Here We Come (Aggie's Inheritance) (206 page)

She
hung
up
and
grinned
at
Luke.
“Music.
Check!”

Luke
took
the
mop
from
her
and
sent
her
to
decorate.
“I’ll
finish
this
and
then
put
up
chairs
behind
you.
It’ll
be
easier
for
you
to
work
if
you
don’t
have
to
fight
the
chairs.”

~*~*~*~

The
children
were
asleep.
The
house—silent.
Aggie
and
Luke
found
themselves
seated
across
from
each
other
at
the
island
playing
paper
hockey
with
plastic
knives
as
sticks.
The
clock
struck
a
quarter
‘til
midnight.
Luke
grinned.
“Fifteen
minutes
and
it’s
our
wedding
day.”

“I
thought
you
were
going
to
say
you
had
to
leave
,
so
I
wouldn’t
see
you.”

“Are
you
kidding?
This
is
the
first
chance
I’ve
had
to
be
alone
with
you
all
day!”

Feeling
quite
flirtatious,
Aggie
shook
her
head.
“What,
two
weeks
of
no
one
but
me
isn’t
enough?”

“Never.”

Her
knife
batted
the
wad
of
paper
around
on
her
side
for
several
seconds
before
she
sent
it
flying
across
the
countertop.
“
Are
you
nervous?”

“About
what?
Tomorrow
or
two
weeks?”

“About
all
of
it?”
Illogically,
her
lower
lip
trembled.

“Mibs?
You
ok?”

“Yeah…
I
think.”

Luke
didn’t
hesitate.
In
seconds,
he
engulfed
Aggie
in
his
arms,
murmuring
reassurances
and
prayers
for
comfort
and
confidence.
“If
you
have
any
doubts—”
his
voice
cracked
as
he
tried
to
say
the
last
thing
he’d
ever
want
to
speak.

“No!
No
doubts—just
a
few
fears
and
a
lot
of
worries.”

“Do
you
trust
me?”

She
nodded.

“Do
you
trust
Jesus?”

Smiling,
Aggie
whispered,
“Yes,
of
course.”

“Then
it’ll
be
ok.
He’ll
never
fail
you
,
even
when
I
do.”

“If—”

“Unfortunately
it
isn’t
if,
Mibs.
It’s
when.”

The
clock
struck
midnight.
Aggie’s
face
brightened.
“Today
is
my
wedding
day!
Last
year—right
now—I
was
probably
stumbling
downstairs,
tripping
over
toys
and
laundry
and
today
my
house
looks
like
it
was
decorated
for
a
bridal
magazine.”

“Not
a
magazine—just
you.
It’s
decorated
for
you.”

“For
us.
”

Though
he’d
been
given
permission
at
their
engagement
party,
Luke
hadn’t
risked
another
brotherly
kiss
on
her
forehead
or
cheek,
but
after
just
a
moment’s
hesitation,
he
kissed
the
palm
of
her
hand,
closed
it,
and
murmured,
“Hold
it
there
for
a
few
more
hours.
Goodnight,
my
Mibs.”

“Night.”

Mibs says:
I wanted to say something while you weren’t around to make me too shy to say it.

Mibs says:
I love you. I know you know that, but I don’t think you really realize just how much I really do love you. How’s that for a lot of real-ity?

Mibs says:
So, I want to tell you while I know you can’t get on and make me self-conscious. I love you. I love how you think of my children as yours. I love how you put us before you even when it is uncomfortable for you or a financial blow.

Mibs says:
Sigh. This is hard. I love how you smile at me. The way those smiles make my stomach flop is the most wonderful feeling.

Mibs says:
The way you reach for me and then hesitate, making sure you are being honorable in your actions.

Mibs says:
I love the tone of your voice when you say you love me.

Mibs says:
I love knowing that you mean it when you say it.