With This Kiss (Windswept Bay Book 3) Read online

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  With This Kiss

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  More Books in the Windswept Bay Series

  About the Author

  Copyright

  WITH THIS KISS

  A Windswept Bay Short Story

  (Windswept Bay Series, Book 3)

  DEBRA CLOPTON

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  With This Kiss:

  A kiss is just a kiss…or so some say. But I disagree…this kiss, can change a life. It did mine.

  You are officially invited to the wedding of Shar Sinclair to the man of her dreams, Gage Lancaster…if the groom ever makes it to the wedding.

  Where is Gage?

  There’s only an hour until the ceremony and no one has heard from Gage and he’s not answering his phone. Now, Shar’s ready to go looking for her man because something just doesn’t feel right.

  After receiving the message he’s been waiting for from his private investigator, Gage can’t help but make a life-changing stop on his way to his wedding.

  But, things quickly spiral out of control and everything about this wedding day is about change…

  Don’t miss this Windswept Bay short story! It is a companion story to Somewhere With You book 2 and a prelude to Forever And For Always, book 3 coming in October!

  Anything can happen With This Kiss!

  Chapter One

  Shar Sinclair stared at her reflection in the mirror and the amazing, but simple, wedding dress that made her look more elegant than she’d ever felt in her life. She was marrying the man of her dreams. And that said a lot since she’d never actually thought she wanted to marry and share her life with anyone. And then Gage came along.

  And suddenly she had her dream man and she was anxious to share her life with him.

  She stared at herself in the mirror wearing her wedding dress and she tried to calm the turmoil trying to go a little haywire inside of her.

  Why was she feeling this way? A tremor ran through her, like agitation as she breathed in slowly filling her lungs and holding it a few beats. I’m just anxious.

  As if to contradict her thought, her stomach tightened into a thousand knots. Twisted, tight knots that threatened to squeeze the cheese crackers she’d eaten for lunch right out of her.

  Nothing said non-elegant more than upchucking while wearing her wedding gown.

  Shar exhaled heavily and shook herself.

  What is wrong with me?

  At the rate she was going she’d have an ulcer before her wedding was over.

  “Is Gage here yet?” she asked.

  Her older sister, Cali pushed a shiny strand of blonde hair behind her ear and smiled with assurance. “Not yet. But I’m sure he’ll show up soon.”

  Shar moistened her dry lips. Instantly Jillian was at her side with a tube of gloss. She and Jillian were two of a trio of triplets and though they didn’t look alike they did share a keen sense about how the others were feeling which Jillian acknowledged in the look she gave her and her words, “Stop being a nervous wreck. And here, at the rate you’re licking those lips they’ll be chapped before Gage gets to kiss you in the ceremony.”

  Cali smiled into the mirror. “True, and that isn’t the fun way to get them chapped.”

  Shar laughed despite her nerves and let Jillian run the rosy gloss over her lips. She was not used to having this much makeup on or her sisters hovering so much. But it was sweet and she was grateful right now to have them beside her.

  “I’ve never worn so much makeup or lip gloss in all my life,” she reminded them. “Gage may not recognize me when he finally gets here.”

  Jillian rolled her eyes. “He’ll recognize you.”

  Tears suddenly pricked at her eyes. And a wave of panic rolled through her.

  Where are you Gage? Three months ago she was afraid of losing her independence and today she couldn’t get his ring on her finger fast enough. If only her man would make it to the church on time they’d get this ceremony out of the way and start their lives together.

  She looked at the clock…one hour to go and he was not here with his groomsmen getting into his tux. No matter what Jillian and Cali said, it wasn’t right. He’d told her he couldn’t wait to be her husband. That he’d be there ready and waiting to put a ring on her finger and to kiss her breathless. But he wasn’t here. And she could deny it all she wanted but the truth was that her groom was missing.

  “Relax, Shar. He’ll be here.” Cali gently rubbed Shar’s back and their gazes met in the mirror once more. “He will be here,” Cali enunciated each word carefully.

  Always the encourager her older sister was trying hard to do just that.

  “He said he would be here early. It’s now inside of an hour and he’s missing.”

  Cali’s expression tensed. “He’s not missing. He’s just running late or something.”

  Not a patient person, Shar gritted her teeth. Patience had never been her strong point, if she wanted something she went out and got it or acted. She was strong-willed that way and it worked for her. Waiting did not. “Jillian, please poke your head out the door again. Just to make sure he’s not out there. Something isn’t right. I feel it and there is no denying it.”

  Both her sisters stared at her and knew she’d reached her limit.

  “It’s just cold feet,” Cali said, still trying one last time.

  Jillian’s brow knitted. “No, I can’t imagine it being cold feet. Cali, you were on your extended honeymoon when Shar was moping around for weeks after Gage had left the island. She was climbing walls when she didn’t think he was coming back. This is not cold feet.”

  Shar sent Jillian a grateful look for finally acknowledging that she wasn’t overreacting. “Nope, no cold feet here. I love him. More than I ever dreamed was possible. I mean, because of my love for him I look at my life, that I was so protective of, and now am thrilled to get to share it with him. Not horde it away just for me.” She felt weak-kneed suddenly and she couldn’t breathe. “It’s…where is he?” she gasped as tears surged up and threatened to overcome her. “I need to get this dress off and go find him.” She grabbed for her zipper.

  “Wait!” her sisters exclaimed together.

  Jillian rushed forward and put her hands on Shar’s. “Just wait, Shar. You can’t take your dress off. People will be arriving soon. He will be here. He’s still got over forty-five minutes.”

  Shar glared at her triplet. “You’re right.” She shook her head hoping to clear the panic from it. “This is so not like me.”

  Cali wrapped an arm around her waist and gave her a one armed hug. “Come on little sister. It’s time for you to sit down. If Olivia were here she’d tell you to chill out.”

  Olivia. Once again her other triplet hadn’t made it to one of their weddings. Shar had been worrying about her lately too. She wasn’t calling much and though she said she was coming there was always an excuse at the last minute. Olivia had missed Cali’s wedding and now hers.

  “I wish Olivia had made it. I’m worried about her. This isn’t like her either.”

  Cali handed her a glass of water. “Shar, you cannot fix everyone. Yes, you are Superwoman in my eyes with the way you rescue sea turtles and watch over the injured ones at the Sea Turtle Hospital. But, you worry too much for a straight shooter like you. Olivia is fine. When she’s ready to come ba
ck home she will. Right now she’s busy keeping the Hollywood elite out of hot water. She’ll come home when she can. Until then we just need to let her live her life.”

  “True,” Jillian agreed. “This is about you anyway and you’re adding stress to your beautiful day that doesn’t need to be here.”

  Shar’s heart was thundering and her stomach had coiled into a thousand knots now. “You’re right. I just wish he’d found Brandon. He’d hoped that in the two months since we set this wedding date that the private investigator would have good news about his missing brother. But the promising lead he thought he had hasn’t come through.”

  “I can’t imagine how Gage must feel. Just learning he has a brother at the reading of his father’s will.” Cali glanced at Jillian and Shar saw them struggling to be a unified front for her.

  She rubbed her forehead. “I can understand him wanting to find Brandon and to have him at the wedding. We can’t imagine having no family at all, we have such a huge one. But when you’ve just had your dad and then lost him...it’s different. Surely…” her words trailed off as she left her thoughts unspoken…surely he hadn’t decided not to show because his lost brother hadn’t been found yet.

  “Maybe something will turn up while you two are on your honeymoon.” Cali encouraged once more.

  “Yes, maybe it will.” Jillian looked hopeful as she headed toward the door. “I’m going to go walk to the parking lot and see if any of the guys have heard anything.”

  “Thank you,” Shar said in a rush, pushing away any thoughts about Gage not showing on purpose. He would be here. “And let me know the minute you know.”

  Jillian shot her that calming sweet smile of hers. “Well of course.” She laughed gently. “Take deep breaths and relax. I’m on this.”

  That was just it, Shar needed to be on it. She was after all a control freak and she knew it. When the door closed behind her she heaved a heavy sigh. “And so we wait.”

  “Yes,” Cali said sitting on the chair beside her. “And don’t think I’m not watching you and know what’s running through your head. Don’t even think about going to the bathroom and climbing out the window to go hunt for him.”

  Shar laughed…because that was exactly the thought that had just crossed her mind and she’d been thinking she would do.

  He shouldn’t stop.

  But he couldn’t pass it up and so Gage found himself pulling into the boat docks just as a police car flew past him heading down the road with his siren blaring.

  The moment Gage heard the siren he’d thought of the Sea Turtle Hospital’s rescue ambulance, the one that usually meant Shar was near. But it had a distinctive siren that he could recognize instantly and so he’d known it wasn’t the turtle ambulance.

  As he parked his car and got out another police car raced down the road past the entrance of the boating dock. He paused to watch it turn down a side road. Something was going on and he wondered if Levi, Shar’s brother and chief of police, would be involved. He hoped not because the wedding was happening within the hour and Shar would want Levi and all of her brothers at the wedding. She’d want him there more, so why was he stopping here?

  He pulled his phone out and looked at the address on the text message he’d just received. He hoped Shar wasn’t having a nervous breakdown or about to come looking for him. He should be there and he would make it on time.

  He just needed to see if his brother was on this boat.

  He expected his phone to ring any minute and he hated that he was running late. But, he’d gotten the email and then the address texted to him from the private investigator only moments ago. He’d been heading to the Windswept Bay Resort where the wedding would be held but the news he’d been waiting for had finally come.

  His brother was indeed living in Windswept Bay.

  They'd been searching for Brandon Jackson. The message said that his name was now BJ McCall. That he’d been adopted by his stepfather around a year after his mother had disappeared with him.

  The message said that he was supposed to be on his boat at this dock.

  Gage was thirty-one and his brother was four years younger than him and had been missing since he was three. Today would be ending a twenty-four year long search.

  What would Brandon think about having a brother?

  Gage looked at his watch again. He had an hour to get to the resort so he could marry the woman of his dreams so he better get this show on the road.

  He stepped onto the dock and headed down the planked runway between the rows and rows of sailboats and deep sea fishing boats. It was a quiet day. Seagulls drifted overhead like lazy kites dipping and soaring and watching for fish in the water. Many of the boat slips were empty, with it being such a gorgeous day it was no wonder. Fishing was a priority of the bay area especially on beautiful days. Or just heading out to enjoy the blue waters of Windswept Bay. He stopped when he reached the Morning Glory, the name of the boat listed in the email and the text.

  It was a nice sized deep sea fishing boat, but from the fact that it was nearly five o’clock in the afternoon and most of the charter boats were out with paying clients and this one was sitting in its slip made him wonder why. The sound of the mutterings coming from the cabin had him pausing before he stepped onto the deck. With little time to spare he boarded the boat.

  He had a wedding to get to.

  Standing Shar up was not an option.

  It would hurt her too deeply “Anyone on board?” he called.

  There was no answer. But Gage had heard the mutterings so he knew someone was inside the cabin. “I just want to ask you a couple of questions,” he called louder. There was no way he was walking away before possibly meeting his brother.

  He heard murmurs of what sounded like two voices. He waited and then a man with lighter hair than Gage’s came up out of the hull. He had a little grease on his hands and he was looking down as he wiped them on a rag. Gage tried to find a resemblance to himself in the chiseled, tanned skin and the squared jaw. But there wasn’t any.

  “What questions?” the man asked as he lifted his gaze and pinned Gage with icy, teal-blue eyes.

  Gage’s adrenaline kicked up as he looked into the exact same eyes as his. He had his father's eyes. And so did BJ McCall. It was an undeniable genetic gift that Milton had evidently passed down to both of his sons.

  The impact that he was staring at his brother was almost overwhelming.

  It felt as if the boat was hit by a tidal wave as the reality set in and the world rocked around Gage.

  “What can I do for you?” Brandon—or BJ asked, briskly, his gaze taking in Gage’s tux then shifting back toward the opening to the cabin. “I’m thinking you’re not dressed for an outing today. And I hate to break it to you, buddy, but if you just got married your new bride is not going to want to go out on a fishing charter at this moment.”

  “Actually, I’m on my way to get married.” Gage thought of Shar. “And you might be wrong about her not wanting to be on the water.” He held out his hand. “I’m Gage Lancaster by the way.”

  Gage watched the other man’s expression for any signs of recognition. He saw none. Nothing, not even a flicker of anything that hinted that Brandon knew who he was. But Gage knew this was his brother. If there had been any doubts about it not being Brandon the eyes proved it to Gage one hundred percent.

  His brother stared hard at Gage’s outstretched hand and then he looked down at his grease streaked hands. “I don’t think your bride will appreciate you getting grease on your wedding fingers. Maybe you should leave and come back after the honeymoon.” He hitched a brow and his eyes narrowed. Then he yanked his head toward the dock. “It’s a good time to leave.”

  So his brother wasn’t the most sociable guy. One of the first business rules Gage had learned from his dad, when he was not much older than ten was to never take no for an answer. “I actually came to ask a few questions.”

  His brother’s jaw tensed and his gaze shifted toward the cabin
. Gage followed the movement and thought he saw a shadow flicker in the opening. Something didn’t feel right.

  Was there someone standing just inside the cabin doorway? “Is there a problem?”

  BJ’s blue eyes chilled. “No. Look, I need to get back to work on my motor.” His eyes had narrowed as they shifted once again back to the cabin. “And you look like you need to get to a wedding.”

  Gage should leave. He should turn around and walk off that boat and get the dickens to the resort and marry Shar. But this was his brother and something did not feel right.

  And Gage had always had good instincts. So instead of heading off the boat he took a step toward the cabin. “I’m running late, but I’ve got time. I need to ask you a few questions.”

  BJ took a step toward the cabin to block his path. “You don’t want to ask me any questions. Go on. Get off my boat,” he snapped.

  “Too late,” a man growled and stepped from where he’d been hidden just inside the cabin. He held a gun in one hand and he pointed it straight at Gage. “If the man wants to ask questions he can do it while you’re driving this boat down the coast.”

  Gage’s stomach clenched and he thought of Shar standing alone waiting for him.

  What had he done?

  Chapter Two

  Jillian tried not to let her imagination run away with her as she hurried to find her brothers. Shar was not the nervous type and Jillian had never seen her so tied up in knots. She said a prayer that Gage would be with her brothers when she found them.

  She rushed through the resort’s courtyard, past the kids and families playing in the pool area and then she turned down one of the landscaped paths that she’d created at the resort and rounded the corner to the where the parking area was. They’d designated this area for the wedding party to park and she scanned the cars. Gage’s was not in the lot.