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Dedication

For Aly and Ronlyn, who planned such an incredible wedding, and all the friends who helped with the details.

Contents

Copyright

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

About the Author

Invitation

Sam Holland

and

Nick Cappuano

request the honor of your presence

as they exchange marriage vows and begin their life together.

Saturday, the twenty-sixth day of March

Two thousand eleven

at four o’clock in the afternoon

St. John’s Church

1525 H Street NW

Washington, D.C.

Reception immediately following

The Hay-Adams

16th & H Streets

Chapter 1

Nick stood before the window, looking out over Ninth Street as rain mixed with snow to create a slushy mess on the pavement. The city had been buzzing all day about the late wintry blast and the impact it might have on Washington’s fabled cherry blossoms, which were due to bloom any day now.

Hands in pockets, Nick stared intently at the orange glow of the streetlights, not seeing any sign of Sam or her car. Any minute now, he thought. She’ll be home any minute.

Behind him voices, laughter and the distinctive clink of ice meeting crystal echoed through the double-sized townhouse he shared with Sam. The “Jack and Jill” shower had been Shelby’s idea. The wedding planner Sam called Tinker Bell had suggested a gathering of their family, close friends and colleagues. Shelby had correctly assumed that Sam would prefer that over the more traditional all-female event. Nick had gone along with it because Sam had liked the idea. Whatever made her happy made him happy.

But now she was late, and he was worried. Not that it was unusual for her to be late—the nature of her job as the lieutenant in charge of the city’s homicide detectives’ squad made her late more often than not. Since she wasn’t in the midst of a hot case at the moment, Nick had expected her home more than an hour ago. Now here it was fifteen minutes after the party started with no sign of her, and her phone had gone straight to voicemail.