Her father, Special Agent in Charge Colby Granger, a thirty year veteran of the FBI. She remembered the expression on her mother's face, when Keeley had decided to join the FBI. It was the same one she'd had when her brother Tyler had announced he was joining the FBI. The one that showed pride tinged with fear. The fear that Keeley had often seen, whenever the phone rang while her father was out in the field.
He must have felt her hand tremble, the hand that was nestled in the crook of his left arm. She saw him smile reassuringly at her, and then look gratified when she flashed a smile in return. The music for the procession began, and Keeley glanced out at the guests as she waited for her turn down the aisle.
A shiver ran down her spine. Down the aisle. To be joined in matrimony with the man she loved. Special Agent Justin Braxton. Her lips curved in a smile when she recalled how they'd met. He'd been on her father's team, one of his best agents. She had just graduated from Quantico and been placed on Megan Reeves' team. It had been a big case, and she was just learning the ropes. The attraction between them had been instant and mutual. Her father had come close to killing Justin when he happened upon them tearing each other's clothes off. Despite Justin's and Keeley's training, it had still taken four more agents to pull her father off Justin. Slowly but surely, with a little help from Keeley's mother, the two men eventually worked it out.
Keeley suppressed a giggle as she remembered the night, a year ago, when Justin had come to ask her father for her hand in marriage. Colby's eyebrows had lowered in a frown. Keeley knew that it was her mother's gentle hand on his arm that had prevented any physical action. He'd snarled, "If you hurt her, I'll kill you." Never mind that Keeley was a trained agent, she was still his baby girl.
She looked out at the guests in the church, and was honored to see her father's closest friends from the FBI in attendance. Director Don Eppes with his lovely wife Robin Brooks. Megan Reeves, now an Assistant Director, with her husband, Dr. Larry Fleinhardt. David Sinclair, also an Assistant Director, with his wife Olivia. And Dr. Charles Eppes, still a consultant for the FBI, with his wife Amita, who had lent them the xeraphim. They'd been a close unit while she was growing up, and continued to keep in touch, even when their careers had split up the team. She knew that Director Eppes had tried to persuade her father to take an Assistant Director position, but he had held out because he loved being out in the field.
Her mother was chatting quietly with Darla Fleinhardt and Jonathan Sinclair. She smiled to see her childhood friends there. Quiet Maggie Eppes, two years ahead of Keeley's own crowd stood with her parents. She had been the first of the children at Quantico. Darla, Jonathan and Keeley's younger brother Tyler hadn't been very far behind, they'd always known what they wanted to do. Keeley herself had taken another year to decide. But only two of the five Granger brood had become FBI agents, a fact which she knew had greatly relieved her mother.
Cameron, the rebel, Keeley thought affectionately, watching as he flirted with some female guest. Her brothers were fraternal triplets, but her mother always said that Cameron had been gifted with her father's good looks and charm. Steady and reliable, Tyler was the eldest of the three. She'd only worked with him once, since they were family, but she knew she would trust him with her life. Dreamy Brandon, an artist to the core, always in another world of his own. And their baby sister, Verity, her maid of honor, was still in college. She wondered if Verity had even decided what she'd wanted to do with her life.
She squeezed her father's arm as he escorted her down the aisle. Her lips trembled slightly at the pride in his voice as he responded to the minister with "Her mother and I do." Then she struggled not to laugh as he said to Justin, sotto voce, "Hurt her and you'll wish you were dead." Justin only smiled, he'd heard it before. Colby grinned engagingly at the shocked minister before he moved to his place in the pew.
She wished she could turn to watch her parents, but Keeley knew that he would have pulled her into the shelter of his arms. She heard the catch in the soft "Oh, Colby!" from her mother and his quiet murmur as he comforted her. He had always been physically strong, and he was still muscular despite the advancing years, but this strength had made the tenderness he'd always shown her mother all the more touching.
Her eyes met Justin's, as they made the same vows to each other that her parents had once made. And still lived. Till death do them part.