Page 28 of Impossible Rapids

Shawn didn’t know if anybody but Belinda and Jagger’s own mama had looked that sweetly at Jagger. Most men would probably catch a fist to the chin for even attempting it.

Glancing at Julie, his pulse sped up to see she was staring at him, camera lowered. He missed the next part of the pastor’s advice but savored the salt in the humid, flower-scented air, the sweetness of Julie’s brown eyes meeting his and envisioning them someday being married right here. It was his house, after all.

“I can take the sting as long as I get the honey,” Jagger said loudly, breaking into Shawn’s thoughts.

They all laughed at that. Shawn wasn’t certain what he’d missed before Jagger’s comment. He shifted in his chair and wish he could share sweet honey kisses with Julie someday.

The vows were recited, pledges of love pronounced, long intense kisses shared, even with Dad Pastor right there. The pastor focused on his own wife and grinned while their daughter kept kissing her husband. Finally the rings were exchanged—really cool bands that had bees on them—and Mr. and Mrs. Jagger Lemuel were joined in love in front of God, angels, and these witnesses. And, of course, they immediately went back to kissing.

Angels.

Mercedes was here.

For an instant, he could smell her sweet floral perfume and see her teal blue eyes sparkling at him. He felt as if she shoved him … in Julie’s direction. He smiled to himself. Mercedes would if she could.

As the couple kissed once again, he met Franz’s gaze. His father-in-law’s teal-blue eyes were bright, and he nodded to Shawn.

“She wouldn’t miss this,” Franz whispered.

“No way,” Shawn agreed.

He glanced up at Julie. She was snapping away on the camera, but then she lowered it and focused straight on Shawn. Her deep-brown eyes were sparkling, and she mouthed, “Mercedes.”

Shawn smiled at her, nodding his agreement.

The moment stretched and then Jagger broke from kissing his bride and let out a loud, “Hooyah!”

“Hooyah!” Shawn and Hays repeated.

They all started cheering. It was a small crowd but they could clap and hoot loud. The cheering subsided into rounds of hugs, congratulations, tears, and ‘lots of love’ as Mercedes would’ve said. Julie abandoned her picture-taking after she captured the bride and groom hugging Belinda’s parents and joined in.

Shawn was somewhat distracted, hugging and receiving hugs and congratulating the happy couple and Belinda’s parents, but he couldn’t miss Hays holding Julie tightly as the two whispered in each other’s ears again. Was this normal for them? How had Shawn missed it before?

“Dude.” Jagger was right at his ear. “I’m taking at least a few weeks for my honeymoon. General Bates said until they have an assignment no one but my team can perform.”

Shawn turned to face his friend. “Good for you.”

Jagger clasped Shawn’s shoulders with both of his hands. “Unless you need me.”

“We’ve got Captain Aiden Porter’s men. Why would we need you?” Shawn had to fight to hide the smile. The competition between Jagger and Aiden during Aiden and Chalisa Anderson’s reality episode set in Magna had been fierce.

“Now that was low,” Jagger growled. Then his brows rose, and he seemed to temporarily forget he was going to kick everyone out and start his ‘private honeymoon celebrations.’ His grip on Shawn’s shoulders tightened, and he glanced at his bride. She was talking animatedly with her parents. Her face was lit up, joy radiating from her.

Shawn checked Julie’s position. She and Hays were still close together, speaking quietly. Franz stood off to the side, watching the scene. He nodded to Shawn and seemed content.

“Why do you need Porter’s men? You have ample and well-trained security.” He tilted his head toward Blaine’s position. “I would know. Hays and I have put them through loads of challenges before.”

“Franz’s cousins are upset about the money going to me.”

“That’s a given. Have they done anything about it?”

“There was a shooter the night of Mercedes’s funeral,” Shawn admitted.

It revealed how much violence Jagger had seen that he didn’t even flinch.

“Somehow he got himself and his weapon into the mansion as a caterer. That’s what we pieced together from the film and confirmed with the company. He hid out in a tree and then came for Franz and me, shot through the glass patio door. Luckily I saw him and got Franz behind the couch. Even luckier, the couch was the only innocent casualty.”

Jagger’s gaze pierced through him. “So you caught him?”