Authors: Casey Clipper
Darren looked to Courtney. "I want the first Saturday available."
"I would love for a fall wedding,” she said, her mind moving to fall décor that would look fantastic in the ballroom.
"Third?"
She nodded.
"We'll take the third Saturday next September. Here...for the deposit," he said and pulled out his credit card.
"Certainly, Mr. Murphy." Mr. Waltson took the credit card and five minutes later returned with the receipt for Darren to sign. "I'll need phone numbers for both of you and an estimated number of people. You said five hundred, correct?"
"We'll say six hundred,” Darren answered.
"How did it go from five to six in the matter of minutes?" Courtney raised an eyebrow.
"Easy.” He shrugged.
They both gave Mr. Murphy their cell phone numbers then left the country club to head to Darren’s home. Plans promptly needed to get started and quite a few people needed contacted. Darren didn’t want to waste a minute.
***
Sunday, Courtney and Darren strolled into his parents' home for the weekly family dinner. Derrick, Darren's older but just as devastingly handsome brother, was seated in the living room talking football with his father. When they stepped into the room, both men stood.
"Son." Darren's father shook his hand and gave him a manly embrace.
"Courtney, you look gorgeous as usual." Derrick winked and wrapped his six feet four inch solid body around her tiny frame. He pulled back and kissed her forehead then snuck a quick peck on the lips.
She chuckled and swatted his shoulder. "Tease."
"Not with you, beautiful. Never," he said seriously, his piercing chocolate eyes pegging her.
She laid her head on his chest and wrapped her arms around his waist. "I love you, Derrick," she confessed.
He kissed the top of her head. "I feel the same, honey."
"Hey, quit pawing my girl," Darren joked. He possessively pulled her out of his brother's hold.
Derrick chuckled.
"Don't turn your back on her, brother, or you might be missing another man trying to steal her from you." He gave Courtney another wink. She grinned like a fool. She loved flirty Derrick. She had noticed a long time ago that she was the only woman who was graced to receive that side of him.
"Courtney, come give me a hug,” Darren’s father insisted.
She wiggled out of Darren's arms and embraced his father.
"You look more beautiful every time I see you, honey," he gushed.
"All of you Murphy men are big flirts."
The three smitten men laughed.
Diane, Darren's older sister, waltzed into the living room.
"Courtney." Diane tossed her long arms around her and moved her back and forth in a hard embrace. Her future sister-in-law held the title for the most energetic person she had ever met.
Mrs. Murphy glided into the room with Diane's two children on her heels. They ran past her and jumped up and down at their Uncle Darren for his attention. Thoroughly delighted to entertain them, he laughed and got down on his haunches.
"Dinner's ready,” Darren’s mother said and embraced Courtney in a gentle fashion. "Hello, dear."
"Hi,” Courtney said.
Everyone made their way to the dining room and sat in their usual seats. Before they started, Mr. Murphy said grace. Surprising the entire table, Darren stood, glass of wine in hand. "Everyone, if I can have your attention."
Diane giggled. "So formal, Darren."
He snorted at his older sister.
"I would like to announce that my Courtney has agreed to become my wife," Darren said, beaming from ear-to-ear.
Diane squealed, Mrs. Murphy sobbed, and Mr. Murphy stood to embrace his son. Derrick grasped Courtney's right hand into his left. She turned to him and he leaned over to give her a soft kiss on the lips.
"I'm thrilled you've decided to become family, Courtney. I couldn't think of a more perfect wife for my brother,” he admitted.
"Thank you, Derrick." She leaned her forehead to his and relished in their special bond.
Dinner turned into a celebratory occasion and wedding plans immediately got underway during the meal. Mrs. Murphy said she would contact Mrs. Millen to start on bridal shower arrangements. Courtney asked Diane to be a bridesmaid, and she assured Court she'd contact the other bridesmaids to start plans on a bachelorette party.
"No strippers," Darren barked at his sister.
Diane rolled her eyes.
"Right back at you, Darren,” Courtney quipped.
"Deal,” Darren said before Derrick, the best man, could play devil's advocate.
Derrick chuckled and shook his head. "Man, you're something else. Who cares if she has strippers? She's coming home to you."
"Don't." He glowered.
Derrick held up his hands. "Okay, but you know Jack and Carl are going to want a cake."
Courtney chuckled along with Diane, who gave her some sort of hidden signal wink. Whatever her future sister-in-law had in mind was something that would assumably get her into a world of trouble.
Courtney
Seated at her office desk early Monday morning, engrossed in her computer screen, the shrill of her phone interrupted her search.
"Courtney Millen," she answered professionally.
"Hi, Courtney, it's John Marshall. We met on Friday."
"Of course, John. How are you?" she answered.
"Good," he paused, "I would like to start looking for a home like we talked about. If you don’t mind."
"I'm glad you called. I did a small search for starter homes that fit your description. If you're available I can meet you around eleven-thirty today to look at one of the homes,” she said.
"That sounds good. Where do you want to meet?" John answered.
John Marshall
After Courtney gave him the address to the first house, John hung up the phone.
"You're meeting her?" David asked, his skepticism evident by his tone.
"Yes,” John answered short.
"Why?" David challenged.
"To get close to her. I know we can use her. I think she's our best bet/weapon and Murphy's biggest weakness,” John explained.
"I agree that she is his biggest weakness but this isn't what we do. We should pick her up and bring her in for hours of questioning. Not pretend to buy a house from her or try to get close to her because of a crush,” David snarled.
"I don't have a crush,” John snapped.
David snorted. "Right."
Sagging back in his chair, he ran a frustrated hand through his hair. Fuck, his partner was right. He did have a crush. Why wouldn't he? After all he's a man and Courtney is one very fine woman. "I don't know what the hell is wrong with me,” John admitted. He ran his hand down his face, tired and drained.
"I understand what you see. She’s gorgeous, intelligent and kind. It would
seem
as if she's the total package. Which you and I can understand why any man would be taken with her. I’m sure that’s why Murphy is in love with her. But she's a mob boss's girlfriend. She's dirty, even if she knows nothing. Dirty. Being with Murphy has automatically placed her in that category. This needs turned over to the field team. We’re out of our element with this," he said.
"That's very shortsighted of you, partner. If this poor woman is oblivious to her boyfriend's dealings, she's not dirty. Naive, not dirty. If that's the case than she's no good for any information. If she presumably knows nothing, bringing her in would be useless," John grumbled.
"I don't see it that way."
"We’re not leaving it to the field team. We’re already in. I’m the one who came up with this idea, and I’m the one who’s going to see it through. And I hate the fact that you call her dirty as if she's one of Murphy's sluts. Knock it off. She's not and you know it. I'd appreciate if you kept her out of that lump." John sighed heavily. "It limits you from seeing the entire spectrum of the case and use whatever information we have on her. It could have you making poor judgments based on preconceived notions."
David gaped at him and then outright laughed. "I would have bought all of that if I didn't think you would bed her if the opportunity presented itself."
He stood and left John to sit and stew by himself.
Courtney pulled up to the two bedroom home and parked her car in the driveway next to a small Audi. As she climbed out of her car, John climbed out of his vehicle.
"Mr. Marshall!" she exclaimed.
"Please, call me John." He chuckled and held out his hand.
"Okay, ready to see it?" she asked.
"Sure, show me what you've got," he teased.
She laughed. "One of those, are you?"
"Yeah, pretty much.” he replied.
Leading him to the front porch, Courtney went straight into her sales pitch. "It's a two bedroom, one and a half bath with a two car garage," she explained, ushering him inside. When she closed the door behind them, she continued through the house and gave him the ins and outs of the quaint home.
"If you’re willing to put money into it, the kitchen could use some updating. Once you found yourself ready to move into a larger home, you could place that value into the new price,” she suggested.
At the rear of the house, they stepped through the sliding glass door that led to a decent sized backyard with an in-ground pool. Surrounded by a tall, white fence gave the area a serene privacy. John stopped and took in the scenery.
"Nice, isn't it?" she said.
"It is. The backyard alone makes me wonder why the price is so low," John said.
"Well, the owners passed away, and the children inherited the house but have no use for it. They’re trying to get rid of it. The price reflects their willingness to sell,” she explained.
"Is there something wrong with the house itself? The roof? The water heater? Plumbing?" he asked.
"No, it's in great shape. The Miller's, who owned it, took good care of the home,” she answered.
A gleam of light blinded John for a brief moment. He automatically looked that direction to find a large, diamond ring now donning Courtney’s left hand.
Courtney didn’t miss him gawking at her new piece of jewelry. "I said yes this past weekend.” She smiled indulgently.
"Lucky guy,” John muttered.
She shrugged. "He thinks so."
A deep, familiar voice interrupted them, "Am I interrupting?"