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SIX
“Jenna.” Jo’s voice drifted into Jenna’s dream.
The smell of coffee filled Jenna’s nostrils and she opened her eyes. Jo was standing beside her bed, with Jaime peeking around her. “Morning.” She smiled at Jaime. “Hello, Jaime.”
“I’m going to ride a horse after you get married.” Jaime grinned at her. “Uncle Ty said you’ll be leaving soon.”
“Will I?” Jenna sat bolt upright spilling her black cat Pumpkin from the bed. The cat gave a disgruntled meow and jumped back on the bed, curled up in a ball, and went back to sleep. “What time is it? Did I oversleep?”
“No, it’s fine.” Jo sat on the edge of the bed and stroked the cat’s silken coat. “Time will fly by this morning, and I didn’t want you to be rushed.”
Jenna reached for the coffee. “I’m very organized. I’ll be ready. I just hope Dave turns up.”
“Why wouldn’t he?” Jo grinned at her. “You know that’s the top fear on a bride’s and bridegroom’s lists.” She glanced toward the window. “The flowers came about an hour ago and the gazebo looks beautiful. It was such a good idea to build one under the trees. It will be a great place to sit when you have cookouts.”
A twinge of worry gripped Jenna. She hated having people unsupervised on her ranch. “Did everyone leave?”
“Yeah.” Jo patted her knee. “Carter was there to make sure no one made a mistake. I’ll go and start breakfast. You take your time. Are you having anyone over to style your hair?”
Jenna shook her head. “No, Dave doesn’t say anything, but I know he likes it around my shoulders. I’ll just wash it. I’m all packed and ready to go.” She indicated to a small bag near the door. “I’m not taking many clothes. It’s casual beachwear there and I’m planning on shopping until I drop.”
“Okay, I’ll leave you to it.” Jo stood and guided Jaime from the room.
A scratching came from under Jenna’s bed and Duke wiggled out and shook himself, long ears windmilling around him. He gave an explosive yawn and then stuck his big head on the bed and sighed. Jenna patted his head and then crawled out of bed. “The doggy door is open and Zorro is outside somewhere.” She looked at Duke’s big sad eyes and bent to hug him. “You’ll be fine with Carter and Zorro. We’ll be back before you know it and Carter said he’ll take you down to Aunt Betty’s Café for leftovers.” She straightened and suddenly wondered why she was talking to a dog but when Duke barked and wagged his long thick tail, she believed he’d understood every word she’d said. After all, he understood Kane just fine.
She showered and brushed her hair until it shone. She pulled on her dressing gown and slippers and went to the kitchen. Carter and Jaime were already at the table, and Jo served breakfast the moment she walked in. She looked at Carter. “I hope you left Dave in good shape last night?”
“Oh, Jenna.” Carter gave her a lopsided grin, his green eyes sparkling with mischief. “My lips are sealed.”
Jenna ate slowly and sipped her coffee, eyeing him over the rim of her cup. “So, what are the plans for today? I feel so out of the loop. Dave mentioned something about leaving the Beast at Wolfe’s office, so I gather he’s coming with him?”
“Yeah, Wolfe’s bringing him and I’ll do the airport run when you get home, so he can pick up his truck.” Carter spread toast with liberal amounts of butter and then topped it with strawberry jelly.
Still worrying about the case, Jenna nodded. “Ah, are you planning on staying after we get back? If you’re not busy, I’d value having you both here.”
“I guess it depends if you still need us on the case or not. We need a reason to be here apart from a vacation. I personally would move here permanently if I could.” Carter shrugged nonchalantly. “Right now, we’re just twiddling our thumbs out at Snakeskin Gully. The local counties are handing their own problems just fine. We’ve asked to be involved anywhere within reach of the chopper but have gotten zip. I figure if it wasn’t for the cases in Black Rock Falls, we’d go stir crazy. Life is so slow there we might as well be living in a different dimension. I’d say Snakeskin Gully isn’t the end of civilization as we know it, but you can see it from there.”
“That’s my fault.” Jo pulled a face. “When my boss married my ex-husband, she made it very clear my career in the FBI was over. Thankfully, I’m still contacted by law enforcement worldwide for advice, and in the downtime, I’ll keep writing my books.” She sighed. “Whatever happens here, we’ll be flying home on Monday night so Jaime doesn’t miss school. She understands I have to work and is very happy with our nanny when I’m away.”
“I miss Beau and my friends.” Jaime looked up from her plate. “I miss Mommy sometimes too, but we talk twice every day on video calls. Beau can’t make video calls, but I spoke to my best friend last night. It was cool.”
“I love video calls too.” Jenna looked from one to the other as they spoke. Her attention settled back on Jo. “I’m so happy you came and allowed Jaime to be a bridesmaid.”
“You’ve made her a very happy girl and we’ll be straight back if you need us here.” Jo ruffled her daughter’s hair. “We would have brought Beau along, but he gets so afraid of the chopper. We left him with our nanny.”
“I have a picture of him in my locket.” Jaime beamed at Jenna and unclasped the locket to show her the image of her Boston Terrier. “He’s grown since you last saw him.”
Jenna smiled at the little girl. “He has indeed. You’ll have fun riding this weekend. There are a ton of trails all over my property. You can ride right down to the river and back without crossing any fences.”
“Uncle Ty will look after us and I’ll take care of Pumpkin and Duke for you.” Jaime dug into her cereal. “You just go and have fun getting married.”
Jenna chuckled. “I will.”
The perimeter alarm sounded, and Carter pushed his last bite of toast into his mouth and headed for the screen beside the front door. “It’s the girls.” He pressed the intercom. “Come on in.”
Emily, and her sisters, Julie and little Anna, soon came through the door with Rowley’s wife, Sandy, close behind. Jenna turned in her seat to look at them. “Good morning.” She waited for them to sit down and turned to Sandy. Cooper and Vannah, Jenna’s godchildren were missing. “Where are the twins?”
“At my mom’s house.” Sandy gave a nonchalant shrug. “They’re teething again and not very happy at the moment. We thought it best to come alone. Jake will be along soon with the food and drinks. Rio’s brother and sister have offered to help too, so he’ll be bringing Piper and Cade.” She patted Jenna on the hand. “Don’t you worry about a thing. We have everything arranged. It’s just as well you have such a huge house. We’ll all fit in the family room just fine.”
“Are you nervous?” Emily raised one blonde eyebrow and gave her a look so much like her father, Jenna grinned.
“No, not at all.” Jenna sighed. “I’m just happy, but worried about leaving an open case.”
“There’s nothing to do.” Carter leaned against the kitchen counter, coffee cup in one hand. “Right now, it’s a waiting game. Oh, and Maggie sends her best and said she’d be opening the office as usual, and Deputy Walters is going to swing by in case there’s a problem.”
Wondering if Carter was covering something up, she eyed him suspiciously. “I find it hard to believe that Maggie doesn’t want to come to my wedding. What aren’t you telling me?”
“She’s old school, Jenna.” Carter sipped his beverage and sighed. “She wants to keep the office open. I told her Walters could hold the fort for a couple of hours, but she said he’ll mess up the books if someone comes in to pay a fine.”
Shaking her head, Jenna finished her coffee and went to clear the table.
“Oh, no you don’t.” Jo waved her away. “Head into your room. Em is going to do your makeup.”
Horrified Jenna blinked. “I’m sure I can manage. I prefer the natural look.”
“That’s just what you’re getting.” Emily put both hands on her hips and glared at her. “It’s your wedding day, and we’re going to pamper you.”
“Here.” Sandy pulled a blue garter from her purse. “Something old, borrowed, and blue.” She handed it to Jenna. “It was my mom’s.”
Going misty, Jenna smiled at her. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” Sandy pushed to her feet. “I’ll help Jo and hopefully Jake will arrive with the cake.”
Feeling as if she’d been thrown into a whirlwind, Jenna blinked. “Cake? What cake? This was supposed to be a quiet informal ceremony and then we head to Florida.”
“That was Kane’s idea.” Carter’s mouth curled into a slow grin. “Oh, and he told me to give you this.” He pulled a long thin box from his back pocket and handed it to her. “Something new.”
With trembling fingers, Jenna opened the box and stared at the exquisite three-colored gold chain. It was so Dave Kane. Not overstated but elegant luxury. She ran her fingers over it and smiled. Since starting her new life in Black Rock Falls, she’d neglected to buy jewelry for herself. The earrings and tracker ring being her only adornment. Now she had an engagement ring and a stunning necklace.
“I don’t figure I’ve seen you speechless before.” Carter barked a laugh. “Dave is bringing the wedding rings.”
Jenna lifted her gaze to him. “Yeah, that bit I know.”
“Okay.” Carter rubbed his hands together. “As Dave sent me to make sure everything ran to time, we’d better get a move on. Off you go, Jenna. Leave everything to me.” He winked at her. “Don’t worry, I’m an FBI agent.”
Time moved at warp speed and before Jenna had time to get nervous, the sound of a chopper came from overhead. She turned to Emily. “Oh no, what’s happened?”
“Nothing. Dad said he’d fly Dave and Father Derry in on the chopper to save time.” Emily grinned at her. “It’s just about time, Jenna. Julie will let us know when to head out to the gazebo.” She kissed her on the cheek and gave her a hug. “You look beautiful.”
Taking a deep breath, Jenna stood and turned to look in the mirror. The necklace sparkled against her tanned skin. The plain white silk dress fit like a glove and fell to her ankles. She’d chosen flat sandals to walk across the grass to the gazebo, and as she turned to go, Julie came into the bedroom carrying a bouquet of white roses and a ring of Montana wildflowers to wear in her hair.
“Complements of the groom.” Julie beamed at her.
Overwhelmed, Jenna looked at her four bridesmaids, all dressed in pale blue and smiling. “I guess we better make this happen?”
“Okay, roll the camera.” Julie gave a signal to Rio, who was filming the wedding. “Anna and Jaime, off you go, nice and slow now.”
It was Jake Rowley who waited for her in the hallway, wearing a new black suit. She smiled at him, remembering the first time they’d met and how he’d instantly become her deputy. When she’d arrived in town she’d been lost and like a fish out of water. Rowley had helped the townsfolk to accept a stranger in their midst. He was a dear friend and had worked beside her from the get-go without a complaint. Now happily married with twins, he offered his arm to escort her. She’d never have believed when she’d arrived in Black Rock Falls, scared for her life and alone, that she’d ever be surrounded by a surrogate family, let alone be marrying the love of her life. As she walked to his side, she wished her mom and dad had lived to see her marry. She pictured them smiling at her. I’m marrying the man of my dreams, and I know you’re happy for me. She smiled at Rowley. “Thank you, Jake. I’m so glad you’re here.”
“You’re welcome and it’s an honor.” Rowley blushed to the roots of his hair.
They paused at the door as the little girls went first, Anna giggling, her white-blonde hair glossy in the sunlight and Jaime shushing her loudly. Next Emily and Julie headed to the crowded gazebo. Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, Jenna walked down the steps and out across the lawn Kane had lovingly tended for the last three months. As she lifted her attention to the gazebo. She made out Kane standing beside his best man, Wolfe, their backs toward her and heads bent together chatting. The next second, as if he’d sensed her coming, Kane turned and smiled at her. Everything inside her melted. Her heart must have stopped beating because she couldn’t take a breath. It wasn’t a dream. It was really happening. As the bridesmaids took their places, she stepped inside and Kane took her hand. It was as if she’d stepped inside a protective shield. The warmth from his fingers traveled up her arm to envelop her. Intrigued, she lifted her chin to look at the man she’d be spending the rest of her life with, and the sight of him mesmerized her. He was so handsome and smelled so good she hardly heard what Father Derry was saying. Forcing herself to concentrate, she listened and repeated the words to join them forever. After they’d exchanged rings, Jenna thought the ceremony was over, but then Father Derry cleared his throat.
“Is there anything you’d like to say before you kiss your bride, David?” Father Derry’s face was filled with joy.
“Jenna.” Kane turned to face her. “I can’t promise our life together will be easy”—his mouth curled into a smile—“but whatever time we’re given, it will never be long enough.”
Blinking back tears, Jenna couldn’t think of a word to say. She hadn’t thought past the ceremony they’d discussed with Father Derry. She swallowed hard and said the first thing that came into her mind. “Um… and I’ll try really hard not to burn the toast.”
