A Very Merry Superhero Wedding (Adventures of Lewis and Clarke) (3 page)

TORI awoke slowly the next morning. She couldn’t remember what she’d been dreaming about, but she remembered being happy. She stretched a little and then opened her eyes with a start. This wasn’t her bed.

She looked around her former bedroom in Lexie’s apartment. Oh, right. She grinned into her pillow. When she and Joe got to his house last night, they needed something to keep their minds off what they wanted to do to each other. Joe’s newly-adopted cat, Snickers, a former stray he had been feeding for months, wandered in from the living room demanding attention, food, and more attention.

Tori had teased Joe about the smell of cleaning products in his house, something she’d never noticed before. He stuttered for a moment before admitting he’d hired a cleaning service. He wanted the house to be as perfect as possible before she moved in. That had seemed a good segue into their task for the evening — moving furniture around and rearranging the closets to make space for Tori’s belongings. Since she didn’t have much — she’d only moved into her tiny studio apartment a few days before she met Joe — they were able to complete their task relatively quickly.

With nothing else that had to be done, she and Joe had cuddled in front of the fire to watch “A Charlie Brown Christmas” and “Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas.” But the stolen kisses during commercial breaks had morphed into stolen moments to watch favorite scenes from the shows in between kisses. And more than kisses.

Tori had called a halt to the progression, but Joe was already moving away before she finished her sentence so it must’ve been on his mind as well. When he took her home, the kissing goodbye part had become never-ending. Finally, she’d told Joe to give her a minute, she put together an overnight bag, and she’d directed him to take her to Lexie’s. Nothing could happen there, not with her sister and nephew around. If it wasn’t for the fact that their wedding was mere days away, Tori didn’t think she or Joe would’ve been able to stop.

She grinned again. The anticipation was about killing her, but she knew it would be worth it. Only four more days and four more nights. She giggled. Yes, it was definitely a good thing she’d be sleeping at Lexie’s for the next four nights. Then it would be her and Joe and a big bed at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort in Orlando.

Her musings were cut short by the sound of the door opening. A high-pitched shriek barely preceded the sound of tiny running feet. Tori looked over to see Lexie grinning at her three-year-old son. Ben launched himself into Tori’s waiting arms. She kissed him all over his face and head, the only parts besides his hands not covered in yellow fleece footy pajamas.

When he’d had enough, he sat up and began to tell her all about the last couple days of his life, everything she’d missed since she’d last seen him. Tori nodded and agreed that it all sounded very exciting. She only caught a few actual details — something about a dog and a soccer ball, and she was pretty sure he’d had pizza last night for dinner.

Lexie finally interrupted. “Let Aunt Tori get up, Ben. Come on, time for breakfast.”

Ben jumped off the bed with a thud. “Pop Tarts, please?” he asked, running to his mother.

“Oh, so now you use your sentences.” Lexie rolled her eyes at Tori. “Mom and Dad will be here at 9:30. Dad’s taking Ben, and Mom’s driving with us. Yay,” she said with forced enthusiasm.

“We’re going to have a fun day,” Tori said. “What’s not to love about trying on wedding dresses?”

Despite the fact that their mother Dixie loved them and did a lot for all three of them, she also could be a pain in the patootie. Nonetheless, Tori was determined not to fight with her mother this week, not a big fight anyway. Dixie had made it clear that she didn’t approve of Tori’s “hasty” wedding, but she was at least trying to come to terms with it.

They were almost ready when their parents knocked at 9:25. Lexie had Ben’s shirt halfway on when he slipped away and ran to the front door as Tori opened it. Her dad Danny scooped up the toddler and motioned for his wife to precede him inside.

“There’s my boy!” Danny said, jiggling a half-naked Ben in his arms. “Guess who gets to spend the day with Pop-pop?”

“Ben and Pop-pop,” Ben squealed, clapping his hands.

“Give Grandma a kiss,” Danny told him, handing the boy over.

Dixie cooed over him while she walked over to Lexie and the rest of Ben’s clothes. “You need to be an octopus to dress them at this age,” she said to Lexie. “Can I help?”

Tori saw Lexie smile as she kissed Dixie hello. Whew. Looked like the day would go smoother than most.

Danny met her gaze and winked at her. “We’re all going to play nice today,” he whispered in her ear as he gave her a bear hug.

“Thanks, Dad,” Tori whispered back. “I knew I could count on you.”

“Now I’m not trying to start anything myself,” he said quietly so that only Tori could hear him, “but just because you’re doing the final fitting on your dress today doesn’t mean you can’t get off the train. I’ve got a shotgun in the car. I can whisk you away anytime you want.”

Tori laughed. “You don’t own a shotgun. And I’m not getting off the train, but thanks for asking.”

“I rented one for your wedding. And you’ve got until the final ‘I do’ to change your mind.” He held up his hand as Tori started to interrupt. “I’m not trying to stop the wedding, but these things can take on a life of their own and make you feel like you don’t have any choices left. I just want to be sure you know that yo
u
d
o
still have a choice. Humor me and say, ‘Yes, Dad.’”

Tori grinned and hugged him again. “Yes, Daddy. Thank you. I’ll let you know if you need the gun, okay?”

Danny kissed her forehead and shook his head. “Where’s my little girl gone?”

“She hasn’t gone anywhere,” she said with an affectionate smile. “She’s just adding someone new to the family.”

“He seems nice enough, I guess. I’m not sure if he’s good enough for you, but—”

“Okay, time to go,” Tori interrupted, pushing away from her dad. She grabbed her purse, a duffle with the clothes she would change into for tonight’s bachelorette party, and her wedding shoes to wear at the dress fitting. She pointed to a box of little gifts and prizes Lexie had wrapped for the bridal shower games, and Danny took it out to Lexie’s car.

A fresh dusting of new snow covered the ground and cars. Just enough to be beautiful and make it feel like Christmas. Perfect.

Dixie carried Ben outside, kissing his cheeks and making him giggle. “Honey, don’t go to the mall with Ben, okay?” She handed Ben to her husband to buckle into the child seat.

“Why not?” Tori asked. “They have a S-A-N-T-A playground there that will keep him happy for an hour, at least.”

“Haven’t you heard about the ring of thieves targeting mall shoppers? It’s just horrible. Breaking into cars, holding people up at gunpoint.”

“I’m not sure there were any guns, honey,” Danny said in a reassuring voice.

Dixie gave him “the look” and Tori watched her dad back down.

“But I promise, we won’t go to the mall today,” he said. He kissed her and turned her around toward Lexie’s car. “Now go have fun. The men can take care of themselves.”

Tori smiled at the exchange and opened the car door for her mom. Soon everyone was in the correct vehicle with the things they needed — Lexie almost forgot to give Danny the diaper bag — and off they went. Tori suddenly felt that surreal feeling come over her, like you wondered if you were dreaming or inside a movie or something. A movie dream where you got to be the bride.

Thank you, Go
d
, she said in her head
.
Please let the rest of this week be filled with love and laughter and no arguing.

An hour later, Tori stood on a dais looking at herself from half a dozen mirrored angles. Her breath caught in her throat. Today she saw herself in a way she never had before — beautiful. She caught her mother’s eye. Dixie’s chin trembled as she tried to restrain her tears. Then she gave it up.

“It’s my blood right to cry when my babies get married,” she said as she wiped at her cheeks. She sniffled and thanked the shop attendant when she handed Dixie a box of tissues.

Lexie walked out in her bridesmaid’s dress. She stopped suddenly when she saw Tori. “Oh, Tori, you’re stunning!”

Tori smiled at her sister and glanced back in the mirrors. The white satin dress had clean, simple lines, cap sleeves, and a sweetheart neckline. Delicate lace fell from her waist partway down the skirt. The train trailed just a foot or two behind her.

She looked like a princess.

Joe was going to love this.

Tori’s best friend, Hayley Addison, walked out in her bridesmaid’s dress and stopped in her tracks. “Oh my gosh! Tori!”

Tori giggled. “This dress is a show-stopper, isn’t it?”

“No.” Hayley, generally full of something to say, paused as if looking for the right words.
“
Yo
u
are the show-stopper.”

Tori felt her eyes well up.

“She’s right,” Dixie said. And her face and tone conveyed that motherly love and pride that Tori so often longed for more of.

She stared at her mother in the mirror, smiling at her. This was one of those moments she needed to remember and cherish forever, especially when times were tough. “I love you, Mom.” Tears rolled down her cheeks.

Suddenly all of the women jumped toward the dais.

“Don’t let the tears fall on the dress!”

“The satin will stain!”

“Hand her the tissues!”

The box was shoved into her hands, but the woman doing the alterations had already pressed a linen handkerchief against Tori’s cheeks. Tori took it and wiped her eyes, laughing at the attention. She glanced at the hanky
.
Congratulations from everyone at Princess Bridal.

“We had them made up for moments like this,” the woman said.

Tori laughed. “Can my mom have one?” Dixie loved to collect little mementos from her children’s milestones.

Dixie stepped onto the dais and took the hanky from Tori’s hand, giving her the fresh one. She hugged her daughter tight. “I want to keep the one with my baby girl’s happy tears on it, okay?”

“Oh, Mom,” Tori said. Then they both laughed and cried at the same time, and everyone went crazy to protect her dress.

Hayley came to the rescue as she always had over the years. She called out orders and made jokes and helped push yet another emotional crisis behind them. Tori appreciated it. But this was one emotional crisis she would treasure.

Chapter 3

“EVEN though a certain Grandma is being silly,” Danny said to the toddler in the back seat, “we’ll keep our word and avoid the mall. However, we’re still going Christmas shopping. I bet you’ve done about as much shopping as I have, right buddy?”

Ben stared at Danny in the mirror, then turned away to look out the window.

“Just as I thought,” Danny said, hitting his turn signal. “It’s only the twentieth. We have five whole days before Christmas. I bet we can get everything we need today. Men are good like that.” He turned into the bank parking lot and pulled into a space on the side near the ATM. “You stay here, I’ll be right back.”

Even though he didn’t worry about being robbed at the mall — he wasn’t a small man and felt confident he could take care of himself — he was always extra careful with his grandson. He took his keys and locked the car. At the ATM, he turned to wave at Ben. No tantrums, good. That’s one of the things he liked about his grandson.

Danny opened his wallet and pulled out his ATM card. Before he could slide it into the machine, he heard someone else walk up. He turned to see a young man in a dark coat, dark knit cap, and gloves walking toward him. It wasn’t cold enough outside for anyone to need their collar pulled up around their face.

He smiled and nodded at the man, and turned back to his car. “Wrong card,” he said.

From behind him, another voice said, “Why don’t you try it anyway?” Someone pushed him roughly toward the ATM.

Danny turned to look at the new guy and weighed his options. This fella looked like he was up for a fight. While Danny considered how to best land his punches, the new guy opened up a switchblade knife. The odds shifted further out of his favor.

Danny forced himself not to look toward Ben. They might get his money, but he wouldn’t give them his keys, not even at knifepoint.

He decided to play the scared older guy. He let his hands shake and dropped his card. “You take it,” he said, “I don’t want any trouble.”

He backed up a step toward the first man, purposely landing hard on the guy’s instep. The man cursed and shoved him. Danny let himself be propelled farther away from the ATM. Now how could he reach for his keys and get into his car before they overpowered him?

The second man lunged for Danny and shoved him hard toward the cash machine. “Withdraw four hundred dollars. Now.” He held the knife near Danny’s face and pushed the card into the machine.

Unfortunately, this guy seemed to know exactly what he was doing. Fine, maybe they’d leave with the money, and he and Ben could go safely home. Where he’d pour himself a stiff drink perhaps.

Danny looked around for cameras, police cars, other people, any distraction. Seeing only the dark glass that likely covered the bank’s hidden camera, he made a point of looking fully into the glass for a moment. If the worst happened, at least the police would be able to identify him.

“Enter your PIN.”

Danny typed it in wrong, buying time. Surely the bank parking lot had some kind of security service doing rounds. He remembered to make his hands shake, which wasn’t too hard. “You’ve got me all flustered.”

“You don’t look like the easily flustered type,” the leader said harshly. “Do it right, or you’ll have a scar to remember and I’ll take your car.”

Danny’s heart froze.

“Yeah, I saw the kid. Now enter your PIN!”

His hands shaking for real, Danny carefully entered the correct number. He pushed the button for Withdrawal and then the one for Checking Account. He was about to reassure the leader that he would withdraw the maximum amount when a third voice spoke up.

“Didn’t your mother ever tell you not to play with knives?”

Danny looked up in surprise. A massive hulk of a man stood calmly to one side, his arms folded over his chest. He wore an outfit that could’ve come out of one of th
e
X-Me
n
movies. Something disguised his voice so that it had a metallic sound.

The man’s expression flickered for a moment as he glanced at Danny, as if he were surprised. Then his focus returned to the man with the knife.

Danny heard the other robber stutter and turn to run. A cheerful man’s voice said, “Not so fast.” Danny turned to see another strangely costumed man stretch out his leg and trip the robber.

Danny blinked hard. What…?

The robber got up to run again, but the costumed man stretched out his arm — yes, he was seeing what he thought he was seeing — the man stretched his arm at least four feet and grabbed the robber’s collar. Then he stretched his leg out — several feet longer than should’ve been possible — and tripped the fella again. All without moving from where he stood.

Like Danny, the knife-wielding robber just stood and stared.

The big man moved forward to grab the leader. The leader turned quickly, bringing the knife in low and fast.

“Watch it!” Danny called.

But the big man didn’t move. The knife hit him squarely in the stomach…and didn’t sink in. Did the man have Kevlar in his outfit?

Before Danny could understand what was happening, the two costumed men had shoved the two robbers against a post, back-to-back, and zip-tied their hands together. The big guy took the switchblade knife and hit the button to send the knife back into the handle with a click. Then he grabbed both ends of the knife and twisted his hands down.

Danny gaped. The man had bent the knife at a thirty-degree angle. With his bare hands.

“Wh
o
ar
e
you?” Danny heard his voice crack.

“Stretch and Superhero X, at your service.” The wiry man who could move in unnatural ways bowed and grinned. He extended his hand and Danny numbly reached forward to shake it. It felt like a normal hand.

“Show off,” muttered the big guy. “Your card is still in the ATM, sir. Did they get anything from you? Hurt you in any way? The police will be here soon. You’ll need to stay and make a report. You can wait in your car with the doors locked, if you like. We’ll wait here until the officers arrive.”

Danny nodded and hit the buttons on the machine to get his card back. When he turned, he saw the big man leaning over and looking in the window of his car. The man’s fingers squeezed together twice, imitating Ben’s childish wave from inside. Danny saw the man smile, and Ben shrieked with laughter, kicking his legs against his car seat and reaching toward the window.

The man stood up, saw Danny watching, and cleared his throat, wiping any expression from his face.

“I-I don’t understand,” he said to the big man. He turned to the other guy. “Who are you again?”

Both men’s costumes covered a good deal of their faces. All he could see was a strong white chin on the big guy, and an angular black chin on the wiry fella. The man who called himself Stretch didn’t disguise his voice. Maybe Danny could pick it out again later if he needed to. Despite the fact that he practiced real estate law and had never dealt with criminal cases, his attorney instincts were running high. But he had very little to go on if he ever wanted to describe these two to the authorities.

“We work with the police, sir,” said the big one. He turned aside slightly and didn’t meet Danny’s intent gaze. “Ah, here they are now.”

Did the man sound relieved? Why would that be
?
Ho
w
did they work with the police? And where had they come from? Who were these men?

The lawyer-like questions ran through his mind, but inside Danny had known the truth minutes ago. Despite all Dixie’s insistence over the years that there was no way, these men were…well, he didn’t know another word.

Superheroes.

It was true.

He’d held onto disbelief all these years because it would upset his wife if he allowed himself to wonder aloud. If he didn’t believe in superheroes — or super villains — then his daughters had never been in danger, would never be in that kind of danger.

But now…

Danny shook his head as he tried to focus on the policeman now standing in front of him. “What?”

The officer pointed to Danny’s car. “Why don’t you turn on the engine before your son gets too cold,” he suggested. “I can question you over there.”

Danny did as he was asked, turning the heat to high, and reaching into the back seat to reassure himself that Ben was fine. He turned back to the policeman and looked around for the…superheroes.

But they’d disappeared.