Operation Endurance

CHAPTER 17

Finally, it was time for the wedding to begin. Chris stepped through the wooden arch decorated with twinkle lights and gauze with Penelope in a spring green dress on one side of him and Julie dressed in emerald green on the other. The guitarist played a soft melody as they walked down the aisle under the watchful misty eyes of Jake and Cassie’s friends. Chris still marveled at the transformation of the wedding venue to something truly magical with the soft lighting and romantic music.

He smiled down at Julie as they walked. Her bridesmaid dress was a soft, floaty material that whispered against her bare legs with each step. Even sick, the emerald green color turned her normally hazel eyes a vivid green. If he hadn’t known her so well, he never would have guessed she was sick. The tissue thin fabric was gathered on the bodice and he worried about the spaghetti straps because she’d been so cold with her fever, but so far, so good. She seemed to be holding her own and was breathtaking.

The wedding was small, less than one hundred guests and even Chris could feel the outflowing of love from their friends. Jake stood at the end waiting for Cassie and the guy was literally beaming. Chris couldn’t be happier with who Cassie had fallen in love with and chosen to be her husband.

His twin connection with Cassie was buzzing tonight with her high emotions in anticipation of the wedding. It kept infusing him with a feeling of warmth and peace. He loved that she was so happy with Jake.

When they got to the end of the aisle, he escorted Penelope to the right side where she’d wait for Colton, who was escorting Cassie down the aisle. He gave her a light kiss on the cheek, before turning to give a hug to Jake. Chris was surprised when the tears welled up in his eyes. He didn’t expect to become this emotional tonight, but Jake had always been just like another brother in his life. To know that tonight he truly would become one was a bit overwhelming.

He gave a simple instruction while he slapped Jake on the back, “Take care of her.”

Jake pulled back and Chris was surprised to see that Jake seemed to be just as overwhelmed by the emotion as him. He looked Chris in the eye. “I love her.” And really, that was all they needed, right? Chris knew that Jake would lay down his life in a heartbeat to keep Cassie happy.

Chris smiled, nodded, took a deep breath and turned back toward Julie. She was already dabbing her eyes with tissue. She gave him a watery smile and took hold of his hand as he joined her on that side of the aisle.

They turned to wait for Colton and Cassie as the guitarist changed his musical score to the wedding waltz. Chris had gone to talk to her right before the wedding, but that didn’t keep his breath from catching when he saw Cassie in the entryway. She looked amazing in her gorgeous wedding gown and happiness sparkled in her eyes.

She’d left her long, red hair loose and it flowed in waves across her shoulders, reflecting the light from the twinkle lights so that it looked like little sparks of fire. The white of her wedding dress set off her creamy skin. It had an open neckline and cap sleeves which were covered by Italian lace. The lace fully covered the bodice, but trailed away into lines when it met the full sheer fabric of the skirt that made her look like a princess. A simple ribbon bow at her waist emphasized how tiny her waist was. All that running leading up to the wedding paid off.

It was hard to believe that this was the sister he’d grown up with, shooting pretend guns, and falling out of trees. She looked elegant, regal, and so beautiful and she only had eyes for Jake as she gave him a brilliant smile. Their love shined almost like a physical entity between them.

Colton cleaned up pretty well, too. Decked out in a custom fitted black tux, he had the debonair aura of the most lethal of spies. Chris grinned across at Penelope. She seemed to enjoy how well his big brother filled out his tuxedo if her happy smile was any indication.

Finally, Colton and Cassie made it to the end of the aisle where Colt gave her hand to Jake. Emotion surged through Chris. This was it. Their moment. Julie squeezed his hand and he threaded his fingers through hers. He knew things weren’t the same anymore between them, but to have her here sharing this moment with him meant more than anyone could imagine. He brushed his thumb across the palm of her hand and then turned his attention back to Cassie and Jake.

They’d written their own vows.

“Jake,” Cassie’s soft voice rang out over the group, “from the moment we met, I knew there was something special about you. There aren’t many guys out there who don’t worry about tackling a girl.” There was a smattering of laughter from the members of the audience who knew the story of how Jake had come to be part of their group of friends when she was eight and he was ten. “But I knew from that moment on that you were the guy for me. It just took me a few years to convince you of it.”

More laughter.

“I love you so much, Jake.” Chris could hear the strong emotion in her voice. “You make me a better person. You make me a stronger person. But most importantly, you complete me. Without you in my life, there’s this hole in my heart that just doesn’t feel right. But when we’re together, even when we’re fighting or disagreeing, there’s a peace in my heart that tells me that all is right in my world. Thank you for loving me, for accepting me, for wanting me.”

Jake cleared his throat and grabbed hold of her hand. “A year ago, I was sure I had lost both my best friends. To be standing here today is a miracle, in more ways than one.” His tear-filled eyes reached out to Chris before turning back to Cassie.

Chris could hear sniffling from the audience.

“But you didn’t give up on me. On us. And I am so grateful for that because I need you in my life, too. I thought I knew what I wanted from life, but without you in it, I was lost. I didn’t have that internal compass working anymore. You are my life, Cassie. From the time we met when I was ten years old that’s been the truth. It just took me a while to figure that out. I love you, with all that I am. Thank you for agreeing to put up with me and for becoming my wife.”

It wasn’t time for it yet, but Jake reached over and kissed Cassie, until the preacher interrupted them by clearing his throat. Jake pulled back from her, although Cassie remained a little glassy-eyed. He turned toward the preacher and mumbled, “Sorry,” although his grin and humor-filled eyes told a completely different story.

Everyone in the place was happily grinning at this point. While the preacher acted like he disapproved, his twitching lips said something else. After a few words of wisdom and the exchanging of the rings, the preacher said those little words. “I pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss your bride.”

Jake mumbled, “Finally.” He swept Cassie into a dramatic kiss and they all cheered. All in all, it was the perfect ceremony.



* * *



Julie snuck around to the bar and ordered a glass of water so she could take some more medicine. She’d managed to ditch Chris for the moment as the photographer worked on taking the family photos. She still didn’t feel one hundred percent, but whatever mix of drugs Chris had concocted for her earlier in the day had definitely helped. And miracle of miracles, she hadn’t interrupted that perfect wedding ceremony with a coughing jag, so she felt nothing but grateful. She’d almost made it through this day.

She spotted Penelope talking to Detective Brian Barnes so she worked her way over to them. Brian had become a friend when he worked on Cassie’s stalker case and then again when things got crazy at Penelope’s bookstore. Over the last year, they’d needed the services of the detective way too often, but the guy was devoted to his job. He looked really good in his navy blue suit. She was used to seeing him working, so it was nice to see him in relaxation-mode. “How are you tonight, Detective?”

“I’m good. I hear you had a lot to do with the organization of this evening. I’ve never seen this place look quite so beautiful.”

“Thanks, but it was a group effort. I had a great team and Cassie was happy to let me make all the decisions so it made it very easy.”

“Pete mentioned earlier in the week that you’ve been sick.” A frown creased his forehead. “I can still hear it in your voice. I hope you’re on your way to recovery. Your self-defense classes are an important part of the community.”

She smiled at him and nodded. “Thanks. I’m starting to feel better. I couldn’t do the classes without Pete and the guys, Lyle and Stephen, though. They create an invaluable team. We appreciate you letting us beat up on them every week.” She looked around the room. “Speaking of Pete, I thought he was coming tonight, but I haven’t seen him.”

Brian smirked. “Oh, he’s here. The last time I saw him, he appeared to be completely enraptured with his date. I think you know her. Her name’s Toni.”

“No way. He brought Toni to the wedding?” Yippee. Was it wrong that she was doing a little mental dance? They were both such great people. She wanted great things for them.

Brian nodded conspiratorially. “Yep. I tried to warn him. A wedding for a second date? He’s setting a bad precedence for all the rest of us single guys, but he wouldn’t listen to me.”

She smirked at him. “And where is your date?”

“Are you kidding? With the hours I keep? Who has time for dating?”

Julie knew that was true. He showed up day or night without complaint whenever he was needed. But he was a really nice guy, good-looking too. It made Julie sad to think that he never had anyone waiting at home for him. Maybe she’d see what she could do about that. She knew lots of single women from the hospital who would understand his crazy hours.

The dance music had started up and Julie was surprised when the Robertson brothers walked up. They’d already finished with the photographs? Colton reached his arm around Penelope’s waist and lightly rubbed where their baby was growing. If Julie hadn’t known that she was pregnant, she probably wouldn’t have even noticed the movement. But she did and her eyes filled with tears. It was such a wonderful little action, so filled with love. Momentarily overcome, she turned to escape to the restroom and ran right into Chris’s chest. He was standing directly behind her.

Chris grasped hold of her chin and lifted her gaze to his. “Butterfly, are you okay?” he whispered, glancing back over to where Penelope and Colton continued to embrace.

She nodded. “I’m fine. I just need a moment. I’ll be back in a little bit.” She slid around him and escaped to the restroom.

It took a few minutes, but she got herself composed and managed to fix her makeup after the emotions of the wedding. When she re-entered the wedding space, it looked like most of the guests were taking advantage of the band and dance floor. She spotted Pete and he flagged her over to his side.

“Hi. I heard you had a hot date. Has she already abandoned you?”

He laughed low. “No, she didn’t like Brian just standing around watching everyone, so she managed to pull him out onto the dance floor.” He gestured to where the two were dancing. He looked back at her. “You look beautiful tonight. Are you feeling any better?”

“I am. Thanks. Also, I really appreciate you covering classes for me this week.”

His dimples showed as he grinned at her. “You can show your appreciation by dancing with me.”

She didn’t really feel up for dancing, but he looked so hopeful, she hated to turn him down. She’d dance one dance and then turn him back over to Toni for the evening. Unfortunately, they were only halfway through their dance when her cough kicked back up. She felt like she was going to hack up a lung before the spasms would stop. Pete looked concerned as she pulled him off to the side of the room while she continued to cough. She couldn’t catch her breath.

Suddenly a hand reached around her waist that she knew instinctively belonged to Chris. He leaned down to whisper into her ear, “Relax and concentrate on your breathing. Try to breathe lightly through it until the coughing subsides.”

It worked, but by that time, exhaustion swamped her again. She just wanted to go to bed.

Chris had been shielding her from the crowd with his bulk while she fought for control. “Come on. It’s time for you to find your bed.”

She looked around to apologize to Pete, but he’d disappeared.

Chris was quiet as he drove her home. When they’d walked outside, he’d settled his tuxedo jacket over her bare shoulders. Now she pulled it tighter around her, reveling in Chris’s masculine scent. It took her back to a time that she never allowed herself to think about. If she’d been truly aware, she would have given it back to him just to avoid these memories, but in her feverish mind, she settled into a time, a weekend when Chris had been hers. It was bittersweet and after the emotion of the wedding, it was especially difficult. The tears welled in her eyes, and she shut them as she turned toward the window. She knew her emotions were sitting just under the surface because of being sick, but that didn’t make sitting on the edge of shattering into a million pieces any easier.

She hated that Chris had left the wedding early to take care of her, but knew that it would be useless to argue with him. Exhaustion and weakness pulled at her and she just wanted to crawl into bed and sleep for a week.

She startled as Chris’s truck turned off. She must have dozed off on the way home. She looked over at him to find him frowning.

“I feel like I should be taking you directly to the hospital instead of home,” his voice whispered across the cab of the truck like a caress.

“It’s just a cold. I’ll be fine after a few days sleeping.”

“Have you already let the hospital know you aren’t coming into work tomorrow?”

“Yes, my boss said I could have off until Wednesday and that if I still need more, they can rearrange my schedule. I’ll be fine. Thanks for all of your help this week, though. I know I haven’t been very gracious about it, but I couldn’t have gotten through all this without you.”

He scrutinized her for a moment in the dark. “You know there’s no shame in asking for help when you need it, right? That’s what friends do. I’d like you to think you could count on me if you need it.”

“Thanks, Chris.” She reached for the handle. She could take care of herself, although this friends thing with him might just kill her. Actually, it left her feeling like curling up into a little ball and sobbing, but he wouldn’t understand or even want to know that. She had to get away from him as the tears threatened again. “I need to head inside and go to bed.”

Chris followed her to her door. “I don’t want to call you and wake you up tomorrow, but can you promise to text me when you wake up just to check in? Maybe if you’re feeling up for it, I could bring you some chicken noodle soup tomorrow night.”

“Thanks. I’ll text you and let you know.” She handed him his jacket as he turned to go into his townhouse. “Goodnight, Chris.”

“Goodnight, Julie.”