The Last Bride (DiCarlo Brides #6)

by Heather Tullis

  Jonquil heard Gage roll over and suck in a deep breath.

  “Are you awake?” she asked in a low voice.

  “Mmm, I think so. Something smells good.”

  “Something should smell good. It’s nearly done cooking.” She walked over and brushed the hair out of his eyes. “Feeling a little better?”

  “A little. How long did I sleep?” His eyelids lifted, then lowered again, as if it took too much effort to keep them up.

  “A couple hours.” The doorbell rang and Jonquil smiled. “That’s the rest of dinner. Give me a minute.”

  She walked to the door and frowned when it was a cute redhead instead of Delphi on the other side. “Hi, can I help you?” Jonquil asked.

  “I just wanted to check on Gage. I heard his mama was hurt and I know how close they are.” She has a darling Southern twang that made Jonquil’s teeth ache.

  I’ll just bet. “That’s very thoughtful of you. He’s resting right now. It’s been a long couple of days.”

  “Ellie? What are you doing here?” Gage came up behind Jonquil, setting a hand on her back.

  Ellie pushed past Jonquil and launched herself into Gage’s arms. “I just wanted to check on you. I’m so sorry about everything that’s going on right now.”

  Jonquil’s brows lifted as she looked at Gage. He hugged the woman back, but seemed confused, though that may have been more because of his foggy head from his nap than anything else.

  Jonquil remembered his conversation with Angela about not dating more than one woman at a time. Had he meant more than one woman, or just more than one member of her family at a time? “I’ll go finish dinner while you catch up.” Of course, he said he and Jonquil weren’t actually dating, didn’t he? She’d show him not dating if the girl thought she had something going with Gage.

  Delphi’s car pulled in front of the house and Jonquil went out to get the rest of the food.

  “Who’s that?” Delphi asked, peering into the doorway where Ellie was hanging on Gage’s arm.

  Jonquil narrowed her eyes at the woman who could have walked out of a shampoo commercial. “I don’t know, but if she’s not gone soon, we’re going to have words.”

  “I sure wouldn’t stand in your way.” Delphi grinned and headed back to her car.

  “Thanks for bringing the food,” Jonquil said.

  “No problem.”

  Jonquil returned to the house, catching the possessive light in Ellie’s eye when she entered. “The rest of dinner is here,” Jonquil announced. “I’ll go throw it together.”

  “It’s so sweet of you to do this for our Gage,” Ellie said, sliding one arm behind Gage’s back.

  Gage shifted away, his eyes moving between Ellie and Jonquil. He seemed clearly aware that Jonquil wasn’t happy.

  “Yes. Isn’t it?” Jonquil dropped the bags on the counter beside her and started unloading it. “I’m just full of sweetness when it comes to Gage.”

  “What would I do without you?” he asked, coming up beside her.

  “With any luck, you’ll never have to know.” Jonquil smirked a little at Ellie and got to work slicing the French bread for garlic toast.

  “I appreciate you stopping by.” Gage crossed back to the door, opening it for Ellie. “Tell your mom that I’ll have mine call in a day or two when she’s feeling better. I’m sure she’d love company.”

  “Sure. I’ll tell her.” Ellie shot Jonquil a nasty glare and smiled easily for Gage before leaving.

  Jonquil smiled to herself as she slathered the bread with margarine.

  “You know there’s nothing going on with her, right?”

  “Good. I take it you’ve known her since you were kids and that your mamas are bosom buddies?” She set the knife aside and pulled out the herb mixture she used at home.

  Gage’s arms came around her from behind, pulling her back against him. “I’ve never been the least interested in Ellie. She pokes around here periodically, hoping to catch my eye, but I’ve never been tempted to ask her out.”

  “Luckily for you, I believe you.”

  “Then why are you angry?”

  “I’m not… okay, I am.” She set down the herbs and turned to face him. “I’m seriously irritated, but more at myself than anyone. Well, no, I’m more irritated with her than myself.”

  “I get why you’re irritated with her but why yourself?” He slid his hands onto her hips and stepped closer.

  “I don’t get jealous and catty. Usually.”

  Gage grinned. “I have to admit, I kind of liked it.”

  “So you’re all about having women fight over you?”

  “No. I’m all about having you fight for me.” And his mouth covered hers, soft and lingering. His lips trailed along her jaw and to the sensitive spot of flesh below her ear.

  Jonquil gasped even as she tipped her head to give him better access. His moves were deliberate and possessive, drawing her in even while his hand stayed still, unassuming. She slid her hands up his back, appreciating the way his muscles contracted under her hands, the firmness under his soft cotton T-shirt.

  His thumbs quested below the hem of her shirt, brushing across the bare skin of her waist.

  “Whoa.” She sucked in a breath and pushed him back. “I gotta finish putting things together.” While she was still in control of herself.

  “I think dinner can wait,” he said, kissing her cheek and then moving back toward her mouth.

  “No. No it can’t.” She had to breathe, had to take a moment to think. She batted away his hands and turned to the oven, checking to see that the top of the lasagna was bubbling and melty. She grabbed the oven mitts she’d dug out of a drawer earlier and removed it, and then slid the French bread into the oven.

  “What’s going on?” Gage asked her after a moment.

  “We said we’re in the friend zone. Obviously we’re not anymore.” She grabbed the tomatoes and began chopping them up.

  Gage leaned back against the counter. “No, I don’t suppose we are.”

  “So what are we?” She watched him out of the corner of her eye as she prepared the salad, not sure what she thought and most certainly not ready to speculate about the future. Even getting to this point seemed a little miraculous, expecting more seemed like tempting fate—something would have to come between them.

  He paused to consider, then said, “I guess we’re dating. I have to admit, the thought of you dating someone else puts my teeth on edge. You obviously feel the same way, if Ellie irritated you.”

  Jonquil threw the tomatoes onto the salad and set down the knife again. “So we’re dating. Exclusively?”

  “Is that what you want?” he asked.

  More than anything. “I could live with that. But I’m not sleeping with you today.”

  He mouth dropped slightly. “What? I mean, left field, anyone?”

  She lifted her brow at him. That was not even remotely from left field. “I know what you were thinking a few minutes ago when we were kissing. It wasn’t that far from my mind, either.” When he shifted closer, she held up a hand to stave him off, wanting to get her point across. “But it’s way too soon. So kissing, yeah, I’m all for it, but you’re going to have to wait for the rest for a while because I don’t jump into bed with every guy I date.”

  “I never thought you did.” He tipped his head and smiled. “It wasn’t that far from your mind, though?”

  “I definitely want to put a bookmark in it for a little while, if you don’t mind.”

  He tipped her head up and kissed her. “I think I can wait.”

  Jonquil smiled and nudged him away again so she could check on the garlic bread.

  They were finishing up dinner when Joel and Sage stopped by.

  “Come in,” Gage gestured for them to enter. “You have any news about Natalie?” He’d been checking his phone every twenty minutes, wondering if he might have missed a call with an update.

  Jonquil put a hand on his arm, making him pause and calm down. He was
tied up in knots.

  Joel and Sage took the sofa while Gage and Jonquil sat across from them.

  “I’ve been in contact with the detective several times today and have been back to your mom’s place,” Joel said. “It looks like someone got in through the sliding glass door to the living room and ran into your mom, then found your sister. They dug through everything in Natalie’s room. The cops lifted prints and checked out the security system, but they’re no closer to figuring out who has Natalie. Not right now. They’ll need more information.”

  Gage nodded. “They need to have a chat with Liam, her old boyfriend. Natalie said that he introduced her to the bookie. Maybe he knows what’s going on.” Gage’s voice rose with each sentence as anxiety filled him. They had found out nothing else about the kidnapping while he was with his mom? How could they be no closer after a full day?

  “The detective did try to contact him, but he left town a few weeks ago and no one seems to know what happened to him. His family claims they have no idea where he is and haven’t heard from him either. His mom is worried now that he might have been a prior victim.” Joel’s expression turned grim. “We’re hitting nothing but dead ends. The detective still has some feelers out, looking for answers, but he’s not optimistic about finding Liam now. In the meantime, Vince has been questioning Natalie’s closest friends, hoping one of them knows something that will be helpful.”

  Gage pushed out of the sofa and whirled around, pacing across the floor before turning to face Joel. “They said not to bring the police into this. What if one of her friends is in on it and word gets back to the kidnappers? What do we do then?”

  “That’s why Vince is doing it instead. Jeremy is going to help. They’re just saying that you’re looking for Natalie’s old boyfriend because he has something of hers that he didn’t return. It’s not a perfect solution, but it’ll help us weed out the ones who didn’t even know him. We hope. Then we’ll go from there.”

  Jonquil turned to Sage. “How is this going to turn out? Do you know?”

  Sage shrugged. “I haven’t been able to get any clear answers. You know I often can’t tell.”

  “Why are you asking her? She’s not all-knowing,” Gage bit out at Jonquil, irritated.

  “You don’t have to believe it,” Jonquil said defensively. “Heck, I didn’t believe that psychic stuff either, until I met her. But she knows things sometimes, things she really couldn’t otherwise. It was worth asking.”

  Gage couldn’t believe Jonquil bought into the crap, but didn’t want to argue about it. “So now what?”

  “Now you need to speak with the detective. He’d like to come here to talk to you and see if he can jog your memory. I can stay, or have Vince or Jeremy come back here with you.”

  It had been bad enough sitting in his mom’s hospital room all night and most of the day feeling completely useless. This wasn’t any better.

  Jonquil rose and walked over to him, putting a hand on his arm. “It can’t hurt, can it?”

  His hand fisted, then released. “No, it can’t hurt.” All it could do was waste his time, but he had the money, or he was supposed to have the money by the next day, and he hadn’t heard from the kidnappers yet, so all he could do was wait. Talking with the detective was more constructive than staring at the wall, in any case. “Tell him to come over.”

  “Great.”

  “We’ll have a family meeting at the house afterward,” Sage said.

  “Why would you all hold a family meeting for me?” Gage asked. “I’m not your family.”

  Sage walked over, her dark gypsy eyes sparkling as she glanced pointedly at Jonquil and then back at him. “That’s what you think.” She moved up to her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. “I know congratulations are a little premature, but I’ll give them anyway.”

  Jonquil crossed her arms over her chest. “Very cute.”

  “Are you getting jealous of your older sister now?” Gage teased though he was a little freaked that Sage thought they were going to end up married or something.

  “Are you kidding?” Jonquil asked. “If you even looked at Sage with slight interest in your eyes Joel would probably rearrange your entire body. I don’t think you’re that stupid.”

  “Not even close,” Gage agreed.

  “Good to hear it,” Joel said, deadpan.

  Sage just laughed and set her hand on her pregnant belly.

  “Call the detective,” Gage said. Sage was a beautiful woman, but she never held a tenth the fascination for him that he felt for Jonquil. And the fact that Joel was a trained Navy SEAL who would do whatever it took to protect his wife would be incentive enough for any man to leave her alone.

  Detective Carlson had worked on some of the DiCarlo family cases, so Gage knew Joel was familiar with him. Though Gage had lived in town his whole life, he’d never had a reason to get to know him. Now he wished they had been at least passing acquaintances.

  Sage joined Jonquil in the kitchen while the men sat in the living room going over everything Gage knew or thought he might know. He answered every question at least three times and felt like he was being interrogated, as if they thought he was responsible for everything. His hands fisted on his lap as he tried to keep his frustration and exhaustion from making him react harshly to the questioning.

  “Are you looking to arrest me?” he finally asked when his temper had reached its breaking point.

  “No, you’re not a suspect,” the detective said. “We know your alibis are good, I’m just hoping you’ll think of something new if we ask the questions in a different way.”

  “Well, it’s not working.” Gage huffed and covered his face with his hands. “Sorry. I’ve had less than four hours of sleep in the past thirty-six. My mom’s in the hospital, my sister is missing and I just need to sleep before I fall over.”

  “It’s a stressful time. I know that.” The detective closed his notebook and stood. “You did well, by the way. I’ll call if I have any other questions that come to mind.”

  “Thanks. I appreciate your time and attention on this.” Mostly Gage just wanted to fall into bed and forget everything for the rest of the night, but he knew he couldn’t do that with the family meeting ahead of him.

  He heard the vacuum turn off but it took him a moment to realize one of the girls had been in his room upstairs. Vacuuming. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d gotten around to that and wondered what else the ladies had been up to.

  Joel saw the detective out the door and Gage headed through the sparkling kitchen and up the stairs to the bedroom, which hosted a perfectly made bed, dusted dressers and tables and vacuumed floors. The bathroom shone and even his make-shift office looked good. These women were cleaning demons. He found Sage scrubbing the sink in the spare bath and Jonquil scrubbing out the tub. He watched them for a moment, touched and a little embarrassed.

  “You didn’t have to clean my place for me. I mean, thanks, I appreciate it, but you didn’t have to.”

  “Of course we didn’t, but when things are stressful, it’s nice to have a clean home to come back to,” Sage said. “And we thought you deserved to have someone take care of you for a change instead of the other way around.”

  He blinked for a moment, not knowing what to think. Too tired to process, anyway. “Well, thanks.”

  Sage smiled as she took a final swipe across the faucet, making it shine. She moved past him, down the stairs to join her husband as the front door shut.

  Gage looked at Jonquil, wondering how he ended up dating someone like her. “You know I don’t expect my girlfriends to cook and clean for me. I’m not complaining, but it’s not why I want you around.”

  She straightened, and, holding her wet and soapy arms away from both of them, she leaned in and kissed him. “If it were, I wouldn’t be here taking care of it.”

  He set his hands on either shoulder and kissed her back. “Thanks.”

  “You’re welcome.” She moved off to finish with the tub.

&
nbsp; Gage shook his head, wondering how he got so lucky.

  Jonquil was exhausted. She’d had only a few hours to rest in the uncomfortable waiting room chair the previous night and she’d kept busy moving and stayed awake since getting to Gage’s house that evening. The family meeting at the house was great for raising her spirits if all you need is a big go-team, but it wasn’t otherwise productive, and left her ready to drop. At least Alex would be there in the morning with most of the money for the ransom, and the rest had been arranged from the local banks.

  Beyond ready for bed, Jonquil was grateful when Gage leaned over, nudging her a little. “You look ready to pass out. If you’ve reached your limit and want to get some sleep, that’s okay.”

  She had been fighting to keep her eyes open. “That’s probably a good idea. I’m a little worn out.” She stood. “You’ve got to be worse.”

  He followed suit. “I’ll just walk you down.”

  Jonquil was happy with that suggestion, as she’d love a goodnight kiss. There were still too many of her sisters sitting around to do it in the living room. She said goodnight to everyone else and he helped her down the stairs to her room.

  “You look as tired as I feel,” he said.

  “I feel as tired as you look.” She smiled and slid her arms around his neck.

  He pulled her into a hug. “Thanks for coming with me to Denver, for spending your evening cleaning up and feeding me and just generally taking care of me. I know you had work and everything you had to rearrange.”

  She leaned away from him, her heart breaking at the exhaustion on his face. “I’m glad I could be there for you. Try to get some sleep tonight and call me before you leave for Denver tomorrow.”

  “You’re not coming back with me again,” he said as if he couldn’t believe it. “What about your work?”