Chapter Ten #4
Josh had called in the favors, and he’d gotten a judge to show up at the courthouse to help a guy out.
Today, he and Genesis were tying the knot and making it official. Wherever this was going to take them, he would be doing it at her side.
As her husband.
This was, honestly, for the best, and he knew it.
Why?
Because it felt like something he ABSOLUTELY had to do. The whole night, there was an urgency, as his gut warned him that they needed to be man and wife.
And he always listened to his gut.
This runaway train was going to go out of control at some point, and they would NOT be victims of it.
Trust and believe.
Josh was a big believer in getting ahead of problems, and now, that was where they were going to be. Once they said, ‘I do’, nothing in the universe, including this darkness, was breaking them apart.
PERIOD.
He wasn’t a believer in getting a divorce without a damn good reason.
Like infidelity.
Like abuse.
But not this darkness.
Yeah, they would fight until the end.
So now, as they stood outside the courthouse, he had to make an honest lady of Genesis, so that he could lock down the best thing that ever happened to him.
HER.
Beneath that joy, there was fear.
Something was coming, and there was no way he would let it take Gennie from him.
Oh.
Hell.
No.
Genesis was his, and he was definitely stopping this menace from touching the woman he loved.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” she asked him. Josh had been silent the whole ride here, and it was making her nervous.
The look on his face confused her.
It was determination.
At her question, he laughed.
“I’m the same level of sure from when you asked me before leaving the apartment.
Absolutely. We are getting married. Like I said, you can keep it a secret, or you can tell the world.
All I know is I love you, and I want to be your husband.
We’re going to face this head-on and make a stand together. I’m going to be your husband.”
And protector.
When he saw how Nate doted on Avalon, and how close they were, he wanted to be part of that. He wanted to make sure the woman he loved was safe.
Until death did they part.
At his words, she kissed him.
“I love you too. I want to be your wife more than anything in the world. Everything feels chaotic, but this.”
Good.
Then, they were all on the same page.
Despite what was going on in Salem, Josh knew that he’d wanted to marry this woman on their first date.
There was no doubt that she was meant to be his. Fate had put them together, and he was going to make sure they stayed that way.
If it was the last thing he ever did.
“May I suggest that you and our son, Bear, head in and we get this marriage made official?” he asked. “We do have to get to work, but later, I’ll kick off the honeymoon,” he said, wiggling his eyebrows lecherously.
She snorted.
“That you want Bear makes me think you’re insane, and it also makes me love you. He’s the problem child. As for the honeymoon…I’ll be ready for you, Joshua. Don’t worry about that,” she said.
He winked at her.
“I like a challenge, and the way that sounds. Bring it on, Mrs. Coffee.”
She stared at him.
“Why do I think that the challenge part was directed at me?” she asked.
He shrugged.
“How you interpret it is not my business. I said what I said, Gennie. All I know is I want a life with you, and I don’t care what it costs to get it. You’re going to be the mother of my kids and the woman I get old with. Whatever adventure is waiting for us, we’ll take it together.”
That made her heart skip.
Now, she was curious.
“How many kids are we talking?” she asked.
He snorted.
“Six. Seven. Maybe ten.”
She stared at him.
Oh, and he saw it.
There was that flash of fear, and he knew it was because her parents had abandoned her.
Well, he’d regroup, so she didn’t get scared. They’d work their way to babies one day. They were both young, so they had time.
“Oh, you meant human ones? I thought we were talking about little bears. I like a litter of puppies. All that puppy breath and cuddles…”
She laughed.
“Don’t scare a girl like that. I could do ten dogs. I’m a big dog lover. I don’t think I can do ten kids.”
Oh, he was aware.
As for kid kids…
“Maybe one or two. I don’t know if I’ll like parenthood. I like other people’s kids, so we’ll have to go from there,” he admitted. “We’ll figure that out together. You have to birth them, so ultimately, you have the final say.”
Yeah, that was the perfect answer.
Because that was how she felt, too.
“Deal.”
He kissed their joined knuckles and then led her and Bear up the steps.
At the door, he paused.
“Ready?” he asked. “This is your last chance out,” he admitted. “If we do this, we stay together, and we fight it out—good, bad, or the ugly. I’m not a quitter, Gennie…and I need you to be a fighter for me.”
Because he felt the storm coming.
With love, she stared into his eyes.
“Let’s do this, Mr. Coffee.”
Yeah, she was more than ready.
Bring.
It.
On.
This was going to be a new adventure for both of them, and honestly, she couldn’t wait.
What could possibly go wrong?