Page 72 of Two Hearts' Christmas Homecoming

She laughed, not denying what he said as she made her way from the room.

* * *

A few hours later, Amy was staring at the simple band on her hand as they walked outside from the courthouse.

“Congratulations, you two. I hope that you’ve got your mom and dad covered if they find out that we were witnesses,” Danny said. “I’d hate to hurt their feelings.”

“I’ve got something big planned for Christmas Day, so that should make up for it,” Lex replied.

Jake frowned. “I hate to say it again, but I’m a little worried, Lex, that Amy could be in danger as well.”

Amy shrugged. “If this guy is collecting an inheritance that rightly belongs to Lex, then it’ll be a lot harder trying to handle the two of us. Now that you know who he is, Lex and I are assuming that you’ll always have eyes on him.”

“And it needs to be handled quickly, anyway,” Lex muttered. “I’m not going to let him get away with one more thing. I guarantee we’re going to end this.”

Jake suddenly grinned. “I like your attitude, Lex. You must be great for squadron morale.”

Everyone laughed.

“I’ll talk with you soon,” Jake said, as he and Danny headed down the staircase of the courthouse, walking toward their vehicle.

“Are you ready, Mrs. Giordano?”

“Yes, Mr. Giordano.” Amy grinned. “At least we don’t have to worry about making any name changes.”

Lex grinned back at her.

Chapter Forty-One

The rest of the weekend proved to be hectic but fun, and Lex and Amy spent most of their time assisting with chores for the family.

Jake finally gave them a call, letting him in on his plans.

“I think we’re just going to keep this as simple as possible, Lex. We’ll be seating you with the family near the head table, while Brent Masterson, AKA Charlie Seff, will be seated toward the back with his goons so you don’t run into each other since all meals are being served directly to the tables. After the speakers are finished and dessert is on the table, I’ll make an introduction somehow. You’ll be wearing a wire. I’m willing to bet that if you take a stroll outside, he’ll make an effort to follow you out there. Lead him on, get him to fess up to anything you can get him to talk about. We’ll go over everything again while we’re putting on your wire.”

“Okay. It sounds simple enough to me,” Lex agreed.

“I forgot to ask. Do you have your dress uniform along with you to wear to the event?”

“I had it sent to me by a friend when you told us about the banquet,” Lex replied.

“Good. Okay, that’s it for now. I’ll be in touch.”

“Thanks, Jake.”

Chapter Forty-Two

It was midafternoon on Monday, the day of the charity event, and Amy was upstairs, nearly finished getting ready.

There was a slew of festivities taking place at the Dragonfly Pointe Inn for the event, beginning with the auction in the morning, with live entertainment starting at noon and continuing throughout the day. The banquet itself would begin at five-thirty, with dinner served at six, and then there would be dancing afterwards.

Mom had insisted on taking her shopping this weekend, although Amy had hated to see her spend the money on the beautiful gown that she’d helped choose for her. When Amy took one final look at herself in the mirror, she had to admit that she was pleased with the results. Grandma had arrived to arrange her hair before Mom had helped her dress and apply more glamourous makeup.

“Sapphire blue is definitely your color, Amy. I love the sparkling silver neckline and waistband,” Grandma said. “You’ll be the most beautiful girl in the room.” She kissed her gently on the cheek. “I love you dear. Your Mom and Dad have both done a wonderful job raising all of you.” As they headed into the hallway from Amy’s bedroom, Grandma glanced toward the staircase before she whispered, “Don’t tell your father that I said that. I like to keep him guessing.”

Mom and Amy both laughed loudly.

Amy’s heart did a flip flop when she walked downstairs to find Lex dressed in uniform, waiting at the foot of the staircase.

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