Total pages in book: 153
Estimated words: 140965 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 705(@200wpm)___ 564(@250wpm)___ 470(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 140965 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 705(@200wpm)___ 564(@250wpm)___ 470(@300wpm)
“I have no idea what’s going on, my beautiful little perfect peony, but those birds did bring us good luck. Maybe there’s something to that little whispered rumor after all.” Using the satellite Azami Yoshiie had made available to them, he sent off the data to Joe and Trap and then put the samples away, so he could give them to Joe when he arrived. “Stay inside while I get things ready outside,” Draden cautioned.
For some reason his comment about getting things ready outside wiped out the terror at the thought of infection and the small flare of hope this morning’s findings had given her, replacing it with thoughts of their wedding. Of marrying Draden. Her heart beat overtime all over again, and she nodded. “I’ve done my flyaway hair as best I could and unfortunately, jeans are all I have. No makeup either.” She touched her mouth a little self-consciously.
“I’ve taken care of that. Joe’s bringing a dress and makeup and my wedding gift to you. I’ll get it to you immediately.”
Her heart jumped at the possibility. “A dress? As in a wedding dress?”
“A more traditional dress for a Buddhist wedding. You’re going to love it, Shylah. I sent Joe several examples and let them choose which one. I think he was consulting Bellisia and Zara. You’ll have a beautiful dress.” He made a little grimace. “They’re also sending me a traditional outfit as well. I thought if we were doing the ceremony, we should do it right.”
She hugged herself, happy that Bellisia and Zara had contributed in some way, however small. She wasn’t going to let anything mar this day. Not one single thing. “I love the idea. I know we have to do this ceremony, but how do we make it legal?”
“There will be a civil one as well and Joe will take care of that end of it. He made me the promise, and Joe never lets anything stop him when he wants something. He’ll make certain it’s legal.”
In spite of her assessment of Joe after he’d reprimanded Draden so harshly over saving the tiger, she was beginning to think he was a good man and an even better friend. “That’s good.”
“Stay inside, Shylah.”
She wanted to smile at the note of command in his voice. He did that a lot. By now, he knew from their time together and the stories she’d told about her relationship with Whitney that she tended to decide for herself what she wanted to obey and what she wouldn’t. This time it was easy to nod her head in agreement.
Draden worked hard on the bower surrounding the door to the lab. He had already twisted the fig branches together. He used green, leafy vines to bind the branches and then filled them with fresh orchids. The arbor looked amazing by the time the helicopter got there and Joe emerged along with three other soldiers, all wearing hazmat suits. Even that didn’t deter his happiness.
The supplies kept coming; everything he’d asked for, Joe had managed to find. He handed Joe the samples of blood and saliva and then saluted, agreeing once again on the time of the ceremony. That was critical. He needed the rest of the time to set everything up and then get ready himself.
Draden decided the small wedding cake couldn’t be a surprise because he wanted it in the cabin’s refrigerator rather than in the lab. He took Shylah her dress and the cake. His present for her was already wrapped and he put that in the closet and ordered her not to touch it. Then he went to work. The first thing he did was set up cameras so that those watching the ceremony could see his bride walking toward him just as he would see her. He set up screens, so she could see Bellisia and Zara were there with her.
He went at each task the way he did everything, working fast until it was done. He decorated the inside of the lab. He’d already put equipment away and now he hung the large reed woven mats in colors of deep rose, red, black, green and yellow on the walls, draping them so that they covered every dingy nook and cranny. He put up the small shrine to Buddha in keeping with tradition. He placed the candles, incense, the small statue of Buddha and a floating garden of peonies at the far end where they were in plain sight of the cameras, so the observers could see they were following the Buddhist tradition as closely as possible. Joe had told him the monks would give them their blessing and an official would make certain they exchanged their vows properly.
After transforming the small room as best he could, he glanced at the time. He was cutting it close. He had just enough time to shower and get dressed. When he got back to the cabin, he knocked to make certain she knew he was coming in.