Wedding Bell Blues (6 page)

Damned stubborn fool.

"Not so far. Hopefully, we'll find something either through
fingerprints - and there were a butt-load of them so it's going to take
time to get IDs and then cross-check for criminal records and alibis.
It would have helped if Manny's security camera had actually been
working." His frustration all but bubbled over. If the camera had
worked, they might have an idea who they were looking for. Instead,
they had to rely on what I could tell them, at least until the
forensics were back, and I hadn't been of much help so far.

"Damn."

I hadn't meant to say it out loud. But I did and he looked at
me,
nodding in agreement. In that one moment, all the tension, all the hard
feelings between us were forgotten. It wouldn't last. It never did, but
it felt good. I might be stubborn, hard headed and hold a grudge longer
than most any other person, but I was also knew I needed Colton. I
needed him to find whoever had killed Manny and who had considered
killing me.

I needed him whether I liked it or not…and I most certainly
did not, for so many reasons.

"Jessie, I'll find the guys who did this. But until I do,
don't take
any risks." He pinned me with a firm look, those brown eyes dark with
concern. "I mean it."

"Colton, you know me: the most dangerous thing I do is walk
into my classroom."

He didn't say anything, just stood there, shaking his head.

"I've got to get to the station and get back on this. I'll
keep you informed."

Good manners had me walking with him to the front door. He had
stayed with me, making sure I didn't need anything during the night.
He'd even brought me my favorite ice cream and single malt, and he'd
fixed breakfast. For me. Of course, that little conversation he'd had
with my mother couldn't be forgiven, not knowing how she was going to
react. Still, he deserved to know that I did appreciate everything else.

Damn.

"Colton, thank you. I mean it."

He smiled down at me, his expression only slightly mocking.
"No, you don't. But you'll figure out how to deal with it."

"Colton!" Of course, he was right, but that didn't mean I'd
give him the satisfaction of knowing it.

"Go to church with your folks and try not to worry too much.
I'll be in touch as soon as I know anything."

He turned to the door and reached for the knob. Then, catching
me
completely off-guard, he turned back and pulled me close. "To hell with
it," he murmured just before his mouth closed over mine.

I tried to push him away. At least I think I did. I know I
told my
hands to do just that. But, traitors that they are, they pulled him in
closer, my fingers twining in his dark hair, holding his head down.
Before I knew what was happening, my body tried to melt into his. One
small part of my brain registered the pain from my injured cheek as his
mouth ravaged mine. But I didn't care. I didn't care about anything
just then except for prolonging this moment as long as possible.

I moaned softly, all resistance flowing out of me. Only to
find
myself firmly set back on my feet - when had I left them? - and Colton
rubbing a knuckle down my left cheek. His eyes sparkled with a triumph
that instantly had my defenses back in place. Well, two people can play
that game. All he'd proven was that the chemistry between us was still
there. Now I'd prove just how much he'd given up when he decided to
screw Heather Grossman on our kitchen table.

Except the son of a bitch moved back another step, opening the
door
as he did. Then he was gone, and I ground my teeth in frustration.

Bastard.

How the hell was I supposed to go to church and spend the day
with my parents after that?

"Jessie, oh my God, are you all right?"

I closed my eyes and counted slowly to ten. Then repeated it.
Wasn't
it enough I'd spent the last several hours reassuring my parents I was
all right? Sure, I looked like I'd gone ten rounds with the heavyweight
champ and had lost. Sure, I hurt in more places than I realized and
even more seemed to hurt with every hour that passed. But, until that
moment, I had been spared my sister's concern.

Oh well, all good things must come to an end…and that,
obviously, meant this time of peace.

Still, what was Maryanne doing here? She was supposed to be
spending
the day with Brett and his family. At least that's what Mom had said
earlier when I asked where Maryanne was.

"Hey, Tink." I fixed a
smile on my face, thinking rapidly. Somehow I had to keep her from
asking all the questions I'd already answered for Father Jacob, not to
mention friends and strangers at church. "I didn't expect to see you
today."

She reached out with a trembling finger to lightly touch the
bandage on my cheek. "Are you all right?" she repeated.

"I'm fine. It looks a lot worse than it really is."

That much was the truth. Both Mom and Dad had taken time to
check
the cut, carefully cleansing it and applying a new layer of antibiotic
ointment and who knows what other medicines to ensure I didn't scar.
Unfortunately, they couldn't do anything to make the bumps and bruises
hidden by my clothes hurt any less.

"Your poor face."

"Maryanne, I'm fine. Really." I waited as she dropped onto a
chair
across the kitchen table from me. She continued to stare, her
expression troubled. "And don't worry. I'm sure I'll be able to hide
the bruises with some makeup by Saturday."

"To hell with that, Jessie!"

Whoa, where did that come from?

"Easy, little sister. I'm serious. I'll be able to get rid of
the
bandage by then and makeup should hide the worst of the bruising.
Besides, think of the stories you'll be able to tell your kids one day
about how their crazy Aunt Jessica showed up to your wedding looking
like a poor excuse for a prize fighter."

"Assuming there is a wedding," she wailed and then burst into
tears.

Oh shit.

"What?" Mom demanded, turning from the sink. "What are you
talking
about?" She dried her hands on a dishtowel and rushed to where Maryanne
sat, folding her into a tight embrace. "What happened, baby?"

"Nothing, except Brett suddenly decided he's not sure he wants
to get married," she sobbed.

Double damn.

"Maryanne," Mom began and then glared angrily at Daddy when he
motioned for her to be quiet. Then he turned a look at me that sent my
stomach roiling. Crap, he expected me to handle this.

Shit, damn and fuck.

I leaned forward and grasped Maryanne's hands in mine, waiting
until she looked at me.

"What happened? Did you two have a fight?"

"No!"

Her sobs escalated into a full-blown wail any
self-respecting banshee would have envied. Then she choked it off as
huge tears began rolling down her cheeks. The sight of them made me
forget, at least for the moment, my own problems. No one treated my
little sister badly without having to answer to me. And, if she wasn't
overreacting, Brett Boudreaux would soon learn that lesson the hard way.

"Easy, Tink. Take it easy," I soothed, nodding to Mama as she
set a
cup of tea on the table in front of Maryanne and softly urged her to
drink. "I know you're upset, but you need to tell us what happened."

She wrapped her hands around the fragile china cup and stared
into
it. When she looked up, her eyes were red and swollen. But she wasn't
crying any longer. In fact, a flash of anger crossed her expression and
I relaxed a bit. Good. If she was mad, she was beginning to think and
get past the shock. Hopefully, she'd be able to tell us what happened
and we could make some sense of it.

"Jessie's right, Maryanne," Dad said, his voice soft and
reassuring even as he pulled Mom close.

"I-I can't."

"Sure, you can," I said. "Let's take it one step at a time.
You were supposed to go to Mass with Brett and his family. Did you?"

"Y-yes." She sniffled and ran the back of her right hand under
her
nose, reminding me of how she used to do just that when she was little
and someone had hurt her feelings.

"Did something happen then?"

"N-no." Another sniffle. "Everything was perfect."

"So something happened after Mass." I looked at our parents,
silently wishing one of them would take over. But no. For once in her
life, our mother was satisfied to sit silently by as someone else tried
to figure out what had happened to upset her youngest daughter. "Can
you tell me what?"

"W-we went to brunch with his parents. Then we went back to
his place. We were going to go over plans for Thursday night."

"Okay." So far, so good. Or at least it seemed that way. "Then
what?"

That did it. Maryanne threw her head down on her arms where
they
rested on the table and began to sob hysterically. Mama, Daddy and I
looked at one another helplessly for a moment before Mom motioned for
Dad and me to leave the kitchen. It was her turn to try to figure out
what had happened, and I was more than glad to let her. So, doing what
any wise woman would in that situation, I nodded and fled the kitchen,
my father on my heels.

Just in time for the phone to ring.

And, unlike Colton, I know how to use Caller ID and did so,
shaking my head to see Brett's number in the readout.

"Brett," I said, seeing how Dad stiffened before moving to my
side.

"Jessica, please tell me Maryanne's there." Brett sounded
frantic. What in the world was going on?

"What's going on, Brett? And, let me tell you right now, it
had
better be good." I drew a dup breath, willing myself to be calm.
"Maryanne's in the kitchen crying her eyes out, babbling something
about they're not going to be a wedding."

"I don't know what's going on." I could almost hear him
grinding his
teeth in frustration. "Honest to god, Jessie, I don't. We were talking
about Thursday night when her cell phone rang. She answered it and the
next thing I know, she's running out of the house, calling me every
name in the book."

I closed my eyes and thought - hard. None of this made any
sense.
But then why should it? The world fell down the rabbit hole the moment
I entered Manny's, and I had yet to find my way out.

"Do you know who called her?"

"No. She wouldn't say. She wouldn't do anything except get in
her
car and drive off. I've tried calling her, but she won't answer her
phone." He sounded so worried, I was tempted to believe he was as
clueless as he claimed.

"Okay. Talk to my father. I'll see what I can find out."

I passed the receiver to Dad and hurried back to the kitchen.
As I
entered, Mom looked up, her mouth pulled into a thin line of
frustration. Seeing her look of question, I simply shook my head. Then
I reached for Maryanne's purse where it rested on the floor beside her
chair.

"Stop it!" I snapped as Maryanne tried to snatch it back from
me. I
thought, for just a moment, she'd argue. Instead, she slumped back in
her chair. Tears shimmered in her eyes, stoking my anger. If Brett had
done anything . . . .

I rummaged through Maryanne's purse, finally locating her cell
phone
on the cotton under her wallet. I turned the phone on and ignored the
message that she'd missed two calls. Instead, I scrolled through the
received calls list. Hopefully, I'd find something to explain what was
going on.

Anger flared as the last entry came up. For a moment, I stared
at
the entry. Yep, the world had most definitely fallen direct the rabbit
hole.

"Damn it, Maryanne!" I fought the urge to scream in
frustration. "I
can't believe you fell for that bitch's tricks. You know better."

"Jessica!" Mom stared at me, her eyes wide with disbelief.

"Quiet, Mama." I reached out and forced Maryanne to look me in
the
eye. "Tell me the truth. Is all this because of something Janie
Bickerstaff said?"

At first she didn't answer. Instead, she tried to look away.
But I
wouldn't let her. I tightened my grip on her chin, shaking my head when
she looked at me, silently pleading to be left alone. Unfortunately for
her, I wasn't in the mood for her to act the fool. I'd had enough of
that with Colton this morning. So she'd better just tell me what was
going on. Then we could do whatever was necessary to make sure nothing
else happened to keep her from marrying the man she loved.

"Y-yes." She spoke so softly I wouldn't have heard her if she
hadn't been looking directly at me.

I frowned and instantly regretted it as pain flashed across my
injured cheek.

"What did she tell you?"

"I c-can't." No wailing this time, but a fresh set of tears
rolled down her cheeks.

"Maryanne, we need to know," Mom said softly, gently, from
where she knelt at my sister's side.

"Mama's right, Tink." I wondered if I ought to tell her Brett
was on
the phone, worried out of his mind, and decided against it. That could
wait until she told us what Janie had said to bring on this crisis.

"It isn't so much what she said as what she sent." She pulled
away
from me and dropped her head onto her arms as though she no longer had
the strength to sit up.

Once again I turned my attention to her cell phone. Since it
was
identical to mine, I didn't have to waste any time figuring out how to
open up any photos she might have stored. Instead, I quickly scrolled
through the pictures of her and Brett, of Brett by himself and even one
of me - interesting. I didn't know she had that one.

"That bitch," I snarled, looking at the last photo in the file.

Mom reached across the table for the phone but I quickly
foiled her
by moving the phone out of reach. The last thing any of us needed was
her seeing the photo of Brett with Janie and overreacting. At least not
until I could figure out exactly what was going on. True, the photo was
pretty damning all on its own. How could it be anything but when it
showed the two of them in what could euphemistically be called a
"compromising position"? What it really showed was the two of them
engaged in the same sort of activity that had gotten Colton tossed out
of my life without a second thought.