| Unexpected Surprises Chapter28 |
| October 17th 8:45 am Casey woke early Thursday morning, dissatisfied after a restless night’s sleep. Dreams of wedding day disasters had haunted her sleep. Getting out of bed, she rubbed her eyes and yawned as she made her way toward the bathroom. Passing the window, she reached to open the curtain but stopped. She cast a fond glance to where Harvey lay sleeping. After such a crazy night, he deserved to sleep late. The curtains remained closed and Casey slipped quietly from the room as she headed out for her morning run with King. The Great Dane stalked around the front yard while Casey prepared for her run. She sat down on the grass and grasped her toes, gently pulling her body down over her outstretched legs. The pressure on her back and legs felt wonderfully relaxing. During the past few weeks, she had gratefully accepted all the relaxation she could get. Standing, Casey called to King and he sat at her feet while she hooked the leash to his collar. Checking her watch, she figured that she could make it back home before Harvey woke up. The thought of his little performance last night brought a smile to her face. No doubt about it, life with Harvey Leek would never be boring. “Want some company?” Casey looked back to see Harvey coming down the steps dressed in blue sweats and an SFPD cap. A pair of sunglasses hid the dark shadows around his eyes. He seemed rather perky for someone nursing a hangover. “Well if it isn’t the party animal himself. What are you doing up so early?” “I thought that I would run with you. Do you mind?” “Are you serious?” She looked perplexed. He hated to run. “I mean…no, I don’t mind. Are you sure you can handle it?” “Don’t worry, I’ll pace myself.” He took King’s leash and led him towards the sidewalk. “Besides, once the folks get here, we won’t have much time to be alone. You’re deserting me tonight so I won’t see you until tomorrow night.” “Aw, poor baby! You have to spend the night alone.” She took his hand as they walked a bit to warm up their leg muscles. “It’s supposed to be bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the wedding. I don’t think that I want to tempt fate. Not after all we’ve gone through to be together.” They started out running side by side, sharing small talk and greeting neighbors. When Casey noticed that Harvey was falling a bit behind her, she slowed her pace and let her mind drift in thought. The parents would be arriving soon. Casey’s parents would be arriving around noon and Virginia Leek would arrive a few hours later accompanied by her daughter, Cheryl. William Leek refused to attend the wedding and Virginia didn’t try to make excuses for his stubbornness. Harvey insisted that he didn’t care but Casey knew that his feelings were hurt. Surely, someday…somehow…the problems that separated father and son could be resolved. As she rounded a corner, Casey glanced back over her shoulder. When she didn’t see Harvey, she turned and ran back towards the small neighborhood park. Stopping, she scanned the grounds and saw Harvey lying flat on his back with King standing over him, licking his face. Fear gripped her heart as she ran to where he lay. He moaned when she knelt down next to him. “Harvey, what happened? Are you alright?” “I’m alright.” He waved his hand and then let it fall weakly across his chest. “Finish your run. I’m just gonna lay here and die.” Casey breathed a sigh of relief when she realized that he wasn’t seriously hurt. “Come on. Let’s get you on your feet.” She commanded. “No!” He groaned louder. “Please… just let me die in peace.” “Harvey, you have to get up and walk it off or you’ll start to cramp up.” She tugged at his arm and he slowly stood up and leaned on her for support. After a few deep breaths and a bit of coughing, he draped an arm around Casey’s neck and let her lead him towards their home. Casey looked up at him and saw the tormented look on his face. “Harvey, we’re only two blocks from home. You didn’t even break a sweat.” “Good, I wouldn’t want to smell bad at my funeral.” “Stop it! You’ll be fine once you cool down.” “You won’t mention this in my eulogy, will you?” “Harvey!” Casey decided to play along with his game. “Oh alright…‘I was very impressed by Inspector Leek’s athletic abilities.’ How’s that sound?” “You were?” Harvey stopped leaning on her and turned a curious eye her way. “Yep.” “Really?” “Absolutely. And I might add that you have some pretty smooth dance moves as well. Very sexy.” Casey noticed the sudden pep in his step and glanced up to see a cocky smile forming on his lips. “You seem to be feeling better.” “As a matter of fact, I’m feeling pretty darned good.” He slipped his arm around her shoulders again and pulled her closer to his side. “You were impressed, huh?” * October 17th 10 am While Harvey napped, Casey took the opportunity to do a little last minute shopping. Stephanie and the ladies from the Amarillo precinct had presented her with a gift certificate from Victoria’s Secret. They suggested that she buy something special to wear for the honeymoon. Casey exited the store carrying a bag that held the perfect nightgown for a wedding night. She tucked the card that came with the certificate into her purse. She would show it to Harvey later. Casey glanced over her shoulder several times as she strolled through the mall. She had a strong feeling that she was being watched. Stopping in front of a jewelry store window, she nonchalantly checked the surroundings but nothing seemed suspicious. She continued on and stopped at the wishing fountain located in the center of the mall. Closing her eyes, she made a wish and tossed a coin in for good luck. From the opposite side of the fountain, a tall, blond haired man watched Casey with great interest. When their eyes accidentally met, he quickly ducked his head and blended in with the crowd. Casey felt a chill run through her body when she realized that the man had been standing just a few feet away from the jewelry store. Casey decided to turn the tables on the man and follow him for a while. As long as she remained in the crowded mall, the man wouldn’t try to harm her. At least, she hoped he wouldn’t. Taking out her cell phone, she dialed the apartment but got no answer. Harvey must have turned the bedroom phone off. There was no answer on his cell phone either. She caught a glimpse of the man moving through the crowd just a short distance ahead. He appeared to be looking for the nearest exit. Thinking fast, she dialed the number for the SIU and asked for Nash Bridges. “Nash, it’s Casey. Could you have someone meet me at the south entrance of the mall? Someone’s following me and I may need help.” “Hang on for a sec.” Nash placed his hand over the receiver and turned to Joe. “Check to see if there’s a unit close to the mall. If so, tell them to meet Casey at the south entrance.” Speaking into the phone again, he gave Casey instructions. “Don’t leave the mall. Stay with the crowd and don’t hang up.” Joe finished the phone conversation with the police dispatcher and yelled to Nash from across the room. “Nashman, tell her Ronnie’s on his way. He’s minutes away.” “Casey, help is on the way. Ronnie will meet you at the south entrance in a few minutes.” She continued to follow the man through the crowded mall while staying connected to Nash on the phone. When the man fled through the glass doors, she ran outside and watched as he disappeared into the sea of cars in the parking lot. She relayed the information to Nash and thanked him for his help just as Ronnie arrived. “Joe said that you needed backup. What happened?” Casey filled Ronnie in on the details as he escorted her to her car. They talked for a few minutes and Ronnie tried to soothe her fears by suggesting that it had been a case of mistaken identity. As she got into her car and drove away, Casey hoped that he was right. * Harvey closed his eyes and let the water run over his aching head. What was he thinking when he joined Casey for her morning run? Now it felt like a jackhammer was pounding away at his brain. Stepping from the shower, he secured a towel around his waist and reached into the medicine cabinet for the aspirin. He downed the pills with a glass of water and then studied his reflection in the mirror. “The things we do for love,” he muttered, shaking his head as he walked out of the bathroom and over to the bed. He quickly burrowed underneath the covers and soon drifted off to sleep. The key turned in the lock and the front door opened allowing her to enter the apartment. After a quick survey of the downstairs rooms, she made her way up the stairs, shedding her clothes as she went. Pushing open the bedroom door, she peered into the darkened room and saw that he was asleep. She took a t-shirt from the dresser drawer and slipped into it before gently lifting the sheet and sliding into bed. She snuggled close to Harvey’s back and sighed contently. Her sigh caused Harvey to stir and he turned onto his back. When she moved closer to him, he wrapped his arms around her and drew her down for a kiss. There was no need to speak; their bodies silently communicated their feelings to one another. “HARVEY!” Casey stared at him in numb shock. She thought that the scattered clothes were part of a joke he had staged but when she flipped on the bedroom light, there he was in bed with another woman. She was too stunned to speak and could only stare at them in wide-eyed disbelief. Harvey’s own eyes went wide with surprise when he looked from Casey to the woman he held in his arms. “JANICE? WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?“ “I just got back from my trip to Europe and I thought that I would surprise you. I still have my key so I let myself in and when I saw that you were in bed…well, I couldn’t help myself. I thought that we could pick up where we left off.” “Janice, I thought that I made it clear that we can never be anything more than neighbors.” Harvey practically jumped out of the bed and was thankful to see that he was still wearing the towel. “Look, would you please leave so I can get dressed. We can discuss this later.” “Oh come on, Harvey. It’s not like I haven’t seen…” “What part of ‘leave’ don’t you understand? We want you out of here…NOW!” Casey crossed her arms across her chest and leaned against the wall. Janice should thank her lucky stars that looks can’t kill. Irritated by Casey’s interference with her reunion with Harvey, Janice threw the covers to the side and got out of bed. Standing toe to toe with Casey, she began arguing. “You have no right to tell me what to do. Who do you think you are barging in here like this?” Casey managed to maintain her cool but her patience was growing thin. She held up her left hand to display her engagement ring. “His fiancée.” “No way!” Janice sent Harvey a questioning look. How could he be engaged? He hadn’t been involved with this woman a few months ago. While the women argued, Harvey ducked into the closet to get his robe. He found it a bit hard to defend himself wearing nothing but a towel. “Cassandra Reed, this is my neighbor, Janice. She was my dog walker for a while and we…dated. Janice, Cassandra IS my fiancée. We’re getting married tomorrow.” “No, you can’t!” Janice dropped down on the edge of the bed and began to whine. “You never gave us a chance, Harvey. You said that you would forgive Ness for being a little…overzealous.” “OVERZEALOUS? Janice, that little fur ball attacked me. Do you have any idea how embarrassing it was to explain the nature of my injury to the emergency room nurse? The damned doctor couldn’t stop laughing long enough to stitch the wound and another doctor had to be called in to help.” Casey listened to his words with great interest. Emergency Room? Hysterical laughter? Stitches? This should be one interesting story. “What’s a Ness and what did he do?” “My precious baby.” Janice whined. “Ness is her dog. He mistook me for a doggie treat.” “Mistook you for a doggie treat.” Casey looked confused as she repeated his words. “I don’t get it.” Harvey sighed heavily as he leaned his head back and closed his eyes. He really hated this memory. “I’ll explain it to you later. Janice, let’s settle this now. There will be no picking up where we left off because Casey and I are getting married. End of discussion. Now, I’d appreciate it if you would get dressed and go home.” Janice crossed her arms and refused to move from the bed. “I’m not leaving.” “Oh yes you are.” Casey took Janice by the arm, jerked her to her feet and shoved the clothes into her arms. “You are going to get dressed and leave our apartment. If you’re still here when I get back, I’ll have to escort you out. Now, say goodbye and get out of here.” Casey had to leave the room before she lost her temper. As she left, she tossed a parting suggestion to the young woman. “Give Harvey the apartment key.” * Oct. 17th Noon The drive to the SIU was long and quiet. Harvey apologized profusely even though Casey assured him that she wasn’t angry with him. This wasn’t the way that he had wanted to spend their day together. He woke with thoughts of a nice breakfast, finishing the church decorations and having a picnic or drive before picking up the parents from SFO. He had also entertained the idea of whiling away the morning making love. It had seemed like a good idea earlier but now… They climbed the steps to the second floor and found Nash at his desk talking with Joe and Antwon. Nash motioned towards the conference table and the group settled around the table to discuss the latest news about Roy McNair. “We actually have some good news concerning McNair. He’s not in the states right now. It seems that Katz’s FBI team was closing in on him and he skipped the country to lay low for a while. According to the inside sources, McNair is turning over the Vegas operation to Tad Jinx until the heat is off.” Everyone seemed to breathe a sigh of relief after hearing about McNair. They couldn’t totally let down their guard but maybe they could stop looking over their shoulder for a while. Casey was still curious about the man who had followed her in the mall. “What about that blond guy that I was telling you about? Do you think that it was just a coincidence?” Nash sat back in his chair and thought for a moment. “Describe him for me?” “Around six feet tall, long blond hair pulled back in a ponytail. He was wearing black jeans, white t-shirt and black leather jacket. He had a mustache but that’s all I could tell about his face.” “Hmm, doesn’t ring a bell.” Nash did know of someone who fit that description but he would need more proof. “Ok then, why don’t the two of you get out of here and go get your parents. We’ll see you in church later.” After Harvey and Casey had left, Nash called Joe, Antwon and Ronnie aside. “I want extra security at the church tomorrow. Ronnie, have someone check the balcony during the ceremony. I don’t want anything to ruin Harvey and Casey’s day.” * Oct 17th 6 pm Harvey and his groomsmen entered the chapel and took their place at the front of the sanctuary. Each man wore a black sports coat and sported black sunglasses. Harvey wore a black cap with the word, “Groom” stitched across the front in white letters. They stood stone still and silent as they awaited further instructions from Rev. Baker. Suddenly, music filled the air and the men began to rock back and forth while Joe and Antwon rapped along with Will Smith to the song, “Nod Ya Head”. The solemn mood in the chapel was broken by the sounds of laughter. Donald Baker’s body shook as he tried to suppress his laughter. Virginia Leek looked confused by the antics of her son and his friends but Maria Cortez laughed out loud. Harvey finally leaned down to explain to his mom that they were singing a song from a movie titled, “Men In Black II. Reverend Baker stepped to the front of the sanctuary and called for order. “Ladies and Gentlemen, I’m sorry but I had to go along with their little joke. Weddings are so wonderful but they can also be stressful for the bride and groom as well as the families. We thought that by starting things off with a hearty laugh, any anxiety would simply melt away. Now, why don’t we get this rehearsal started.” Less than an hour later, the rehearsal was complete. Casey and Harvey held hands as they listened to Rev. Baker’s final instructions. “Harvey, Casey…when you recite your vows to one another, I will ask that you turn and face each other. You’re not going to practice saying them tonight because if you do, you’ll be married.” Harvey smiled down at Casey and squeezed her hand. “Sounds good to me.” “No, no, no. Get away from her. Move!” The Groomsmen quickly pulled Harvey away from Casey and dragged him down the aisle to the vestibule where they could talk while waiting for the women to finish their conversations. Nash took the opportunity to fill Harvey in on the extra security that would be on hand for the wedding. They would take care to blend in with the crowd so no one would seem suspicious. As the members of the wedding party began leaving for the short trip to Ana Mandara, Harvey took Casey’s arm and led her to the back of the church. They walked down the steps to the beach and stood at the edge of the water looking out at the horizon. “Something on your mind?” Casey asked as she removed her white “Bride” cap. Harvey continued to stare out at the water. “I think that we need to talk about what happened today. With me and Janice, I mean.” “Harvey, there’s nothing to talk about. It was a mistake.” “It’s just that…I can only imagine what you must have been thinking when you saw us together.” “Well, my first thought was of hot branding irons on tender parts of the body.” Casey became serious when she saw the look that Harvey gave her. “Alright, I was angry and hurt but then I realized that you honestly didn’t know that it was Janice you were making love to.” “Nothing happened between Janice and Me, Casey. I did not make love to her.” “I know.” “You trust me that much?” “Yes.” “And you have no reservations about marrying me?” “No.” With a tiny sigh, she tipped her head up and looked at him. “I said that I would marry you because I trust you and respect you and I love you so much it’s almost ridiculous. I know that you would never intentionally do something to hurt me.” “You’re right, I wouldn’t. That’s my promise to you.” Harvey reached out and pulled her into his arms. As he held her, some of the tension that had been building inside him seeped away. “We’re gonna do this, aren’t we? We’re really getting married.” “Yeah, we are. Scary, isn’t it?” Casey grinned as she draped her arms around his neck. “You might want to kiss me once more while I’m still a single woman.” |
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