With This Kiss (Windswept Bay Book 3) Read online

  Her stomach rocked. Where was Gage? There was now only thirty minutes until the ceremony and Gracie, the resort manager and acting wedding planner, had told her that the wedding guests were arriving. Jillian’s mouth was dry as she swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat and headed to the private suite the guys were using as their dressing room.

  Levi had his phone to his ear and was pacing outside the room. Her brothers, Cam, who’d driven in from his ranch in Texas, and Max were standing with Cali’s husband Grant. The three were in deep discussion and did not look happy.

  So they were all worried too.

  Her other two brothers Jake and Trent were coming up the path from the direction of the beach where the wedding would be held and there was worry on their faces too.

  “He’s nowhere to be found,” Jake said, exasperation ringing in his voice as he met up with the others.

  Trent rubbed the back of his neck. “This isn’t good.”

  Jillian took a deep breath and stopped beside them. “Where could he be? Shar is literally about to jump in her jeep and go searching for him. Cali is doing her best to calm her. But we can both read her and you know Shar, she doesn’t sit well. If he doesn’t get here soon she’ll go find him.”

  Cam yanked his Stetson off, the official Sinclair cowboy in the family Cam looked like he might be ready to lead a posse out to find Gage. Maybe string him up and then ask questions.

  “What’s this guy’s problem?” he snapped. “He sounds like he led her on for two months and now he’s making her wait. I’m not liking this.”

  “He didn’t lead her on,” Jillian assured him. “So step back, cowboy. If he doesn’t get here then that means something is wrong. Gage would not stand her up.”

  “I’ve got to agree with Jillian,” Jake offered, looking serious. “He’d be here.”

  Her other brothers agreed.

  Cam let out an exasperated breath. Like Shar he had little patience. “Okay, so does anyone have any idea where he might be?”

  Levi hung up his phone and joined the group. There were storm clouds in his eyes. “Well, I don’t know if he’s there, but a convenience store on the corner of Sand Dollar and Avenue A was robbed about thirty minutes ago and the clerk was shot. My deputies have road blocks up and are actively searching for the shooter. He was on foot they believe. There is a possibility that Gage got caught up in the road block and is trying to get here but running behind.”

  “Man, this is getting better and better,” Max said, with dry sarcasm.

  Jillian placed her hand on her churning stomach. “But, he’s not answering his phone. Why isn’t he answering his phone?”

  Levi met her gaze. “That’s got me puzzled too.”

  Jillian frowned. “You mean worried.” She hated when her brothers, most specifically her older brothers, Cam and Levi thought she couldn’t handle knowing things. She guessed it was just brotherly protectiveness but at this moment she didn’t have patience for it. “Do you think he could be in trouble?”

  Levi cocked his head and gave her that don’t-make-me-tell-you-straight look. “Don’t go jumping to conclusions. He’s still got…” he checked his watch, “…a little time.”

  Jillian let out a loud grunt. “Y’all should all be lined up and ready for Shar. The guests are probably wondering what’s going on. Shar may have already locked Cali in a closet and taken off with her wedding dress flapping in the breeze.” Jillian had never felt so helpless. She stared at all of her brothers.

  Levi’s phone rang. He put it to his ear. “What you got?”

  Everyone watched him. He hung up. “I’ve got to go. There’s reports of gunshots at the boat dock. I need to be there.” He started loosening his tie. “Go try to keep Shar calm. And call me if Gage shows up.”

  “I’m coming with you,” Cam said.

  “No,” Levi said firmly. “You have to stay. If Gage does show up then this wedding can go on without me. But not without all of you. Shar is going to need you all here. I’ll keep you posted.”

  He didn’t wait for more protest but was heading toward the parking lot.

  Jillian rubbed her temple and groaned. “This day is falling apart. Someone needs to break it to the guests that we may have a delay.”

  “I’ll do it,” Cam drawled. “We better all head that way. If he does show up he’ll come straight there.”

  Jillian was already walking down the path. She felt almost desperate to get to Shar.

  She just hoped Shar was still on the property.

  Shar was in love. Madly, deeply, undeniably in love.

  The time since she and Gage had declared their love for each other had been one of complete and total bliss.

  Okay, so she was stretching things just a wee bit. He had flown back and forth between Windswept Bay and Manhattan each week taking care of the company he and his father had built. And he’d been almost obsessed with finding the brother he’d just learned he had at the reading of his dad’s will.

  He’d wanted to find him before the wedding and there had been hope that it could happen since the private investigator who had been hunting for him all these years had come up with a lead right before Gage’s dad had died.

  Learning that he had a brother who’d been missing since Gage was a child had been a blow to Gage. It was understandable that he would want to find his brother.

  But because of that, Gage hadn’t been around as much as Shar had hoped. Yes, he’d come back to Windswept Bay to win her heart but, he had so much on his plate she was now wondering if he might have started having second thoughts.

  She stared at the clock. Five minutes till six. The guests were waiting and she was too. And he was not here.

  “He isn’t out there is he?” Shar demanded.

  Cali had been speaking to Gracie at the door. She turned back and her expression said it all. “He’s not.”

  The door opened and Jillian came inside along with her mother. Both of them looked pale.

  “What’s wrong?” Shar rushed forward.

  “Well,” Jillian squeaked. “He’s not here and Cam thought it best to warn the guests that things were behind schedule.”

  Shar’s mother came forward. Violet Sinclair was a beautiful woman with a huge loving heart. “I feel sick about this, honey.” She took Shar’s hands and studied her sympathetically. “But he will show up.”

  Shar felt ill. “Does anyone know anything that I don’t know? Shoot straight. I mean it.”

  “Okay,” Jillian sighed. “Here is the deal. Levi got word that there was a holdup and the clerk was shot. The robber is on foot and they are searching for him. There are road blocks and he thinks there’s a possibility that Gage is caught up in that.”

  Shar’s heart started thundering. “He’s not answering his phone.”

  “I know, I said the same thing. And, well, Levi just left. There was a report that gunshots were heard at the boat dock. So he had to go.”

  “It just doesn’t make sense.” Shar started pacing. “If Gage could call me he would. He would answer his phone.”

  “Maybe his phone is dead.” Cali looked from her mom to Shar. “Jumping to conclusions is not helping this situation.”

  “Cali is right,” Violet said, calmly.

  “Stop. Just stop,” Shar said. “I love all of you, but don’t stand there and tell me to calm down. This isn’t right. Nothing about it feels right.” She yanked her wedding veil out of the bun in her dark hair.

  “No,” Cali and her mother exclaimed at the same time and rushed forward.

  Shar pushed it into Cali’s outstretched hands. “Hold that. And either someone unzips this dress or I’ll either rip it off or wear it to go look for Gage.”

  The moment Gage saw the gun it went off. A warning shot fired into the dock behind.

  The thug snarled to BJ, “You’ll get me out of here or the next bullet takes wedding boy out. And messes up his fancy tux.”

  Gage’s heart pounded and everything seemed to go
into slow motion as he pulled his focus off the gun and looked at his brother. His mind whirled through possibilities of what his next move should be. Boardrooms and negotiations had been his life, and now his mind reacted, searching as BJ slammed him with a glare.

  “I tried to get you to leave. What’s wrong with you, man? You’ve got a bride waiting on you and you’re here to ask me questions? There are no questions that important. Not for a fishing boat.”

  The gun swung toward BJ and the gunman growled, “Move it. Now. I don’t have time to stand around here while you two argue. Especially now that I’ve fired my gun.”

  BJ stiffened. “You keep waving that thing around like that and I’m going to get mad.” There was a steel edge to his voice. “Waving it at me is one thing. But now, you’re threatening my guest.”

  The gunman let out a string of curses and stepped further into the sunlight. “Just drive the boat or I will shoot the groom and toss him overboard for fish food.”

  BJ slid his icy blue gaze to Gage then back to the gunman. “Well you see, there’s a problem. If it was just me, I could have done as you asked as soon as I got my spark plug changed. But now, I feel obligated to get the groom to the church on time.”

  Gage decided in that moment that his brother was either drunk or not the smartest cookie on the block. Or cut from the same cloth as their dad, a man who’d never backed down from a fight—his fights had just been done in the boardroom.

  Or he was bluffing—that too was a trait of their dad’s. Gage knew how to bluff. Knew how to play his hand in the boardroom like the best poker players Vegas had to offer. But he wanted to make it out of this situation alive. He wanted to marry Shar and start their future together. He wanted to tell BJ he was his brother. They needed to bid their time not push buttons.

  “I’m already late for the wedding. What are you hiding from?” he asked the gunman.

  Sweat beaded on the man’s forehead. “None of your business.” He stepped forward and pointed the gun at BJ. “I’m giving you one more warning. Move.”

  “Why are you doing this?” Gage asked.

  “It’s none of your business. All you two need to know is that I need this boat moving. And I need it moving now.”

  “Like I said, no can do, buddy. Gage has a bride waiting on him.” There was a warning in BJ’s eyes and Gage caught it. This was not going to go well. His instincts were telling him to play along with the gunman and make it out of the situation alive.

  But as he saw the gunman’s finger twitch his gut told him now was the time to act.

  Shar’s beautiful ferocious expression flashed before him. The expression she wore when she was fighting to save a sea turtle’s life. He had to get to the beach.

  When the gunman glared at BJ, taking the bait his brother was tossing at him, Gage reacted, deciding this was his best shot. He kicked upward hard, his foot hit the gunman’s wrist and then Gage charged.

  BJ reacted too. They both rammed the assailant together, slamming him up against the boat cabin. Gage grabbed for the gun hand just as the gun fired.

  Shar had just grabbed for the zipper of her wedding dress when the door opened and Cam and her dad rushed into the room.

  Sam Sinclair’s serious gaze found Shar. “Sharleen, honey—”

  Cam looked impatiently from their dad back at her.

  “What’s happened?” Her fingers shook on the zipper and let go.

  Cam strode across the room and took her arm. “You need to come with me.”

  Her knees nearly buckled but Cam’s hand tightened on her arms to steady her. “Hang in there, sis.”

  “What’s going on?”

  “The robber of the convenience store robbery took two hostages at the boat dock and one has been shot. Levi called. It’s Gage.”

  Like melting butter Shar wilted, but her dad wrapped his arm around her waist and he and Cam gave her support.

  “He’s alive, honey,” her dad said, sounding like he was calling to her from a long way off.

  “He’s alive,” Cam repeated. “We need to get you there.”

  Shar was already moving. She needed to get to Gage.

  Chapter Three

  All of her brothers were waiting in the hallway as Shar rushed from the resort suite with Cam and her dad. A wave of love flowed through her at the concern for her and their show of support as they all fell into line behind her with her sisters and her mother. Strength surged from the shocked depths of her soul and filled her.

  She blinked back tears as she clutched the skirt of her wedding dress into her fists and got it out of her way as she hurried to the double doors that Jake held opened for her. Once in the courtyard she ran.

  “Where’s your car?” she asked, looking over at Cam who was running with her.

  He took the lead. “Follow me. We’re supposed to meet the ambulance at the hospital.”

  People were stopping what they were doing and watching as the entire wedding entourage raced through the resort and to the parking lot. Cam raced to the driver’s side of his truck and her dad who’d been right with them yanked open the passenger door and helped her hop in. He hopped into the back seat and Cam was tearing out of the parking lot instantly.

  “Buckle up,” Cam demanded, glancing her way and then refocusing on the road ahead.

  She grabbed the seatbelt and pulled it tight as he flew out onto the main drag and burned rubber as the truck fishtailed into traffic. She didn’t have to tell him to hurry.

  “How bad is he?” she managed, barely noticing the way they were weaving through traffic.

  “Levi just said I need to get you there as fast as possible. That’s all I know. So hang on tight.”

  She did and prayed Gage was doing the same.

  BJ paced outside the hospital and let the events on his boat replay in his mind.

  He had felt the groom slump to the ground the instant the gunshot sounded. He’d struggled with the shooter and managed to knock the gun from his hand and then he’d gotten him with a strong uppercut and knocked his lights out. Immediately BJ had rushed back to the groom, he was slumped over and blood was pooling around him.

  BJ didn’t have time to feel anything as he turned the man over. He was bleeding from his side. BJ spotted the rag he’d dropped earlier and grabbed it and pressed it to the wound.

  “Hold on, man. I hear cops near. Help is on the way.”

  Gage’s eyes opened, blue eyes that looked somehow familiar to BJ. “Shar,” Gage grunted. “Tell her…I love her.”

  “You tell her yourself, bud. I’m telling you, hold on.”

  That had happened moments before police had swarmed his boat. The first man who moved on board wore a tux too. Same color as the groom's.

  He took charge directing his men as he dropped to his knee. “Gage,” he said as the uniformed cops quickly carted off the thug and paramedics’ moved in to take over caring for Gage.

  BJ moved back and let them in. The tuxedo wearing head cop looked gravely concerned and it didn’t take a large IQ to figure out there was a connection.

  “Gage, come on open your eyes,” the cop said, his voice gruff. “You hang in there or my sister will personally kill me. Gage,” he snapped when there was no response. The paramedics were taking his blood pressure as one had taken over applying pressure. The cop didn’t let go of his hand. “I said hang in there, Gage. You have a wedding to get to so suck it up and hold on.”

  Gage opened one eye and BJ could have sworn the man’s lip twitched, hooking into a slight smile on one side. “I hear.” He worked hard but finally managed the last word. “you.”

  BJ found a smile too as he watched the groom and knew he was thinking about his bride, who sounded like a fireball.

  “I’ve got to let the paramedics take care of you. I’m here though and Shar will be at the hospital. She’s on her way.”

  BJ hadn’t been the one to bring the guy onto his boat and he’d done everything he could to get the man to leave but he’d persisted. B
J had been rude, downright hostile and still the man had remained. And blasted all, but he was certain that Gage had realized danger was on the other side of that cabin door and yet he’d stepped toward it rather than retreat like BJ had tried to make him do. Even knowing he’d done everything he could to warn off the groom, BJ felt guilt weigh over him like a mudslide.

  The tux clad cop had stood then, and his brows were etched together over penetrating eyes as he studied BJ. “Come with me. I have questions.”

  They moved out onto the dock so the emergency team could extract the groom and get him to the hospital.

  “First who are you and what happened? Why was he on your boat when he should have been at his wedding?”

  “BJ McCall.” BJ rammed a hand though his hair. “And I have no idea why he was on my boat.”

  “What happened with the gunman? Why was he on your boat and what connection do you have to him?”

  “No connection. I was working on an engine problem, changing out spark plugs trying to figure out why it was behaving badly when the thug rushed into the cabin waving his gun around and told me to take him down the coast. I was not happy about the interruption or about being hijacked. I tried to get the gun then but we were interrupted by your friend.”

  “It doesn’t make sense.” He watched with concern as they carried Gage from the boat on a stretcher. “Are you hurt?”

  “No, he got a gun butt to my temple right before Gage interrupted us. But I’m fine.”

  “You’re coming to the hospital with me. You can be checked out while I’m tending to my sister. I have more questions for you.”

  BJ didn’t fight it. He’d learned the best way to handle situations like this was to cooperate. Besides that he couldn't shake the fact that he wanted to know how Gage came out.

  And what had been so important that Gage would risk being late to his wedding? It didn’t make sense.

  Especially when that groom had known he was running late.