In the Line of Fire (15 page)

“But that means we'd just have to rush down to the courthouse because my flight leaves around two tomorrow. Don't you want to wait and make sure?”

“I've been waiting over half my life for this. I don't want you to change your mind.”

“Hey, I'm not the one with the history of being a runaway bride.”

She nudged him in his side with her elbow. “You would have to bring that up.”

“It just happens to be fresh on my memory…since it was just a few days ago. Seriously, honey, you know if we get married tomorrow everyone will speculate we've been having an affair while you were engaged to Blanton.”

“Colton, I don't want to besmirch your reputation but if I cared what people thought, I'd have never climbed out that window in the first place. The only thing I care about is you. We can wait three months or we can wait a year and the same tongues are going to wag with the same speculation.”

“Then let's get married tomorrow. You know we won't have time for a honeymoon.”

He wasn't the only one who could be practical. With the moonlight sifting through the branches in a random pattern, she tugged her dress over her head.
The cool air of early spring raised gooseflesh on her, but Colton would take care of that soon enough.

“Well, I say we get a jump start on that right now.”

Three and a half months later…

“I
THINK THAT'S EVERYTHING,”
Andi said as Colton attached her car to the tow bar.

“You know, anytime—” her mother began for the tenth time that morning.

“I know I can come home anytime.” She looked across to her mother-in-law and sister-in-law. “And in a month, the three of you are going to be coming up for a visit.” She reached over and hugged her mother. “I'm so proud of you, Mom.”

Her mother had been in therapy for nearly three months now with tremendous results. She was still overprotective and neurotic but it was far, far better than it had been. And she was even cordial to her new son-in-law.

“I guess we'd better get on the road,” Colton said quietly. She could tell he was loath to interrupt but
they had to make Natick in two days and he had to get back to work.

There were hugs and more than a few tears as she and her husband climbed into the cab of the moving van. They could've hired movers but they'd both thought it would be fun to drive up the East Coast together.

Andi was crying as they pulled out of the driveway and she looked in the big mirror outside her door and saw her mother, Martha Anne and Mattie all crying, as well. She rolled down the window and called out, “I'll email, I'll call, I'll text, just not every day. I love you.” She pulled her head back inside.

“Are you okay, honey?”

“I'm fine. I'm happy, it's just a little…”

“I know.”

And that was the great thing about Colton, her husband, he did know.

“Here we are starting on another Grand Adventure,” she said, swiping at her eyes. And she was okay. Her tears were a combination of sadness around a fond farewell and excitement over a new beginning. But she was exactly where she wanted to be with exactly the man meant for her. She reached over and touched his arm. “I love you, Colton Sawyer.”

“I know,” he said. “And I love you, Andi Sawyer. You nailed it early on. We're going to have a lifetime of Grand Adventures together.”