by Ava Miles
“Then it’s going to be okay. Dad says us being a family is all that matters.”
She couldn’t agree more. She knew she and Mac were going to last. She knew it like she knew she wanted to be a cop.
She stood, and all her nerves about being in the spotlight slipped away. The woman opened the doors, and suddenly a long aisle with a white runner stretched out in front of her. She took a step, feeling Keith match her stride.
Together, they walked down the aisle.
***
Mac had thought Peggy’s brother would give her away. And since Peggy had balked at a wedding rehearsal, saying, “How hard can it be to walk a straight line?” he hadn’t pressed.
But he hadn’t been prepared. Not for this.
The woman who’d captured his heart was walking toward him hand-in-hand with the little boy he already thought of as his son. And she was wearing the ruby pendant he’d given her. As far as life moments went, this one was pure perfection, and he almost wished she’d walk slower so he could savor it. But even with “Here Comes The Bride” being played by the orchestra he’d hired, she couldn’t stop herself from giving into her natural gait: a power walk.
Keith was grinning, and as soon as he cleared the last row of chairs decorated with roses in white and blush, he let go of his mom’s hand and ran to Mac.
“Dad!” he cried as Mac swept him up into his arms. “We’re getting married. Finally!”
“Amen,” Rhett added from the front row.
The guests all laughed, and Mac felt a grin tug at his mouth.
“I’m glad you brought your mom down the aisle,” he told Keith. “That was a nice surprise.”
“Mom said we both had to do it since you’ll be living with both of us now,” Keith said, his missing tooth utterly charming as he smiled back at Mac.
He was moving into her smaller house with them because she wasn’t comfortable with the thought of something grander yet. Honestly, he didn’t mind where they lived as long as they were there together.
His gaze shifted to Peggy, who seemed a bit out of her element, like she had no idea what to do with the bouquet in her hand. He gave his assistant a significant look, and as perceptive as always, she stepped forward and took the flowers before disappearing into the background.
“Give me a big hug, and then go sit by your Uncle Tanner,” Mac told Keith, squeezing him tight. “I need to say hi to your mom.”
Peggy was watching them patiently with a small smile, giving them their moment together.
As soon as he set the boy down, Keith ran over to Peggy and wrapped his arms around her. “Go get married, Mom.” Then he ran to the open chair next to his uncle.
“I’ll be a good father to him,” he told her quietly.
“I know,” she simply responded.
Mac covered the short distance between them, grabbed Peggy’s hand, and raised it to his lips for a kiss—simply to fluster her. “You look beautiful.”
“You look…like you.” Then she gave a charming blush. “I mean…you look handsome—like usual.”
The grin he’d been fighting broke free. She was still working on mastering compliments—the giving and the accepting of them. “The pendant suits you, my Warrior Bride,” he said, wanting to caress her cheek but refraining. There would be plenty of time for that later, once the guests departed.
“If you hadn’t come up with that story, I don’t think I could have worn it,” she said in that purely honest way of hers, fingering the ruby.
“I know,” he said because he admired the way she always told the truth. He led her to where the minister stood. “Let’s make this legal.”
Her mouth tipped up at his use of her vernacular, and for the rest of the ceremony, everything faded until the moment she said her vows to him and accepted his ring on her finger.
There was that special light in her brown eyes, the one reserved only for him, as he said his vows to her, and his chest swelled from all the love in his heart.
When the minister pronounced them husband and wife and said he could kiss the bride, Peggy stayed in his arms longer than he’d expected. Her mouth softened, and she even gave one of her breathless sighs. The kind that shattered his control.
He forced himself to step away from her and tucked her arm through his own. Then he leaned down and said, “I love you. Never forget that.”
She turned her head up to him. “I won’t.”
“Good,” he responded and held out his hand to Keith, who came bounding over to take it.
Together, the three of them walked down the aisle as a family.
***
Receptions were a funny thing, Peggy decided as she excused herself to find the ladies’ room. They hadn’t invited a lot of people, but it had felt awkward greeting everyone in the reception line, particularly since so many of the guests had pulled her into hugs without even asking. Mac had been his usual smooth self, thanking people for coming, graciously accepting their congratulations. She’d mostly been tongue-tied. Halfway through, Mac had leaned over and whispered in her ear, “Don’t worry. It’s almost over.”
Of course, she didn’t mind talking to the people she knew, but it was weird having people stand in line for the privilege.
As she was turning around to head to the ladies’ room, Rhett swept her off her feet and swung her around, making her seriously consider whacking that crazy Southern loon in the back of the head. But even she knew it would be frowned upon for the bride to smack a guest. She was a police officer, after all. Of course if the guest were being fresh, she wouldn’t hesitate for a second. She’d smack him with just cause and then some.
“You look beautiful,” Rhett said, setting her back on her feet. “And you just made my buddy the happiest man on earth.”
She’d thought no one but Mac, who liked to say crazy things to her, would call her beautiful, but there had been dozens of compliments. “Ah…thanks. I…ah…need to go to the bathroom.” Jeez, could this be any more awkward?
Rhett playfully tapped her on the shoulder. “Don’t take too long in the powder room, or Mac will be wasting away from missing you.”
The powder room? Wasting away? She gave him a wan smile and boogied away from his brand of craziness to the bathroom. As she was washing her hands under the luxurious gold sink—who had a gold sink?—Jill bounded into the bathroom.
“How about some more lip gloss?” she asked, opening her clutch.
“How about you find someone else for Makeup Torture Hour?” she bandied back.
“Come on,” Jill pleaded. “Brian is taking care of the twins with my mom and dad right now. This is probably my only adult moment for the rest of the night.”
Even though she knew Jill was stretching the truth, she caved. “Okay. But only lip gloss.”
Jill rushed over, her glistening wand already in hand. “Are you sure? Because I swear, your eyes would seriously pop with a little mascara.”
They had already argued about this, and she’d won that round. “You will die if you so much as make a move toward my eyes,” she said without a trace of humor in her voice.
“Would you leave my twin girls motherless?” Jill asked with crocodile tears popping into her eyes. Never underestimate Jill.
“Yes,” she said since she knew they were joking. “Now, swipe that crap on my lips and go to the can. Isn’t that why you came in here?”
“No,” her friend said, touching the lip gloss to her mouth like Peggy was a model in New York’s fashion week. “I came in here for this.”
“You are so weird.”
“I know,” she replied with a lopsided grin. “We’re a match made in heaven.”
When she left the bathroom with Jill, Rhett caught her again before she could make it to the head table. The man seemed to have her in his sights today, and she couldn’t understand why.
“All right now,” he drawled, giving her outfit an eyeful. “Instead of wearing a garter, did you strap your gun to your thigh?”
S
he’d considered it for a moment, but she knew Mac wouldn’t have approved. He had his own security for the hotel, but you never could tell what might happen. She liked to be prepared. She felt almost naked without her gun—not that she was going to say that to Rhett. He’d only start talking nonsense about getting buck naked, one of his favorite topics. She still didn’t understand what a “buck” had to do with it. And she wasn’t going to ask.
“I’m not carrying,” she replied, trying to move past him.
He waggled his brows. “You’re a woman of mystery. Thanks for marrying my friend. He’s pretty besotted with you.”
Besotted? Would his platitudes never end? “Thanks. I guess.” Her cheeks were flushing with embarrassment now.
He extended his arm like the gentleman he wasn’t. “May I show you to your chair, my lady?”
What was this? Knights of the Round Table? “I can manage. It’s like twenty feet away, Rhett.”
Ignoring her, he grabbed her arm. “A lady doesn’t say no to a gentleman.”
“You’re no gentleman,” she responded, watching as Keith bounced up and down in his chair at the head table.
She met Mac’s stoplight-green eyes as she neared the table, and her insides dissolved like the tissue paper stuffed into the wedding present bags up front.
“No, ma’am, I’m not, but then again you had my number the minute you laid eyes on me.” Rhett pulled out her chair and winked at her before taking his seat next to Mac’s nephew, Dustin, who was between Mac and his mother, Abbie.
Rhett cast Abbie a look of pure longing and then turned to speak with Rye. They were getting along better, Peggy knew, but Abbie still hadn’t relented to his continued pursuit. The man was a proverbial sap. It was kinda sweet when he wasn’t being crazy.
“I see Rhett is giving you his unique brand of attention,” Mac whispered and kissed her cheek. “He’s happy to see me settled. You should have heard the country songs he dedicated to our marriage before the ceremony started.”
“I heard about that.” She fingered the chainmail sleeve of his jacket and bit her lip. “I even heard you ended up singing Garth Brooks.”
He gave her a look. “That is never to be repeated.”
“I can keep your secrets,” she said, wishing they didn’t have all these people around them so she could do something sappy and kiss him until they were both senseless.
“I know you can,” he said, laying his hand over hers on his sleeve. “Later.”
She felt that one word all the way to her toes. It took some effort to look away from him and remove her hand, but she managed. The water cooled her hot throat.
Shaking herself, she made herself look past her delectable groom. “Abbie, thanks again for all your help,” she told her new sister-in-law. “Everything looks beautiful.”
While Mac had plenty of minions to see to his instructions, Abbie had insisted on personally seeing to many of the last-minute preparations for the wedding, which was why she hadn’t joined Peggy, Jill, and Meredith in the penthouse.
“You’re most welcome,” Abbie said, holding her champagne glass in that elegant way of hers. “You know how much I love planning parties. I think everyone’s going to enjoy themselves, don’t you?”
Was Peggy responsible for ensuring they were having a good time? She clutched the wine glass Mac handed her. “I’m sure it will be all right.”
“Breathe,” Mac said in a whisper. “You don’t have anything more pressing to do than eat, dance with me, and cut the cake.”
“We have to cut the cake?” she asked. She hadn’t thought to put a stop to that. It was more of that spotlight stuff she hated.
“It’s a simple tradition. Don’t pretend you’ve never heard of it.”
“I was hoping some of your people would do it. Your hotel has knives, right?”
He leaned in until she could feel his hot breath on her ear. “Stop toying with me. I’ll only make you pay later.”
She gave a quick glance to make sure her son wasn’t listening, but he was talking to Tanner, who was sitting next to him. “Promise?”
“Have I ever let you down?” he asked.
“No,” she said.
When she lifted her glass to her mouth, she tasted beer, which she liked a heck of a lot better than wine. No, he had never let her down.
The servers came around with their food. Mac had wanted a sit-down meal for the reception, and she’d chosen surf and turf. There would be no rubber chicken dinner for her on her wedding day.
The lobster tail was bathed in enough butter to sink a ship, and the prime rib had just enough blood to remind her of her ruby. She shook her head. That man was making her crazy. Now she was comparing beef juice and jewels. Someone should call Robin Leach so he could bring Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous back to primetime.
The band Mac had selected was playing some classy instrumental that reminded her of the Rat Pack. Pretty soon, she’d have to dance with him—just the two of them—on the parquet dance floor in the center of the room. He’d insisted they have a dance. Her heart rate kicked up at the very thought. She sucked at dancing, which she’d tried to tell him, and she was bound to step on his toes.
Throughout the meal Keith continued to run back and forth to visit with all his favorite people, and she didn’t have the heart to tell him to stay in one place. Not after the way he’d shoveled down his meal as fast as possible so he could be excused from the table. Right now, he was talking with his adopted grandfather, Arthur Hale, and she pushed her chair back to say hello to him. They’d only had a perfunctory hug earlier in the reception line.
“And where are you going, my dear?” Mac asked, taking her hand.
“I’d like to talk to Arthur,” she told him. “I’m finished eating.”
She was going to wish for her fat pants by the time they got to the cake. But how could she not look forward to all that sugar? Selecting a wedding cake had been her favorite part of wedding planning. Who didn’t like trying ten types of cake and selecting the best of the lot?
Mac had ceded to her tastes there, and she’d chosen a dark chocolate cake with raspberry filling and white buttercream frosting. The cake lady had wanted to put white frosting roses on the cake to make it pretty, and while Peggy had thought it too fussy, she’d agreed after seeing some of the more insanely complicated cake decorations.
“How about I join you?” Mac asked, rising from his chair. “We can make the rounds.”
“The rounds?” She almost gulped.
“Yes. You know. Talk to our guests at each of their tables.”
All of the sudden she wanted to sit back down. “We have to talk to them more?”
“Don’t sound so horrified,” he said, and she could hear the repressed laughter in his voice. “Now, smile.”
She pasted on a smile, but when she caught sight of Arthur handing Keith one of his signature red hot candies, she didn’t have to fake anything.
“I could use one of those too,” she said to the older man when they reached them.
He tossed her one with a wink. She caught it deftly in her hand.
“Thanks, Arthur.”
“My bride gave me red hots on my wedding day,” he told her, and she was alarmed to see him grow misty-eyed. Arthur Hale wrote about war and climate change. He was not supposed to tear up while talking about red hots.
“No wonder you keep them around,” Mac said and surprised her by taking one of the candies Arthur held out to him. “They must bring back wonderful memories of your beloved Harriet.”
The older man coughed to clear his voice. “Harriet would have liked you, Peggy, as I’ve told you before. She was tough like you. But inside she was as soft as cream cheese.”
“Mom hates cream cheese,” Keith said. “She doesn’t even like cheesecake. Isn’t that the weirdest thing ever?”
“The weirdest,” Arthur replied seriously, crunching on his red hot. “You make a lovely bride, my dear. It’s nice to see a woman dress up without
all that froufrou.”
Jill rolled her eyes from her seat beside him. “You’d better not be talking about me, Grandpa. I won’t let you hold Mia anymore tonight.”
He reached for his granddaughter’s cooing baby. “Then I am most definitely not talking about you, Jillie Bean.”
After chatting with the Hales for a few minutes, Peggy and Mac moved on to the next table. At Mac’s suggestion, they’d invited Peggy’s fellow police officers, so they joined them and their wives and made small talk and joked about having a tower of donuts instead of a wedding cake and other silly things. Thank God no one commented about her necklace, but she’d seen a few of the guys eye it—and her—like she’d gone mad. When she returned from her honeymoon in San Francisco, she expected them to tease her about it. She’d have to plan a reply that would shut down that line of joking.
By the time she and Mac walked away from the last table, her shoulders weren’t stiff and tense anymore. Talking to people wasn’t that bad, although it was weird for everyone else to be sitting down while she and Mac were standing. Then she heard the band cue up the song Mac had picked for them, and her shoulders went back to being ramrod straight.
“Do we really have to dance?” she asked. “Please, don’t make me.” It embarrassed her to beg, but she suddenly felt overwhelmed. She’d been on display so much today.
“Yes, we do, but I have an idea that might make it easier on you.” He gave a soft whistle by putting his two fingers to that gorgeous mouth of his. Keith came running.
“Is it time to dance?” her son asked.
His mini-tuxedo jacket—courtesy of Mac—had come unbuttoned. His shirt was partially tucked in. And sure enough, his bow tie was crooked again. He looked absolutely adorable.
“Yep,” Mac said, taking her hand and Keith’s and leading them onto the dance floor.
The music flowed through the room, and as she stood there holding the hands of her favorite men, Peggy decided she could be silly for just once in her life and dance. She got jiggy to the beat.
***
It was a rarity to see Peggy bust out her moves, and Mac didn’t intend to squander the occasion. He sent Keith off to dance with Abbie when the first song ended. Just as he’d expected, Peggy made a move to leave the dance floor, but he snaked a hand around her waist.
