Stitch by Jaime Lewis (ebook reader online .txt) 📗

“Yeah, but Sheriff Grate had perfect timing.  I remember mom and dad getting that phone call telling them to come and pick up their son down the road and to bring clothes,” Mia said laughingly.

“Maybe, but at least I had the attention from all the girls at school the following week.”

Alex slapped Ace in the chest. “That is so wrong.” Ace couldn’t help but laugh. He put his arm around Alex and hugged her, then she reached over and squeezed his thigh. He looked down into her green eyes and couldn’t believe how lucky he was to have found her. She was his heart and soul and another reason to give that extra percent when on a mission to make damn sure that he came back home to her.

“You know I love you.”

She smiled. “I love you, too.”

He turned his eyes back onto his sister. Oh, she wasn’t getting out of this without her own little story. Yeah, little miss perfect wasn’t the little saint everyone portrayed her to be. He took a drink from his glass before clearing his throat.

“I think it’s only fair that we expose the skeletons from your closet, sis.”

She tilted her head at him and gave him a look as if she had no clue what he was talking about. Ace grinned maniacally. Let me refresh your memory.

“Everyone always called her an angel. But you didn’t fool mom.” He glanced over at his mom and winked, making her smile.  “Mom always said that you were the little devil, and she was right.”

“I was not,” Mia stated, her voice pitching high. “I’ve got that halo over my head.”

Ace shrugged his shoulders.  “Maybe, but what people don’t see are the retractable horns that can sprout out of her head at any given time.”

“What are you talking about? I was the good sibling growing up.” She looked at her mom, who tried to stay out of the bantering, but all she could do was shrug her shoulders.

“Really?” Ace replied as he raised his eyebrows. “Let’s see if you can recall the only time you ever got a spanking in your life.” He didn’t know what was funnier; how red Mia’s face turned, or his mom who looked mortified as if she just had a flashback of that day twenty-one years ago.  He gave Mia a wicked grin. “By the look on your face, I am guessing you know exactly what I’m talking about.”

“Ace…”  Mia warned. But Ace just smiled. What Mia had done was a classic. It was the day the entire town got to see a glimpse of the “real” Mia Chambers.

“Oh, well, now you have to share, considering how red Mia’s cheeks are,” Stitch said and kissed the side of Mia’s head, making Ace smile.  Stitch was a good man and good for Mia. He wished them both nothing but happiness.

He was shocked when his mom interrupted and continued telling the story. He didn’t miss the slight twitch in her lips. Yeah, she was pissed all to hell the day it happened, but looking back now, it was funny as shit, and apparently, his mom thought so too.

“Well, my baby girl here, thought it would be funny to put an Alka seltzer in her mouth right before her baptism ceremony.  Ace, Mikayla, and Maxie were all baptized when they were babies. Mia on the other hand, we had waited.” Charlotte covered her face as if she was reliving it. “Oh my god, it was so awful. Here we were in front of the entire congregation because we decided to do it on a Sunday during church. Mia had taken a sip of water while Reverend Shay was talking, when all of a sudden, in the middle of his spiel, Mia started foaming at the mouth and growling like a rabid animal.”  Ace couldn’t hold it anymore as he roared with laughter.

“How old were you?” Stitch asked Mia laughing.

“I was six,” Mia said with a pout on her face.

Ace nodded his head. “See six as in the number of the devil.” Mia flipped him the bird, and he threw his back and laughed harder, which made everyone chuckle.

He missed those times, but prayed when he and Alex had kids that they wouldn’t pull a stunt like that. But considering Alex was a professional prankster, he wouldn’t be surprised if his kids followed in their momma’s footsteps. He looked over at his fiancé, and she was beaming. It hit him square in the chest. He was one lucky bastard.  She was a woman of integrity, courage, beauty, intelligence, and pure badass. She moved her hand, and her diamond engagement ring sparkled in the light, and his chest tightened. He needed to put that matching wedding band on her finger. They’d talked in passing about setting a new date. But they needed to have a full sit-down conversation and talk it over. And with both their schedules, it almost made it impossible.

◆◆◆

After dinner, while Mia, Charlotte, and Alex cleaned up the kitchen and spent more time together, Stitch and Ace sat on the patio by the fire.

Ace shook his head. “I still can’t believe you and my sister are dating. I mean, I’m happy for you guys, and I’m fine with it, but it’s just weird.”

“There is something I wanted to talk to you about. I know the relationship between Mia and I is new, but having the last year to really get to know her on a friendship level, I know that she is the one for me. Once we get things settled with her case, I want her and I to discuss our next steps. I’d like to know more about her career path and where that takes her in terms of where she’ll live, though my hope is she’ll join all of us in Virginia Beach. After we get a clearer picture of those and settle down, I’d like to ask Mia to marry me, with your permission. I also plan