Chapter 35
In the weeks prior to the wedding several things happened. Along with the plans for the event itself moving forward, there was also Jenny and Joe's visit to the tunnels. Joe was nearly speechless the entire time he was Below. He did however report that with the information from the book, he had gotten authorization to put a tail on Moreno in the hopes that he would lead them to the head guy behind Catherine's kidnapping.
Jenny had brought Cathy some things from her apartment using the key Cathy had given her years ago.
A week before the wedding, Joe reported that with some unexpected help from Elliot Burch, that not only was Moreno in custody, but a man known only as Gabriel was as well. Joe had also told them he had found and destroyed the security tape of Vincent's break in to Gabriel's complex the night he rescued Catherine.
The only fly in the ointment during this time was that there had been no word from Devin. Vincent wasn't saying anything but Catherine knew how disappointed he was. She had asked both Father and Peter to stand in for her father on the walk down the aisle, but after lunch on the day before the big day, she found a minute to speak to Father alone.
When just the two of them were in his study, she explained why she needed to talk to him. "I know that Vincent hasn't wanted to ask anyone else to act as his best man just in case Devin was to arrive at the last minute. But it doesn't look like he'll make it since we've had no word at all.
"You're probably right, Catherine. Either the telegram didn't reach him or he couldn't get away. I almost hope that it was the former. I'd hate to think that if he did get it, he wouldn't send word that he couldn't come."
"I agree, Father, but my more immediate concern is for tomorrow. I know Vincent would be happy to have you step in as his best man if you wouldn't mind switching jobs."
"Either job would be an honor, Catherine, so no; I wouldn't mind switching at all."
"Thank you, Father!" she exclaimed and leaned over to place a kiss on his cheek.
Vincent had been busy that entire afternoon with the last minute Winterfest preparations, so she hadn't gotten a chance to tell him what she and Father had talked about. They had just sat down to dinner when she finally had a moment to tell him. However, before she could begin there was a commotion out in the hallway, and it grew louder as a group of late arrivals to dinner entered the room.
At the center of this group was a very familiar scarred face. "DEVIN!" Vincent exclaimed, jumping to his feet and hurrying to reach his brother. "You came!"
"Like I would miss your wedding for anything in the world, Fuzz?!" Devin greeted him as the two of them hugged. "Now where is Chandler? I still have a few hours to convince her she picked the wrong brother!"
He spotted Catherine and started forward as she got to her feet. Devin stopped dead in the middle of the room. Even though she was only four months pregnant, Catherine looked like she was at least five or more months along. Looking from her to his brother and back again, Devin quipped, "Well this IS a surprise! Guess I won't need to have that 'birds and bees' talk with you after all…that is, if you are the father, Fuzz!?"
To be continued….