There was a knock on the door. They all looked up at it guiltily; they knew they should be downstairs.
“Yeah?” Joe said finally.
The door opened and Mason stuck his head in. “Master Sinclair?”
“Master?” Midnight echoed looking at Joe, her eyes wide.
“Shut up,” Joe said to her in an undertone, as she started to grin. “Yeah, Mason, what’s up?”
“Mrs. Debenshire asked me to look for you, sir …” Mason said, his voice trailed off, knowing that Joe didn’t like to be tracked down. He never had, not even when he was a little boy.
“Well, don’t tell anybody you found us,” Joe said. Then as an afterthought he said, “Hey, Mason?”
“Yes sir?”
“Bring us a bottle of champagne will you, and four glasses.”
“Yes sir,” Mason said dutifully and closed the door.
“Good God, Joe, you are rich aren’t you?” Midnight said unable to contain her laughter anymore.
“Oh shut up, Midnight. I have news for you, little girl, you’re rich now too,” Joe said, nodding at Rick.
Midnight’s face grew serious. She looked up at Rick and he nodded slowly, a half grin on his face. “Shit,” was all she said, as she started to grin too.
After a few minutes, Mason came back bearing a tray with a bottle of Dom Perignon sitting on ice and four crystal glasses. Joe took the bottle and popped the cork as Mason stood by. They all laughed again as the champagne started to foam out. Joe good naturedly put his mouth over the top to catch it, the other three laughed. Joe poured for them. Midnight sat up, but stayed close to Rick, his arm encircled her waist.
“That’s great, thanks Mason. Give us about twenty minutes and then tell them we’ll be right down, okay?”
Mason inclined his head respectfully and said, “Yes sir,” then he left the room.
“Well,” Joe said, holding his glass up. “What should we drink to?”
Randy and Rick shrugged. Midnight sat up straighter.
“I for one know what I want to toast,” she said, looking at all three of them.
“What?” Joe said, his eyes meeting hers.
“FORS,” she answered. “If it wasn’t for FORS none of us would be here right now.” Her gazed touched on each of them. She had just realized that she loved all three of them very much, and they were like the family she’d never had. The unit she had started a little over two ago was responsible for bringing them into her life and she was grateful for it.
Joe was nodding, as were Rick and Randy. “Alright then,” Joe said, holding his glass higher. His eyes touched each one of them as Midnight’s had. “To FORS.”
They echoed him, raising their glasses to clink together. “To FORS.”
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Empires Fall (MidKnight Blue Book 2) Page 22