Page 35

Three months later, U.S. Marine Memorial Chapel, Quantico, Virginia

S ierra didn’t ever remember being this nervous or excited. She couldn’t wait to marry Zeke. They’d settled on the perfect location. The weather had decided to cooperate, and the predicted rains had gone away. Only one thing was missing to make this the perfect wedding day. Her mother.

“You look beautiful,” Hannah told her soon-to-be sister-in-law. “That dress is gorgeous.”

“Thank you.” Sierra had wanted to wear her grandmother’s wedding dress since the day she’d found it tucked away in a garment bag in her grandmother’s closet. Her mother had worn it as well. Even though Mom’s marriage had ended in divorce, Sierra didn’t hold it against the dress. Her grandmother had been a huge fan of Jackie Kennedy and had her wedding gown made to look exactly like the one Jackie wore when she married JFK.

An ivory silk taffeta gown with a portrait neckline and bouffant skirt, though, like her grandmother, Sierra chose not to wear a veil.

Her grandmother’s dress was something old. Hannah let her use her pearl necklace for something borrowed. And her sapphire ring served as something blue and new.

Hannah and Megan were her bridesmaids. Cooper and Jack served as Zeke’s groomsmen while Jack would also give her away.

“Are you ready?” Megan asked and fussed with Sierra’s hair. “There. Perfect.”

“I’m ready. Let’s do this.”

Both women laughed.

“You’re not working a case, Sierra,” Hannah said, still laughing. “Although marrying my brother is probably going to be more challenging than any case you’ve ever worked.” Hannah handed Sierra her bouquet. A mixture of white tulips, pink and purple peonies, lilacs, and yellow daffodils.

Sierra didn’t care. She was up for the challenge.

She loved being part of the BAU team and had told her former FBI trainer as much. She wasn’t going anywhere. There was still plenty of work to be done. More monsters like Inez to bring down.

The music began playing. Megan headed down the aisle first followed by Hannah.

“Ready for this?” Jack appeared at her side.

She smiled at her friend. “I’m ready.”

Those in attendance rose and looked toward her and Jack as they walked slowly down the aisle. Sierra felt as if she were in a dream through most of the ceremony until the minister asked them to repeat the vows. She was glad they had a videographer filming everything.

“I, Sierra Parker, take you Zeke London, as my lawfully wedded husband.” She tried to keep it together, but she’d been such a sappy person since escaping the Barrel Girls Killer.

After Zeke finished his vows, the chaplain pronounced them husband and wife. Everyone shouted as she and Zeke kissed.

Sierra couldn’t stop smiling as she and Zeke walked down the aisle together as husband and wife.

She waited until they were outside before she pulled him into her arms and kissed him again. “I love you, husband.”

“I love you, wife.” He tugged her close as their guests filed from the chapel.

“Get a room,” Cooper shouted.

Everyone laughed and threw bird seed at them. Sierra threw the bouquet into the crowd. Ani, Jack and Megan’s daughter, caught it.

“You’ll have to wait a little while, sweetie,” Sierra told her.

Ani smiled, revealing a missing tooth in front.

Hand in hand they headed toward Zeke’s pickup that was decorated with streamers and cans. “Just Married” was written across the back in shoe polish. They’d decided to skip the reception for now. After they got back from their honeymoon, Sierra wanted to plan something big.

Zeke held the door open for her. Sierra gathered her wedding dress and stuffed it in after her. When he got in beside her, she reached for his hand. The sapphire ring glistened in the bright sunlight. “I’m so happy,” she told him.

He smiled with all the love he felt for her showing on his face. “I love you too, babe.”

As they drove away from the chapel, the future waiting for them was wide open and filled with nothing but promise. And she, for one, couldn’t wait to see what it held.