* * *
They left the top up as they drove to Racine the next morning. Josie was nervous about meeting Sam's family. She didn't want to arrive all windblown. As they drove, Sam told her more about his brothers, Russ and Josh and about his friend Andy.
Sam pulled up in front of a two-story brick colonial with an attached garage. Josie felt a familiar wave of nausea and had a sudden urge to breathe into a paper bag. Noticing her distress, Sam hugged her tightly. "They're really not so bad," he whispered. "They're gonna love you."
Sam jumped out of the jeep and came around the front to open Josie's door. He helped her down and placed a reassuring arm around her waist. He propelled her up the path toward the door.
They got about halfway there when a tiny figure flew down the front steps and launched herself into Sam's arms. He hoisted her onto his shoulder and she planted a sloppy kiss on his cheek.
"Unca Sam, Unca Sam."
"Well, Emmie�this is a surprise�did you bring your mommy with you?"
"Yup�she's inna house. Hi lady," she said to Josie.
Josie studied the tiny blonde cherub. She had Sam's amazing green eyes. "Hi, Emma," she said softly, "I've heard a lot about you. I'm Josie."
"Aunt Josie," Sam corrected.
"Ohhh�" said Emma. She leaned toward Josie and planted a sticky kiss on her mouth. "I never had a Aunt Josie before," she whispered.
Josie giggled. "Well I've never had a niece before, either."
"Emma Callahan�where'd you get to�"
Josie looked up. The entire Coulson family now stood on the porch, watching them.
"Wow," Sam said, "you really rate." He kissed a tall, stunning green-eyed blonde on the cheek. "Well, I wasn't expecting to see you here, Abb."
"Did you actually think I'd miss all the fun? Hi," she said warmly, "I'm Abby�and obviously you've already met Emma." She gave Josie a quick hug and took Emma from Sam.
"This is Josh�my older brother. He's an engineer." Josh was serious and studious looking with brown hair; wire-rimmed glasses framed yet another pair of green eyes.
"It's nice to meet you," he said reservedly.
"And this, is Russ�the baby." Josie guessed Russ to be about Rob's age. He had light hair and warm brown eyes. "Russ just graduated from the University of Wisconsin," Sam said proudly.
"Congratulations," said Josie.
"Thanks�so you're the mystery woman," he teased, "what's a beautiful woman like you doing with a guy like him?"
Josie blushed. Sam drew her to his parents.
"And these are my parents, Tim and Sarah."
"We've been eager to meet you," said Tim, an older version of Sam.
"It's so nice to have you with us, finally," said Sarah. She was petite with brown hair and eyes.
"Everyone," said Sam with a grin, "this is Josie Geller. My fianc�e."
Josie was becoming used to the silence that seemed to accompany that announcement. She grinned at Sam. "They're taking it pretty well."
Abby shook her head. "I am so glad I made that trip. My, my little brother, you are full of surprises these days."
"Don't you think you're being a little�hasty?" asked Josh.
"No. We're not doing this because we're afraid it will go away. We're getting married because we know it's the right thing for us."
"I think it's cool," said Russ. "Welcome to the family!" He smiled warmly at Josie.
"Well, son," said Sarah, "I'm a little�surprised by all of this�but from what you've told me�and from the way you look at her and she looks at you�you two obviously know your own hearts." She kissed Josie on the cheek, then Sam. "I'm happy for you."
"Sam�" said Tim, "did I ever tell you that I proposed to your mother on our second date?"
"I think I'd have remembered that story, Dad. But it's nice to know I'm not the only Coulson who recognizes the right woman when he finally finds her. Of course, I proposed before we even went on a date�but I couldn't help myself."
Sam quickly brought his family up to speed on the last few weeks of his life. "So�we're buying a house and we've set a date�"
"A date for what?" came a different male voice.
"Andy!" Sam called, "I was hoping you'd stop by�and Casey! It's great to see you both."
"We hear you've been busy," teased Casey, a pretty redhead.
Sam laughed. "You could say that. Andy and Casey Tacoma, meet Josie Geller."
"The famous reporter," said Andy dramatically, "and lovely, may I add?"
Josie grinned. "I've heard a lot about you�"
"None of it good, I'm sure."
"Not a word. But Sam speaks very highly of you, Casey."
"I'm relieved to hear that. We've been dying to get the whole story�"
"Which we just finished telling�" moaned Sam. "Can't you guys ever be on time?"
"Here are the most basic facts. I was sent undercover to Sam's high school, where I fell�hard�for my English teacher."
"And I fell equally hard for her."
"It was a terrible situation�I couldn't tell him how old I really was or I'd get fired."
"And I certainly couldn't tell her how I felt or I'd get fired."
"Then�at the prom�I was about to tell him everything�when I blew my cover�"
"To save a friend from humiliation�"
"And I thought I'd lost him�so�I wrote the story�"
"Which I almost didn't see�"
"And he came�and he kissed me."
"Then�I asked her to marry me the next day."
"And we went on our first real date the day after that."
"Which brings us back to the date�"
"August 14th."
"You guys free?"
"This August 14th ? " choked Abby.
"Yep," they said in unison.
* * *
Josie soon felt like part of the family. The Coulsons were boisterous and fun-loving and impossible not to love. As Sam had predicted, Sarah Coulson quickly produced the family photo albums, exposing all of his less than glorious moments. Each photograph had a tale.
Josie laughed at a photo of Sam as an infant. Abby had dressed him up in her doll clothes. Josie looked questioningly at Abby.
"What can I say? I was six�I thought I'd been given my own real live doll�"
Sam pointed to a picture of himself at fourteen, with braces and the standard eighties haircut: short in front, long in back. He was tall and gangly and seemed to be all arms and legs. "I had a growth spurt�took a while for everything to catch up. I told you I had my awkward times, too."
Josie fingered a picture of Sam as a child. He was, she estimated, about five-years-old, his hair unruly, wearing the crooked smile Josie so loved. His left arm was casted and in a sling.
She looked at Sam questioningly. "Spiderman?"
"Yep," he said.
"I'm so amazed that you got onto that Ferris wheel with me, considering this�"
"Sam�on a Ferris wheel? Probably one of those rinky-dink little traveling carnival ones, right?" teased Abby.
"Actually�it was the really big one at Navy Pier," said Josie.
"Whew," Abby whistled. "You really must have been in love!" she said, clearly impressed.
Sam answered honestly, "I didn't know it at the time�but�yeah�you're right. I just saw Josie�some jerk was teasing her�and I couldn't help myself. I didn't realize what I'd done until I heard the safety bar latch."
"You should have seen his face�he was a little�green."
"I'll bet," said Abby.
"When I noticed how terrified he was, I knew what an amazing thing he'd just done for me. I realized that I was falling in love." She smiled at Sam.
"Wow," said Abby softly, "that's a pretty romantic story!"
"That's nothing," joked Josie, "later that same night I literally fell right into his arms."
Over dinner, Josie and Sam shared their wedding plans to date. Sam asked his brothers and Andy to stand up with him.
Abby was delighted to be invited to be a bridesmaid.
Emma was thrilled about being the flower girl.
The Coulsons decided to drive to Chicago the following weekend to meet Josie's family.
"Sounds like you two have a very busy summer ahead of you," said Tim Coulson.
"Sort of changes your plans for the summer, hey little brother?" teased Abby.
Josie looked at Sam a little guiltily. "With everything that's happened�I never asked what you were planning to do this summer."
Sam grinned at her. "Two months ago, I was planning on an easy summer�my first off since I became a teacher. I was going to travel a little�work with a rec center on the South Side teaching street hockey�volunteer with a literacy program�laze around by the pool."
He gazed lovingly at Josie. "Then a few weeks ago�after I admitted to myself how I felt about you�I planned to spend as much time as I could with you�to really get to know you�convince you to give me a chance before I packed you off to college."
"Now I get to spend my summer with you, working on our home�planning our wedding. I can't imagine anything I want to do more."
After dinner, Sam and Josie strolled through his neighborhood as he shared more of his childhood with her.
"Mom's kind of old-fashioned," Sam warned. "She'll probably have us in separate rooms."
Josie blushed. "I'll miss you. I've gotten used to sleeping in your arms."
"I could sneak in later," he said, grinning wickedly.
Josie laughed. "That could be fun."
Sarah Coulson surprised them.
"So, Mom," said Sam, "Which room is Josie in?"
"I put her in the guest room."
"Am I in Josh's old room, then, since Russ is home?"
Sarah colored slightly. "I assumed you'd be staying with Josie�I may be old-fashioned, but I also know that you haven't been sleeping at your own apartment this week. I do remember what it's like to be in love, you know," she teased.
It was Sam's turn to blush.
Josie giggled at the exchange.
* * *