Chapter Twenty-Two
Jennifer
"You need to explain that to me again, Fletcher.
" I'm lying in bed next to the man I love, but nothing he's told me in the last ten minutes makes any sense.
He might as well be talking Swahili. "Are you saying only American women are allowed at this bizarre event?
That can't be what you meant, but you need to explain the situation a little better. My head is swimming."
His lips quirk into a lopsided smile. "I felt the same way when Dominic laid out the Club's plans."
"So, the 'club' really is just for Americans?"
"No, no, not only American women," Fletcher explains, running his hand through his already-mussed hair. "The American Wives Club began with American women who married Scottish men, but now it includes British couples too."
I prop myself up on one elbow and study his face. The worry lines around his eyes have deepened since yesterday. "So, these people---these strangers---are flying in on three private jets to...do what exactly? Reorganize our lives? Plan our wedding? Start a reality TV show?"
Fletcher lets out a bark of laughter that sounds more stressed than amused.
"Honestly? I'm not entirely sure. Dominic was maddeningly vague about their actual intentions.
" He rolls onto his side to face me properly.
"All I know is that my mother and Patty apparently reached out to them because they think I'm too 'uptight' and need intervention. "
"Your mother thinks you need a romantic intervention?" I just manage to smother a snort of laugh. "Fletcher, we're already together. We're happy. What more do they want?"
"That's exactly what I'd like to know." He shuts his eyes and groans. "But with this group's reputation, they must have some elaborate scheme brewing. Marriage proposals involving flash mobs, or surprise wedding ceremonies, or God knows what else."
I sit up, staring down at him. "Wait. Marriage proposals? Is that something you've been thinking about?"
Fletcher makes a sheepish face and looks away.
"Well, ah, I mean...would that be such a terrible thing?
We might have known each other for a relatively brief time, but I already know I love you and want to spend the rest of my life with you.
It's too soon, though, I guess. I took it slow with Claudia and look how that turned out. "
"Oh, sweetie, you know I'd never treat you the way she did."
"I do know that. You've changed my life, and I'm so happy you did." He sits up, turning toward me. "Will you marry me, Jennifer?"
"Are you serious?"
"Dead serious."
Joy sweeps over me, and I burst into a fit of giggling. "Yes, Fletcher, I would love to marry you. Tonight, tomorrow, whenever or wherever. As soon as possible wouldn't be soon enough."
"Brilliant!" He drags me into his arms and kisses me with so much passion that it takes my breath away.
When our lips finally part, I can barely breathe. "The kids will be thrilled. Amelia and Charlotte have been hinting that we should tie the knot. The boys will love it too, I'm sure."
"We should let the children know first thing in the morning."
And we wind up doing just that.
The next morning, I'm practically bursting with excitement, like a kid on Christmas morning. I wake up before Fletcher's alarm goes off, my mind already racing with thoughts of telling the children. Fletcher stirs beside me, his arm tightening around my waist.
"Morning," he mumbles against my hair. "Ready for the big announcement?"
"I couldn't be more ready." I kiss his stubbled cheek. "Though I'm slightly terrified of the American Wives invasion that's coming."
Fletcher groans. "Don't remind me. Let's focus on one potential disaster at a time."
We wait until everyone's seated for breakfast. Fletcher makes his famous waffles while I set the table, our eyes meeting across the kitchen in secret glances that make my heart flutter like I'm sixteen again. Henry notices, of course.
"Why are you two being so weird?" he asks, syrup dripping from his chin.
"Sweetie, we're not being weird," I protest, though I can feel my cheeks heating up. "We're happy, that's all."
"You're always happy," Charlotte points out, not looking up from her perfectly arranged waffle stack. "This is different. Like, secret happy."
Across the table, he raises a single brow at me, and I smile with my lips sealed. Time to dive in.
Fletcher claps his fork down. "Listen up, you little monsters. Jennifer and I do have something to tell you all."
The reaction is immediate. Josh stops mid-chew. Amelia's head snaps up from her phone. Charlotte bounces in her seat like she's been electrified.
"Are you getting married?" she shrieks before we can say another word.
My jaw drops. "How did you---"
"I KNEW IT!" Henry jumps up and starts doing some sort of victory dance around the table, his arms flailing like he's conducting an invisible orchestra. "Jennifer's going to be our real mom now!"
The way he calls me his "real mom" with such pure joy melts my heart.
"Wait, hold on," Amelia says, but she's grinning. "You two are actually getting married? Like, for real?"
"Yes, pet, for real," Fletcher confirms, reaching across the table to squeeze my hand. "I asked Jennifer last night, and she said yes."
Josh sets down his fork. "When's the wedding? How many people will be there? Do we get to help plan it?"
Charlotte gawps at me. "Will Jennifer adopt us?"
Fletcher chuckles. "Slow down, love. We literally just decided twelve hours ago. But I doubt adoption is necessary."
Charlotte hops up and down in her chair so enthusiastically that I'm worried she's going to launch herself into orbit. "What kind of dress will you wear? Can I be the maid of honor? Will there be dancing?"
"Breathe, Charlotte," I laugh, my own excitement bubbling over. "We haven't planned any of those details yet."
"But you will, right?" Amelia asks, and there's something vulnerable in her voice that I've never heard before. "You'll let us help plan everything?"
"Yes, absolutely we will," Fletcher says firmly. "This wedding is about becoming a proper family."
Henry stops his victory dance and starts waving his arms around. "This is the best day ever! Even better than when we went to the water park!"
I hug him back, breathing in his syrup-scented hair. "I love you too, sweetheart."
"Group hug!" Charlotte declares, and suddenly all four children are piling on top of me, their arms tangling in a chaotic embrace that nearly knocks me off my chair.
"Careful," Fletcher laughs, steadying my chair before I topple backward. "Let's not break Jennifer before the wedding, shall we?"
I'm laughing so hard I can barely breathe, surrounded by these four amazing children who have somehow become mine. When I finally extract myself from the pile of Murgatroyd offspring, I notice Fletcher watching us with tender expression.
"So, when are we telling the grandparents?" Josh asks, returning to his breakfast with newfound enthusiasm.
Fletcher and I exchange glances.
"Actually," he begins, "they might already know. In fact, they may have orchestrated quite the celebration already."
Amelia's eyes narrow. "What do you mean?"
"Well, that's where things get a bit complicated."
Charlotte's brows furrow. "Complicated? In what way?"
I hesitate and I try to figure out how to explain the American Wives Club without sounding completely unhinged. "Your grandmothers seem to have contacted some, uh...friends to help us celebrate. But those friends won't arrive until after the wedding. Right, Fletcher?"
"That's right."
Amelia scrunches her lips, her tone suspicious. "What sort of friends, Dad? The adult kind or the kid kind?"
Fletcher shrugs. "A bit of both. A group called the American Wives Club will be coming to Millbrook Valley. They're, ah, a bit enthusiastic about helping couples in whatever way they deem necessary."
"Like matchmakers?" Josh asks, his forehead wrinkling.
"Sort of," I hedge. "Except we're already matched, so they're more like...celebration planners? On steroids?"
Henry's eyes go wide. "Are they famous?"
"No, sweetie, they're not celebrities," I assure him. "They're very, very determined people who like to help couples, that's all. Some of them are very wealthy too. Oh, and Lord Sommerleigh is a viscount."
Charlotte gasps. "Is that like the royal family?"
"No, Hugh isn't royal, though he is a member of the House of Lords," Fletcher explains. "And they're not exactly famous in the traditional sense. Influential is a better word. My mate Dominic Rigby is a former cricket champion."
Henry grins. "I love crickets! They make a really cool sound."
"Not that sort of cricket, Henry." I ruffle his hair. "Dominic isn't an insect. He played the sport called cricket, though now he's retired."
I squeeze Fletcher's hand, and the tension in his fingers releases a touch. "What your father means is that these people are known for helping couples celebrate their relationships in very...creative ways."
"They're party planners?" Josh asks skeptically.
"Much more than that," Fletcher says. "They're more like a romantic SWAT team."
I almost choke on my coffee at his description. "Fletcher!"
"What? It's true." He turns to the children with a sigh. "Look, these people mean well, but they tend to go overboard. Very, very overboard. With everything."
Maybe I should feel anxious about everything he's told us, but instead, I can't wait to meet his friends.