The Wedding Planner

by Millie Criswell

  “I’m sorry for being so maudlin. I must have PMS.”

  “Now you know perfectly well, sweetie, that Louise is never going to allow you to remain single. She’ll take out full-page ads in newspapers, solicit on radio talk shows to find you a man, if necessary. And those heroines you speak of always find happy endings.”

  Meredith conceded that Randall was right, but it didn’t do a thing to boost her spirits.

  “By the way, Louise invited me over to Pleasant Acres later this afternoon to play a round of croquet,” Randall said. “Her recovery’s been remarkable. I can’t believe it’s the same woman. She’s so—” he searched for just the right word “—perky.”

  Meredith smiled at that. Her mother was the picture of health—rosy cheeks, renewed energy, and interested in things she hadn’t cared about in a very long time, like her quilting club and having her hair cut and colored in a becoming style. “Mom’s doing great. A few more weeks of recovery and she’ll be moving into her own assisted-living apartment at Cedar Springs.”

  Randall whistled, obviously impressed. “I can’t believe you were able to get her in. I hear the waiting list is incredibly long. Must be nice to know people in important places, huh?” Then he broke into a few bars of “I’ve Got Friends in Low Places.”

  Meredith couldn’t help but smile, even if his Garth Brooks impersonation was absolutely dreadful. She waited until he’d finished, then said, “Adam sits on the board. He put in a good word for her.” Another debt of gratitude she owed him.

  “Your mother doesn’t have a clue that it was Morgan who paid for her transplant, does she?” He clutched his throat in mock fear. “I don’t want to be around when she finds out.”

  Adam was Louise Baxter’s savior, and she didn’t even know it. One day her mother would have to be told, but not until she was stronger. Meredith was dreading that day. Despite her renewed vigor, Louise hadn’t lost any of her animosity toward the Morgans, and she still detested Adam. As unfair as that was, Meredith didn’t see her mom changing her attitude anytime soon.

  The telephone rang, interrupting her disquieting train of thought. When she answered, Adam’s deep voice filled her ear and a thrill of excitement ran through her.

  But the thrill quickly dissipated.

  “Meredith, have you heard from either Megan or Andrew today?”

  The fear in his voice made Meredith’s heart begin to pound. “No. No, I haven’t. What’s wrong? You sound upset.”

  There was an excruciatingly long silence on the other end, then he finally replied, “I don’t want to alarm you, but I think you’d better come over here right away. Both of the kids are missing.”

  MEREDITH MADE IT to his house in record time, nearly wrecking her car in the process when she narrowly missed a telephone pole that had jumped out at her from nowhere.

  When she burst into Adam’s study, it was to find him surrounded by several uniformed police officers and two solemn, official-looking men in suits. Dressed in black, their dark glasses shoved into the front pockets of their jackets, the duo could have been poster boys for the FBI.

  She was breathing hard from having run up the front walk, and her words came out in a rush. “I came as soon as I could. Has there been any word?” But she knew from the defeated expression on Adam’s face the children had not yet been found.

  He shook his head. “Gentlemen, this is Meredith Baxter, a close friend of the family.”

  She acknowledged the introduction with a forced smile, then picked up her conversation where she’d left off. “When did this happen? Do you suspect it might be Tremayne?”

  Latching on to her arm, Adam hauled Meredith out of the room and into the hallway, where they could have some privacy. “It happened a short while ago,” he explained. “Mrs. Fishburn picked the kids up from school. They begged her to take them to the park on the way home, and she agreed. While they were playing on the swings, she went to her car to fetch a sweater, and when she returned they were gone.”

  “Do you suspect Tremayne?” Her stomach twisted at the thought that those innocent children were in the clutches of a deranged lunatic, even if he was their father. “Those poor kids! Megan and Andrew must be scared out of their wits.”

  And poor Helen Fishburn, she thought. The woman was absolutely crazy in love with those kids. The guilt the housekeeper bore had to be tremendous, though no one blamed her for what happened. Inquiring after the older woman’s condition, Meredith was relieved to hear she had been sedated and was resting comfortably upstairs.

  Adam slammed his fist against the wall, drawing Meredith’s attention back. “It’s more than just a suspicion, Meredith. In my gut I know it was Tremayne who took them.”

  She was surprised by that. “But you led me to believe—”

  “I let on that I thought he’d disappeared so you wouldn’t continue to worry, but I didn’t really believe it. The bastard’s got those kids. I know it. And he’ll use them against me if he can.”

  Though she took a deep, calming breath, she was still shaking inside. “What do the police say?”

  “Because of the circumstances surrounding the kids’ disappearance, the local authorities have brought in the FBI. They’re setting up monitoring devices on all of the telephones, in the event he tries to contact us. They may want to monitor your phones at work and home, as well. It’s possible Tremayne may try to reach you, since he tried once before.”

  Meredith felt as though she was in the middle of a Mel Gibson movie, only this wasn’t fiction; this was for real. And it scared the heck out of her. There was no telling what Tremayne would do to those kids. He’d killed their mother. Maybe he would—

  She bit back the hideous thought, not allowing herself to give up hope. Megan and Andrew were Tremayne’s flesh and blood. Surely he had some paternal bond with them, some corner of his heart that was still open to loving them. She had to believe that. She had nothing else to cling to but hope.

  “CAN I GET YOU SOME COFFEE?” she asked Adam several hours later. They were seated at the dining room table, half-eaten containers of fast food strewn everywhere. “You hardly touched a bite of your pizza.” Not that she could blame him. Hers had tasted like sawdust, and she’d had to fight her nausea all over again. Fortunately, a cola had done wonders to settle her stomach.

  “How can I eat, not knowing whether Megan and Andrew have eaten? But, yes, I’d like some coffee. It might help to keep me alert. Special Agent Warrens thinks we may still be contacted tonight.”

  She filled two ceramic mugs and handed him one. “Tonight? But it’s so late. Surely Tremayne would have called by now.”

  Adam shrugged. “This is my first kidnapping, so I’m not sure what to expect. It’s not like in the movies, you know.”

  “I know,” she agreed, squeezing his hand and wishing it were. The movies usually had happy endings.

  IT WASN’T UNTIL the following morning that Tremayne made his demands known in the form of a ransom note that had been found by one of the police officers on the windshield of Meredith’s car, tucked under one of the wipers, undetected by police surveillance.

  The vein in Adam’s neck began to throb as he proceeded to read the ransom demands to the group of anxious men and women, who’d set up operations in the house and had dug in for the long haul. Locked up in his world of worry, he seemed oblivious to their presence. Meredith, however, took great comfort in having them there, especially as she listened to the hideous demands:

  “Megan and Andrew are unharmed. If you want to see them again, the price is two million dollars to be paid in small, unmarked bills. You’ll find the directions to where the money is to be delivered enclosed. Have your wedding planner, Meredith Baxter, make the delivery. She’s to come alone. If my instructions are not followed to the letter, you will never see the children again.

  Don’t be a hero, Morgan. You couldn’t save your sister; don’t think you can beat me at my own game.”

  The note wasn’t signed, but everyone p
resent knew who it was from, and they all began talking at once.

  “That dirty creep! I’ll see him in hell,” Adam vowed, crumpling the note in his fist before one of the FBI agents secured it in a plastic bag to save as evidence.

  Meredith was surprised Tremayne had asked for her involvement. She was surprised and incredibly frightened. She’d never considered herself a braver-than-average person—she was absolutely terrified of spiders—but she intended to do everything within her power to get Megan and Andrew back safely. Even if that included following the instructions of a murderer. The kids’ lives could very well depend on her cooperation.

  “When do you want me to leave?” she asked, and Adam looked at her as if she were crazy.

  “Leave? You’re not going anywhere. Do you really think I’d jeopardize your safety, your life, by turning you over to a madman?” He shook his head. “Forget it.”

  She clutched his arm. “Adam, be reasonable. I’m the only chance Megan and Andrew have. Tremayne may harm them if we don’t do what he wants. I don’t want that on my conscience. I love those kids too much. And I know you do, too.”

  “That’s true. I love them more than I ever thought possible. But I’m not allowing you to go. And that’s final.”

  Flashing a frustrated look toward Agents Warrens and Fines, who seemed to be taking Adam’s refusal in stride, Meredith swore under her breath, then said in a calm voice that belied her exasperation, “If you allow me to make the drop,” she ignored the way his eyes widened at the police vernacular, “I’ll marry you. It’s what you’ve been wanting. The answer to all of your problems.”

  Adam didn’t waste a moment to consider. “Not even for that,” he said, and Meredith knew then and there that he loved her, totally and completely. Her heart lightened, despite the dreadful situation.

  “Miss Baxter is correct, Mr. Morgan,” Ned Fines said. “She’s the best person to make the drop. We can monitor her movements by means of a tracking device, and we’ll remain close by to protect her.”

  “I’d reconsider your position.” Agent Warrens added his opinion. “You’re dealing with a psychopath. Someone who’s totally unpredictable in his behavior. Even though Megan and Andrew are his kids, Tremayne may still harm them. He killed their mother and didn’t suffer a bit of remorse over it.”

  Hoping the men’s words had made an impact, Meredith led the reluctant millionaire to the other side of the room, out of earshot from the others. “Please!” she pleaded. “You must reconsider. It’s the only way. And I promise to be very careful.”

  Gazing into eyes as soft and lovely as shamrocks, Adam’s throat clogged with trepidation. If anything happened to Meredith, he’d never forgive himself. And he knew in that moment that he loved her, had loved her from the moment he’d first set eyes on her. He loved her more than he’d ever loved anything or anyone. And he wanted to tell her what was in his heart. How much she meant to him. How his world would be destroyed in an instant if she disappeared from it.

  But in the end the words wouldn’t come, and all he could do was nod his agreement.

  “You won’t be sorry, Adam. I know this is the best way. The only way,” she reassured him.

  But as Meredith hurried off to make the necessary arrangements, Adam knew he had never felt such sorrow.

  Or such fear.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Dressed in jeans, a navy T-shirt and a lightweight jacket that Randall had delivered hours earlier, Meredith was about to keep an appointment with the devil.

  Driving toward the rendezvous point indicated on Tremayne’s sketch, which was located several miles outside of town on a lonely stretch of road, she went over again in her mind the last conversation she’d had with Adam and the FBI agents.

  “Are you clear about what it is you have to do, Miss Baxter?” Agent Fines had asked for what seemed like the fiftieth time. The man had looked as nervous as she’d felt, which hadn’t buoyed her rapidly sinking self-confidence.

  She’d inclined her head. “I think so. I’ve got the directions right here.” She’d held out the paper, then glanced at her watch, her heart jumping to her throat when she’d discovered she had less than an hour to go. She’d been terrified, but she wouldn’t let Adam know. She was sure he’d been looking for any excuse to prevent her from carrying out the planned rendezvous.

  “I’m to meet Tremayne at the designated spot a little after nine, and I’m to keep the tracking device on my person at all times.”

  “It’s in your bra, as we instructed?”

  “Yes,” she’d replied to Henry Warrens. “And it’s not too comfortable, I can tell you that.”

  “I’d like to speak to Meredith in private before she goes.” The two men had nodded, then everyone associated with the investigation had disappeared out of the office.

  “Come back to me, Meredith. Promise me you won’t do anything stupid, like get yourself killed.”

  She’d hugged him tightly about the waist, pressing her face into the solid wall of his chest, filling her nostrils with his musky scent, listening to the rapid beating of his heart, which mirrored her own. “I won’t.” She’d sensed that he’d wanted to tell her how he felt, but the words were locked deep inside him. The love he felt for her had been in his eyes, in his touch, in the sound of his voice, and though he hadn’t said the words, she knew he loved her just the same.

  “We’ve got a lot to talk about when I get back, Mr. Morgan.” More than she would even admit to herself at the moment. “I won’t be letting you off the hook so easily then.”

  She then felt his passionate kiss communicating his feelings in the only way he knew how.

  “It’s a date, Miss Baxter.”

  Indeed it is, Adam Morgan, and you’d better be ready to spill your guts when I get back from dropping off this money.

  TREMAYNE ADJUSTED THE FOCUS on his binoculars and spotted the red Mitsubishi as soon as it turned onto the dirt lane. Morgan had no recourse but to comply with his demands, and his smile was triumphant at knowing the rich guy so well.

  He’d been counting on Adam’s love for Megan and Andrew, his familial responsibility, Boy Scout character and duty to his beloved dead sister. The poor sap.

  Curtis had no intention of hurting the kids. They were his, after all. But, of course, Morgan had no way of knowing that for sure. He also had no intention of taking them along with him when he left. Life on the run would be much easier without two small kids to take care of; he didn’t need the brats slowing him down. And with two million in spendable cash at his disposal, he’d be able to go just about anywhere his heart desired and resume the kind of life he’d grown so accustomed to while he’d been married to Allison.

  Morgan’s sexy delivery girl was just frosting on the cake as far as he was concerned, and he intended to have a taste. What better way to get back at Morgan than to take something he wanted?

  MEREDITH SPOTTED the sports utility vehicle as soon as she turned down the dirt road and had gone about a mile. It was dark and deserted out here in the middle of nowhere. The wind blew just enough to add an eerie feel to the already spooky scenario, and ripples of fear coursed down her spine, which was already damp with perspiration.

  She touched the tracking device secured to her bra just to make sure it was in place, to make her feel not quite so alone, then muttered another prayer, figuring it couldn’t hurt. Her heart was pounding so hard in her chest she could hear it in her ears. Her hands were sweating so profusely, even the leather grip of the steering wheel didn’t help.

  As she got closer, the headlights illuminated Megan and Andrew standing beside their father’s car, and she breathed a sigh of relief that they appeared to be unharmed. They looked small and absolutely terrified, which gave her the courage to do what she had to do. Tremayne stood behind them, his hands resting on their shoulders, an implied warning that they shouldn’t think about running away.

  “Here goes nothing,” she muttered, her palm slipping on the metal door handle as
she tried to open it. Stepping out of her car, she thought about Adam, about the fact that she might never see him again, and as her heart grew heavy, she grew more determined.

  Pushing her fears aside, Meredith held up the large black canvas bag containing the money. It had taken Adam several hours to get it together, but he’d managed with Peter’s help to secure the required funds. The two million dollars now rested in her hands.

  “I’ve got your money, Mr. Tremayne,” she called out. “Now let the children go.” She tried to sound confident, in charge, but her knees were knocking so badly she was sure he could tell she was scared.

  “I want to see the money first. Drop the bag and move away from the car where I can see you.” He approached cautiously, but the kids remained rooted to the spot, as they’d been instructed. Curtis had threatened to kill their friend Meredith if they so much as moved a muscle.

  The frightened woman did as instructed, and Curtis inched closer, the knife he held ready to be used without a moment’s hesitation in the event she hadn’t come alone. “At last we meet, Miss Baxter,” he said with a practiced smile. “Sorry it had to be under such unfortunate circumstances.”

  She took a deep breath, wondering how monsters could look so normal. “You’ve got your money. Now release the kids so I can take them home where they belong.”

  He looked around to make sure the area was secure. “Did you come alone? How very brave of you.”

  “I’m alone.” The FBI was supposedly tracking her from a discreet distance, but she hadn’t seen any sign of them since leaving the Morgan residence. They were reputed to be good at this sort of thing. She hoped caution was the only reason they hadn’t made their presence known.

  “I’m not dumb enough to think you’re not being tracked or followed, Miss Baxter. So, unless you’d like me to do a thorough search of your more private areas, I suggest you remove whatever clever device the FBI has provided.”