Page 98 of Fighting for Brielle

After Justice and Brielle shared their first dance, he handed his bride over to her father and stood off to the side, watching them.

“I’m really happy for you, son,” Franklin murmured next to him. “You’ve married an extraordinary woman. I know your mother would approve.”

Justice’s gaze left his wife and settled on his new stepmother. As soon as Brielle had recovered from her ordeal, they had traveled to Las Vegas with Franklin and Adrienne to witness their wedding.

“I’m happy for you, too. I’m so glad you’re not alone anymore. I love Adrienne.”

“Child approved,” Franklin responded with a smile. “Not that I needed your approval, of course.”

“Of course not,” Justice mocked him. “We’re lucky men, Dad. Now, go dance with your wife while I dance with mine again.”

During a moment when Justice and Brielle sat at their table enjoying a little privacy, Cynthia brought Rosie to say hello to them. As soon as Justice smiled at her, Rosie burst into tears.

“Chief, I…I…” she sniffed, unable to speak.

“It’s okay, Rosie,” he said, patting her shoulder. “It’s okay.”

“I…I’m glad you and Brielle got married.”

Brielle leaned forward and hugged her. “Thank you, Rosie. Hey, you know the Chief and I have a kitten. Come by and see her whenever you want.”

“Sure. That’d be nice.” Rosie offered a small smile before she scampered off, followed by Cynthia, who offered her congratulations.

“It’s a start,” Brielle commented.

“Yeah, I know. I still want to adopt her.” He lifted his wife’s hand to his mouth. “Happy, my love?”

“Delirious. You?”

“Over the moon. I can’t wait to get that dress off you later.”

“Mmm.” Brielle pressed her mouth against his. “Just wait, Chief McQuaid, until you see what’s underneath it.”

“I can only imagine, Sergeant McQuaid.”

“I love the sound of my married name.”

“I’m glad you decided to use it.”

“I’m old-fashioned that way.”

Justice grinned. “Shall we dance, Beach Girl? I’m old-fashioned that way.”

“Shall I lead?” she teased.

“By all means.”

Brielle’s body melted against his, and she caught her mother’s eye.

Brianna smiled. “And they lived happily ever after,” she murmured.

Epilogue

Four months later Dooley strolled into the meeting Justice called that morning. He listened as Chief McQuaid ran through the team’s cases, old and new. All of them had been blown away by the discovery that Rosie’s brother had been caught up in Anderson’s plot to stage a terrorist attack, even more so that the drug-addled boy passed muster with the leader.

After thirty minutes, Justice stared straight at Dooley and declared, “We have a lead. We believe we’ve found your sister’s murderer.”

Dooley’s heart slammed into his chest. Was Chief right? Had they found the man who killed his sister after all these years? “Where is he?”

“Right here in Laguna Beach.”

THE END