Page 84 of Bending The Rules

“Rule #3: Head in the Kitchen on Tuesday Nights.”

“You are such a damn fool,” Toni giggled, and I reached for her, pulling her into my arms.

“You love it though.”

She looked up at me, and nodded. “You’re right. I do.”

“And I loveyou. Rule #4 is that you’d better not ever forget that either.”

The smile she gave me made my whole chest feel tight, and she pushed herself up on her toes to kiss me. “I won’t. BFF’s honor. Now… let’s eat, so we can get back to where we were before that interruption. I was going to follow the hell out of our new Rule #3.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Not that I don’t want that… but today is Wednesday.”

She grinned. “Yep. But they’re our rules, remember? Nothing wrong with a little bending.”

- the end -

Two years later

“You may now kiss your bride.”

A cheer rang through the crowd as he leaned in to do just that, officially making me the only woman attached to a man in the Wright family who’d never been married to one of them.

Imara looked gorgeous in her perfectly tailored white pantsuit – closer to a traditional bride than any of us had ever imagined she’d get, after actually agreeing to a wedding. Secretly, I didn’t think she needed much convincing. Joseph Sr. reallywasa good man, and from the look on his face as they locked arms for the first time as man and wife, a happy one.

I wasn’t there when it happened, but apparently their reconciliation had happened the night Jason and Reese got engaged. Love was in the air, obviously, because according to Justin, that was the night it finally hit him that he loved me as more than a friend.

That night changed many lives.

Joseph Sr. and Imara got back together, and were married now.

Jason and Reese got engaged, and had been married more than a year.

Justinfinallysaw the light, and made the move to transition us into the relationship that we were now. Hell… I didn’t know it at the time, but I’d almost venture to call it the best night of my life.

As I made my way into the reception hall, I spotted Joseph Jr. and Devyn already seated at the family table. I took a seat beside her, looking over her shoulder to peek at baby Jaden.

“Look at that sweet little face,” I cooed, and he grinned back. “I can’t believe he’s already so big. Justin told me he learned a new word?”

Devyn shot a look at Joseph that would have left him writhing on the floor if looks could kill, then turned back to me, nostrils flared. “I’m so mad at this fool.”

Joseph snickered, but quickly wiped the grin off his face when Devyn turned to glare at him again. “Relax, Dev. I really didn’t think he’d actually say it.”

“Youtaught it to him!” she hissed. “And now he says it whenever he’s hungry!”

“Sayswhat?” I asked, burning with curiosity about Jaden’s new word. Devyn just shook her head, silently fuming, but Joseph could barely contain his laughter. “Say what?” I asked again, turning to him.

Joseph glanced at Devyn, then eased out of her reach before a smile spread across his face again. “Werther’s.”

I frowned. “Huh? What is that? Do you mean like… the candy?”

“Yes,” Devyn growled, glaring at her husband of two years. They’d scooped everybody, wanting to get married before Jaden was born, but from the looks of things… Devyn might make herself a widow before they could have another two years down. “This man,” she said, gesturing at Joseph, “Has my sweet, innocent baby saying “wurfurs, wurfurs mama” whenever we wants to nurse.”

“Why would he…” I stopped for a second, working through it in my head. As soon as the answer came clear to me – that baby Jaden was referring to his mother’s nipples as Werther's candies – my eyes went wide, and Devyn nodded.

“Right,” she said, then shot another glare in her husband’s direction.

Joseph was too busy laughing to notice.

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