Page 6 of Fearless
“Lord, as you can see, I’m desperate to find my parents and willing to go to extraordinary lengths to bring them home. But I can’t do this without Your help. I don’t know if I can look into Roger’s silver-gray eyes every day and not fall in love with him all over again. Oh, who am I kidding? You know my heart and are well aware I never stopped loving him—no matter how much I’ve tried. Please give me the strength to stay focused on the objective and to understand what Your will is in all of this. Because right now, I don’t get it. I can’t see any reason for You to take my parents away after they’ve spent their life loving You.”
A throat clears behind me, and I whip around to see who has the skills to sneak up on me. Savannah is leaning against the wall with her hands behind her back and a soft smile tugging at her lips. She looks like a million bucks wearing a deep-purple A-line cocktail dress with wide-band shoulder straps.
“How long have you been standing there?” I ask, hoping she didn’t hear my profession of love.
She strides over to me and adjusts the clasp on my necklace so that it rests at the back of my neck instead of by the sapphire studded cross just above the top of my dress. “Enough to know that I wish I were going with you to see how this all unfolds—not only with finding Robert and Eloise but also with Roger. He is a handsome stud, isn’t he? He’s got that whole sexy and distinguished vibe going for him, especially with thesalt and pepper hair, chiseled jawline, and hint of stubble.”
My mouth flops open and closed like a fish gasping for air. I want to refute her words, but it would only end up being a lie.
Savannah clasps my hands in hers. “Can I give you some advice?”
“It depends on whether or not I’m going to like it. Is it about Roger?” I retort.
She shakes her head. “Not really. One thing I’ve learned about relationships is that you can fight your feelings all you want, but in the end, you’ll find yourself in a position where you can no longer ignore them. My advice has more to do with the other part of yourtête-à-têtewith God.
“I want to commend you for admitting that you don’t understand and remaining calm when so often people prefer to blame God and get angry. It goes to show that you’re confident that your parents’ disappearance is all part of a grand plan—Hisplan. My advice to you is to remain patient when waiting for an answer. There are times when we can see God’s hand at work in the moment, while in other situations, it can take years before we grasp the magnitude of His ultimate design. At least it did for me,” she says.
“Maybe one day you’ll tell me the story.”
Savannah smiles brightly, “I’d love to, especially since it ends in a ‘happy ever after.’ But for now, we have your own ‘happy ever after’ to create.”
“Why are all of you going through such an elaborate set-up? Heck, you’re wearing a bridesmaid dress.” I ask her as she reaches for the doorknob.
“For two reasons, Harper. The first is that the resort has askedfor wedding pics for a slide show displayed during the gala at the end of the week. Amelia didn’t want to send doctored photos, so we are doing the whole wedding for authenticity.”
I guess that makes sense. If the resort has a year-long waiting list, it’s unlikely that those who could afford it would have a quickie wedding at a courthouse. “And the other reason?”
Savannah giggles. “Because we want to see Roger’s face when you walk down the aisle wearing that beautiful dress and give him a taste of what he would be missing.” She points to her necklace. “We’re all wearing bodycams so that we don’t miss his expression.”
“Oh. Well. Um. Er.”
Savannah grabs my hand and drags me toward the door. “Don’t just stand there stuttering. Operation Honeymoon Rescue is in full effect.”
Chapter four
Roger
I’ve done plenty of undercover work in the past in which I’ve played the roles of a husband, brother, father, fiancé, band manager, and more. Never once have I had to say vows or seal the deal with a kiss. Then Amelia goes and turns what was supposed to be something simple into a full-blown extravaganza with groomsmen, bridesmaids, and a cake. There’s no backing out of it now, not that I would anyway. I don’t ever make promises I’m unwilling to keep, even if it’s for a cover.
Ethan stands at my side at the front of the church while the women finish adding their last-minute touches. Jerry, Patrick, Carter, Ben, Jaxon, and Elijah are just to the left of him as we wait patiently for the ceremony to begin. I begin tugging at the bow tie, which is currently cutting off my circulation.
Ethan bumps my shoulder with his. “Amelia mentioned that you sent Harper a dress for this special occasion. Do I detect love in the air?” he asks. I’m not about to tell him that I’m very much attracted to a woman who is almost young enough to be my daughter and have been for the past seven years.
“I just wanted to do something nice for Harper. I had no idea that your wife would take it to the extreme and turn it into all of this,” I say, gesturing to the decorated aisle and wedding arch behind the pastor.
“Amelia doesn’t do anything halfway when it comes to romance, and this is nothing compared to what she could have accomplished if she had a week. Besides, it will be good for the pictures the resort requested for the gala. There are plenty of photos from Carter and Leanna’s wedding and even a few from Elijah and Jessie’s quickie ceremony in Las Vegas. I’m sure the image of Jessie hugging Elvis will draw a few laughs as well as a few raised eyebrows.”
“If Jessie and Elijah could have a quickie wedding, then why did Amelia press for such a formal event for Harper and me?” I ask.
Ethan chuckles. “Jessie and Elijah are all spunk and spontaneity. Anyone who meets them would expect nothing less from the happy couple. However, you and Harper are altogether different. You, my friend, are more reserved and cautious. Harper is sophisticated and classy. Do you honestly think anyone would believe the two of you married for love on a whim? Probably not.”
The pastor grins as the women enter the sanctuary and line up opposite us. They all look amazing in their deep purple cocktail dresses and holding tiny bouquets of white roses mixed with purple wildflowers. When Amelia asked me about the color scheme, I didn’t even have to think about it. Harper had always said that her favorite color was royal purple.
The only significant other not in attendance is Jaxon’s wife.She stayed at home to take care of their son, who is currently sick with chickenpox. The rest of the children are currently at Ethan and Amelia’s home being watched by Leanna’s siblings. Since Leanna comes from a large and loud family, they have the skills to manage a house full of kids. I, on the other hand, would be perfectly content with no more than three when the time comes for me to have children. As it stands, at my age, I’ll be eligible to collect Social Security the day my firstborn graduates high school.
Pastor Russel Crenshaw works for Shining Knight as a counselor, but I doubt he ever planned on performing a wedding just so that we could go undercover. He taps me on the shoulder to get my attention, which is currently glued to the other end of the aisle. I wait with bated breath to see Harper in her beautiful white dress.
“Psst. Roger,” he whispers.
