by Moonwitch
"No," she said dryly. "Tell me about it. "
He laughed and hugged her, dipped his head, and their kiss was a searching, a promise, a vow. And when it was done, Amanda knew that the fighting, at last and forever, was over. Four Aces would be hers, and her children's, and her grandchildren's. And her own life at last had lost all its horror.
"You know something?" he said, his voice whispering into her hair.
"What?"
"When we get married, I'm going to be an instant grandfather."
She grinned and snuggled closer.
"And I want to make it right, Mandy. If they'll let me, I want to adopt both Alex and Bess."
Her eyes closed against the tears, knowing full well what their answer would be.
A small voice calling, then, and running footsteps. Amanda groaned. ''Tell them to go away," she said.
"Mother!"
"It begins," he told her with a grin, and they waited until Bess had joined them, puffing and laughing.
"Has he asked you yet?"
"Elizabeth!"
"Yes, " Douglas said. "Your mother asked me not tell' minutes ago."
"Good," Bess said, taking each of their hands. "Then you can come inside now and do some magic fur us."
"Whoa!" Douglas said, pulling free of them both.
Amanda and Bess exchanged puzzled glances, then looked at him with a frown.
"Look, Mandy, you've done that . . . that magic or whatever it is too many times to me since I've known you. I've seen all those tricks with the cards, and I know about your so-called talks with animals and things. But do me a favor and stop it, all right? I'm going to have it hard enough being married to you and being sheriff at the same time without people looking at me because they think I'm married to a . . .a witch. "
"You mean you don't believe it?" she asked him.
He stared at her solemnly for a handful of seconds before shaking his head. "You want to know the truth?"
"Absolutely. "
"Well, the truth is, Amanda, I'll be damned if I know. "
"Fair enough," she said, reached up to his chin, and pulled down a feather that should have been on an eagle.
"Amanda, damn it, what the hell' d you do that for?"
"Because she's a witch, " Bess said, clapping her hands and laughing.
"Perhaps," Amanda said. Then she jabbed a finger at his chest. "But this way at least you'll never take me for granted. "