Marriage by Mistake

you want."
    Kirk's eyes got even narrower. "Happens I like the telegrams."
    Dean blinked. Unhampered by surprise, Kelly stepped in. "Fine. We'll continue with the obnoxious telegrams, sent at random intervals. We won't forget you."
    Kirk looked at Dean questioningly. Dean frowned, obviously confused, but he nodded. "Yes," he told Kirk carefully. "We'll stay in touch."
    Troy, nudged by Felicia, cleared his throat and offered, "Yes, Uncle Kirk. We'll keep in touch."
    Kirk's gaze shot to Troy, then back to Dean. After a long moment he lifted his arms from the sofa and stood. "You want Robby? Fine. You got him."
    There was a beat of silence, then Robby whooped, and ran to throw his arms around Dean's neck. Dean's eyes went wide, but he hugged Robby back.
    Kirk, looking distant, shrugged. "Well, I'm off. Who knows? I may even catch up with Marisa."
    The next morning at the quaint little chapel with the big yellow sun tacked onto its side, the wedding ceremony proceeded without a hitch. Completely done with his sulks, Robby was the ring bearer. Troy and Felicia, trading meaningful glances, played the part of the attendants. Both bride and groom looked suitably besotted.
    Upon being pronounced husband and wife, the groom kissed the bride with a warmth and passion that convinced everyone present how deeply in love he was. As Dean led his new bride down the aisle and toward the front door, however, a peculiar expression crossed his face.
    "What?" Kelly asked.
    Dean frowned and started to shake his head. Then he leaned down to whisper in her ear. Kelly immediately turned a bright shade of red. "You remember!" she accused.
    "I do," Dean admitted, looking rather pink in the face himself. "That much, anyway, and only just this minute. But that's beside the point. What do you say? Could we?"
    Kelly gave a quick glance to the side to make sure no one could hear them. "Fur-lined handcuffs? What else do you remember?"
    Dean got very close to her ear. "That we never got around to using them. But we will this time, darling, we surely will."
    Kelly could tell by his smile, confident now—maybe a wee bit too confident—that, indeed, they would get around to using them 'this time.' She raised her brows, then smiled and snuggled closer to his side. Dean might surprise her now and then, but he was never going to be a stranger again. She knew just who he was now: the man who loved her, really loved her.
    Kelly's smile turned smug as they walked out onto the sun-filled sidewalk. Fur-lined handcuffs, hm? She couldn't wait to see what else he might remember.

    The End

    About the Author
    Alyssa Kress completed her first novel at age six, an unlikely romance between a lion and a jackal. Despite earning two degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and spending nearly a decade in the construction industry, she's yet to see her feet stay firmly on the ground. She now lives in Southern California, together with her husband and two children.
    You can learn more about Alyssa Kress and her other novels at http://www.alyssakress.com .

    Other Books by Alyssa Kress available at Amazon
    The Heart Heist
    The Indiscreet Ladies of Green Ivy Way
    Asking For It
    Love and the Millionairess

    Preview of The Heart Heist
    by Alyssa Kress

    Wind whipped ice across Matt's face as he rappelled down the sheer wall of cliff. Even though his heart raced, he slowed his speed since a blast of that wind could knock him into the cliff like a paper toy. At the same time he couldn't afford to be too careful. Five minutes was all he had. Five minutes before the explosive set by the Holiday bomber would go off.
    Sweat beaded his forehead as he dangled hundreds of feet above the ground, searching the cold granite face of rock. Four minutes now. If Matt didn't find the hurt climbers soon they'd all be blown into pieces the size of confetti.
    He was about to give up hope when he caught a glimpse of color, deep in a crevasse. Matt swung toward that color, counting down the seconds in his head, expertly adjusting his fit teenage muscles. Only three minutes now. His arms reached out to take hold of—what? Helpless woman, terrified child, wounded youth? He couldn't see—
    The sound of his bedroom door opening swept Matt abruptly from the edge of the cliff.
    "Matt, aren't you coming to dinner? I called you five minutes ago."
    Quickly composing his face, Matt turned from the bedroom window. "Five minutes, already?" A rush of adrenaline still pulsed through him as he