“Mama,” Krew huffed. “You can’t ruin surprises.”
Caleb bent down and scooped up Krew. “We knew you’d want the family here to celebrate this important day.”
“Thank you.”
“Seth teased me that I should’ve done something crazier, but I don’t care about crazy. I only care about being with you and Krew.”
Her eyes misted over, and she kissed him hard. “I love you.”
He grinned and lifted her off the ground with his other arm.
“Caleb,” she laughed.
He turned her to greet family and friends. “May I present to you the future Emily and Krew Jewel.”
“Yes!” Krew cheered. “I want to be a Jewel so bad!”
Everyone laughed and cheered.
Glancing around, Emily asked, “Where are Seth and Breeze?”
Caleb straightened and his eyes flashed with disappointment as he looked around to confirm that his twin and Breeze were missing. “I don’t know. I know he gets jealous because I’m better-looking, smarter, more talented,” he winked at her but she could see in his eyes that he wanted Seth to be here. “But he and Breeze can’t miss this.”
She heard the beat of helicopter blades and looked up. Explosions suddenly went off in the trees nearby. She jumped, and Caleb laughed. “Firecrackers,” he told her.
“Oh my!” She put a hand to her heart.
Everyone was looking to the trees or holding their hands over their ears to block out the explosions.
As the helicopter passed right over their heads, the whir of its blades grew more deafening than the firecrackers. Seth and Breeze were only about twenty feet above them, and they were grinning broadly as they tipped a bucket.
Water gushed out and drenched the three of them as other family members dodged out of the way. Emily gasped at the cold water running down her face and neck. Caleb wrapped Emily and Krew up tight in a futile attempt to shelter them. Everyone else was screaming and laughing. She thought she heard Seth yell, “Payback!”
Emily lifted her head up just in time to see them let loose a cloud of a white powder. It was sweet on her lips. Powdered sugar.
The helicopter swept away and landed close by. Finally, the noise of the rotors shut down.
Caleb’s body was shaking with laughter as he held her and Krew. Emily couldn’t help but laugh herself, even though the three of them were wet, cold, and covered in white powder.
Seth and Breeze came jogging up, big grins on their faces.
“Hug me, bro,” Caleb said, but he didn’t release Krew or Emily, so the four of them got in a messy hug.
“Sorry,” Seth said unrepentantly, “but if you’re marrying this guy, you have to take blame for some of his pranks.”
Breeze laughed. “Yeah, I get pranked right along with Seth.”
Emily grinned up at her white-faced future husband. “The two of us working together?” She looked slyly back at Seth and Breeze. “You’d better be scared of what we’ll come up with next.”
Everyone roared with laughter while Caleb bent down and whispered against her lips. “Have I told you lately that you’re perfect for me?”
“Yes, sir, but tell me again.”
He grinned. “You, Emily Housley, are perfect, and I love you.” Then he was kissing her, and the family was pressing in on them. She didn’t mind that they were sticky and wet; she was just glad that Caleb, Krew, and their loved ones were all there to celebrate their happy day. Even better, she knew that Caleb and Krew would always be hers, and she looked forward to kissing Caleb tonight when they were alone. She was covered in powdered sugar and in need of a warm shower, but she was surrounded by love, and that was all that mattered.
* * *