McAllister Justice Series Box Set
Page 53
A roar from the crowd signaled their approval, much to the dismay of the McAllister men.
“These bowls look suspiciously like toilets...” Ethan grumbled as he scanned the spectators.
Matt turned to his bride. “You thought of this one, didn’t you?”
“Actually, it was Larrick’s idea,” Lexi spoke up.
From the sidelines, Ethan’s partner held up a beer. “That’s for all the redneck jokes over the years... partner.”
Darkness fell but the laughter and dancing continued well into the night, each couple moving through the list of activities toward the final game.
Last man standing.
Abby elbowed Royden in the ribs. “This should be interesting, but let’s go first.”
Abby took her place on the level tree stump and accepted the pole with pillows wrapped around the end.
“You know what to do, guys. Have at it.” Kimmie motioned for them to begin. “The reason we left this game for near last was to increase the women’s advantage. They don’t have the upper body strength, but we’ve made sure to even the odds throughout the night by ensuring the men drank sufficient alcohol. Enjoy the decreased coordination, gentlemen.” Her words diminished under the round of applause and laughter.
Abby didn’t wait, taking a swing at her spouse. Prepared for her antics, Royden ducked but lost his balance. Her second swing knocked him from his perch.
Never in her life could Abby have pictured such an evening. When Remie and Billy joined them at a quiet table and Billy gloated over winning the sack race, Remie leaned close to Abby and whispered. “Don’t worry. He’ll get a shock tomorrow morning.”
“What’d you do?” Abby hadn’t been surprised to see Remie fully join in the family’s antics but wondered what she’d planned.
“Let’s just say, having a medical degree helps. He’s going to pee red for a day or so.”
Abby made a mental note to call her brother in the morning to gloat.
To top off the festivities, bride and groom stood shoulder to shoulder for the family portrait. In each hand, a colored smoke bomb issued its hue into the night, caught on film for a memory of how each separate soul joined and mingled to form part of a whole. In front of them sat the dogs, dressed in their own wedding finery, except for Gila, who draped around Katt’s shoulders after release from his cage.
Later, Abby sat on Royden’s lap, enjoying the family’s banter long after the last guest had said goodbye. Glancing at her brothers and their wives, she mused, “We’ve each seen the worst of what life can throw at us, yet here we sit, united and happy.”
“It’s because we’re family.” Royden feathered his touch through her hair.
“I wouldn’t have survived if not for all of you.” Tears brimmed her eyes, the gratitude in her heart swelling until she thought it would burst.
“Hey, no tears,” Matt cajoled.
“No, silly. They’re tears of happiness and appreciation. For so long, I thought I needed to be completely independent to be strong, but it’s the family connections that make us each strong.”
“Yep, we knew you’d get there eventually, half-pint. After all, you married a man who made you the center of his world.” Billy smirked until Remie swatted him on the shoulder.
“God willing, we’ll have many years of family get-togethers and one day, we’ll be the older couples watching our kids get married, shocked breathless and embarrassed as all get out.” Abby held her glass up for each to toast.
The End
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About Reily
Reily is a West Coast girl transplanted to the opposite shore. Past employments as an ICU nurse, private investigator, and work in the military police has given her countless experiences in a host of different environments to add a real world feel to her fiction.
Over time and several careers, many incidents have flavored the plots of her stories as man’s cruelty and ingenuity for torment and torture are boundless, not contained by an infinite imagination. Witnessing the aftereffects of a teenager mugged at knifepoint for a pair of tennis shoes, or an elderly woman repeatedly stabbed with a screwdriver for no apparent reason, left an indelible impression that will forever haunt her subconscious. In counterpoint, she has observed a woman stop her vehicle in severe, snowy weather to offer her own winter coat to a stranger, a teenager wearing a threadbare hoodie. Life’s diversities are endless.
Though her kids are her life, writing is Reily’s life after. The one enjoyed after the kids are in bed or after they’re in school and the house is quiet. This is the time she kicks back with laptop and lapdog to give her imagination free rein.
In reading, take pleasure in a mental pause as you root for your favorite hero/heroine and bask in their accomplishments, then share your opinions of them over coffee with your best friend (even if he’s four-legged). Life is short. Cherish your time.
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