Chapter 29
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Delilah
A s expected, it's absolute chaos in downtown Sugarland Creek. Everyone's getting last minute gifts or enjoying the festivities. There's a Santa display for kids to get their pictures taken, a hot cocoa station next to it with a massive Christmas tree, and carollers walking around.
But I haven't felt this kind of joy since before my dad died, so I'm doing my best to take it all in.
"Do you think he'd like this remote control car?" Wilder's eyes light up like he's a ten-year-boy again.
"Baby, you already got him so much. I'm not sure his mom will know where to even put everythin'."
We've had to bring bags of presents back to his truck three times already. He picked out the toys and I picked out more reasonable items such as clothes, shoes, socks. Then I went on a baby clothes binge for Lily. Since Wilder wasn't sure exactly how old she was, I grabbed a variety of sizes to hopefully last her longer. Then I grabbed boxes of diapers and wipes.
"Okay, last one. I promise!" He grabs it before I can stop him.
"Is this how you're gonna be when we have kids?" I halfway tease because I already know the answer to that.
"Oh darlin', this is tame compared to what I'll do when we have babies. If I didn't already feel like I was overstepping Sam's mom, I'd be findin' her a new apartment with two or three bedrooms. But I don't wanna overwhelm her since she doesn't know me that well, so for now, I'll make sure Sam and Lily wake up to presents under their trees."
I look at my husband in awe as he continues looking through the toy aisle. "You're really quite sweet, you know that?"
"You're just now figurin' that out?" He looks over at me and winks. "Maybe when she's more comfortable with me I can offer to help her find a better place."
"Isn't one of the ranch hand duplexes available? If she's gonna work at the retreat anyway?—"
"Yes!" He rushes over and cups my face, crashing his mouth to mine. "You're brilliant. That'd be perfect. She wouldn't have to travel for work, and I could hang out with Sam in between work. Plus, he'd have the other kids to play with, too. And you know how much Gramma Grace loves babies? She'd probably steal Lily."
I smile and laugh at how excited he is.
"Maybe let me talk to her so you don't scare her away."
"What's that mean?"
I lift a shoulder. "You're a big scary man to some people."
After we checkout, we bring the rest of the bags back to his truck one final time. "Do you wanna swing by The Grindhouse? We can grab some wrappin' paper on the way there."
"Sure. I already told Mom and Mallory they were on wrappin' duty as soon as we got back."
"Your family is very nice to help on short notice." I beam. They have their own famiy traditions but are willing to put some time aside to wrap gifts for another family.
Tomorrow's the big day at The Lodge, where my mom will come, and the rest of the Hollis siblings. I'm looking forward to it since it's the first Christmas since Dad died because I'm hoping it helps distract me enough so I don't cry the whole day.
"As are you." He tips up my chin. "Give yourself some credit."
I smile when he leans in and kisses me.
When we walk to the café, the line is nearly out the door. "I'll grab the wrappin' paper next door if you wanna wait in here?" I offer.
"Sure, you want your usual?"
"You know my usual?"
"Iced half-caf vanilla coffee with two creams and one sugar."
"I am so turned on right now..."
The blush that covers his face has me cackling. "I think that woman in front of us just heard you."
I shrug, then pull him in for a kiss. "Be right back."
Once I weave through the crowd on the sidewalk and make my way to the store next door, I'm relieved to see it's not as busy as the others.
There's a large variety for kids, so I kneel down and start browsing for ones I think Sam will like and ones for Lily. Then I find something more elegant for Sam's mom's gifts.
"Oh my God, did y'all see Wilder and his new wife ?" A woman's grating voice grabs my attention from the next aisle. It's a voice I've heard before, but I can't quite place it.
I tilt my head and lean in closer to listen.
"Ya know she only married him for his money," another woman's voice adds.
"That or he knocked her up, so they had to have a shotgun weddin' before his Mama found out."
A couple of them laugh before a third woman speaks up. "I doubt he'd marry someone just because she was pregnant. Knowin' Wilder, he woulda ran in the other direction at the first glance of a positive pregnancy test."
They laugh again.
My hands tighten around the wrapping paper and my jaw tenses at how they're speaking about him. As if they know him, the real him—the only version I've known for nine years.
I want to speak up and bite their heads off for makin' half-ass assumptions, but what would I say? Actually no, we were drunk and got hitched in Vegas. It's no better than what they're saying.
"It's weird though, out of all the women in this town, he marries her ."
"Maybe it's fake. Like she had a life-savin' surgery and needed his health insurance. Or a Visa to stay in the country."
"She was born here, you idiot."
"Well whatever..." She scoffs. "Delilah doesn't seem like his type, at all."
What the fuck does that mean?
There were people staring at us in the other stores, but I thought it was because of the article that Molly wrote about Wilder. This is the first time he's been out in public and everyone had their opinions about him and Wesley. It didn't help when the next article dropped about me bailing out a drug dealer.
I didn't realize they were staring at us because we got married.
Or rather, judging .
"Actually, she's very much my type." Wilder's booming voice in their aisle makes me jump. "And not that it's any of your business—especially not yours , Jen—but Delilah's ten times the woman you wish you could be. Keep my wife's name outta your mouth or I'll let her get in one good punch on you before I hold her back."
My eyes widen at his harshness, but I'd be lying if I said his words didn't do something to me.
Jen's his ex fling or whatever he called her. They stopped hooking up last year, and apparently, she didn't take it well.
"Ready to check out?" Wilder appears in my aisle with two coffees in his hands. Looking unfazed at what just happened, he smiles and winks at me.
"Yeah..." I echo loudly. "As long as you're payin' because I only married you for your money."
"I thought you married me for my big co—" I quickly cover his mouth with my palm.
"Jesus, Wilder," I whisper-hiss. "There are old ladies in here."
"What's that? The baby's cravin' ice cream?" he says purposely loud.
I glare at him, shaking my head. "Popcorn and M&Ms, actually."
"Perfect, anythin' for my girls."
This time I do laugh because he's too good at playing the part.
After we checkout, I carry the bags and stand taller as we walk past the women who were talking shit about me.
"Have the day you deserve, ladies." Wilder tips his hat to them, and I bite my lip to hold back laughter.
When he opens the door for me, I look at him with amusement. "Glad to see those anger management classes are payin' off."
We spend a couple hours at Wilder's parents' house and everyone chips in to wrap the gifts, well besides the ones we got for them, which we'll have to do later.
Christmas music echoes throughout the house, Gramma Grace bakes several dozen cookies, and Mallory makes a show of her beautiful wrapping and bow-making skills. She invited her boyfriend, Antonio, and it was cute watching them together.
He held the ribbon in place while she tied it.
After she'd finished wrapping a gift, he'd set it aside next to the others and hand her the next one.
Then, when a fresh batch of cookies were done, he fed her one straight out of the oven and she nearly burned the top of her mouth. Which she laughed about and then he kissed the top of her nose.
At only seventeen, you can tell they really love each other.
Mr. Hollis helped Wilder load up his truck and then I accidentally caught a moment between them that had me in tears.
"I'm proud of you, son. You saw someone in need and didn't even hesitate to change your plans and help them. You've surprised me a lot this year, one being that you went and got married, but I've never seen you happier."
I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but a gift got left behind, and I was coming out to give it to them.
"Thanks, Dad. That means a lot to me."
"You've come a long way. I admit, I've spent countless nights worryin' about you, but here you are being the prime example of a good man and husband."
"It's been eye-openin' how much life can change when you finally decide to make a change. It helps that you believed in me, too."
"Of course. I always knew you could. But as a parent, it's always bittersweet to see your kid on the right path and makin' smart choices."
"So...you’re not mad I got hitched in Vegas?" Wilder prompts.
Mr. Hollis smirks. "Probably your smartest choice yet."
I nearly melt and then book it back into the house before they catch me.
Before we leave, Wilder texts Sam's mom to let her know we're on the way, and so we can sneak up there without Sam catching us. She informs us he fell asleep in her bed, so the coast is clear.
"You did a really good thing by helpin' this family," I tell him, squeezing his hand as he drives us out of town. "She's gonna be so grateful for your kindness."
He lifts our hands to his mouth and kisses my knuckles. "I was inspired by someone who helped me when I needed it."
When we arrive at their apartment, Sam's mom is waiting for us outside.
"Hi, I'm Delilah. It's so nice meetin' you."
"Amelia, and you too."
"We might've gone overboard..." Wilder rounds the truck, then opens the back.
Amelia stands frozen with watery eyes. "He's gonna be so surprised in the mornin'. I can't thank y'all enough."
"We're happy to do it," I tell her.
Wilder and I carry the gifts up to her apartment, as quietly as we can, and stack the gifts around the small tree. Her apartment is nice, but since it's only a one-bedroom, there's not a lot of extra room for toys.
"I hope this doesn't cross the line, but if you're okay with it, I'd like to move you guys to a duplex on the ranch. They have two-bedrooms and a lot of open space. You'll be close to The Lodge then, too," Wilder says when we're done. "And the rent is cheap."
"I-I don't think I can accept that. You've already done enough with the gifts and the job..."
"It's just standin' there empty," I tell her. "And we'll come help you move so you don't have to do it alone."
"Why're you doin' this? I'm very grateful, but I don't feel worthy of it."
The sadness in her eyes breaks my heart.
"I know somethin' about feelin' that way, but I promise that you are. You're a good mom doin' the best she can for her kids and with what's been thrown at her. There's no shame in needin' help especially when raising a family takes a village."
I beam at Wilder's response, knowing he meant it wholeheartedly.
"This is my first Christmas without my dad and if there's one thing I learned, it's how important community is. I know it's hard to accept help, whether it's from grief or pride, but my neighbors and friends really showed up after I lost him. And being able to give back to someone else the same way makes him being gone a little less sad."
Wilder's gaze meets mine and they're filled with tenderness and sorrow.
"Think about it, okay? You don't have to agree to anythin' you're not comfortable with, but it's yours if you want it," Wilder reassures her.
"Thank you, I will." She smiles, and this time, it reaches her eyes.
"Merry Christmas, Amelia. I hope you have the best day with your kids." I wrap an arm around her cautiously, not sure if she's a hugger, but then she fully embraces me.
"Thank you. So, so much."
After we quietly exit and we walk back to the truck, Wilder pushes me up against the passenger door and cages me in with a devious look on his face.
"What're you doin'?" I step up on the curb so we're more eye-level.
"Can I give you an early Christmas gift?"
"I thought we weren't doin' that?"
We agreed not to exchange since we just had our honeymoon and neither of us needed anything.
"Well...there's one thing money can't buy."
I furrow my brows, confused. He tilts my chin and presses a soft kiss to my lips.
"My therapist says I shouldn't keep things in or they'll eat at me."
"Right. Okay?"
"And I don't think I can wait another day to say this before it eats at me."
"What is it?" My heart races with the possibilities.
"That I'm madly in love with you. I have been for a long fuckin' time and planned to wait until we made it to the thirty day mark so I didn't freak you out by movin' too quickly. But I needed to tell you now because each day I get to wake up with you next to me is another day wasted not tellin' you."
My chest squeezes with joy, and I wrap my arms around him, crashing our mouths together.
"It's about goddamn time." I laugh against his lips. "I'm in love with you, too."
Smiling, he kisses me again. "Good, then I can give you this."
When he pulls something out of his pocket, I scowl at him buying me something anyway.
"You liar?—"
He reveals a bright blue box I've only seen in movies.
"What's that?"
"Open it." He hands it to me, but I'm weary.
When I do, I gasp at the biggest ring I've ever seen. A princess cut with a diamond band. It's stunning .
"What's this for?"
"A weddin' ring you deserve and one I wanted you to have."
"What about the one we got in Vegas?"
"The one we were too drunk to even remember buyin'? That's fine when you're gonna get it annulled in a few weeks, but not somethin' you keep on your finger forever." He plucks the ring out and grabs my left hand, then slides it on my finger. "This is one you put on your wife that you're in love with."
I can't seem to lift my jaw off the ground. "I-I don't even know how you did this so fast. Isn't this company like... really expensive ?" I whisper as if anyone's going to overhear when we're completely alone. But I'm too shocked to think straight.
He shrugs carelessly. "Only the best for my money-hungry, pregnant wife."
"Wilder!" I playfully shove him, but then pull him back and kiss him hard on the mouth.
"When did you do this?" I ask.
I only told him I knew I didn't need thirty days or an annulment last week.
"When we got back from Vegas."
"We were still under the month-long trial."
"I was...hopeful."
Rolling my eyes at his overconfidence, I hold up my hand, but still can't believe it. "It's beyond beautiful. Thank you, I love it."
"Oh and there's one more thing..."
I pinch my brows together when he gets down on one knee. "Will you marry me again?"
"Wait, whaddya mean?"
"Plan a ceremony. Dance at our reception. Get a weddin' dress. Say vows. The whole shebang."
"You really want all that?"
Wilder doesn't strike me as the type who'd want to fuss over wedding planning, but then again, I've been proven wrong before.
"I want that with you ."
Just when I thought I was strong enough to hold back tears, they fall down my cheeks.
"Yes..." I nod profusely. "Yes, I'll marry you again!"
He swoops me up in his arms and then cups my face to kiss me.
"I can't wait to see you walkin' down the aisle to me. And then rippin' off that dress once we're alone." He winks, smirking like he's proud of himself.
"And there it is." I laugh, but then wrap my arms around him. "Thank you for lovin' me durin' the hardest year of my life. This has already been the best Christmas when I'd been preparin' for it to be my worst."
He tilts my chin, gripping it tenderly. "I will love you through every storm—the same way you've done for me."