Page 2 of The Bodyguard's Fall

But half the fun was making Will think I could.

A minute later, we were hustled out of the room by a woman in a blue dress with an earpiece and a clipboard. I was both appalled and impressed at the level of efficiency. My police department could use someone like her.

We stopped in the foyer just outside the closed double doors that led into the chapel. Bridesmaids dressed in different shades of blue came spilling out of a room across the hall.

I almost looked past her before I realized who she was. She was laughing with another girl in a similar dress, commenting on something that apparently required animated facial expressions and hand flailing. The other girl waved before moving toward another groomsman, leaving her standing alone. She hadn’t spotted me yet.

She had grown up.

I’d known it, but this was the first time I had really noticed. Her dress was on the shorter end of short, hitting her somewhere mid-thigh. That was all I registered before yanking my gaze upward to the two fabric ties clasped together behind her neck, exposing a long and shapely collarbone. Her blonde hair was pulled up and back in a way that only succeeded in making her look absolutely nothing like my old pretend little sister.

And then she spotted me. The exasperated look on her face as she took me in immediately put me back in my place. I could tell she was debating whether or not she would move my way when the girl wearing a headset motioned her toward me.

The sweet floral scent of her perfume greeted me first as she moved to stand next to me, her shoulder brushing mine gently.

We both stared forward, waiting for the double doors of the chapel to be opened. Not usually the one to speak first, I couldn’t help myself.

Nudging her arm lightly, I asked, “Did you miss me?”

She nudged mine back. “Like a paper cut.”

“According to your brother, you have to be nice to me,” I murmured.

She turned and looked at me, her eyes roaming my entire face, causing me to startle. “You missed a spot shaving,” she said, nodding toward my chin.

On impulse, I lifted my hand to check. It was fine.

Feeling lighter for some reason, I leaned in close. “I know you were jealous about my best man title, so I have to ask: is that girl actually sick or is she gagged and tied up in a closet right now?”

I got her. She tried to hold it back, but her smile came anyway. If her brother could see us now. Unfortunately, her reply was cut short when an agitated drill sergeant was suddenly in our faces, looking stressed.

“We’re about to start,” she hissed. Noticing Liv hadn’t touched me, she demanded, “Put your arm through his.”

Liv obeyed, slipping her hand through the bend in my arm. Because I knew she’d enjoy it, I patted the top of her hand gently with my other. She prodded me off with her elbow. The wedding planner looked sharply at me.

“You two are leading the whole procession. If you go too fast, we all have to wait. If you go too slow, then the bride will miss her entrance. Do you remember how fast you’re supposed to walk?”

She spoke that last line slowly, like I was a toddler she’d already asked ten times to do something. Honestly, she was more terrifying than most of the criminals I’d come in contact with on the job, and it was all I could do to nod.

She hesitated, staring at me as though she didn’t believe me, but thankfully, her attention was taken by a desperate plea from someone behind us to help fix a button that had gone awry.

“Do you remember?” Liv asked, looking up at me.

“The old maid of honor knew. When we walked down the aisle at rehearsal, we nailed it.”

“I wasn’t there.”

“Exactly. You’ve got some big shoes to fill,” I said.

“Tate,” she hissed, squeezing my arm as the doors in front of us were opened. The large crowd in the church turned in their seats to watch us. The music started. We looked like two startled deer caught in headlights.

Thankfully, someone behind us whispered a shrill, “GO!”

We made it down the aisle with time to spare—if the glare of the woman in charge meant anything. But the bride still got her entrance. Will couldn’t stop smiling. The couple looked happy. And the wedding party came alive once we maneuvered into the air-conditioned reception center.

Once my best man duties were fulfilled, Liv and I went our separate ways, visiting with the other wedding guests.

Most of my brothers were there, friends from high school, even some of my old teachers. For a guy who regularly avoided running into people I knew at the store, I was actually having a good time catching up with everyone. I had no reason for my eyes to keep wandering over to her.