Their Wicked Wedding (14 page)

After a moment, his mouth moves to my ear again.

“Let’s finish these dishes quickly,” he says, “because this night is just getting started.”

* * *

The next morning, I’m so exhausted I can hardly think straight. But I also can’t stop smiling, so I suppose it evens out.

“I don’t even want to know,” Lou says when she sees me.

“Know what?”

“Why you’re grinning like that.”

I laugh. “I just had a good night, that’s all.”

“I don’t want to know!” She says in mock terror, shoving her fingers in her ears.

My smile deepens. I’m glad we’re getting to spend this time together before the wedding. Today our job is to get all the guest rooms ready for when our guests begin to arrive tomorrow. We’re going from room to room with towels and fresh sheets, and while I’d normally get bored with this kind of work, I’m enjoying Lou’s company. I would happily spend another week bonding with my soon-to-be sister-in-law, and I find myself wishing we lived a little bit closer, especially with the baby coming. It’s not that I don’t think she and Ward can handle a child—from what I’ve seen this week, they’ll be wonderful parents—but people should have family around them at times like this. Maybe Calder and I can visit on weekends. Or… I don’t know.

Calder is in town today, picking up his tux and running a few other last minute errands for us. Ward has once again disappeared to work on his “secret project,” whatever that might be.

Lou and I spend all morning at our task, laughing and talking the whole time. I’ll be honest—a lot of our time is spent discussing our respective men. It’s fun having a female friend—a
sister
—especially one who I know loves Calder as much as I do, if in a different way.

We’re on the second-to-last room when I first notice that something is wrong. I leave her fluffing pillows while I stock the bathroom with towels, and when I step back into the bedroom, I notice she’s gone still. Her cheeks are pale.

“Lou?” I say.

She shakes her head, and her blank expression returns to normal.

“Sorry,” she says. “I’m a little out of it today.”

It’s the first time she’s zoned out like that, at least to my knowledge, and I don’t press the issue. I’m exhausted myself. And who knows what she and Ward were up to last night? She might be pregnant, but that doesn’t mean the two of them can’t enjoy the same late-night experiences Calder and I share.

But as we continue to prepare the room, something still seems…
off
with her. She still looks too pale, and more than once I notice her hand move to her belly.

“Are you sure everything’s okay?” I ask her.

Her face suddenly twists into a pained expression.

“Lou.” This time it’s not a question. “Here, sit down.” I take her arm and help her sit on the bed. “What are you feeling? Where does it hurt?” Not that I have anything but a passing knowledge of these things. Everything I know about babies has been gleaned from TV medical dramas, and I’m pretty sure they make half of that stuff up.

“It’s just a pang,” she says. “A tightness.”

“Like a contraction?”

“It’s not a contraction. I still have five weeks.”

“Sometimes babies are early.”

“I know that. But this one isn’t coming yet.”

“Lou—”

“I’m fine. I promise. I’m sure it’s just more indigestion.”

I cross my arms. “Maybe I should get Ward. Just in case.”

“Don’t you dare. He’ll make me spend the rest of the day in bed.”

“Maybe you should. You’ve been pushing yourself really hard this week. I can finish this up on my own. Maybe you should get some rest.”

“I’m not an invalid,” she tells me. “I’m just pregnant. And I’ll go crazy if I have to spend all day in bed.” She smiles, but I still don’t like the look of her complexion.

“Will you at least sit here for a few minutes?” I say. “And maybe let me get you some water?”

She gives me a look that makes me think she’s going to argue, but finally she shrugs.

“If it’ll make you feel better, then fine,” she says. “But I swear I’m okay.”

I help her get settled back against the pillows before I head downstairs for a glass of water. I’m back at the base of the stairs, glass in hand, when I run into Ward.

He’s streaked with sweat and grime from whatever project he’s been up to this morning. He grins when he sees me with the water.

“For me? You shouldn’t have,” he jokes. “You read my mind.” But his smile fades slightly when he sees my expression.

“Actually, it’s for Lou,” I say. This is the point where I know she’d want me to shut up, but something about the way his eyes flicker when I say her name makes me rush on. “She was having some pain. She says it’s nothing, but—”

“Where is she?” Between one second and the next, his expression has gone from cheerful but concerned to dead serious. His whole body is rigid.

“She’s in one of the guest bedrooms. The one at the end of the second floor with the green—”

He’s halfway up the stairs before I even finish the sentence. I hurry after him, but I can’t go very fast unless I want to spill the water. Lou’s probably going to kill me, but I’d rather be safe in a situation like this. And based on Ward’s reaction, I suspect he’d be pissed if he found out we’d tried to hide this from him.

When I get to the room, Lou and Ward are arguing.

“I’m fine,” she insists. “It’s nothing, I promise.”

“It might not be ‘nothing,’ ” he says. He’s crouched down next to her, and his eyes roam over her belly as if he might be able to figure out what’s wrong just from looking at her.

She starts to stand up. “Some discomfort is normal during pregnancy. That’s all it was.”

“You should go to bed,” he says, taking her arm. “Or better yet, maybe we should take you to the hospital.”

“I don’t need a hospital!”

“Lou.” He stands in front of her and takes her face in his hands. “I swear, if anything happens to you or this baby I’ll…” He can’t seem to finish the sentence.

She looks up at him, and when she speaks, her voice is a whisper. “Ward…”

I’m not sure they even realize I’m standing in the doorway. I’m not sure whether I should sneak away or say something to let them know I’m here, but in the end, I don’t have to make that decision.

“Fine,” Lou says quietly. “I’m not going to the ER, but I’ll see if Dr. Allen can squeeze me in.”

That seems to satisfy Ward, and they both turn toward the door. I hold out the water.

“You might still want to drink this,” I say.

“It’ll only make me have to pee halfway into town,” she says, but when she sees Ward’s expression, she shakes her head. “Fine. But don’t complain if I make you pull over.”

“I’m okay with that,” he says.

Lou looks back at me. “I’m sorry we didn’t finish the rooms. I—”

“There’s only one left, and I think I can manage it,” I tell her. “This is more important.”

She looks like she might dispute that fact, but Ward has her by the arm and is guiding her toward the door.

“Come on,” he says. “If you want to help, then let’s go get you checked out. The sooner we go, the sooner we can be back here to cause more trouble.”

She smiles at me and lets him lead her back down the hall.

The final room is already in good shape, and it only takes me about ten minutes to prepare it for guests. It’s hard not to worry about Lou as I work. I hope she and the baby are all right. I felt so helpless standing there, watching her face contort with pain. I didn’t know what to do.

At least you were there
, I tell myself.
What would have happened if she’d been by herself?
This house is huge. She and Ward can’t be with each other all the time. She might have been calling out in pain, yelling for him, and he’d never have heard.

I push that thought out of my mind. I
was
here, and Lou is on her way to the doctor. I should be thankful for that. I could spend hours mulling over “what ifs,” but the important thing is that she’s getting the help she needs.

And it’s only then, when I’m done with the room and trying to refocus my thoughts on the day’s list of tasks, that I realize I’m alone in this house. Lou and Ward are on their way to the hospital. Calder’s still out running errands. There’s no one on this entire estate but me.

It’s a strange feeling, being here by myself. The first time I was at this estate, Calder and Martin—the family’s chef—were here as well. Three people might not seem like a lot in a house of this size, but just the presence of others adds a certain energy to the atmosphere of this place. Now the building feels strange and empty. I’m not sure I like the feeling.

Maybe I’d feel differently if this house had ever been a “home” to me, the way it has to Calder and Lou and Ward at various points over the years. I have some memories of this place, yes, but not enough to fill these halls and chase away the emptiness.

Whatever the case, I’m not sure I like being cooped up in here. I start down the hallway, but pause at one of the windows overlooking the grounds behind the house. It’s a beautiful day—hopefully the sign of a beautiful weekend to come—and there’s not a cloud in the sky. Though it’s still early in the season, the gardens are already starting to look lush and green. It seems like we’ve picked the perfect date for our wedding.

I look down at my ring. The sun makes the facets sparkle and shine. It really is gorgeous. I remember the sensual way Calder slipped it back on my finger last night after we were done with the dishes. It felt like he was proposing another time, renewing his commitment.

Two days. Only two more days until our wedding.

The perfect weather. The perfect ring. The perfect man. It’s nearly a recipe for the perfect wedding—but I’m afraid to even hope for such a thing. All that matters is that Calder and I get married surrounded by the people we love.

I see Lou again in my mind, her mouth twisted in pain and her cheeks far too pale. Maybe I should have gone with them. What if something happens while they’re on the road? How far is her doctor?

Calm down
, I tell myself.
They have your cell number.
Calder took our car into town, but I can always hop in Lou’s car and meet them somewhere if I need to.
Besides, Ward would never let anything happen to her. He’d do anything to keep her safe.

Thinking of the love between those two makes my own heart ache for Calder. He’ll be just as worried when he hears about Lou. He should know what’s going on. I pull out my cell, and I’m just about to call him when I notice movement out of the corner of my eye. There’s something—or someone—down on the grounds.

I turn back to the window, my eyes scanning the gardens below. There—out past the maze—is a person. A man. That’s all I can see before he moves behind a row of hedges.

For a moment I just stand there at the glass, frozen, my mind running through possibilities. The grounds crew isn’t here today. Ward is with Lou. Calder is still down in Barberville. Could it be a reporter? Is he scoping out the grounds so he’ll know where to hide for our wedding? Trying to get some intel before the big day?

My eyes are locked on the place where he disappeared. Now that I know what I’m watching for, I get a much better look at him when he moves out into the open again.

And my eyes nearly pop out of my head.

Is that… Calder?

But Calder is supposed to be in Barberville. Why is he skulking about the grounds? How long has he been back?

I hurry down the stairs and out the nearest door. Maybe Lou told him that I heard someone in the maze. I never said anything to him—I felt too silly after that conversation with Lou. Besides, if I told him that I might-or-might-not have heard footsteps, I would have had to explain that I’d been so mad at him I’d gotten myself lost, and I didn’t want to bring up our argument again.

But it’s possible he’s out looking for evidence that someone’s been sneaking onto the property. Ward mentioned that some of the walls need repairs, especially along the back of the property, so it’s probably pretty easy for someone to get in that way. I don’t know if he’s reactivated the security system yet, but since I haven’t seen any utility vans in the past couple of days, I suspect that’s a no.

By now, I’ve reached the place where I saw him. I glance around, looking for any sign of where he might have gone, but I see no one.

“Calder?” I call. “Are you out here?”

The main entrance to the maze isn’t far from here. It’s possible he went into the labyrinth and can’t hear me through the thick hedge walls.

“Calder!” I call once more. When there’s no answer, I pull out my phone and hit his number. The call goes to voicemail.

I tell myself that there’s no reason to worry. He probably just left his phone in the car or something. I walk to the maze entrance and peer down the path. There’s no evidence that he’s passed this way.

Just when I’m about to turn away, I hear something—a footstep, maybe two, from somewhere behind me. I jerk around, but I see no one.