She found her handgun and released the safety. The door opened and Eliza stood there poised.

"Holt." She instructed the dog. Zod stood on four legs and barked into the darkness.

"Who's there?"

Samantha rushed to her side. "What is it?"

"I don't know. Stand back." She flipped on the outside light and saw nothing.

"I'm sending my dog," Eliza shouted in the dark corners where the light didn't reach.

No one outside said a thing, but Zod kept barking.

Eliza waited two seconds and sent him in. "Suche!"

Zod took his command and bolted into the backyard. He ran to the back fence and jumped up half its length. He doubled back and sniffed the side yard.

A noise from the opposite side fence sounded and Zod rushed to the other side.

"Miss. Havens?" a man's voice called from beyond the fence.

"Don't move," she yelled to the voice.

"Oh, shit." The man yelling sounded like the guard Carter stationed on her once he asked her to marry him.

"Don't move!" Eliza rushed to the side yard "Stehen Sie hinunter!" she instructed Zod to hold his attack. But God help the guard if he moved. Zod was instructed to attack anything that moved.

By the time Eliza made it to the side yard, Russell, the guard, was pinned to the side fence, and frozen in place by a vicious dog growling and barking at his prize.

Eliza grasped Zod's collar and shoved her gun into the pocket. "Did you see anyone?" she asked the guard.

Russell hadn't moved from the fence, his eyes never left Zod. "Only the dog."

Eliza swiveled back to the yard and searched the dark corners.

Who was there? Who had been there?

"We're fine," Eliza explained to Carter over the phone thirty minutes later. "It was probably a cat." Thought she knew that Zod wouldn't react to an animal the way he had.

"I don't like it."

"I'm sure I overreacted. We've been drinking a little. I'm fine, really."

"I still don't like it. You should stay with me tonight."

"The night before our wedding?"

"Of course, why not?"

"It's unlucky." Lord, even she knew seeing the groom the morning of the wedding was bad luck.

"That's ludicrous."

"Yeah well, that's how my mind works sometimes. I'm fine. If there was anyone in the back yard, Zod scared them off. I'm sure they won't be back tonight. Russell didn't see anyone either," she added for extra ammunition for her argument.

"Still..."

"I'm fine, Carter. I promise."

"If something happened to you-"

"It won't. But it's sweet that you care."

"We're getting married tomorrow. Of course I care."

Did he? Did he really? "I'm nervous," she admitted.

"About tomorrow?"

"Yeah."

"I am, too, a little."

How nervous? "Are you still in? Cuz if you want to back out-"

"No! I'm excited, nervous, and everything a groom is supposed to be before the day of his wedding. I'm not having second thoughts."

Eliza smiled into the phone and cradled it closer to her ear. "Me, too," she sighed.

"So we're in?"

She nodded. "Yeah. We're golden."

"Good," he said. "Now let me come over there and get you."

"Not happening, Carter. Gwen and I are fine. My guess is Neil will have two more guards on duty before midnight."

"Three."

Eliza laughed. "See. We're fine."

"Ahh."

"Enjoy your last night as a single man."

"I'd rather fast forward to tomorrow."

"If you can do that, California is guaranteed to elect you."

Carter chuckled.

"I'll see you tomorrow then," Carter said.

"I'll be the one in the white dress."

"I'm looking forward to it."

Eliza held onto the phone for a long time after he hung up.

Chapter Eighteen.

How in the world did Samantha do this every freaking year? Eliza sat rod straight in a chair while Gwen fussed with her hair and Tracy the makeup artist carefully applied mascara to Eliza's lashes.

"You have the most expressive eyes," Tracy told her.

"Really? What are they expressing?"

"Nerves, oodles of nerves."

Eliza couldn't argue that. If it wasn't the fresh coat of polish on her nails, she'd be nibbling up a storm.

Samantha stepped into the room wearing the striking three-quarter length gown that rose high on her waist. The gown was perfect for an outdoor wedding. Ever practical, Eliza insisted that the gowns be something the women could use again. The color was a cross between wine and burgundy and it screamed of understated elegance. Gwen and Sam decided on swept up hair and simple diamond pendants for their necklaces. The two of them were stunning. Eliza couldn't help but smile.

"You'll be happy to know that Carter is here and already working the room downstairs."

"Is he as nervous as our bride?" Gwen asked.

Eliza met Samantha's gaze in the mirror while Tracy applied another layer of shadow on her eyes.

"He looked good. He asked about Eliza."

"Making sure I'm here."

"I don't think he doubted that."

There was a knock on the door right as Tracy backed away. "Done."

Samantha opened the door and let Carter's mother enter.

"I hope it's okay," she said as they shut the door behind her.

"Don't be silly." Eliza wanted to stand up to greet her, but Gwen was attaching the tiara and fixing the veil down the back.

"I thought I'd assure you that everything is ready. Even my stuffy brother managed to make it on time."

"And your parents?"

"They're here as well. Please don't worry about them. The last thing they enjoy is a scene. I know weddings can perpetuate family drama, but mine would be horrified to find themselves in the paper for ill behavior in public. Now in private, that might not be the case."

"I understand the sentiment, Mrs. Billings. My father hated the media and avoided scandal at all cost," Gwen said. "There." The last pin attached the diamond tiara to Eliza's head and Gwen stood back. "Lovely."

Eliza stared at her reflection in the mirror. The gown crossed in the front, dipping enough to show off some cleavage. The style similar to Gwen and Samantha's. Only hers was floor length with a slight train. Her bare arms kissed by the summer sun had a healthy glow contrasting the white silk beautifully. Her mother would have loved it. Her father would have cried. Just thinking of them, remembering them, brought a well of tears behind her eyes.

"Oh, don't you dare!" Tracy scolded. "You can cry after the pictures."

Gwen laughed and Samantha moved to Eliza's side. "You're going to take his breath away."

"My son is a lucky man."

Eliza hid behind her smile. Abigail didn't need to know their marriage was somewhat forced under a bizarre set of circumstances. "Thank you."

"I have something for you." Abigail reached into her purse and removed a small box. "It falls into the old and blue category. Samantha told me you were covered with borrowed and new."

Inside the box lay a tennis bracelet with ice blue aquamarine and diamond stones layered on top of platinum.

"It's gorgeous."

"When Cash and I married we managed to anger nearly everyone in my family, except my nana. She gave me this to wear on my wedding day and ask that I hand it down to my daughter or daughter-in-law on her wedding day." Abigail removed the bracelet from the box and attached it to Eliza's wrist.

Again, guilt about the circumstances of the wedding plagued her, but she accepted the jewelry and hugged Carter's mother. "Thank you."

There was another knock on the door. "Ladies? Are you ready?" Blake asked.

Sam opened the door a small crack. "We're coming."

Abigail turned for the door. "I'll see you after the ceremony."

Gwen fussed behind Eliza making the dress drape perfectly, and Samantha handed her the floral bouquet.

This is it.

"Ready?" Samantha asked.

"I'd better be."

They opened the door to find Dean standing in the hall. His mouth fell open when his eyes met hers. It seemed only fitting to ask him to walk her down the aisle. Eliza always felt closer to the man than any assigned to her case, and he couldn't exactly say no. Besides, she'd told him at the time, if pictures of the two of them managed to make it to her enemy, he'd see that she was surrounded by protection. From the man walking her to the altar, to the man accepting her as his bride.

"Wow," he managed.

"You clean up well yourself." Eliza attempted to lighten the growing knot of excited nerves. But there was still a hint of water behind Dean's eyes.