Page 79 of Vodka and Chocolate Drops

His eyes promised that they would finish this after the wedding, and she reluctantly turned away so he could fasten her zipper. His fingers brushed her skin as the metallic teeth clicked together, enclosing her in the emerald outfit. She waited, expecting a light kiss on her neck, and peeked over her shoulder in question.

“We don’t want to be late,” he repeated, and she wasn’t sure if he was talking to her or himself.

He would be worth being late for. He’d also be worth waiting for. He always was.

Once she was ready, they walked down the street, hand in hand. Amber tipped her head back, absorbing as much of the sun’s heat as she could. Late spring in Blueberry Springs was a magical time and even better with a man like Scott on her arm.

“Why do you think they’re suddenly getting married?” Liz asked, popping up beside them and making Amber jump.

“I think it’s due time,” Scott said, effectively ending the conversation with a stern look. Liz grudgingly fell back, starting the same topic with another couple joining the stream of wedding goers walking to the park.

“Oh, she’sdue,” Liz said, breaking off her new conversation to pop up alongside Scott again.

“I didn’t say that,” he grumbled.

“It’s fitting though, isn’t it?” Amber asked, pointing to the water tower, where Frankie had earned his nickname Frankie-Fall-Off-The-Tower Smith back as teenagers. He’d tried to spray paint Mandy’s name on the tower’s side, but her scream of fear at seeing him so high up had caused him to fall. After that they hadn’t dated again until recently--after Mandy had asked him to be hers by painting their names on the tower. And now here they were, getting married beneath the town’s landmark.

It all fit.

Just like Amber and Scott. And maybe one day they would have their own wedding here in town, surrounded by family and friends.

Marriage. She was thinking about marriage.

Wow.

She smiled, then prodded Scott’s cheek with a finger. “Smile, Mr. Serious.” She could tell he was thinking about the time he’d had to bust Mandy in the midst of her proclamation--which was also an act of vandalism.

Scott obliged her with a smile, giving her a look so full of love that she tugged him against a flowering apple tree to give him a thorough kissing.

“Get a room!”

Amber turned to see Jen and Rob, grinning, holding hands.

“Hey, how are you guys?”

“The three of us are good.” Jen rubbed her stomach lovingly and Amber threw out her hands.

“You’re kidding!”

Jen gave a small nod.

“I knew it!” Liz exclaimed, from up ahead. “My sister owes me supper. Jen is pregnant, everyone!”

Amber hugged her friend tightly enough to lift her off the ground. The best things were happening in her life and to her friends today. Realizing she was squeezing the mom-to-be a bit too hard, she quickly released her.

“Oh, I’m so sorry. Are you okay?”

“Of course. I’m not breakable.”

Rob didn’t seem as certain as his girlfriend.

“So?” Amber asked Jen, falling into step behind the men, who were chatting about the town’s upcoming sports day. “Are you two going to follow in Mandy’s footsteps?”

“And get married?” Jen paled. “I don’t know. Having a tiny baby to freak out over seems like enough for now. What about you two?”

Amber watched the men in front of them, zeroing in on Scott. She knew Jen was leery about marriage due to her own parent’s messy divorce, but all Amber saw when she looked at her own parents was love. Lots of it. She turned to her friend with a mischievous shrug. “We’ll see.”

In her books, there was only one way to do forever.

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