by Cathie Linz
“I believe you did, yes.”
“Whose idea was this beach wedding thing?” Roger asked.
“Kelly and I both agreed on the idea.”
“Good answer.” Roger nodded approvingly. “I do believe you two are going to be okay.”
“You can count on it, sir.” Justice’s voice was confident.
“You look mighty calm for a man about to tie the knot,” Justice’s buddy Striker noted as he joined them. All three of Justice’s brothers were close behind, all but Mark were in dress blues uniforms, as was Justice.
“Maybe he’s sleeping standing up,” Mark said.
“His eyes are open,” Joe pointed out.
“Force Recon Marines know how to sleep with their eyes open,” Striker retorted.
“You boys about ready to get this show on the road?” The booming question came from Justice’s dad, Bill Wilder. He had a drill instructor’s voice and a warrior’s demeanor. His graying hair was cut short in a high and tight Marine cut even though he’d retired from the Corps several years ago.
“Affirmative, sir,” Justice said with a grin.
“I’ll go tell your mother, then. She’s pulling double duty today, mother of the groom and matron of honor.”
“I’m sure she’s up to the job,” Justice said as his dad and Roger headed inside.
“Don’t forget proud grandmother,” Joe added, as his wife, Prudence, joined them with their five-month-old baby boy, Matt.
“Whenever I see so many Marines huddled together, I know they’re plotting something,” Mark’s wife, Vanessa, declared as she joined them. Justice had missed both Mark’s wedding and Joe’s, because he was on missions. He was glad his entire family was able to join him, although it had taken some maneuvering to find a date when everyone was available. The wait was worthwhile.
“We’re plotting a wedding,” Mark said, after kissing his wife.
“I love the idea of a beach wedding,” Vanessa said. A former European princess who had renounced her claim to the throne in order to follow her dream of working with orphaned children around the world, she still possessed that regal authority that was as much a part of her as her blond hair.
“Hey, I never thought of that, but a beach wedding is a perfect place for a Force Recon Marine to get hitched,” Striker noted. “After all, we’ve been trained in beach reconnaissance and surveillance tactics, as well as clandestine entry and extraction.”
“Big Bertha’s presence on the beach kills any chance of us being clandestine,” Justice noted wryly.
“Not many people can pull off having a seminude figurehead at their wedding, but I think you and Kelly can make it work,” Vanessa said with a grin. “Who knows, if I’d seen Big Bertha sooner, I might have had her at our wedding.”
“Right.” Mark laughed. “She’d fit right in at the Volzemburg Royal Chapel.”
“She could keep all those gilded angels company,” Vanessa replied.
“Speaking of company, I think we should go join the minister, because it looks like it’s time to start,” Sam noted.
“In a few minutes you’ll be the only remaining single Wilder brother,” Justice noted.
“And I plan on making the most of that, believe me,” Sam said with a grin.
Justice had asked Striker to be his best man, not wanting to choose one brother over another for that job. Besides, Striker knew him better than anyone else. Mark and Sam were standing up with him, partnering Kelly’s two bridesmaids. His buddies from Nashville who’d done the marching-band thing in Kelly’s driveway were performing in a more traditional way here, having left the marching bass drum behind this time.
White chairs had been set out for the guests, which included Earl and his wife as well as Marge, aka turtle lady, and her husband. Many of the guys from Justice’s Force Recon squadron were present as well. He’d expected to be more nervous about today, but all he felt was an overwhelming sense of this being right.
There were peach-colored roses all over, hanging from the arbor where they would exchange vows as well as decorating the chairs along the aisle…and, of course, surrounding Big Bertha.
Chocolate performed his duties with gleeful precision before sitting beside Justice to wait for Kelly.
When the wedding procession music started, Justice thought he was ready. He wasn’t. Kelly simply took his breath away. She’d kept her wedding dress top secret. He could see why. She looked unbelievably beautiful in a simple ivory satin strapless gown. The pearls he’d given her were around her neck and her caramel wavy hair was left loose around her shoulders as he’d requested. He grinned as he caught sight of the question mark dangling earrings she’d worn when she’d first come here last year.
Her father accompanied her to Justice’s side before kissing her cheek and sitting down. Justice took Kelly’s hand in his, unable to believe his luck. She’d threatened to make him write their vows, but had only been teasing. In the end they’d gone with a short ceremony, with each one contributing one line of their own.
“You are my anchor,” Justice said simply. “My reason for being.”
“And you’re my hero, not because of your uniform but because of what’s in your heart.”
When he slid the simple gold band on her hand, Kelly knew she truly had come full circle.
“You may now kiss the bride,” the minister said.
The band played, the Marines shouted “Ooh-rah” in their traditional motivational cry, Chocolate barked with excitement, the guests all applauded—but the only thing Kelly focused on was the feel of Justice’s lips on hers. Some things were worth waiting for, worth fighting for, worth working for. A love like theirs was one of those things, something special, something magical.
Oh, yes, she was definitely going to enjoy being married to this tough Marine of hers, the man who’d always held the key to her heart.
ISBN: 978-1-4603-5352-3
MARRIED TO A MARINE
Copyright © 2002 by Cathie L. Baumgardner
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*Men of Honor
†Three Weddings and a Gift