Bluegrass Dawn: Bluegrass Single #2 (Bluegrass Singles) by Kathleen Brooks Page B

he is.”
    Ariana smiled and left to drag Ahmed and Bridget’s eight-year-old son to the kitchen for pie.
    Ahmed kissed her cheek and Marcy flushed. He was a year older than Miles, but Ahmed, like her son, was still just as good-looking. His black hair was still mostly dark. A sliver of gray was brave enough to venture forth in a couple of places. He still looked just as deadly as he had been as the head of security for Mo and the Rahmi royal family. But the darkness that had been in his eyes was now gone. Now they showed joy, love, and peace.
    “How is the most beautiful woman in all of Keeneston?”
    Marcy swatted his arm. “I think your wife would have something to say if she heard you flirting with me. So would Jake. So let's just not tell them,” Marcy giggled.
    “Ah, here is my beautiful wife now. Bridget, darling, is Abigail settled?”
    Bridget looked over to where their twelve-year-old daughter sat with her leg propped up. All the kids surrounded her as she told them how she broke her leg.
    “She’s soaking up the attention.”
    “Oh my goodness! What happened?” Marcy asked.
    “You know how she’s determined to keep up with the boys. Well, she wanted to enter this martial arts tournament. We told her not to. She was too advanced for them, but she wanted to do it anyway. She entered and won the girls’ division easily. When she was sparring with the winner of the boys’ division, he got mad she was beating him so easily and did an illegal low kick and fractured her leg. She only has to wear the cast a couple of weeks.”
    “How horrible.”
    “All I can say is thank goodness Ahmed kept his hands on his diplomatic immunity papers.”
    “Me? You’re the one who raced across . . .”
    “Enough of that!” Bridget said cheerfully, effectively cutting him off. “Anyway, thank you so much for having us over every year. “
    “You’re family,” Marcy said as Jake came and put his arm around her.
    Bridget and Ahmed joined the group in the living room. The men started to move the table and chairs so everyone could fit. Soon the whole room was filled with people and Christmas cheer.
    “We’ve done well, haven’t we?” Jake asked.
    Marcy saw the kids playing, the men sharing stories, and the women laughing. “Yes, we have. I can’t wait to see what else we do.”
    Jake raised his drink, “Merry Christmas, everyone!”
    “Merry Christmas!”
     
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