by Susan Stoker
“Today, I not only married the most beautiful woman on the planet, I married my best friend,” Jackson began. “I met her in high school, and knew there’d never be another for me.”
Blade half-listened as he leaned down and whispered to Wendy, “How long do we have to stay?”
She elbowed his side and glared up at him. “Hush,” she admonished.
“Seriously, how long?” Blade asked.
Wendy pressed her lips together and refused to engage him in conversation.
“Because seeing you in that dress has had me hard all night. All I can think about is whether your panties and bra match.”
“Aspen, hush,” she said, but he could tell she wasn’t exactly mad at him. Her hand moved to rest on his thigh, then slid so her fingers were caressing his inner thigh. If she moved even an inch higher, she’d see for herself how badly he needed her.
“…all I ever needed to know from my brother-in-law, Aspen.”
Blade tore his eyes away from Wendy’s cleavage—prominently yet tactfully displayed in her custom-made light gray dress—to look at Jackson.
He stared at him as he continued his speech.
“I learned how to treat the woman I loved, and that nothing was more important than making her feel safe and protected. That’s probably not a popular sentiment in today’s age, with women still fighting for equal rights, but I don’t care.” He turned to his bride. “Jenny, I promise to always be there when you need me. I’ll do everything in my power to make sure you can achieve your dreams and support you however you need me to. I’ll fight dragons for you, and stand between you and anyone who dares try to hurt you. I love you. Thank you for loving me, and for saying yes.”
“Oh, Jackson,” Jenny said, and stood up to kiss her new husband.
“Why’d it take them so long to get married again?” Blade asked as he tightened his arm around Wendy. He was trying to distract her because she was about to lose it—again. She’d been crying on and off all day, and he would do anything to keep those tears from her eyes…even happy tears.
“You know why. He didn’t want to hold her back.”
“But she went to the same college he did and they dated throughout.”
“I know.”
“And they’ve been living together for years,” Blade went on.
“I know.”
“So explain it to me?”
“I can’t,” Wendy finally said. “They’ve loved each other since they first met, but I think they were both afraid something was going to happen and ruin it. It just took them a while to take the plunge. But it’s always been the two of them.”
“Hmmm,” Blade said, and nuzzled the skin by her ear.
“Besides, I think they would’ve gone on forever simply being common-law married…except she’s pregnant.”
Blade’s head whipped up and he stared at Wendy. “Really?”
“Yup.”
“Holy shit! I can’t believe that kid is gonna be a parent.”
“He’s thirty, Aspen. He’s not exactly a kid. In fact, he’s older than I was when we met.”
“Damn,” Blade said again. “I can’t wrap my head around it. I’m gonna be an uncle.”
Wendy chuckled. “Yup. And I’ll be an aunt.”
The waitstaff began to circulate in the room and serve the first course for dinner. Blade looked around and mentally said, fuck it.
He grabbed Wendy’s hand and stood.
Ignoring the knowing looks from his teammates—and the confused ones from their wives—he towed Wendy out of the ballroom. He went straight to the elevators and impatiently stabbed at the up arrow.
“Aspen, what on earth?” Wendy asked.
The elevator opened and Blade pulled her inside, pressing the door-close button so the businessman coming their way with a suitcase had to take the next one. He backed Wendy against a wall of the elevator after pushing the button for their floor and said, “I can’t go another minute without being inside you.”
“For God’s sake, Aspen, my brother’s reception is going on!”
“Right, and he doesn’t give a shit who’s there and who isn’t. All he’s thinking about is getting Jenny up to the honeymoon suite and making love to his wife.”
“Ew, gross,” Wendy said, covering her ears with her hands.
“I love you, Wen,” Blade said. “I can’t think about your brother being thirty. I can’t think about the fact that thirteen years has gone by since we met. I love you just as much as I did when we said our own vows, and I want you just as badly. I’ll always want you. Even when I’ll have to take those little blue pills to get it up.”
Wendy giggled and Blade relaxed. He was afraid he’d really pissed her off this time.
“You’re lucky I love you,” she told him, unbuttoning the first button on his shirt. “But this has to be quick. I’m hungry and we’re missing dinner.”
“I’ll make sure you get dinner,” Blade told her. “I’ll track down the wedding coordinator and tell her you had an allergic reaction and missed it.”
“She knows I’m not allergic to anything,” Wendy said. “She made sure before planning the dinner menu.”
“Then I’ll tell her you were so horny and needed my cock that you couldn’t wait, so you missed dinner.”
“Allergic reaction sounds good,” Wendy muttered.
Blade smiled and kissed her palm. The doors opened and they quickly walked hand in hand to their room. Then he felt her hands push under the waistband of his slacks as he stuck the card in the door, and smiled.
Twenty minutes later, they lay on the bed, trying to catch their breath.
“I knew they’d match,” Blade said with a small smile.
“Horndog,” Wendy complained, but she grinned at him while she said it.
“Love you, Wendy Carlisle.”
“Love you back, Aspen. Now can we please go and have dinner and pretend to be a respectable couple at my brother’s wedding?”
“Anything you say, babe, anything you say.”
Emily and Fletch, fifteen years after the weddings.
* * *
“John, so help me God, if you don’t put your butt down on that seat, it’s gonna get smacked,” Emily hissed at her youngest son.
“I’m boooored!” their seven-year-old whined. “When is this gonna be over?”
“I told you to bring a book,” his older brother, Doug, told him.
Fletch smiled at his sons. Douglas was only eleven, but sometimes he acted years older. He was their studious child. He’d loved to read by the age of five and it seemed like he’d had his head in a book ever since.
“She’s almost up,” Ethan said, sitting as straight as he could to try to see the stage better.
Fletch reached for Emily’s hand, and she latched on and squeezed his fingers hard.
It seemed like only yesterday Annie had been zooming around their yard in her homemade tank. But now they were at her college graduation, and she was going to be sworn in as the newest member of the US Army. She’d never lost her enthusiasm for the armed forces and had joined the ROTC at the university as a freshman. Over the years, she’d excelled, and was on her way to being in the medical field in the Army.
Fletch worried about her—he’d be a shit parent if he didn’t—but he couldn’t help but be proud.
He looked over his shoulder at the group of people sitting in the few rows behind his family. Seeing all his Army friends and their families made him smile in contentment. He knew they loved Annie almost as much as he did.
“There she is,” Ethan said excitedly as he pointed to the student preparing to go across the stage. Fletch turned to look at the stage, and the entire family stood up and yelled when her name was announced.
Annie Elizabeth Grant Fletcher.
Fletch heard the shouts and excitement from Ghost and the others as they celebrated her achievement along with his family.
Annie walked proudly across the stage and, once she had her diploma in hand, looked up into
the stands at her family. She raised her hand in a fist above her head, which only set her brothers off more.
Fletch knew the swearing-in ceremony would take place after everyone received their diplomas, so they had more time to wait.
“This is awesome,” Ethan said after they’d sat down again.
Fletch couldn’t argue. It was awesome. Even better was how close brother and sister were. Annie loved all of her brothers, but there was a special bond between her and Ethan. It probably stemmed from the hours Annie read to him and played with him when he was only a toddler. Even when she’d been in high school, she’d never been irritated or short with him. She loved everything about being a big sister, and had reveled in teaching him how to play soldier and running around with him in the woods behind their house.
Later, Fletch held Emily as she cried when Annie recited the oath of service, beaming with pride himself.
He knew the best part of the day was still to come. The present he’d arranged for his daughter was waiting.
The arena was chaotic after the ceremony, but Fletch waited for Annie in the spot they’d staked out ahead of time. After ten minutes, he finally saw her coming toward them. She was wearing her dress green Army uniform, and even though she’d complained about having to wear a skirt when the boys could wear slacks, Fletch thought she looked amazing.
She hugged everyone and teased Doug about whether he’d seen any of the ceremony or if he’d read his book the entire time. She let John pin her name badge, Fletcher, on his own shirt, even though she knew she’d get in trouble if any instructors saw her in an incomplete uniform. Ethan gave her a big hug, and Fletch wasn’t surprised to see tears in his daughter’s eyes. She was about to head off to complete the Officer Basic Course and her medical training with the Army, and it would be quite a while before she was able to spend any amount of time with her family again.
Annie was just as amazing today as she’d been when he’d first met her, and Fletch was more proud of her than he could say. She’d grown into a beautiful, thoughtful, smart young lady who knew what she wanted in life and wasn’t afraid to go after it.
Smiling when he saw someone coming up behind Annie, he handed her name badge back and told her they’d see her at the house. They were having a huge graduation party there in a couple hours. Fletch knew all his teammates would be there, as well as a few other Delta Force men, Fish and Bryn, and even a couple of the SEALs from California.
And a huge party wouldn’t be complete without the man Annie loved.
As Fletch walked away, he looked back and saw Annie turn and see Frankie for the first time. He knew the young man had told her he couldn’t make it because of his work schedule.
Annie’s screech of delight could be heard above the crowd still milling around, and Fletch couldn’t help but smile as he watched the reunion.
“She really loves him,” Emily said softly. “She’s loved him since they were seven years old.”
“Yup,” Fletch said, because there really wasn’t anything else to say.
They watched their daughter’s hands move lightning fast as she signed her happiness to Frankie. He laughed and signed back. The two stood in the middle of the crowd of happy graduates, reconnecting.
Things hadn’t been easy for the couple, and unfortunately, it would continue to be difficult. They were still young and had different roads ahead of them, but Fletch hoped they made it.
Frankie was a good man. He was smart and respectful, and it was easy to see how much he loved Annie. But he also refused to hold her back from her dreams. The pain in his eyes when he thought Annie wasn’t watching was clear to see, but he stayed the course, refusing to let Annie settle on anything less than her dream of being a medic in the Army.
Fletch made sure his sons were settled in the car and walked Emily to the passenger side. Before she could open the door, he leaned in and kissed her. Hard and deep. Right there in the parking lot for all to see. He heard John groaning from inside the car at their public display of affection, but he didn’t pull away until he was good and ready.
When Em groaned and pressed against him, he finally pulled back. He didn’t want to do anything that might embarrass Emily in public, but damn, he loved knowing he could still turn her on as much as he had when they’d first met.
“I love you, Em. I couldn’t imagine a better life than this right here.”
“Me either. Thank you for renting out that room over your garage.”
He grinned. “Thank you for applying.”
“Thank you for coming to find me when I was sick.”
“I could do this all afternoon. Thank you for raising our daughter to be compassionate, funny, and so fucking amazing, I’m in awe just being around her.”
Emily chuckled. “Okay, okay, you win. We need to get the boys home before John starves to death and Doug finishes his book. He didn’t bring an extra and you know how he gets when he doesn’t have anything to read.”
“He could read electronic books like a normal person,” Fletch said. “Then he’d never run out.”
“You know he likes the feel of a real book in his hands,” Emily scolded.
“But they take up so much room,” Fletch returned.
Emily laughed. “It would suck if the caterers beat us to the house.”
“Right. I’m gettin’ the hint. If I forget to say it later, thank you for suggesting we fly Frankie out here. I have a feeling that’s the best present we could’ve gotten our daughter.”
“I have a feeling you’re right.”
Fletch leaned down and kissed his wife briefly on the lips, then helped her into the car and waited until she’d fastened her seat belt before closing the door. He looked over at where he’d left his daughter and her boyfriend, and saw them kissing passionately.
Frowning, Fletch took a deep breath. Annie was more than old enough to be kissing, but it still weirded him out. He remembered when she was a little girl, his little sprite. Intellectually, he knew she wasn’t that seven-year-old anymore, but emotionally, she’d always be his little girl.
Deliberately turning his back on the couple, Fletch climbed into the car and turned around to face his family. “Ready to go home?”
“Yeah!”
“Yes.”
“Whatever.”
The last came from Doug, who was obviously lost in the world of warlocks and witches from the latest series he was reading.
“Let’s go home,” Emily said softly.
Fletch raised a hand and ran his fingers over his wife’s cheek gently, before turning his attention back to the road and heading out.
Mary and Rayne, twenty-five years after the weddings.
* * *
“To friends,” Rayne said as she held up her glass.
“To friends,” Mary echoed.
Then both women brought their shot glasses to their mouths and downed the shots.
Rayne coughed and sputtered, but Mary merely smiled at her and threw her arm around her friend’s shoulders.
“Can you believe it’s been twenty-five years since we had our wedding?” Mary asked.
Rayne shook her head. “Nope. Sure doesn’t seem like it.”
“I think it’s so romantic that Ghost is taking you back to London and the same hotel you had your one-night stand in all those years ago.”
“Yeah, he’s pretty amazing,” Rayne agreed.
“What time are you and Ghost leaving tomorrow?”
“Our flight doesn’t leave until ten in the evening, but Ghost hates to be late, so I’m sure we’ll leave here around three in the afternoon.”
Mary rolled her eyes. “At least you’re going first class.”
“Right? Although Ghost is all upset that they have those pod things. I think he wanted to rejoin the mile-high club.”
Mary rolled her eyes. “I remember when you told me about you guys going at it and almost getting caught the last time you flew overseas together. You’d think he’d have learned his lesson.”
<
br /> Rayne giggled. “Apparently not. But I have to say, he can’t wait until I get home tonight. He loves when you and I go out together.”
“Why, because you come home drunk and he gets to have his wicked way with you?”
Rayne laughed again. “As if you don’t get the same thing when you get home!”
“That’s true. And it’s much easier since the kids are out of the house and on their own. We don’t have to be quite so creative.”
“Preach it, sister,” Rayne said, nodding. “Last month, I barely made it through the door before Ghost was on me.”
Both women giggled.
“I love you, Mare,” Rayne said, sobering up.
“Don’t start,” Mary said, holding up a hand.
“Seriously, I do. I have no idea what I’d do without you. When I thought I was the worst mom ever, you talked me off the ledge. When Ghost got hurt on that one mission, you were there for me, making sure my kids didn’t starve to death. When Greta called from college crying because she’d almost been raped at that party, you and Truck not only kept Ghost from going down there and killing the asshole, you drove the four hours with me to get to her. Then you scared that pissant frat boy so badly by threatening to not only kick his ass in front of all his buddies, but swearing if he so much as looked at another girl cross-eyed after that, you’d know and ruin him.”
“I was bluffing,” Mary mumbled.
“But he didn’t know that. And you showed Greta that there’s nothing you wouldn’t do for her. My life wouldn’t be the same without you, Mare.”
“Oh, shit,” Mary said, pressing her lips together, trying not to cry.
“I know why you did what you did all those years ago, but I swear to God, if you ever do something so stupid again, I’m gonna kill you myself, hear me?”
Mary nodded.
Rayne turned her head and yelled for the bartender. “We need another, Jimmy!”
With a smirk, the good-looking, young, buff bartender poured two more shots and pushed them across the bar.
Mary knew when the college kid looked at them, he saw two middle-aged women way past their prime, probably desperate and looking for a hookup. But he’d be wrong. Oh, they might be middle-aged, but they were nowhere near their prime. They still had years and years to cause trouble together. And looking for a hookup? No way. Their men were at home waiting for them.