“Surprise,” she says. “That’s special.”
Curious now, I open the bag and my heart squeezes with what I find. “My mother’s cross that she kept on her at all times.” My gaze jerks to hers. “How did you get that?”
“Your father gave it to me. He’s waiting to see you, but he knew you wouldn’t be dressed. He wanted you to place it wherever you wanted to place it in privacy.”
I start to tear up and her and Jessica both say, “Do not cry!”
“You’ll mess up your makeup,” Jessica warns.
“I know,” I say, and I down half the glass of champagne. “I’m going to cry.”
“Don’t,” Linda orders. “Wait until later. As your father always says, mind over matter. I was thinking you could pin the cross to your garter.”
“Perfect,” I say, parting my robe to attach the cross. I met Rick right after losing my mother. He helped me survive her loss. Emotion pinches in my chest. I loved her so much. I thought she’d be here the day I got married. I let my dress fall back into place and murmur. “It’s perfect.”
“It’s time to get dressed,” Jessica announces.
“I need to see my father,” I object.
“Once you’re dressed,” Jessica insists. “Down that champagne, go pee—it will be hard in the dress—and then let’s get you dressed.”
“I’ll let him know you’re dressing and keep him busy,” Linda promises, heading for the door. “And I’ll get him away from the door so you can go pee without interruption.”
And then she’s gone.
I let out a breath. I’m putting on my dress. This is really happening.
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
Savage
I’m in my tuxedo, sans the jacket, nervous energy exploding from every part of me, my feet leading me back and forth across the dressing room. “Stop pacing,” Adam orders. “And drink this.”
He hands me a glass of whiskey and I wave him off. “I can’t drink. She’ll think I needed liquid courage to say I do. She believes I’ll back out to save her from a life with me.”
“Or that you’re nervous as fuck and needed to calm the hell down to remember your vows. Drink.”
I down the whiskey and hand him the glass. “Do you have the rings?” I stop walking and face him, patting my pockets. “Shit. The rings—”
“I have the rings.”
I breathe out. “Thank fuck. And we’re sure Linda gave her the bracelet?”
“I just gave it to her fifteen minutes ago and she was headed to see Candace.”
“Right. Right.” I draw in a breath and then, “Did Adrian make it in?” I ask. Adrian Mack is one of my groomsmen, and he’s been in Germany on a job for Walker, arriving back just in time for the wedding. It’s him, Adam, and Blake standing up with me.
“He’s here and changing into his tux now.”
This is good news. I wanted him here, but the job he was on got nasty, and for a moment there, I wasn’t sure he could make it. Adrian and I might not be as tight as I am with Adam and Blake, but he was with me when I won Candace back. He helped me save her life.
There’s a knock on the door, and Blake pokes his head in. “Thirty-minute warning.” He steps inside, already spiffy in his tuxedo. “The church is full. The decorations are beautiful. All is well.” He gives me a keen inspection. “How are you feeling, man?”
“Like my head’s going to explode.”
“I remember that very feeling,” he assures me. “You’ll settle down the minute you see her. I promise.”
“Thank you for making this church happen, Blake. She gets to be a princess today. She deserves that after the shit I put her through.”
“You both deserve it,” he says. “I hope you figure that out right about now, considering you’re at your own wedding.”
There’s another knock on the door and Adrian enters. “I’m here, man. I made it.” He tugs on his lapels. “Latin man in a tuxedo, freshly trimmed goatee, and ravishing personality. The wedding can go on.”
“He’s losing his shit,” Blake says. “Why don’t you tell him a joke? I know he loves your jokes.” He eyes me. “I’ll be ready when you are.” He exits the room.
“Me, too,” Adam says. “I need to go see how we’re looking out there.”
“Fuck, don’t leave me alone with Adrian and his bad jokes.”
Too late. He does just that.
“All right,” Adrian says. “A ghost walks into a bar—”
I groan.
He starts again, “A ghost walks into a bar, and the bartender says, ‘Sorry, we don’t serve spirits.’ Give it a minute. It will sink in. You know because spirits—”
“I get it,” I say. “Stop talking.”
There’s another knock on the door. Adrian walks in that direction and opens it. The next thing I know, he’s disappearing, and fuck me, Candace’s dad is stepping into the room. Damn Adrian for not warning me. “General,” I greet.
“Son,” he says, shutting the door. “I just wanted a moment with you.”
“You going to try to send me off on some assignment to save the world and destroy your daughter?”
His lips press together. “I had good intentions when I recruited you, Savage. A surgeon and soldier with skills like yours doesn’t exist. Except you. You are one of a kind. The kind of man I thought could save lives.”
“You made me a killer.”
“As long as I was involved, every kill you made saved lives,” he insists.
“You wanted me out of Candace’s life.”
“You’re a strange combination, Savage. A man who can save a life and take a life. I admit I wasn’t keen on you with my daughter. But I was wrong. If Candace’s mother was alive, she would have long ago beaten my ass over you, Rick Savage. Ironically, you helped Candace survive her loss.”
“I wish I could have met her, sir. I’ve heard many stories.”
“She would have told me that a man like you would kill and die for the woman he loves. And you love my daughter. And she loves you.”
“I do love her. More than you can possibly know.”
“Then marry her and take good care of her. And maybe, just maybe, one day we can put the past behind us, and be father and son.” He pauses. “Speaking of. Is your father attending today?”
Now my lips press together. “I didn’t invite him.”
“I see,” he says, and I believe he does. I know Candace has told him about my father’s abuse of my mother, as well as her miserable life before she died. I also know the general checked me out before inviting me onto his special ops team, and probably sooner because I was seeing his daughter, and did so with enough depth to know everything there is to know about me. “That’s rough,” he comments solemnly. “I’m here. One day, as I said, maybe that will matter to you. I’ll see you at the front of the church.” He starts to turn and hesitates. “For what it’s worth, which is likely not much, you have my blessing.”