was a big fat lie. Since Tami left, Katie had battled the war of tears. Every few minutes she’d get a flashback of how totally unbelievable last night had been. And it wasn’t the sex.

Okay, it was
also
the sex. But it was other stuff, too. How they’d laughed, teased, and how, as long as Carl had been around, she’d felt safe. With him not being around anymore, she hadn’t felt safe all afternoon. She’d started again having those flashbacks of Tabitha getting shot.
Yep. Her mind kept flipping from flashbacks of great sex to a bloody Tabitha. Now, wasn’t that a combination?

Katie led Les into the extra bedroom and they plopped their butts down on the bed the way girlfriends do when it’s time to talk about serious stuff.

Les studied her. “You’re chewing your lip. What happened?”

Katie fell back and stared at the ceiling. “I fucked up.”

Les dropped back beside her. “Just so I’m clear. You said ‘fucked,’ not ‘fudged’?”

“It’s f-word worthy. I slept with him.”

“And now you realize you still love Joe?” Les asked.

Katie twisted to look at her. “No!”

Les looked relieved. “Then why is it f-word worthy?”

Katie didn’t answer.

Les sat up. “He sucked in bed, huh?”

“No. It was…okay.” Katie gritted her teeth. She could not lie. “Oh, Les, he was so amazing. Curl you toes, dig your heels into the mattress amazing.”

Les giggled, then grew serious. “You had great sex with a hunky man who’s trying to protect you, and yet you still look as if someone ran over your pet rock? What am I missing?”

“Because he is such a dickhead,” Katie said.

“Ouch. You never say ‘dickhead.’ This must be really bad.”

Katie snatched a bed pillow and hugged it. “He left this morning without a word. Not a thank-you or even ‘I’ve got your number and I’ll call you.’”

“Ouch.”

Katie bit down on her lip. “And when I woke up, his brother and sister-in-law were there with orders to bring me here. Apparently he doesn’t want me to stay at his house anymore.”

“Dickhead!” Les snapped.

“I know.” A wave of heartache washed over Katie. “So
tell me why it hurts so much? I shouldn’t miss a dickhead.”

“The leg humpers are the ones who hurt us the most. Remember Paul who you so inappropriately reminded me of earlier?”

Katie nodded. “Paul was definitely a dickhead.”

Les sighed. “And it seems they are the best in bed, too.”

Katie’s eyes widened. “Les Grayson, shame on you. Are you saying Paul was better than my brother?”

Guilt shadowed Les’s face. “Not better. Just different.”

Although Katie didn’t think Les realized it, this was the first time since Mike’s death that she had mentioned anything about an old boyfriend. Which meant maybe Les was moving on. Maybe? Then Les touched her ring under her shirt.

Katie pulled Les’s hand away. “It’s time to let him go.”

Les’s eyes grew moist. “I loved him so much, but I think what’s going on in my head right now isn’t just about letting him go. I’m afraid. I’m so afraid of falling in love and then losing it again. I couldn’t live through losing someone else.” She blinked and another tear escaped.

Katie took Les’s hand in hers. “You’re just confused. Because Les Grayson, the girl who went skinny-dipping in the Guataloupe River, who snuck boys up into our dorm room, who tells Boston chefs that their fried chicken just isn’t southern enough, why, that Les Grayson isn’t afraid of anything.”

Les sniffled and chuckled at the same time. Then she got all serious looking. “I know that Joe told you that…”

“That you two are attracted to each other,” Katie finished.

Les’s brow puckered. “I swear, Katie, when I first laid eyes on him at the bar, I didn’t know who he was and it was like…
wow
. And when I found out who he was, I nearly croaked.”

Katie sighed. “Les, please listen to me. Honestly, I’ve
dug deep inside of myself looking for maybe just a tiny bit of resentment, but it’s not there. There’s not a good reason why…why you and Joe couldn’t see where it leads.”

“I don’t think that would be a good idea,” Les said.

“Why not?” Katie asked.

“So many reasons,” Les said; then she dropped back onto the bed. “What are you going to do about Dickhead?”

“Forget him,” Katie said. “I hate being on the Poked List.”

Les rolled over. “Do you love him?”

“Love? You’re joking, right?” Silence reigned, and then the truth started bubbling to the surface. “When I’m with him, I feel safe, and this is going to sound so corny, but it’s like he gets me, like he sees inside me. Remember what I told you about him giving me the elephant painting? I barely knew the guy and yet he somehow sensed how important painting was to me. And he can just look at me and know when I’m feeling panicked. He says to me, ‘Breathe, Red.’ And every time he’s said that, he’s been right on target.”

Katie hugged the pillow closer. “And he makes me laugh and…I’ve always had to work at being a Ray. I never felt good enough, or poised enough, or pretty enough, or witty enough. But when I’m with Carl, I feel all those things.”

She closed her eyes. “Oh, God, Les. I think I am this close to falling in love with a dickhead.”

They both just sat there for a long minute, before Les asked again. “So, what are you going to do about Dickhead?”

Katie sat up, still hugging the pillow. “If I see him again, I’m going to kick his ass.”

Les laughed. “I trained you well.”

Baby and Precious greeted Carl with affection at the door. He knelt and gave them both a few pats. Then, standing, he stared at the sofa. He envisioned Red there.

He needed a beer. He stepped into the kitchen, and damn if he didn’t see Katie in there, too. Peering at him from behind the pantry door, embarrassed because his dad interrupted…He gazed at the sink and got a hard-on.
Shit
. He grabbed a beer.

Being a masochist, he went to his bedroom, stared at the rumpled sheets. Visions flashed—of how she’d looked sitting on top of him, riding him, of how she’d tasted between her thighs, of how tight she’d been when…He inhaled. Her musky scent still hung in the air.

He went and sat down at the dining room table, the only place her memory didn’t cling. Then his mind created the image of the clothes piled on the dining room floor. Hers. His. Together.