Sweet Talk Boxed Set (Ten NEW Contemporary Romances by Bestselling Authors to Benefit Diabetes Research plus BONUS Novel) (31 page)

“Josh and I get in tomorrow. I’ll come straight over.”

“I’m okay, really. It’s just that everything feels like it’s happening at once. I haven’t found the necklace yet, and I’m afraid to leave Dad to go look for it.”

“I know you’ll find it,” Riley said. “Those things have a way of popping up in the weirdest places.”

“I hope you’re right. Despite what Rex says, I don’t know if he’d ever forgive me if it were lost forever.”

REX PICKED UP feed, fixed a stall in the barn, and finished his afternoon chores at the ranch. Then he called the caterer, photographer, and the florist. Everything seemed in order for Sunday. Rex wasn’t worried about the aspects of the wedding coming together, but he was worried about Jade. And he was worried about Earl and Hope. Not to mention that he wasn’t sure he wanted to get married without his whole family there, which meant that if Dane and Lacy couldn’t make it, he had another issue to consider. But every time he thought about pushing Jade to postpone the wedding, the hope in her eyes stopped him cold.

He’d received a text from Savannah confirming that she and her husband, Jack Remington, were arriving late tonight. He called his youngest brother, Hugh, to make sure he was still coming into town. With Earl, Hope, and Lacy falling ill, he was beginning to wonder if Jade had been right that losing the necklace was an omen. Was it? Should he push Jade harder to postpone the wedding?

Hugh answered on the second ring. “Hey, big brother.”

“How’s it hanging?” Rex smiled, because he knew what Hugh’s response would be. Hugh was a successful race-car driver, and he’d been a smart-ass since the day he learned to speak. He had been a major player before meeting and marrying Brianna Heart, a single mother. Hugh had fallen head over heels for her and her daughter, Layla. Hugh had adopted Layla, and last year Brianna gave birth to their son, Christian.

“Longer than yours.” Hugh laughed. “Getting prewedding jitters yet?”

“Who are you kidding? I’d run down that aisle to marry Jade, but her father’s in the hospital, so things are a little up in the air.”

“Aw, man. I’m sorry. I had no idea. I’ve been out of touch for the last two days. We’ve been on the road, coming back from my race down in Florida.”

“I heard you won. Congrats.”

“Don’t I always?” Hugh smirked. “But seriously, how is Earl? How’s Jade holding up? She’s a daddy’s girl at heart, even though she puts up a strong front.”

“Yeah, she is. She’s worried. Ben said Earl should be released from the hospital on Saturday, but Jade and Earl won’t let me postpone the wedding.”

He paced the yard, thinking about Jade. Damn it, he’d forgotten to look for the necklace.

“And we can’t find her Dance of Two Lovers necklace, so she’s stressed about that, too. Hope’s not doing well, and Jade’s convinced that her father and Hope are somehow tied to losing the necklace. That it’s some kind of sign.”

“Shit, Rex. Sounds like all hell’s breaking loose down there. We’re arriving tomorrow morning. I’ll do whatever I can to help.”

“Thanks, Hugh. Have you talked to Dane?”

“Yeah. I heard Lacy’s sick.”

“I know. I wish Jade would let me postpone the damn wedding.”

“Relax. Don’t make any decisions yet. See how things pan out tomorrow. What’s the worst that can happen? We’ll all spend a weekend together and you’ll still be single,” Hugh taunted.

“That would totally suck. You get that, right?”

“Hey, look who you’re talking to. I would have married Brianna two days after meeting her if I could have. I don’t know how you lasted four years without marrying Jade.”

Hugh offered to fly in tonight instead of tomorrow, but Rex told him it wasn’t necessary. They talked about Hope and their father, and after they ended the call, Rex wanted to hear Jade’s voice and make sure she was okay. She answered on the second ring.

“Hi,” Jade answered.

“Hey, babe. How’s your dad?”

“He’s arguing with Ben at the moment. I think he’s feeling better.”

Rex let out a relieved sigh. “Thank goodness. And how are you and your mom doing?”

“Mom’s good. She’s much better now that Dad’s feistier, and I’m okay, I guess. I hate seeing him in the hospital, but at least it looks like he’ll be okay for the wedding.”

Rex closed his eyes for a beat, hearing his father’s words sail through his mind.
There are times in every father’s life when he has to step in and do the thinking for his children.
“Your father really wants this to happen.”

“I know. Please don’t ask me again to postpone the wedding. I’m sick of being questioned.”

“What am I supposed to do, Jade? Sit back and pretend that this is all okay? That I’m excited to talk to the florist and photographer while your father’s lying in the hospital and Hope is getting sicker by the minute?”

“I don’t know.”

“Well, I wish someone did.” Rex looked up at the sound of tires on gravel. Damn it. He hadn’t called her to argue. He wanted to drive straight to the hospital, take Jade in his arms, and smooth all this shit over—but there was no time for that now. “I’ve got to go. Ross just showed up.”

He pushed to his feet to greet his cousin. Ross was one of Hal’s sister Catherine’s children. He had five siblings, and they had been raised by their single mother after their father had taken off with another woman.

Ross stepped from his truck with a leather medical bag in his hand. “Sorry I’m late, Rex. It was a busy day.”

“That’s all right. I’m glad you could make it.” He embraced his tall, dark cousin. Ross was more reserved than his rambunctious siblings and reminded Rex of his brother Josh, also the most reserved of their family.

“Let’s take a look at old Hope.” Ross headed toward the barn. “My mother talked to Uncle Hal last night and said Earl’s in the hospital. How’s Jade holding up?”

“She’s doing okay.”

“I assume you’re delaying the wedding?”

Rex shook his head as they walked into the barn. “Earl and Jade won’t hear of it.”

“Well, then, Earl’s prognosis must be good.” Ross stepped into the stall with Hope. “How’s it going, girl?”

When Hope didn’t lift her head to greet him, as she normally did, Ross said, “She’s definitely not herself, is she? Has she been eating?”

“On and off, but definitely not like she usually does.”

“Has anything else changed? Exercise patterns? Do you still ride her daily?”

“Actually, no. I stopped riding her about two weeks ago. She’s getting old, and I was worried about wearing her out.” Rex thought back to when he’d made the decision. His father had fought him on it. He’d wanted Rex to continue taking their morning rides, at least on Sundays, which was the one day of the week Rex had never missed riding Hope.

“Did Hope’s behavior change at all then?” Ross took Hope’s temperature, listened to her breathing and to her gut sounds. He checked her teeth and gums and did a skin-pinch test, checking for dehydration.

“I can’t remember her seeming so sullen, but then again, things were pretty busy around that same time. Jade and I were running around getting final wedding details situated, and…” Rex took off his hat and scrubbed his hand down his face. “I don’t know. I wasn’t paying close enough attention.”
And I hate myself for it
.

“Don’t beat yourself up over it.” Ross checked Hope’s pulse and her joints and eyes while Rex paced.

“Is Jade still doing massage on Hope? I asked Elisabeth, but she said Jade’s been so busy with the wedding that she wasn’t sure.” Ross’s fiancée, Elisabeth, referred clients to Jade and vice versa. When Elisabeth had moved to Trusty to take over her aunt’s pie-making business, she had also opened a pet-pampering business, and Jade had helped her get her business off the ground.

“She’s been a little overwhelmed these last few weeks, too.”

Ross stroked Hope’s jaw. “Horses are a lot like people, as you know. And I can’t find a darn thing wrong with Hope. I think there’s a good chance she’s depressed. You’ve changed the riding schedule she’s had for years, and if Jade has changed her massage schedule, too, well, Hope might just be feeling lonely.”

“Depressed? Well, I’ll be damned. My father said she wanted me and Jade to work through this wedding stuff.” He let out a low laugh. “I was almost starting to believe him.”
Depressed
. Rex felt guilty as hell. He loved Hope with the same vehemence as the rest of his family did, and to think that he’d caused her pain by changing her schedule cut him to his core.

“You should consider taking her out on a ride and having Jade do some massage, and see if you notice any behavioral changes. If not, I’ll come back out, but her vitals are good, and she doesn’t show any signs of discomfort. Don’t let her age be your guide to her exercise. Every horse is different. I know you know that, and I know you take particular care with Hope because of your mom. But don’t forget that some horses can be ridden right up until they’re almost ready to leave us.”

“I didn’t make the decision lightly. I thought I was protecting her from injury.”

“Most ranchers do.” Ross patted his shoulder. “You’ve had a lot on your plate, Rex. Just love her up like you always have, and see if that does the trick. If she does well, then just be sure someone rides her while you and Jade are on your honeymoon.”

“We’re not taking one right away.” Rex shrugged. “Neither of us is aching to get off the ranch. Treat and Pierce both offered us a free stay at a resort of our choice, but there’s no place calling to us at the moment.” Pierce was Ross’s eldest brother, and he owned several casinos and resorts.

“I understand that. Elisabeth and I are the same way.”

“Thanks for coming out, Ross.”

“You’ll let me know if the wedding is postponed?” Ross headed for his truck.

“Yeah, of course. I’m relieved that you didn’t find something terribly wrong with Hope. Not that depression is minor, but you know. It’s better than finding out I have to tell Dad she’s on her way out.”

Ross set his bag in the truck. “When that day comes, it’ll be Hal we’re monitoring for depression.”

“When that day comes, I think you’ll be monitoring more than just one Braden.”

Chapter Six

“MOM, GO HOME and get some rest. I’ll stay with Dad.” Jade had been trying to convince her mother to go home for the past two hours. It was late and Jade was cranky. Seeing her mother hovering over her father made her even edgier. Friends had been in and out, visiting her father all day, and every countertop in his room was covered with vases and get-well cards. She didn’t mind answering questions about her father, but she was tired of answering questions about her wedding. She didn’t even know if she was doing the right thing by having the wedding on Sunday. She hoped she was, and her father seemed determined that she and Rex get married. Jade did her best to be accommodating, but she was also stressed over Hope, and despite what Rex had said that morning, she couldn’t shake the feeling that she’d really screwed up by losing the necklace. While her father was visiting with friends, she’d called every client she’d visited over the past two weeks, but no one had found it.

She felt like she was dog-paddling in the middle of the sea and wished someone would throw her a life raft with all the answers on it. They’d unhooked her father’s pacemaker and were monitoring him through tomorrow afternoon, and then, finally, he’d go home. Ben had assured her multiple times that all indications were good for her father to be released tomorrow. Her father had already taken a short walk down the hall. He’d seemed fine afterward, and Ben was pleased with his progress. That had to mean something.

Jade wanted to go home and make up for the way her call had ended with Rex, but she didn’t want to leave her father’s side until a few hours had passed so she knew he was really out of the woods without the pacemaker. Her father wasn’t much of a talker, and with her mother going in and out of her zombielike state, Jade had way too much quiet time to sit and stew over the last few days and her impending wedding. The hospital smelled sterile, which she hadn’t really noticed the day before. She’d been too upset to notice much of anything, but now the smell was an annoying reminder of her father’s heart attack. But if her father had to be there, she felt compelled to be there, too.

Her brother had come and gone earlier in the day, and now if she could just convince her mother to go home and rest, she’d stay a while longer and then go home and get some rest herself. How long she’d stay, she wasn’t sure. She didn’t have a magic time frame in mind. Maybe her father would go to sleep and then she’d know he was okay. She couldn’t even think clearly.

“Jade’s right, sweet pea. Go home and get some rest. Tomorrow’s our big day. Benji said I should be out of here by two.” Her father touched her mother’s cheek. Jane covered his hand with hers and smiled.

The love between her parents was as real as the love between her and Rex. She took comfort in seeing her father soothe her mother’s worry. It made him seem less fragile and more like the protector he’d always been.

“Okay, Earl, but make sure Jade goes home soon, too. She has a wedding to prepare for.”

Jade hugged her mother goodbye and promised not to stay too late. After her mother left, Jade asked her father if he needed anything.

“No thank you, darlin’. Come sit over here with me.” He patted the side of the bed.

She settled in beside him. Up close the fine lines around his eyes and mouth were more prominent, but his eyes hadn’t changed. There was strength in his gaze—as there had been Jade’s whole life. She took comfort in that, too.

“I don’t want you to worry about your old man. I’m going to be just fine. You should go on home and get some rest.”

“I will soon.” Jade hadn’t told her father about the necklace, and damn it, maybe it was selfish, but she needed to hear from the man who always seemed to know right from wrong—except where that darn feud was concerned—that things would be okay.

Tears welled in her eyes as she confessed what had been weighing heavily on her heart. “Dad, I lost the necklace Rex’s mom left for him.”