Page 116 of Game Change

“So, I made it a point to be with Mom on Sunday, knowing Brynne was coming over to meet with the seamstress. By the way,” Heath whispers, “I know where the dress is kept. Nothing gets by me.” He nods, and I focus on the road.

I had to take him to a meeting, and while the meeting went well, Heath hasn’t shut up since we left and got back in my car.

“I’m not allowed to see the dress until the wedding.” I want to be surprised. Brynne could wear a trash bag or a burlap sack and she would look perfect. She could wear a white bikini and we could get married in the ocean. We could go to the same beach where we shared our first kiss.

“That’s a dumb rule. If you want to see it, I can hook you up.” I don’t know how he would do that, and I don’t ask. “So, as I said, Brynne came over with her entourage. And can you believe she brought Ernestine? I just rolled my eyes and dared her to say something.”

“Did she say something?”

“No, but she discreetly flipped me the bird when no one was looking.” He sounds like a combination of offended and impressed. “Anyway, I followed them to one of the bedrooms, but Mom slammed the door in my face and told me to get lost. I didn’t see anything. Sorry.” From the corner of my eye, I see him shrug.

“So, what was the point of this story? To tell me you saw nothing?”

“I tried, Uncle Paddy,” he says with a sigh. “I’d tell you about some of the plans Uncle Milty and Uncle Colin the First put together for your bachelor party, but they threatened me if I tell.” Another sigh and I tune him out. This is the first I’ve heard about my brother being a part of my bachelor party, but I promised Brynne I would not act like Malcolm leading up to my wedding. I have no problems with ignoring or even being civil with my brother.

“I can’t wait to get married. You think I’ll ever find a woman who can handle all of this?” Heath asks.

I turn up the music, and he turns it down. He gestures at himself again, and I’m sure he will, but she’ll have to have an odd sense of style and get on board with her man wearing nothing but cardigans. I’m saved from having to answer his question when my phone rings. It’s a number from the office, and I answer, expecting to hear Brynne’s voice.

“Hey, Honeybee,” I say. I wait for her to talk, but she doesn’t. “Brynne?”

“It’s Ernestine, Mr. Kincaid.” Alarm bells immediately go off. “Brynne got a call, ran out of here, and left her phone. I tried to run after her to give it to her, but she had already gotten in the elevator. I’m worried. She just flew out of here.”

Brynne is a lot of things, but she’s not irrational or impulsive. Other than her pain-in-the-ass former stepbrother, I can’t think of any reason why a phone call would upset her so much. She would have called me even if something happened to Amira or Raven.

“Do you have any idea what the call was about?” I’m already sure she doesn’t. Ernestine would have started with that.

“None, but she said something about needing to get to the house.”

“Let me call my doorman and see if he saw her.” We always go through the front lobby. Even when we go home from the garage, we have to take the elevator to the lobby and take a different elevator to our floor as an extra security measure.

“Please call me and let me know,” Ernestine says. I end the call with her and dial the front desk. My call is answered on the second ring.

“Hey, Bill,” I say to the head of security of our building. “This is Colin Kincaid and—”

“How’s it going, Mr. Kincaid?” he asks, interrupting me.

“Have you seen Ms. Barber come through the lobby?”

He goes quiet for a few seconds before he says, “Not since she left for work this morning. I’ve been sitting here the entire time. I would have seen her.”

I end the call, not feeling any better than I did a few seconds ago. Of course, she runs out on the one day her bodyguard needed the morning off.

“Do you think she left you for another man?” Heath asks. I whip my head to look at him. I had forgotten he was there until he opened his mouth just now. “I was watching a show with my mom a few days ago about a woman with a fiancé who was living a double life. She—”

“Heath, enough.” He thankfully shuts up, and I call Raven’s phone. It rings four times before she finally answers. As soon as she says hello, I talk. “Did you talk to Brynne today? Ernestine said she ran out of the office after a call and left her phone behind.”

There’s a loud noise in the background, and I realize it’s chatter from a radio.

“I was on the phone with her earlier when she got another call. I don’t know what happened, but she said she was going to the house.”

“Her old house?”

“Yeah. I’m driving there now. I was worried about her. I didn’t like the sound of her voice,” Raven says.

My heart drops. Raven is another level-headed person, and her worry exacerbates my anxiety.

“Why the hell didn’t she call me?” I ask, panicked but slightly relieved that I know where she is.