Chapter 36
Chapter Thirty-Six
Britt felt like she was walking on air by the time she and Linc rejoined the reception. They’d shared a toast and a few kisses.
“Few” was a subjective term, right? It might mean two kisses, or it could be a twenty-minute make-out marathon. You know, depending how you looked at it.
Semantics aside, they’d blown out the candles and walked back hand in hand, leaving the little hideaway behind with the intention of going back later to clean up.
With any luck, they hadn’t been missed too much.
Even if they had, she couldn’t find it in herself to care because she and Linc were engaged.
Well, married, but engaged to be married… again.
Since he’d captured her right hand in his left, she wrapped her other one around his bicep and leaned her head against his shoulder as they walked.
Linc squeezed her hand and kissed the top of her head without missing a step.
When the edge of his ring pressed into her fingers, she squeezed back.
Who cared if it left an indent? Honestly, she hoped it did because all those happy, childhood dreams she’d had about getting married?
They paled in comparison to the real thing.
She was married to her best friend. That’s the stuff dreams were made of.
“Hey! You need to break an argument,” Skye bellowed, dragging Logan, Jake’s best man, to stand beside her. Those two sure looked chummy.
“What argument?” Britt asked.
“Who is the best superhero? Thor or Iron Man?” The seriousness of Skye’s expression was comical.
“That’s your argument?”
“Iron Man,” Linc declared without hesitation. “He’s got the cool suit.”
“See?” Logan turned to Skye. “That’s what I said.”
She patted his arm. “I heard you, and I disagree. That’s why we’re asking them. Britt?”
“Thor.”
Skye beamed at her answer.
“But Zan, Iron Man has the cool suit.”
“Right?” Logan agreed.
“But Thor,” Britt countered, “has the abs.” Skye finished that last part with her without being prompted.
“If abs make the superhero,” Logan said, pulling his shirt loose from his slacks to reveal a very impressive eight-pack. “Then buy me a cape.”
“Daaamn.” Skye ran her fingers along his ripped abs like she was Indiana Jones touching the holy grail. “I should’ve gone into debt for this.”
Linc furrowed his brows, so Britt explained before he had a chance to voice his question. “At the bachelor auction,” she told him, knowing exactly what Skye had been referring to. “When the bids went higher than her limit.”
“What she said,” Skye confirmed, mesmerized by and still rubbing Logan’s stomach.
“Aww, babe.” Pressing his hand on top of hers, Logan moved it downward until it hit his belt. “I’m sure we can come up with a payment plan.”
She snickered, grabbed his hand, and tossed a giggly “Bye” over her shoulder as she dragged him toward the parking lot.
“I guess they’re together now?” Linc asked.
“Apparently. At least, for tonight.”
“Are they going to…?” Linc squinted and tilted his head.
“Hopefully, not until they get home,” Britt said, “but I’m glad I drove with you instead of her.”
“I’m glad too. Speaking of home… Given any thought to where you might like that to be?”
“Subtle.”
He shook his head. “I’m not doing subtle with you anymore, Zan.”
“You’re not?”
“Nope. Full disclosure from now on.” He plucked something off of her cheek and held up a finger. “Eyelash.”
“Left turn,” Britt commented automatically.
Linc grinned. Obviously, she was familiar with Emery’s version of “squirrel” when you jumped topics out of the blue.
He started to shake away the lash, but Britt stopped him with a hand on his wrist. “Wait! You have to make a wish.”
“A what?”
“When you find an eyelash… You put it in your palm, close your eyes, make a wish, and blow. If the eyelash is gone when you open your eyes, that means it went to get your wish.”
“Is that another weird Southern thing?”
“No, it’s not a Southern thing.”
“Just weird then. Got it.” Linc briefly looked at the eyelash before wiping it on his slacks.
“Hey!” she huffed. “What did you do that for?”
He threaded his fingers through her hair and brought her face to his. “I make my own wishes come true now, Zan.” He kissed her until she was dizzy. “I want you to move in with me.”
“Okay.”
Like I’d say no after that kiss.
Hell, like I can think after that kiss!
His smile could've lit up a stadium.
She smiled right back because he truly was her husband now. And not just in name any longer.
“Who needs an eyelash?”
She giggled. “What eyelash?”
“Exactly.” Linc ran his thumb along her jaw. “Would you rather…?”
“Oh, no. Here we go.”
“Brat.”
“Sorry. Would I rather what?”
“Don’t know if I want to ask you now,” he said with mock offense.
“Sure you do.”
“Fine. I do.” He stole another quick kiss. “Would you rather…?” He paused, raising his brows expectantly, like he was waiting for her to interrupt.
She rolled her hand in a keep going motion. “Would I rather what?”
“Would you rather…” His expression was positively wicked. “...stay until they kick everyone out of the reception, or…?”
“Option two.”
“You don’t know what I was going to say.”
She didn’t care what he might say.
“Will you be there for option two?” That was the important question.
His brown eyes softened before he lifted his left hand and tapped the ring he was wearing with his thumb.
“Forever, Zan,” he vowed. “Forever.”
I hope you enjoyed Britt and Linc’s story as much as I loved writing it!
A lot of you have been asking for Linc to get his own happily ever after, and I knew Britt was exactly who he needed.