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“Thank you,” I whisper back. “So are you. But I bet you’re a lot less cold than I am right now.”
He laughs as he sets me down. “Right. Let’s get you inside.”
“Sounds good,” Barry, his middle brother says, shivering. He lives on a fishing boat in Bermuda and isn’t accustomed to temperatures below fifty degrees.
“And get to the security line,” Baxter, Bear’s oldest younger brother grumbles. “Looks like it’s a mile long.”
“Amazing,” Jamie says, lifting her bottle into the air again. “That will give us time to finish the champagne while we wait.”
“I’ll drink to that,” Ben says, grinning as he sidles up to Jamie and takes a swig, holding her gaze as he swallows.
Bear glances my way, and we silently discuss the situation.
Bear: Are we okay with this?
Me: I’m okay with it. I’m sure they’ll have fun, and they’re both adults. And Jamie is headed back to our place to relieve the cat sitter first thing tomorrow morning, so they can’t get into too much trouble. What do you think?
Bear: I think I’m okay as long as you’re okay. You’re all I care about today.
Me: Aw. You’re the best. I love you so much. I can’t wait to be your wife.
Bear: Me, either. I also can’t wait to do bad things to you in the honeymoon suite.
Me: Yes, please.
“Are you two doing that telepathy thing again?” Cami asks as we all hurry through the sliding doors and into the ticketing area.
“They are, it’s gross,” Baxter confirms in a surly voice. If I didn’t know him, I would think he wasn’t a fan of our love, but he’s just a grump. Deep down, I know he’s so happy that we found each other, a fact he proves when he adds, “But it proves they were meant for each other.”
Meant for each other…
We truly are. From the moment we stopped fighting the pull between us, Bear and I haven’t spent more than a night or two apart. We’re almost always on the same page. Bear happily moved himself and our fur babies—Hambone, Clyde and Blanche, Sophia, and Dorothy, our little golden girls—to Detroit for three months when I landed a guest spot anchoring the evening news.
And he’s won my family over so thoroughly, that when mother spots us on our way to the security line, she runs over and hugs him first.
“Oh, darling,” she says as she emerges from Bear’s big hug and turns toward me. “I’m so happy. Even if this is a terrible place to get married.” She presses a finger to the bottom of her nose. “It smells like cigarettes, sweat socks, and bad meat.”
“It’ll smell much better inside, Mom, I promise,” I say, ushering her forward in line. “And you’re going to love dinner. The restaurant is beautiful, and all decorated for the holidays.”
“And then we get to go to Aruba tomorrow,” my dad says with a big grin. “I think we should do family Christmas at the airport and then split up for trips every year.”
My mom huffs. “We’ll see about that. A beach might feel weird in December. And you know I burn so easily.”
“My delicate flower,” Dad says, kissing Mom’s cheek, making her giggle.
Bear and I exchange more silent words:
Bear: They seem happy.
Me: I told you. I think our love reminded them that love is fun. They’ve been like high school kids lately. Every time I stop by the house, they’re making out.
Bear: Good for them.
Me: Yeah. Let’s never stop making out.
Bear leans down to kiss me, and Cami exhales a put-upon sigh. “Darlings, I love you dearly, but her make-up is a work of art. I slaved away for half an hour on that redhead-friendly smokey eye. If you mess it up, I will have to feed you both to the baby alligator.”
“He’s a toddler gator now,” I say, grinning as I spot Chuck waiting for us on the other side of security, Gavin looped around his shoulders. The now two-foot-long gator is dressed in a tiny tuxedo jacket and grinning with excitement. I wave and call out, “He looks amazing, Chuck! So do you!”
Chuck grins and puffs out his chest in his brown plaid suit coat. “Of course, we do. We know how to dress for a party. Now, hurry up. Muriel and the witches are already at the venue and Missy and her mom are setting up the chairs.
I shoot him a thumbs-up before turning back to Bear. “I can’t believe they all came. Our entire airport family!”
He hugs me close, his big arm around my waist. “I believe it. It was a special night.”
“And you’re a special couple,” my dad says, clapping Bear on the shoulder. “I’m so glad you and my daughter found each other, son.”
“And we’re so happy to have you join our family,” Mom says, making Bear and I both start to tear up again.
