At half past eight on Friday morning, Oliver and Shane had dressed and were anxious to meet with Steve to determine what knowledge he had regarding Alex's situation and how it tied in with Shane's encounter the night before.

"How's your side, Oliver?" Shane asked, placing a hand on top of his injured area.

"Oh! Well, the bruising is more prominent, unfortunately, but the soreness has been significantly reduced as a result of medication and my wife's unparalleled care."

They gazed into each other's eyes and Shane cleared her throat, pulling her hand back sharply from Oliver's side.

"We should, probably…." Shane trailed off, pointing to the closed bedroom door.

Oliver nodded, sighing inwardly at yet another missed opportunity with his wife. A few seconds later, he and Shane emerged from the bedroom to the smell of breakfast once again.

"Did your mother cook breakfast every morning when you were growing up?" Oliver quietly asked Shane.

"No," Shane replied in a hushed tone, wrinkling her nose. "She's just showing out for you."

"I heard that," Ms. McInerney said from in front of the stove.

"Good morning, Mother!" Shane said in a singsong voice.

Shane's mother turned around to greet them as Oliver pulled out a chair at the dining table for Shane.

"Good morning, Ms. McInerney," Oliver returned pleasantly, taking a seat next to Shane.

"You know, Oliver," Shane's mom said, placing a plate of hot breakfast foods in the center of the table, "you don't have to get all 'Ms. McInerney' on me."

Shane nearly spit out her orange juice, and Oliver jerked his head up, a shocked expression on his face.

"I beg your pardon?" he questioned.

"Let's drop the formality," Shane's mother explained as she took her seat. "Now I don't mind one bit if you call me Sharon or Mom—whatever you prefer."

"Oh! Okay, then," he replied agreeably, yet Oliver didn't satisfy the curiosity of either Sharon or her daughter as to how he would address his mother-in-law. "How did you sleep?"

"Just fine," Sharon answered, then cocked her head and eyed Oliver with a knowing look. "Your rash looks like it's cleared up."

Oliver shifted in his seat uncomfortably and before he could answer, Sharon turned to Shane.

"And how about you two? Did you get any sleep at all?"

Shane's eyes widened and Oliver gave her a bewildered sideways glance.

"Of course," Shane replied, knitting her brows at Oliver's nonchalance before turning back to her mother. "Why would you think we didn't?"

"Well, you look rather tired, dear," Sharon told her daughter, still slightly smirking. "And to be quite honest with you, I just happened to wake up in the middle of the night and I heard you—"

"Mother!" Shane interjected, her cheeks turning a light shade of pink, while Oliver cleared his throat awkwardly.

Her mother sipped her coffee, raising a brow, amused.

"It's not what you think, Mom," Shane said.

"No, we wouldn't—" Oliver halted, remembering that Sharon was not aware of their arrangement.

She narrowed her eyes, glancing back and forth between them. "Well why on Earth wouldn't you? You are married after all, are you not?"

Feeling trapped, Shane abruptly stood. "We have a meeting." She didn't care to discuss private matters regarding their marriage, nor did she want her mother to know she'd had a nightmare, or why. There truly was nowhere to go in this discussion without revealing secrets, so she decided to bolt. "Unfortunately, we don't have the extra time to stay and chat. Oliver, are you ready to head downstairs?" She eyed him with a no-nonsense gaze.

"Well, I just—" he started, looking down at his nearly full plate.

"A meeting?" her mother inquired, perplexed. Everyone and everything was on lockdown due to the pandemic.

"Yes," Shane returned. "A check-in to make sure everything's okay." It was, after all, a true statement.

Oliver, still sitting, looked up at her and tilted his head, knowing her well enough to understand Shane's abrupt behavior. She was faced with something she couldn't control, therefore choosing to escape. "Shane, please sit down and eat. We actually have at least fifteen minutes before we need to leave."

Shane huffed, now irritated with Oliver's truthfulness, but she wordlessly sat down, unable to argue his point. Oliver laughed inwardly, wondering if Shane would eventually decide to confide in her mother instead of keeping her in the dark.

After a few moments of heavy silence as the three ate their morning meal, Sharon inquired about their plans for the day.

"Well, we have the meeting at nine, and then afterwards, I plan to spend most of the day with you and Alex….seeing as how Oliver and I will be flying home tomorrow."

"That sounds nice, sweetie," her mother replied. "I'll soak up every moment I can with you."

Despite feeling irritated by her mother's earlier boldness, Shane smiled, then sobered. "Are you sure you'll be okay if I leave?"

"We discussed this last night, remember? I will be perfectly fine. I'll miss you, but I'll be fine."

Shane twisted her mouth. "Okay."

"Shane, we can come back anytime you want," Oliver assured her.

Shane cast a grateful smile at him and nodded.

"I think it's now about time for us to depart," Oliver informed them. "Ms. Mc—uh, we are once again quite grateful for the delectable meal you prepared for us this morning."

"Yes—thanks for fixing breakfast again, Mom," Shane chimed in as they all stood.

"You are quite welcome." Her mother gave her a brief hug and turned to Oliver. "I've missed having someone for whom I can cook."

Shane rolled her eyes as Oliver beamed, impressed with Sharon's avoidance of ending a sentence with a preposition.

A few minutes later, Oliver and Shane were searching for conference room H, per the directions Steve had sent Shane after they had spoken the night before. Without going into detail, he had assured her that she and her mother and sister were safe. Still, Shane felt much more comfortable walking the hotel halls with Oliver by her side.

"Here's F," Shane pointed out, "so we should be getting pretty close." As they neared conference room G, she placed a hand on Oliver's arm. They stopped, turning to each other.

"What is it, Shane?" Oliver asked, a puzzled expression on his face.

"That's him, Oliver." She cut her eyes down the hall in front of them as she spoke in a low voice. "That's the man who was following me."

Oliver glanced in the direction she had noted. A well-dressed, clean-cut man with a beard stood at the end of the hall. He eyed the couple as they stood whispering.

"You're sure?" Oliver asked.

"Positive," Shane answered.

"Come on," Oliver instructed, leading her toward the mystery man. As they came a bit closer, Oliver determined that the man was either talking to himself or into one of those devices that just made one look crazy.

"What are you going to do?" Shane asked.

"I don't know just yet," Oliver said through clenched teeth.

Shane took a deep breath as they headed further down the hallway. Passing by conference room G, Oliver was contemplating his next move, as well as flexing his muscles a bit, when the man turned and walked away from them.

Oliver picked up his pace, but a moment later, Steve appeared at the doorway of the conference room as the couple passed by.

"Shane, Oliver, we're in here," Steve informed them, as though they were struggling to find the right room.

Oliver was a few steps past the doorway and turned slightly, pointing in the direction in which the man had departed.

Steve glanced down the hall, then back at Oliver and Shane, then shrugged. "Shift change. He's been on duty all night."

Oliver inhaled deeply and Shane blew out a breath. Another suited man had approached from the opposite direction and stood a few feet away from the trio, evidently replacing the first.

"Care to explain why he was tailing me last night?" Shane hissed at Steve.

"I figured you would ask that," Steve replied, not acting like he was bothered one bit by Shane's irritation. "Come on in and let's talk."

Oliver gestured for Shane to go first, then he followed her. Steve entered after them and closed the door behind him, leaving the second man to stand guard.

As they walked into the room, Shane and Oliver were surprisingly met with the familiar face of none other than the special agent from the Colorado State Division of Investigations.

"Dale?" Oliver and Shane uttered simultaneously.

Standing beside the conference table, Dale Travers greeted them with a smile and tilted her head. "It's good to see you two, although the circumstances aren't exactly ideal."

"What exactly is going on here?" Shane inquired, looking between Dale and Steve.

"For starters, we apologize for any distress that might have experienced after your discovery last night," Dale stated. "It is true that you were being followed, but not in a bad way."

"Oh, so there's a good way to be stalked?" Shane spat out the words like bullets.

"I prefer the term 'observed', and yes, I'd say so," Steve answered calmly.

"Why don't we sit down and discuss—in a civil manner—what brought us all here?" Dale suggested.

"That is such a great idea," Shane blurted, her words dripping with sarcasm.

Steve rolled his eyes while Dale cringed slightly. Unapologetically, Oliver eyed them both, back and forth, anxious for an explanation.

Steve gestured to the chairs.

Shane wasted no time and directed her question to Steve once more, before she had fully sat down, "Why was one of your men tailing me?"

"Shane," Steve began to explain, "Your sister was involved in something that has put a target on her back."

Shane inhaled and exhaled sharply. "Well, I can't say that I'm surprised. Let me guess. She returned to her recreational gambling habits and now owes someone an enormous amou—"

"No," Steve interrupted. "You can't blame Brighton for anything in this case, except for failure to follow agency protocol."

"You're telling me Alex hasn't been in a casino since she got out of rehab?" Shane eyed Steve with doubtful eyes, then looked toward Dale.

Dale answered calmly, "We're not saying she hasn't been in a casino recently, but she—"

"Wait a minute!" Shane exclaimed, her brows knit as she turned back to Steve. "What do you mean by 'agency protocol'?"

"Alex….has been working as an undercover agent with the special investigation forces to pinpoint illegal activity….which has involved a significant amount of gambling, by some pretty prominent politicians here in D.C.," Steve explained.

"What?!? You have to be kidding me," Shane declared, flabbergasted.

"I wouldn't joke around about something like this," Steve assured her.

"He's not kidding, Shane," Dale agreed. "I was called to D.C. because two of the suspects are representatives of our great state of Colorado."

"Wow. What are the odds?" Shane remarked, laughing sarcastically.

"I know, right?" Dale replied, shrugging her shoulders with her hands out, palms up.

"I assume you can neither confirm nor deny the type of misdemeanors?" Oliver finally spoke up, his gaze on Steve.

"Misappropriation of funds, embezzlement—"

"We can't really go into specifics about the case," Dale interjected, giving Steve a sideways glare. "Now we have good news and bad news. I'll start with the bad news. As Agent Marek said earlier, Alex has a target on her back….and it's a pretty big one. These guys don't want her talking."

Dale took a deep breath before continuing, as Shane and Oliver listened intently.

"Unfortunately, we've determined that family members could be at risk as well. Therefore, we have put certain security measures in place for your protection, Shane, as well as for your mom and Alex….and for Oliver, too, though we think his risk is much lower. Those security measures include round-the-clock surveillance from a short distance. The agent you saw last night was only observing to ensure that you returned safely to your suite and then reporting back to us."

Shane swallowed past a lump in her throat. "So my sister has taken her old bad habits and turned them into something good, and now she's in danger for doing so? Not to mention she's already been severely physically injured."

"Well, that's not entirely accurate," Steve informed her, "and that's the good news,"

"I'm not following," Shane admitted. "What do you mean?"

"We've had a very sophisticated plan in place for this operation, including what to do if things went south," Steve explained. "The wreck your sister had was not intentional, but it was actually an excellent cover-up that gave us good reason to have Alex admitted to the hospital."

Shane's eyes grew wider as realization began to dawn on her.

"Your sister's injuries, for the most part, are, in fact, quite minor," Steve confirmed. "Keeping her in the hospital, specifically in the intensive care unit at first, was part of the plan to ensure her safety and to throw the enemy off track. Leaking news of major injuries and especially the report of a head trauma triggering amnesia has worked well to delay unwanted action by our suspects."

"Umm." Shane's eyebrows rose. "I'm sorry. You're telling me that Alex has been faking her condition this whole time?"

"Part of the plan," Dale repeated. "However, notification of next-of-kin was not part of the plan."

Shane sat quietly for a few moments, attempting to process everything she had just heard.

"So I wasn't supposed to be called," Shane spoke under her breath, realizing that all the agony she had felt was over something that turned out to not even be real.

Oliver placed his hand on top of hers on the conference table.

"We still aren't quite sure how that happened, or why," Steve admitted. "We never intended to cause anyone to worry, especially her family."

Shane licked her lips and nodded slowly, her brain reeling with this new information, unsure of what to do with it or how to react.

"So when Alex returns to her 'normal' life, I suppose the criminals will be waiting for her," Shane spoke, her voice a bit unsteady.

"Well," said Dale, "that probably will not be the case, as we were able to gather enough information from Alex, and a few others, to request arrest warrants."

"Once they are apprehended," Steve added, "then this thing is over. Their list of crimes is just too long."

Shane blew out a breath.

"As I said before, though," Steve continued, "you could potentially be in danger, and that risk increases each time you visit Alex or if the suspects make the connection between you two. The best thing you can do right now is to get out of D.C. as quickly as you can and stay low until this is wrapped up."

"Well, we're flying home tomorrow," Shane informed them. "So I guess that's pretty good timing."

Steve's eyes bored into Shane's. "Today would be even better timing." He looked at Oliver, who gave him a slight nod of understanding.

Shane sighed, annoyed. She flashed her eyes toward the ceiling, unsure of how to handle this situation.

"Now you know we can't make you go home," Dale added, "but we do highly recommend, for your own safety, that you take a flight back to Denver as soon as possible."

"What about my mother?" Shane inquired. "I suppose Alex won't really need her here after all."

"I would tell her the truth, Shane," Dale said soothingly. "She's your mother and she deserves to know."

Shane considered Dale's words, then she looked to Steve for his input.

"I agree with Agent Travers," he confirmed. "Your mother needs to know to leave the area as well. And there's nothing that we've shared with you that will be detrimental to the mission at this point if revealed. We should have these clowns picked up and in custody before the weekend's over. In the meantime, though, you and your mother will have round-the-clock security as long as you're in D.C."

"Again, we'd really feel much better if you fly out today," Dale stated.

"Okay," Oliver agreed. "We will make plans to travel home after we talk with Shane's mother."

Shane looked at Oliver, frustration in her eyes. "Oliver, I think it will be just fine to wait and go home tomorrow. I'm willing to take that risk."

"I'm not," Oliver said firmly. "We are leaving today because I believe that is what is in our best interest, Shane."

His eyes held hers for several moments. She saw the love he had for her and her heart tightened, despite her irritation at his authoritative statement. She nodded so slightly that it could have gone undetected had Oliver not been eyeing her so closely.

He gave her hand a slight squeeze. "Let's go pack our bags and say our goodbyes."

Oliver had never been so demanding with Shane and his attitude had certainly struck a nerve. Shane didn't say a word on the way back to the hotel suite, as she had decided to allow herself time to process everything first.

On the way back to the fourth floor, Shane struggled inwardly with her anger. She finally reasoned that Oliver was either being controlling, which was against his very character, or protective. Shane knew without a doubt, just from the way he guided her, his gentle hand on her back, that Oliver only desired to take care of her in the very best way possible.

Her eyes stung at the load of emotions she felt. She feared for her sister's safety and her mother's, as well as her own. She worried that Oliver, with his obligation to be her protector, could somehow be caught in the crossfire. A different type of anger now rose from within her and burned her cheeks—anger for only thinking of herself when she said she would take the risk and stay another day. Somehow she had forgotten once again that she and Oliver were now united as one—and what affected one of them affected the other. It was a lesson that she supposed she would have to learn over and over, especially considering her independent nature. Being married was so much more than sharing a home, or even sharing passion. It was about considering the other to be an extension of yourself.

By the time they had reached the suite, the dam had broken and tears streamed down her face. Again, feeling out of control, Shane wanted to run but she had nowhere to go….except straight into her husband's loving embrace.

He held her tightly to himself, there in front of the door to room 401, and spoke words and scriptures of comfort directly in her ear. Her pain from the past week fell in the form of tears onto his shoulders, as though he was taking the heavy burden from her. He offered up a prayer for safety and relief, as well as one of praise and thanksgiving. Through all the times that challenged them, they could never forget how blessed they were to have one another.

Sharon McInerney took the shocking news much better than expected. In fact, she was so overjoyed to learn that her daughter had not succumbed to gambling again that she welcomed the idea of espionage.

"You do realize that Alex is in danger, and that we could be too, Mom," Shane said.

"Well, yes," her mom answered. "But it sounds as though they have the situation under control and are watching her—and us—closely. I know everything will be just fine. I agree, though, that we all should fly out at some point today."

The O'Tooles and Sharon McInerney chatted for a while, knowing that once they went their separate ways, it could be a while before they were reunited. Shane's eyes grew heavy, and soon she was sound asleep, her head tilted onto Oliver's shoulder.

"Poor thing. I knew she was tired!" Sharon spoke quietly.

"She's carried a lot on her shoulders this week," Oliver stated. "Today's revelation made it all feel so….unnecessary."

Sharon nodded somberly. "I'm sure there's a reason for everything."

"I certainly do believe that," Oliver confirmed.

He carefully got up, easing Shane off his shoulder and gently placing a pillow under her head as she lay down on the sofa.

"If you'll excuse me," he said to Sharon, "I have a few items of business to which I need to tend."

"Yes, you sure do." Sharon smiled at Oliver and looked at her sleeping daughter, knowing that the rest she was getting now would serve Shane McInerney well in the very near future.

Shane woke up from her midday nap a few hours later, and Oliver informed her that he had secured a flight for later that evening. Within the next half hour, the O'Tooles had packed their suitcases and were now telling Shane's mom goodbye. Hugs were shared between mother and daughter, as well as promises to stay in touch and visit each other soon.

"Text me your flight info," Shane reminded her.

"I will, honey. Don't you worry about me. Go home and enjoy being with your husband. You two deserve a real honeymoon."

"Well, we can't really have one because of all the restrictions right now," Shane said, making a face.

"I'm not talking about a vacation, Shane," Sharon said, her green eyes piercing her daughter's.

Heat crept up Shane's neck and Oliver pulled her to his side, planting a kiss on her forehead.

"Your mother is right, Shane," Oliver said huskily. "You and I need some serious time together."

"Ooookay! Are you coming, Mr. O'Toole?" Shane grabbed the handle of her rolling suitcase, her duffel bag and purse on her shoulders, and bolted for the door, leaving Oliver and her mother standing there in the living area, laughing.

"I'll see you two very soon," Sharon told Oliver, giving him a wink.

He grinned broadly. "I should go make sure she's safe."

"Always," Sharon responded. "Please."

"You have my word….Mom."

Oliver O'Toole exited the room with a spring in his step, his heart swelling, rejoicing in what was to come.

"We're headed to the airport," Oliver informed the taxi driver. "With one stop on the way."

Shane tilted her head sideways at the familiar phrase and stared into the playful blue eyes of the man whose mischievous smirk made her giggle.

"Oliver, we don't have time to be stopping on the way," she stated, emphasizing the last three words. "We have a plane to catch."

"I assure you, we will not miss our flight," Oliver declared positively.

The driver set out on their route confidently, despite the fact that Oliver did not state the location of the stop he intended to make. Surprisingly, Shane did not question anything, her curiosity stifled by what appeared to be a bit of anxiousness. She sat in the back of the taxi beside Oliver, peering out the window, not paying attention to the scenery that floated by but instead, realizing what going home today could possibly entail. Oliver was acting unusually jovial, which probably meant that he expected them to exchange rings once they had arrived home. That would render her surprise wedding scheduled for Saturday unnecessary. Between the bombshell they had received earlier that day, and the sooner-than-expected trip back home ruining her plans for a surprise wedding, Shane felt utterly defeated.

"Are you okay?" Oliver asked, troubled by her demeanor.

Shane turned back to face him. "I will be. It's just—it's hard to leave my mom and my sister." She wasn't being dishonest, although that was only part of the truth. "I didn't even get to tell Alex goodbye. I'm really going to miss them."

He nodded sympathetically. "I know."

"But you're my family now, Oliver," Shane declared, her voice filled with emotion.

"Yes, but it's okay to miss them, too, Shane," he said, taking her hand.

She nodded, unable to say anything more.

The vehicle pulled over to a stop at the curb, and Shane turned to see the church building she'd admired since she was a girl. She quickly snapped out of her thoughts.

"Why are we stopping here?" She turned to Oliver, perplexed.

"Well, the way you spoke of the church's inner beauty….I just have to see it for myself before we leave."

"Oookay," Shane replied, knitting her forehead. "I'd love to show it to you, but there appears to be a wedding going on." She pointed at the decorations at the front of the building.

"Actually, I happen to know that the ceremony is not scheduled for another hour. We have plenty of time to look around. What do you say?"

Shane grinned. "Okay. But let's not lose track of time. We have a plane to catch."

Oliver chuckled at her anxiousness to get home. They exited the cab, and as Oliver spoke briefly to the driver, Shane turned and began slowly walking up the main sidewalk to the front doors. The railing and doors were accented by white tulle and dashes of flowers.

Shane stopped and smiled dreamily at the sight, as Oliver caught up and stood by her side.

"Yellow roses," she spoke softly.

"Ahh, yes. I suppose you would have fancied yellow roses for a decorated ceremony, if we had had one."

Shane nodded, a far-off look in her eyes. She fought to keep the tears at bay. Why did everything have to be so complicated? This unexpected stop only made her long for a different past, one with a perfectly happy family and a childhood in which she had never lost her hope in God in the first place.

"What—what is it, Shane?" A genuine look of concern clouded Oliver's face. Although she was unaware of his plans for them, today was supposed to be one of the happiest days of their lives, and he was eager to change her outlook.

"I was just thinking about how life could have been, should have been, very different."

"How so?" he questioned.

"My family visited this church a handful of times. It was mostly Easter, or Christmas Eve services. I wonder if being here every Sunday would have changed things—my parents' failed marriage, Alex's addiction, my father's—" The words hung in her throat. "My perspective on everything. Maybe that would have prevented my years of rebellion and anger at God. If I could go back and change things, I would." She blew out a breath.

Oliver watched her a few moments before speaking. "As you know….my faith is very important to me….and I know your faith is important to you now, as well. I do believe that regular worship is not all for the Almighty's benefit. It strengthens a person….a family….and it helps to keep God at the center of a marriage, a home. But Shane, it wasn't all up to you, and I highly doubt He's been taking attendance. And what's in your past only matters now because it—all of it—the good and the bad parts—it all shaped you to become the woman with whom I fell in love. If you could change the past, it might very well change the very paths we're on now, together. And I wouldn't trade our present, or our future, for anything."

Shane let out a small sob, and Oliver pulled her in for a comforting embrace. Moments later, she pulled back, and looking him in the eyes, pursed her lips and then asked, "Has anyone ever told you that you have quite a way with words?"

He chuckled lowly. "I have heard that a time or two." His face grew serious once more. "Now, let's shift our focus from the past to the present, and look forward to what lies ahead, shall we?"

She nodded in agreement, eager to arrive back in Denver and exchange rings, ceremony or no ceremony. Oliver took her hand and they walked up the steps to the heavy entry doors. He opened one with a slight bit of force, and ushered her in, his free hand on the small of her back. When they entered the large, open room of worship, Shane halted in the aisle.

"Is it like you remember?"

Shane stood gaping at the sanctuary. "No. It's better. I just realized….I've never even seen it decorated for a wedding before. It's everything I could have imagined, and more. Wow."

"Hello-o," the familiar voice of a woman sang out from behind them. They turned and Shane's jaw dropped.

"Becky?!?" she shrieked.

"Shaney!" their supervisor responded, running toward them and embracing Shane.

"What are you doing here? Are you here for this wedding?" Shane inquired.

"I happen to be coordinating the wedding," Becky stated with a nod.

"What?" Shane laughed. "Since when have you been a wedding coordinator?"

"Well, this is my first. I happen to know the bride and groom pretty well, and I was asked to help out. I just couldn't say no." Becky smiled at Shane, casting a brief glance at Oliver.

"Wow. What are the odds that we would bump into you here?" Shane stated, disbelief in her voice.

"Probably slim to none," Becky stated matter-of-factly. "What about you two? What are you doing here?"

"Well, Oliver wanted to see the church before our flight home," Shane explained.

"Ahhh," Becky replied. "It is gorgeous, isn't it?"

"It is," Oliver agreed.

The three spoke for several minutes. Becky inquired about Alex and initially refused to entertain shop talk, insisting that the two were in need of a much-deserved break from solving lost-letter mysteries.

"The work seems to follow us wherever we go," Oliver remarked, and they informed her about Ricki's letter.

"Well. You two have to promise me, that there will be no letters, no mysteries, when you finally take that honeymoon you've been putting off since Saturday." Becky cut her eyes at the couple.

"How did you—?" Shane started, staring at Becky in disbelief, then looking to Oliver, who shrugged his shoulders innocently.

"That….is a long story, my friend," Becky told her, "and one I can share over dinner, maybe?"

"Becky, it has been so good to see you, and I wish we could stay and catch up, but unfortunately our flight leaves soon. Call me later? Or better yet, come to Denver for a visit when you can?"

"I'll do that," she answered, grinning. "Before you go, though, I'd like you to see something. I want your opinion."

"Okay!" Shane agreed.

"Oliver, you wait here and she'll be back." Becky gave him a nod and then said, "Come on, Shane, this way."

Shane followed her friend, still reeling at the fact that they had run into each other just before Shane and Oliver's departure. The timing was uncanny.

"Here we are," Becky said, moments later. She knocked on the door of the bride's room but there was no answer. Turning the knob, she slowly peered in the room.

Becky walked in, wordlessly, and Shane followed.

"What do you want me to—"

Shane stopped mid-sentence as her gaze landed on the wedding dress hanging on the wall near the three-way mirror. It was a heart-stopping design, for sure, but that's not what had her frozen in her tracks.

Realization dawned on her and she threw a hand over her open mouth in shock. The church. The yellow roses. Becky. And now, the wedding dress. It belonged to Shane….and so did this wedding.