The Last Hour (Thompson Sisters) by Sheehan-Miles, Charles (reading well .txt) 📕

soldier, standing together in their combat uniforms, a snowfield behind them. Ray had his arm casually thrown across Dylan’s shoulders, and the other soldier had a big, friendly grin.

Ray caught his breath when that photo went up. “That was Roberts,” he said. “Right before Christmas 2011.”

“I’m surprised Dylan included that one,” I said.

“Maybe he’s ... adjusting a little better.”

“I think so. He looks so much better than he did last fall,” I replied.

“You never get completely over it.”

I squeezed his hand and said quietly, “That’s okay, you know? It’s just one more thing I love about you.”

A quirky smile appeared on his face, and he pulled me into an embrace. “Be prepared then, wife, cause I’m about to plant a big kiss right on you.”

I felt myself flush and met his eyes. “You know, I’ve always been a sucker for a man in uniform?”

“Really?” he said, and then just barely nipped at my lower lip.

“Well ... no, I never thought about it before I met you. But if I wasn’t before, I am now. You look ... positively edible.”

“That warrants another kiss,” he said and leaned in, and this time, it was no nip.

We were still standing there, lips locked together, when I heard a familiar voice call, “Carrie!”

I pulled away, just slightly, feeling the heat in my cheeks and neck. And then I laughed out loud and said, “Oh, my God, Sean!” I grabbed Ray’s hand and pulled him across the room, and then I was grabbed in a huge hug.

After a moment, we separated, and I said, “Ray, this is Sean Wilson ... Crank’s brother. We’ve been friends for a very long time. Sean, it’s so good to see you!”

Sean reached out and awkwardly took the hand of a ravishing looking redhead with pale blue eyes. She had a sprinkle of freckles across both cheeks and her nose, and looked ... absolutely adorable. Sean’s eyes focused on my forehead, just slightly above my eyes, as he said, “Carrie, may I present my wife Heidi? Heidi, this is Carrie, and ... you said your name was Ray?”

I reached out and shook Heidi’s hand, absolutely intrigued by the woman who ended up marrying Sean. She did the same eye thing he did ... looking everywhere but directly at me. It didn’t put me off ... I’d known Sean a lot of years, and I knew quite well that crowds were hard on people with Aspergers. But then she said, her voice quite loud, “Sean, is this the woman you said you lost your virginity with?”

Several people in the crowd around us turned our way, eyes wide.

Ray coughed, loudly, and Sean said, “Heidi, you said you wouldn’t say that!”

I felt the flush in my skin run all the way up my neck and cheeks. “Well,” I said, “that’s, um … awkward.”

 “It’s okay,” Sean said in a loud voice. “Heidi has no filter.”

“That’s not true,” Heidi said. “And she’s a grown woman, Sean, she’s got nothing to be ashamed of.”

I grinned, trying to force my way past the embarrassing flush on my cheeks. “That’s true,” I said.

“So, um, Sean,” Ray said, a twinkle in his eye. “It sounds like we’ve got a lot in common.”

Oh. My. God! He was making fun of me! I slapped Ray on the shoulder, and not softly.

He just smirked. “It’s really nice to meet both of you. Carrie’s told me a lot about you, Sean, though maybe not everything.”

I gave Ray a withering look. I’m sure he had a past too, though we’d never really discussed it. He was mine now; that was all that mattered. A waiter came by, and Ray grabbed us drinks. We continued chatting with Sean and Heidi, until the lights dimmed, then came back up and dimmed again three times.

“That’s our signal,” I said. I reached out and took Heidi’s hand. “Really great to meet you, Heidi. We’re on the east coast now ... I’d love to come visit you two sometime. Or if you wanted to visit DC?”

She said, “I’d love to see Washington.”

Sean and I hugged, and just to spite Ray I gave him a big wet smooch on the cheek. Then Ray and I walked up to the head table.

“You’re not mad at me, are you?” he asked.

“You’re such an asshole,” I said, but I said it lightly.

“Oh, good. You had me worried there for a second.”

“It’s not like you don’t have any past girlfriends.”

He chuckled. “Relax, Carrie. I actually thought it was kind of funny. I’m assuming we’re not going to have like ... a bunch of past lovers popping up at the reception, are we?”

I took his arm, wrapped my left hand around it, then punched it with the right.

“Ow!” he said and then we both burst into laughter. He pulled me close and said, “Just for the record. The thought of anyone else touching you, even in the past tense, makes me want to completely fucking freak. But it’s the past, I get it.”

And then he kissed me again, and it was okay.

So, we all sat down for the reception. Dylan and Alexandra sat in the center of a long table, with me in between Dylan and my father, which was difficult. On the other side, Ray was in between Alexandra and my mother. As the meal was being served, I leaned close to my father, and I said, “I’m not going to say anything else about it after this, so there’s no need to defend yourself. But your behavior toward Ray was inexcusable. I doubt you’ll do it now, but one of these days, I expect an apology from you.”

And then I turned away from him. Let him deal with Julia, who was on his other side. I turned to Dylan and said, “I just want you to know, you guys had the most beautiful wedding I’ve ever seen.”

“Maybe except for one,” he replied, teasing.

“Right,” I said with a wink. “But that one’s a secret for now,” I said quietly. “I don’t want to take