otherwise he was still the Luke Baxter he’d been when he married Reagan. He slipped on his dark gray suit coat, stood a little straighter, and turned to the kids.
“Well… how do I look?”
Johnny smiled at him. “You look ready, Dad. And you kinda look like Tommy.” He shot a look toward the master bedroom just off the family room. “What about Mom?”
“Finishing touches.” Luke shrugged. “You’ll understand one day, Johnny boy. Waiting on a woman is part of the deal.”
Johnny looked back at the game. “I’m the youngest, Dad. I’m good at waiting.”
At the same time, Malin glanced up from the game and gasped. She stood and blinked a few times. “Dad… you look like the most handsome prince.”
Luke bowed. “Why, thank you.” He smiled and held his hand out to his daughter. “Perhaps the princess would like a dance with the prince?”
Malin giggled and scampered over to him. The flouncy layers of her pink dress bounced around her bare knees. It was the dress she’d worn to church that morning. Malin would’ve worn it to bed if they’d let her. She took hold of his fingers and curtsied. “The princess would, indeed, like to dance.”
For the slightest few seconds, Luke didn’t move. He only looked at this precious daughter, brought home from China when she was a baby. Her birth country and heritage were important to all of them. But she was a Baxter girl, through and through. All ribbons and bows, smiles and giggles.
The sunbeam of their home.
Luke took her hand and began to sing, Tale as old as time. He twirled her again and again and then she stepped lightly on his toes. “Dance me around the room, Daddy. Like we used to do when I was little.”
And Luke did just that. Plodding across the floor, mustering as much grace as he could with a twelve-year-old on his feet. The boys had stopped the game to watch, and after a minute the part of the song that Luke knew came to an end. Beauty and the… Beast.
Then he and Malin stepped back from each other, still holding hands like a bridge between them. Luke bowed again and she curtsied once more. “You’re a very good singer, Prince.”
“Thank you.” He grinned. “As long as you’re my audience.”
“And us!” Johnny jumped up and clapped. “I think you sing good, too.”
Luke laughed. “If that’s true, I get it from my mom.” Memories from long ago filled his heart. “Your grandma Elizabeth used to play the piano and the two of us… we’d sit together and sing. Mostly at Christmastime.”
Malin hugged him. “Thanks, Dad.” She leaned up and kissed his cheek. “For dancing with me. One more time.”
One more time? So was this the last time she would dance on his feet? The way she had from the time she was two till… till whenever she grew up? “We’re going to dance again, Malin. This isn’t the last time.”
“I know.” She grinned. “Plus… we’ll dance at my wedding one day.”
“True.” Luke didn’t want to think about that. He put his hand on her cheek. “But that’s a long time from now.”
“Yep.” She giggled once more and hurried back to the Sequence game. “My turn!”
Reagan came out of their room then. She wore a black dress with short sleeves and a skirt that flowed close to her high heels. Luke whistled. “Wow… talk about princesses.” Her dark blond hair hung down past her shoulders, and her eyes had never looked more blue. Luke sucked in a quick breath. “Honey… you… you look stunning.”
“Really?” She came to Luke and the two hugged.
“Yes. Really.” Luke whispered near her face. “You take my breath, Reagan.”
Tommy was on his feet now. “Wow, Mom! That dress!”
A smile filled Reagan’s face, and her eyes looked bright. “Your dad asked me out dancing. We used to love dressing up for that.”
“And now… it’s time to go.” Luke motioned the kids close. He and Reagan hugged them all. “Have fun tonight. And may the best Sequence player win.”
The kids returned to their game as Luke led Reagan out to their car. “Ever have a moment you want to remember forever?” Luke held her door for her.
Once they were inside Reagan turned to him. “You and Malin?” She smiled with her eyes. The way Luke loved. “I heard you singing to her.”
Luke put his hand over his heart. “I can’t remember the last time she danced on my feet like that. We sort of waltzed around the room and she