Bad Bride Good Cowboys (15 page)

Chapter Ten

Brady ached to the deepest part of his soul as he stood in Felicia’s room. Everything was completely wrong. This whole situation was out of control and nothing was right about it. Mickey told him they’d box up Felicia’s stuff and figure what to do with it later. Neither of them wanted to take it to Clarissa Morgan’s place. Drop it on her, yes, but not remove it from the house. Doing so would be like losing Felicia forever. He sat down on the edge of the bed and glanced around. His heart wasn’t going to survive this.

“We have company.” Mickey announced from the threshold.

Brady blinked. He hadn’t even heard Mickey come up the stairs. “Who?”

“Me,” Collin answered and walked into the bedroom.

Next to Paul, his longtime friend—or in Collin’s case, former friend—he was second on the list of people most begging to meet Brady’s fist. “I think you’ve done enough damage for a lifetime. You can get out.”

“Hear him out.” Considering how angry Mickey had still been this morning, something was off in the other man’s tone.

Brady’s heart stopped and he felt like his breath sucked from his lungs. “Is Felicia okay?” he asked frantically.

“No,” Collin answered. “She is a crying, hostile mess.” He sighed as if the weight of the world sat on his shoulders. “Neither she or my mom know I’m here.” His gaze took in the room. After he had noted the boxes he darted a glance between Mickey and Brady. “I’ve been a horrible friend to you both and I think I managed to get myself nominated for the worst brother on the planet.”

Mickey chuckled sardonically. “I’d say that’s a safe bet.” He exchanged a look with Brady and both turned back to Collin.

Collin sat on the corner of the bed. “Mom tried to force her and Paul together today and ended up with disastrous results.”

Brady could only imagine. “If we need to bail her out, you know we will.”

Collin smiled sadly and met his gaze. “For a minute there I thought there was a chance, if she didn’t walk out of the bridal shop, we’d be calling her a defense attorney.”

Brady digested the words. “So the wedding isn’t going to happen like your mom wants?”

“No. It will never come to that, not without bloodshed.”

Mickey stepped further into the room and leaned against the wall. “What’s going on? What happened?”

Collin shook his head, obviously deeply troubled. “So we’re in the bridal shop and Felicia is sitting there, looking like death. She’s horribly miserable and my mother and Paul are carrying on with planning her wedding. Anyway, they both chose these invitations with pink bows.”

Brady winced. “She hates pink.”

Collin smiled and nodded. “I know, anyway, I started to realize the guy doesn’t know my sister at all. He all but came out and admitted to my mom, the only reason he wants to marry Felicia is because of who our dad was.”

“What a fucking asshole.”

Brady agreed with Mickey one hundred percent. “I would love to kick his ass.”

“Get inline. The story is downhill from here.”

Oh God, please bring her back home
to us
.

He sent the silent plea as Mickey’s phone started ringing.

“Hang on.” Mickey pulled the phone from his shirt pocket and glanced at the number. Frowning he hit the button and lifted the cell to his ear. “Jen, what’s going on?”

Fear paralyzed Brady as Collin rose and walked over to the dresser. He placed his hands on the edge and studied the pictures. Most were of Felicia, Mickey and Brady over the years. There was a wedding picture of her parents and grandparents and one of Felicia with Collin.

“Who, what do you mean you haven’t been able to reach her for the last three hours?”

Mickey’s words had Collin spinning around and Brady remembering the words she uttered just days ago in the kitchen about meeting death over marrying Paul. Things were beyond out of control and Brady was ready to send out the National Guard to find her.

“Jen, keep trying her phone. I’ll call you back.” He ended the call. “Neither Jen, nor your mother has heard from Felicia; and she’s not answering her phone.”

Collin shook his head. “Where’s my mother?”

Mickey shrugged and Brady’s stomach clenched painfully.

“My sister was beside herself when she left the dress shop. She wasn’t making sense. Paul barked at her and told her to stop being dramatic. She had bent down to pick up her purse and I guess there was something going on under the table. She told him, in no uncertain terms, that she would stop being dramatic when he stopped finger fucking the wedding planner.”

Brady’s eyes widened and he couldn’t control the grin. “She has a bit of a potty mouth—actually called me the profanity police last week when I called her on it.”

Collin smiled.” I’ll kill Paul before that ass goes near my sister.”

Mickey chuckled and nodded. “If you need help hiding the body, let us know, we have land and are more than willing to help.” He stepped closer to Collin. “Your mom wants us to pack up her room.”

A confused expression crossed Collin’s face. “Why?” He darted a look around. “No way, this stuff has been here forever.” He turned to the small chest on the dresser. “I remember my grandfather gave us each one when we came to live with him.” His hand caressed the carvings. “I keep mementos from each of the digs I go on in mine.” He lifted the one on the dresser up and glanced at Brady. “What the hell does she keep in here?”

“I have no clue.”

“Jewelry?”

“What did you guys do, buy her a diamond mine?” Collin flipped up the lid and glanced inside. His color turned ashen and the hand holding the chest shook. Mickey reached out and grabbed the chest from Collin as he stumbled to the bed. He sat down and struggled for breath. “Oh, God, I’m going to hell.”

Brady turned to Mickey, who wore an equally grim expression. What the hell did Felicia have in there? Brady stood and patted Collin’s back. “Just breathe, man.” He glanced at the contents of the wood chest and his heart broke. Hundreds of brand new pennies stared back at him.

I’ll add it to my collection
, she’d say. “I didn’t realize she’d kept them.” His stomach knotted as tight as it did the day he found out it was him she’d been saving herself for.

“The whole thing in the wedding shop started over a new penny falling out of her purse when it hit the floor.” Collin buried his face in his hands. “She just kept crying and saying there would be no more pennies.

“Oh, God.” Mickey placed the chest on the dresser.

“I never knew how any of you really felt. I do know my sister is head over heels for the both of you.” He darted a glance to the pictures. “I should have been here.”

Brady swallowed back sorrow and the rising bile. “We love her just as much.”

The front door flung open from below and hit the wall. “Boys!” Clarissa Morgan barked. “Where the hell are you?” the woman sounded panicked.

“This is the last thing I need,” Brady whispered.

“You’re right. Neither you nor Mickey need this. I think it’s about time I stepped up to being the friend and brother I should have been all along and I’ll start by dealing with my mother.” He tore out of the room. “Mom, stop yelling your head off. Felicia isn’t here.”

“Where the hell could she be?” Mrs. M all but cried. “What if she’s missing?”

Probably not.

“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”

Brady turned to Mickey. “Yeah, if she’s real upset there is a chance she’s gone there. Like a real high one.”

Mickey followed Brady down the stairs where mother and son were staring each other down. He and Brady exchanged a look and Clarissa turned away from Collin and rested her gazes on them. “Where is she? Tell me you’ve talked to her.”

There were a hundred things he could say to the woman who’d shattered his and Brady’s world, but decided to remain a gentleman. “No, we haven’t spoken to her, as per your request.”

“And when they do talk to her, they’re going to tell her they love her and drag her ass back to this ranch where it belongs.”

Collin’s words silenced the room. Mickey couldn’t believe he actually laid it out so boldly to his mother.

“This ends mom. I’m not putting Felicia, Mickey or Brady through anymore hell. I wasn’t here. I was off, but you! You have no excuse. Couldn’t you see, did you not want to see, how they all felt?”

Mickey stepped over to Collin. “Go easy on her. She wanted good things for your sister.” He darted a smile to Mrs. M. “Isn’t that right?”

She nodded. “I did—I still do, but I don’t approve of her having two men.”

Brady remained quiet but Mickey knew his friend well. The words hurt.

“She doesn’t need your approval Mom. Felicia has mine.” Collin stormed past his mother and walked down the steps. His mother followed and Mickey turned to Brady.

“Are you okay?”

Brady shook his head. “No. I think I’m slowly dying.” He exited the house and Mickey joined him where mother and son where glaring at each other just past the porch steps.

“It’s over Mom. No Paul. No wedding—leave her alone, let her be happy.”

Her features crumpled. “What if she’s in danger?
I’m scared. What if she does something crazy?”

Mickey snorted. “She’s always doing crazy stuff, that’s what makes Felicia who she is.”

“I’m sure she’s fine, she just needs to be alone so she can sort things out.” Brady finally spoke and Collin turned to him.

“Do you know where she might be?”

A slow smile tugged Brady’s lips. “I think so, probably the same place she usually is over hundreds of pennies.”

“You and Mickey have my blessing as a brother and a friend. Find my sister.”

Mickey couldn’t believe the words Collin spoke.

Collin smiled and nodded. “Please let her know I’m sorry, and I’m ready to be her big brother and yours and Mickey’s best friend.”

Brady nodded and exchanged a look with Mickey. The pain in Mickey’s heart eased only slightly, but knowing Collin supported them made a difference. However, he wouldn’t be able to breathe a full breath until he knew Felicia was safe and still loved them.

He turned to Brady. “Go, see if she’s there and if she is, tell her I love her and you with all my heart.”

Brady nodded and kissed Mickey’s lips. “I’ll be back, maybe get Mrs. M a glass of wine, she’s getting too stressed.”

Mickey nodded and knew Brady was right. Though her chest pains had only been an angina attack a few days ago, neither man wanted to take a chance on something more serious. Brady turned away and started walking toward the stables.

Collin cleared his throat. “Do you need a penny?”

Brady checked his pocket and glanced up. “It needs to be a new one.”

“The pennies were all about Brady?” Mrs. M stared at Mickey as if fitting puzzle pieces together.

He nodded at the older woman then smiled and shrugged. “Yeah, it’s their thing—has been since before she even started high school.”

Collin reached into his pocket and pulled out a shiny cooper coin, then walked over to where their friend stood. “Go get her and make her happy again.”

Mickey wanted to laugh. “Hold up.” He ran in the house and grabbed the corkscrew from one of the drawers then hurried back out and over to Brady. “Tell her I send it with fireworks.”

Brady’s brows went up and he grinned. “So that’s how it started. I wondered about that.”

He nodded and shrugged. “She had a bottle of wine and no opener.”

Brady turned to Collin. “Want to help me saddle your sister’s new horse?”

Collin blinked at Brady. “Why don’t you take the truck?”

Mickey laughed and exchanged a look with Brady. Collin had a lot of catching up to do. “Because there aren’t any roads and I’m not taking my new truck through the trees.”

Mrs. M sighed with exasperation. “Why am I not surprised?”

His longtime friend smiled and nodded. “I think I can remember how.” His brows furrowed. “You and Mickey got my sister a horse? She couldn’t ride one of the thirty or forty you already have.”

Mickey threw his head back and laughed. “Of course not! We didn’t have a Gypsy Vanner, which is her favorite.”

Brady nodded. “Besides, she didn’t own her own horse.”

Collin and his mother exchanged a look. Clarissa bounced her gaze between Mickey and Brady. “Well, you can’t beat that logic.” She slapped Collin’s arm. “Go help Brady with your sister’s horse.”

Mickey reveled on the inside. Maybe they wouldn’t lose the Morgan’s in their lives, but more importantly he and Brady would have Felicia and were never letting her go.

Felicia sat in the large tree-house her grandfather built when she was a young girl. It was a long time ago now. Her father had still been alive and had helped when he could. Of course, she wasn’t allowed to go without Collin. Later after her dad died, she would go and hide for hours without Collin or anyone else. Eventually, Brady or Mickey and, on occasion, both knew where she’d be. Of course the kid stuff was gone and had changed with her.