The girls oohed and aahed enough to convince me that I’d made the right choice.
I had never thought much about wedding dresses until around six months ago when I was forced to try on at least three dozen. Until then, I had been certain I didn’t even want a white dress. So much for thinking I knew what I wanted. It was true what they said, that you would know the perfect dress as soon as you slipped it on.
Staring at myself in the mirror now, I acknowledged that this was indeed the perfect dress for me. And I smiled at the thought that Derek would freak out when he got his first look at me. And wouldn’t that be a nice moment? I couldn’t wait.
Alex walked in just then and stared at me. “You are stunning. Look at those arms. I am so proud of you.”
I tried not to tear up as I gave her a hug. “I have you to thank for these arms. And the fact that my shoes fit.”
“Hallelujah,” she said with a laugh.
“Wow,” London said, turning to Alex. “I want arms like hers. How do I sign up with you?”
“Me, too,” China said. “You need to open a gym in Dharma.” She held her own arms out to examine them. “My arms look like chicken legs. I want some definition.”
“I’ll give you the names of a few trainers up there.”
“Bless you.”
Alex glanced over at me. “I’m going to go check on things out there. I’ll report back.”
“Thank you,” I said, relieved that someone was willing to keep me posted.
The photographer arrived and started snapping pictures with me and my bridesmaids. He took some with my mom and some of me with Mom and Meg. They had both chosen dresses in shades of dark blue that complemented each other perfectly. And I was thrilled with how gorgeous my bridesmaids looked in their dresses. Naturally I’d had some help with that from Robin and my sisters. In other words, they had chosen their own dresses rather than leaving it up to me. I understood, having lived most of my life in a fashion-free zone. All I had asked was that they stick to the silvery blue shade I’d fallen in love with at the bridal shop.
So Savannah had chosen a short, sexy, sleeveless lacy sheath while China and London’s choices were more ethereal with a layer of soft chiffon flowing from the waist to the knee. China’s version was short-sleeved while London’s featured long lacy sleeves that hugged and silhouetted her supple arms. Both of them looked simply beautiful.
Robin’s dress was something only she could’ve pulled off. The top was form-fitting knit in the same silvery blue color and the matching short taffeta skirt was flouncy and adorable. “The better to dance all night,” she’d said when she chose it.
Together we had accomplished the impossible, because somehow the same color flattered everyone and it warmed my heart to see my sisters and best friend so happy wearing the styles they preferred.
The florist came into the room with our bouquets and corsages and there was more cooing over the beautiful job she had done. I was carrying a cascading white bouquet of ranunculus, peonies, roses, calla lilies, and orchids with bits of greenery for contrast. My bridesmaids held smaller arrangements with the same white flowers with a sprinkling of pale blue sage buds that looked perfect with their blue dresses.
Meanwhile, the photographer was shooting candid shots of the group, so I took a moment to rummage through the closet and pull out my cell phone to check the time—and yes, check for messages. We still had thirty minutes before we were to head for the side foyer, where we would wait for the ceremony to begin. Time was beginning to slow down.
“Getting antsy?” Robin asked.
“I guess so. It’s the calm before the storm, right?”
“Yep.” She grinned. “The whirlwind is about to begin. Might as well chill for a few minutes, because you won’t be able to relax until much later tonight.”
“I guess it’s time to take care of a very important bridal obligation.”
She frowned. “What are you talking about?”
I walked over to my suitcase and pulled out a little shopping bag. I reached in, pulled out a little blue box, and handed it to Robin. “Don’t open it yet.” Then I went around the room and gave my three sisters similar blue boxes. “Okay, you can open them.”
“I’m just happy to have this little blue box,” China said.
“It’s pretty special,” I said, grinning. “But what’s inside is even better.”
They opened their gifts at the same time and I was thrilled when they all started squealing with joy.
“It’s beautiful.”
“I’m going to wear it right now.”
“This is so sweet,” Robin said, and gave me a little peck on the cheek. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Wear it in good health and happiness.”
London held up her hand to admire the bracelet. “This is so lovely.”
I laughed. “You sound surprised.”
She winced a little. “I sort of thought you might give us books.”
My mouth gaped open. “Would I do that to you?”
“Uh, yeah,” Savannah said.
I chuckled. “I thought about it, but I knew you would take turns stabbing me if I showed up with books.”
“True.”
Alex walked back into the room. “Everything is running like clockwork.”
“Wonderful.” I pulled another blue box from the bag and handed it to her. “Thank you for everything you’ve done for me.”
“What? No. I’m not . . .”
“You have been my savior and my friend.”
She sniffled as she stared at the little box.
“No!” I cried. “No tears. Especially not you. Remember your black belts.”
She laughed. “All right.” She sniffed one last time and opened the box. Lifting the delicate silver bracelet, she whispered, “Oh, Brooklyn. It couldn’t be more perfect.”
She slipped it on and gave me a careful hug. “You didn’t need to . . .”
“Shh,” I said. “Yes, I did. Thank you.”
Mom was sniffling again. “I’m going to need to redo my makeup.”
“I’m standing by,” Laura called from the other room, and we all laughed.
After the gifts were all distributed, we still had some time to kill. Since I didn’t want to sit down in my dress, I nudged Robin. “Walk with me.”
The two of us paced slowly around the spacious room. “You hit a home run with those bracelets,” she said. “They’re perfect.”
“I’m so glad. I’d been thinking about them for a long time and I’m happy everyone likes them.”
“Really? A long time?”
I sighed and hung my head. “I ran out yesterday and found them. My original plan really was to give everyone books.”
“That’s the girl I know,” she said, laughing.
We strolled another few steps around the room. “Have you been down the hall to see Derek or Austin or any of the men?”
“Not since we waved good-bye to each other out in the hallway.” Robin stopped, reached for my hands, and gave them a squeeze. “Won’t be long now.”
I laughed. “You make it sound almost ominous.”
“Oh, no. It’s going to be the most wonderful day you’ve ever had.”
I laid my head on her shoulder. “Thank you.”
There was a sudden spurt of shouting outside the door and I heard the sound of heavy footsteps running down the hall. Then a voice shouted, “Hey, don’t go in there! Stop!”
I straightened up. “What in the world?”
Chapter Twelve
“What’s going on out there?” I said, feeling a cold chill that had nothing to do with the weather.
Alex came running over. “I’ll check it out.”
She would know what to do, I thought. Alex had served in the Balkans during her time in the military. “Good. We need to�
�”
All of a sudden the door was thrown open and two men stormed in carrying guns. They were dressed in the same security guard uniforms that Gerald wore. How they’d managed to find the uniforms was a good question, but I guessed that they had probably snuck in through the service entrance and found a utility closet filled with them.
“Stay calm,” the taller one shouted, “and no one gets hurt.”
My sister London screamed, then slapped her hand over her mouth. Her eyes were so wide and filled with fear I instantly regretted thinking we would all be perfectly safe here—or anywhere.
“What do you want?” Robin yelled, her outrage overcoming her fear in the moment.
But I knew what they wanted. I recognized them both. It was Thuggy and Leon—and they wanted the book.
I scanned the room quickly, trying to make eye contact with everyone, willing them all to stay quiet and remain as calm as they possibly could. I looked around once more and realized that my mother and Meg were gone. Had they slipped away while I was pacing the floor with Robin?
I’d definitely heard shouting in the hall, but had it been loud enough for Derek and the other men to hear? Was Gerald the guard hurt? What about Mom or Meg?
The two men glanced around the room and zeroed in on me.
“She’s the one,” Thuggy said.
“Don’t shoot the bride!” London cried.
“It’s okay, honey,” I said, trying without much success to soothe my sister’s nerves. “Everyone stay cool.”
“Listen to her,” Thuggy said menacingly.
“What do you want?” I asked, stalling because I knew very well that they wanted the darn book. And I knew why they had come to the Covington to look for it. Because Rod had taken the bait and told them I would be bringing the book with me. But you left the same message with Heather, I thought suddenly. What if she was the one who told them?
“What do you think?” Thuggy said. “We want the book.”
“I don’t have it here.” I waved both of my arms at myself. “I’m getting married.”
“Whatever,” he groused. “We know you brought the book with you. Just hand it over and nobody gets hurt.”
“I told you I don’t have it with me. Why would I?”
Thuggy looked at Leon, who shrugged and waved his gun, trying to look more dangerous. He succeeded.
“You do realize that my fiancé is right down the hall. He is licensed to kill in twenty-seven countries and is the premier security expert in the world.” I was making a few of those numbers up, but they didn’t have to know that.
Leon looked worried now and elbowed Thuggy. But Thuggy wouldn’t be dissuaded. His teeth were clenched. “Just give me the book.”
“I told you I don’t have it. Look, just let everyone go, and I’ll take you to my house and give it to you myself.”
His laugh was raspy. “We aren’t that dumb. We know you have the book and nobody leaves this room until we get it.”
“Yeah, it’s like you’re all collateral,” Leon said with a snicker.
“Collateral, really?” Savannah plopped both hands on her hips. “What’s the plan? Hold us hostage until someone brings you the stupid book?”
“Savannah . . .” I didn’t need my sister giving these two any ideas.
“Your timing sucks, by the way,” Robin said defiantly. “She’s getting married in an hour.”
“And like she told you, her fiancé is deadly,” London said.
“And two of his brothers are British spies,” China added. “Derek used to be one, too, right, Brooklyn?”
“And there’s Dalton,” Savannah chimed in. “He’s Derek’s brother and my partner and he’s got the head of the CIA on speed dial.”
Thuggy stared at her and shook his head. “You’re bald.”
“You must be the brains of the outfit,” Savannah said, her voice dripping with scorn. “Yeah, I’m bald, but I can grow my hair back and you’ll still be stuck in Stupidville.”
“For heaven’s sake,” Robin snorted, “did you really think you’d waltz in here and have a bunch of poor, cowering women at your feet?”
Leon snorted. “She got you good, man.”
“Shut up,” Thuggy snarled.
I glanced at Alex, saw her grinning, and almost laughed out loud. I had thought I would need to calm them down, but it turned out that my bridesmaids had nerves of fricking steel.
Thuggy waved his gun at me. “And all you women can just clam up now, except for you.” He sneered at me. “Give me the book. Did you hide it in here somewhere? Is it in your purse or something? Where is it?”
“Maybe you should search the room,” Savannah suggested sweetly.
China added, “Yes, we can wait.”
“I told you all to clam up.”
“And we all take orders so well,” Robin said drolly.
Leon glanced around nervously. “Hey, man, she didn’t tell us we’d be barging in on a wedding.”
She? I stared at him, dumbfounded, wondering if I’d heard him correctly. But I knew I wasn’t mistaken. So it was Heather all along. She had to have been in cahoots with Rod this whole time. It made me sick, but I had to maintain my cool.
“Who cares?” Thuggy growled. “I want that book.”
“Look around you,” Robin said. “There are hundreds of rare, expensive books in this room. Grab a couple and get out of here.”
I almost gasped at the idea, but she was right. “Yes, take whatever you want. Just please leave us alone.”
“Come on, man,” Leon whined. “The big mouth has a point. Let’s do what she says and go. It’s gotta be some kind of bad luck to shoot a bride.”
“Big mouth?” Robin echoed. “He called me a big mouth?”
“I’m sure it’s not personal,” China said, grinning.
“I paid good money for that book,” Thuggy insisted, “and I don’t like being swindled.”
“You were more than swindled, pal,” I said, gulping down the bile that my anger was stirring up. “Rod Martin had that book altered to look older and more rare than it really is. He charged you more money than it was worth and now you’re out both the money and the book.”
Robin almost looked impressed. “Wow, looks like you’ve been conned times two.”
“But fine,” I said with a shrug. “You still want the book. My fiancé has it. I’ll just text him and he’ll bring it.”
Leon smacked Thuggy’s arm. “The book’s a fake. Now what?”
“It’s still worth money,” Thuggy insisted. “So we get it from the fiancé and then we track down that double-dealing louse, Martin. He’s going to pay for this.”
“Did y’all forget the part where Derek is licensed to kill?” Robin asked.
I sighed and walked over to the sideboard, looking for my phone and silently cursing Heather and Rod. They had taken our bait, but instead of showing up themselves, they had sent these creeps to find me. I could see how these two clowns had gotten into the library in the first place in those security guard uniforms. But I couldn’t worry about that now. I just wished I had something I could throw at them, because there was no way I was going to let them walk out of here and get away scot-free. I would make sure they paid for scaring us half to death, waving guns and making threats. I stared at my phone, then back at Thuggy. “Shall I text my fiancé?”
He scowled. “Just wait a minute.”
I shot a look at Alex and then gave the bookshelf a sideways glance. Did I dare throw books at them? I just needed to divert their attention long enough for someone like Alex to run out and get help. I could always repair the books if the spines were severed or the covers broke off.
Without warning, two streaks of blue came charging out of the bathroom, whooping and shrieking as they attacked both men from behind. Thuggy was pushed to the floor and my mother bega
n to pistol-whip his head with a hair dryer.
“Mother!” London screamed.
China shouted, “Hey, that’s Mom. Give ’em hell, Mom!”
Robin jumped in to help Meg take down Leon, while Savannah kicked Thuggy.
“Be careful, Meg!” I shouted, then cringed at the way she was beating Leon with a shower brush. When he managed to roll over, she used some of Lauren’s fabulous hairspray, got him right in the eyes, and he screamed like a little girl.
I tried to step in and help her, but then a gunshot went off and I shouted, “No!”
For two seconds we all held our breath in silence, then Mom pushed herself up off the floor and straightened her dress. “I think he shot himself in the foot. What a dope.”
“Oof!” That came from Leon, who was still tangling with Meg. The rest of us jumped to her defense and began hitting him with anything we could find. Tears poured from his eyes thanks to the hairspray, but he was still fighting. Alex grabbed the brass bust of Mozart from Ian’s end table and brought it down on Leon’s head, finally knocking the guy out.
He was still writhing, though, so Savannah pulled up her sexy sheath dress and sat down on Leon’s back to keep him on the floor. China grabbed the gun off the floor and pointed it at Thuggy, who was groaning from the bullet wound in his foot.
I looked around for Robin. “Go get Derek.”
“No!” Mom shouted. “He can’t see you in your wedding dress.”
Meg grabbed hold of my arm. “We’ve got this, dear. I’ll call the police. You needn’t bother Derek.”
I patted her shoulder. “You and Mom were awesome, Meg, but Derek will want to know about this.” I met Robin’s gaze. “Please?”
“Right.” She headed for the door, but turned and glared at me. “Try to stay out of trouble while I’m gone.”
* * *
• • •
Derek had heard the gunshot and arrived in seconds. He sounded as panicked as I’d felt a minute ago. Unfortunately I couldn’t see him because my mother had banished me to the restroom and closed the door.
I could hear him, though, swearing furiously at the two men who had dared to attack us on our wedding day. His brothers and Gabriel were right behind him and helped carry the two bad guys out to the hall. Robin reported that Gerald had been knocked unconscious by the barrel of Thuggy’s gun, but he would be fine. He apologized for not coming to our rescue but the crooks had bound and gagged him and shoved him into a closet. The police were on their way to drag the two men off to jail.
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