The Hardest Part (Brookside #2)

Chapter Fifteen

T oday was going to be a wonderful and beautiful day.

She just knew it.

Emily slipped into her new pretty dress of soft, flowy cotton. Short and sassy, with criss-cross straps, tiered ruffles, a tie-back waist, and a bustier bodice, the delicate floral was ideal to wear to the Archer wedding. She studied her reflection in the mirror. Jake and Billy’ll like it, too .

High school was behind her. A week ago, she got a new baby cousin, and now, two of her very best friends were about to get married. Life was sure moving fast.

Except for her.

It would be another year before it was her turn to walk to the stones, and as far as Emily was concerned, that’s when the best part of her life would begin. Not that she didn’t have other things to look forward to, or occupy her time with until then. She did. Besides planning a wedding of her own, she had Ruby to ride, Arien to hang around with, and classes to take in the fall—to be a teacher someday, like Grams.

Exhaling with a sigh, she sat upon the tufted velvet stool, put on the cream-colored boots she wore to graduation, and pulled the sock curler from her hair. She’d seen a tutorial for the heatless method online some months ago, and after seeing how fabulous the results were, had been using it ever since. Who cared if she looked ridiculous when she went to bed, right? Her boys were as obsessed with her hair as she was with theirs. One of them, if not both, always had their fingers in it, so it was well worth the effort.

“Emily, honey, are you ready yet?” Her mother’s sweet voice echoed down the hall. “We don’t wanna be late.”

“Yeah, Mama.” Hurriedly, she ran a brush through her hair and dabbed some gloss on her lips. “I’m comin’.”

Most Brookside weddings were held outdoors at a parents’ home unless they live in the center of town. In that case, the joyous occasion took place on the green or in a picturesque field along the mountain’s stream. No one ever missed a wedding here, or any other event, for that matter. The true definition of an extended family, in good times and in bad, this community always came together, so plenty of space was required.

Since their fathers were both attorneys with an office in Dubois, and also sat on the town council, Shiloh and Cassandra Lewis lived in a big, beautiful house a couple of streets over from the school. And while their mother kept a lovely garden, the backyard wasn’t nearly large enough to accommodate the twelve hundred people who’d be coming. Fortunately for them, on the outskirts of Brookside, Griffin’s parents’ home could.

Magical. It’s the only word she could come up with to describe it. The mountainscape provided a majestic backdrop. Rows of white chairs on either side of a lantern-lit aisle led to the triangle of stones, a woodpile at its center. Translucent draping. Flowers of ecru, cream, and white. Shiloh and her sister may have fought each other tooth and nail over every last detail, but the end result was positively stunning.

“ Michante , you can make a man forget he needs to breathe.” Jake swept her hair to the side, his lips brushing the skin beneath her ear. “You look beautiful.”

“You sure do.” Billy took her hand and kissed her fingers.

Her chest was close to bursting. Warmth spread through her. These brothers adored her so. Emily glanced at Arien, taking her seat with Tanner and Kellan, praying she’d realize just how amazing their love could be.

Everything that comes in threes is perfect, sweet cousin. You’ll see .

With a kiss to Billy’s cheek, she held onto his hand, and taking Jake’s with the other, they slid into their row of white chairs, following Victor and Carrie Gantry, her mom, and Justin Sawyer.

In a dress of the palest mint, the ends of her honeyed brown hair floating in the breeze, Kimberly quietly sat in between Jake and Justin. A widow at the tender age of twenty-four, she’d never remarried, though Emily imagined that would prove difficult around here. Still, her mama was far too young, and much too beautiful, to spend the rest of her life in that house all alone.

She twirled the emerald-cut diamond around her finger, waiting for the ceremony to begin. Noticing, Billy placed his hand on hers to quell her fidgeting. His silvery-gray eyes shimmered in the light of the setting sun, and he winked at her, the corner of his perfect lips lifting, as if he knew exactly what she was thinking.

Our day is coming, my love .

Jake felt it, too, the anticipation of everything yet to be. His arm came around her shoulders, and fingering the strap of her pretty new dress, he pressed a kiss to her temple.

Griffin stood at the stones.

Together with their parents, Shiloh and Cassie came down the aisle to meet him there. Sheer tulle and lace. The ethereal, breathtaking gowns they wore only enhanced their beauty.

Turning to Arien, Emily sighed. “Miss Lilly creates the most beautiful dresses.”

She couldn’t wait to see herself wearing her own.

The trinity ceremony is a sight to behold. Their hands cut, joined, and bound together, the three of them became one. And as they lit the fire in the center of the stones, Emily watched its flames soar into a darkening amethyst sky.

“That’s it, they’re hitched,” she heard Kellan say behind her. “C’mon, I need a beer.”

What you need, cousin, is a swift kick in the ass .

Ever since the bonfire party, when Kellan found out his stepsister hadn’t entirely given up on her dream of going back to Denver, he’d been pricklier than usual. Unable to cope with the thought of her leaving him, he stormed off and never came back. Jake had to drive Tanner and Arien home.

After dinner, champagne, and a slice of Maizie’s vanilla buttercream cake, Emily danced in the arms of the two men who loved her. Pressed to her back, Billy’s head lay on her shoulder, the cock in his pants teasing at the wisp of silk beneath her dress. She lifted her gaze to Jake. His lips quirked up, and grabbing his brother by the belt loops, he pulled her to him even closer.

Fuck, I’m in so much trouble .

One at her front, the other from behind, the brothers held her tight between them.

Pulling on the end of his braid, Emily brought Jake’s lips down to hers, and with Billy’s face nuzzled against her neck, she kissed him.

The music all but faded away.

Her feet stopped moving.

She tasted the whiskey on Jacob’s tongue while Billy tasted salt from her skin. And when their kiss ended, Emily raised her head and smiled, because it felt right, and perfect, and beautiful.

“Looks like they made up.” Billy softly chuckled.

Their eyes only on each other, Kellan and Arien swayed together on the dance floor.

“Yeah, I knew they would.” And giggling, she kissed him on the cheek. “I could’ve told him she wasn’t goin’ anywhere. She threw her award letter in the trash.”

“Why didn’t you?” Jake asked.

“You told me not to interfere,” Emily said with a shrug, her finger poking at his chest. “Besides, why spoil all the fun? I kinda like watchin’ it all play out.”

Then, Tanner came out to the floor, but it wasn’t because he wanted a dance. One minute, the three of them were talking, and the next, they went running toward Kellan’s truck.

What the hell?

But before Emily could get the words out of her mouth, her mother came rushing at them on the dance floor. “We have to get over to the ranch. Now.” Choking on the air she was breathing, she turned to Jake. “Your father’s already left.”

“What’s going on, Mama?”

Her beautiful face crumpled. “Something terrible’s happened.”

“You’re scaring me, now.”

“It’s Jennifer…” And she sobbed.

No, no, no, no, no. Please, don’t say it .

“She’s dead.”

Emily couldn’t explain it.

Because Christ, what are the fucking odds?

Three women were dead within days of giving birth to her uncle’s sons.

Amanda and Heather died from natural causes, they said. A weak heart or some such shit. She didn’t buy it. Not anymore. Jennifer’s death was no coincidence.

“How the fuck could this happen, Jake?”

“I don’t know.” His hand dropped from the steering wheel to her knee, and he squeezed it.

The closer they got to the house, the more it felt like she was going to vomit.

How did Jennifer die? Did she stumble down the stairs and break her neck? Fall asleep in the bathtub and drown? Her mother hadn’t said. And, fuck, what about the baby? Only a week old, she hadn’t mentioned poor Benjamin at all.

“Hurry, Jake.” Champagne churning in her stomach, Emily held a hand up to her mouth. “I think I’m gonna be sick.”

“Slow breaths, Em.” Billy rubbed her tummy. “We’re almost there.”

A nightmare.

That’s what this was.

A horrible B flick she didn’t want any part of.

Emily got out of the truck to see Arien running toward the trees, Kellan chasing after her, and Tanner holding up a sobbing Grams, the baby in her arms.

He’s okay .

With a sigh of relief, she wiped the tears from her face.

Justin and her mother pulled in right behind them. They ran past her, going straight inside the house.

Cautiously, she went up the porch steps, and that’s when she heard it. The sound of suffering. Agony. A deafening, plaintive wail coming from the strongest man, and the only father she’d ever known. “Uncle Matty?”

Grams ceased her sobbing long enough to look at her, then turning to Jake, she said, “She’s on the sofa. At first, we thought she was just sleeping. Your father is giving him something.”

Jennifer did look like she was asleep. Kind of.

Tanner’s voice boomed through the door. “He’s got her.”

It all moved quickly after that.

Kellan carried Arien to his room, dressed her in his t-shirt, and laid her on his bed.

He held her, wiping her tears as his own rolled down his face. Emily had never known her cousin to shed one.

God, Arien, I’m so fucking sorry, but I hope you can see how much this man loves you. Tanner. How much we all love you.

Victor pulled a syringe from his pocket. Within minutes, she was out.

The coroner’s van came and went.

And their world as they knew it went with it.

At two weeks old, Benjamin attended his mama’s funeral. A mama he’d never have the chance to know. His sister was a mother to him now.

Every day, Emily, Grams, and Kim went to the house to help however they could. Fending off visits from well-meaning neighbors. Making sure they got food in their bellies. Laundry and dishes. But it was Arien who cared for the baby.

“Leave her to it, Tanner.”

“That’s all she does, Auntie. If it weren’t for Benjie, she’d never get out of bed.”

“Arien just needs time. Trust me, everything’s gonna be okay.”

But Emily wasn’t so sure.

Her uncle walked around like a zombie, though hiding away upstairs or in his office, they hardly saw him at all.

The coroner ruled her cause of death undetermined. No one could say how Jennifer died.

“It’s a curse,” Matthew said.

Maybe it was.

Maybe the mountain was angry.

Maybe he lost favor for marrying Jennifer as everyone else had feared.

Nope, I don’t think so .

Someone must’ve done something bad to Jennifer, someone evil, and that meant whoever hurt her, hurt Amanda and Heather, too.

Emily just couldn’t imagine who that someone might be.

She looked over at Arien, her once vibrant eyes now vacant, rocking the baby in a chair. With a lot of love, somehow, they’d all see her through.

One day, you’ll be happy again, sweetie, I promise .

It was supposed to be a most wonderful, beautiful day.

And it was.

Until someone turned everything to shit.