Thanks so much for the reviews and follows/favorites. It means a lot that you all are enjoying this story. I ended up with a longer than normal chapter as we get closer to Adam and Jess' wedding day to thank all of you for reading.

Chapter 46

Jess got out of Erin's car. Natalie and Sylvie got out of the backseat and joined Jess on the sidewalk.

"It's easier to pick up your dress if you go inside," Erin said.

Jess stared at the bridal boutique looming in front of them. Her dress was ready, all the alterations were made and she was supposed to try it on for the final time.

"Do you think this is a mistake?" she asked, the question bursting out of her.

"I thought you liked your dress?" Natalie asked.

"I do. It's not the dress," Jess said. She bit down on her lip and wished she hadn't said anything. But who was she supposed to say this to? It's not like Jay or Will were impartial and willing to listen without unsolicited advice. A lot of unsolicited advice.

Sylvie was looking at Jess with concern. "Is it Ruzek?" she asked.

"Yes. No. I mean," Jess fumbled for the right words. "It's not him. He's amazing. That's the problem."

Erin furrowed her brow. "He's too amazing? Look, Jess, I know love is blind and all that, but trust me. I've worked with Ruzek for a few years now and he's not that amazing."

"I shouldn't have said…Never mind," Jess said. How was she supposed to tell these three women, who all had their act together, that she was still a trainwreck. And Adam deserved better.

Sylvie laid a hand on Jess' shoulder and stopped her from walking into the shop. "What's going on?" she asked.

Jess swallowed hard and avoided their eyes. "I'm supposed to meet Adam's family tonight." And there's no way she was going to be able to measure up to any of Adam's past fiancées.

"Ohhhh…" The other three women nodded in unison.

"What?" Jess asked, not sure what she was missing.

"You're meeting his family," Natalie said. "And it's a week before your wedding. That's enough to give anyone cold feet."

"Usually you get the stress of meeting the family out of the way before you're even engaged," Sylvie said.

"But Ruzek's family is great," Erin said. "Everyone loves Disco Bob."

"Disco Bob?" Jess asked.

"Long story. I don't think any of us have actually heard it," Erin said.

Jess chewed on her lip. Ok. That's all it was, just stress about meeting Adam's family tonight. And a wedding in one week. It was normal. She felt sick to her stomach about all of it. Normal, she reminded herself.

"Are you ready to try on your dress?" Erin asked kindly.

Jess hesitated, then nodded.

The interior of the bridal shop was much more subdued than the neighborhood store Will and Jay had taken her to. And the dress selection matched that subdued style. Thankfully.

The bridal consultant smiled in recognition at the small group with a warm welcome.

"We should start with the bridesmaid dress," Jess said, wanting to delay the uncomfortable experience of modeling for everyone.

Sylvie followed the sales girl and Jess crossed her arms in front of her nervously.

She noticed Erin and Natalie's concerned glances and made an effort to at least look more relaxed.

Another employee came up to them with a tray of champagne flutes and ushered them toward a sofa.

Jess wanted to toss back a drink desperately. Anything to take the edge off her nerves of meeting Adam's family later.

Erin had a look in her eye like she knew exactly what Jess was thinking. Not for the first time, Jess wondered if Erin had someone in her life who had taught her the hard way about addiction.

Erin smiled her thanks for the champagne and held up a hand to keep the tray from being offered to Jess. "Do you have anything nonalcoholic?" she asked.

Jess closed her eyes and blew out a breath. "Thanks," she said to Erin.

Sylvie arrived the same time as champagne flutes filled with sparkling apple juice.

Sylvie did a mock twirl and raised her eyebrows in question.

"That's going to look beautiful in the church," Natalie said. "Good choice, Jess."

The deep navy gown fit Sylvie perfectly. Jess looked at the stitches on Sylvie's upper arm and her stomach pitched like it did every time she was faced with a memory of that day.

Sylvie noticed where Jess was looking and glanced down at her arm, swallowing hard. Jess could see the memory flowing across her partner's face.

"Maybe we should lengthen the sleeves," Jess said.

Sylvie nodded, her eyes far away.

The consultant went for their seamstress and brought her to Sylvie's side. A few snips took out the hems in the cap sleeves and lengthened them enough to cover the stitches.

"What happened to your arm, dear?" the seamstress asked.

"I was shot," Sylvie commented blandly, turning to see in the mirror what the dress looked like with the longer sleeves.

The seamstress made a garbled sound and a hand went to clutch at her throat. The shop girl with the tray nearly dropped it.

Jess bit back a smile.

"Well, then, um, is the bride ready to try on her dress?" asked the other consultant, making a valiant effort to return to more bridal conversation.

Jess set aside her glass and stood. She followed the consultant to a dressing room where her dress hung.

The consultant unzipped the bag while Jess slipped off her jeans and long sleeve shirt. She turned with the dress in her arms and held it up to drop over Jess' head.

"Oh!"

Jess was thankful she was headfirst in a tunnel of satin. The salesgirl couldn't see her frown at the exclamation.

"That's not a gunshot, right?" the girl asked.

Jess finished slipping on the dress, thankful when it fell over her legs, covering the blue and purple bruise on her thigh.

"Steel toe boot," Jess offered succinctly. She brushed at the silk, ignoring the girl, shoving aside the memory, steeling herself against the memory. The consultant made an adjustment to the dress, then opened the door for Jess to parade out in front of her small group.

Sylvie, Erin, and Natalie let out a collective murmur when Jess stepped out.

Jess avoided looking at herself in the mirror. Being here today was about the limit of what she could handle. Seeing herself under the lights, in the three way mirror was going to be too much.

"It's perfect," Natalie said with a smile.

Jess let out a breath of relief. Natalie had been married before, she had experience with this. She was more than willing to take her word for it.

Jess started back toward the fitting room. "I'll take it with me today," she said.

She needed to get the gown home and hung up in her room and find something besides jeans and a t-shirt to wear to meet Adam's family.

#

Jess wiped damp palms on her jean skirt, and tugged at the hem of her t-shirt before Adam reached for her hand and caught it. She shifted in her jacket.

Jess had tried telling him this was a terrible idea when Adam told her his parents were insisting they meet her before the wedding. He had assured her the only terrible idea was his parents getting together in the same room.

She tried again. "Adam, why don't you just go to dinner with your family? I'll meet up with you later."

Adam paused and let the restaurant door close without going through. The November evening was mild, and Jess felt flushed with nerves.

"Because they want to meet you," he said. "They got my text last week that I'm getting married and want to meet you before the wedding."

Of course. That was reasonable. Jess knew that—

"You texted them that you were getting married?" she asked, incredulous.

"It got the details to them all at once," Adam said, unconcerned.

"A group text?" Jess asked.

There was no way his family was going to have an open mind about her now. Some girl who convinced their son to rush into a marriage and only texting them a last minute invitation to the wedding? No. This was not going to go well.

Adam was looking at her, really looking at her, and she could tell he knew she wasn't upset about his wedding invitation via text. Not really.

"What's going on?" he asked. He took her hand and pulled her away from the people heading for the door of the casual restaurant, toward a quiet doorway of the closed shop next door.

Jess shook her head. How was she supposed to tell Adam that she knew she wasn't going to measure up to any of his last three fiancées? And once his family realized it, it would only be a matter of time before Adam realized it.

"I'm just…it's nerves," she said, falling back on the excuse that had been convenient with Erin and Natalie earlier.

One side of Adam's mouth lifted in a grin. "Well I have enough certainty for the two of us, Darlin'," he said. He brushed the loose curls that had fallen from her braid away from her face. "And I don't have any nerves about this," he said, no hesitation in his words or his eyes. "I love you, and I'm marrying you next week."

Then he kissed her.

His lips were soft, reassuring. Jess fisted her hands in the front of his coat, wanting to hold onto his promises and believe them. To let his surety get them through the next hours.

Adam pulled back reluctantly. "That honeymoon can't get here soon enough," he said with a wink.

Jess laughed, the nerves now sufficiently covered over enough for her to let him pull her to his side and stay tucked there as they went to meet his family.

#

Adam kept his arm around Jess, the feel of her pressed against his side, sheltered there, raising every protective instinct in him. He had no faith in his family making this evening go well, in spite of what he told Jess. But when did it ever go well with his parents in the same room?

"Adam!" Kate called, waving him to their table.

He nodded to them, wishing he could just take Jess right back out the door and elope. But he was doing everything in his power to give her the wedding she deserved, and she deserved to meet his family, not be hidden away like he was ashamed of her, or just going through the motions of getting married. He had been there, done that, and that wasn't what he felt with Jess. Not at all.

He looked down at her. Her blue eyes were wide with uncertainty, but she gave his family a weak smile as they approached the table.

"Everyone, this is Jess," he offered.

Bob stood and offered Jess a hand. "I'm Bob Ruzek, nice to meet you."

He could count on his dad to be friendly. No telling what he'd hear in private from him later.

His mom introduced herself and his step-dad, more reserved and Adam wished she would have at least tried to hide the concerned look she gave Adam.

Adam pulled out a chair for Jess and then scooted his own chair closer to her.

"And that's my sister, Kate," Adam said, rounding out the introductions.

"It's nice to meet you all," Jess offered.

"We ordered for you since you were late," Kate said.

"We aren't late," Adam countered mildly.

"It's fine. Thank you for doing that," Jess said. Adam looked down and saw her fingers clenching and unclenching in her lap. He reached over and took one of her hands in his. He lifted it and kissed it, then kept hold of it.

His mother, Anne, watched the move and forced a bright smile. "Well this wedding is…a surprise. And we don't know anything about you, Jess."

He wrapped his other hand around Jess', keeping it between both his hands, hoping to warm up the clamminess he felt there.

"There's not much to know…" Jess said, biting her lip.

"Jess is a paramedic with the CFD," Adam said. He wanted to tell his family how Jess had saved her partner's life four days earlier, but knew Jess didn't need those memories brought up.

"No, not the CFD," Bob winked at Jess. "This family is blue. How did he meet a CFD medic?"

He felt Jess tense next to him. "At Molly's," she said, then darted a look to him. Adam knew she was remembering her overdose at another bar, him bringing her home, then running into one another at the precinct.

He smiled at her. "I work with her brother. She's got some blue in her family. Jay Halstead."

Bob nodded. "Halstead's a good cop."

Jess started to relax.

"Even if he works in Voight's unit."

"Bob," Anne said sharply.

Bob turned toward his ex-wife. "What? I'm just making conversation. You could try it. Instead of sitting there in judgment of Adam."

"I'm not," she started to say to Bob, but then turned to Adam. "I'm not judging anyone."

Kate had a pained expression and flagged down a waitress, quietly speaking to her.

"Sure you are," Bob countered. "You judged me our entire marriage, you've judged Adam every time we cancelled a wedding, it's what you do, Anne."

"Hey now," Adam's step-dad finally spoke up.

Adam drew in a breath and tried to redirect everyone. "Jess and her CFD partner have planned the entire wedding in three weeks. Jess is pretty amazing."

Jess gave him a pained look.

The waitress was back with a beer for his sister and Adam's attention was drawn that direction. "Kate," he said.

"It's fine, Adam," she said, giving him a mutinous look. "I haven't had too much to drink since the DUI. I'm fine."

This was…it was worse than what he'd imagined when he promised Jess the dinner wouldn't be terrible. But they just needed to eat enough to look like they made the effort, then he would get Jess out of there and make sure she knew how much he appreciated her.

"It's not that I don't like you, Jess," Anne said, turning her attention to his fiancée. Adam froze. "It's just that we don't know you, or anything about you. And it's all very sudden. Adam's had a few…mistakes already."

Jess was nodding like she understood. Like she deserved to sit there and listen to this.

"Jess was a track star in high school," Adam heard himself saying, his words direct, not allowing arguments. "She had scholarships but went into the Army instead. She saved lives as a medic on three tours of duty in Afghanistan. She's the hardest worker I've ever met. She puts everything she has into helping people at work. She's kind and caring. She's the most amazing person I've ever met," he finished, meeting everyone's eyes.

Anne sat back. Bob was studying Jess, trying to reconcile all Adam had said with the quiet form next to Adam. And Kate raised her glass.

"Well then, to Adam and Jess," she said.

Everyone else picked up a glass in a half-hearted toast, filling the awkward silence.

"I have an early day tomorrow," Adam said, pushing his chair back. "Sorry we can't stay."

He helped Jess up, his heart pumping in anger, in defense of Jess. Jess, who had somehow managed to make a life for herself after everything she had been through. Who had chosen him, and wanted to marry him, and he had brought her into that train wreck of a dinner.

They got outside and he tried to slow his pace, aware that Jess wasn't limping anymore, but her leg still bothered her. She didn't say anything as he opened the door to his car and got her in. Still nothing when he got in on his side and closed the door.

He turned to face her, but she was looking down at her lap.

"I'm sorry," he said.

She jerked her head up to him. "What?" she asked. "That wasn't…you didn't do anything wrong. I…I'm sorry I wasn't…I should have been…I know I wasn't what they were expecting. Not like Burgess, and your other fiancée who was a successful—"

"Whoa," Adam cut her off, not sure where this was coming from. "You think that was your fault? For not measuring up?"

Jess pressed her lips together and didn't answer.

He shook his head. "That is what you have to look forward to every single family event that has both my parents together," he said, wishing he hadn't put her through that. "And it's how it was before you, how it will be if we don't show up. It has nothing to do with you. Nothing."

Jess was listening to him intently. Finally she spoke, lifting a hand to brush back the hair that had fallen over his forehead.

"You know it doesn't have anything to do with you, either, then? Right Adam?"

Her words were like a balm to a hidden wound that had been cut open again and again from the time his parents divorced when he was twelve.

"Oh, Adam," Jess whispered in sympathy. She ran her fingertips over his cheeks, like she was trying to ease decades of guilt. "That is all between your parents. And your sister's drinking…That's not your responsibility either."

He didn't realize how long he had needed to hear someone say those words. A knot, one that had been bound so tightly it had gone numb, started to loosen.

"You're a good man, Adam," Jess said softly. "The very best. Your family is lucky to have you. I'm lucky to have you."

His head dropped forward at the words and he took a breath. A breath that was easier to take without that knot choking him.

"You know, Darlin'," he said, lifting his head to meet her pretty blue eyes. "I think I'm the lucky one."

#