Page 129 of Luck Be Mine
“I’m going to see if Elizabeth needs any final help.” Harrison rose and nodded at Hunt. “This was a great idea. Nice to be included again.”
“One of us. Always.” He couldn’t have done his job without Harrison’s mentorship or been there for Cait after her injury.
Someone clapped him on the back. Hunt didn’t need to look to know the brotherhood was whole.
Left with Mackey, Quaid, and Doogie, Hunt inhaled and let his nerves show. “I must have been out of my mind. Christ!”
He ran a finger around his collar, then patted his pocket for the twelfth time. Marnie had taken on the search for a special gift for Cait, and he did not want to lose the engraved gold locket necklace – something Cait would carry close to her heart.
Doogie laughed. “Especially when you asked me to get my license to marry you. I can hardly wait.” He rubbed his hands together in glee. “Have we got surprises? Why yes, we do.”
Hunt groaned. Having been party to a few of Doogie’splans, he didn’t even want to imagine where the reception could go.
Quaid tugged on the sleeves of his jacket, placing his gold cuff links just so. “It’s a pleasure to be your best man again, Hunt. Thanks for asking.”
“No problem. We’ll see if Doogie has a chance at a new career.”
“Hey, this was not my idea, but I’m gonna make it work.” Doogie squared his shoulders. His dress whites only made the man appear stronger, bigger, and more of a presence. “Turn around here. Let me do a final check of your uniform.”
Hunt held in place. “Like I can’t do my own?”
“You’re getting married again, brother. It’s got to be perfect.” Doogie fussed, straightened a few things, moved them back, patted his shoulders, and stepped back. “There. Done.”
“Thanks, my friend.”
“You take care of her, you hear me? Because today, I get to hand her to you not just as your brother, but as the man marrying you both.”
“I promise.”
Mackey shrugged into his suit jacket. The casual man transformed into lethal elegance. “Let’s get you upstairs, LC. It’s time to get this celebration started.”
§§§§§§§§§§
◊The Right Man ◊
Adele fussed. Bets grinned. Jackie cried. Cait tried not to.
“Shopping on the phone with you did not do this dress justice.” Jackie carefully wiped her eyes so not to smudge her makeup.
Bets had been her partner in crime as Cait searched for the dress. Adele and Jackie participated by Skype.
“Told ya.” Bets lifted the dress over her head and the satin settled around her curves in a quiet whoosh. Cait had searched until this simple sheath caught her eye. The column of soft white whispered rather than shouted. Sleeveless with delicate straps and a low, scooped back baring her shoulders, the dress made her skin shimmer. There were no embellishments, no lace, no sparkle, no veil. Only her.
Adele smoothed her hair, checking and fussing over the pinned-backed, curly waves. “Gonna knock this man’s socks off.”
Cait laughed. “Oh yes, lets. It’s gorgeous. Thank you, Adele.”
Adele stepped back and studied the full picture. “You look beautiful.” She sniffed. Her own ivory dress had a matching long jacket and was adorned with simple gold jewelry.
Cait hugged her, holding for a long moment. “Thank you for flying all this way again to be here. It’s getting to be a habit.”
“For my family, anything.” Adele kissed her cheek then bustled through putting away her combs and sprays, finished with the hair tasks. She settled into Cait’s office chair with a sweet, contented expression and sipped her tea.
Cait drew in a calming breath. Deep scars were visible from her shoulder and collarbone, marks from a war she’d survived. The dress didn’t cover them. She would not hide reality or try to rewrite her story. She’d walked through fire and still stood. The scars were hers. So was the joy.
“Here’s your sapphire earrings.” Bets handed the delicate gems to her. She fastened the sapphire studs into her ears, lingering on the silver backs. They felt right, her link between the Cait from before to the Cait now. She glanced at the mirror mounted on the inside closet door of her office and checked their placement. The gem caught the light and made her sigh. Gorgeous.
Hunt asked her to keep her wedding ring off, totally giving away he’d bought a new one.
