he walked over to the fireplace and tossed the cell phone into the flames. He was grinning from ear to ear at Lizzie’s horrified expression. “Just for the record, I did not vote for Martine Connor.”
Lizzie burst out laughing as she threw herself into Cosmo’s arms. “I love you, do you know that? When are we going to get married?”
Stunned beyond belief, Cosmo blinked. Then he laughed until the house shook. “How about right now? I know a twenty-four-hour chapel.” He held his breath waiting for Lizzie’s response.
Lizzie’s smile lit the room. “Hey, I’m ready. Put your shoes on, and let’s go.”
Cosmo blinked. “This isn’t very romantic, Elizabeth. I wanted to ask you myself. I rehearsed, in front of the mirror, for hours, and I had it down pat. And then I chickened out because I convinced myself you would say no.”
“I know.” Lizzie giggled. “That’s why I asked you. So, are we doing it or not?”
Cosmo held out first one foot, then the other. “See! I have my shoes on. Should we stop for some flowers? I have the ring. You said a plain gold band. I got a plain gold band. Do ya want to see it?”
“Well, yeah, Cosmo. On second thought, no, not until you slip it on my finger. Will that work for you?”
“It absolutely works for me, Elizabeth. It absolutely does.”
“Then what are we waiting for?” Lizzie asked, linking her arm with his. “I can’t wait to become Mrs. Cosmo Cricket.”
Cosmo thought he was going to black out. In the whole of his life, he’d never been this happy. “They give you a video,” he said.
“No kidding! Can you order extras? I want to send one to everyone I know so all my friends can see how happy I am.”
Cosmo walked straight into the front door.
Lizzie laughed so hard she doubled over. “Come along, my darling. I don’t want you killing yourself before I get to say ‘I do.’”
Cosmo walked out to his car in a daze. He didn’t say a word when Lizzie said she would drive.
“Last chance to back out,” Lizzie said as she slid behind the wheel.
“You must be kidding!”
Lizzie laughed all the way back to town.
Annie woke with a start. Groggy and hungover, she groaned loud enough to wake Myra, who had been sleeping propped up against the refrigerator. “Oh, my God!” she wailed.
“Myra, it’s five thirty! Quick, we have to clean up this mess and get breakfast ready. I knew we should have cleaned it up last night. My head is killing me. And, we smell to high heaven. You drank all that whiskey?”
Myra pushed her glasses higher on her nose to peer at the empty bottle lying on the floor. “I think I had a little help. All right, all right! I have an idea. Just wrap the tablecloth around everything and dump it all outside the door. Load the dishwasher with the pots and pans, splash some water on your face and we’re good to go. It will work, Annie, if you move your ass like right now. I’ll make breakfast!”
“You can’t cook, Myra. I’ll do the cooking, you do the cleanup. Hurry!”
Between the two women, they soon had the dining room back to normal, the dishwasher humming, bacon on the grill, and toast ready to pop. Also, a bowl of frothy yellow foam was standing ready, the sideboard held a pitcher of juice, and the coffee urn was working at full capacity.
“What did we resolve last night?” Myra shouted.
“Not a damn thing,” Annie shouted back. “I don’t think we should do that again for a long time. My head feels like it’s going to fly right off my shoulders. How do you feel, Myra?”
“Sick and sorry I listened to you, that’s how I feel. It snowed again during the night. Looks like maybe another six inches,” Myra said, peering out the dining room window. “We’re snowed in again. Did anyone call us during the night? I can guarantee the girls didn’t have their phones turned on. We really should check the phones,” Myra said fretfully.
“Forget that we business, Myra. As you can see, I’m rather
Lizzie burst out laughing as she threw herself into Cosmo’s arms. “I love you, do you know that? When are we going to get married?”
Stunned beyond belief, Cosmo blinked. Then he laughed until the house shook. “How about right now? I know a twenty-four-hour chapel.” He held his breath waiting for Lizzie’s response.
Lizzie’s smile lit the room. “Hey, I’m ready. Put your shoes on, and let’s go.”
Cosmo blinked. “This isn’t very romantic, Elizabeth. I wanted to ask you myself. I rehearsed, in front of the mirror, for hours, and I had it down pat. And then I chickened out because I convinced myself you would say no.”
“I know.” Lizzie giggled. “That’s why I asked you. So, are we doing it or not?”
Cosmo held out first one foot, then the other. “See! I have my shoes on. Should we stop for some flowers? I have the ring. You said a plain gold band. I got a plain gold band. Do ya want to see it?”
“Well, yeah, Cosmo. On second thought, no, not until you slip it on my finger. Will that work for you?”
“It absolutely works for me, Elizabeth. It absolutely does.”
“Then what are we waiting for?” Lizzie asked, linking her arm with his. “I can’t wait to become Mrs. Cosmo Cricket.”
Cosmo thought he was going to black out. In the whole of his life, he’d never been this happy. “They give you a video,” he said.
“No kidding! Can you order extras? I want to send one to everyone I know so all my friends can see how happy I am.”
Cosmo walked straight into the front door.
Lizzie laughed so hard she doubled over. “Come along, my darling. I don’t want you killing yourself before I get to say ‘I do.’”
Cosmo walked out to his car in a daze. He didn’t say a word when Lizzie said she would drive.
“Last chance to back out,” Lizzie said as she slid behind the wheel.
“You must be kidding!”
Lizzie laughed all the way back to town.
Annie woke with a start. Groggy and hungover, she groaned loud enough to wake Myra, who had been sleeping propped up against the refrigerator. “Oh, my God!” she wailed.
“Myra, it’s five thirty! Quick, we have to clean up this mess and get breakfast ready. I knew we should have cleaned it up last night. My head is killing me. And, we smell to high heaven. You drank all that whiskey?”
Myra pushed her glasses higher on her nose to peer at the empty bottle lying on the floor. “I think I had a little help. All right, all right! I have an idea. Just wrap the tablecloth around everything and dump it all outside the door. Load the dishwasher with the pots and pans, splash some water on your face and we’re good to go. It will work, Annie, if you move your ass like right now. I’ll make breakfast!”
“You can’t cook, Myra. I’ll do the cooking, you do the cleanup. Hurry!”
Between the two women, they soon had the dining room back to normal, the dishwasher humming, bacon on the grill, and toast ready to pop. Also, a bowl of frothy yellow foam was standing ready, the sideboard held a pitcher of juice, and the coffee urn was working at full capacity.
“What did we resolve last night?” Myra shouted.
“Not a damn thing,” Annie shouted back. “I don’t think we should do that again for a long time. My head feels like it’s going to fly right off my shoulders. How do you feel, Myra?”
“Sick and sorry I listened to you, that’s how I feel. It snowed again during the night. Looks like maybe another six inches,” Myra said, peering out the dining room window. “We’re snowed in again. Did anyone call us during the night? I can guarantee the girls didn’t have their phones turned on. We really should check the phones,” Myra said fretfully.
“Forget that we business, Myra. As you can see, I’m rather
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