The Wedding Guest (Colorado Billionaires Book 5) (14 page)

Madlyn was everything Vanessa was not. He settled into his seat and began making his mental list of all the things he loved about her. He had promised he would do so. He wanted to murmur his list into her ear, but that would have to wait. He couldn’t make the call from the plane. It was too noisy for murmuring. Besides, he knew she was working. He didn’t want to get her in trouble with her boss.

He grinned as he stared out the window at the distant cloud banks. Maybe he was a middle-class kind of guy after all. He’d spent his whole life wondering what would become of him, knowing that none of the Forbes money would be his. Uncle had kept him in spending money and made sure he always had enough, but it never occurred to him that such support would continue indefinitely. He’d spent long hours with his uncle in happier days, discussing possible career paths. Granted, Uncle was strongly in favor of him learning about business. He’d even made sure that Brewster came prepared to teach him about investing, buying and selling, real estate, and a hundred other things, just in case Kirby had picked a different path.

Fate had been cruel. Just as Kirby was about to give in to his uncle’s desire and enroll in an MBA program, Uncle’s illness had taken a severe turn for the worse. So much so that Kirby had postponed enrolling. And now he was glad he’d waited. If he’d been in school somewhere, he might not have met Madlyn. To be honest, he might have used graduate school as an excuse to skip the wedding. But that wasn’t the way things worked out.

His heart still ached from losing his uncle, but in a way, it was as if the cosmos had offered him solace by bringing Madlyn into his life. How he regretted that the two had never met.

The flight attendant delivered a hot towel, and Kirby cleaned his hands. He found himself smiling again, thinking of Madlyn’s excitement as she told him about her experience in first class. He suspected that was one aspect of his impending fortune that she wouldn’t mind taking advantage of. He wondered what else he could use his money for that would meet with her approval.

The meal was surprisingly good, and afterward Kirby dozed. The rest of the flight hardly registered. Before he knew it, he was in Denver, heading for the rental car counter. With two other travelers in line ahead of him, he pulled out his phone and looked for the record of Madlyn’s call. He made sure to add her number to his contacts and was just about to hit the call icon when his phone screeched.

The other people in line turned with a start to see where the bird was. Kirby looked apologetic. “Ringtone. Sorry.” He answered the call. “Hi, Brew. Everything okay?” It felt like a ridiculous question. Nothing was okay, because Uncle was dead. Everything was fine, because the worst had already happened. How do you put that into a two-word question?

Brewster sounded harried. “What’s the weather like there? I’m packing for tomorrow.”

Kirby moved up one space in line. “It’s cold. It’s December. Pack for winter. Oh my God, we totally skipped Thanksgiving.”

“We had a few other things to take care of.” Brewster’s voice was somber. “Shall I bring Pearl?”

Kirby’s eyes narrowed in thought. “Do you feel comfortable leaving her with the staff? I’m not sure what we’ll encounter in Eagle’s Toe.”

“She’ll be fine here,” said Brewster. “Everyone is feeding her. And they think it’s amusing when she pushes glassware off the counter.”

Kirby smiled. “I’m in the line at the car rental. Have you figured out your transport from Denver to Eagle’s Toe? Do you want me to come get you tomorrow?”

“Not at all. You’ll spend all your time driving. If I must, I’ll rent a car. Or hire a driver. Don’t worry, I’ll find you somehow. I’ve made reservations for both of us at the Cattleman’s Inn. I hope it’s not as rustic as it sounds.”

“Good. Oh, I’m next. Got to go.” He hung up and busied himself with the paperwork for the car.

*****

Brewster stood back from the bed to examine his packing efforts. There was no way around it. He needed to pack a third bag. No matter what he remembered to include in his and Kirby’s bags, he knew that the moment they unpacked at the hotel, they would need something he’d left out. He closed his eyes and imagined the moment, out there in the wilds of Colorado.

Yes indeed, he could see it now. There would be a snow storm and they’d both need their ski parkas. He nodded sagely, proud of himself. Eyes still closed, he watching his mental movie of Kirby unpacking at the hotel. What would he need next?

His computer! Very well, but that would have to go in the carry-on bag, along with Brewster’s.

His phone rang. Eyes closed tight, still lost in his mental exercise, Brewster answered it. “Kirby, I’m going to bring the ski parkas. It may snow in Eagle’s Toe. You know how unpredictable Colorado weather can be.”

He wasn’t prepared for Vanessa’s thrilled response. “Why, thank you, Brewster. I knew if I called you, I’d worm his location out of you, but I never expected it to be this easy. You’re a dear.” She hung up.

Brewster glared at his phone as if it had tricked him somehow. “Oh no. Kirby was right. I definitely need different ringtones for different people.” He pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head. “How am I going to tell him?” He should call Kirby right away to let him know about his faux pas. Then Pearl squawked at him.

“Dinner time! Dinner time!”

Brewster slipped his phone into his pocket. “Yes, Pearl, it’s past your dinner time. Well, we can’t have you starving to death. I’m going to miss you while I’m gone.” He sighed deeply and busied himself with filling Pearl’s seed cup. “I need to go downstairs and get some fruit for you.” Leaving Pearl behind was the sensible thing to do. But he felt like he was leaving Kirby Senior behind, and that tugged at his heart. “We’ll see,” he said softly. “After all, I’m inheriting a good deal of money. How do you feel about flying first class, dear bird?”

*****

The instructions from the woman at the rental car desk sounded much too simple to be true, but Kirby was pleased to find them accurate. Once he was on I-25, he drove south, past Colorado Springs, and on to Pueblo, where he looked for the Highway 50 exit and followed it west to Eagle’s Toe. Once there, he stopped for gas, then gave the GPS system Madlyn’s address. He smiled at the memory of her supplying him with every bit of contact information she could. And he was glad now that she had.

The GPS worked like a charm, and within twenty minutes he was sitting across the street from Madlyn’s address, letting the car idle. He saw the late-model mini-van in the driveway. That must be hers. But who owned the older pickup truck parked sloppily at the curb?

Kirby sat for a few moments, chewing on his bottom lip. He pulled out his phone and double-checked the address Madz had given him. He peered across the street in the darkness. A helpful neighborhood pooch walked right up to her porch and started sniffing in the practiced manner of one who knew he was welcome. As he crossed the footpath, security lights sprang to life.

Kirby smiled. He could see the porch easily now and read the house numbers. Yes, this was Madlyn’s address. His smile faded. Did she have company? He nudged the heater up a notch, still not sure if he should just go knock on her door. Maybe he should call and let her know he was about to arrive. Then he saw movement through the big picture window in the front of the house. The curtains were sheer, and no one had pulled the drapes yet. His heart leaped as he spotted Madlyn’s red hair. And then it fell as he saw the figure of a man moving inside.

He could have sworn she’d said her parents were traveling and not due back for weeks. And the king cab pickup didn’t look like something an older man would drive. But then, this was Colorado. He supposed it could be her father. It was too hard to see from across the street. He’d have to get closer. He turned off the engine and got out of the car.

The early December air was filled with the promise of snow, but like a coy mistress, it held off, as if winter were a delectable gift to be treasured and awaited expectantly. Kirby pulled his suit coat tighter and crossed his arms as he paused at the pickup truck to see if anything inside looked, well, fatherly.

It did not. In fact, it looked as unfatherly as it could get. In the leftover light from the automated security system, he spotted several fast food containers, some on the seat and others on the floor. There was a suitcase behind the passenger seat, but surely her father wouldn’t return without her mother, and there was nothing motherly about the interior of this truck.

Then he spied the holstered handgun on the back seat. At least, he was pretty sure that was what he saw before the security lights blinked out.

Madlyn’s former boyfriend was a cop.

Kirby set his jaw. The boyfriend was back in town. Time to knock on that front door.

CHAPTER TWENTY

J
ohn’s manner was far too proprietary for Madlyn’s taste. He was expounding on his L.A. experience. “The department in L.A. is way too incestuous for me. Things didn’t work out.”

“You mean, they didn’t jump at the chance to hire you? And where did you pick up the word ‘incestuous’?” She sniffed the air. “Have you been drinking?”

“I had a beer with dinner.” He patted the cushion. “Come on. Sit down. Let’s talk.”

Madlyn crossed her arms and remained standing. “I’m fine right here, thanks. What do you want to talk about?”

John leaned forward, elbows on knees, and steepled his fingers together. He assumed a contrite expression. “I made more than one mistake, Madz. I never should have let you go. You’re right. My offer to take you to L.A. with me was way off the mark. I think we should get engaged. Start planning our wedding. It’s time to settle down.”

For half a second, Madlyn was touched and tempted. But after that first twinge of weakness, she shook her head. He was taking her for granted, assuming he could waltz back into her life and she would be grateful. Even his proposal wasn’t a proposal, just a statement of his opinion. Too much had changed since he broke her heart. She wasn’t about to give him another chance to hurt her again. “You act like all you have to do is come back into my life and I’ll forgive you and we can go back to the way things were before. Well, that’s not happening. You crushed my dreams and walked all over my heart that night in the restaurant. It’s too late, John. I don’t love you anymore. In fact, I wonder if I ever did.”

“Oh, come on, baby. You’re putting the worst possible spin on this.”

“Spin? Spin?! Everything I’ve said is reality, my side of the story. What is it in your world?”

“Now, now. You’ve always been excitable. I know you, Madz. Better than anyone else. We should be together.”

“Too late.” Madz went to the door and rested her hand on the knob. “You should leave now. I have company coming.”

John stood up but didn’t head for the door. He rubbed the back of his neck with one hand and gestured at the couch. “I was sort of hoping you’d let me stay here for the night. This folds out, doesn’t it?”

Madlyn was horrified. “No, you can’t stay here. Are you crazy? Go to the Cattleman’s and get a room.”

For the first time, he looked abashed. “I’m a little short on funds.”

Madlyn held up a finger. “Wait here.” She went to the kitchen and pulled sixty dollars out of her purse. She turned, counting bills as she moved, and headed back into the living room. She bumped into him as soon as she turned the corner. He hadn’t stayed put. Before she could take a step back, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into an embrace. He tried to kiss her, but she turned her face away.

She raised her voice. “Stop it, John! Let me go!”

He didn’t. “Can’t you give me a second chance? Can’t you forgive me?”

Madlyn kicked him hard in the shins.

“Ow!” John released her. “Okay, okay. I get the message.” He pulled the bills out of her hand. “Thanks.”

“You need to leave right now.” Madlyn curled her hands into fists so he wouldn’t see her shaking.

The doorbell rang.

“That’s Mina. Party’s over.” She pushed all the authority she could muster behind her next words. “You are leaving.” She doubted that John had stopped at one beer with dinner, and she’d never been comfortable around him when he was drinking.

The doorbell rang again.

“Now. Go!”

She maneuvered around him to open the door, keeping her eye on John as he stuffed the money into his jeans pocket. The expression on his face told her it wasn’t Mina at the door, even before Kirby’s baritone announced, “Sounds like the lady wants you out of her house.”

Madlyn whirled around and threw her arms around Kirby’s neck. “You’re here! You came!”

Kirby was startled, but not enough to keep from smiling and pulling her into a gentle embrace. “I told you I was going to deliver that list in person.” He glanced warily at his competition.

John’s expression flitted from jealous to angry to resigned. He nodded once. “I see. I waited too long.”

Madlyn loosened her grip on Kirby but stayed close as she turned to address John. “You ended our relationship, John. I moved on. I had to.” She glanced up at Kirby. “Then I met someone else.”

To John’s credit, he straightened and extended a hand to Kirby. “John Dare.”

Kirby shook hands with him. “Kirby Banks.”

“Take good care of her.”

“You can count on it.”

John hesitated, then pulled the sixty dollars out of his pocket. “Here, Madz. I’m not really that broke.” He stuffed the money into her hand, then left. The security lights allowed them to watch him all the way to his truck. He started the engine and drove off.

Madlyn leaned against Kirby and pushed the door shut. “Well, that was awkward, but at least it wasn’t a nightmare.” She looked up at him. “Thanks for coming when you did. I was having trouble getting rid of him. He thought he could waltz right back into my life, uninvited.” She wrapped her arms around his middle and pressed her face against his chest. “My hero.”

Kirby smiled down at her and closed his arms softly around her. “In the interest of full disclosure, your hero made sure your ex’s weapon was in the truck before he knocked on the door.”