Here We Come (Aggie's Inheritance) (203 page)

Luke’s
arms
wrapped
around
her
waist
and
he
murmured,
“I’ll
never
get
tired
of
this.”

For
once,
his
surprise
arrival
didn’t
startle
her.
She
snapped
off
the
machine
as
she
said,
“I
don’t
think
I
will
either.”

“Getting
ready
for
guests?”

“Cleaning
up
a
nightmare
of
glass.”

“Cari?”

“Kenzie,”
she
countered.
“She
also
reminded
me
that
it
was
an
accident
and
she
told
the
truth,
so
I
can’t
spank
her.”

“Well,
that’s
good
to
know.
You
put
your
feet
up
and
tell
me
what
we
need
to
do
tomorrow.
I’ll
finish.”

“Like
you
could
hear
me
with
that
thing
going.
I
think
I
have
it
all.
I
just
kept
making
sure.
Can
you
imagine
Ian
pushing a little truck
across
a
chunk
or
sliver
of
glass?
Eeek!”

Tina
joined
them
when
Luke
finished
with
her
laptop.
“Ok,
we’ve
got
work
to
do
folks—starting
with
table
decorations.
We
have
one
salvaged
original
vase
decorated.
That’s
not
going
to
cut
it
for
twenty-five
tables.”

Before
Aggie
could
make
any
suggestions,
and
before
Luke
could
consider
what
could
be
done,
Tina
fired
off
half
a
dozen
more
items.
“We
also
need
to
pick
up
the
truck
by
three
o’clock
on
Friday
,
but
that’s
also
when
we
get
the
school;
we
can
start
decorating
then.
Who
is
watching
the
kids
Friday
night?
Oh,
and
do
you
have
your
suit
yet?”

“Um,
which
question
or
topic
do
we
answer
or
address
first?”

“All
of
them
and
preferably
yesterday.”

“Well,
yesterday’s
gone,
so
now is good
,”
Aggie
sighed.

“Oh,
and
that
reminds
me,
are
we
making
the
upstairs
off
limits?
That
would
save
a
huge
amount
of
cleaning…”

“Sure.”

“Good.
Your
dad
can
put
up
the
baby
gate
after
you
guys
start
down
the
steps.”

“Gotcha.
Gate.
Done.”

Tina
glanced
at
her
screen.
“The
photographer’s
assistant
is
coming
to
Luke’s
house
while
he
gets
ready
and
she’ll
be
here
at
noon
for
you.
You
guys
are
sure
you
don’t
want
pre-ceremony
pictures
with
each
other,
right?
You
only
have
tomorrow
and
the
next
day
to
change
your
minds.”

“No,”
Luke
said
quickly.
“Aggie
would,
but
I
want
the
surprise
moment.”

“He’s
such
a
sap.”

Luke
grinned.
“Guilty
as
charged.
You
will
learn,
my
dear
Mibs,
that
the
Sullivan-Tesdal
l
families
are
terribly
sappy.”

“We
still
have
to
figure
out
décor…”

Silence
descended
over
them
as
they
all
pondered
the
problem.
“Same
idea,”
Luke
said
at
last.
We
do
the
same
thing
with
fresh
flowers
in
vases,
but
instead
of
glass,
we
do
metal
pails—like
lunch
pails.
We’ll
tie
it
into
the
building
just
a
little.
Maybe
add
apple
candleholders
on
each
side
or
something.
Little
squatty
candles
in
the
apples
so
that
the
flames
don’t
burn
the
flowers.”