Page 86 of The Mermaid Murder

Chapter 15

RACHEL

My headpiece was a spray of fragrant apple blossoms, and my sister adjusted it seventeen times before she was satisfied. We were in the house, right at the front door, which was wide open. The kids were lined up outside. Jeremy was first, with Misty. Joshua, who was back from his cross-country adventure looking tanned and happy and older somehow, walked with Christy. As the music began, Jere and Misty started their slow walk down the front lawn, over the longest stretch of red carpet I’d ever seen. It unrolled between two sections of folding chairs, all the way to the shore, where there was a white garden arch decked in flowers, built by my perfect brother-in-law Jim. The officiant we’d hired, a round, happy woman with short white hair, awaited us there, her face alight.

I stood with Sandra, very close. As she fussed over my dress and hair, and the kids moved out from in front of us down the aisle, I could finally see Mason, waiting for me at the end. He looked so good in his black suit and black tie, with a single red rose bud on his lapel. He couldn’t keep the smile from his face. I saw him trying. God, I loved that man. The dogs sat on either side of him. Myrtle had a little head piece that matched mine, and Hugo wore a top hat with a red rosebud. I looked at them and smiled, gave a tiny wave, and Myrtle barked.

We’d got her test results the very morning after returning from our wild weekend getaway-slash-murder-investigation. Dr. Hwang said that Myrtle’s optic nerves were healing. She was getting her eyesight back. When I asked how that could be, his scientific reply was, “It just happens sometimes.” Those fugue states when she would just go still and stare, were because she’d been gradually seeing more and more. Her independent streak increased the better her vision had become. And I was pretty sure she could see me right then, from the other end this happiest of walks. She was smiling almost as widely as Mason was.

Misty and Jeremy reached the front and took their places on either side of Mason and the dogs. Josh and Christy had made it halfway. Both girls were fully recovered and in possession of hefty cash settlements from the bad boy billionaires, who didn’t want to be sued for unsafe work conditions. All the merfolk got checks, plus paid vacation while The Sapphire Club was undergoing repairs.

Josh and Christy reached the front and turned to face us. Josh gave me a thumbs-up and a wink. He’d let his hair go shaggy. I liked it.

Sandra kissed my cheek. She’d pulled this wedding together in just two weeks’ time, and everything seemed perfect so far. I thought she could do it for a living. I’d even suggest a name for her service: Short Notice Nuptials.

She was all teary-eyed, and that made me teary-eyed too.

“Don’t cry. You’ll smudge your makeup.” She dabbed my cheek with one of the tissues she had handy.

“Do you forgive me?” I asked. “For not calling you sooner?”

“I forgive you,” she said. “But that doesn’t mean it’s okay. It’s not okay. You should’ve called.”

I nodded. “It was bizarre, how you bought them mermaids, not knowing?—”

“Moms and daughters are connected more than just physically,” she said, then shrugged one shoulder. “Besides, you dreamed about mermaids not knowing.”

“I do that, though. And those ugly-ass mermaids you bought saved their lives.”

She smiled the way a fox smiled when it discovered an unprotected flock of chickens. I mean, probably. I’d never seen a fox discover an unprotected flock of chickens, but one assumes. “They can’t give me any of their bullshit for at least, what? A year, you think?”

“At least,” I agreed. “No backtalk, no guilt trips.”

“No ignoring texts or not visiting.” She took a big, satisfied breath. “You look beautiful.”

I felt like a Greek goddess in my dress.

Sandra gave me a final hug, then walked out ahead of me. I stood back from the open door a little bit, in the shadows, as she had instructed. When she made it to the front, the music changed to “The Bridal March.” I met Mason’s eyes as I walked toward him. I tried to go slow, but honestly, I couldn’t wait to be his wife.

I reached the front, and he took my hands and gazed into my eyes while our officiant said the words. The reservoir was behind us, and our beautiful family before us, looking on as we repeated the simple, traditional vows.

Everyone we loved was there, and half the Binghamton PD with their spouses and partners. Misty’s mermaid friends were there. They were going to pose for photos with the guests at the reception— the best party favor ever, according to Sandra.

When finally asked the key question, I looked into my gorgeous man’s eyes and said “I do. I really, fuckin’ do.”

He squeezed my hands and laughed softly. I saw a tear shimmering in the corner of his eye and my heart turned to mush.

“I fuckin’ do, too,” he said, when it was his turn.

Then we wrapped ourselves around each other and kissed, and I knew that everything had changed. I hadn’t expected it to. I’d thought this was just a ceremony to formalize what we already had. But it was more. It was magical. It took everything to a whole new level.

I clung a little tighter to his neck as his lips moved over mine, and then he pulled me close, and whispered, “You good?”

“So good.”

We turned to face the family as the officiant pronounced us husband and wife, and everyone cheered. I smiled so hard I thought my face might break.

Taking my hand, Mason led me back up the aisle as flower petals were tossed at our heads. But instead of heading to the big, white tent on the side lawn, where the reception was about to get underway, he led me away from the crowd and down to the water’s edge.

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