by Cat Johnson
Shaking as her heart pounded, Ginny drew in a breath. “No, Mother. He didn’t get cold feet.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“I just can.”
God, what if he got cold feet? The words swirled in her mind until her knees started to feel wobbly.
“I don’t know how you’re so certain—”
“Mother—” At the breaking point, and now full of doubt thanks to her mother, Ginny was about to lose it when her outburst was waylaid by Molly.
“Ginny, come with me to the bridal room so I can fix your hair.” Molly didn’t give Ginny a chance to respond as she dragged her off.
Molly pulled Ginny into the small room in the back of the church the preacher had given them to use. Kind of part dressing room, part staging area.
She’d spent the morning in this room waiting for Thom to arrive, which he hadn’t. She’d fixed her makeup in this mirror for the photos—which she’d faked a smile for. She wasn’t sure she had anything left in her to fake anything else.
“What’s wrong with my hair?” Ginny asked, knowing if one more thing went wrong she was going to end up in tears.
“Nothing, except I know you would have started to pull it out if I didn’t get you away from that conversation.”
“You’re right.” Ginny let out a sigh. “Thank you.”
“Anytime.” Molly smiled.
“I mean she just has no faith. You know?” Ginny looked up at her maid of honor for agreement.
“I know.”
“We still have a whole half an hour.”
Her friend nodded. “Mm, hm.”
“That’s plenty of time for him to get here,” Ginny continued, trying to believe her own words. Somehow maintaining faith amid the complete lack of proof, of any reassurance that Thom was even on his way.
A knock on the door had her turning, eyes wide.
“That could be him.” Ginny grasped the handle and yanked the door open.
She searched the faces of the men in uniform there, looking for her man in uniform. She hadn’t found him yet as one guy stepped forward, his hand extended.
“Ginny. Good to see you again.” As she struggled to come up with a name for the slightly familiar man, he continued, “We met when you were visiting Thom. I’m Grant Milton.”
“Of course. Sorry. It’s just been one hell of a day already. Nice to see you again.” Ginny shook the man’s warm hand.
When he released his hold on her, he took a step back to include the rest of the group. “Some of these guys you might know, and some you might not. This is Craig Dawson and James MacIntyre and back there are Will, Clyde, and Fitz. A couple of the guys couldn’t make it up from Virginia but they send their best wishes.”
His kindness and that all these guys had traveled so far to be here, when she was very aware of how much pulling of military strings that had taken, nearly broke Ginny’s tentative hold on her composure. “Thank you all for coming. Um, Thom’s not here yet.”
Grant’s brow furrowed. “Oh. Well, I guess it is bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the wedding so he’ll probably get here right before the ceremony.”
“That’s probably it. We can use all the good luck we can get, right?” She forced a laugh and realized it came out sounding more like a manic giggle. “Thanks again for coming.”
“Sure. No problem. I’ll let you get back to getting ready now.” He smiled.
“Thanks.” Ginny held on to her composure until she closed the door, then she sagged against it, holding in the tears pricking behind her eyes. She refused to show anyone, even Molly, how worried she truly was.
“Oh. My. God. Tell me some of those guys are single. And that you’re going to let me visit you down in Virginia.”
Luckily for Ginny, Molly’s attention had been elsewhere. She’d been too busy ogling the SEALs.
“Of course. You can visit me anytime you want.” Ginny only hoped she’d actually be living in Virginia. As the minutes passed, she was beginning to have doubts, in spite of herself.
Molly eyed her closely. “You doing all right?”
“Yeah.”
“Can I get you something?”
Some peace and quiet where no one asked her how she was doing. The groom. All things Ginny would love right about now.
“Some water?” Ginny asked instead.
“Sure. Right away. There’s a water cooler out in the vestibule. I’ll be right back.”
Molly rushed out to get the water and Ginny braced her hands against the table in front of the mirror concentrating on breathing when it felt like her chest was too tight to fit her lungs.
Efficient as ever, Molly returned in no time bearing not one but two cups of water and Ginny’s peace and quiet came to an end.
“Here you go. I brought two. They’re small.” Molly put both down on the table next to Ginny’s bouquet.
“Thanks.” Ginny lifted one little cup and watched the water slosh as her hand trembled.
She took a quick swallow and then put the cup down, reaching instead for her cell phone to check the time.
T-minus-twenty and counting. The vise squeezing her chest got a little bit tighter.
Thom, where are you?
CHAPTER 24
“Is that clock right?” Thom asked, because if the time displayed on the dashboard was correct, he had fifteen minutes to get to the church before the ceremony was scheduled to begin.
“I don’t know,” Rocky said.
“How can you not know?” The question came out sounding a bit too high pitched.
“My cell phone is still being held hostage in Pennsylvania. And I don’t have a watch.” Rocky was much too calm.
“I can try to find a station that’ll tell us the time.” Brody reached for the knob on the radio.
“Never mind.” As it was Thom was already teetering on the edge. The noise of the radio would probably push him completely over.
The sign for their upcoming exit whizzed by the window. “Oh, Thank God. That’s our exit.”
“I saw. No worries.” Rocky steered them from the far left lane to the right.
“We might actually make it on time.” Thom started to feel like he could breathe again even as his heart continued to beat too fast.
“Yup. Told you,” Brody said as Rocky took the exit ramp and then turned onto the main road.
Thom wasn’t going to praise Brody on his prediction because making it to the church with just minutes to spare, and getting married in the clothes he’d been wearing for two days instead of his dress uniform, wasn’t anything to be happy about.
But even as crazed as Thom felt—and had felt for the past three hours—he couldn’t help but see a glimmer of hope, a light at the end of the dark tunnel as they got closer to the church.
Ginny might be pissed but at least he’d make it. He wouldn’t completely miss the wedding—
“Shit. What the fuck is this?” Rocky slammed on the brake pedal as the road in front of them became a sea of stopped cars and glowing red brake lights.
Since they were at a complete standstill, Rocky rolled down the window and shouted to a couple walking on the street, “What’s going on up there?”
“Parade,” the woman answered.
“Shit.” Thom’s heart, impossibly, pounded faster. “How close are we?” he asked Brody.
Brody, acting as navigator, referred to the paper printout of the MapQuest directions in his hand.
Good thing Ginny was obsessively compulsive about things at times. He’d told her they’d be fine using their cell phones’ GPS and map app but she’d still insisted on printing out the directions to and from the cabin for them. And also had insisted he take a copy of the directions to the church that she’d printed out for everyone they’d invited.
Thank God for Ginny since—as Rocky had said—their phones were no longer in their possession.
“It looks like about half a mile. Straight on this road. The church is on the corner on the right t
hree blocks up.”
“I’m going on foot. Let me out of here.”
Turning in his seat Rocky shot Thom a look of surprise, but said, “Okay.”
Rocky unlocked the door, hopped down and flipped the seat so Thom could crawl out. “I can’t leave the truck here—”
Thom waved off Rocky’s concern. “I know. Meet you there.”
Thom took off at a sprint, dodging pedestrians who were there to watch the parade. Weaving through the middle of the marching band currently blocking the intersection. Ignoring the cop who blew his whistle and then shouted at him for busting through the parade.
He was too close to Ginny, and to making it to this wedding in time, to let anyone stop him now.
The church came into view, its steeple soaring high into the sky above the neighboring buildings. It was like an oasis in the desert and pushed Thom to run faster.
He leapt over the curb, sprinted up the walkway and took the wide stone stairs two at a time. He was about to yank open the door of the church when he heard his name being called.
Thom spun and saw Chris Cassidy and Grant Milton standing off to the side.
That visual confirmation that he was at the right place at the right time, in combination with his sprint, doubled him over at the waist.
“Oh my God.” Hands braced on his knees, Thom was panting hard as Chris and Grant moved to his side.
“What happened?” Grant asked.
He didn’t have time to answer that. Thom looked up. “Somebody tell Ginny I’m here. Please.”
Grant nodded. “I got it.”
He turned and rushed through the doors as Thom continued to blow out big bursts of air. Chris stayed there with him.
“When Grant told me you weren’t here yet, I came outside to try and call Brody’s cell.”
Thom nodded. “We had some trouble.”
“No shit.” Chris snorted. “My brother and Rocky okay?”
“Yeah. They’re right behind me with the truck.”
Chris shook his head. “I’m sure there’s one hell of a story. Can’t wait to hear it.”
“Later.” Thom lifted the edge of his T-shirt to wipe the sweat from his face and started to realize exactly how bad he looked. “Shit. I don’t have my uniform here. It’s at—”
Even as he said it, the front door of the church swung open and his parents ran out.
“Oh, thank God.” His mother flung herself at him, hugging him in spite of the sweat.
His father stood just behind her. “It’s good to see you, son. We were worried.”
“I know. Sorry.” Eventually he’d have to tell everyone what had happened but as crazy as everything that happened was, it wasn’t going to be a quick story. “I need to get inside and, I don’t know, try to get cleaned up a little.”
The door opened again and Grant emerged and—in a miraculous turn of events—he was carrying a dry cleaning bag containing what looked like Thom’s uniform.
“Is that mine?” Thom asked, eyes wide.
Grant grinned. “Sure is. Your very organized bride brought it with her.”
“How is she doing?” he asked, afraid to hear the answer.
The wobbling of Grant’s head as he grimaced didn’t make Thom feel better. “I’m not going to lie to you. There were some tears. Happy tears I hope, but yeah, she’s emotional.”
Thom didn’t blame her. “Okay, I’m going to go find a bathroom, get washed up as best I can, and try to make myself presentable enough to not embarrass this uniform.”
Grant handed Thom the hanger. “Need help?”
He would have normally said no, but he was shaking so badly a steady pair of hands helping him wasn’t a bad idea. And Grant knew the uniform and the proper way to wear it, which Thom’s father, the next best choice to help him, did not.
“I’d appreciate that. Thanks.”
With Grant’s help, Thom was dressed and ready in minutes. The preacher had checked on him in the men’s room and said to take his time, even while glancing at his watch, so Thom didn’t delay.
“Someone will tell Ginny we’re ready?” Thom asked as he stood in the vestibule with Grant.
Her father was standing nearby, no doubt waiting to walk his only daughter down the aisle.
“I’ll tell her.” He smiled and Thom had hope the man might not hate him for the rest of his married life for today’s debacle.
“Thank you, sir.” Thom turned and blew out a breath. “Okay. I guess I’m ready.”
Grant nodded and then frowned. “Who’s your best man?”
“My dad.” Thom glanced toward the altar through the glass window in the vestibule doors. “Looks like he’s up there with the preacher, probably trying to smooth over the situation, knowing him.”
Grant smiled. “Okay. Well, good luck.”
“Thanks.” For once, Thom felt like he actually had some good luck.
He strode through the doors and all eyes turned toward him. Yeah, he probably should have asked if there was another way to the altar. He was about to walk up the aisle when two smiling faces stopped him mid-step.
“Jason. Juliette.” Thom squatted next to the last pew and hugged each one of his children. His eyes misted and he finally understood Ginny’s concept of happy tears. “I didn’t know you guys would be here.”
“Mom brought us,” Juliette answered when her face was no longer buried in Thom’s chest.
Thom pulled back from the hug and there was his ex-wife. Last they’d talked, or rather fought, she’d said no to the kids coming, yet here she was.
Forcing a close-lipped smile, she said, “Hey.”
“Hey.” He stood. “I wasn’t expecting you.”
She let out a laugh. “I wasn’t expecting this either. My mother shamed me into it.”
His mother in law, whom he thought had always hated him? That was a surprise.
“Really?” he asked.
“Yup. I was talking to her after I got the invitation with the hand written note saying you two would love it if I could attend along with the children.”
Thom frowned. “When did that come in the mail?”
“Tuesday. In an Express Mail envelope.”
That would have been mailed after he’d gotten to Connecticut and told Ginny how upset he was because the kids wouldn’t be there.
He shook his head. “I didn’t send that.”
“I didn’t think you did. It was clearly from Ginny. Anyway, Mom said the kids should be here for you . . . and I realized she was right.”
Organ music began to play, reminding Thom he was holding up the wedding when the preacher was already unhappy with him for delaying the start time.
“I, uh, gotta go.” He tipped his head toward the altar.
“Yeah.” She nodded, looking not at all thrilled to be there, but it didn’t matter because his kids were there.
Thom bent quick and kissed each one. “Talk to you two in a little bit.”
He strode forward fast to take his place next to his father.
They wasted no time getting started. The moment he turned back to face the aisle he’d just walked down, both doors were swung wide and secured open to reveal Molly, looking very maid of honor-like in her pink dress and bouquet. She walked the aisle at a stately pace and smiled at him when she reached the end, before stepping to the side and turning.
Thom’s gaze shot to the doorway and to the woman in white on her father’s arm. His woman. Soon, his wife.
She walked a bit faster than Molly had, and he couldn’t blame her. He’d made her wait too long already.
Her father kissed her on the cheek, tipped his head to Thom and turned to take his seat next to Ginny’s weeping mother in the front pew.
He new mother-in-law wasn’t the only one crying. Ginny took one look at him and her eyes filled with tears.
He took both of her hands in his. “Shh. It’s okay. Don’t cry. I’m here.”
She drew in a big shaky breath that broke his heart as he fully absor
bed how badly he’d worried her. “I already cried off my make-up once today. Molly had to fix it.”
“You look absolutely beautiful. And I’m so sorry I made you cry.”
“It’s okay.” Ginny sniffed in one more big breath—steadier than the first—and then blew it out slowly through her mouth before she turned toward the preacher. “Okay. Ready to start?”
The preacher nodded, cleared his throat and said, “Dearly beloved . . .”
In his peripheral vision, Thom saw Brody and Rocky sneak into the back of the church.
All hands accounted for.
He smiled and turned his full attention to the preacher and, more importantly, his bride.
CHAPTER 25
“Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Grande. Virginia Starr-Grande.” Ginny tried the two names out aloud to see how they felt.
Thom cocked one brow high and bobbed his head. “A hyphen. Nice. I like it.”
“Really? Because I’m not so sure.” Ginny screwed up her mouth in indecision.
Thom broke into a smile. “Baby, I don’t care what name you choose to go by as long as you’re my wife.”
“Aw. You’re so sweet.” The champagne she’d started drinking at noon had begun to go to her head. She leaned against Thom, happy for more than one reason that his arms were wrapped around her.
“So does that mean I’m forgiven?” he asked.
“Yes. Of course. Jeez.” She had to admit the story he’d told her had sounded pretty nuts at first, but seeing Rocky using a cell phone borrowed from Brody’s brother to call his family to tell them about what had happened had gone a long way to add legitimacy to the three men’s tale.
So had the fact Thom looked as if he hadn’t slept all night and was downing water like he hadn’t had anything to drink in days.
The guys had also been on the phone with Jon Rudnick, Thom’s former teammate who’d left the Navy and opened a private security company, to see what he could dig up with his resources.
Meanwhile, the SEAL she’d been introduced to as Will had whipped a laptop out of his car and was currently camped out on a table on her parents’ lawn while surrounded by more SEALs, all looking very serious.
“What’s going on over there?” she asked, tipping her chin in their direction.
