Chapter Twenty-Four
By the time Tanner got to the church he was feeling a little like a zombie.
Murder was a messy business in every possible way.
Not just the physical part of it, although that was bad enough in this case.
Making sure all the evidence was gathered properly, then working with the coroner’s office to have the body removed.
Even in a cut-and-dried case such as this one, it was still labor intensive. Particularly since it was a murder that also involved a hostage situation in a separate county. So lots of hours of extra communicating and paperwork.
Whitaker showed up right before dawn to take over everything. Tanner let out a sigh of relief. He really hadn’t wanted to miss his own wedding and honeymoon.
“Thank you, Richard,” Tanner said as he shook the man’s hand. He hadn’t been required to come, since this wasn’t the normal section of the county he worked in. He’d done so without anyone asking him to.
“I figured it was better for me to miss the wedding than you. But seriously, the next dead body? Please do not let it have anything to do with you or your bride.”
“Deal.”
By that point, there hadn’t been any point in trying to get any sleep. Tanner tried to call Bree, to make sure she was okay.
He had no idea what he was supposed to say to a bride a few hours before her wedding when there was a dead body on top of her wedding dress. Even when he knew that bride probably better than anyone else in the world.
He just wanted to assure her that he was willing to do whatever she wanted to do.
If she wanted to reschedule the whole thing, he would do that.
If she wanted to get married in their jeans and T-shirts, he would do that.
If she wanted not to have a big wedding at all, he would drag her in front of the judge in the next five minutes.
He just wanted her to know that he loved her.
But he didn’t get to talk to Bree. Cassandra had answered the phone and explained to him what the women of the town were doing. She told him to hang out with Noah and to be at the church on time.
His breakfast with Noah had been pretty somber. A man was dead. And neither of them felt bad about it.
“Do you think Marilyn is going to be okay?” he asked in between bites of the breakfast food they had to get at the next town over because the Sunrise was currently a wedding dress factory.
“She’ll have her ups and downs. Even knowing this was the only way she and the kids would truly be safe, it will still weigh on her. Make her wonder if there might’ve been a different way.”
“Not in the eyes of the law. Ellis had every intent of hurting her and Bree, or worse.”
Noah nodded. “That doesn’t mean someone as tenderhearted as Marilyn won’t still struggle with it. I would’ve taken that burden from her if I could.”
Tanner wondered how long it would be before his brother realized he was in love with this woman. “I know you would, bro, but believe it or not, not all burdens are meant for you to carry.”
“That woman has carried enough. She damn well doesn’t need to carry any more.”
Neither did Noah, not that he was going to be able to hear that. “Take a word of advice from your wise younger brother.”
Noah snickered. “And what’s that?”
“You two find a way of sharing the burden. I know that was one of the most fundamental lessons your time in the Special Forces taught you. A shared burden is easier to carry.”
Noah nodded, then sat back and stared at him. “Dude, you’re getting married in a couple hours. You nervous?”
“No.” Tanner didn’t hesitate. Didn’t have any doubt. There was nowhere on earth he’d rather be than at that church watching Bree walked down the aisle.
And that was where he was two hours later when the wedding march played and Bree walked toward him slowly, escorted by Dan and Cheryl on either side of her.
Tanner knew he should look at her gown. Knew the women of the town had worked all night for Bree to have something to wear. But all he could see was her. It wouldn’t have mattered what she’d been wearing—hell, it could’ve been a ten-thousand-dollar gown or a trash bag and he wouldn’t have noticed.
She was stunning. She was perfect.
She was his.
And with every step she took toward him he was more in awe of that fact. When Dan flipped her veil over her head and she turned to him, trust and love shining out of those green eyes, Tanner felt it in every fiber of his being.
The minister said words, and Tanner repeated what he was supposed to and completed the tasks he was asked.
His eyes never drifted from Bree’s face.
Only when it came time for the vows did he get snapped back into the ceremony. Bree had been nervous about this. With everything that had happened, they hadn’t had much more time to talk about it.
He wanted to reassure her now that it didn’t matter. That no matter what she said, he understood. That if she couldn’t say anything at all, he would still know.
As Noah handed them both the rings, Tanner grabbed Bree’s hands.
“We don’t have to say anything if you don’t want to,” he whispered. He should’ve made this offer months ago and saved her so much stress. “We can just slip the rings on. You and I will both know what we’re saying to each other without words.”
Bree’s smile was dazzling. “Don’t worry. I’ve got this, Hot Lips,” she whispered back.
The reverend indicated it was time for Tanner to say his vows.
It was easy for him. “You’re every part of me I never knew was missing. Your intellect is astounding, but it’s dwarfed by your beauty, your courage and your passion. I vow to cherish, honor and protect you all the days of the rest of our lives.
“You are my other half, my perfect fit, my forever partner. You are my greatest risk, my greatest reward, and I will thank God every day that you wandered into this town and not another.”
A tear leaked out of Bree’s eyes, but she was still beaming.
The reverend indicated it was her turn for the vows. She slid the ring onto his finger, but hesitated.
Tanner rubbed his thumb across the back of her small hand that was holding his. He would stay here as long as she needed him to. Or would help her out if she wanted. But mostly he would trust.
She said she had this, so he knew she did.
When the words came, there was no quaver, no problem being heard, no sign of nervousness. He would never have thought she could sound so confident in front of so many people.
He should’ve known better.
Her green eyes met his. “We both have known much loss in our lives, but we both found so much more. You are who I choose. You are who I choose to stand beside me when I need a partner, in front of me when I don’t need a shield but you insist on being it anyway—” there were more than a few chuckles at that “—who I choose to stand behind me when I need support.
“I will fight back-to-back with you when our enemies surround us. I will fight shoulder to shoulder with you when injustice surrounds us. And I will fight face-to-face with you when you’re being a jackass.”
More laughs, and even he had to chuckle this time. Only his Bree could incorporate a mild swear word into her wedding vows so perfectly.
“You saved me in every possible way a person can be saved. You are my hero. And I know whatever risks the future brings, we will be fine.”
She squeezed his hands, and her words slowed, took on depth. These were the words she’d found in the wilderness, he knew. “I don’t care what all the different variables are, as long as the constant is us.”
He kissed her. He was supposed to wait for the minister to say something, but he didn’t care. She was his and he was hers.
The minister said something behind them and the entire church broke into applause. The organ started playing the song they were supposed to exit to.
But it was only when Cassandra snickered and said, “Get a room,” did Tanner finally let go of Bree’s lips and open his eyes, finding her grinning just as hugely as he was.
He grabbed her hand and turned, walking her down the aisle to their forever.