Full Bloom

  “See, I know about neck injuries and what they can do to a person. I had a friend who spent twenty years in a wheelchair begging to die. Twenty years is a long time to wait to die, Annie. I told Charles to rest, that I’d look after him. He closed his eyes, and I went into the next room for the pillow. I had no other choice but to put him down.”

  Wes stepped into the room and went to Annie. Doc didn’t seem surprised; he didn’t even look up. He just stared at the blank TV screen, the wrinkles more prominent on his tired face.

  Wes slipped his arms around Annie’s waist. “You okay?”

  She nodded. “How did you know to come here?”

  “Stuff just started falling into place in my head today,” he said. “When I saw your number come up on my phone, I knew you needed me.”

  She leaned against him. “Thank you.”

  Wes held her for a moment longer before releasing her. “You look exhausted, and tomorrow is the big day. Go home and get some sleep. I’ll stay with Doc.”

  Annie nodded. She could not remember ever feeling so tired, and she knew whatever Wes decided to do, it would be the right thing. She stood.

  Doc looked up. “I want you to know something, Annie. I need you to know. I would never have allowed you to go to prison for something I’d done.”

  She nodded. “I know.” She touched his shoulder on her way out.

  Annie and Jamie both held their breath and watched Fleas amble up the aisle in the large meeting room that had been decorated and turned into a wedding chapel of sorts, complete with a festooned arbor. Fleas wore a special collar that was adorned with white tea roses and baby’s breath. As Annie had suspected would happen, some of the wedding guests raised an eyebrow as others chuckled or laughed out loud. Fleas paused halfway, turned, and looked at Jamie, who prodded him on with a single nod. He made his way toward the altar and sat, and Jamie grinned. Max looked proud. The minister simply gazed down at the dog as though he didn’t know quite what to make of the whole thing. In the front row, Vera shook her head sadly.

  Annie turned to Dee Dee, stunning in a kelly green sheath of raw silk. Diamonds and emeralds adorned her ears and throat and flashed each time she moved. Annie was almost certain the guests would not notice Dee Dee’s ballerina-style bedroom slippers. “Okay, Dee Dee, you’re up,” she said.

  Dee Dee put on a bright smile and took two graceful steps before she jerked to a halt and clutched her stomach. “Uh-oh!” She turned, her eyes wide in disbelief, her mouth forming a giant O.

  Annie and Jamie gaped at Dee Dee’s stained bedroom slippers, then at each other.

  Nearby, Beenie covered his face with his hands. “I knew she’d wait until the most inopportune moment.”

  Annie motioned for Lovelle, who grasped Dee Dee’s hand. “Come with me, hon,” she said.

  “But who’s going to be matron of honor?” Dee Dee asked.

  Jamie looked at Annie. As if reading her mind, Annie shook her head. “I’m wearing a uniform.” Her black skirt and starched white blouse matched the outfits her two assistants wore.

  “You’ll have to go,” Dee Dee told Beenie, who wore a winter white tux.

  “Me!” he cried. “I don’t know anything about—”

  Dee Dee shoved her bouquet at him and gave him a hard push through the double doors.

  Beenie struck a pose and started up the aisle on his tiptoes, pausing and smiling at the guests as he literally floated toward the front like a swan.

  Jamie did an eye roll. This could only happen at her wedding.

  “I’m sorry,” Dee Dee said to Jamie. “When you get a chance, please tell Frankie I need to go to the hospital.” Lovelle quickly ushered her away.

  “Time to go,” Annie said, releasing her hold on Jamie’s elbow as the guests stood and waited for the bride. Annie had never seen a lovelier bride. Beenie had outdone himself on Jamie’s hair and makeup, tucking tiny sprigs of baby’s breath at her crown. “Don’t forget to smile.”

  Jamie took a deep breath and started down the aisle. Suddenly she wasn’t so nervous. She remembered to walk slowly as Annie had taught her and smiled at the guests, nodding here and there at those she recognized. Her gaze sought and found Vera’s; the woman stood proudly on the front row, tears streaming down her face. Jamie blew her a kiss and mouthed a silent, I love you. Beside Vera, Billie, Christie, and Joel were all smiles. Jamie winked at them. As she neared the front, her gaze sought out Max, and the tender and loving look on his face almost stole her breath. She wondered what she had ever done to deserve him.

  The crowd reclaimed their seats as Jamie took her place next to Beenie, who was doing his best to catch Frankie’s attention and cutting his eyes toward the back of the chapel. The minister cocked his head to one side as though trying to figure out what Beenie was doing there.

  Sitting in the middle of the second row, Frankie arched his brows, and then, as though suddenly realizing something was amiss, the six-foot-six retired wrestler–turned–mayor stood and tried to make his way to the end of the row. “Excuse me,” he said a little too loudly as one wedding guest after another was forced to stand in order to accommodate his exit. He stepped on a woman’s foot, and she gave a yelp, even as he apologized profusely.

  “Ohmigosh!” Beenie said, and nudged Jamie. “Dee Dee forgot to give me the ring.” Before Jamie could respond, he stepped closer to the minister. “Could you hold off just a second? I’ll be right back.”

  Jamie watched in amazement as Beenie hurried up the aisle, only a few feet behind Frankie.

  Jamie could feel Max’s eyes on her. She glanced his way and shook her head sadly as Frankie knocked loudly on the door to the bridal salon, right next to the crowded wedding chapel.

  “Dee Dee, are you okay?” Frankie called out. “Open the door.”

  Jamie sighed and looked straight ahead.

  The door opened. “My water broke, Frankie!” Dee Dee cried. “My dress is ruined, and it took the designer weeks to find the exact match for these earrings.”

  “I’m sure he wrote down the color, sweetheart,” Frankie told her, “but I can always buy you different earrings.”

  “Beenie, what are you doing here?” Dee Dee demanded. “You’re supposed to be up front with Jamie.”

  “You forgot to give me the ring!”

  “Oh no!” she cried. “Here it is.”

  Dee Dee suddenly shrieked loudly. Inside the chapel, the guests craned their necks in order to see what was going on.

  “I think I just had my first contraction,” Dee Dee cried. “I don’t like this, Frankie! I was told there would be no pain. I did not agree to pain.”

  “Hang on, sweetheart, I’ll carry you out to the car.”

  Beenie raced up the aisle and took his place next to Jamie. “I have the ring,” he whispered.

  She nodded. “Yes, we heard the entire exchange,” she said, giving him a tight smile. “Every last one of us,” she added as chuckles and muffled laughter sounded from the crowd. She glanced at Max and Nick, who were staring straight ahead. She saw their shoulders move and knew they were doing their best to keep from bursting into hearty guffaws.

  “Uh-oh,” Beenie said, glancing down. “This is not good.”

  Jamie followed his gaze. Fleas was half-sprawled on the floor beside her licking himself.

  The minister cleared his voice, squared his shoulders, and gazed about the crowd. “What is marriage?” he asked. “To answer that question I’d like for us to ponder Scripture from the Book of Genesis.”

  Jamie and Max looked at each other and shrugged.

  Ten minutes later, Jamie’s eyes had glazed over, and her feet were killing her. Beside her, Beenie could not stop yawning, and Fleas had rolled onto his back and was snoring loudly.

  “And so God saw that it was not right for Adam to be alone,” Tuttle continued in a droning voice, “so He put Adam into a deep sleep—”

  “This guy is putting me into a deep sleep,” Beenie whispered to Annie, trying to stifle ye
t another yawn. “I wonder if Dee Dee’s baby has started preschool yet?”

  Fleas snorted and snored.

  “And God took from Adam a rib and from that rib He created woman so that Adam could have a helpmate.” Tuttle smiled. “And so I ask you again, what is marriage?”

  Beenie’s hand shot up. Jamie pulled it down. “It’s a rhetorical question,” she whispered.

  “Today, I have the honor of joining another man and another woman together, just as it was meant to be from the very beginning. But first, let us bow our heads and offer up a prayer for this very special couple.”

  Annie closed her eyes and prayed Tuttle would get on with it.

  The minister closed the prayer and looked from Max to Jamie. Tuttle raised his book, adjusted his glasses, and began to read. “Dearly beloved . . .”

  Suddenly Max’s cell phone rang. Jamie and the minister looked incredulous.

  “I’m sorry,” Max whispered. “It’s my emergency line.”

  Jamie blinked rapidly. “Do you have to answer it now?”

  “Muffin is the only one who calls this line. And only if it’s urgent.” He pushed the button. “This better be good, Muffin,” he said, and listened.

  Jamie glanced over her shoulder and saw the dark frown on Vera’s face as well as the surprised looks of those surrounding her.

  Max hung up. “The hospital just called the cops on Frankie.”

  Jamie gasped; Nick frowned.

  “Dee Dee arrived at the hospital screaming like a banshee. Frankie immediately spotted her doctor, wrestled him to the floor, and put him in a headlock. Took a half-dozen security men to pull him off,” Max added. “He’s in restraints and Dee Dee has gone ballistic.”

  Jamie closed her eyes.

  Max looked at Tuttle. “Could we get on with it? Jamie and I are needed elsewhere.”

  “And I need to use the little boys’ room,” Beenie said.

  From her place in the back row Annie covered her face with both hands. She felt ill. The wedding was not going well; in fact, whatever could go wrong had gone wrong. She glanced up as Wes took the chair next to her.

  “Sorry I’m late,” he whispered so softly that Annie had to lean closer in order to hear. “I’ve been with Doc at the police station the entire time. Lamar wants to talk to Erdle ASAP. I told him Theenie had ordered Erdle to stay in bed because of a stomach virus.” He arched one brow. “What’s wrong? You look pale.”

  “The wedding is a bust.”

  His eyes softened. “I’m sorry, Red.”

  “I suppose I should look on the bright side. Things can’t possibly get any worse.” Annie had barely gotten the words out of her mouth before she spotted Peaches heading down the aisle. Annie instantly froze. “Who let the cat in?” she hissed. Peaches sat down and looked around at the crowded room as though curious.

  Tuttle spoke from the front. “Jamie, do you take Max to be your lawfully wedded husband? To love—”

  “I do,” Jamie interrupted, causing the minister to look up in surprise.

  “Quick, let me out,” Annie whispered to Wes, trying to think of a way to reach Peaches without drawing attention. If only she had food! She slipped from the row, bent her knees—no easy task in her tight black skirt—and duckwalked toward the cat. She was almost close enough to grab Peaches when all at once the animal’s ears spiked and she arched her back. Annie reached for her, but the cat slipped through her fingers and made a mad dash toward the front.

  “And, Max,” Tuttle went on, “do you promise to love and cherish Jamie and place her above all others?”

  “I do,” Max said, smiling tenderly at Jamie.

  Fleas looked up only a split second before Peaches flew into him. The hound yelped loudly, startling those up front, who turned and stared in amazement. Fleas tried to escape, but Peaches was relentless. Flowers flew in every direction. Fleas howled and rose on his hind legs, trying to climb into Jamie’s arms. His toenails sank into the delicate fabric of her dress, causing it to rip in several places. Jamie cried out when one of his nails scratched her.

  “I knew that crazy dog would mess up everything!” Vera said loudly.

  Fleas turned his head, obviously recognizing Vera’s voice, and he bounded toward her. Vera shrieked as the hound jumped onto her lap.

  Annie hurried toward the front. There was no use trying to be inconspicuous now. Peaches saw her coming and ran beneath a chair. Annie fell to her knees and crawled on all fours, even as Vera tried to push Fleas off her lap.

  “I now pronounce you man and wife,” Tuttle said quickly.

  A burst of applause rose from the crowd as Max pulled Jamie into his arms for a long kiss, and when they turned around, the guests bolted to their feet and cheered loudly. Max hurried over to Vera, swept Fleas from her lap, and planted a kiss squarely on her mouth. Vera became flustered and began patting her hair in place.

  Annie managed to grab Peaches and scramble up the aisle and out of the room, where she found Lovelle waiting. She thrust the cat into the woman’s arms. “Torture her before you kill her.”

  Lovelle smiled sweetly. “I’ll have her drawn and quartered, dear.” She grunted as she lugged the cat away. “Why don’t we grab a bite to eat, Peachums?” she said.

  Jamie and Max joined Annie, and Jamie threw her arms around her. “I’m sorry we turned the wedding into a circus,” she said, “but we played before a great crowd, don’t you agree?”

  Annie noted the guests spilling through the doorway, still cheering. “Is Fleas hurt?” She looked at the cowering dog, still in Max’s arms.

  Max grinned. “Only his pride.” He winked and managed to pull an envelope from his pocket and hand it to her. “We have to go, Annie. Got to spring Frankie from the slammer.”

  Jamie kissed Annie on the cheek, and the two left through the front door.

  Annie was relieved to see the rest of the guests leave. Somehow, despite all that had occurred, they had enjoyed themselves immensely, and although everything else had turned out crazy, dinner had been perfect. Jamie had since called. Max had convinced Dee Dee’s doctor not to press charges against Frankie, but only after Frankie agreed not to sic Snakeman and his boa on the doctor as he’d threatened. Dee Dee was still in labor, but she was feeling no pain and having a grand time watching the Home Shopping Network on TV and placing orders as fast as she could.

  Now, sitting in the swing on the piazza and enjoying the night air, Annie began to relax for the first time in weeks, even though she had concerns, some a result of what had occurred that day.

  Erdle had still not delivered the ring.

  Nunamaker, who had agreed to take Doc’s case, was fairly certain the man would not spend time in prison, not only because of his advanced age, but also because Doc had acted out of mercy when he’d ended Charles’s life.

  Nunamaker had already discussed Erdle’s part in the case, and the DA was considering probation, on the grounds that Erdle agreed to enter a six-month alcohol treatment facility, attend daily AA meetings, and submit to random drug and alcohol tests.

  Danny had surprised Annie with a call shortly after the food had been served and had given her a temporary number where he could be reached, and they’d teased each other and laughed together like old times.

  Annie was thankful their friendship had survived, and it made her even more determined to visit Eve Fortenberry in a few days and try to make peace.

  The screen door opened and Wes stepped out bearing a plate with wedding cake. She had been too anxious during the wedding to notice the prick marks were already beginning to fade.

  “You’re missing all the goodies,” he said, sitting down beside her.

  Annie groaned. “After all the cooking I’ve done, I don’t even want to look at food.”

  “This is the best cake I’ve ever tasted. Erdle must be feeling better, because he ate three huge pieces.”

  “He did?” Annie felt hopeful. Wes still didn’t know about the missing ring, and those “in the know”
had agreed there were some things that simply weren’t worth sharing.

  Wes finished his cake and set his empty plate on a nearby table. “So what do you think about serving this kind of cake at our wedding?”

  “Assuming I’ll marry you, of course.”

  “Assuming I won’t change my mind by May.”

  “May?” She blinked. “Have you been talking to Destiny?”

  He shook his head. “She left with that young senator. The one she said looked like Andy Garcia.”

  “What about your company in Columbia?” Annie asked.

  Wes shrugged. “I can move my office to Hilton Head. There are a lot of rich people there. Couples with money like to cheat on each other, and they can afford the best hotels. I hate sitting in the parking lots of dumpy motels, you know?”

  Annie hesitated. “We probably should discuss Theenie and Lovelle.”

  He grinned. “Hey, I love those two ladies. It wouldn’t be the same if they moved out. It’s bad enough Destiny chased off the ghost.”

  Annie leaned against him and gazed at the peach tree, surprised that it was already in full bloom. Either it had blossomed overnight or she’d been too busy to notice. The man beside her was a different story; he’d managed to insinuate himself into her life, her bed, and all her waking thoughts despite all that had happened. Not only that, he’d stuck by her. Despite the evidence against her, he’d been convinced all along of her innocence. Heck, he was even willing to marry her, knowing she had a temper.

  It had to be love.

  Sometimes you did know when it was right, she thought. Maybe she had known it the first time she’d laid eyes on those ridiculous boxer shorts.

  “May works for me,” Annie said.

  “Great.” Wes smiled. “It just so happens I know of this bed-and-breakfast that puts together awesome weddings. Only we’re going to hire someone else to do the work.” He pulled her close and kissed her.

  “I can’t think of a place I’d rather be married,” she said, leaning against him, enjoying his arms around her waist. Annie spied Peaches skulking about in the yard, darting looks her way, obviously aware that her owner was still furious over the debacle with Fleas. Probably wondering if she was going to miss a meal over it, Annie thought.