Page 89 of Baby Blue
“Well, lookie here! I believe it’s a… looks like…” Miles droned as he pulled it close and cut the line. “I don’t know what kind of fish that is. Take it to Blue and ask him.”
“Whatcha got there?” Blue asked, knowing full well what it was.
“Looks like a ring,” the little boy said, holding it up in the sun.
“I think you’re right. Guess the only thing you need to decide is whether or not you want me to give it to your mama and ask her to marry me,” Blue said, grinning.
Polly dropped her pole and it clattered on the concrete bank. “Ask her to marry you?YES! Please!”
“Yes, please!” Toady yelled.
Anne had started to laugh. “Boy, you guys are lousy actors!”
“Yeah, but we gotcha. Admit it,” Blue said, laughing along with her. Before she could get up out of the lawn chair, he knelt beside it. “Marry me, Anne? I promise you won’t be sorry.”
“I think I already am,” she said, still laughing, then sobered. “Yes, BrentAlan Wallace, I’ll marry you if you promise to never again do anything theatrical that’s as bad as this!”
“Promise,” he said as he slipped the ring on her finger and everyone in the little group started to clap and cheer. They weren’t paying any attention to the little minnow in the group at that moment until Blue caught movement out of the corner of his eye.
Indigo crawled to Patty’s chair, pulled up, and stood there, hanging on, for just a few seconds before she turned loose and toddled straight to him. The other four members of the family sat there, stunned and silent. It was Mary’s voice that cut through their muteness when she asked, “I take it she’s never done that before?”
“No. She just walked. Shewalked! Indigo, you walked!” Blue yelled and grabbed the laughing baby. “You can walk! When did you learn to do that?”
“I’ve been practicing with her,” Polly said proudly. “But I didn’t think she’d do that right now!”
Blue kissed his baby daughter on the cheek and nuzzled her sweet-smelling hair. In that moment, he saw love everywhere he turned. That was a first for him, but he was hoping he’d see it again and again.
It was a small gathering.Anne had invited everyone who’d been at Indigo’s baby shower, and they all came, plus Glen came with Shelby. Mary and Miles were there, Patty came, and so did DeloresBingham, Cindy’s mother. Both of the Wentworth men came, and Chuck brought his wife, Erin. All the guys in the band, including Gary, were in attendance with their wives or girlfriends, and quite a few of the techs Blue worked with had come too. Blue had just put on the suit he’d worn to family courtthat day, and Anne had a new dress, a pretty floral number, that she’d bought for the occasion. Devon stood nearby in a nice suit talking to Toady, who’d asked to be the best man but had to settle for being a junior groomsman. Patty had happily agreed to be Anne’s matron of honor, with Polly serving as junior bridesmaid. And running around all over the room from one guest to another as she flagged around a bunch of silk flowers was the flower girl, occasionally letting out a squeal of laughter when someone tickled her tummy, or running a bit, falling on her butt, then getting up and running again, laughing the whole time.
“I never thought I’d be glad to see you,” Blue whispered to JudgeHargrove when he came through the doors of the small courtroom at the county courthouse.
“At least this time it’s a happy occasion,” the judge said and slapped him on the shoulder. “I suppose I should get on with this,” the older man said as he scanned the attendees at the gathering. “You two,” he said, pointing at Blue and Anne, “get on up here and join hands.”
He said all the usual words and made the usual pronouncement. In fifteen minutes, minus the times they had to stop to keep Indigo from smashing her fingers in the big double doors that led to the hallway, Blue and Anne were joined forever, never to be apart again. Some of the ladies from the hospital had planned a little reception at a steakhouse near the mall, and they all ate cake and drank punch after they’d done the big buffet. The restaurant even gave all the guests a discount, so they had a spectacular time.
When it was time to leave, Anne started to gather the kids up when she realized they weren’t there. “Blue? Where are the kids?”
“Your mom and dad took them to the house. We’ve got the night to ourselves,” he said with a grin, to the hoots and catcallsof everyone else. “It’s our wedding night. We’re going to make the most of it.”
She satin the van and watched as Blue went into the hotel and came back out with a key. “She said we’ll be closer to the room if we park around back,” he announced when he got back into the van.
“Like we’re sneaking around,” she whispered and giggled.
“Exactly!”
The room was on the third floor and when they got to the door, Blue insisted on picking her up and carrying her over the threshold. As soon as he put her down, she turned and kissed him, then pulled back and held up her hand, admiring the ring. “Look at that. I’m Mrs.Brent Alan Wallace,” she murmured.
“Yeah. That’s a bum deal. At least you got a ring out of it, huh?” he answered, snickering.
“Oh, the ring is about like the prize in a box of Cracker Jacks. The candy-coated popcorn around it is much better. And you, my hunky husband, are the candy-coated popcorn,” she said, then leaned over and nibbled his neck.
And she almost squealed when he grabbed her, kissed her, and walked her backward until the backs of her knees hit the edge of the bed and she tumbled back onto its soft surface. “And you’re my cotton candy from the county fair,” Blue said with a laugh as he loosened his tie and started undressing. “That’s a beautiful dress, but I think it would look a lot better on the floor.”
“Think so?” Anne asked as she sat up to unzip it.
Five minutes later, Blue kissed her, knowing she could taste herself on his lips. As he powered into her softness with his hardness, he smiled.I’m not having sex, he thought.I’m making love to my wife!“My wife,” he whispered, aloud but unintentionally so.
“My husband,” Anne whispered back and smiled. “I love you, Brent.”
