Page 132 of Rescuing Mary

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.