CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

Steph

 

“, Dad, you’re here!” squealed Steph in her excitement.

“Yes,” said her mother. “And your brothers will be here shortly. They are all coming in on the same plane from Frankfurt.”

“I’m so happy.”

“So where is this man of yours that you’ve hidden from us?” said her mother pointedly.

“I haven’t hidden him, Mom. It’s just Ryan has been busy helping his father with the business. They got that new government contract and it’s a lot more work than they thought.”

“Well take us to him,” said her father gruffly. “I want to meet this man who didn’t bother to ask for my permission to marry you.”

“Dad! You absolutely won’t harass, Ryan. He’s been very good to me.”

Ivan Kaur walked to the group.

“Mr. And Mrs. Brooks,” said the elder Kaur smiling. “I’m Ivan. Ryan is my son.”

Steph put her hands to her face thinking that her father would say something to Mr. Kaur to embarrass her, but her father merely smiled and stuck out his hand.

“Ivan. Pleasure to meet you. Though,” he said with a glance to Steph, “I wish I could have met you sooner.”

“I understand. It’s not always easy to get a furlough from the Marines.”

“Yes, I suspect someone must have put in a good word for me.”

Ivan Kaur’s face flushed which Steph never saw before. “I don’t know what you mean. Let’s let the ladies chat and come to the bar with me. I could use a drink.”

“Well,” said her father, “a beer might be good. It’s hot in this dress uniform.”

“Wool, right?”

“Yes.”

“Then a beer it is.”

Mr. Kaur led her father off and Steph was alone with her mother.

“I see your hair and make-up are done. Why aren’t you dressed, dear?”

“Well, to tell you the truth, the dress the wedding planner talked me into is too much for me to handle on my own.”

“Don’t you have bridesmaids?”

“Oh, yes,” said Steph. “A bunch of debutantes from the Kaur’s social circle. I need someone who knows how to deploy camouflage.”

“You would think,” her mother started as they walked toward the house. But she stopped talking looking at the different people gathered near the bar. Many were dressed in formal attire and her mother looked down at her dress and blushed.

“Don’t worry mom. I got you a mother-of-the-bride dress. I hope you don’t mind. The wedding planner insisted.”

“Are you going to blame everything today on the wedding planner?”

“Ryan tells me he has it on good authority that the wedding planner’s primary function is take the blame for everything. It’s why the good ones are so outrageously priced.

Stephanie took her mother to the bedroom upstairs that was set up as Steph’s dressing room for the day. The make-up artist and the hairdresser sat on the bed chatting but stood quickly when Steph walked in.

Steph pulled a dress from her closet. It was beautiful royal blue taffeta that would float gracefully over her mother’s generous frame.

“This? For me?”

“Sure, mom. You deserve a beautiful dress.”

“I can’t, this is too much.”

“No it isn’t,” said a deeper voice from the door. “Anyone who raised such a wonderful woman deserves it.”

Ryan stood leaning against the doorjamb dressed in a black tuxedo that made him even more devastatingly handsome than he was. Steph wanted to melt into his arms right there, but that wouldn’t be right especially in front of her mother.

“Ryan!” scolded Steph. “You aren’t supposed to see the bride before the wedding.”

“Why not? I’ve seen her every other time,” he said with a smirk.

“You are a bad, bad man. Get out, before I call this off.”

Ryan stepped in and winding his arm around her waist gave her a deep and passionate kiss. “You can’t get rid of me, Stephanie Kaur.”

“I’m not Stephanie Kaur yet. And if you don’t let me get dressed, I might not be.”

“Okay. I know when I’m beat. It was good to meet you, Mrs. Brooks. I’ll meet you later on the dance floor.” He winked at her and left the room.

Her mother let go a deep breath.

“Oh, my,” said her mother. “Were did you find him? He’s perfect.”

Steph smiled. She and Ryan had every good thing to look forward to. Once Ryan settled in with her and the business his wild ways were finished. Ryan’s father insisted she take the job as liaison between legal service and the family and found herself immersed in her work. Ivan Kaur did something he wouldn’t talk about that forced Mr. Watins into retirement. And they hadn’t heard from Rhea Gentrix or any other dragon for nearly a year.

“At work,” she said lightly. “Now let’s get dressed. We’ve got a wedding to deploy.”

End of Book