Chapter 12
TWELVE
On Saturday, the world was trying to kill her.
She’d gone out to her car to get to the dress shop and pick up her dress. It had to be altered to fit her slighter frame because as her grandmother had taught her, a woman didn’t go out in a dress that hung on her like a hanger and made her look like a scarecrow.
With hardly any time to get a decent dress and then have it altered. She was left to pick up the dress on Saturday morning.
That’s when her car wouldn’t start.
And then she’d started to call Triple A, but she’d forgotten to charge her cell phone.
Well, that’s what must have happened because she swore she’d plugged the phone in before she crawled into bed, but the cell had been dead when she woke up.
So by the time she’d found her extra power bank and connected to her phone she was fit to be tied and had to rush to the store to get her dress.
That was why she ended up calling Walker and asking him if she could meet him at the church.
Yuck.
That’s the last thing she wanted to do on the day that he was taking her to his brother’s wedding.
Thank goodness that he’d laughed when she told him it was because she picked up her dress late. She’d ended up laughing too. Lord knows she didn’t want to admit that she hadn’t had a dress presentable enough for a wedding.
Just her own darn luck. Right?
When she arrived at the church she parked her car at the back of the parking lot and made her way toward the front.
“Hey, Kennedy.”
Kennedy slowed her steps and turned around with a smile on her face. “Yep. That’s me!”
“I’m Irish. Irish Healey.”
The woman walking toward her was the epitome of color. Her hair was a wash of several shades of pink, lighter at the top and a deep fuchsia at the bottom. Her dress looked like it was layers of green fabric with embroidered flowers around the bodice. Even if she hadn’t said her name, Kennedy would have known who it was. “I know! You’re hard to forget, Irish!”
“Irish Noble.”
“Dang it! I keep doing that.”
Kennedy smiled at the sweet look on Irish’s face and the indulgent love on her husband’s.
Irish had always been a voice on the phone, calling in tips on good, heartwarming stories, until she called to ask for help.
“I know who you are, Irish. I know both of your names. You’re the one who keeps this town running. Well you and the other 911 operators.”
Irish impulsively hugged her and Kennedy knew she must have looked a little surprised. People in Center City weren’t exactly huggers on impulse or otherwise.
“Careful, gorgeous. You don’t want to break Kennedy.”
Irish pulled back, her cheeks a fetching red that matched the current flame color of her hair. “Oh, I’m so sorry.”
Kennedy waved off her concern. “I’m made of good country stock, Irish. You wouldn’t hurt me if you tried.”
Irish shook her head. “Well, I’d never do that. I think you’re awesome.”
Theo Noble, Irish’s gorgeous husband grinned at his wife’s pronouncement. “She means it, too. She’s always telling me about a story that you have on YouTube.”
Irish leaned in. “I don’t watch the nightly news, it’s too horrible.”
Kennedy’s heart went out to the other woman. “I know what you mean. There’s so much horrible in the world, I like to highlight the wonderful things that people do.”
“That’s why I love your videos so much. I can’t believe that the station took down your video.”
Kennedy felt a little heat on her face. She was stung by their decision and it still hurt even though she’d gotten what passed for an apology at WCCN.
Which wasn’t much.
“Thank you for saying that. It means a lot.”
“Hey,” Irish turned her head a little to give Kennedy a cheeky smile, “are you sitting on the Bride’s side or the Groom’s?”
Kennedy hesitated a little.
“Well, I think I’ve interacted with Kate more than I have with the bride or groom, but I was asked to come today and be Walker’s Plus One.”
Irish clasped her hands over her heart. “Shut the Front Door! Walker Detective-Dark-and-Dangerous Ashley? I’m swooning!”
“Hey,” Theo leaned in, putting his hands on his wife’s shoulders. “I thought I was your Dark and Dangerous man.”
“You’re so sweet and dark, husband. And,” she leaned closer but Kennedy could still hear her breathless whisper, “you melt on my tongue.”
Kennedy looked off toward the church. “So, I should probably go and find my seat.”
Irish bounced back like she hadn’t just made her super sexy husband blush and grin like he was going to toss her over his shoulder and take her back home.
“You’re going to come with us. “We’re sitting on Roan’s side because Kate’s going to be there. And then when your man is done standing up like a hot penguin with his brother, we’ll turn you over to him. And then we’ll see you at the reception and-”
Theo leaned in and kissed Irish on her temple. “Breathe, baby. You’re about to run out of air.”
Kennedy fell in behind them as she moved toward the church.
And when they reached the door, Kennedy didn’t have to worry about where she was sitting, Walker was suddenly there, offering her his arm.
Another man in a tux walked up to direct Irish and her firefighter husband to their seats, but Walker held her at his side for a moment.
“What are you doing here?” She shook her head. “I thought you didn’t do the glad-handing stuff.”
His voice dropped as his eyes darkened, looking at her. “I don’t know what the hell you just said but it sounds sexy as hell.”
He drew her into the space behind a giant statue and she barely held back a giggle.
“Glad-handing? It means-”
He cut her off with a kiss, stunning her.
When he pulled back she looked around to see if anyone was watching. “Walker… people are going to see.”
“Ask me if I care?”
This side of Walker was new to her.
Okay, all sides of Walker were new to her, she couldn’t help but be amazed at the sides of himself that he was revealing to her.
“You’re ushering? That’s what I was asking about. I didn’t think you were going to do that.”
“I’m playing double duty today, gorgeous.”
Gorgeous?
“Really? What changed?”
“I told Roan that I’d help as an usher because I wanted to see what you were wearing that was so important that I couldn’t pick you up this morning.”
He walked her slowly down the aisle giving her sideways looks that had her own heart rate singing.
“What color is that?”
She grinned and gave him a sideways glance of her own. “It’s all based on the color teal, but there are several different tints and shades down to sea foam.”
He turned to look at her, his gaze moving all over her, from head to toe and back again.
Kennedy laughed softly. “You don’t understand a thing I just said, did you?”
He shook his head. “The only thing I’m clinging to right now is how much I love my brother and my soon-to-be sister-in-law, or I’d be walking you right back out of this church and taking you-”
“Oh no,” she interrupted him. “You promised me dancing at the reception.”
“Did I?” He had a sly look on his face. “We could dance at my apartment, or yours.”
She put her hand on his chest and marveled at the pressed perfection of the pintucks on his shirt. “You are going to go up there and stand with your brother and make your family happy. And then we’re going to dance at the reception and then… we’ll see.”
He shook his head at her. “You’re teasing me.”
“Nope.” She shook her head. “I’m just telling you the truth. You’re going to be here for your brother and the rest will take care of itself.”
Taking her hands in his, he leaned in and kissed her cheek. “Then take your seat, sugar. We’re going to get this show started.”
He held her hand as she sat in the pew and with a little wink, he went to the back of the church and disappeared behind a door.
Smiling, Kennedy tried to relax into her seat but she realized that she wasn’t alone on the pew.
A lovely woman with a face like Princess Grace turned to look at her. “Hello, dear. Was that Walker with you just now?”
Kennedy bit down on the inside of her cheek to keep herself from saying something off the cuff. “Walker Ashley?”
The instant that she asked the question she knew how dumb it sounded.
“Yes. I came to be his… to be his plus one today at the wedding.”
“His plus one,” the lovely woman turned her head slightly and gave Kennedy a look out of the corner of her eye, “I can’t believe my son just sat you down here and didn’t even introduce me to his girlfriend.”
His… girlfriend?
Wait.
“You’re Missus Ashley?”
“No,” she shook her head smiling and Kennedy joined her, relieved to hear that.
“I remarried and my name is Cora Turner now.” She turned slightly on the pew and held out her hand. “And you are?”
Kennedy was feeling a little faint at the moment.
“I’m… I’m-”
“I can see that I’m going to have to talk to Walker about his manners.”
Kennedy took the woman’s hand and attempted a smile. “I’m Kennedy Heart, ma’am.”
She smiled even deeper than she had been. “Kennedy Heart. That’s a lovely name for a lovely young woman.”
Kennedy was struggling to breathe, let alone keep rivers of sweat from pouring down her face.
“What do you do, Miss Heart?”
“P-please,” she was trying to hold herself together, “please just call me, Kennedy.”
“Kennedy,” she repeated as she released Kennedy’s hand and lay her hand down in her lap. “Humor me while we wait for Roan and Walker to come out with Kate for this wedding. I’m so glad that one of my boys is finally settling down.”
Kennedy nodded. “Roan and Pilar are very much in love. It’s just by luck that I was invited.”
“Invited by the brother of the groom. I don’t think that’s luck.” Her smile softened. “Or maybe it’s just my luck. How long-”
“I’m a reporter for WCCN - Channel 12 in Center City.”
“A reporter?” She nodded her head. “I can see that you’re a sharp girl.”
Sharp? Kennedy wanted to bash her head against the back of the pew. “How?”
Walker’s mother reached over and tapped her hand gently. “You knew that I was about to ask you how long you and Walker have been going out and so you answered my earlier question about what you did. So, I’m guessing that you and Walker haven’t been together long, and you’re worried what I’m going to think.
“Add to that, your surprise that Walker sat you down beside me tells me a lot, too.”
Kennedy’s brow raised at that. “Were you in law enforcement, Missus Turner?”
Cora laughed out loud drawing a number of eyes in their direction.
“Oh, I like you, Kennedy. I like you a lot. Law enforcement? Hardly. But when you get to be a mother, you learn a lot of tricks about when someone is telling the truth and when someone is evading a question, and I think, you, my dear, know that you were evading my question. I assure you, before the night is out, I will have that answer.”
Kate skirted around the outside of the pews and slipped sideways between the pew that Kennedy was sitting on with Walker’s mother and the pew in front of them.
When she was within a foot of them, she leaned over and said mostly to her step-mother. “Walker would appreciate it if you didn’t scare Kennedy away.”
Cora grinned at Kate. “You look lovely, Kate. Now tell your brother he should have more faith.”
Now it was Kate’s turn to look a little scared. “In who? Or what?”
Cora took Kennedy’s hand and held it lightly in her own.
“Go ahead and do what you need to do. I’ll take care of Kennedy.”
Goodness.
That’s exactly what Kennedy was worried about.
After the wedding, Kennedy managed to not combust into flames like vampire being touched by Holy Water. She had already felt like a complete sham of a person sitting next to Roan and Walker’s mother as if she wasn’t mentally undressing Walker in her head.
Okay, so she was doing more than that in her head, but wow. Sitting with his mother was the most tense situation she’d ever been in.
She hadn’t even thought of his mother being there at the wedding in the church, which she should have.
Boy, she was really losing her touch when it came to getting the story straight in her head, but that’s what Walker was doing to her.
Until he’d called and they’d actually talked for the first time since that night he’d spent in her bed, she was beginning to think that he was done with her.
It wasn’t a good feeling, but she had begun to wonder.
No, she hadn’t seen him with women or heard any recent stories about his conquests, but the last thing she wanted to be was…
A regret.
Or a quick dalliance.
She wanted to mean something to Walker Ashley.
And the phone call had gone from light conversation to leaving her so hot she’d fallen asleep with the insides of her thighs aching from how hard she’d had to clench them together just imagining what he had in store for her after the ceremony.
“Ladies and gentlemen, please stand as I introduce you to Mister and Missus Roan Ashley!”
Relieved to do something, Kennedy got up on her feet and clapped along with the rest of the guests.
Pilar and Roan walked by smiling at each other.
Well, she could only see Pilar, but that was enough.
The look of love on her face made her look as if she was glowing.
And why wouldn’t she be? The looks that her now husband had given her at the altar might have set the world on fire.
Kennedy was imagining a rather spectacular wedding night and honeymoon for the amazing couple.
Something she’d never really considered for herself.
Married?
Sure.
Eventually.
But she’d never expected a lot of sex.
There would have to be some for kids, but Kennedy hadn’t really seen that in the picture as being fun. Just practical.
“Kennedy?”
Barely holding off a gasp of surprise, she turned to see Walker’s mother gesturing for her to come along.
“We’re taking photos outside with the couple, dear. Come on. We can walk together.”
Kennedy’s feet stopped in place and her heart kicked against her ribs. “Oh, that’s not for me.”
Cora shook her head as if she were with a naughty child. “Come along, sweetie.”
“Oh! I see my friends outside, please excuse me.”
Yes, it was a lie, and she was sure, given Cora’s owlish look, that she’s knew it too.
“I’ll let you escape this time.”
This time?
Kennedy practically ran out the side door and around to the front of the church. She hoped that she hadn’t left a vapor trail on her way out.
She found her way around to the back of the roughly assembled group standing on the open concrete area before the massive cathedral. Kennedy recognized a number of faces in the crowd and saw how happy they were to spend time together off the clock.
The same couldn’t be said for the people at WCCN.
People rarely stayed after their shift or showed up early.
A few times over the years, Kennedy had gone to what had been touted as company community parties, but the only things she’d learned at the parties was who couldn’t hold their liquor and what some people thought of their coworkers when alcohol loosened their tongues.
She had a feeling that this wedding and its reception were going to be different.
She could already feel the camaraderie surrounding her as she moved through the little groups who were in front of the church talking to each other.
A few times she stopped to greet folks that she knew by name so that Walker’s mother wouldn’t think she lied. Well, at least not completely.
As she moved between groups she turned and saw Walker and his brother taking photos together.
They were both handsome men, but she couldn’t seem to keep her eyes from straying to Walker. She’d never been a big fan of beards until she’d met John, and he’d become like a father figure to her. And then when she’d seen Walker at a crime scene, she’d been stunned at the hard edge of his good looks.
Again, her ideal future family had changed, and she found the man standing beside her in her fantasy looking less like the clean cut Nine to Five worker and more like… Walker.
But she’d fought back her attraction for him because she wasn’t sure that’s what Walker wanted. Now or ever.
Smiling, she saw Vitalia Campanelli waving her over.
“Kennedy Heart! Great to see you.”
Kennedy was a little shocked that Vitalia knew who she was. “Hey. Nice to see you, too.”
Vitalia gestured at the others around her. “Do you know these guys?” She gestured at the men around her. Kennedy knew that they were from Firehouse Twenty-Nine under Vitalia’s father, Fire Chief Aldo Campanelli.
“Sure,” she readily agreed. “I’ve covered a bunch of stories about your firehouse and the great things y’all do for the community.” She smiled, inspiration striking while she had the opportunity, turning to Vitalia. “Is your dad around still? I was hoping to talk to him about an idea.”
Vitalia shook her head. “He had to leave near the end of the wedding. A fire alarm in the district went off and he headed to the scene. What’s up?”
Kennedy tapped at her temple. “Just an idea I need to run past your dad. I can call and make an appointment with his secretary.”
Vitalia shook her head. “If you happen to be by the station, stop in. You might just catch him while he’s there. If he’s not available, you can talk to Leona. Leona Carissi is my dad’s secretary. She’s got the keys to the castle.”
Kennedy felt her whole heart light up.
She expected the firefighters to be kind and nice, but it was always a good feeling when someone helped.
“Thanks for your help.”
“Hey!”
She turned toward the voice and saw a sight that made her heart stop and start to flutter like crazy a moment later.
Walker jogging over to her with a smile on his face.
He looked so damn handsome.
When he came to a stop beside her, he put his arm around her body and settled his hand on her hip. “I was looking for you and then I see you and you’re hanging out with this bunch of hose jockeys.”
Without thinking, Kennedy swung her arm out and hit his belly with the back of her hand. “Be nice.”
Vitalia gave her a wide-eyed stare. “Girl, you’re my hero.”
Walker rubbed at his stomach with his free hand. “Ow, that almost hurt.”
Kennedy turned her head to glare at him. “I can try again.”
He moved his hand off of his belly and held it out to stop a second strike. “No. No. I got the message.”
He leaned in and gave her a quick peck on her temple before turning back to the group of firefighters. “You guys coming to the reception?”
As the other firefighters gave their excited answers, Kennedy saw Vitalia turn her head. Her expression sobered and Kennedy leaned forward to see what she was looking at.
Another one of the firefighters from Station Twenty Nine, Isaac MacKenzie, was walking toward the parking lot, tugging at his tie as if he was trying to keep himself from choking.
Kennedy wondered what Vitalia knew that she didn’t.
“You ready, Kennedy?”
Walker rubbed her forearm, and she looked up to meet his gaze. “Hmm?”
“You ready to dance with me?”
She almost shook her head and laughed. This was a lighter side of Walker than she wasn’t used to, but she found it a nice change of pace. “Yeah. I’m ready to dance with you.”
“All right.” He tugged her in against his side and waved to the firefighters. “All right losers, get your own girl for the dance floor. I’ve got mine.”
Kennedy felt his arm drop from around her and then he turned, holding a hand out for her to take.
It felt like the gesture was more than just asking for her hand to hold, but she wasn’t going to say a thing about it. It was nice to let the feeling seep in without worrying too much about the bigger picture. It was nice to just have her hand in his.
They were halfway to the car when he leaned in and gave her hand a squeeze.
“I’m glad you came with me today.”
She swallowed and hoped that her heart would go back into her chest from her throat where it had leapt. “Me, too.”