eleven: all fun and games until the police show up

Finn stopped in front of me and reached for my arm.

I ducked away.

"Babe, I don't know what you're thinking but we need to talk."

"Go away, Finn."

"You owe me an explanation! You owe me a chance to know what I did! Two days ago, we were getting married. We had big plans!"

"I don't owe you anything!"

"Do you know how worried I was? You just disappeared! Then your stuff was gone! No note. No nothing! What was I supposed to think?!? I went to your parents, the police, the campus administration. I went insane!"

For a moment, I thought he might be sincere.

Then I remembered his voice, begging Naomi to go harder. I steeled myself.  "How do you know my parents?"

"What?"

From the corner of my eye, I watched as Marco introduced himself to mom and held out his hand. She didn't shake it. I could have told him she wouldn't. Grandma Mary moved in their direction.

Jeb had stepped forward towards Lonnie.

"Finn, if you want to talk, I'll meet you."

Jeb's head turned to face me and his eyes widened.

"But I am legally, completely married to Jeb Scott. That won't change. If you still want to speak to me, then I'll text you a time - tomorrow. After my wedding reception."

"THIS IS INSANE!!!!" He rushed towards me.

I noticed someone by the bar, filming us. Another taking a picture. "Jeb," I called. "Please?"

"You said that you would only have sex with your husband, Alice. YOUR HUSBAND. So what does that make me??!"

Everyone in the restaurant stopped and stared. Including mom and Lonnie.

Oh God, let the floor take me now. Please God....

Finn grabbed my arm again. "We're talking, now! Before all this goes any further!"

I tried to pull away but his fingers dug in.

"Ouch! Finn, stop!"

"OOFFFFFFFFFFFFF Argh!" Finn went spinning, stepping back.

BWOK!

Jeb was shaking his hand.

Finn was rubbing his cheek and growling in outrage.

Holy...did Jeb punch Finn??! Did that just happen?

"NOT. THE. FACE!" Finn shouted, rubbing his jaw. "You all saw that, right?!" He turned around to the restaurant. "Someone call 911!!"

"ALICIA, come here! Now! We need to leave this place of sin!"

"Mom, no -"

"Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord." She ground out, her face pink with anxiety. "Forsake not the law of your mother! Your life has been paved, Alicia. By God. Please come home and get yourself back on the path. Your place is in Heaven not...here. This is your soul we are saving."

The buzzing of the restaurant seemed to fade for a second and I could feel the eyes on me. It was hard to breathe; it was like my insides had gotten sticky and the air couldn't get in. I rubbed my lips trying to think of words I should say.

"You OK?" Jeb whispered.

"You can still be forgiven, Alicia. There is always redemption. Come home."

"Mom..." Only a few feet separated us but I was glued in my spot.

"Did someone call 911? That guy hit me! This is all a farce! She's married to me - this woman is a bigamist!!"

"OH...Now you done it...." Shay stepped forward and placed himself between Finn and me.

"Submit, repent," Lonnie ordered. "I will forgive. I've always forgiven, Alicia."

I could feel Jeb's hand at my back and the warmth of his fingers through my dress. I straightened and her eyes. "I'm not going back with you. I'm not marrying Lonnie. I'm not going to be part of that church. There's nothing here for you, Mom."

"You do not know..."

"Mom. I know. And I know the risk I'm taking in your eyes. I..." I swiped at my face. "I love you, mom. But I married Jeb today. I'm standing by that."

She looked whipped. Her whole body sagged and for a moment, I wondered what Garth might do to her for not bringing me in for Lonnie. But...I couldn't fix that.

Whatever she'd been feeling passed and mom stiffened her posture again. "You're throwing away eternal grace to be a harlot! You have no idea what you're bringing down on your soul!" She turned and marched away.

"I'll be back," Lonnie's eyes were furious. He then quickly followed mom.

Just after they pushed out the door, two uniformed cops walked in. "Someone called about an altercation?"

"OVER HERE!" Finn waved, pushing Shay back with his hand.

"Mr. Prosecutor," the older officer nodded to Shay. "What do we have here?"

"Bobby, good to see you. These are Captain Kingsley's in-laws..."

"You heard the baby is another boy?"

"I saw it born."

"Oh, no, you are kidding! What a crazy world where you see your ex giving birth."

"Tell me about it," Shay sighed. He reached out to Jeb and introduced him to the officers. Jeb produced our marriage certificate - which trumped a license, big time. Then he began pointing; "So Captain Kingsley is married to this guy's older brother, Jay. There are four siblings."

"The doctor?"

"He's the oldest," Shay nodded. "The next is Maggie and that's her husband, Marco, and the two kids picking each other's noses are their twins."

"What?" Maggie spun. "Oh, gross! Matty! Petey! Cut that out right now!"

"The next is Jeb here. He married this lovely lady today - Alicia."

"Alice," I corrected.

"She's the one with the uh..." the officer looked around, "prior engagements?"

"Yeah. We'll get to that. Over there is Laurie, the youngest, and the grandmother, Mary. Oh, and you know Rafe?"

The officer nodded in recognition at Rafe and his girlfriend.

Finn started shouting and the other officer backed him away to an empty table. In a lowered voice, he asked Finn for his side of the story.

Marco turned, "Maggie, Mary, Laurie - why don't we all take the kids back out to the garden? See if the boys can get some food? Rafe - would you mind just stepping to the parking lot for a moment and making sure that the bride's mother left safely?"

Rafe looked at Jeb, who nodded his agreement. Within moments, the restaurant was much quieter.

"Could you tell me what happened, Alice?" Officer Bobby had his notebook open. "Your parents run the big church over in Kirby?"

"Yeah. Actually, my mom and stepfather. They wanted me to marry Lonnie and help take over but I chose to go to college instead."

"Did you tell Lonnie you'd marry him?"

"No. Never. But that didn't stop their plans."

"And Mr. Levitt over there?"

"I dated him for a while. He wanted to elope. He's a struggling actor and my father is kind of big deal Hollywood producer; I should have known better," I could feel myself blushing. "Last Friday I walked in on him and one of my friends. I felt so stupid."

"Then you just met and married Jeb here? Since Friday?"

I nodded.

"Of your own free will?"

I nodded again.

"You might want to take a moment and think about what you're doing..."

"Am I in trouble?"

"What happened just before the punch?"

"Finn grabbed me, hard," I lifted my arm. There was still a faded red mark. Bobby took a couple of pictures. "He wouldn't let go. I think he was planning to drag me away."

"I stopped him," Jeb added wryly.

"With your fist?"

Jeb nodded. "He was assaulting my wife and trying to drag her away."

His wife. It made my head dizzy to hear him say it.

"Do you want him charged?" The officer asked me.

I shook my head. I mean, I actually did want him charged, held, and castrated but I didn't think that was an option.

"All right. I'm going to call you to come down and sign some statements early next week," Bobby pulled out some business cards and handed them around. "In the meantime, we'll talk to him."

"WHAT?!?!" Finn was screaming at the other cop. "No way! You got to get her out of here!!"

Officer Bobby crossed the restaurant, indicating that Finn should follow him to the exit. Reluctantly, Finn and the other cop followed.

I breathed a sigh of relief.

Jeb looked down at my arm and checked the pink spot. Shook his head.

"I'm sorry," I told him.

"What for?"

"Someone recognized the restaurant in my pictures," Laurie approached us. "That's how everyone found you."

"Damn."

"You want to go somewhere else?"

Before I could answer, Rafe returned. "Jeb? The mom is gone but that Lonnie guy is parked on the edge of the parking lot just watching the door."

"No shit?" I couldn't believe it.

"I don't want that guy following us to my house," Jeb growled.

"I am so sorry..."

"Don't apologize for other people. It's stupid," Jeb told me.

I took a step back.

"Then what should I do?"

"Nothing. This isn't on you, unless you've been secretly egging him on?"

"No! Of course not!"

"How crazy is this guy?" Rafe asked me.

"I would have said harmless stalker until today. Now I don't know anymore."

"I've asked the Marriott for an extra few rooms," Mary had followed Laurie back into the restaurant. "They have accommodated the request. We have reservations on the same floor. It seemed the better part of valor."

"That will do for tonight," Jeb kissed Mary on the cheek. "I should have thought of it first."

"Oh, I still have a few moves."

"DAMNIT!" Maggie shouted from the garden. "I looked away for ONE SECOND!"

We all jogged out and stopped short. In the midst of a lovely courtyard lit up with twinkle lights, the twins were covered in frosting.

Shay bust out laughing. "Anyone for cake?"