Free With This Kiss (Windswept Bay Book 3) by Debra Clopton Page A

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 back 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