Ghosts that Haunt—29
Emma was already in her pajamas, and her mother had changed as well when Mariah reached the suite where she would spend the night. She went into the largest bedroom and saw the dressmaker's dummy that presumably had her dress on it. It was covered with what looked like muslin to protect it. She was tempted to uncover it and take a look, but she decided to wait until the following day. She didn't want to make Martin Mandeville angry, after all, who was coming the next day to see that it fit properly.
Instead, she opened her suitcase, so she could change. Emma and her mother joined her. Emma plopped on the bed next to the open suitcase, and they talked through the schedule for the following day while Mariah did what she hadn't done earlier—unpacked her things. She shook out the nightgown she had bought for her wedding night, though she actually doubted she would wear it at all. She hoped hanging it up would let the wrinkles fall out. She was a bit bigger than she'd been when she bought it, so she probably should have just left it at home, she thought, and considered waiting to wear it once the baby was born.
Her mother choked when Mariah slid the hanger inside the garment. "Good Lord, Mariah. Why bother?" she asked faintly.
It wasn't an unreasonable comment. The fabric was sheer, embroidered silk—not that the embroidery would hide anything—and the only closure was a single white silk ribbon that would tie just beneath her breasts. The gown's hem would barely clear her hips when she had it on. She gave her mother an impertinent smile, lifted her brows, and said, "Because my mother says I shouldn't parade around naked."
"I hate to break it to you," Ariel shot right back, "but you might as well be naked if you intend to wear that."
Mariah wasn't sure what possessed her to say it, but she grinned and told her mother, "I'm pretty sure John will make sure I won't have it on for very long." Her mother looked uneasy, but Mariah didn't much care. God knew her mother had said far more disturbing things in her presence when she was growing up. Her mother shrugged and left her to finish unpacking. She did quickly, and after Emma left her, she changed into a more sedate red satin nightgown and its matching robe. Her mother had given it to her for Christmas several years ago. She had never really worn it since it had always been too loose, but now it was pretty snug. She joined her mother in the sitting room.
"Your sister went to see your cousins. They just got in." Her mother held out an arm to her, and when Mariah sat, her mother pulled her against her as she had when she was a child. "Do you really love him, Mariah?"
She smiled. "Yes, I do, Mum."
"I can't say you don't know what you're getting into," Ariel said quietly. "You of all people know what his job is like, what can happen, but it still worries me." Mariah said nothing. She didn't want to argue with her mother, not tonight. "I loved your father, you know, but it wasn't enough. The time came when he had to choose: me or the job. I lost. If I had been more mature, if I had been less selfish, I might have won, or at least that's what I tell myself. The truth is that your father was more in love with the job than he ever was with me. I worry that Casey, more so than your father, will always choose the job. For Casey, it's like he's made a sacred promise.
"He did, Mum," she said, thinking of the Marine oath. "I don't hold that against him. He wouldn't be who he is, who I love, if he were made differently." She curled her feet underneath her and added, "Mum, I was never first with either you or Dad, and when I was little, I used to wonder what was wrong with me that neither of you loved me enough to stay with me." She could feel the tears well, but Mariah hoped they would stop before they actually fell.
"Oh, Mariah," her mother said, and she could hear tears in Ariel's words, too. "We loved you. We were just young and stupid and, frankly, selfish. We were too busy building our careers to think about what we were doing to you." She kissed the top of Mariah's head. "When you were seven, when—" She swallowed thickly, but apparently she couldn't finish because she moved on instead. "Mariah, last year in Ottawa, in the hospital, you said you never came first. You didn't, it's true, and that was our mistake. I don't want you to marry a man who can't put you first."
"Mum, if anything, the way I grew up makes it easier to deal with those times when John can't choose me."
Her mother hugged her a little tighter. "That's just it, Mariah. There should be no choice. You should always be first. I wasn't with your father, and I came to resent that. He strayed, and I resented that more. It poisoned everything."
"John puts me first when he can, Mum." She thought about the way General Beckman had torn into him when he was late to a briefing because of one of her doctor's appointments. She was afraid he'd lose his job if he wasn't careful. When she told him so, he had assured her she didn't need to worry.
"Then I'm glad for you," her mother said. They sat there for a few moments, neither saying anything before her mother added, "There's the other part of what he does that worries me, Mariah." She said nothing in response, knew Ariel would say what she felt she had to whether Mariah responded or not. "It's a business that changes men, and what Casey does changes them even more. I'm afraid that someday he will have to do something you can neither ignore nor forgive."
A shiver ran down her spine. She knew what her mother was getting at. John performed as an assassin at times despite the fact that the Americans had an executive order forbidding it. He also did his government's bidding in other cases, cases where her father and her native government were on the opposite side from that of his government. Costa Gravas, came to mind. "Mum, I'm well aware that there are times when John will have to choose between me and our daughter and his duty. I'm also aware that some of the time he will have to choose his duty. I can live with that as long as we're the ones he comes home to." She lifted her head from her mother's shoulder and looked Ariel in the eyes. "He loves me, Mum. I have absolutely no doubts about that."
She also knew the kinds of things he had done in the past and the kinds of things he might have to do in the future. She understood his duty and the necessity of doing it. She'd also seen enough of John to know that he had a moral compass that wasn't completely rigid and that he didn't always blindly follow orders. His inability to kill Chuck when ordered to was evidence of that, and his outright rebellion over leaving Stephen Bartowski to his fate had solidified her faith that there were lines he wouldn't cross. Even Mariah had seen that Orion's death would, in the long run, protect Chuck. That John could as well but couldn't let it happen spoke volumes as far as she was concerned.
Her mother had a funny expression when Mariah looked up at her. "Daughter?"
Mariah smiled and nodded. "Lydia told us this morning." Her mother hugged her hard, and Mariah gave a little laugh. For once, her mother got to find out something related to her and John first, though Mariah would never admit it. "You're the first person I've told."
Emma let herself back in the suite then and asked, "What did I miss?"
Ariel said, "You're going to have a niece."
"So it's a girl?" Emma asked and did a little dance when Mariah nodded. Then she sobered. "Is Casey disappointed?"
Mariah gave a little laugh. "I thought he would be, but, no, he seems pretty happy about having a daughter."
Her sister launched into a series of questions about the baby and whether or not they had chosen a name yet. Mariah answered her indulgently, though her sister seemed surprised they hadn't chosen a name yet. Mariah grinned and said, "We've ruled out Elizabeth, Emily, and Hunter."
"What's still on the table, then?" Emma asked.
"Trust me," Mariah said fervently, "you don't want to know." Ariel frowned at her, but before her mother could start, she said, "We have four months to find a name we can both agree on."
It was close to midnight when her mother sent her to bed. For a moment, Mariah felt like she was six again, but she was suddenly so tired she didn't object. She seldom slept well in hotels, but she dropped right off.
-X-
"Morgan lost the ring." Chuck cringed and stooped into a protective position.
Casey was appalled. Riah's wedding band had set him back a significant chunk of change since it was a channel-set diamond and platinum band from Tiffany's. He concentrated to keep from strangling Bartowski. He tried to find his calm, though he thought he'd take anyone's if it kept him from murdering his asset. When he thought he could keep his rage on a leash, he asked, "How did Grimes get it?"
"It's kind of a funny story," Bartowski began, that weird little edge of high-pitched whine creeping into his voice.
Sincerely doubting he would find it remotely funny, Casey interrupted Chuck to tell him the dollar amount it was going to cost Grimes to replace Riah's ring before adding, "Assuming he gets to live."
Bartowski looked ill. "You spent that much?" he squeaked.
"It matches her engagement ring," Casey said. Chuck asked how much that had cost, and for a moment he thought the kid would faint when he realized Riah would walk around with nearly forty thousand dollars on her ring finger. "Now explain how Grimes got her ring."
"They were in my room," Chuck told him. "Morgan was looking at it. He thought Brenda should try it on."
Casey closed his eyes. He tried counting, he tried breathing, he tried emptying his head, but in the end, his anger stayed stubbornly put. He rubbed the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger. He would not ask why Chuck had gone along with his childhood friend, figured he didn't want to know, and Bartowski would take too long explaining anyway. "And?"
"It got stuck."
Riah had long, thin fingers. Brenda must not. He was furious that someone other than Riah had worn her ring. "And?" He repeated with more hostility when Bartowski didn't continue.
"They went to Tiffany's when they couldn't get it off."
At least they had gone to the professionals, he thought. "And?" His voice grew angrier with each repetition.
"They suggested a hospital."
This time he just bared his teeth and growled, furious. If some doctor had cut that ring off instead of cutting the girl's finger off, Casey would have the moron's medical license yanked. He'd have to give some extra-special thought to Grimes's punishment.
"They were able to get the ring off—Ellie saw to it that the ring wasn't damaged—" Bartowski assured him, "but when they got back here, it wasn't in Morgan's pocket. He and Brenda are backtracking to find it."
He should have continued to drink scotch at the hotel, Casey thought. He should have gone on one hell of a bender, so he wouldn't feel homicidal. If he had, maybe V. H. would have let him stay there, maybe he could have stayed with Riah, and he would never have known any of this—assuming Riah's wedding ring was found. Casey rushed Bartowski against the wall of the apartment the kid shared with his sister and her husband. He had his hands around Chuck's throat, and it was all he could do not the squeeze the life out of him. "You had one job, Bartowski. Hold the rings and get them to the ceremony." He lifted the kid by the throat and tapped his head against the wall. "I'm getting married tomorrow," he growled with all the menace he could muster, "and my wife won't have a wedding ring." He punctuated that by tapping the kid's head against the wall with each syllable.
Woodcomb came out the apartment door then. "Whoa, John!"
"Your idiot brother-in-law lost Riah's wedding ring," Casey ground out, keeping his eyes on Bartowski's wide, terrified ones. Ellie's husband was about to say something stupid, so he colored in the picture: "Her ten thousand dollar diamond and platinum wedding band."
For once, Ken Doll was stunned into silence.
Chuck's hand came up, his finger raised.
"Use the words 'point of order,' Bartowski, and I swear I'll break that finger off."
The kid obviously regrouped as Casey eased his grip a little more. "To be fair, Casey, Morgan lost the ring."
"You let him play with it, Chuck. That makes it your fault." He leaned in, his face inches from the kid's. "Tell me why I shouldn't just shoot you, Grimes, too, when he finally shows up empty-handed."
"You don't know he'll be empty-handed," Bartowski said, and if Casey's hands hadn't reflexively tightened around his throat, Casey suspected there would have been a hint of a whine in that rather than the gargle of impending asphyxiation.
"It's Grimes," he gritted. He tilted his head and said softly. "One reason not to kill you right now, Bartowski."
"Intersect," Chuck choked.
"Not a reason," Casey corrected. It was the only reason he hadn't seriously hurt the other man, though, but Chuck didn't need to know that.
He heard a noise behind him, and then Grimes was on his back, an arm ineffectively around his throat. Bartowski must have seen something because he clearly couldn't decide whether his efforts were best spent talking Casey down or convincing Morgan to run. Casey decided for him. He released Bartowski and threw Grimes on the ground. The little bearded troll grunted as the air whooshed out of his lungs, and then he moaned. Casey wished he'd cried so he would have a head start on the humiliation he intended to mete out to Chuck's best friend. He put his foot on Grimes's throat and leaned in, put pressure on the boy's neck. "You'd better have Riah's ring if you ever want to breathe unassisted again."
Morgan tried to use his hands to lift Casey's foot off his throat. Casey added a little more of his weight.
Bartowski, as he always did, started a fast patter. "Casey! Casey!" At least he snatched his hand back before he actually touched him, Casey thought. "Let him up. He can't answer if he can't breathe."
He knew that the minute he took his foot off Grimes's neck, the kid would run. He might just use Bartowski as a human shield, but if he was truly cunning, he would simply take off. That was okay with Casey. He could run the weasel down and not even break a sweat. Grimes had no endurance, after all, probably wouldn't even make the street before he was out of breath. If Casey was especially lucky, the kid would run in front of a bus and get squashed like the little worm he was.
"Riah's ring," he prompted and eased his weight off the kid's neck enough to let him speak.
"Look, man, I'm sorry, okay?" Grimes gasped. "They took it off Brenda's finger, and I put it in my pocket. Who knew I had a hole?"
He reached down and fisted his hands in Grimes's shirt. "I'll give you a matching hole." He pulled the kid up so that he dangled from Casey's grip. "That ring cost me ten grand."
Morgan wheezed, went whiter than bathroom tile. "Ten grand?" he squeaked out.
Casey gave him a curt nod. "What am I supposed to do when I have no ring to put on my wife's finger tomorrow?"
"Buy another?" Grimes suggested and squeezed his eyes tightly shut as if he expected a blow. Casey desperately wanted to give him one, wanted to beat the living hell out of the man-boy he dangled.
"With what?" he demanded. "You got ten grand to replace it?"
"No," the boy said softly, "but I could probably afford a ten-carat gold band—one of the thin ones at Large Mart."
"Her engagement ring is platinum, you fucking moron," Casey snapped at him. The futility of getting anything from Grimes hit him. He dropped the kid and walked away. He'd call his credit card company in the morning. Maybe they could do something about a replacement. If not, maybe Riah would be entertained by using the gold bands they bought when they were married the first time. He'd have to find a way to replace what the idiot had lost at some point.
He walked past where Patterson sat on the sofa and headed straight to the kitchen. He didn't even bother with a glass. There were several inches left in the bottle. He dropped into his recliner and pulled the cork from the bottle's neck. "Thought you were worried about a hangover," the General said.
"Self-medication," he said, and lifted the bottle. "Anesthesia." He took a long pull.
Patterson's brows shot up. "V. H. going to have to shoot you after all?"
Casey shook his head. "My best man's best friend lost Riah's wedding ring." He took another pull. He should have hung on to it, should have waited until just before the ceremony to hand it over to Bartowski. Patterson, who'd seen it, looked horrified.
"Riah won't care," he said, and his shoulders dropped. "She doesn't know what I bought. She probably thinks I'm giving her a plain band." He swallowed a bit more scotch. Ten. Thousand. Dollars. Rounded, at least, not that it made much difference. It had probably already been hocked. "I bought that ring because it matched her engagement ring." He took another swallow of whisky. He'd go back to Tiffany's as soon as they opened the next morning. It would have to be a platinum band this time, and he was, he realized, less pissed off than he was simply upset. He'd wanted the best for her, had bought the best, and now he'd have to give her something less. He finished the bottle, and then he sagged into the chair, weary.
Patterson commiserated with him, and Casey let the scotch swim with that he'd swallowed at the hotel. He wished Riah was there, knew she would make it better somehow. There was a knock, and he stood, wobbled a minute—too much scotch too quickly—and made his way to the door, his hand on the gun he still wore as he pushed the buttons on the panel to see who was there at this hour of the morning. To his surprise, it was Ellie Bartowski—Woodcomb, he corrected.
"Hi, John," she said, her hands doing that nervous sort of twisty thing she did sometimes. "Listen, I don't know if Chuck told you, but Morgan—"
"I heard," he cut her off, not wanting to hear it again.
"Well," she told him after she breathed out, "Morgan put it in his pants pocket when we got it off Brenda's finger. It fell out a hole, but he didn't notice. As soon as he and Brenda left the room, I picked it up." She reached into her own pocket and then held out her hand, the diamond and platinum band held between her thumb and forefinger. She made a disgusted face. "I disinfected it. I thought since Chuck managed to let it get away from him once that I ought to bring it straight to you."
It was only then he remembered that Ellie had left their rehearsal dinner early in order to cover a shift for the doctor who would take hers so she could attend his wedding.
Casey took the ring, and then he took Ellie. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her mouth before he crushed her in a grateful hug. "I don't know how to thank you."
Ellie smiled when he released her. Then her eyes hardened. "I probably should have told Morgan, but I also thought he ought to learn a lesson." She laid a hand on Casey's forearm. "I should have let you know I had it sooner. I'm sorry."
"Right now, Ellie, I love you. You're completely forgiven," Casey assured her.
"You really are a lucky bastard," Patterson said after Casey closed the door and set the alarm system. He looked at the General. "You're lucky neither your wife nor your father-in-law saw you kiss another woman and tell her you love her."
He blinked, and then he felt heat ride up his face. He hadn't been thinking. He'd simply been so glad to have Riah's ring back that for once he responded impulsively.
"Considering she saved your ass, though," Patterson said, "I suppose you're allowed to show your gratitude."
"I love my wife," Casey said and gave the man a stony stare.
Patterson gave him a wide grin. "Never doubted it."
The next morning, he slept a little late. He had no work, so there was no reason not to. Casey would have preferred to wake up with Riah, would have enjoyed whiling away a part of the day with her there, but, he reminded himself, tradition was tradition. He could live with it for one day.
He was meeting his mother and the rest of his family for a late lunch. The wedding wasn't until seven, and they had all planned to spend the afternoon together. He had plenty of time before he had to get to the hotel and get suited up.
-X-
Room service woke her in the morning. She looked at the clock next to her bed and was surprised to see it was a little before ten o'clock. Her mother had let her sleep far longer than Mariah thought she would—especially considering Mariah had actually managed to go to sleep and stay that way. She was tempted to call John, see how late her father and General Patterson had kept him up and whether or not he had a hangover. Before she could reach for her phone, though, her mother appeared in the doorway and told her to come eat. In addition to Emma, John's mother and sisters were there as well, and that, too, surprised Mariah. They had a pleasant brunch before John's sisters excused themselves to see to husbands and children.
For the rest of the day, Mariah did what she was told. She ate what she was handed to eat, and she rested while other people bustled in and out of the suite. In the afternoon, Ellie arrived, and Mariah was glad to have someone to talk to while her mother, Jane, and Emma went downstairs to supervise the last of the decorations in the rooms where the wedding and reception would be held. She wanted to go look herself, but her mother told her in a voice that brooked no arguments to stay put. Mariah fumed a little, feeling once more that this was more her mother's wedding than hers and John's.
"It could be worse," Ellie assured her with a gentle smile.
"How?" Mariah snorted.
"My mother-in-law could be the one in charge."
Mariah nearly laughed, remembering Honey Woodcomb running roughshod over everyone. She suspected that if Honey had known about Roark and what was really going on in the reception hall, Chuck wouldn't have needed to call John, but Mariah was eternally grateful he had, was glad General Beckman had decided John was needed closer to home for a while. "Trust me," Mariah told Ellie, "my mother makes Honey Woodcomb look like a rank amateur."
The hairdresser her mother had hired bustled in, and Ellie was first. Mariah watched as the man worked his magic, and as he finished with Ellie, Emma and her mother entered and took their turns. When they began to dress, Mariah went into her bedroom and put on the strapless bra and lace panties Martin made to go under her own dress. She especially liked the stockings, pure, white silk with ribbon garters running through the tops. She tied them in neat bows, wondered if they would stay tied and stay up despite the slightly sticky bit of rubber inside the tops of them, then pulled on a robe, and, as patiently as she could, submitted to the hairdresser and cosmetician her mother had hired.
A little over an hour before she was due to go downstairs, Martin Mandeville and an assistant arrived to see to her dress. He uncovered it, and Mariah stared at it in wonder. He had delivered what he promised, and she walked forward to run a finger over the creamy white silk. It wasn't the movie dress John had told her to ask for, but she liked it nonetheless. The top of the bodice crossed from the waist over the breasts to just off the shoulder straps. The high waistline should hide the baby a little, and the full skirt and long train were enough like something from a fairy tale to satisfy Mariah, who knew fairy tales should only be heeded for the dangers they could teach, not for the romance in their stories.
Ellie gasped then gushed over it. Martin preened at her praise then checked it over, made sure it had no damage before he and his assistant began to unbutton the long row of buttons down the back so they could dress her. Ellie's phone rang, and she went back into the sitting room while Ariel stayed with Mariah. Mariah stepped into her shoes first, but then she stopped Martin and his assistant a moment and retrieved something from her bag.
Her mother had a fit when she saw what was in Mariah's hand. "You can't be serious!" she demanded. Martin, on the other hand, was amused.
"I'm absolutely serious," she said. "I remember Ellie's wedding, and John and I both tend to attract trouble." She put on the thigh holster and then holstered her loaded weapon. Martin and the assistant didn't say a word, simply put the dress on her before fussing around her and making adjustments.
She wouldn't have believed it, but the man had worked miracles. She didn't look very pregnant at all, and she had a little trouble believing she was the woman reflected in the mirror. She turned and looked at the back, relieved to see he had, indeed, managed to hide her scars. She smiled widely at him and told him he was brilliant. He leaned in and kissed her cheek. "Of course," he confirmed with a grin.
Emma and Ellie came in with John's mother. Mariah had to admit the compliments helped settle her a bit. Emma handed Mariah her earrings, diamond studs from which sapphire teardrops hung, and she put them in the holes in her lobes. Her mother stepped behind her and put the necklace Mariah had loved to look at as a child around her neck. It was platinum with diamonds in a leaf pattern from which hung a large, teardrop-shaped sapphire pendant surrounded by more diamonds.
John's mother stepped forward then and said, "I know why you said no before," Jane told her, "but things have changed, and I really would like you to have this." She held up the box with the sapphire bracelet she had tried to give Mariah when they met. Mariah thought she might cry, so she just smiled and nodded. Jane took the string of small sapphires linked by bits of delicate gold chain and put it around Mariah's right wrist. She leaned in and gave Mariah a gentle hug and kissed her cheek.
Mariah whispered a thank you as she returned the hug.
Jane stepped back and smiled. "You look lovely, Mariah," she said. Mariah thanked her again, and then she came even closer to tears when Jane added, "You make my son happy, and it's been a long time since I've seen him truly happy."
When she excused herself and Mariah found herself alone with her mother, Emma, and Ellie, Ariel said, "Considering how much I always disliked the man, I really hate admitting her son makes you happy."
"Mum," Mariah groaned.
Ariel smiled. "Don't worry, Mariah. Casey and I have come to terms with one another."
There was not much time before she had to go downstairs, and Mariah was suddenly very nervous. She was already John's wife, but that didn't ease her anxiety. She and John did seem to draw trouble, and the possibility that something might happen, go wrong and harm the people they cared about, compounded her worry. She was also still a bit wary of her pregnancy, and while she was touched that Jane had given her the bracelet, she worried she jinxed the baby by accepting.
She took a deep breath, wondered where her father was. She wasn't sure he was very happy about her marrying John, mainly because he kept making jokes about her settling in Saskatchewan with a nice farmer, marrying an accountant from Manitoba, or running off with an insurance salesman from British Columbia. She just hoped he'd let it go, let her have a lovely night.
Thinking about him seemed to summon him. There was a faint knock on the door, and when Emma opened it, her father stood there. Ariel leaned in, kissed her daughter, and hugged her. "I love you, Mariah."
"I love you, too, Mum," she choked.
"Casey's threatened to kill anyone who makes you cry," her father said as he crossed to her, "so stop that now because I think he's looking for an excuse to make me the first target."
Mariah laughed. Her father looked handsome in his tuxedo, and she told him so when he hugged her and kissed her. He looked at her solemnly. "You're very beautiful, Mariah." He took her hands and said, "If you've changed your mind, I have several operatives positioned to aid your escape."
"V. H.!" her mother hissed. Ellie had a puzzled look on her face.
He frowned at his former partner. "What? Maybe she's come to her senses and will settle for a nice actuary from Prince Edward Island."
Mariah shook her head, smiled. "John, Dad. Only John."
He heaved a melodramatic sigh and grumbled, "I was afraid of that." He looked at his watch. "It's about time to go give you to him. Sure you won't change your mind?"
She squeezed his hands. "I'm absolutely positive I won't change my mind."
Emma and her mother picked up her veil. Mariah, on Martin's advice, had chosen a veil that wouldn't be attached to her hair. Instead, it simply draped over her, reached to her knees in both front and back. Emma handed over her bouquet, and since both women were taller than she, she didn't really have to duck down much for them to lift the transparent silk over her and settle it into place. Now, all Mariah had to do was manage not to dislodge it as she walked. Emma, Ellie, and her mother left to go take their positions downstairs.
"Your husband's waiting," her father observed when the other women had closed the door behind them.
Mariah froze, stared at him. He had called John her husband. "Don't you mean my fiancé?"
Her father gave her a broad, knowing smile. "No, I mean your husband." She could feel herself going pale, faint. "Mariah, I knew the day you married him."
She knew better than to deny it, but she had understood that it would take a court order to find out they had married with a confidential license, and she couldn't imagine John had told him. "How?" she whispered.
He shrugged. "Does it really matter?" She stared at him, mute. He relented after a moment. "One of my operatives was in the clerk's office when the two of you turned up to get the marriage license. He followed you up to the B & B." Mariah was determined not to ask why there was an operative in that particular office on that particular day, but her father explained he had been tailing someone else. Serendipity, he shrugged, pure, dumb luck on the operative's part.
From Mariah's point of view, it wasn't lucky at all, and she tried hard to remember who was in the clerk's office that day. The truth of the matter was that she had been so startled by John's insistence on getting married that day that she had paid no attention to the other people in the office when they went in. She had been in more than a little bit of shock, and as she had filled in her part of the application, she had been focused on that and on John.
"You know, Mariah," her father said, "I love you, and all I want is for you to be happy. If Casey makes you happy, then I'm very glad for you. If he doesn't, I promise to kill him for you."
She sighed at her father's earnest promise, saw the twinkle in his dark eyes that belied the sincerity with which he had said it, and then assured him, "You won't need to, Dad. I'm perfectly capable of killing him myself—if I need to."
He helped her pick up her dress's train and held the door for her to precede him into the hallway. They waited at the elevator bank, and Mariah clutched the red roses and white calla lilies tightly. John would likely be pissed when he realized she had, after all, arranged a red, white and blue wedding—considering Ellie and Emma both wore red silk and John and Paul Patterson's blue uniforms would provide the blue. Only Chuck would stand out in his black tuxedo—one Mariah had bought and had tailored to him since the rentals he usually wore didn't quite fit his wiry frame. It was a good investment given that he often found himself in one on the job.
When she and her father stepped inside the elevator and the doors closed, she told him. "I love you, too, Dad, and I'm sorry I let you down."
Her father turned to look at her. She watched him, saw his face clear when he realized what she meant. "I'm disappointed you left ISI, yes, but you've never let me down, sweetheart." He touched her cheek through her veil. "Mariah, I'm very proud of you, very proud of the fact that every time you got knocked down you got back up again. You are good at what you do, even when someone seriously stacks the deck against you. I meant what I said: I just want you to be happy. It seems Casey makes you happy, and while I wish you hadn't had to choose between him and your job, I think you made the right choice. He loves you, honey."
The doors opened, and her father held an arm out to keep the door open long enough for her to safely get out. "Let's get you down the aisle."
She smiled broadly and stepped out, only to be startled by a photographer who ran as soon as he had taken her photograph. Bemused, she saw two men intercept him before she turned to her sheepish father. "I promised your mother," he mumbled, and she grinned in return. There would be few photographs of Mariah's wedding, especially since many of the guests and parts of the wedding party didn't need to have their pictures published. Her mother had hired a photographer who could be trusted not to sell the photos without permission, so she wasn't that surprised her father's operatives were chasing down photographers intent on getting pictures of Ariel Taylor or her daughter.
Mariah and her father were waved off to the side, and then the doors were opened and Ellie and Emma made their way into the room. The doors were closed again, and she and her father stepped before them. "Last chance to change your mind," her father cracked as Martin Mandeville's assistant straightened her train.
Smiling widely, she took his arm and told him, "Take me to my husband."
The doors opened, and they walked inside. Mariah concentrated on getting the pace right, a task made more difficult the second she saw John. The expression on his face gave her a bit more courage. She would have said she looked him over, but the truth was she ogled him. God, how she loved seeing him in his uniform, something she rarely did, and it was absolutely criminal how handsome he was. When she reached the front, she felt like she was the most fortunate woman in the world because he belonged to her.
-X-
If he were asked, he'd have to say his wife was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen. Casey stared at her as she approached on V. H.'s arm. That was definitely not the Julie Andrews dress, but he liked what he could see of it. He liked it even better when they removed the veil. She blushed as her father put her hand in his, and Casey nearly bent to kiss her then instead of waiting until the end of the ceremony.
He avidly stared at her, put aside the fact that when he saw Ellie and Emma coming down the aisle and realized she had put them in red that he had plotted revenge for her having done what he told her not to. On the other hand, he could care less, he thought, taking in how the white silk enhanced her larger breasts, how the severe—formal—hair somehow made her eyes more blue. Before Whatley could start the service, though, Casey lifted the hand he held and kissed it.
As he listened to the words, he kept his eyes on Riah. Because he took all vows he made very seriously, Casey listened to Whatley talk about marriage as a gift and a way of life. He especially liked the part where the man talked about marriage as a "sign of unity and loyalty which all should uphold and honor." Casey turned a hard eye on their guests when Whatley asked if there was anyone who knew of any reason they couldn't lawfully marry. When no one spoke, the Canadian turned to him and asked if he would take Riah as his wife. When the man finished, Casey said firmly, "I will," thus promising to love, comfort, honor and protect Riah and to be faithful to her. Riah's own "I will" was equally firm. He smiled when the priest asked, "Will you, the families and friends of John and Mariah support and uphold them in their marriage now and in the years to come?" and those present said, "We will."
Riah had chosen a selection from the Song of Solomon for the reading. A prayer and a hymn later, and it was time for Casey to take Riah's hand. Hers trembled, and he wasn't sure his didn't as well. He repeated the vows after Whatley, and then he released her hand. Riah took his hand then and said her vows, and they released hands again. Bartowski gave their rings to the priest, who prayed over them, and then Casey took Riah's band and slid it on her finger. He repeated his favorite of the promises he made as part of the ceremony: "Mariah, I give you this ring as a sign of our marriage. With my body I honor you, all that I am I give to you, and all that I have I share with you, within the love of God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit."
He felt her slide his band on his finger. He'd never thought he would wear one, but he liked the idea of wearing something that marked him as Riah's. She repeated the same promise he had just made her, and their hands released. The priest proclaimed them man and wife, joined their hands once more, and then they knelt before Whatley who blessed them. As far as Casey was concerned, they were done, but he waited only a little impatiently for the rest of the pageantry to end. He kept his eyes on Riah's as he helped her to her feet, and wondered what she would do when she realized that Whatley was about to make one deviation from tradition
When the man said, "Mariah, you may kiss the groom," Casey watched her frown, start to turn toward Whatley, but then she grinned. She reached up and cradled his cheeks, pulled his mouth to hers and kissed him within an inch of his life. Their guests laughed, but Casey suddenly wondered if the two of them could simply skip the reception, plead her pregnancy and the late hour.
It was only about eight, though, so he gave up on that as she took his arm, smiled widely, and he walked her to the door of the small ballroom.
Later, as they posed for photographs prior to joining the reception, Casey wished again they could simply go upstairs. As they waited for the photographer to group the rest of the wedding party around them, she asked softly, "Was that your idea, or Peter's?"
It took him a second to realize she meant the modification in their instructions. He simply grunted. Then he grinned at her. "I didn't hear you object."
She and Casey were given several minutes alone after the last of the photographs were taken. Ariel told them they had about fifteen minutes while they got the guests into the other ballroom where the reception would be. After her mother had gone, Riah leaned into him, and he wrapped his arms around her. He pressed a kiss against her temple. "That's some dress, Mrs. Casey."
Riah smiled and lifted her face so he could kiss her properly. She ran her hand up his chest. "That's some uniform, Colonel."
Casey's fingered the line of buttons that marched down her spine. He couldn't count without it being obvious, but there were probably thirty buttons he'd have to open to get her out of it. He figured about half would provide enough room to strip her, but then he decided that a little torture might be in order. He'd open every damn one of them while he teased her to the edge of madness. "These your mother's idea?" he asked against her mouth.
She grinned. "Mine actually." He shot a brow up. "It was this or laces."
He grunted and took her mouth again. He remembered fumbling with the laces on that leather corset of hers. "Buttons are good," he assured her. "Even better when they're undone."
"Let's skip the reception," she whispered urgently and sealed her mouth to his. He gathered her closer, and while he felt the same way, he knew they had to put in an appearance, knew that if they didn't, Ariel or his mother would likely come haul them back downstairs to face their guests.
"Both of you stop that," Emma MacKenzie ordered. "Mom says that if you don't get to the reception immediately, she will have your General Beckman send MPs after you again."
Casey let his wife go, was about to lead her to the reception, but Riah stayed where she was. Mandeville and his assistant entered, and Casey watched as they gathered the train on her dress. They began folding it up, lifting toward her bottom, and Casey realized they were using tiny hooks to hold it up against her and out of the way. She gave him a wry, slightly embarrassed smile as she stood and waited for them to finish. Casey watched as they hooked and then fluffed to get all that fabric to fall so that it looked as though there had never been a train. As he put a hand in the small of her back to steer her toward the room where their guests waited, he leaned down and murmured, "I wondered if you were going to have to drag that around all night."
As a result, she was smiling when they entered the room to the announcement of "Colonel and Mrs. John Casey." He noticed Riah smiled even more broadly at her mother's sour face. Ariel had wanted her announced separately as Mariah Casey, but Riah had overridden her, told her she was quite content to be Mrs. John Casey. When that hadn't persuaded her, Riah's face had taken on a steely cast and she had told her mother, "You insisted on formal and high ceremony, so we'll go all out." Casey had no complaints about it, but it had, frankly, surprised him, and he wondered if she meant it or had simply done it because she could. Riah had finally begun to assert herself over the wedding during the last week.
The reception began with a sit-down dinner. After they were seated, her father thanked their guests for coming, and Casey noticed Riah relaxed when he didn't add anything about Casey molesting her or any other of the remarks he and her father tended to engage in. He simply hoped that when the meal was over and the toasts began that V. H. didn't then decide to bring it up.
They were served appetizers, and Casey noted Riah, seemed happy to see the food. He wondered if she had eaten that day or if nerves had kept her from doing so. He watched a waiter fill her glass from a bottle of non-alcoholic sparkling cider. His wife shot him a surprised look when his was, too. He leaned in and whispered that it was "only fair." She grinned at him, and he was certain she remembered the last time he'd said that to her. He wished he hadn't since he recalled the state of undress that fairness had taken.
As they all finished dinner, his father-in-law stood and began the toasts. Riah clutched Casey's hand, and he listened, hoped her father would behave himself. He spoke of his love for his daughter, and Casey was as touched as Riah obviously was by the heartfelt words. For once, Adderly was mostly serious, but then he caught Casey's eye. "I never imagined she'd marry someone like Casey, though. I was holding out for a fisherman from Nova Scotia, but she chose an American. Since he's a big enough bastard to beat me into a pulp, though, we'll just say that I'm glad he loves her and that she loves him." He grinned at Casey, who braced himself for what might be coming. "If you do anything to hurt her, if you break her heart, though, I'll get on a plane, fly to Los Angeles or wherever you are, shoot you, plan a funeral, comfort my daughter, and pretend to be sorry you're dead."
People laughed, but Casey gave him a very hard glare. Riah did as well, he noticed when he shot a look at her. He supposed he ought to be glad there had been no mention of molestation.
"On the other hand, her mother has some pretty inventive ways to deal with you if you step out of line, so I may just leave it to her. My daughter is also, she assures me, more than capable of seeing you punished, so I guess I'll have to let you live." V. H. lifted his glass. "Make each other happy."
After the applause, V. H. leaned down and kissed his daughter's cheek before he shook Casey's hand and said a soft, "Congratulations."
Bartowski was up next, and Casey was surprised at how smoothly the kid delivered his. He could have done without the lady feelings part, but hearing the kid say, "I've learned a lot from knowing you, Casey," warmed a corner of his heart, he supposed. "I'm happy you have Mariah—and she you—and I hope you're both happy for many years to come." He had a momentary twinge of jealousy when Riah kissed the kid, and he let Bartowski hug him this once. He muttered a gruff, "Thanks," in the kid's ear.
"I never thought Mariah would fall in love, let alone get married," Emma started, when it was her turn, "and I would have bet money it wouldn't be Casey when she did." He wondered if he ought to be offended, but he supposed, given what Emma had known of him before, he shouldn't be surprised. "Casey's proved he's right for you, Mariah," she continued. "After all, he braved Mom's notorious dislike of him for you. I think I always knew he could do the knight in tarnished armor thing, but it's obvious—if for no other reason than Mom's behaving herself for once—that he will slay dragons for you."
He felt the heat run up his face, and Riah leaned into him. He'd slay Ariel for her, he thought as Emma finished, and he'd probably enjoy it if it wouldn't upset Riah.
When he finally got to take her in his arms for their first dance, he began calculating how long until he could take her upstairs where they could be alone. A few steps in, he realized that Ariel was singing. Riah had told him her mother never sang in private. She smiled widely up at him and said softly, "One of my wedding presents, though I wish she'd chosen a song that wasn't really about leave-taking."
Ariel sang Louis Armstrong's "A Kiss to Build a Dream On." Casey kissed her as he moved her around the floor. "I don't plan on going anywhere."
"You will," she told him, "but you'll come home to us."
He smiled at her faith in him and kissed her again.
Much later, after Casey had done his duty to their guests and considered collecting his wife and retiring, Paul Patterson claimed Riah for a dance. He nearly refused to let her go, but Bartowski walked up to him and said, "General Beckman needs you."
Riah gave him a worried look, and he kissed her before he reminded her, "No emergencies."
His wife looked anything but reassured, but she went with Patterson anyway. Casey followed the kid to a corner where his boss and father-in-law stood. V. H. handed him a file. Casey didn't open it. "I promised Riah," he said tightly, "twice." He was not leaving her on their wedding night, despite the fact they had technically had their wedding night nearly three months earlier.
Beckman's serious gaze met his. "There's a problem, Casey."