Sweet Talk Boxed Set (Ten NEW Contemporary Romances by Bestselling Authors to Benefit Diabetes Research plus BONUS Novel) (29 page)

“Hey, future bride. Are you overwhelmingly nervous about Sunday?” Riley and Josh were world-renowned fashion designers and lived in New York City. They had a fashion show this weekend, but they were flying back to Colorado late Saturday afternoon for Sunday’s wedding.

“Ri, I’m not sure there’s going to be a wedding.”

“What? Jade, what’s going on? Do you want me to come home right now? I’ll blow off the show if you’re desperate for me to smack you upside your head.”

She heard the smile in Riley’s voice. “Dad’s in the hospital. He had a heart attack.”

“Oh, no. I’m so sorry.” And just like that, a warm hug came through the phone. “I’ll come home.”

“No. Stay for your show. It’s fine. He’s supposed to get out of the hospital Saturday. He doesn’t want us to delay the wedding, but of course Rex thinks we should. He can’t fathom the idea of having the wedding with Dad in the hospital. I just don’t know what to do.” Tears welled in her eyes. She felt like she’d done nothing but cry lately.

“How bad is he? What did Ben say?” One of the most comforting things about living in a small town was also one of the most annoying—everyone knew everyone else. In this case, it was a good thing, because Riley knew and trusted Ben. He’d been a few years ahead of them in school.

“They put in a stent and an external pacemaker to regulate his heartbeat. Ben thinks Dad will get out on Saturday and he should recover fine. There was only blockage in one artery, which is surprising given how he eats. Of course he needs lifestyle changes. He’s needed them forever.” Jade sighed. “You know Dad. He’s never going to stop eating Mom’s corn bread loaded with butter, or spare ribs, or pie...”

“Well, it’s good news that he’ll recover. Your mom must be a mess. Are you sure you don’t want me to come home and help you? The show means nothing to me compared to your family.”

“No. We’re okay. Mom spent half the day like a zombie, but you know her. She’ll be stronger once the initial shock wears off. I am worried about how we’re going to convince Dad to eat healthier and exercise.”

“Maybe it’s time for your mom to modify her cooking habits without telling him. Why don’t you talk to Max and see if she can give her some tips. She knows all about swapping butter for applesauce and other heart-friendly tips. When we were down at Christmas, she was telling me all about the substitutions she makes for Hal because Treat worries about his heart.”

“That man is stronger than a bull.” Jade made a mental note to ask Max tomorrow.

“Yeah, but he’s almost seventy, and according to Max, Ben told Treat that big men—heavy or tall—tend to have more trouble as they age. Jade, I’m happy to come home. I don’t want you to go through this alone.”

“I’m fine. Rexy is here, and even if he’s upset about not canceling the wedding, he’s still my rock.” She thought about the necklace, and more tears sprang to her eyes. “Ri?”

“Yeah?”

“There’s something else.” Jade nibbled on her lower lip.

“More than your dad’s heart attack?”

Jade heard Riley cover the mouthpiece and say, “Josh, I might have to go home tomorrow.”

“Stop. You are
not
missing your show,” Jade said. Riley and Josh had been preparing for the fashion show for the past eight months.

“I’ll be the judge of that. What else?”

“His mom’s necklace.” She couldn’t bring herself to say it.

“Oh God, Jade. What?”

“I lost it,” she whispered.

“No. No way. Did you look everywhere?”

“Yeah.” She looked around the messy bedroom. She’d torn through every drawer, her entire closet, the bathroom, and she’d left everything upended. “You should see our bedroom. It looks like we’ve been robbed. I turned the house upside down.”

“Okay. I’m sure we’ll find it. If you haven’t found it by the time I arrive, I’ll retrace your steps, too. For now just breathe.” Riley paused, and Jade imagined her brows knitted and her eyes darting around the room as if she might conjure up the necklace from afar. “Did you check your car? The barn? Hal’s barn? Your clients’ barns?”

“Not yet, but I will tomorrow. It’s been a crazy day with Dad landing in the hospital.” Jade heard the door open and Rex’s heavy footsteps crossing the hardwood floor, and the air immediately felt lighter. She listened to his footfalls on the stairs. “Rexy’s home. I want to see him. I’ll call you tomorrow.”

“Are you sure you don’t want me to come home?”

Rex’s broad shoulders filled the bedroom doorway as his dark eyes skirted over the upended room. The right side of his mouth quirked up in a sexy smile that made Jade’s heart flutter. He closed the distance between them, every step full of stealth and virility that she was sure only Rex Braden could pull off. His eyes narrowed, darkened, as they shifted to the phone.

“Ri?” Rex whispered when he reached the edge of the bed.

Jade nodded. “Ri, I’ve…” Her mouth went dry when he tugged his shirt over his head and tossed it aside, revealing the peaks and valleys of his ripped abs and muscular chest. “Ri?” Her body tingled with anticipation as she watched him tug off his boots and unhook his belt.

“Oh my God, he’s taking his clothes off, isn’t he?” Riley laughed. “I swear our Braden boys know what we like. Call me if you need me, and give my love to your mom and dad.” Riley ended the call, and Jade set the phone on the bedside table.

Rex stepped from his jeans and crawled across the mattress like a panther on the prowl, his bulbous muscles emphasizing the depth of his power. His eyes simmered with passion, stealing the last of her rational thought. He crawled over her, bringing her down beneath him. His hard length pressed firmly against her center as he laced his hands with hers.

“I missed you, baby,” he rasped against her neck, sending shivers of heat through her body.

“I couldn’t find the necklace.” She didn’t know why she felt the need to confess that when what she really wanted was to disappear into him.

He touched his forehead to hers and smiled down at her. “It’s okay. We’ll find it.” He kissed her tenderly. “I’m sorry about your dad, babe. Are you okay?”

“I am now.”

“I’m going to make sure you’re more than okay.” He kissed a path between her breasts, gently stripping off each piece of her clothing, leaving her bare and wanting beneath him. He proceeded to do as he promised, loving her with his mouth, his hands, and every inch of his magnificent body until all she felt was pure, unadulterated bliss.

Chapter Four

EARLY THE NEXT morning they awoke to the shrill ring of a cell phone. Jade nearly jumped out of her skin as she clamored to get her phone.

“Oh God. Dad,” she said as she climbed across Rex and grabbed her phone. She quickly looked over at Rex’s nightstand when she realized it wasn’t her phone ringing.

“It’s mine, babe.” Rex pulled her into his arms as he reached for his phone. “It’s Dane, not your dad. Come here.” He lay back against the pillow, bringing Jade down with him and holding her against his chest as he answered the call.

“Dane? Is something wrong?” Rex’s older brother Dane was an expert on sharks. As the founder of the Brave Foundation, whose mission was to use education and innovative advocacy programs to protect sharks, he and his fiancée, Lacy, traveled often.

“Lacy’s been sick all evening. I just wanted to give you a heads-up. It’s probably the flu. We’ll see how she feels tomorrow before making any decisions, but we may not make the wedding.”

“Dane, it’s four thirty in the morning here. Where are you? Is Lacy okay?”

“Australia. We’re on a tagging assignment. I think she’ll be fine. It’s just the flu or something. I totally forgot about the time difference. Sorry about that.”

“No worries. It’s cool. Let us know about Lacy, and give her our best. Earl is in the hospital. He had a heart attack.”

“Oh, damn. I’m sorry we’re not there with you guys. Is he going to pull through?”

Rex explained Earl’s prognosis and that he should get out of the hospital on Saturday.

“Rex, are you going to postpone the wedding?”

Rex looked at Jade lying across his chest in a silky negligee. Her brows were knitted together. He imagined she was thinking about her father. All Rex had ever wanted was to make her happy, and if Sunday came and her father was still in the hospital, he’d never forgive himself for not pushing her to agree to postpone. He kissed the top of Jade’s head, wishing he knew which way to go—insist they delay the wedding or let things play out and hope for the best?

“Jade and Earl don’t want to postpone it.” Saying it aloud felt even more uncomfortable than thinking about it. He needed to get off the phone so he could breathe. “Give my love to Lacy, and let us know how she’s feeling tomorrow.”

He ended the call and closed his eyes, feeling Jade’s finger drawing a path down the left side of his chest.

“Hey, babe, Lacy’s sick. They’re not sure if they’ll make it to the wedding.”

“Oh no. I hope she feels better soon.” She propped her chin on Rex’s chest and gazed up at him.

He hadn’t realized that he’d been hoping that might make her change her mind. Rex slid out from beneath her and sat on the edge of the bed, his muscles tense from a fitful night’s sleep. “I really think we should postpone the wedding.”

He felt Jade’s strong, soft hands on his shoulders as she kneaded his tension away. In addition to being a veterinarian, Jade was a specialist in equine shiatsu and acupuncture. The way she was touching Rex brought back memories of the way she’d touched him when they were first dating. No one had ever touched Rex with as much love and tenderness, as much intense passion, as Jade had that night—and every day since.

He reached up and placed his hand on hers, knowing he’d do anything she wanted, including not canceling the wedding.

Later that morning, after checking on the horses, Rex came back home to pick up Jade for breakfast and found her sitting in her office leafing through photo albums. Jade, like Rex, wasn’t big on technology. They both used cell phones and computers, but Jade still preferred to have her photographs printed by a camera shop rather than downloading them from a phone onto her computer. She’d kept albums from the time she was in grade school.

“Feeling sentimental?” Rex leaned down and kissed her cheek. She smelled like Flame, which told him she’d taken a stroll down to their barn while he was at his father’s ranch. She loved that horse as much as she loved him, and he loved that about her, too.

“I was just thinking about the wedding. I always dreamed of my father walking me down the aisle.”

Rex crouched beside her. “I know. I called Ben this morning and he said your father is doing well. Chances are he’ll be fine to walk you down the aisle Sunday, but I still think postponing the wedding just to be safe is a good idea.”

Jade sighed and ran her finger over a picture of her holding her father’s hand when she was about ten years old.

“He’ll walk me down the aisle. I know he will. Besides, we have everything planned, and…” She nibbled on her lower lip as if she were contemplating saying something else, and when she didn’t, Rex tried again to persuade her.

“And what if he’s not? What if we go through with it and he’s stuck in the hospital? I’ll never forgive myself for not pushing you to put it off.”

Her eyes teared up, and Rex gathered her in his arms, feeling his own chest tighten over her sadness. He knew she was sad over her father more than the idea of postponing their wedding, but her emotions were all tangled up, and Rex was powerless to separate them and cause her more pain by making the decision himself.

“It’s Friday. We have one more day until we have to make a final decision. Let’s not worry about it until then. You go spend the day with your dad, and I’ll take care of whatever loose ends need to be tied up. I have to get Ross out here to see Hope, too, because she’s not doing well.” Rex’s cousin Ross lived in Trusty, Colorado, and he was also a veterinarian.

“Hope?” Fresh tears sprang to Jade’s eyes. “I’ll look at her.”

“No way. You have enough on your plate. Ross is a great vet, and you need to be with your father.”

“Maybe this is all a sign because I lost the necklace. What if this is all my fault? Dad, Hope—”

“Jade, none of this is your fault. Your father was a ticking time bomb. You know that. You’ve worried about his health for years, and Hope has already lived longer than any horse I’ve ever had.”

She gazed up at him with damp eyes. “What if the necklace was the key to holding it all together—holding us together—and everything falls apart? What if my dad doesn’t make it? What if Hope dies? What if we don’t find the necklace? That was your most meaningful tie to your mother, Rexy, and I lost it.”

Rex cupped her cheeks and kissed her forehead. The one thing he heard loud and clear was what if the necklace was what held them together, and as wrong as that was, it wasn’t the most pressing
what if
she’d asked. “Baby, your father is going to make it. Ben hasn’t given us any indication that he thinks otherwise, and Ross will fix Hope up. We’ll find the necklace. I’m sure we will.” He held her tight and hoped to hell the things he said were true.

Jade rarely cried. She was a strong woman with a sassy personality, and she’d been so emotional these last few days—weeks?—that Rex worried even more. As much as he wanted to postpone the wedding, he was more concerned about causing her any more grief.

“My stomach is a little off this morning. I think I’m going to skip breakfast and go directly to the hospital.”

“I’ll walk you out.” He walked her to the car and pulled her in close. “Babe, you have to know that there is nothing holding us together but the love we feel for each other. Please tell me you know that.”

“But—”

He pressed his finger to her lips. “No buts. I love you, and you love me. It’s a pretty simple equation. Right now your world feels like it’s crumbling around you. It’s not. We’re solid. I promise you that.”

Rex watched her car until it disappeared over the ridge, and he finally breathed again. Would he ever get used to seeing her worry? It cut like a knife, slicing anew with every look.