“Thank you, Colonel,” Lillian said with a lovely smile. “Cal has a lot of good things to say about you, as well. In fact, since you found him the job at Glacier, we’d never have met without you.”
Cal was nodding. “Sir, this was the best possible place for me. At the time, and now. I can’t thank you enough for what you’ve done.”
“Now, now,” Wilson said, “I just gave you the opportunity. What you made of it was up to you.”
And it was the absolute least he could have done for a man who’d gone through so many years of danger and tedium all wrapped up together into a grueling package. Reliable non-coms were worth their weight in diamonds, and deserved to be rewarded with the equivalent.
Just then, an older couple descended on the bride and groom, the woman saying, “Lillian, come here, you have to take care of—”
“Mom, we’re talking to Cal’s old commanding officer,” Lillian interrupted.
The mother of the bride turned a disdainful look on Wilson. Before she could deliver her opinion of that, which looked like it would be scathing, Wilson said, “I was just going to see about something to drink. We’ll catch up later.”
“Sir,” Cal started, but Wilson shook his head, smiling, and extracted himself. He certainly didn’t want to overhear any private family conversations.
He looked around the room. Most of the attendees seemed to be couples, which wasn’t a surprise—Wilson’s own invitation had included “and guest.” Weddings were the sort of events you brought a date to, even if you weren’t in a serious relationship.
He did see one woman sitting by herself off to the side a bit, away from any of the groups of talking people. She was watching them with a fond smile that he immediately liked. She was about Wilson’s age, he judged, which put her above most of this younger crowd, with a classic beauty that was enhanced rather than marred by the streaks of silver in her hair.
She stood out, somehow—and not only because she was one of the few African-American people he could see in the crowd of northern Montanans. He wondered how she knew the bride and groom, and if she was actually here alone, or if her date or family were simply off in the crowd somewhere.
Then he was distracted by a call of, “Colonel!”
He turned, and found himself facing four men who, alongside Westland, had brought a lot of good soldiers safely back from Iraq.
“Well, if it isn’t Platoon Delta,” he said. “Turner, Gonzalez, Sanders, and Neal. You all been keeping busy since you left the Corps?”
“Can’t speak for anyone else,” Sanders drawled, “but I sure have.”
Neal snorted. “With the ladies, he means.”
“You tell me when you finally get your first kiss, and I’ll explain the appeal,” Sanders retorted lazily.
Wilson shook his head. They might be retired, but Marines never changed.
***
Mavis hadn’t been to a wedding in a long, long time.
Most of her friends back in the city had been married forever, and when Nina had still been at home, their kids had all been too young for the next round of weddings to start.
And after Nina had disappeared, Mavis had sent her regrets to most events involving other people’s children. It had simply been too painful.
But now that she was here, Mavis was remembering what made weddings so bittersweet.
On the one hand, it was wonderful to see how happy everybody was. Cal and Lillian were so clearly in love; there was nothing in their eyes but each other. And the way they had the love and support of everyone in their community...it was a beautiful thing to see.
But it also brought an ache to her chest.
Mavis couldn’t help but think about her own wedding, her own marriage, and how it had gone so wrong. She’d been so happy on her wedding day, anticipating the long, full life that she and Daryl would have together...and it had come to a long, drawn-out, awful, bitter end. She’d thought she was marrying a good, kind man, and she’d been wrong.
Now those memories were flooded with regret. Watching Cal and Lillian together, Mavis had been struck hard by the realization that she’d never have something like that.
But that was a small-minded way to think. Their happiness didn’t take anything away from Mavis, after all, and it was petty to feel sad when it was such a joyous occasion.
So, since she couldn’t force her emotions away, Mavis just watched Nina having a wonderful time with her own mate and her friends, laughing and eating appetizers and just generally enjoying herself.
That was enough to make her forget about the ache, even if it didn’t quite go away.