Page 45 of Dirty Cops Next Door

16

Toni

“If you could putthat box over there, and oh, Mark, take that rug and put it in the closet, please.” I watched the boys bringing in boxes as Bee and Barbara stacked glasses on the counter. It was almost done.

Spring sunshine danced in the windows, making everything glitter and shine. Even the late snowstorm had blown away. Now the world was ready to awaken once more, reborn anew.

“Sis, here’s the bag with your clothes in it.” Eric brought me a clear bag.

Inside was an ivory dress made of lace and silk.

My wedding gown.

I couldn’t stop the constant smile on my face as I went through the day. I didn’t stop when the hairdresser stabbed one too many hairpins into my head, I didn’t stop when Bee zipped me up and caught a bit of my skin in the zipper. I didn’t stop when we found out I’d packed the wrong shoes and that the ones I had rather stupidly put in the bag were a bright shade of pink. I just kept smiling.

Because, today, I was marrying one of my best friends. I smiled and kept going, because he really knew me. He knew that I have nightmares about bunnies and have a fear of them, that my favorite food is beet soup. Weird, but I love it. He knew everything about me and he still loved me. Just as much as I loved him.

When my heel broke on the way into the old courthouse still used for weddings and functions now that we had a new courthouse in town, I kept smiling and kicked both shoes off. The doors opened and I stepped into the old chamber that had once bore witness to trials. This was a police wedding and I had my procession of officers, and my uniformed man at the end of it, dressed in his finest blues.

My smile only grew wider when I saw him, his best man at his side. I took them both in, but my eyes went back to him. The man that would soon be my husband.

I went to him, Eric acting as my father to give me away, and stood with Bee and Barbara at my side.

The justice of the peace said his words, went through his spiel, and soon, he was pronouncing vows. The world stood still when I took his hands.

“Grant, do you take Toni to be your lawfully wedded wife, in sickness and in health, forsaking all others...”

The words disappeared as I looked into his eyes. There was only him.

“I do.”

The world was only his lips.

There were more words, somebody poked me. “I do.”

And then I was in his arms, a rapidly warming gold band on my finger. Lights flashed, and people laughed. I was kissed and congratulated, I was taken into another pair of arms.

“My turn next.” I looked into a pair of blue eyes. David’s eyes.

“Yes, your turn next, darling.” He kissed my cheek and held me tight.

Only a few people knew our secret. Only a few would attend our wedding when we held it on an island far away in a couple of months’ time.

For now, I was legally married to Grant. Soon, I would be spiritually married to both.

“Thank you, my love.”

“For what?” He stood back, his love shining through fierce and warm.

“For giving me the world. For giving me everything. You’ve both done that, you know?”

“You’ve given us the same in return, Toni. In spades.” I had another kiss on the cheek before he whispered to me once more. “The honeymoon is ours though. All of ours.”

I grinned as I let him go and danced over to Grant.

He pulled me up into his arms and carried me out of the old courthouse. We made our way to a car.

We had to catch a flight so no reception for us, we’d do that in the summer. There’d be a cake, a party, all of that, after David and I were married. We’d celebrate it all, even if one marriage were to be kept secret.