“I’m dying inside,” she whispered, positive that Paul, her mother and the current situation was going to be her undoing. “There will never be another penny.”
Collin frowned and suddenly looked troubled.
“Good, God, who cares about a penny?” her mother’s voice carried nothing but contempt.
Felicia blinked at the woman she no longer knew. “I do.”
“Stop being dramatic and sit back down,” Paul’s demand, barked like a drill sergeant, was the final straw to break to her resolve.
“Listen to Paul,” her mom retorted as if disgusted.
She was done, broken and would never recover. Felicia shifted her gaze and glared at the man who she was supposed to marry. “Screw you! I’ll start being less dramatic when you stop trying to finger fuck the wedding planner. God! I was so stupid to even stick around this hell hole just to make my mother happy. Rot in hell.” She turned to the wedding planner. “Don’t worry sweetheart, he’ll screw you senseless—not that it will take much—then leave you for his next conquest. The dumbass doesn’t have a faithful bone in his body.”
“Felicia!” her mother’s mortified gasp, for once in her life, held no power over her. The guilt trips, the expectations—Clarissa Morgan could shove them right in her uptight ass.
“Save it, mom. I told you all the wedding is off, so I don’t even know why I’m inflicting this on myself.”
Again, her stomach rolled and she needed air or the contents of her stomach, which consisted of saltines and nothing else, was going to land in a splatter spot of puke on the blue carpet. Her lungs wouldn’t inhale or exhale, her stomach hurt and her heart ached beyond what words could even start to describe.
Without a glance at the shocked faces, she bolted to the door of the wedding shop and pushed through the glass doors to the freedom outside. She stumbled outside and forced air into her lungs in a gasp similar to a woman who had nearly suffocated.
“Felicia!” She turned to the owner of the voice and her heart sank to the cement pavement beneath her feet. Standing there wasn’t the sorry fiancé, or her protective and concerned mother, instead she blinked up into her brother’s dark and worried gaze. “Are you okay?”
“No. I’m not.” the simple response was all she could muster. This was death—officially. There was no way she’d recover from the last couple weeks and the gaping hole in her heart.
Collin’s brows furrowed deeper. “Breathe, what the hell happened back there?”
She closed her eyes and the traitorous tears slipped between her lids and lashes. “Everything was so wrong, and then when the penny rolled across the floor I knew…”
Her brother shook his head. Confusion etched itself in his face. “I don’t understand.”
Fresh hot tears rolled down her cheeks. “How the hell could you? You were never there.” Her temper collided with grief and she missed Brady and Mickey more than she had thought possible.
Collin flinched and stepped closer to where she stood. “You’re right, I wasn’t there and I should’ve been. But I’m here now.” His expression revealed his sincerity. Too late, the damage was done and beyond repair.
“There will never be another penny.”
Collin studied her with concern. “Honey, I don’t understand.” He inhaled deeply. “Cross the street, get a pack of gum. You’ll get at least one penny.” Desperation had infiltrated his voice. “I’ll even give you the dollar.” He reached for his wallet and again reality hit.
He doesn’t know about the pennies and he doesn’t know me.
“Keep your money. Keep your opinion and do me a favor...”
“You’re my sister, name it and it’s done.” Desperation covered his words like slick rain on asphalt.
Hope was lost. “Forget we’re related. Forget me. Go in that wedding shop, kiss mom’s ass, and tell her I’m not marrying Paul, she can. It’s over, I’m done and I refuse to endure one more minute of any of you.” She spun away and started walking, needing to put distance between her and what the world called a sibling.
“Felicia!” His call fell on deaf ears.
She shoved the penny into the safety of her purse and rooted around for her cell phone. Finally, her fingers curled around the device and she withdrew it. More tears fell. Her vision blurred but with determination, she found the number she needed and pressed call.
The line rang three times then picked up. “Hello?”
Hearing Jen’s voice induced more tears. “I can’t do this anymore.” A sob broke from her throat.
“Felicia…what the hell?”
She sniffled and struggled to find her voice that had washed away in the avalanche of heartache and grief. “I’m dying. My heart aches and you’re the only person on the planet who might care.”
“Of course I care.” Her friend sighed. “What’s going on?”
She ran her hand across her cheeks, trying to erase the watery marks of grief, but when she did; her lashes closed and replaced them with new tracks of hot tears. “I walked out of the bridal shop; I’m walking away from all of them. I hurt to the bottom of my soul—and my family is the biggest culprit.”
Another sigh echoed through the receiver. “Oh God!”
Felicia sniffled. “What?”
“You’re as miserable as them.” She sounded close to tears, which unsettled Felicia; she needed her friend strong during her darkest hour.
When her heart had stopped beating over the penny and reality had forced her body into further shut down, her brainpower seemed to have shut down as well. “Jen, who are you talking about?”
Silence stretched for several seconds, and then her friend spoke. “I’m talking about Mickey and Brady.”
Felicia’s plans to completely walk away and drive to another state came into question. She thought of the two cowboys and ventured to ask the question, which might very well shatter the remainder of her heart. “What do you mean?”
Jen’s breathing was hesitant. “They miss you a lot.”
Tears flooded down her cheeks and she was positive they were never going to stop. “Then why haven’t they called or texted or—”
“You’re not going to like this.”
Felicia swallowed and again wiped her cheeks, trying to get her tears under control. “What else is new? Lately it’s the story of my life.”
“Mickey said your mother called and warned him and Brady to be respectable and keep their distance and not to contact you in anyway. She also had them start packing up your stuff to send to the condo you and Paul have in Los Angeles.”
Anger and betrayal hit her full force, a terrible burning fire of emotions. Her mother had gone too far this time. “I’m no longer going to be at the condo. You know this; I’ve been staying with you.”
“I know. Felicia, call Mickey and Brady. You and I both know it’s always been them. Why shouldn’t you be happy?”
“Because I want to share a life and a bed with two men and I don’t care if I ever talk to my mother again.”
“Don’t do anything you’ll regret.” Jen’s concern reached through the miles. “Where are you going to go?”
“I don’t know, but I do know I can’t keep going like this.” She swallowed back her shredded nerves and the churn of bile rising in her throat. “I’ll call you later.”
Felicia ended the call and glanced around. It was time to get the hell out of Los Angeles and think.
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 thresh
old.
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 Coll
in. “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.
Bad Bride Good Cowboys Page 13
