Chapter Sixty-Three
Alan
I definitely paid a premium, but we were able to book one of the banquet rooms at Maxfield’s on Friday night for the rehearsal dinner.
Jess had said since we weren’t having attendants, she didn’t think we needed one, but I’d insisted.
Her three brothers and their wives had gotten into town that afternoon, and I thought it would be nice for our families to spend a little more time together before the wedding.
Plus, everyone who came to the rehearsal helped set up for the ceremony the next day in the backyard at the farmhouse.
And Jessica and I got to meet the Justice of the Peace who we’d hired to marry us.
Reverend Sutherland gave off grandfatherly vibes and asked a lot of questions about the service I hadn’t even considered, so I was happy with our choice.
Not to mention he and his wife of forty years were absolutely adorable at dinner.
He doted on her, and she looked at him like he hung the moon.
That was exactly the energy I wanted in the man who was going to marry Jess and me.
After dinner, Ed, Andruw, Dale, and Aaron all shook my hand on their way out the door, and Carol actually hugged me, along with Jessica’s sisters-in-law.
Lainey and Adam invited the remaining group back to their house to finish the centerpieces for the reception.
My parents declined, but offered to watch Ruthie, so we sent them home in the minivan that accommodated her car seat.
Walking through the restaurant parking lot to Adam’s Bronco, Lainey looked at her phone and said, “Kristy’s date was a dud, so she’ll be there to help, too.”
“Is it okay if I invite my assistant, Sarah, and her boyfriend, Greg? They should be getting into Haven Springs any time now.”
Adam asked, “Where are they staying?”
“On the floor in our guest room. There aren’t many options around here.”
“You are not making your assistant sleep on the floor, Alan,” Lainey reprimanded. “They can stay at our place. Why didn’t you say something sooner?”
“Honestly? I kind of forgot that we had the realtor take the bed out so we could turn it into an office until I went in there this afternoon.”
“So, you were just going to spring, ‘Oh, hey, guess what? You’re sleeping on the floor?’ on them when they got here?”
I shrugged. “I mean; I guess there’s the couch?”
Lainey was incensed. “Oh my god! They are staying with us!”
After we helped the ladies into his SUV, Adam and I walked around the back of his Bronco, and my little brother murmured, “Well played.”
“I really was going to ask you guys, but then I got busy and just forgot.”
“Like I said, well played.”
****
Jessica
Adam and Brian were outside while Lainey made Alan make up the bed in the guestroom for his assistant and her boyfriend.
At the same time, Jade, Kristy, and I worked on the centerpieces in the kitchen.
Lainey walked in with Conor on her hip, and as she opened a cupboard, pulled out a baby bottle, and casually remarked, “I’m so excited for us to be neighbors! We can carpool to the bakery!”
She set the bottle down on the counter and looked over at me. “You are coming back to work after your honeymoon, aren’t you?”
“I think so. Alan hasn’t said I couldn’t.”
Lainey’s eyes grew wide as she scooped formula into the bottle. “He’s not the boss of you. You’re an adult woman.”
“Yeah, well, I had to ask permission from my parents to come here tonight, so, being an adult hasn’t meant much.”
Lainey replied, “Trust me, Alan will not expect you to ask permission for anything.”
And Jade added, “I can’t imagine he’d even want you to.”
I let out a big sigh. “This is all so new to me.”
Lainey shifted Conor again and pulled me in for a side hug. “You’ve got a lot of people who care about you to help you navigate things—yours truly included.”
“I know,” I whispered. “Thank you for everything. If I hadn’t met you, I’d probably be marrying Kevin tomorrow instead.”
That thought made me shudder.
Kristy gently said, “Can I ask what happened with Ruthie’s dad?”
As much as I hated even thinking about Jonathan Ross, these ladies had come to be my friends and confidantes, so I felt like I owed them that much.
“I thought once I told him I was pregnant, he’d propose and everything would be okay. Instead, he acted like he didn’t even know me and started dating my friend two days later.”
Kristy scowled. “What a douche. And your ‘friend’ sounds awful.”
“You’re right on both accounts.” My laugh lacked any humor to it.
“After Ruthie was born, my parents demanded a DNA test, and it proved Ruthie is his. But I didn’t want to add his name to her birth certificate; I’d have to go to court to have it changed because there’s no way he’d voluntarily sign the form.
And besides, he doesn’t deserve to be listed as Ruthie’s father. ”
“Well, fortunately, after tomorrow, Ruthie’s going to have a terrific daddy,” Lainey replied.
My sigh sounded defeated, even to my ears. “I still don’t understand why Alan wants to marry me.”
Jade smiled. “Oh, honey. He was smitten with you the second you dumped those cinnamon rolls on him.”
****
Alan
I’d finished getting the guest room ready for Sarah and Greg and was walking into the kitchen when I heard Lainey say, “You were smart not to put Jonathan’s name on Ruthie’s birth certificate. It’ll make it easier for Alan to adopt her if he’s not listed.”
“Alan’s not going to want to do that.”
I declared, “Sure I do,” as I walked in.
Jess seemed surprised, and asked, “Really?”
“Ab-so-fucking-lutely. The sooner, the better, as far as I’m concerned.”
“Oh. I didn’t realize you’d thought about it.”
“Of course I have. You and Ruthie are a package deal. I want to make it official with both of you.”
I could tell Jess didn’t know what to say and noticed everyone else was quiet—obviously listening, so I said, “We can talk about it later.”
****
Jessica
I hadn’t realized he’d meant later that night.
On our way to pick up Ruthie from his parents, he quietly commented, “I really do want to adopt Ruthie.”
“I mean… yeah, it’s something to consider in the future.”
“How far into the future?”
“I don’t know? I haven’t thought about it.”
I don’t think he liked that answer.
“When you were considering marrying Kevin, you said he was going to adopt Ruthie so ‘she’d no longer be considered a bastard’. Your words.”
He used finger quotes when he threw my words back at me.
“I think I was just repeating what my parents wanted.”
“You don’t think they’d want me to adopt her?”
“I’m sure they would. But I don’t want to rush into anything. If you and I don’t work out…”
“I thought we agreed we were going to try.”
“Trying and succeeding are two different things, Alan.”
“Okay, fine. But if I adopt her and you and I don’t work out, at least I’ll still be Ruthie’s dad.”
“And that’s what scares me.”
His eyes became slits when he snarled, “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I don’t know!” I cried. “I’m not trying to make you mad. This is kind of coming out of left field, and I feel like you want me to make a decision right this second, and I just need time to process everything!”
Except I did know.
If Alan adopted Ruthie, the second he came to his senses and realized marrying me was a mistake, he’d have a claim to my daughter. And I wouldn’t have the means to fight him in court.
It was the same situation I was currently in with my parents, except I believed Lainey when she said that no one would take her from me as long as she was being cared for.
But if Alan was legally her parent—that’d be a whole different ball game.