Chapter 19
CHAPTER NINETEEN
ASHER
When I’d suggested this whole thing, I certainly hadn’t anticipated an actual wedding. I’d figured there’d be something detached…something transactional about saying our I do’s at the courthouse where we’d accounted for our share of trouble.
Instead, I’d held her hands and looked into her eyes, the only family I had left surrounding us, as I took her as my wife.
My wife .
Thankfully, Edna’s performance brought some levity to the situation, especially when it had been sprinkled with curse words— shit, I forgot the rings —and orders to keep things clean when it was time to kiss— remember, you’re not auditionin’ for a porno, kids . And then there was the noisemaker when she pronounced us husband and wife.
The ceremony, it seemed, hadn’t been the only trick up the Havens’ sleeves. Because as soon as that was over, Rory ushered us farther back on the property where huge tents had been erected and half of Havenbrook milled about for what, apparently, was going to be one hell of a party.
Nat stopped dead in her tracks, her hand gripped tight in mine and a fake smile that looked more like a grimace plastered across her face. “What the hell is this?” she asked as her family flanked us on either side.
“A reception,” Mac said. “You know, for your wedding ?”
“For my wedding?” she said through clenched teeth, her smile forced. “Right. Right…a wedding that we wanted to take place at the courthouse. You know a little something about that, don’t you, Mac?”
“Oh shit,” Finn said under his breath, while at the same time, Will tried to pull Nat farther into the party, no doubt in an effort to keep my wife from spilling all the secrets.
Mac glared at her, and I, along with everyone else excepting Richard, Caroline, and Gran, found somewhere else to look.
“Shut up, Natalie,” Mac bit out through gritted teeth.
I cringed, knowing Nat’s sister using her full name was only going to stoke the beast more than it already was. Nat didn’t like being blindsided, and they’d managed to do it twice in one day. The gloves were most definitely coming off.
“What’s Nat talkin’ about?” Caroline asked, her brows furrowed as she swayed with Owen in her arms.
“You got me, Momma,” Mac said with a shrug. “Who knows with this one.”
“Oh, Mackenna is just tryin’ not to be a bother,” Nat said with a bright smile. “But it’s really a good thing y’all threw together this reception. What, since it can be not only for me and Asher, but for Mac and Hudson, as well.”
“Fuck me,” Hudson muttered directly next to me, the curse so low, I knew the man hadn’t intended for anyone else to hear.
“Why the hell would they need to celebrate at a wedding reception?” Richard asked.
“For their two-week wedding anniversary, of course!”
“I hate you,” Mac hissed under her breath at the same time Hudson sighed and cupped a hand around the back of his neck.
Caroline narrowed her eyes between Mac and Hudson. “What does she mean, your two-week?—”
But I didn’t hear anything more because Nat dragged me away and straight to the bar that had been set up in the corner of the largest tent. “I need a fucking drink.”
Except, what should’ve taken a couple minutes ended up taking nearly thirty because everyone and their dog wanted to come by and wish us congratulations.
Finally, during a conversation with Mrs. Wright, our ninth-grade algebra teacher, in which she insisted she’d known all the way back then that we’d be getting married, Nat clutched my hand and dug her nails in. Her unspoken plea to get us the hell out of there.
“That’s real sweet that you could see our love all the way back then,” I said, laying the charm on thick. “It was nice chattin’ with you, but we were just headed to grab a drink. And I believe my lovely wife is pretty parched by now.”
“Oh, of course. I won’t keep you. It was so nice to see you both.” Mrs. Wright smiled and placed a hand on my forearm. “And I want to extend my deepest condolences about your sister and brother-in-law.”
Between the funeral and this, I’d heard the sentiment more times than I could count, but it still hadn’t gotten any easier. Honestly, I wished people just wouldn’t say anything at all. I knew Aubrey and Nathan had been beloved members of the community. I didn’t need virtual strangers to remind me of it, bringing the fact of their passing back to the forefront of my mind each time they did so. Reminding me that my family hadn’t gotten to witness this wedding, even fake as it was.
“You okay?” Nat squeezed my hand, leaning into my side.
“As much as I can be. I just get sick of hearin’ it, you know? No matter what they say, it can’t bring them back. And I never know how to respond.”
“One of these times, you should just lose your shit. Maybe then they’d think twice about it.”
I chuckled under my breath. “They’re just tryin’ to be nice.”
“Nice is overrated. Like Mrs. Wright back there, actin’ like she hadn’t spent every second of our freshman year hatin’ our guts for bein’ pains in her ass.”
I snorted, recalling some of the more…colorful things we’d done while in her class. “No doubt about it.”
“Sidenote, I can’t believe you called me your wife . That was weird.”
I stumbled only slightly on our way to the bar but caught myself and hummed in acknowledgment. It wasn’t like I hadn’t realized that was what she’d be when we said our I do’s. What really got me was that I hadn’t even realized I’d said it in the first place.
After placing our orders, she mumbled, “Of course my parents have an open bar at a backyard reception for a wedding that isn’t even real.”
“Maybe don’t say that quite so loud?” I said, scanning the crowd. “We got a lot of people here, and one of ’em is Judge Seville.”
Nat whipped her head around and stared in the direction I had been looking. The judge and his wife stood at a tall cocktail table, looking for all the world as if they were attending a wake, rather than a wedding celebration.
“Shit,” she whispered.
I placed a hand on the small of her back, beating back memories of the bare expanse as I’d zipped her up less than an hour ago. It had taken every ounce of my self-control not to lean forward and brush my lips over her shoulder, down her spine. Had taken everything in me not to sink down onto my knees, spin her around, and brace her foot on the vanity just so I could finally taste how sweet she was.
I cleared my throat and willed down the ever-present semi that had been the bane of my existence all day. “It’s fine. We’re already married, remember? If anything, this just proves it even more.”
“Yeah, till you get me or any one of my sisters drunk, and we spill everything!” she hissed. “We aren’t exactly known for being quiet drunks.”
I stifled a laugh, knowing just exactly how talkative Nat got when she’d had a few. Secrets did not exist in her world when she was intoxicated, something Nash and I had teased her incessantly about. “Then don’t get drunk.”
“Are you kiddin’?” she asked, her mouth dropping open as she stared up at me. “One, I’m at a family event. Two, that event is one said family sprung on us with no notice. Three, I just got married—four, to my best friend, by the way. Five, a marriage that isn’t even real,” she said, lowering her voice so only I could hear. “Six, all of this is happenin’ in Havenbrook. And seven, with enough busybodies in attendance to fuel the gossip mill for months to come.”
I lifted my chin in thanks and grabbed the drinks Nat had ordered us from the bartender. I passed the dirty martini to her before taking a pull from my favorite beer. “Actually, I think the fact that Mac and Hudson snuck off to get married and didn’t tell anyone may actually shorten that time just a little bit. So, nice goin’ there.”
She finally cracked a grin. “Yeah, that was probably a dick move.”
“Probably. But still kinda fun to watch your mom hand Mac her ass, all while entertainin’ an eight-month-old.”
“Oh my God, the kids!” she said as she frantically scanned the party.
I slid an arm around her waist, cupping her hip possessively and tugging her into my side. “Relax, your mom’s got Owen, and Rory’s girls are playin’ with June.”
She exhaled so hard, she slumped into me, and I tightened my grip, making sure she stayed upright. “ Fuck , I’m not cut out for this.”
“I don’t know,” I said, taking another pull from my beer. “I think you’ve done pretty great, all things considered.”
She huffed out an incredulous laugh. “For the past hour, I’ve legitimately not known where those children were. But besides that, the thought of where they were hasn’t even entered my mind.”
“Yeah, well, that’s understandable. We did have a wedding sprung on us. And what we thought was gonna be a tiny ceremony in a courthouse with just me, you, and the kids as witnesses turned into quite a different ordeal. And now this reception? Don’t be so hard on yourself. I knew where they were. That’s what makes us a good team.”
“What? So only one of us is able to lose our shit at any given time?”
I nodded. “Yeah, that sounds about right.” I lifted my beer up for another drink, and Nat’s gaze was snagged on something, her breath catching. “What is it?”
She blinked and shook her head, glancing to the side before meeting my gaze. “It’s so weird seein’ you with a wedding band. And what’s even weirder is knowin’ it’s mine.”
Funny, I’d felt the same way, sliding the ring I’d bought onto her finger and saying the words—whether we intended them to be real or not—that bound us together by law and under the eyes of God.
I dropped my gaze to her lips, remembering how soft and pliant they’d been that morning. The sound of her throaty moans. How she’d felt beneath my questing hands, the full roundness of her ass gripped in my palms.
Without thinking, I leaned toward her, intent on pressing my lips to hers, when a sound of surprise interrupted us.
“I’m so sorry!” A woman I didn’t recognize stood off to the side—a photographer, I’d guess, thanks to the camera hanging from her neck. “I didn’t mean to interrupt. Mrs. Haven would just like me to get some pictures before it gets too late.”
“Before everyone has too many drinks from their open bar, she means,” Nat said out of the corner of her mouth. Then beamed a smile at the photographer. “Great! Show us where you want us.”
Forty-five painful minutes later, we’d finished all we were able to. Though, if the photographer had managed to get any without Nat’s face contorted thanks to her grumbles, it’d be a miracle.
“Can’t believe they hired someone,” she said.
“I heard that,” Rory said. “Yes, Nat, we all know you’re ridiculously talented, but even you couldn’t take your own wedding photos.”
“Says you . I could take pictures of everything no problem.”
“Yeah, everything but the bride.” Mac rolled her eyes.
“Which is you , by the way,” Will said.
“Whatever,” Nat grumbled as she leaned her back to my chest, as if she needed someone to hold her up for a little while.
I obliged, wrapping my arms around her shoulders and holding her tight to me. The entirety of the time we’d been doing pictures, I could see how much she’d itched to be the one behind the camera. For as gorgeous as she was—and she was gorgeous —she’d never liked having her picture taken, always preferring to be the one behind the lens.
Though it had crossed my mind that when she said yes to me, she’d be saying no to so many other things, I hadn’t really allowed myself to realize the gravity of exactly what she was giving up by agreeing to marry me. I saw that now, though, when I looked into her eyes as someone else captured memories for us when it had been her job for so long.
“You okay?” I asked when everyone else had scattered and we finally had a moment of peace.
She lifted one bare shoulder, the move drawing my eyes to her silky, tanned skin. Making me wonder, not for the first time, exactly how it’d feel under my lips. “I’m just not used to bein’ on this side of things, you know?”
“Yeah, I do. But it’s more than that, isn’t it?”
She huffed out a breath and rested her head back on my chest, curling her fingers over my forearms still wrapped around her. “I honestly haven’t had time to think about it much since I’ve been here. But…I miss it. I’ve snapped a couple pictures of you or the kids, but that’s been days ago. This is the longest I’ve gone without taking a picture. And now…all these people around. My family… Even if this marriage isn’t real, the emotions are. I’m just bummed about it.” Her eye roll could be heard for miles when she continued, “And I know Misty will capture them or whatever, but she won’t capture what I saw, you know?”
I hummed and tightened my arms around her, pressing a kiss to her temple before lowering my lips to her ear. “It’s a good thing I grabbed your camera bag before we left, then, isn’t it?”
She spun around, her eyes wide, as she shoved me hard in the stomach. “Shut up. Are you serious?”
I grabbed her hands to stop her from attacking me again and chuckled under my breath. “Diaper bag and your camera—that should score me some points, huh?”
“You are the actual best,” she said before reaching up, hooking her hand around my neck, and tugging me down to her level. She pressed her lips to mine, and though it certainly hadn’t been the only kiss we’d shared today—far from it, thanks to this reception—it had been the only one that had been spontaneous.
I could tell by the way she stepped back, her eyes a little wider than usual, that she’d done it without thought. Which was great for all the prying eyes of Havenbrook to see—Judge Seville included—but not so great when I was trying to maintain boundaries.
She hooked a thumb over her shoulder. “I’m gonna go grab it from the car.”
I nodded, watching her walk away, doing everything in her power to avoid partygoers as she went.
Nash stepped up next to me, clapping a hand on my shoulder. “Looks like you two crazy kids are slidin’ right into marital bliss.”
I huffed out a laugh and shook my head, glancing down at the ground. “Not quite.”
“I don’t know about that. Those kisses y’all’ve shared looked pretty blissful.”
“You don’t know the half of it,” I said under my breath.
Nash’s brows flew up. “That so?”
“Nothing’s happened. Not really.”
“Well, something has, otherwise you wouldn’t have said a thing.”
I pressed my lips together, intent on keeping my mouth shut. But he just met my gaze head on, half smirk on his smug face and brow raised as if to say, Hurry up already . I’ve got shit to do .
I exhaled a deep sigh. “Fine. This mornin’, we decided to kiss—you know, a trial run so our first wouldn’t be in front of God and everybody else when we were supposed to be madly in love.”
He nodded. “Seems logical.”
“Yeah, well, as soon as we got our lips on each other, logic left the building. And if June hadn’t walked in, I don’t know where we would’ve ended up.”
He whistled low under his breath, tucking his hands into his pants pockets and rocking back on his heels. “Well, that’s not too bad.”
“I’m not done.”
“Oh…shit.”
“She left to take care of the kids, and I took care of…well, you know.”
Nash chuckled and nodded. “Been there a time or two.”
“Except that as I—” I raised my eyes, glancing around at everyone milling far too close for me to feel comfortable having this talk candidly. I cleared my throat. “—was nearly there, she opened the door just in time to witness me cross the finish line.”
Instead of reassuring me like I’d hoped he would, Nash guffawed loud and long, propping his arm on my shoulder just to hold himself up.
“Thanks, man. Appreciate the support,” I said, trying to shove him off me.
He recovered with barely a stumble, still trying to get his laughter under control. “Sorry, sorry. How much did Nat tease you about your, uh, little man?”
“She didn’t.”
“She… didn’t ?”
“Nope. And if I’ve been readin’ her right, she was just as affected by not only the kiss but also the show as I was.”
Nash hummed as he crossed his arms, bracing his legs shoulder-width apart. “So, what’re you gonna do about it? Technically, you are a married couple, and married couples enjoy those sorts of activities. Or so I’ve been told.”
I chuckled under my breath and scanned the crowd until my eyes locked on Nat. Camera in hand, she moved throughout the space, her grace and confidence something I was so used to when it came to her. But one thing I wasn’t used to where she was concerned was this sense of possessiveness, knowing she wore my ring. She’d be in my bed tonight and every night for the foreseeable future. And no matter how fake this marriage was, my feelings for her certainly felt real.
“I have no fucking idea what I’m gonna do about any of it.”
Just then, Nat lifted her gaze and connected it with mine, and even through the distance between us, that stare shot straight to my cock.
Nash whistled low under his breath, obviously seeing the interaction. “Shit, man. All I know is, if Rory looked at me like that, we’d already be on our way home.”
The only problem was, home held more questions than answers, and now those questions were topped with a heaping desire to rip each other’s clothes off.