Page 184 of From Best Friend to Bride
I smiled, patting the ground next to me. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. She seems to have taken it well, for what it’s worth.”
“You’re right. No torrential rain, no flash flooding, no random lightning strikes… I think we’re in the clear. All forgiven.”
I laughed and took his hands. He pulled me up to my feet and kissed my forehead, and I smiled in his arms.
“Do you want to head back to the car? I just want to have a chat with her for a few minutes.”
I took the keys from him and frowned. “You do? About what?”
“Telling her all the trouble you’re getting up to, of course.” He tapped the tip of my nose. “Go on. I won’t be long.”
I sighed. “Okay, fine.” I kissed my fingers and touched them to the headstone. “Bye, Nana. See you again next week.”
I glanced at Fred, then extracted myself from the maze of graves. When I was free and out of earshot, I looked back towards him. He was crouched just off to the side of her grave and was leaning in close to her headstone, grinning while he spoke. He shook his head, adjusted one of the flowers, then left her with a kiss the exact same way I had.
“Done?” I asked when he approached me. “What was that about? Tell meeee.”
He linked his fingers through mine and kissed the back of my hand. “Just updating her on a little promise I made to her before she passed. And no, I won’t tell you. It’s our little secret.”
“Vague, but okay.” I handed the car keys back to him, and he took them with a smile. “Why are you smiling at me like that?”
“You’re my wife. Isn’t that enough reason for me to smile?”
I shuddered. “It’s still a bit weird when you’re all sappy like that.”
“Get used to it. You have to deal with itforeverrrr.”
“Weirdo.” I nudged him with my elbow.
“Yeah, but I’m your weirdo.”
“I wonder if your mum accepts refunds.”
“Yours definitely doesn’t, so you’re shit out of luck there.”
“Hmm,” I said, pushing open the graveyard’s gate and holding it for him. “It’s fine. I’ll just conspire with Granny to kick you out.”
“You won’t do that,” he said confidently. He unlocked the car and looked at me meaningfully. “Or I won’t tell you where I hid the little purple magic machine.”
“You stole itagain?” I yanked open the car door with a huff. “What a controlling husband.”
He laughed and started the engine. “It’s for good reason this time.”
“There’s absolutely no reason to take my favourite toy away from me. You wouldn’t take a baby’s favourite bear, would you?”
“Not even remotely comparable situations, wife,” Fred said. “Anyway, it’s because I bought a new one.”
I paused. “A new one? What’s wrong with the purple one?”
“Nothing. Max just told me they came out with a new model, that’s all. It’s got more of the vibrating patterns and it’s more powerful, so I bought it.”
“Wait.” I shifted in my seat. “More powerful? I’m not going to survive that, Fred. I’m going to end up with multiple personalities.”
“Hmm. You do have enough of those already.”
“You’re right, I—bastard!” The sound of my slap to his arm rang out around the car, and he bellowed with laughter. “Multiple personalities, my arse!”
“Stop beating up the chauffeur,” he replied. “Do you know how lucky you are to be driven around by the Earl of Coventry?”
