Page 68 of Identify
I know I’m not invited. And I know that Mack and Reed forbid me to attend.
Forbid!
As though they are the boss of me.
Mack, Reed, and Daria will all be there. And I’m stuck here, at home, all dressed up and nowhere to go. I’m not stupid, I know I’m not trained as an agent or a badass in the same way that they all are.
Technically, I’m not trained in anything at all. And I know they worry about my safety and having to keep an eye on me at the same time as trying to do their jobs. But I believe I can be helpful, at least I was during the engagement party.
Plus, I can’t imagine it would hurt anything if I were to just drive to the church, park across the street, and keep a lookout. On the sly. To make sure nothing weird happens that they might not be aware of since they are all inside the church.
I nod in agreement with myself, my mind made up. I grab my car keys and am out the door.
* * *
Apparently, you need to have an invitation to get within a block of the church where the ceremony is being held. Cars have been detoured blocks in all directions and foot traffic around the perimeter has been halted all together.
Not only am Inotparked in my nice warm car across the street from the church, ready to watch for any nefarious behavior, I’m five blocks to the south with a view of nothing. If I didn’t already know why the wedding couple needs so much security, I would think this was total overkill. But when you are as wealthy as Laurel’s family is, I suppose there’s always someone who has it out for you.
I exit my car anyway and begin the jaunt to the church. Or as close as I’ll be able to get. The sidewalks are filled with people and the streets with law enforcement. I think I read that some people in her family are in politics as well, but I can’t be certain. I find it hard to believe that all these people are just hoping for a glance of Laurel or David.
I stop a girl on the sidewalk. “What’s going on?” I ask. “Do you know why all the security and crowds?”
“Some fancy wedding. There’s supposed to be a ton of celebrities in attendance. I’m sure everyone just wants a glimpse of someone famous.” She shrugs and then keeps walking.
I admit I’m a little jealous. I would love to have a wedding with celebrities in attendance. Someone who everyone else knows from afar, knows me well enough to celebrate my nuptials. It doesn’t get much better than that. Oh, unless I’m the famous one. That would be better. Then I wouldn’t even realize how famous my celebrity friends are because I’d be right there with them.
Maybe I’ll run into a celebrity on the street and they’ll invite me to be in a movie and then I’ll become famous. Or we’ll just be friends and I’ll be in the crew. The entourage. We’ll be besties. Except then I’d have to stop being besties with Daria, and I would miss her.
I trip over an uneven spot in the sidewalk and fall to my knees. My purse opens and things go flying.
“Fuck! That’s what I get for daydreaming!” I scramble to gather my belongings while at the same time ignore the pain in my knees.
A pair of large feet in dull black shoes stop in front of me, and a hand appears on the sidewalk next to mine. “Here, let me help.”
He gets my things together much faster than I was able to, then holds his other hand out to me. “May I assist?”
I take the hand and scramble to stand. Luckily nothing embarrassing was in my purse. Just the bare minimum, lipstick, compact, pepper spray, phone, keys, money, identification.
“Thank you, Officer”— I search his chest for a badge. His extremely broad and obviously muscular chest—“Reynolds.”
“Anything to help a pretty lady.” He smiles and winks.
I all but bat my eyelashes. “Why thank you, kind sir.” I twist my upper body back and forth a bit, then hold my hand out once more. “Quinn Foster.”
“Officer Burt Reynolds.”
We shake, his hand is warm, and his grasp is firm. My fingers feel almost dwarfed in comparison. I like looking at mine in his.
Then I realize what he just said and raise my head sharply. “Did you say—”
“Yep. He was my mom’s favorite. She thought it would be a nice tribute to the man. I’ve received my fair share of heckling over the years. It was either become a cop or a bully.”
I giggle at that.
Officer Burt Reynolds is good looking. Sadly, he looks nothing like the actor Burt Reynolds, but that doesn’t diminish from his attractiveness. “Your mom has good taste.”
“You too, huh?” He smiles as he asks.
