Chaska stood with his back to Rose, looking pissed, arms crossed over his chest. “I guess I just have to pretend I didn’t see that eagle feather.”
It was illegal for anyone who wasn’t a member of a federally recognized tribe to possess an eagle feather.
Eric allowed himself to look over at Victoria, who was wearing the hell out of a little blue dress with red flowers on it. He walked to her side of the table and poured himself a lemonade. “You look pretty.”
There was uncertainty in her brown eyes. “Thanks.”
He lowered his voice to a whisper. “I’ve missed you, too—all of you.”
Sanity was overrated.
* * *
Eric glaredat Taylor as they walked back toward the inn. “Dude, the bride has her vows memorized. What’s with you? It’s not like you didn’t know the wedding is tomorrow.”
“I’ll have it all memorized by then.”
“Damned straight you will, even if I have to stay up all night drilling you. You’ve got to come through for Lexi tomorrow, man.”
Irritation flashed across Taylor’s face. “You don’t think I know that? Why are you more tense about this than I am? You’re supposed to be the one reassuring me not to worry and telling me that everything will be all right.”
“Itwillbe all right—if you memorize your vows.”
“How’s your best man speech?”
Yeah, well, Eric still needed to write that. “I’ll have it done.”
Taylor fired his own words straight back at him. “It’s not like you didn’t know the wedding is tomorrow.”
Okay, fine, so they were both procrastinators.
Lexi and Victoria walked arm in arm ahead of them, one with red hair, the other with dark brown hair, the two of them as close as sisters. They’d both gotten choked up at various points during the rehearsal, the two of them setting Britta off.
Victoria’s laughter drifted back to him. “Thank God for waterproof mascara!”
The rehearsal dinner was a cookout. Eric helped Bob get his big gas grill going, while Austin took on the role of grilling burgers and vegetable kabobs for everyone. They ate together around two large rented tables loaded down with salads, condiments, and, best of all, cold beer.
Eric had just finished his first burger and his first brew when his pager went off. Austin’s went off, too.
BREECE ARRESTED. MEET @ CAVE 20:00 HRS
Eric stared at his pager, then looked over at Taylor, who stared right back at him. “Holy shit.”
“They caught him,” Taylor said.
“Caught who?” Lexi asked.
“Ted Breece.”
Lexi’s face lit up. “Oh, my God! Seriously? That is fantastic!”
“Who’s he?” Victoria asked. “Wait. Isn’t he the jerk who stole from the Team?”
“That’s him.” Eric was impressed that she remembered.
The bastard had stolen more than seventy thousand dollars from the Team, which was a fortune for a nonprofit run entirely by volunteers. Lexi had done the forensic accounting work that had helped them build a case against him, but the bastard had gone on the run the moment he’d realized Megs was onto him.
“I didn’t think they were ever going to find him,” Taylor said. “I wonder where he’s been holing up for the past year.”