Here We Come (Aggie's Inheritance) (35 page)

“Oh,
speaking
of
which,
I’ve
got
the
crab
cakes.
I
better
go
put
them
wherever
they’ve
spread
the
food.
They
have
to
be
put
in
a
chafing
dish,
but
Mom
said
she’d
bring
one.”

While Luke
hurried
to
find
the
necessary
dish,
Aggie
smiled
to
herself
and
went
to
hug
Vannie.
She’d
managed
to
find
an
incredible
man
.
How
had
that
happened?

A
hand
beckoned
her
from
near
her
mother,
but
it
was
too
masculine
to
belong
to
Martha
Milliken.
She’d
recognize
that
wedding
band
anywhere.
Aggie
wove
through
the
guests,
smiling
and
accepting
congratulations
and
arrived,
after
traversing
the
whole
of
eight
feet,
three
minutes
later.
“I
can’t
believe
you’re
here!
”

“We
couldn’t
miss
your
engagement
party!”
Ron
Milliken
hugged
his
daughter
before
shifting
to
one
side
to
allow
her
to
sit
and
talk
to
her
mother.

No
sooner
had
she
seated
herself
when
Vannie
rushed
to
her
side.
“You’
ve
got
to
come
play
games!”

“But
Grandma
just
got
here.”

“Grandma’s
been
here
for
half
an
hour.
You
just
got
here.”

Her
protests
were
futile.
Vannie
dragged
her
from
the
couch
to
the
wall
by
the
library
door.
“Ok,
we’re
going
to
pin
the
bouquet
on
the
bride!”

Hanging
on
the
walls
were
two
long
silhouettes
of
a
bride.
Luke
and
Aggie
were
blindfolded
and
spun
in
circles.
A
t
the
rate
and
number
of
spins
that
Cari
gave
Luke,
he
stumbled
about
like
a
drunken
sailor
for
several
seconds
before
trying
to
tape
his
paper
flower
bouquet
onto
Aggie’s
shoulder.
“Not
me,
the
wall!”
she
cried.

They
stood
back
from
the
wall
and
waited
to
get
their
blindfolds
removed.
“Hey,
Luke.
Wanna
take
bets
on
who
was
closest?”

Luke
laughed.
“I
say
you.”

“That’s
not
much
of
a
bet.
I
say
me
too.”

“Ok,
how
about
bets
on
inches
from
the
mark
?”
Luke
frowned.
“I
say
six.”

“I
say
twelve.”

“You’re
on.”

Ellie
giggled
as
she
pulled
the
blindfold
from
Luke’s
eyes.
His
blue
bouquet
was
perfectly
situated
on
the
bride’s
head—on
Aggie’s
side
of
the
room.
Aggie’s
pink
one
was
nearly
perched
on
the
bride’s
shoulder.
“HA!
I
win!”
Doing
a
victory
dance,
Aggie
grabbed
Tina’s
arm
and
Tavish’s
hand
and
shoved
them
forward.
“Your
turn.”

By
a
strange
turn
of
events,
only
one
person
managed
to
pin
the
bouquet
into
the
silhouette’s
hands—William.
His
face
flushed,
but
he
accepted
the
wrapped
box
prize
graciously.
Kenzie
found
him
in
the
corner,
toying
with
the
bow.

“It’s
hot
chocolate—lots
of
flavors.”

“That’ll
be
good.”