Queen of Hearts: (Family Stone #6 Shelley) (Family Stone Romantic Suspense) by Lisa Hughey Page B

him every day. I know what he’s like when you’re not around. He’s not going to change his mind.”
    “Gotta agree with Ava on this one. Although you do make a good point about having Ric do mom’s security,” Jess said.
    “You should just talk to him,” Shelley counseled. “Ask him what’s wrong.”
    “We were apart for a really long time.” Bliss sighed. “It’s possible that he’s changed his mind. Maybe now that the initial blush of lost love is over, he’s figured out he doesn’t really want me.”
    Shelley hated the catch in Bliss’s voice. She didn’t for a moment think Jack was having second thoughts. But until Bliss brought it up, she hadn’t really thought about the fact that Jack could have done her security. Of course, Shelley hadn’t argued because she really didn’t want to take over Jack’s vacation time before the wedding. But maybe it was time to have a quick talk with her oldest son.
    Her stomach rolled and another wave of heat flushed through her. But this time it wasn’t from arousal.
    Shelley jerked as her stomach did another slosh but this time it was more like a washing machine in spin cycle.
    “You okay, mom?” Jess asked.
    “I—” Her stomach protested. Suddenly, she knew if she didn’t get out of this pool, she was in trouble. She shoved out of the water and sprinted for the small garbage can in the corner.
    “Ric,” Ava called out.
    He burst back into the room just as Shelley lost the small amount of lunch she’d managed to force down.
    “What the hell happened?” Ric barked out.
    Shelley continued to puke in the small can. Bile burned in her nose and humiliation swept through her. Wonderful. Was it possible to be any more embarrassed?
    Ric placed his palm on her forehead.
    Clammy sweat coated her skin and slicked his warm palm. “You okay, cariña ?”
    She nodded. But then a throbbing, pounding hit her head, and Shelley dry-heaved for another thirty seconds.
    “That was weird. All the sudden I felt sick.”
    “I hope you aren’t coming down with something.” Bliss stroked her palm over Shelley’s back.
    “How sudden?” Ric asked suspiciously.
    “One second I was fine and the next I…wasn’t.”
    Ric stalked to the table. “Which dish is yours?”
    “The salad.” Ava pointed to Shelley’s plate.
    “You didn’t eat much.”
    “I wasn’t that hungry.”
    “You aren’t doing some stupid thing where you don’t eat before the wedding are you?” Ric asked harshly.
    She wanted to take offense but she also wanted to laugh. “No.”
    “You didn’t eat dinner last night and you barely ate any breakfast,” Ric said.
    Shelley flushed. But this time it was from embarrassment when all three of the girls snickered, clearly recalling why she didn’t eat dinner.
    “Do we really need to discuss my eating habits right now?” Shelley ducked her head.
    “Why didn’t you eat?” He wouldn’t let it go.
    She shrugged. “I felt a little off so I stopped.”
    Ric picked up the plate using the linen placemat to keep from touching the ceramic dish and handed it to Bliss. “I need you to have Jack get this analyzed.”
    Shelley’s embarrassment fled. “What?”
    “Maybe there’s a reason you felt off.” Ric curled his fingers into a fist. “I think it’s time for you to go back to the room.”
    Bliss, Ava, and Jess were nodding, somber looks on their faces.
    “You,” she faltered then forced herself to continue. “You think my salad was drugged?”
    “I’d like to get it tested.” Ric didn’t exactly answer her question. “In the meantime, you should probably go upstairs and lie down until we get a report on exactly what was on or in that salad.”
    Shelley’s head spun. He really thought someone had drugged her food. Good gracious, what if someone else had eaten her salad? She needed to get away from the girls before something happened to one of them.

Ten
    Ric paced the suite.
    He was pissed because Shelley had been poisoned on his watch.