Chapter 10

I didn't have a clue what we were doing at the church at ten in the morning when the wedding didn't start until four this afternoon. The guys had been separated from the girls, so with no ability to talk to Masyn, I was left wondering what she was doing-not that this was the place to try to have a conversation. I wasn't the only one who'd consumed too much last night. Everyone in this room looked rough, except Beau-because he wasn't here. And I wasn't the only one grumbling about the arrival time and wondering where the groom was.

Braden and Bodie were both present, and Beau was staying at his parents' house. "Braden, where's Beau?"

"Probably getting drunk. He and Felicity kept the neighbors up half the night."

The other guys in the room hooted like the couple had had an orgy with the Chastains down the hall.

I, however, got the message loud and clear. "Any idea what they fought about?"

"Hell no. Bodie and I went down to Sadler's after the rehearsal dinner. They were still bickering on the porch when we got home." Figured they went to the only place open and still serving alcohol that late at night. Any other time, I would have been with them.

"Where was your mom?"

"In the living room listening to it."

I'd had enough. I wasn't in the best of moods as it was, but I'd be damned if I was going to sit here with a dozen jackasses I didn't know while Beau cried in his cornflakes at his parents' kitchen table. I left my tuxedo jacket on the back of the chair I'd been sitting in and pushed through the other groomsmen to get out the door.

I finally found Mrs. Chastain near the sanctuary quietly talking to the wedding coordinator, but they stopped whispering once I got close enough to hear their conversation. Just before I reached Beau's mom, she patted the girl on the arm and gave her a smile I'd seen countless times in my youth. It was the one that assured you everything would be okay-it was plastic, and I knew from experience it meant shit was about to get real.

She drew me in for a hug and kissed my cheek before stepping back. "Good morning, Lee."

"Hey." I wasn't sure how to start this conversation. "Can we talk for a minute?" It was a step in the right direction. Hopefully the words would come.

"Certainly, dear. What's on your mind?" She clasped her hands in front of her and tilted her head to wait.

I guided her into the sanctuary, thinking we wouldn't be disturbed, only to find people milling about, arranging flowers and rolling out a satin carpet down the center aisle. There was nowhere the two of us could go where we wouldn't be overheard. At this point, I no longer cared.

"What's going on with Beau?" I attempted to keep my voice low, so we didn't draw attention.

Her lips flattened into a thin line before lifting into a prim smile. "I'm not sure what you mean."

I ran my fingers through my hair, stopping at the crown to grip handfuls and hoping it would release a little of the tension running through me. "There's something wrong. We both know it. Why is he marrying this girl?" My voice carried, and heads turned in my direction.

Mrs. Chastain straightened her spine and pulled her shoulders back. She'd gone stiff as a board and didn't even attempt to maintain a happy expression. "He's made a commitment that he intends to see through." She swallowed hard as though the words nearly choked her.

"I don't mean to be disrespectful, Mrs. Chastain, but if he has doubts before he makes a legal commitment, shouldn't he reconsider?"

"Sometimes our actions prevent us from walking away from our obligations, Lee."

I couldn't stand when people talked in riddles. "What could he possibly have done that would sentence him to a life of unhappiness?"

"Now, now. Don't be melodramatic. Weddings are stressful. I'm sure everything will be fine tomorrow."

"And if it's not?"

Her eyes filled with tears she fought not to let fall. "I don't know." She tried to hide her anguish, and finally gave in like she was confessing a holy secret. "I wish he'd talk to you."

"You can tell me what happened. I'll do what I can to fix it. But without information, he's a sitting duck and Felicity's got the rifle."

She pursed her lips and shook her head. "It's not for me to tell. I tried to get him to come home earlier...alone." Her delicate fingers swiped at the stream now trailing her cheeks. "At this point, I doubt anyone can change his mind."

I could sure as hell try. "Where is he?"

"Still at the house."

"And Felicity?"

"I'm not sure, dear. She wasn't there when I left, but I haven't seen her here, either. Maybe you could ask her sister. She's down the hall with the other girls."

"Any details you can give me would help a lot. If I don't know what I'm arguing for or against, I'm fighting a lost cause."

"Go talk to him, Lee. If anyone can get through to him, it would be you." So that's how we were going to play this. She was going to let me take the rap for unraveling whatever he'd gotten himself into. "If I hadn't promised to keep his secret, you'd be the first person I would tell."

My head was pounding, and grinding my teeth didn't help. I couldn't yell at her or shake her until she gave up the dirt. "I'll see what I can do."

"You're a good boy. He's lucky to have you."

"We'll see if he thinks so."

I didn't waste any more time trying to pry information from Beau's mother and took off in the direction of the dressing room the girls occupied. When I reached the door, I jerked it open, not realizing there might be women changing six hours before the actual event.

"Close the door!" someone shouted.

"Shit." I spun around so my back was to the room. "Where's Peyton?" I called out. I couldn't make out the voices of anyone behind me. I only knew two of these girls, and neither of them spoke. I almost turned around until I remembered I wasn't supposed to be in here anyhow.

"Want to step into the hall?" Peyton's voice came over my shoulder.

I cracked the door and slipped through to keep from exposing anyone else to passersby, and Peyton followed. Once I heard the click of the latch behind me, I faced her. She really was beautiful in a high-society sort of way. I hadn't noticed how full her lips were or how the color of her eyes glowed a deep blue. Now I had a hard time diverting my attention away from her to focus on why I was here. Peyton waited for me to speak, and my heart calmed and my anxiety ebbed with her patience.

"Do you know where your sister is?" I finally formed words, but I wasn't able to hide the bite behind them. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to snap." This wasn't Peyton's fault any more than it was mine.

"She's at the hotel. My mom said she stayed out with Beau and was sleeping later than planned." Her proper façade slipped, and she struggled to keep from rolling her eyes. In the process, her lids fluttered, and her upper lip tipped slightly.

"Any idea what they were talking about?"

"We talked about this last night."

I vaguely remembered that. "Refresh my memory."

"No one has let me in on whatever happened. I quit asking because all I was doing was making Felicity and my mother angry. Whatever it is, it's not good."

At least I knew the bride wouldn't be at the Chastains' when I got there. One less person to deal with.

Peyton grabbed my hand when I attempted to leave. "Where are you going?"

"To try to save my best friend from making the worst mistake of his life."

"Take me with you." Her eyes begged me to give in.

"I can't. There's no way he'll talk if you're there."

She appeared disappointed, although she nodded her head in agreement. "I understand." She held out her hand. "Give me your phone."

"What?"

"Let me put my cell number in it. Then if you need reinforcement, you'll be able to reach me." Her fingers wiggled and waited, palm up.

I pulled the phone from my pocket and handed it to her. She quickly entered her information and then opened the camera app and took a selfie. I wasn't sure why she felt the need to attach a picture of her face to her contact card-it wasn't like I'd forget who she was. I watched as she sent herself a text, taking my number without having to ask for it. Then she handed my cellphone to me and sashayed back into the room we'd just left.