Bride Interrupted (7 page)

“Well look at you.” Colton stepped into Earl’s room and watched as he finished up with physical therapy. The nurse helped remove his feet from the portable stationary bike, lifted him out of the chair, and back into his wheelchair.

“I’d rather be walking than in this damn thing,” the old man grumbled as he wheeled around and picked up a bottle of water.

“One step at a time.”

Earl eyed him. “You sound like these people now. Are you in cahoots with them like Kayla is?”

Colton shrugged. “Whatever it takes to get you back up and running. Your customers from the bar send their support and are ready for you to get back over there. Apparently, they miss your meanness.”

A flicker of encouragement lit the older man’s eyes. “You tell them I will be back soon, even if it is in a wheelchair. So tell me, how are you and my granddaughter getting along? She hasn’t taken over yet?”

Colton laughed. “Not yet, but she is itching to. She wants to start doing weddings there.”

“That sounds like my girl. Romantic to the core, just like her grandmother.” His eyes misted over, but only briefly, then he nodded and continued, “Gracie always wanted to do something like that. I never gave in. I wish I had.”

Colton gave him a playful shove in the arm. “Hey, whose side are you on anyway?”

“She is my granddaughter.”

“Yeah, and I am your business partner. You can’t desert me, throw me out for her to feed on. She’s too brutal.” He wondered why someone hadn’t snatched her up. He admired her for raising a daughter on her own. That was tough to do in the world today, although it was too common. He had broken through her hard exterior just enough to know there was a deeply rooted, loyal, emotional woman buried inside. One whose sexiness killed him at every corner. “Brutal, but easy on the eyes.”

“Look at me, boy.” When Earl had Colton’s full attention, he pointed a finger at him and smiled the biggest smile Colton had ever seen on the man. “You are falling for her.”

“Bullshit.”

Earl nodded his head. “Give love a chance, son. She’s a good woman.”

Colton stepped towards the door to make his exit. Earl was out of his mind. “You know how I feel about love. And Kayla and I clash every step of the way. Not happening.” He walked out of the room. Earl’s laughter rolled all the way down the hallway.

Kayla walked out of the office and stood next to Colton. He was talking to the couple she had met her first day in Perdido Key. She started to say hi until the tone in Colton’s voice put her on alert.

“No, I don’t have any openings.”

“Come on, man. For old times’ sake.” Randy’s words slurred.

Beth grabbed his arm and tried to pull him away. “Let’s go, Randy.”

“Old times’ sake. You must not remember things the way I do. It’s best you listen to your wife and leave.” Colton’s fists clenched and unclenched. After a stare off, the couple turned to leave. Colton followed them to the door.

Maggie let out a breath. “Whew. That was intense.”

“Yeah. Wonder what it was all about.” Kayla tried to shake off the uneasy feeling that settled in her gut. She turned to Mags, forcing enthusiasm into her voice. “I’m so excited about your wedding.”

“Whatever you’re doing, it must be working, because Colton asked me yesterday if I really wanted to have my wedding here.” Maggie cleaned up the sandwich-making station after the lunch crowd. Her young energy was contagious. “I wanted to hug him right then, but he’s so not the hugging type.”

Kayla laughed. He was the hugging type, but he allowed that side to show very rarely. Ever since the night at the pier, he hadn’t made another move to hug or kiss her. One part of her was glad. They didn’t need that strife while trying to work together at the business. But a fire deep down inside of her missed his touch.

Maggie was a few years older than Kaylee, and Kayla couldn’t wait for the two girls to meet. Mags had opened up to Kayla, and they had become close over the last weeks. She reminded her a lot of her daughter. Only Kayla couldn’t imagine her daughter getting married any time soon. But it fit Mags. Of course, she and her fiancé, Alec, had been dating for over five years. They were responsible, goal oriented, and made such a cute couple.

“I’m glad Colton seems to be coming around. Only he hasn’t said anything like that to me. I don’t think he would let me know that he sees good business potential in my idea.”

“Why wouldn’t he?” Mags asked.

Kayla searched the bar until she found the man of discussion. He talked to customers as he refilled their drinks. “Because he thinks I’m too pushy.”

Maggie laughed so loud a few people turned in their direction. Colton included. “Yeah right. Because he runs this place just like your Grandpa Earl. Iron fisted, and anyone who disagrees is shown the door. He can’t handle that you are in what he considers his territory. I’ve learned that, unless it’s his idea, it doesn’t sit well with Colton.”

Kayla smiled. She liked this girl. Her good mood shifted from the inside out when Detective Hayden Sawyer and Officer Banks walked in from the back door. She immediately looked for Colton, but didn’t see him anywhere. The men approached her. She nodded in acknowledgement to them.

“Ms. Boudreaux, we need a few words with you. Outside.” Sawyer’s tone grated on her nerves.

“Maggie, I’ll be back in a few minutes.” She walked to the back door as the men followed her. Outside, Kayla squinted in the bright sunlight. “What can I do for you?”

She hadn’t heard from the police in several days. Hopefully, they had determined she was not responsible for Marcy’s death and had moved on to find the true criminal. What she couldn’t figure out was why the person responsible had sent her the engagement ring. It didn’t make sense.

Sawyer stepped closer to her. Too close for her comfort. She took a step back.

“We have another incident on our hands and need to get some information from you. Have you received anymore little presents?”

Another incident? Not another murder. Especially not one of her brides. Hell, she only had four clients right now, not counting Maggie. She couldn’t afford to lose any more of them. She certainly didn’t want any of the women turning up dead. What a horrible time for a family to deal with the death of a loved one.

“No, I have not. But tell me, Officer Sawyer, what concern is it of yours?” She refused to take this man’s bait. He was an overbearing, overconfident ass. He could take his smugness somewhere else.

The back door opened and slammed shut. Colton strode from the building to where the three stood. His gaze was locked on Kayla’s and didn’t break until he was standing right beside her. Then he pegged Sawyer with a deadly pair of eyes.

“What the hell is going on here?”

“Colton. I should’ve known you would join us. I was just telling Kayla here about the latest occurrence that we are investigating and wondered if she had received anyone else’s engagement ring. There’s been another victim.”

Kayla gasped. Nausea rolled in her stomach. “No. Not another bride. Dead?”

Sawyer shook his head. “No ma’am. This body is alive. But she was brutally beaten.”

Colton put a hand on Kayla’s back. His touch relieved some of the stress brought on by these other two men. “What makes you think this is related to the previous dead body?”

Sawyer shook his head. “Her engagement ring was missing. And the fiancé swears there was no trouble between them.” He made a few notes in a notepad then looked at Kayla. “And you were their wedding planner. Excuse me, wedding coordinator.” His sarcasm was not lost on Kayla.

“You’re an ass. And it’s not my fault. These people are my clients. Why would I want to hurt them? Without their weddings, I have no income. So you need to look elsewhere, sir.”

Sawyer’s gaze went to where Colton had his hands resting possessively on Kayla’s back. His face turned stony hard. His brittle voice spit fire when he spoke. “Seems I recall another fiancée that was murdered around here. Been a few years back, but it’s still fresh in my mind.”

Colton’s hand on her side gripped hard. His fingers dug into her ribs. His stance was rigid, his breathing was so ragged and raw, Kayla thought he might hyperventilate. Or hit someone.

“What are you talking about?” she asked.

Sawyer laughed. It sent chills through her. “Colton can explain.” Then he and Officer Banks turned and walked away.

Colton released his hold on her, but his body was tense all over. His jaw clamped so tight the muscles in his neck bulged. His eyes were dark hallows of madness. Kayla had never seen him this angry. She was almost scared to speak to him. And she certainly didn’t want to stand too close to him. Anger led to hurt. Physical pain.

“Colton?” When he didn’t answer or look at her, she stepped a few feet away from him. Her stomach knotted up. Her palms were sweating. “Colton, what did he mean?”

He turned on her. Anger and hatred filled his dark eyes. This was not the same man she had met only weeks ago. This man was tormented by demons that were unleashing themselves inside his body. In three steps, he had her cornered against the outside wall of the bar.

“He’s referring to Andrea. My fiancée who I caught in bed with Sawyer.”

Kayla sucked in a breath. That explained the hostility between the two men. “I’m sorry.”

He shook his head. “Nothing for you to be sorry about. Just be careful who you trust.”

“Colton, I trust you.” She reached a hand up to cradle his face. She did trust him and didn’t like seeing him like this. At that moment, she only wanted to ease his pain. He grabbed her hand and pulled it away from his face. The harsh action startled her.

“Do you?” He pinned both of her hands above her head. “Even after I tell you that Andrea was murdered right here on this beach?” She gasped and bit her bottom lip. “Yeah, baby, and guess who their number one suspect was.” He kissed her hard, released her, and walked back into the bar.

Kayla’s body went weak, and she slumped to the ground. Her head was spinning. Colton killed his fiancée? So, who was she to trust?

Instead of going back inside, she texted Maggie and told her she didn’t feel well and was taking the rest of the day off. She trudged up the beach to the house. Even the sand between her toes and the warm sunshine on her face couldn’t bring her out of her mood. Just when she was starting to trust Colton, and yes, have feelings for him, this happened. She didn’t know what to think about any of it.

First a dead client of hers. Then another one beaten and left for dead. And the topping, finding out Colton was engaged, and his fiancée murdered after her affair with Sawyer came out in the open. Maybe the beach wasn’t for her after all. As rough and tough as New Orleans was, she never had to deal with this kind of betrayal.

On the porch of her house, Kayla stopped. On top of the little bistro table sat a small box wrapped in white paper. Her heart sank to her toes. She grabbed the package and brought it inside with her. She knew better than to open it without contacting the police, but she threw that caution aside. Hell, the police suspected her anyway.

She opened the box and pulled out the ring and the note. A simple solitaire diamond. Just like the latest victim’s groom-to-be described. This time the note was on a baby blue piece of paper. “
Love have they waited, long have they planned. Life goes before them opening her hand
.”

Kayla read the note again. What the hell did it all mean? She placed the ring and note back in the box, and slid everything in a plastic bag. Then she headed out to the police department. She raised her sunglasses to the top of her head as she walked into the dimly lit station.