Free A Very Merry Superhero Wedding (Adventures of Lewis and Clarke) by Kitty Bucholtz Page B

our marriage is going to be like,” Joe said, lacing their fingers together. “We both have ideas based on what we’ve seen in our parents’ lives and our friends’ lives, but we don’t know ho w you and I will do it. I’d guess we’ll have the fewest disappointments if we’re willing to go with the flow a little.
    “But I believe you and I will have a great marriage. You’re honest and generous and loving, and you bring out the best in me. I hope I bring out the best in you. What other people think will only matter if we let it.”
    Tori felt her chin quiver. She undid her seat belt and slid over to him. He pulled her into his arms and held her tight.
    “I think you’re going to make a great wife, Tori.” He pulled away. “I’d marry you today, if I could, but I’m willing to wait until Wednesday.”
    Tori laughed and felt the tears roll down her cheeks.
    He wiped them away with his thumbs. “But I’ll wait till June if it would make you happy.”
    Tori shook her head and wrapped her arms around him again. “No, I don’t want to wait. You make me so happy.” She pulled back enough to meet his gaze. “Not just happy, but…” She searched for a word to describe what she felt. “I feel strong when I’m with you. Strong and happy and peaceful and safe. But also, like I could do anything I set my mind to.”
    She tucked her chin down, feeling slightly foolish. She wasn’t in the habit of sharing her deepest feelings with anyone, not even Lexie or Hayley. At least not like this.
    Joe tilted her chin up and kissed her. At first, it was warm and reassuring. As it continued, it became a kiss of promise, and Tori reveled in it. Then it became a longing to end the waiting.
    “Just in case I wasn’t clear,” Tori said when they pulled away, her eyes closed against Joe’s cheek, feeling his heavy breathing in her ear, “I want to marry yo u no w .” She opened her eyes and said with a teasing grin, “But I’m willing to wait till Wednesday, if you are.”
    Joe grinned back at her. “I guess we could do that. Since we all have these nice clothes and everything.”
    Another laugh, another hug, another kiss cut short, and Joe pulled back onto the street.
    Tori sat close to him, absorbing his strength. Together, they could do anything.
    Even stand up to her mother.

    JOE tried not to act nervous as he and Tori walked into her parents’ house. He’d never been particularly uneasy about a girlfriend’s parents in the past. But this was different. He hadn’t met Danny and Dixie Lewis until the day he proposed to their daughter. Now, less than four weeks later, they were about to become a permanent part of his life.
    His mother-in-law-to-be was intimidating, even if she was half his size. She may not have extraordinary powers, but she certainly wasn’t powerless. When she looked at him, Joe felt like she was cataloging all of his strengths and weaknesses, and he wasn’t sure which attributes were which around her. She brought out his best manners, his best posture, and more second-guessing than he’d experienced since he was a teenager.
    Then there was the whole superhero thing. Dixie had made it plain at the first Sunday dinner he’d attended that she didn’t believe in superheroes, thought everyone who professed to be one was mentally unbalanced, and that it was not acceptable subject matter in the Lewis household. Ever. Joe felt pretty confident she’d ban him from their house should the topic come up again.
    Testing the waters, in this case, showed that they were indeed infested with crocodiles.
    Tori’s father, Danny, was much more easy-going. He was friendly and welcoming from the first, discussed Lions football and Red Wings hockey with Joe with enthusiasm, and acted like he genuinely liked Joe. But he’d also displayed that “I’ve been cleaning my shotgun in case I need it” look several times since Joe and Tori announced their engagement.
    Joe had vented about all this to Mickey and