Independence by Shelly Crane Page B

that comfortable with me, here, in my home.
    It made me grin like a fool.
    "I love that grin," she confessed and tilted her head a bit. " What does that mean?" she asked, pointing to my shirt. "What's with all the ducks?"
    " You don't know? "
    She shook her head. "And what's with the pink duck? "
    "I'm n ot telling."
    She laughed and I soa ked it up like a sponge .
     
    When we emerged from the bedroom, Kyle and Lynne were just coming out, too. I avoided eye contact and asked Kyle how he got here. He said he drove my truck since I had his Dad's car. I told him I was taking the truck back a nd we were leaving. I tossed him my keys. He tossed me mine and hovered them in the air using his ability just out of my reach. I lifted an annoyed eyebrow at him. I heard Kyle's chuckle as I jumped to grab them , but I just grabbed Maggie's hand and towed her out the door, yelling for Kyle to lock up when they left.
    Maggie giggled all the way down the steps from my apartment at me, but I just kept on going. I dialed the center to see who was there. I told her I was on the way and she said she'd be waiting. "Thanks, Honey," I told her and hung up. Maggie gave me a 'What the ?' look, but I blocked her from my mind and fought to keep a straight face.
    "So, this is your truck," she said coyly. She drew her finger down the front end. "Does she have a name, too? I'm surprised Lola puts up with you cheating on her like this."
    "H a. Ha." I grinned and opened her door. "As a matter of fact, she does have a name." I took Maggie's hand and helped her into the side door. Even I had to admit , it was a big truck. "And Marlana isn't jealous. She knows how to share."
    I shut the door, but could still hear Maggie's laughter as I walked around to my side. I hopped up inside and actually felt a sigh of relief. It had been forever since I'd driven my truck. Maggie had never even been in it. I glanced over to see her watching me. One of her feet was up in the seat under her and he r head was tilted to the side.
    My mouth said, " You are so gorgeous ."
    She smiled and looked down at her shoe, then back to me. "You're so good at that."
    I grabbed her around the thigh and dragged her to me. "What's that?"
    She lifted her hand and let her fingers smooth down the side of my face. She sucked on her bottom lip , but still managed to smile. The girl had no idea how gorgeous and sexy something so simple could be. And then she said, "You're so good at making me feel like I'm the only girl in the world."
    I chuckled softly. "Didn't you know? You are."
    She closed her eyes and pressed her nose to mine. "That sounds like good wedding vows to me."
    "You'll get to read my vows soon enough. You 've still got them , right?"
"Right in the obsidian box you gave them to me in." She leaned back just far enough to give me a look. "Really, that was just mean. You can't give a girl your vows and tell her not to read them." I just shrugged smugly. "I'm supposed to write my vows to you, too, right?" she asked nervously.
    "Yeah, but we don't read them out loud at the wedding." She gave me a curious look. "The vows are for us. We read them, by ourselves, the night before the wedding. No one else hears or sees them."
    "So what are we going to say at the wedding?"
    "We won't say anything." I felt myself grin. "It's not a traditional wedding, Maggie. The wedding is, from what I've been told, a showering of blessings. The wedding isn't for us to pledge our love for each other, I think it's pretty obvious that imprinted couples love each other. And it's blaringly obvious that you're head over heels for me." She giggled. "It's for our family to give us the best start possible by being there on our first day as a real couple."
    "That sounds beautiful. Your mom, she…" A picture played in Maggie's h ead from when Mom showed her wedding day. "She showed me their wedding day with everyone surrounding them." She looked me straight in the eye. "I can't wait." She grinned gorgeously. "Caleb, I