As predicted, a few people came to the house for the holiday meal. They were delighted with the news of the engagement. Chaz didn’t think it was their business to know about the pregnancy. Thankfully, his parents agreed.
“You have to have a large wedding,” his cousin, Paulette, insisted when told that the couple hadn’t figured out what type of ceremony they might want. “Chaz was very popular and most of his friends still live around here. And then, there’s the family and everyone at church. He always comes to church whenever he’s able to get home. That crazy job of his keeps him so busy that we almost never see him.”
“It’s not a crazy job. He’s busy protecting us from criminals, sis.” Mark shook his head at his dramatic twin. “Speaking of which, I hope you’re not going to keep doing undercover work. You can’t leave a beautiful woman like that alone all the time.”
“Trust me. I have no intentions of leaving her alone.” Chaz’s eyes connected with Stephanie’s in a way that made her blush with pride.
“Good. What you do for a living is dangerous, and I worry about you.” Marilyn Lawson passed the basket of rolls to her left before loading a spoonful of mashed potatoes onto her plate. “I’m sure Stephanie worries about you, too. Don’t you?”
“Of course,” she agreed politely. No one could possibly guess how much she worried. She rejoiced inwardly at the realization that only a matter of days remained before he would be done with that hazardous part of his career. He was happy with his new job duties, they were building a future, and she was excited about becoming a wife and mother. There was a lot to be grateful for on this Thanksgiving holiday.
“Every time you’re out of contact with us for a long time,” his mother continued, “I spend every night on my knees praying that you’re safe. Not only are you in a dangerous job, you chose to get up close and personal with the criminals and put yourself in situations that could go terribly wrong before anyone would be able to see it coming and help you.” She shook her head and frowned at her son. “I never understood that, Chaz. So, I’m doubly happy that you’re getting married and will put all of that behind you.”
Chaz had heard the concerns before, so he didn’t bother to do more than offer his mother an understanding smile. Thankfully, his father joined the conversation and steered it toward sports—the safe haven of all male dialogue. Stephanie thought there must be some unwritten rule that whenever Mr. Lawson changed the subject, it was permanently dropped because no one mentioned Chaz’s job again.
They did, however, pull out the requisite photo albums and attempt to embarrass him with tales of his baby cuteness, childhood pranks, and pre-teen daredevil trips to the emergency room. It was typical family behavior. Stephanie relished the thought that she was going to be a part of this for the rest of her life.
First things first, she reminded herself. She and Chaz were going to have to seriously discuss what type of wedding ceremony they wanted. Everyone wanted to know. Everyone had ideas and suggestions. She thought about it off and on throughout the rest of the evening.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
“When it comes to the wedding, your mom isn’t any different from mine,” Stephanie commented later when they were alone in the motel room. “My mom is going to want us to get married in a church.”
“What do you want, sweetheart?”
“Destiny brought us together, Chaz; I want a ceremony that’s spiritual and celebrates our ties to that force in the universe.” She shrugged. “That definitely doesn’t exclude God because I know he controls it all, so I don’t mind being married by a minister. But I don’t want to get married in a church. I don’t follow the strictness of church doctrines that are close-minded to the many ways in which God reaches everyone. So, maybe it would be nice to get married under the stars with a canopy of the colors that drew us together. It could be beautiful to have an altar full of scented candles instead of the traditional unity candle. And it could be very romantic to have a tea ceremony added to the reception. I don’t want to offend our families, but I also don’t want to be a hypocrite by having a ceremony that doesn’t represent what I believe.” She slid under the covers and asked what he wanted.
Chaz needed a few minutes to think about what she’d said.
“I don’t want to be a hypocrite, either. I stopped going to church a long time ago because there are a lot of teachings that don’t make sense. But, like you, I still believe in God and his goodness. Love doesn’t exist without God.” He kissed her forehead and rested his hand on her stomach. “Everything about our love has been beautiful, and what you described honors it. That’s what I want, Stephanie; I want our ceremony to celebrate the way we love each other.”
On the drive home that next morning, they talked more about what their wedding should symbolize. Then, Chaz pointed out that the wedding wasn’t their most important concern.
He needed to make sure she and the baby were all right. Stephanie’s job wouldn’t start until January and her medical benefits wouldn’t become available for sixty days after that. There was no way a pregnant woman should wait that long to see a doctor. If they got married right away, she and the baby would have immediate medical coverage through his job.
“We could get married by a judge before we go to Erie. We wouldn’t need to tell anyone and you could still plan the type of wedding we talked about—just have it in the spring or summer.” Chaz changed lanes to get from behind a truck before glancing at his fiancée. Freeway traffic was predictably heavy because of the holiday weekend.
Stephanie had to admit that his logic made sense. Chaz was saying they should get married that next week. She didn’t think she could do it; then, she remembered what they both felt about destiny and timing. Life would always happen the way it needed to, right?
“Okay,” she finally agreed.
On Tuesday afternoon, the couple purchased a license and was married in a no-frills ceremony at the courthouse. Chaz slid a diamond wedding band onto Stephanie’s hand. Even without any family or friends, the moment was magical. Afterwards, they checked into the Westin Hotel where Chaz had been thoughtful enough to have two dozen roses delivered to the room. They had dinner at the upscale Morton’s Steakhouse. And they spent the rest of the evening holding each other and talking about how different their lives were from a year ago. Their romance had been a fast-moving fantasy.
Stephanie held her hand out and studied the ring that sparkled at them. That one piece of jewelry made everything real.
Two nights later, reality hit her again.
She dreamed about her husband. He was in a conference room and he was arguing with someone Stephanie had never met. She could feel his anger and fear but couldn’t figure out what was going on. The dream’s details were very fuzzy and she couldn’t remember them once she woke up. It upset her. Still, she decided not to tell Chaz until everything was clearer. She reminded herself of how important it was for her to not overreact so that she could prove to Chaz and Sylvia that she was tough enough to handle the tension that came with being with him.
Whatever was happening in the dream didn’t happen that next day. Chaz came home from work and wasn’t acting any differently than any other day and she didn’t sense anything was off about the energy field that surrounded him. Stephanie supposed that he would have still been upset if her dream had come true. That night, they discussed going to Erie and she wondered whether her dream might have something to do with his case. She suspected she was simply being overly tuned-in to the man who was now her husband.
Husband. The word made her smile.
She picked up the phone to call Karen and make sure they were all in sync with the plans for Sunday afternoon. They would meet for dinner on the outskirts of Erie. Then, she would go to her friends’ home while Chaz went to the safe house. The trial was scheduled to start on Tuesday and there was probably a lot that the team needed to prepare for with testimony that was expected to last several days.
The following evening, Chaz came home wit
h a giant accordion file and an agitated frown across his brow. He’d never brought home work before. They ate a light dinner before he spread papers across the dining room table in short stacks and began going through them.
“What’s wrong?” Stephanie asked from the doorway between the kitchen and dining room. The sense of dread she’s had previously hit her so hard it took her breath away.
“There’s a problem with the case in Erie. I have to go over this paperwork tonight.” He glanced at her. “Could you make a pot of coffee, please?” His attention shifted to what was in his hands before realizing that Stephanie hadn’t moved. He looked back up to see a strained look on her face. “You had another dream, didn’t you?”
“Yes.” She watched him set down the papers and lean back against the chair.
“Does that mean I’m in danger?”
“I’m not sure. There have been two dreams. I didn’t get any details either time, but you seemed really angry. It’s what I felt that’s bothering me; I feel it right now, Chaz. I have a sense that something is going to go very wrong and that you need to be protected.”
“Come here.” He pulled out the chair beside his and waited for her to sit. “Why didn’t you tell me?” he asked as he reached for one of her hands.
“Because I don’t want you to worry about me being worried. I want you to do your job without thinking that I can’t handle whatever happens. If you really love working undercover, I want to get used to how my gift responds to that without panicking.”
“I’m not on that type of task force any longer.” His fingers massaged hers.
“You should be.” She shrugged. “Sylvia said that you miss it and that everyone wants you back. It’s what’s good for your career, right?” She shook her head when he opened his mouth to protest. “No, Chaz. Don’t say it doesn’t matter because it does. I want you to do what makes you happy. I’m the one who has to make the adjustment, not you.”
“We’re partners, Stephanie. I won’t put you in a situation like before where your dreams turn into nightmares because we’re so closely connected.” He leaned forward and rested his head on hers. “I won’t do something that hurts you.” He kissed the side of her face. “Tell me whatever you can remember about the dreams.”
Stephanie looked down as she was trying to recall every detail but her voice was clear and confident.
“Like I said, there isn’t much to tell. In the first dream, you were in a hallway talking to a coworker. I’ve met him before but don’t know his name. Anyway, he was talking and you were frowning and looking like you wanted to hit someone. His emotions were equally as intense, almost as if he expected that what he was saying would upset you and actually enjoyed it.” She leaned back and looked directly at him when she continued. “In the second dream, you were in a conference room arguing with someone different. You were very angry then, too, Chaz. But it wasn’t the same. You were also a little afraid.”
He nodded and asked whether the man in the first dream was wearing a tan shirt and brown pants. Stephanie thought about it for a moment while she replayed the scene in her head before answering that he had been.
“That dream happened this afternoon. I can’t tell you what the conversation was about, but it’s somewhat connected to the trouble with the Erie case. And yes, I was very angry.” He sighed and added that there was no way to deny that she was still linked to whether or not he was in danger. “The trial starts soon; it’s almost over, sweetheart. As for the second dream, I don’t know what that’s about.”
“The dreams aren’t going to stop when this trial is over. I’m going to keep having them whenever something intense happens that could harm you. Maybe it will be connected to a case and maybe not. So, it doesn’t matter whether you work undercover, Chaz. I’m going to have to learn to handle whatever my gift is showing me.”
“Then, we’ll find a way to handle it together.” He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her onto his lap. “When I was working the gambling case, you knew things you weren’t supposed to know, and that made a huge difference in what information the team was able to collect. Without your help, our case wouldn’t be as strong as it is. So, maybe your gift is telling us to work together. Maybe I’m supposed to tell you what’s going on—as much as I can—and you’re supposed to tell me what you see as soon as it’s clear enough for you to describe it. Maybe you’ll even see things clearly much sooner if we don’t have any barriers between us.” He hugged her tighter. “I trust you, Stephanie. I won’t hold back if you won’t.”
“I don’t know what to say. What I see always seems to be too close to the real life event to be of much help.”
“For now. But, I have a suspicion that that could change if we allow it. We’ll have to follow our instincts and figure it out as we go. Okay?”
“Okay.” She slid off his lap. “I’ll make that coffee for you. It seems like you’ll be up for a while.” Her head nodded toward the files on the table. He gave her a weak smile and watched her leave the room.
Chaz spent most of that night and part of the following morning skimming through each affidavit that had been filed with the case. Now that his regular job was more analytical, he was able to see how details fit together in a way that he hadn’t while a field agent working undercover. He could only hope that the new insights would allow him to make up for the most recent setback to the case and that Evan Moseley would easily get convicted on all of the charges brought against him. On Saturday afternoon, he packed up the files and turned his attention to preparing for the weeklong trip back to Erie, PA.
When they arrived at the restaurant on Sunday afternoon, their friends were already waiting inside at a table. After warm hellos, the wedding band was the first thing Karen noticed.
“Of all things, you kept this a secret?” she pouted once everyone had hugged.
“Yes, and you have to keep it too. We’re going to plan a regular wedding and let everyone think it’s real.”
“Then what was the point of the first one?” Karen asked.
Stephanie hunched a shoulder and announced, “I’m thinking we might get married Memorial Day weekend. The baby is probably going to arrive in late July; so this way the wedding can be out of the way before he or she is born.”
Karen and her husband were speechless and Stephanie could see them wondering whether they’d heard correctly. Chaz smiled as he watched their expressions change from perplexed to excited.
“Okay, you can say that you told me so.” Stephanie reached across the table to touch her best friend’s hand before she had a chance to regroup. “I’m surprised you didn’t already guess.”
“I just thought you were happy about being married.” Karen laughed, squeezed herself onto the other couple’s side of the booth and hugged Stephanie. “Congratulations. This is wonderful—and yes, I told you so.”
The men exchanged amused glances before telling Karen she couldn’t sit with Stephanie the entire evening.
“Of course I can.” She wrapped her arms more tightly around the other woman’s shoulders. “We don’t need any elbow room to eat. Give me a chance to savor this minute.”
“You’re going to have the next few days,” Victor reminded them and then laughed. “I’m glad I have to go to work. The two of you are going to be ridiculous.”
“So,” the women said in unison. Everyone laughed. They placed their meal orders and handed the menus to the waiter. Another server arrived with beverages and appetizers.
“The secret wedding makes sense,” Victor commented. He smiled at his wife. “We should have thought of that.”
“You did. I disagreed.” Karen rolled her eyes.
“I’ve missed you,” Stephanie told her friends after the chuckling had ceased. “We’ll have lots of room in the new house, so you’ll have to visit as soon as we get settled.”
“It’s a deal. We’ve missed you, too,” Victor agreed.
The foursome ate and laughed and talked for more than an hour with the conv
ersation drifting to every topic imaginable. But, eventually, Chaz noticed that Stephanie kept checking her watch and was paying less attention to the conversation. He chose not to say anything until they were walking through the parking lot.
“Are you feeling all right?” A protective arm slid around her waist.
Stephanie managed a small smile and looked at him.
“I was so focused on seeing Karen and Victor again that it took a while to register that we’re not going to the same place. Dinner ended too soon, Chaz, and I won’t see you before the end of the week.”
He kissed her and held her tightly.
“Karen and little Victor will probably keep you so entertained that you won’t miss me.” Neither of them believed those words. “Anyway, I’ll call every morning and every night.” Chaz realized that being secluded in the safe house would be hard now that he and Stephanie had been living together. “This part of my life is almost over.” He wouldn’t stay away from his wife any longer than was necessary.
His wife. The words made him happy.
He retrieved her suitcase from the back of his vehicle and handed it to Victor. After another long hug and a kiss, he said goodbye to everyone, promised to call to say goodnight, and watched Victor’s SUV drive away.
Chaz got into his car and drove to the familiar location. The other members of the undercover team were already at the safe house. They spent nearly an hour discussing the positive impact this case was having on other cases before going over the logistics of what would occur on Monday.
Everyone was to arrive at the federal prosecutor’s office by 8:00 a.m. They’d be separated and grilled on the details of their affidavits, of which each was now being given copies to refresh their memories. As was customary, they’d be told which portions of the documents the defense team had decided not to challenge and which details needed clarification. Then, they’d spend the afternoon going through mock testimony and being told what the prosecutor wanted emphasized based on his reason for calling each of them to the witness stand. Of course, all testimony would be held in the judge’s chambers, without the presence of the defendant. The team would leave the safe house via the inconspicuous underground parking garage and arrive at the courtroom through limited-access hallways.
Premonitions: Dream Catcher Series ~ Book 1 Page 15
