Free Deep Night by Kathy Clark Page A

a surreptitious glance at her. Wearing a pair of silky turquoise palazzo pants with a white tank top and flowered jacket that matched the pants, she looked cool and elegant, but the loose style completely hid her figure. No wonder he had never suspected the feminine curves she disguised so well. At least it was a pleasant change from seeing her in their standard medic uniform or baggy shorts and T-shirts.
    “It’s a beautiful day for a wedding, isn’t it?” Chris’s mother, Pat, was taking a suitcase out of the back of her Lincoln MKX as they parked behind her in the circular driveway. “Can you get those gifts and take them inside?”
    Chris gave her a big hug. “Happy Mother’s Day, Mom.” He handed her a card that had a gift certificate for a spa day. He knew that was kind of a cop-out, but his mom had everything, and she would enjoy a day of pampering. Sara, too, gave her a hug and a card; then they gathered up the pile of wrapped wedding presents stacked on the backseat and followed his mother into the house. It was bustling with activity as the caterers set up the after-ceremony dinner and the decorators put the finishing touches on the flagstone-patio seating area outside.
    “Hey, it’s about time you showed up. You’re two beers behind,” Sam told Chris as soon as they dropped the presents off on a side table.
    “I’m going to check on Julie,” Sara told them, and headed down the hallway toward the master bedroom wing.
    Chris admitted feeling relieved. Until he figured out how to deal with this situation with Sara, he was glad to spend some good ol’ drinking time with his brothers.
    “Where’s Rusty?” he asked.
    “He’s getting dressed,” Sam answered.
    “I’m sure he needs our help,” Chris said with a twinkle in his blue eyes. “He’s probably sweating bullets.”
    Sam laughed. “Yeah, let’s go give him a hard time.”
    They grabbed three cold beers out of the refrigerator and headed to the opposite side of the house where the rest of the bedrooms were located. Rusty, fully dressed except for his bow tie, which hung loose around his neck, paced around the large room like a tiger at the zoo.
    “Where the hell have you guys been? I’m going crazy in here!” he exclaimed as soon as he saw them.
    Chris handed Rusty a beer, and they all three screwed off the tops simultaneously. “To happy endings,” Chris said as they clicked the long necks of their beer bottles together and drank deeply.
    “I’ve been exiled to this room so I won’t be able to accidentally see Julie before the ceremony. Why can’t we just get the damn thing over with?”
    “Julie said you were the one who insisted on all this.” Sam plopped down on one of the overstuffed armchairs. “So, this is kind of your fault.”
    Rusty stopped in front of the window and stared out over the scenic expanse of mountains and valleys that were behind the house. “I did this for her. She deserves something big and wonderful.”
    “Hey, she’s got you,” Chris chuckled.
    “I’ll bet she would have settled for a quickie ceremony at City Hall,” Sam added.
    “I don’t want her to have to
settle.
” Rusty looked at them over his shoulder. “She’s had too many bad things happen to her. Her ex-husband almost beat her to death. She even lost a baby because of that asshole. I want her to know that this marriage is going to be a lot different.”
    “Good job, then,” Chris told him, and held out his bottle in a supportive toast. He joined Rusty at the window. “Looks like the guests are starting to arrive.”
    They watched as people trickled out of the house and seated themselves on one of the white folding chairs that had been set out in rows in front of a flower-covered arch. They didn’t have any other family in the area, but friends from the police, fire and EMS departments were turning out in full force. Their work was so stressful that they never turned down an excuse for a party, especially one with such a