The Secret Life of Bryan (27 page)

T
he wedding, which started out simple enough, given the fact that they’d organized it in less than a month, ended up being a gigantic party. Relatives, friends and neighbors all attended.

Bryan’s dad married them, and Bruce was the best man, with Scott and Joe as ushers. The bride’s side of the wedding party outnumbered the groom’s—not that anyone minded.

Dawn stood as Shay’s maid of honor, and Barb, Amy, Leigh, Morganna and Patti all made stunning bridesmaids. Shay’s sister, Brandi, also attended. Being nearly nine months pregnant, she was more comfortable sitting on her husband’s lap than standing through the ceremony.

Shay’s mother cried, her father beamed with pride, and they all claimed to love Bryan right off. After all, he’d done the impossible. He’d actually managed to snare Shay, when they all knew her as an unstoppable force.

Amy’s new boyfriend came with her, but the rest of the women were flying solo. Unfortunately Dr. Martin couldn’t make it. She sent her sincere apologies and a very large gift. Shay knew Dr. Martin seldom ever left the clinic unattended. She was too dedicated to her work.

Shay had picked out beautiful dresses for the ladies, classy and simple and altered to fit just right. Only the women didn’t care for the less-than-plunging necklines and knee-covering hems. So they did a few alterations of their own. As a result, Shay had the sexiest bridal party in the history of Visitation.

To their credit, the women were on pretty good behavior. Someone had spiked the punch, but Bryan said he thought that was Joe. And Austin, Joe’s son who was almost ten, kept his ears cocked for anything anyone might say, so foul language and sexual innuendoes were kept at a minimum.

Barb still had some shoulder discomfort, and she had to take it easy. But despite that, she took her community service, assigned to her for her part in the crimes committed against the safe house, very seriously. She was working hard to make amends, and she finally seemed happy. They still called her Bad Barb, but only because she took so much pleasure in bossing everyone around.

Scott stood next to Joe. They were both in suits, both pulling at their ties, and both watching the party with varying degrees of interest. “Visitation is never going to be the same.”

Joe cocked a brow. “It has been livened up some.”

Scott nursed his beer, belched discreetly, and narrowed his eyes. “Your sister seems to fit right in with Bruce’s women.”

That had Joe choking, but he only said, “I can’t get over the way the preacher refers to them as ‘his.’ Like he has a damn harem or something.”

“More like he’s a proud papa.” Scott shook his head. “Not that I’ve got anything against the women. They’re all nice enough—although that Patti has grabbed my ass about ten times now. I think your sister might be putting her up to it.”

Joe slanted him a look.
“Just
your ass? Lucky you.”

That made Scott laugh. “I’m quicker than you, obviously.”

“Or maybe she just knows I have more to offer.”

Luna stepped between the two men with a
tsking
sound. “I can’t believe it. You’re standing here debating who is more irresistible?”

“No!”

“Of course not.”

She said, “Uh-huh,” and they both grumbled guiltily. “Well, if you look, you’ll see that Jamie is really the man of the hour.” Luna hooked her arms through theirs. “They’re all after him.”

Joe squinted in Jamie’s direction, then grinned hugely. Jamie, without his typical poker face, kept backing away from a small group of females. He hadn’t worn a suit, just black jeans and a white shirt, but that was enough to give a start, considering how he usually dressed. Now, with several women advancing on him, he appeared more grim than ever.

“He looks panicked.” Scott scowled. “But I don’t see him disappearing, now, do you?”

“Nope. Maybe he’s enjoying the attention.”

They all laughed at that.

“You’re both evil.” Luna, proving she could be evil, too, said, “Did you know that Alyx is real curious about the life of prostitution? Morganna has been telling her all kinds of stories, and Alyx is just hanging on every word. You’d think she was writing a book or maybe researching an upcoming event.”

“Son of a…” Scott shoved his drink into Joe’s free hand and stomped off in search of Alyx. Under his breath, he muttered something about needing overtime pay whenever Alyx Winston came to visit.

Joe hugged his wife. “That was mean.”

“Just helping Alyx with her cause.”

“To drive Scott crazy?” His hand slid down to casually fondle her bottom. “As I said, mean.”

Bryan strode up with Shay tucked in close to his side. He shook hands with Joe. “Thank you again for letting us use the lake for the reception.”

“It is absolutely beautiful,” Shay told them. “I can’t imagine a nicer setting anywhere.”

“You’re welcome anytime,” Joe told them. “And just as an FYI, the boathouse makes a nice private place to rendezvous whenever kids are underfoot.”

Bryan cleared his throat. “Well, I did see Willow headed in there with Clay just a few minutes ago.”

Joe dropped his drink. It hit the mossy ground with a dull thud. Eyes narrowed and mean, Joe started off—but Luna caught him before he could take more than a single stomping step. With her hands latched onto the back of his belt, she said, “Joe. He’s a very nice young man.”

Incredulous, Joe looked at her over his shoulder. “Exactly. He’s young and male. A bad combination.”

Bryan rubbed the back of his neck. “I kind of have to agree with that.”

Shay elbowed Bryan. “Even if he’s a typical guy, you have to trust Willow to make smart decisions.”

Just then, Willow and Clay came into view. They were in a rowboat, heading out to the middle of the lake, taking advantage of the beautiful fall day. Luna raised a brow at Joe. “There, you see?”

“I see that for now, he’s allowed to stay.” Joe straightened his tie. “But I think I’ll mosey down that way, just so he knows I’m keeping an eye on things.”

To Shay, Luna said, “As if he had any doubt?” She caught Joe’s hand. “I’d better go, too. Poor Clay is still a little awed by Joe.”

As Shay watched them head off, she leaned into Bryan. “I can understand that.”

Bryan leaned forward to nuzzle Shay’s ear. “What’s this? Should I be jealous?”

“No. Never.” Then she sighed. “They are such a happy couple, though.”

“And what are we?”

Shay turned in his arms, looped her arms around his neck, and said, “Delirious? Euphoric?”

“Right.” His hand went to the small of her back. “Can we escape now?”

From behind him, Jamie Creed said, “Not yet.”

Pained, Bryan slowly turned to face Jamie. “You still here?”

“It wasn’t time for me to go yet. I needed to tell Shay that she’s made all the right decisions. Don’t ever doubt that. Bruce’s decisions have nothing to do with yours.”

Bryan didn’t like the way Jamie said that. “What the hell does that mean?”

He turned to Bryan. “Everyone who comes to Visitation wants to stay.” His eyes darkened until you couldn’t see his pupils, until they were just black and mysterious and so damn deep, you felt lost looking at him. “Me, you and now even your brother, Bruce.”

“Did Bruce tell you that?”

“No.” His expression gentled when he looked at Shay. “But she has things well under control, so now your brother feels free to…explore.”

“Explore what?”

Black eyes coasted over Bryan’s face. Jamie looked away and shrugged. “Women.”

“The hell you say!” Bryan didn’t know if he should laugh or be insulted on Bruce’s behalf.

Shay smiled. “But he always deals with women.”

“No.” Jamie glanced up at the sky, as if judging the time. “Now he’s free to be a man, not just a preacher.”

Bryan and Shay looked at each other. Shay covered her mouth with a hand. “Maybe since you’re married, it’s got him…thinking about it.”

Frowning, Bryan said, “More like it’s that damn kiss you gave him after the fire.” Then under his breath, “Hell, no man could be immune to you.”

Ignoring that, Shay turned to demand that Jamie explain—but he was already gone. “Oh, my. He
did
just disappear.”

“Forget it,” Bryan said. “It’s a parlor trick. Now what did he mean? What decisions have you made?”

She bit her lip. “I know you have a few cases to finish up, but then surely we could start building here. And since Dawn is thrilled to take over for me in Ohio, I thought I’d dive into some of the local projects. For instance, Scott says they need new equipment at the sheriff’s station. He said that with you and Joe in town, they could really use some bulletproof vests.”

“Bastard.” But Bryan was grinning.

“And the nearest firehouse is too far away to be of much help to anyone living this far out. So if I could put up the building and get the equipment, we could probably get volunteer firefighters, or better yet, certified firefighters. That’d bring more jobs into the area.”

Watching Shay’s excitement grow always amused Bryan. She never did anything halfway. Which was good, since she loved as hard as she did anything, and she loved
him.

She caught her breath before continuing. “And I met this very nice teacher, Julie Rose, who hopes to get some new educational programs started in town. She normally teaches in a much ritzier area, but she’s been helping out with the summer school here, and you know, I think she might want to move here, too. It’s just like Jamie said, everyone who comes here—”

Bryan put a finger to her lips. “We’ll definitely stay, as long as you don’t mind living in the trailer while we build a more suitable house.” He waited to see if she’d insist on using her money for something fancier, but Shay seldom thought of her own comfort where her money was concerned.

“Close quarters,” she purred with a smile. “You’ll get no complaints from me.”

What a woman. And she was all his. “I’ve decided to open my own business, too. It’s something I’ve been considering for a while. Being a bounty hunter keeps me more on the road than not and I’m damn tired of always moving around, not to mention I want to spend more time with my wife.”

“And don’t discount the awful danger.” She shuddered, but new excitement sparkled in her eyes. “So what kind of business?”

“Security equipment. Because of my job, I’ve always owned my share, and lately I’ve thought about selling it. I use it in the field, so I know what works and what doesn’t. Your brother-in-law, Sebastian, gave me some tips on setting up shop. I didn’t realize he had his own personal security business.”

“It never came up, but yes, he’s very successful.”

He was also honorable and friendly, and if the situation called for it, Bryan knew he’d be able to hold his own. “I like your folks and your sister, too.” He laughed. “When you call her your little sister, you aren’t kidding.”

“Brandi’s small like the rest of the family.”

“You’re both beautiful, but in different ways.” Bryan had been amazed at how Brandi’s husband towered over her—not that Brandi seemed to notice. She didn’t look like Shay, but it was clear right off that she had as much grit.

Shay was still considering Bryan’s news. “I remember Luna saying that they had to drive two hours to get their security equipment for the lake.”

“Right. There’s a warehouse south of here, but I’ll set up about an hour north, so the competition won’t be too stiff. And since I’ll carry better equipment, I’ll draw customers from all over. I figured I’d add a mail-order catalog and something on the net, too.”

Shay gave him a beaming smile. “It’s a wonderful idea.”

“I thought you’d like it.” He walked her to the back porch where he produced a long sheath of papers, rolled together and tied with a ribbon. “I’ve got something to show you.”

“What is it?” Shay asked.

“My wedding gift to you.” Bryan opened the papers with a flourish and spread them out on a picnic table. “House plans. Not as fancy as what you already have, but just as you described to me.”

Her eyes widened and her bottom lip quivered as she stared down at the blueprints.

Bryan got uneasy. It wasn’t a small house, but compared to what her first husband had left her…no, Shay wouldn’t care about that. “Nothing is set in stone yet, so you can still change things if you want.”

She didn’t say a word.

“You don’t like it?”

She dashed the tears away. “I never cried until I met you.”

Shit. He set the plans aside and cradled her close. “I don’t ever want you to cry, babe.”

She sniffed and laughed and squeezed him tight. “But don’t you see? My life has always been full. I’ve stayed busy and been happy. But I never, ever felt so much until you. Happy was just happy, not deliriously, mind-blowing happy. Sad was just a moment to get through, not a heartbreaker. And love was what I felt for my family, my work. With you, it’s so much more. It’s so strong it takes my knees out and makes me want to shout and cry and laugh.”

“Let’s go with the laughing or shouting. No tears, okay?”

She
did
laugh, but it was a watery sound. “You make me feel more of everything, and that makes me whole. Because I’m with you, I’m not lost anymore.”

“You’re staying with me, too. Forever.”

“Yes.” She peeked up at him. “Let’s go back to the trailer, get a blanket and go down by the creek.”

Being wanted by Shay nearly took
his
knees out. “Damn,” he said, while leading her across the yard so they could say their good-byes. “I’m really glad I’m not a preacher.”

Shay just laughed. “Preacher, bounty hunter, businessman. Doesn’t matter to me—as long as you’re mine.”

Bruce stayed in the shadows, a place with which he’d become familiar while trading places with his brother. He had a sappy, melancholy smile on his face.

So Shay didn’t care what Bryan did, as long as he stayed with her? When he found a woman to love, he hoped she felt the same. He’d always be a preacher, and that might turn some young ladies away, just as it had their mother.

But now he knew the truth, too. He had a streak of wildness, just as his brother did. For once in his life, he was free to indulge it.