Chapter 9

Here Comes the Bride

Fourteen days ago Max had a friend of his field a phone call with a Washington DC area code. His friend said the caller identified himself as an FBI agent, which was enough for Max to be suspicious even though the name sound familiar. Agent Hailey wasn't convinced he had reached a wrong number and told Max's buddy that Jordan was trying to get in touch with her father. Max sat on the information for a week. The last time Jordan has tracked him down an innocent man was killed. Concern soon outweighed his caution and Max used a payphone to call Garret. His baby girl was getting married and she needed him there. Not she'd like him there, or if he had the time it would be nice for him to be there.

No. She needed him. Max had barely hung up the phone for he tossed a bag in the backseat of the Fairlane and was heading down the highway and a long over due talk with the man she intended to marry.

Now, he stood in the doorway of an apartment he picked out for her years ago and wondered if he had the right to be there for her special day. Jordan's unreadable expression didn't help.

With her face framed in a halo of flowers and tulle, beautiful did not do her justice. Someone once told Max that there were three moments in a man's worldly life that would see true beauty. His own bride on his wedding, the face of his child the day she is born, and the vision of his daughter the day she walked down the aisle. "You look..." Max's voice caught at the back of his throat.

"Don't cry," she whispered. There, in the doorway, she reached up and cupped his face. "Because then I'll cry and..." She tried to sound glib but the tears dotting her eyelashes made her argument a mute point. "Bryon will kill me if my makeup is ruined."

Max pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and dabbed her eyes. "I understand you need a ride."

Jordan laughed and pulled him side wrapping her arms around his neck and in a little girl's sigh said, "Daddy."

As before there were a thousand questions on the tip of her tongue. There would be time later. She wasn't about to ruin the moment by voicing them. For the first time in days Jordan forgot about the details. She didn't care if her ceremony would be compared to Vincente Minnelli movie musical. She was marrying the man of her dreams and her father would be there to walk her down the aisle.

A nine year-old Jordan couldn't have pictured anything more perfect.

They're reunion was interrupted by a soft knock on the door. With a curious smile Jordan broke away from her father's arms just long enough to answer it. She found Eddie Winslow leaning against the frame holding a simple nosegay of pink and lavender roses.

He gave her a soft smile, "I believe these are for you."

"Thank you." The laugh she gave Eddie before bringing the flowers to her nose was captivating.

Eddie cleared his throat and turned his attention to Max. "It's time. They're here. We need to go."

"Who's here?" Jordan asked.

"Cinderella's horsemen of course," Eddie grinned mysteriously. He stepped aside and waved his hand down the hallway, "Shall we?"

Max held out his arm and Jordan linked hers around. "One of you had better tell me where we're going."

Max couldn't help himself. "I should think that would be obvious Jordan."

Jordan cut both Max and Eddie a look when it became clear that they were both finding too much enjoyment keeping her in the dark. "Cinderella's horsemen huh?"

"Consider me your ...coachman," Eddie announced with pride.

She flashed him an innocent smile. "So does that make you a rat in real life?"

"You've called me worse, Jordan."

There was a small crowd of curiosity seekers in front of her building when they came out. Jordan was mystified until she saw the shiny black town car flanked by four motorcycle cops.

Eddie leaned over to open the back door and said "I'm sorry. The police commissioner said we couldn't paint his limo pumpkin orange...even for you Cavanaugh. Shall we?"

With Max's help, Jordan folded herself into the back of the official vehicle and grinned at the back of Eddie's head as he slid into the driver's seat. "I won't ask..."

"Don't. But if anybody does...we're on our way to the car wash..."

"The car wash! Don't you think they'd think we were all a little over dressed for that?" Jordan asked with a flirty little smile.

"A very trendy carwash," Eddie added as he put the car in drive.

"Eddie has connections," Max said with a nod. "It's amazing how many people have favors that can be called in when the reason is special enough."

Jordan was beginning to wonder that same thing.

They pulled away from the curb in a wail for police sirens and flashing lights and Jordan heart began to pound. This was really happening. Somehow this day, her day, was coming together. But how? Her confusion tripled when they drove past the turn for the Harmony Center and headed east towards the waterfront.

"Dad, where are we going?"

"To tell you the truth...I don't have any idea."

Jordan caught Eddie's smirk in the rearview mirror.

Jordan's case of nerves didn't hold a candle to Woody's. He was fine until he woke up and crept out of the apartment before dawn. Breakfast with Max didn't help. He had been in police interrogations that were more comfortable than sitting across from his future father-in-law with nothing but a flimsy diner booth and a pot of coffee between them. Max told him that even though he and Jordan may have their issues he was still her father and intended to make sure that Woody knew that if he hurt his baby girl in anyway he'd have to answer to him. With two inches and thirty pounds on him, Woody wasn't going to argue his intentions with Jordan with the man. By the time the coffee urn was empty Max seemed satisfied and Woody felt drained.

He anxiously fussed with the tie of his tuxedo. His fumbling fingers all but crushing the black silk. For the first time since this wild scheme gained momentum in his mind he seriously doubted himself. What if she didn't like it? What if he and everyone else didn't know her as well as he thought he did. What if they all put their heads together and came up with a recipe for disaster? He was debating on an escape plan when Lily's hands grabbed his, pulling them away from his throat.

"This was a crazy idea. I should have never talked you guys into this..."

Lily retied his tie and said, "Nonsense. Look around you...she's going to love it."

Woody took a second to do just as she asked. From his position next to the boardwalk the shadows from the tree line were growing longer over the grassy area that formed an oasis between the narrow strip of sand that formed the sparsest corner of the L Street beach and the boardwalk that connected the rest of the city to the park. A couple dozen guests milled in small informal groups while a handful more held seats of honor close to a Persian-inspired area rug. The rug was one of the items from Lily's folder that survived Garret's editing. That and Nigel's beribboned arch. Bug stood to the side of the arch complementing Woody's Aunt Edna on her charming-coiled, helmet-shaped hair-do as the matronly woman patted the hand of her charming escort for the evening, Nigel's Dave-Navarro-look-alike roommate, Byron.

The lawn in no way could hold the original guest list, but it's location near the boardwalk and Nigel's cleverly disguised sound system made the boardwalk a convenient alternative for those who didn't want negotiate the loamy ground in their finery. Although Woody knew Jordan would find some sadistic enjoyment out of seeing Kim gingerly tiptoeing around the soft ground in her heliotrope colored satin stilettos.

It was all so very casual and simple: A circle of friends and family, under blue skies and soft ocean breezes. Now only if Jordan approved.

"Well, if she doesn't I won't have far to go to drown myself. By the way, where are Nigel and Garret? It's not that I don't mind spending my last few moments as a single man with a beautiful woman, but if they don't get here soon I'll have to steal Jordan's maid of honor to stand up for me..."

Lily smiled around his shoulder and said, "I think they just arrived."

Woody turned around to see Nigel and Garret picking there way through the guests lining the rail. Nigel's lanky frame was flanked by another familiar shape.

Calvin.

"Before you say anything," Lily said grabbing his coat sleeve. "Just remember this is the biggest day of your life. It's not time to let...stupid disagreements get in the way."

Garret, seeing the look of disbelief in Woody's eyes, broke away, and rushed over to give Lily reinforcement. "If you are going to make a scene, do it quietly. Half the guest list is armed."

Woody rolled his eyes and looked to Garret for some kind of explanation.

"I don't know what happened between you two and frankly it's not any of my business but this is your wedding day, Woody. And at the risk of sounding nauseatingly sappy, the first day of a new chapter in your life, you should share it with the people closest to you."

"Dr. Macy...Garret," Woody winced.

"We're not asking you to welcome him back in your life like a prodigal son." Garret's voice fell confidingly. "Family means everything to Jordan. What we're asking is for you to be open enough to let him share this day with you and his new sister-in-law."

Cal stood at the edge of the grass waiting for Woody to acknowledge him. The collar of his dress shirt was cutting into his Adam's apple as it bobbed up and down with his apprehension. Woody could feel his discomfort because it was echoing in his own throat. Like the gun fighters at the OK Corral, they looked each other up and down. Cal was the first to break the pose with a two fingered wave.

"Did you fly or drive?" Woody called out taking in his brother's thinner, healthier looking physique. He had heard through the family grapevine that Cal had found a legitimate job delivering livestock feed in the Upper Peninsula. Rumor said he took the job to get as far away from the temptations of his former life could as he get. By the looks of it maybe he did.

Cal took one cautious step into the grass. "The bus. I got here about an hour ago. Dr. Macy picked me up."

"Cutting it close, aren't you?" Woody smiled.

Jordan's caravan turned onto L Street and killed the sirens. She and Woody had spent many weekend mornings jogging down by the water. Jordan's smile broadened as they past Tre Fratelli's. It was all starting to make sense to her.

Max reached over to take her hand and squeezed it gently. "Are you ready to do this sweetheart?"

With a watery smile, Jordan nodded.

"Do you love him?" Max hated to ask. He knew without a shadow of a doubt how much Woody loved his daughter. The little talk they had just hours before had proved it.

"With all my heart," she said with an absolute honesty that made Max sigh.

"That's all I needed to know."

"Thank you for being here."

"There's no other place I'd rather be, sweetheart."

"This is our stop," Eddie said with a note of irrevocability as if he was telling her that this was the end of the road. He parked the car and turned back to look her in the eye. "It's not too late to back out..."he added jokingly, but the look in his eye said he'd start the engine of the car up in a heartbeat if she said to.

Jordan leaned forward in a cloud of tulle and perfume and kissed Eddie's cheek. "I'm not going to back out. Not this time."

"Hoyt's a lucky man. I wish you all the best, Jordan." With that, Eddie climbed out and completed his task of the bride's escort and opened the door for them.

The gathering of guests on the boardwalk blocked Jordan's view of the assemblage below. Not that she noticed. She was having a hard time catching her breath. Nor did she notice the low murmurs of the crowd exclaiming delight and bewilderedness that she not only she was actually going through with the ceremony, but she gave into tradition and was a stunning vision as a bride.

Nigel stepped forward and helped her straighten her dress and veil. "You look fabulous love, if I say so myself."

Jordan toyed with the flowers in her hand. "Nigel, I'm so sorry that the whole dress thing didn't work out. Do you forgive me?"

Nigel caught her eye, "There is nothing to forgive darling. I love you. Both Lily and I do. All we ever wanted was your happiness. You know that."

"I love you, too."

"Now enough of this dithering," Nigel said fussing with the veil he created for her one more time. "There is one very nervous chap down those stairs that with be storming up here any second demanding to know what's taking so long. Now, grant this lonely bloke a small token and give us a kiss before you become a married woman."

Jordan stood on her tiptoes and kissed Nigel platonically on the lips, giving him her last kiss as a single woman. Nigel returned the favor with a smug smile and small bow before disappearing into the crowd to make sure everything was ready to go. Jordan looked toward the side of the boardwalk that led down towards the beach and took a cleansing breathe.

"Dad?" Jordan whispered holding out her hand. With AV Brian's enthusiastic assistance, the guests were divided leaving an aisle for Jordan and her father to walk down.

Jordan paused at the top of the steps. Her grip of her father's hand tightened as she drank it all in. She could remember coming to this park a thousand times as a kid...and probably just as much as an adult. She could remember trying to dig to China with Kim during summer break from elementary school. She could remember running along the pier with Woody when things between them were confusing at best. What a perfect place for her wedding. Even if she had ten years to plan her wedding she couldn't picture anything better. Nor could she picture anyone better than the man who stood there, waiting for her at the end of the path. With a smile as wide as the horizon in front of her, she looked at Max and said, "I think they're waiting for us."

Max raised her hand to kiss her knuckles. "Then we shouldn't keep them waiting,"

With the squawk of seagulls, and the steady drone of city bustle in the background as her bridal march, Jordan and Max slowly made their way down the board walk steps and into her future.