Part 33 (1/2)
”My pleasure,” she said.
She shook some of the sting out of her hands and then motioned to two of the ushers. They quickly ran up to the altar and pulled the unconscious man to the back of the chapel where Bradley stood at the door, shaking his head and grinning. She winked at him, and then smoothed her dress, walked back to her place and picked up her bouquet. ”Shall we proceed?” she asked the minister.
Bob and Linda smiled and went back to stand in front of the altar.
The minister shook his head. ”Just a moment please,” he whispered, as he walked over to his pulpit and poured himself a gla.s.s of water.
”I bet that preacher wishes that was moons.h.i.+ne instead of H2O,” Ernie said with a chuckle and then he turned to Mary. ”You did great, kid. You were the fighter I knew you could be.”
”Thanks, Ernie,” she whispered.
”You saved my little Lindy-girl's wedding,” he said.
”You're Linda's father?”
He grinned. ”Yeah, now you know why it was so important. And you were right to tell her that her dad would be at her wedding. I wouldn't have missed it for the world.”
He floated over to Linda and placed a kiss on her cheek. ”I love you, Lindy-girl,” he said.
Linda lifted her hand to her cheek and looked around, tears reflecting in her eyes.
”I just felt like my dad was here,” she whispered to Bob.
”Course, he's here, sweetheart,” Bob said. ”This is the kind of wedding Old Ernie would have loved.”
Ernie turned to Mary, nodded and faded away.
Chapter Fifty-six.
Mary stood in the lower level reception hall at the church, trying to stay away from the crowd of well-wishers. Hands slipped around her waist and Mary stiffened until she felt the kiss on the back of her neck and heard a familiar laugh, ”What a girl I've got,” Bradley said softly. ”She looks like an angel and fights like a champ.”
She leaned back against him. ”I've decided to relinquish my boxing career,” she said. ”Punching really hurts your hands.”
He turned her around and took her hands in his, and lifting each one to his mouth, kissed them tenderly. ”Better?” he asked.
She smiled. ”Much better.”
”Are we going to get cake or what?” Maggie asked, looking a little cranky.
”Why don't you two ladies find a quiet table and I'll hunt down some cake for you,” Bradley said.
”Really?” Maggie asked, her face lighting up.
Bradley reached down and kissed her forehead. ”Really,” he replied.
Mary found them a table tucked far away from the noise and business of the reception. Maggie scooted onto the folding chair and swung her feet back and forth. She sighed, a much larger sigh than ought to come out of a little girl.
”What's wrong?” Mary asked, trying to hid her smile.
Maggie looked up at her. ”I miss Mike,” she said simply.
Nodding, Mary reached over and took her hands. ”Oh, sweetheart, so do I.”
”He didn't even say good-bye,” she said.