“Oh.” Griff worked hard to not let his face show any emotion, but inside he was jumping up and down. Dancing. Arms waving about in happiness. He frowned seriously. “Was it drugs?”

“It was an argument over a boy!” Mike looked to the front as Kyle came out and stood quietly waiting for the ceremony to begin.

Griff couldn’t stamp his jubilation down. Without a smile, he said, “Did the guards use itty-bitty handcuffs on them?”

Mike turned to him with a face full of fury. “He stuck their wrists together with cotton candy.”

Griff let out a snort of laughter so loud that the groom’s whole side turned to look at him.

“Sorry,” he murmured, but he was having a hard time controlling his laughter. With a huge grin on his face, he looked toward the front. Kyle was looking at him and he gave a subtle thumbs-up to Griff.

At Griff’s laugh, Vera took Miguel’s hand and squeezed it. “He’s good for her,” she said quietly. “I think she should take the job.”

“I do, too,” he said. “But she won’t do it.”

Vera looked at him, her eyes full of the knowledge of their years together. “Don’t let her do what you and I did. We felt we had to give all of ourselves to others. I thought I had to stay where I didn’t want to be so I could spend my life with you.”

“And I thought I couldn’t have both you and Cait.”

“We lost so much time.”

For a moment, tears were in their eyes. Then the music grew louder and attendants began the march down the aisle. They turned to the front, but they didn’t let go of each other, not in time or distance.

After the wedding ceremony, Griff and Mike walked out together. All around them floated the word beautiful. The bride, the decorations, the vows read—it was all “beautiful.”

They walked to Mike’s Jeep. Cars were jammed as people tried to get out of the parking lot. “I guess every girl wants a wedding like that,” Griff said as they waited to leave.

“Not me! Too much work, too much money spent.”

“Yeah?” His eyebrows were high. “What kind of—?”

She didn’t let him finish. “I’d be barefoot and the music would be bells.”

“Perfect,” Griff said. “Where is the reception? The invite said ‘Frog Pond’ but I don’t know where that is.”

“Aunt Kelly’s favorite place, but the parking is along the road.”

“Maybe we should go so we get a place.” He was psychically sending her the word together.

Mike still looked less than happy but a tiny sparkle flitted through her eyes. “Leave that monster van of yours here. We’ll take my Jeep. I know a back way.”

“Of course you do.” He was grinning.