"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 moonshine 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.

Mary nodded, feeling the tears on the edge of her eyes. "He wanted to. I know he did," she explained. "But everything happened so fast, he just couldn't do it."

Maggie shook her head. "Yeah, that's what happened to the sad lady."

"The sad lady," Mary said. "You mean Jeannine?"

Maggie smiled, "Yes, that's her name. Jeannine."

"Did she have to leave quickly too?"

"Uh-huh," Maggie said. "She told me to say good-bye to Clarissa for her. She told me to tell Clarissa that she will always love her."

A pit started to grow in Mary's stomach. "Who's Clarissa, Maggie?"

"Clarissa is my friend from school," she said. "We've been friends since kindergarten *cause we're the *doption girls."

"The *doption girls?" Mary asked.

"Yes, me and Clarissa were both *dopted," she explained. "That means our families picked us to love, *steading of just being borned to our families. Cool huh?"

Mary smiled, "Yes, very cool. But why did the sad lady say good-bye to Clarissa?"

"When Clarissa would spend the night, the sad lady...I mean, Jeannine...would come and visit. Clarissa couldn't see her like I could."

"Why did the Jeannine come when Clarissa was there?"

"Cause Clarissa was her little girl, afore she was *dopted," Maggie explained.

Mary pulled her chair closer to Maggie and looked intently into her eyes. "Maggie, this is an important question," she said. "Where is Clarissa now?"

Maggie shrugged. "I don't know," she said. "Her daddy got killed by a bad man who wanted to take her. She was really sad and her mommy said they had to run away."

Jeannine's last words came echoing back through Mary's mind. Find my baby.

About the author: Terri Reid lives near Freeport, the home of the Mary O'Reilly Mystery Series, and loves a good ghost story. She lives in a hundred year-old farmhouse complete with its own ghost. She loves hearing from her readers at

Other books by Terri Reid:.

Loose Ends a A Mary O'Reilly Paranormal Mystery (Book One).

Good Tidings a A Mary O'Reilly Paranormal Mystery (Book Two).

Never Forgotten - A Mary O'Reilly Paranormal Mystery (Book Three).

Final Call - A Mary O'Reilly Paranormal Mystery (Book Four).

Darkness Exposed - A Mary O'Reilly Paranormal Mystery (Book Five).

Natural Reaction a A Mary O'Reilly Paranormal Mystery (Book Six).

The Ghosts Of New Orleans -A Paranormal Research and Containment Division (PRCD) Case File.

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