by HELEN HARDT
Brad went slightly rigid beside me. The seconds stretched into what seemed like hours.
But no one spoke.
Had he been expecting Wendy? How could he be, when she was locked in a mental health facility? They didn’t just let you walk out of places like that. I should know.
Finally, the minister continued. “Do you, Bradford, take Daphne to be your wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do you part?”
Brad smiled at me. “I do.”
“And do you, Daphne, take Bradford to be your husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do you part?”
“I do,” I said, willing my voice not to shake.
“The rings, please.”
Rings? We had rings. Of course we had to have rings. With everything else going on, I hadn’t thought of any of that. Brad—or at least Mazie—apparently had, thank goodness.
I lost track of the words as Brad placed a ring on my left finger. Diamonds sparkled in the sunlight. It was beautiful.
Patty then handed me a simple gold band. I trembled as I placed it on his finger, repeating the words the minister said.
“With this ring, I thee wed.”
“By the power invested in me by the state of Colorado,” the minister said, “I now pronounce you husband and wife. Brad, you may kiss the bride.”
Brad grabbed me and pulled me to him. He crushed his lips to mine in a powerful kiss.
Our first kiss as husband and wife.
And it was a doozy.
I was already light-headed from nausea and nerves.
This kiss took me over the top.
My body wavered, and if Brad hadn’t been holding me, I no doubt would have fallen.
The sun seemed to cloud over, and the happy voices surrounding us became a cloudy din.
Happy, I was happy.
So why…
Why did I feel so…?
Then…nothing.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Brad
Daphne went limp in my arms.
I broke the kiss, holding her. “Baby?”
The string quartet began to play. We were supposed to walk back down the makeshift aisle now, as man and wife.
But my wife had passed out.
What was I supposed to do?
Murph nudged me. “Everything okay, bro?”
“She fainted,” I said.
“Oh. Shit. What should we do?”
“I don’t know.” I made a quick decision. I lifted her in my arms and carried her down the aisle like a child.
Lucy and Jonathan, along with my mother, raced behind me.
“Is she okay?” Lucy asked.
“She passed out,” I said. “I need to get her to a bed.”
“Poor thing,” Mom said. “This is just all too much for her. She’s so young, and she’s been sick with the pregnancy.”
I hoped Mom was right. That was all it was.
I took Daphne to the room she stayed in and laid her on the bed. I softly patted her cheek. “Baby? Baby, are you all right?”
Her eyes fluttered open. “Brad?”
“Yeah, it’s me.”
“Are we married?”
“We are. What happened, honey?”
“I’m not sure. I just got really light-headed.”
“Are you better now? Can you sit up?”
“I haven’t eaten anything today.”
“Oh, Daphne, no wonder you fainted. You need to eat. Your body is working hard right now, nourishing our baby.”
“If I need to eat, why does my body make me feel so horrible?”
“I don’t know, but that’s the way pregnancy is. You know that.”
She sat up. “I can’t go back out there.”
“Why?”
“Why? Because I’m completely embarrassed, Brad. I fainted at my own wedding. Now they’re all going to know why we got married.”
“Most of them know anyway. Besides, everyone knows why a couple gets married as young as we are and as early as we are in our relationship. There’s nothing to be ashamed of.” I touched her soft hair. “You’re still…happy about this, right?”
She cupped my cheek. “Of course I am. I just wish my body hadn’t betrayed me like this. I feel like such a fool.”
“You can’t help what happened. But Daphne, you have to eat. Even when you feel sick, you have to force yourself to eat. For the baby’s sake.”
She nodded. “You’re right. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry. Just take care of yourself. I love you.”
“I love you too.”
“Are you strong enough to come out?”
“I will be. Could you get me some crackers and water? And maybe some protein? I’ll force it all down.”
I kissed her forehead. “Of course. I’ll be right back. I’ll send your parents in. They’re worried about you.”
“Okay.”
“Go ahead in,” I told Lucy and Jonathan when I left the room. “She’s awake. She needs something to eat. I’m going to get it for her.”
On my way to the kitchen, I was waylaid by my father. “How is she?”
“She’s okay. She just hasn’t eaten.”
“I’ll have Belinda fix her a tray.”
“It’s okay. I’ve got it, Dad.”
My father gripped my shoulder. “She’s your responsibility now.”
“I know that.”
“Do better than I did, son.”
I plan to.
I didn’t say the words, though. This was my wedding day, and I wasn’t going to pick a fight with my father.
He continued, “You have your hands full with this one.”
“I know what I’m getting into.”
“Do you?” He cocked his head.
“Damn.” I shook my head, scoffing. “You had her checked out, didn’t you?”
“Did you think I wouldn’t?”
“Dad, I’ve had a few other things on my mind lately.” Including things he didn’t even know about. “But I can’t say I’m surprised.”
“You shouldn’t be.”
“Why didn’t you come to me with what you knew before we were married?”
“I thought about it. I did. But there was the issue of the child.”
“For God’s sake. You thought I’d back out, and you want the baby. Of all the—”
“Keep your voice down, Brad.”
I looked around. He was right. The wedding and reception were outside, but stragglers were milling around inside the house. Still, I couldn’t deny the anger whirring through me like the blade of a buzz saw.
“You were afraid you wouldn’t get your grandchild,” I hissed.
“What do my motives matter at this point? You know everything anyway.”
“I do, but Daphne doesn’t.”
“I know.”
“Her father told me everything. Does that surprise you?”
“A little, but I don’t know the man. I will, though. I’ve got my best men looking into him.”
“You’re checking Jonathan out? Seriously?”
“Yes, seriously.”
“He’s a man who loves his daughter. He wanted to make sure I was serious about marrying her, and he told me point blank that if I wanted to back out, he and Lucy would take care of her and the baby.”
“Lucy is another matter.”
“You know about that too?”
“Of course. Do you think there’s anything I don’t know about concerning you?”
I stopped myself from gulping. Did he know about the Future Lawmakers? Did he know that Theo, Tom, and Larry were most likely getting into drugs? Did he know I’d fronted them money out of my own accounts?
Of course he did.
He knew about Wendy, then, too.
About the miscarriage.
No wonder his reaction to that news in Dr. Pelletier’s office had seemed off.
He knew about…everything.
Nothing I could do about it now, no matter how livid I was. I forcefully unclenched my fists. “I’m married now, Dad. I’m going to be a father. Stop spying on me.”
“I can’t do that.”
“Why the fuck not?”
“You’ll understand when your child is born.” He turned and walked away.
As angry as I was, I had to give him credit. He’d never interfered in my life. He hadn’t interfered with Wendy until I asked him to. He spied, he knew everything, and then he let me deal with the fallout.
I’d do better for my own children.
I’d be there for them.
Always.
Count on it, I said silently to the child resting in Daphne’s belly. I’ll always be there for you.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Daphne
Brad sat next to me as I forced down the crackers and mild cheddar he’d brought me. Once I ate, I had to admit I felt a little better.
“Ready to go out and meet your public?” he asked.
“My public?”
“Sure. You’re queen for a day. It’s your wedding day, Daphne. Everyone wants to see you.”
“I don’t know anyone except my parents and Patty and Ennis.”
“You’ll meet them. I’ll introduce you.”
I stood finally and felt a lot less weak than I had previously. “Let me make sure I’m presentable.” I walked to the bathroom. Not bad. My makeup was fine and my hair okay. I walked back out. Now or never. “I’m ready.”
Brad and I walked through the house and out into the backyard, where people were talking in groups and Belinda was helping the caterers set up.
Brad’s friend Theo approached us. “There you are,” he said. “Feeling better?”
“Yeah, I am. Thanks.”
“She just needed to eat something,” Brad said.
“I like you better this way,” I said.
“What?” Theo’s eyes widened.
“Without the blue contacts,” I said.
“Oh, right. I forgot I was wearing them that day we met in town. They’re kind of uncomfortable.”
“You look much better with your own natural eyes.” In fact, Theo was incredibly handsome in a dark and Mediterranean way.
“I’ll remember that. Congratulations, you two.”
“Thanks, Theo,” Brad said.
My half brother, Larry, was next to approach. “Hey,” he said.
“Hi.”
We had no idea what to say to each other because our contact had been so minimal over the years. I always wondered why, but Dad and Mom never talked about it much. Dad saw Larry one weekend per month in Grand Junction. He never came to Westminster to visit us.
Larry didn’t look like my brother at all, though he did bear a resemblance to my father. Larry was blond, though, and his hairline was receding. He seemed pretty young to be going bald.
“Hey, Larry,” Brad said. “Thanks for coming.”
“Wouldn’t have missed it. When you have a minute, I need to talk to you.”
“Sure. Maybe later,” Brad said.
“Can you spare a few now?” Larry asked.
“Go ahead,” I said. “I’m fine.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah, now that I’ve eaten something, I feel a lot better.”
“All right.” Brad left with my half brother.
Ennis approached me then. “Feeling better, love?”
“Yeah. This pregnancy thing isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.”
“I don’t think it was ever cracked up to be fun.”
“How are things with you and Pat?” I asked.
“Good. We’re taking it slow.”
“I’m glad to hear that.”
He chuckled. “Why is that? Don’t want me to get any?”
“No, no, that’s not what I mean.” I’d put my foot in my mouth. Patty wasn’t known to be discriminating. She’d slept with two different guys our first week at college. Ennis was a nice guy, and I wanted this to work out between them.
“What do you mean, then?”
“I just hope it works out for you. You two are my only friends at college.”
“Only because you and your husband have been inseparable since day one.”
I smiled. He was right. Brad and I had met, and fate took its course. “I like seeing you and Patty together. You’re a nice guy, Ennis.”
He feigned a heart attack. “Ah! The worst thing to say.”
“What’s wrong with being a nice guy?”
“Nice guys finish last, as you Yanks like to say.”
“I’ve never said that.”
Ennis gestured toward Patty, who was talking to Sean Murphy. “Do I have anything to worry about there?”
How did I answer that? Patty had slept with Sean our first night at college and then again the second night. They hadn’t been together since, though. That I knew of, anyway.
“No, of course not. They’re over. In fact, they never really began.”
“She told me about it.”
“Good. I’m glad. If it’s going to work with you guys, there shouldn’t be any secrets hanging over you.”
“What about the other one?”
“Rex? Please. Sean’s at least a nice guy. Rex is a jerk.”
“But he’s better looking than I am.”
“That’s a matter of opinion.”
I couldn’t fault Ennis’s observation. He was handsome in a decidedly English way. Rex, Patty’s first nighter, was gorgeous. But an asshole, which in my book made him ugly.
“She was still seeing him when we got together.”
“Is she still seeing him now?”
“She says she isn’t.”
“Then what’s the issue?”
“He’s pursuing her. Big-time.”
“Is she interested?”
“She says she isn’t, but…”
“Trust her, Ennis. So she likes sex. She’s not the only girl in the world who does.”
“Are you saying I should be doing it with her?”
“Only if it’s something you both want.”
“Fuck, yeah, I want it. She’s the holdup.”
“Really?” I tried to hide my surprise.
“Yeah. Says she wants to do it right this time. Take it slow, like I said.”
“That’s very mature of her.”
“I suppose.”
Patty ran up to us then and tugged on Ennis’s arm. “Come on, I want you to meet some people.”
Who could Patty want Ennis to meet? She didn’t know anyone here other than Sean, Brad, and me. But that was Patty. I’d only known her a couple of months, but she was so perky and outgoing, she made friends within minutes wherever she went.
I was so not like that.
I swallowed down my rising nausea, pasted a smile on my face, and walked farther into the courtyard where the tables were set up. We’d be sitting down to dinner soon.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Brad
“In private,” Larry whispered.
I sighed and led him into the house and then my bedroom, closing the door behind us. “What is it?”
“Tom and Theo,” he said. “They’re up to something.”
“Theo’s always up to something,” I said. “That’s not exactly news.”
“They bought a bunch of marijuana.”
“I know.”
“You do? And you’re okay with this?”
“I’m out, man. I told Tom before he told me about the pot. I’m no longer investing in this mess. Now that Wendy’s locked up, I can get on with my life.”
“You’re already in, Steel.”
“The fuck I am.”
“Your money started all this.”
“And my money is cut off as of now.”
“Doesn’t matter.”
“The hell it doesn’t. You th
ree keep me out of it from now on. Keep my name out of all your dealings, or you’ll be sorry.”
“What exactly do you think you can do to us?” he asked.
“Trust me”—the image of my father threatening Dr. Pelletier raced into my head—“you don’t want to know.”
Larry’s already fair face went whiter. “You don’t know what those two are capable of.”
“Tom and Theo? Sure I do.”
Theo was capable of just about anything, and Tom? His icy demeanor would get him through the worst shit in the world, and no one who met him would have a clue.
It was fucking scary.
“I don’t want to get into drugs, man,” he said. “You’ve got to help me.”
“Then don’t get into drugs. You don’t have to go along with them. Just get out, like I did.”
“It’s not that simple.”
“Sure it is. It’s exactly that simple.”
“It’s not, Brad, and here’s why—”
Someone pounded on the door.
“Shit,” I said. “What is it?”
“Dinner is being served.” My mother’s voice. “We need you out here now.”
Damn. I wanted to hear what Larry had to say, but I couldn’t disappoint Daphne and the rest of our guests.
“Coming.” I met Larry’s gaze. “This isn’t over.”
Daphne managed to eat a decent amount of dinner at my urging. At least she didn’t look green anymore, and she seemed happy. She was worried about her mother, though. I could tell.
The servers began filling champagne flutes at the table—sparkling cider for Daphne and Evie Simpson, of course. Murph then stood up to make his best man’s toast.
He clinked his spoon on his flute until he had everyone’s attention.
“Hey, everyone, thanks so much for being here today,” Murph began. “I’ve known Brad Steel for nearly four years. We met freshman year of college and became fast friends. He’s the only guy who can outdrink me!”
Laughter rang throughout the yard.
“I was lucky enough to be his roommate for a little over a year as well. We sure had our fun, and there was no better guy to go out with. The ladies flocked to us when Brad was around. He’s a chick magnet.”