Two young boys walked in. I had met them a few times before, one short, skinny and white, one tall, filling out well and black. They went by their street names, Sniff and Roam. They looked uncomfortable in their suits (but handsome) but even more uncomfortable under the scrutiny of the crowd. Their eyes found Luke and they walked straight to him, ignoring the confetti basket, and shoved through to stand behind Luke and me.

Indy and Lee walked in, Indy looking amazing in a mint green dress that was even more girlie than mine. Lee had a pink rose pinned to his lapel and, it must be said, he looked hot in a suit too. They grabbed their confetti and just managed to get into position when the couple of honor walked in.

Everyone sucked in breath.

Jules’s gleaming jet-black hair was down, slightly curled in massive waves falling around her shoulders. She wore an ivory silk, sleeveless dress, empire-waist, cross-over bodice with hint-of-cleavage vee. It fit snug all the way down to her knees so you could clearly see the slight bump at her belly. She had on a pair of baby blue, high-heeled sandals, a wide leather strap across her French manicured toes, a soft, satin ribbon coming up from the side of the shoe, wrapping around and tied in a bow at her ankles. She was carrying an enormous bouquet of white peonies and roses and she was, quite simply, glowing. She had a diamond at her neck and some kind of chunky, cool as shit silver bracelet on her wrist, a gorgeous promise ring on her right hand not to mention the huge rock on her left ring finger, nestled now with a wedding band.

Vance was at her side, white rose at his lapel, dark suit, dark shirt, and dark tie, his black hair pulled back in a ponytail. I didn’t know what the masculine form of glowing was but whatever it was, Vance looked it.

“Congratulations!” Daisy shouted, breaking the silence. She jumped forward and threw her confetti.

We all followed suit, shouting and confetti flew so thick in the air it seemed to be snowing. It drifted around slowly, floating softly as it fell around the newlyweds.

I saw the tears glimmering in Jules’s eyes as she looked around at her friends then she turned, Vance’s arms closed around her and she shoved her face in his neck.

That’s when I felt my throat close.

“Shit,” Indy, standing close to me, muttered and Lee mumbled, “Honey,” and slid his arms around her. She pressed a red, trying not to cry face into his chest and wrapped her arms around his neck.

That’s when I felt my throat begin to burn and I took a step back, for some reason, needing to escape.

So I looked to escape as fast as my purple shoes would take me.

I whirled and ran, dodging well-wishers and waiters, and made it halfway down the middle aisle of books before an arm caught me at the waist and I was turned to face Luke.

My head tilted back and my gaze met his. His face was soft, his eyes were searching. My eyes were filled with tears.

“Babe,” he murmured. “Talk to me.”

I shook my head and took a step back. Both his arms went around me and he pulled me close. Therefore, no retreat.

Eek!

“No running,” he said, voice soft but firm. “Talk.”

“I don’t think –” I started, then stopped.

Get it out, get it out, get it OUT, girl, Good Ava demanded.

Yeah, for goodness sake, let’s get this over with. I need more champagne, Bad Ava sounded bored.

“Ava –” Luke said low when I didn’t start talking.

I cleared my throat, took a deep breath, straightened in his arms and said, straight out before I could stop myself, “I don’t think I’ve ever been this happy.”

His head jerked back and I knew that was not what he was expecting to hear.

Then his face changed, he looked at me in a way he had never looked at me before and whatever was in his face made my lungs seize.

His arms moved, one went low, very low, passed my waist, his hand going lower, pressing into my behind so my h*ps were fit snug into his. The other arm slid up my back so it was wrapped just under my shoulder blades and I felt his fingers against the side of my breast.

“I’m scared,” I told him in a small voice and I felt a shiver slide through my body. I felt suddenly cold, so I pressed in close and put my hands on his shoulders. I closed my eyes tight then opened them and whispered, “Luke, I’m scared to death. I’ve never been so scared in all my life.”

“Tell me and, I swear to God, I’ll make it so you won’t be scared ever again,” he promised.

I blinked at him. “Tell you what?”

“You know what.”

“I don’t know what.” After I said it, I knew what and my body went tense.

“Babe, I’ve been waitin’ since that day your family breezed into town.”

That’s when I knew that he knew all along. How he knew I did not know but then again, he knew everything.

“Do I have to say it?” I asked quietly.

He gave me a half-grin and an arm squeeze. “Yeah, you have to say it.”

I sighed.

He did another arm squeeze.

My hands slid up from his shoulders to his jaw and I looked him in the eyes.

Oh well, I had been waiting since I was eight. I had created extravagant daydreams about it. I had dreamed of it at night. I had written about how I would do it in my diary. I had hoped for a chance to do this, for over twenty years. I had even prayed for it.

There was no reason to wait any longer. If I waited any longer I’d be a serious wuss.

And there was one thing I knew about myself after the last couple of months, I was no wuss.

“Lucas Stark,” I whispered, “I love you.”

I hadn’t let my mind move forward passed the actual saying of the words to process what I thought his response to my telling him I loved him would be.

However, even in my wildest imaginings it wasn’t what I got.

His arms did another squeeze, this one so tight it crushed me to him. He kissed me, the kiss was so hot, so hard, so deep, it bruised my lips (truth be told, I didn’t really mind).

Then he let me go and I was in such a Luke Lip Fog that I went back on a foot, my hand curling around his upper arm to steady myself but I didn’t have to do that. Mainly because, all of a sudden, I was no longer on my feet. Instead, I was thrown over Luke’s shoulder, his arm wrapped around the backs of my thighs. He turned and started walking back toward the party.

Oh… my… God.

He was not carrying me to the party! Was he?

“Luke!” I hissed. “Put me down.”

He kept walking.

“Luke! Everyone is going to –”