27. Joker
We have made it to our small getaway house. It’s nothing you would see on HDTV or anything like that, but it has a beachside cottage feel. The place has light blue siding with three bedrooms and two bathrooms, but the best part is the porch and backyard space—an oversized patio with fairy lights to light the way, palm trees, and beach grasses. You can hear the waves crash. We have been here for two days and wouldn’t change going to sleep with open windows. Queen curled up next to me is also a big bonus.
I glare down at Norm, who was supposed to sleep in a kennel but has been sleeping at the foot of our bed. He will be too big for that, so I have ordered a dog bed and hope to talk him into it. The dog is spoiled. He has a radius collar that keeps him in the area with freedom. I pull some basketball shorts on before I wrap a sleepy Queen up in a light gray sheet. She snuggles into my chest and mumbles, “Where are you taking me?”
“Do you care?” I look down at her, and she doesn’t even open her eyes to utter a reply but gives a sleepy smile and is content to let me take her outside. Between two palms, we have a hammock set up, and I want to watch the sunrise in an hour or so with her in my arms. I set us both down as gracefully as possible while getting into a hammock; thankfully, I didn’t screw up step one. We are now swinging slowly in the breeze, still holding my girl. “Queen? Can I ask you something?”
“You have never waited to ask something. Why start now?” She twists a little and lies on my chest, which makes me feel amazing.
“Remember when I officiated at Tess and Ace’s wedding?” She nods against my chest. “Do you want that whole thing? Would it make you happy, or are you okay with how we are? I want to make sure we are always on the same page.” I am slightly nervous about her answer, not because I am afraid of marrying her. It is mainly because I don’t have a birth certificate or at least none that I can find.
“We are basically married in my book. I don’t need anything flashy, and I don’t need someone giving me away. Nor do I want you to ask my brother’s permission because I am a person, not a possession. You’re mine, and I’m yours. Unless you want something, then we can just justice of the peace courthouse style.” She looks up at me; the sky is lightening up, and her beautiful blue eyes are still lined with sleep.
“I don’t have a birth certificate, so I don’t think we can even do the justice of the peace thing. I don’t want to disappoint you. Hell, I don’t even know what my last name was. I only know they called me Kolby.” Not sure why I am telling her this. This was something that I buried and didn’t think would come up anytime soon.
Queen sits up, straddles my hips, and looks down at me. “You’re my J or Joker. I don’t need anyone else, just you. So, with that being said, J, do you promise to love me and show me you love me every day?”
“Of course, I promise and will always be true to you. I will be on your side even if you are wrong. Where you go, I go.” I lean slowly, wrap my arms around her waist, and the sheet bunches between us.
“I’m never wrong.” Her lip twitches with a smile, and her eyes are bright and full of mischievous deeds. I love it when they light up and slightly crinkle from laugh lines—those lines I want to increase. “I promise that as well. So, by the power invested in me, with Norm as our witness, you, Joker, are married to me in spirit. I’ve never been a fan of stuff on paper, anyway.”
“I like the sound of that. Now let me kiss my beautiful bride.” I don’t wait for an answer as I pull her to my lips and kiss her with all the passion I am feeling. Never did I think I would get the girl. But here I am.
I try to reach the drawstrings of my pants, where I have a surprise. “J, I don’t think we should attempt hammock sex. I am all for trying things, but I assure you, we will fall out of this hammock, and I don’t want to break your dick. Big fan of your dick not being broke.”
I roll my eyes at her. “Holy hell, woman, I am trying to be romantic. Don’t ruin this.” She quirks up her left eyebrow in question. I tied a ring to my drawstrings, so I didn’t lose it and spent the remaining of our vacation on my hands and knees looking for the damn thing in the sand. “We might not want the whole wedding thing, but I wanted you to have the symbol, at least.” I slip the black diamond ring with white diamonds on the band onto her finger. “I have the wedding band part, too, but I thought I would see how you felt about this part first.”
“It’s beautiful! You know if I wear this, you will also have to get something.” She kisses me. The sun rises behind her, and she looks like heaven with the colors changing behind her.
I nip at her ear. “You’re missing the sunrise.” She lays back down, and we lay in perfect silence, watching the waves hit the beach as the colors change overhead. “Norm!” I yell, “Don’t you dare chase that pelican! I don’t want to save your furry ass when he attacks!”