Chapter Ten
Jared looked nervously at Sky as they drove into town.
She hadn’t had much to say. Instead, she relaxed and chose to enjoy watching the countryside.
He pulled the truck over on the side of the road before they made it to town, reached across the console, and picked up her hand.
“Baby, we need to talk.” He instantly regretted saying it that way when fear shot through her expression.
“What, Jared? Are you changing your mind? Because I’d understand.” She turned toward him in her seat. “You’ve said it yourself. I wasn’t what you were expecting. But if you let me stay, I wouldn’t cause any trouble. I swear it,” she said hurriedly.
“Shut up a second.” He almost laughed at the look of shock on her face. “I haven’t changed my mind at all. I have pulled some strings so we can get married today instead of waiting.”
She tried to pull her hand from his. A frown puckered her brow.
“Wait ... what?” she asked, confused.
“We’re getting married today.”
“Why? I’m not even dressed right, and I haven’t put on any makeup or have flowers.”
Jared squeezed her hand when her words started tripping over each other. “Calm down and listen. I know this probably isn’t how you saw yourself getting married, and we will discuss that later, I promise. But right now, my goal is to make you Mrs. Jared Rafferty.”
“Why so fast?”
“I want to protect you from anything your father can do.”
Sky drew in a sharp breath. “I should have realized.”
“Do you understand now?” Jared asked.
Sky bit her lip and nodded.
“Good. The last thing I want is to upset you, but it’s more important to keep you safe right now. You made a choice to stay with me, and I’m not going to lose you.”
He watched as different emotions crossed her face as she processed the turn of events. He turned his attention to the road as he started moving the truck again.
“Unless you’ve changed your mind?” He started to feel sweat coat his body when she didn’t answer right away. “Have you?”
Sky gripped his hand with both of hers. “No, I haven’t.”
“So, you are going to marry me today?”
“Yes.”
“Before this happens, I have to warn you that once you’re mine, there is no way I’m ever letting you go.”
He watched an array of emotions cross her face before she relaxed.
“I understand.”
He pulled up to the courthouse and parked before turning toward her. He let the fingers of one hand slide across her cheek. “I will take such good care of you.”
Sky’s eyes closed as she rubbed her face against the palm of his hand. Jared gritted his teeth against the urge to pull her onto his lap. He knew if that happened, he would have a hard time being able to stop at just one kiss.
“Come on.” He made his way around the truck and helped her down. He gave her another hug. “Everything’s going to be just fine.”
“Okay.” She straightened her spine and took a deep breath.
He was so proud of her and the strength she was showing him. He gripped her hand and pulled her behind him into the three-story white stone courthouse. Sky gripped his hand tighter as he pulled her beside him after going through a heavy door to the right.
“I’m here to see Martin. He knows I was coming,” Jared told the secretary.
“Yes, he said he’d be right out,” the secretary said.
She jumped when the door opened, and a tall, thin man came through and then froze when he saw her.
“Good God, Jared. I didn’t even know you were dating anyone.”
“Martin, I’d like you to meet my soon-to-be wife, Sky. Sky, this guy is Judge Martin Thompson.”
Martin’s eyes softened at the small woman in front of him. “Hello, Sky, it’s nice to meet you.”
The secretary and Jared looked at him in shock. They’d never heard him talk so gently.
Sky took a small step forward and grasped his hand.
“It’s nice to meet you, too, Judge Thompson.”
“Oh, Honey, you can call me Martin.” Martin frowned at Jared when he snorted. Martin patted her hand. “You come and tell me if he gets out of hand, you hear? I’ll have him arrested, and he can spend some time in our jail, to think about the errors of his ways.”
Sky’s eyes widened. “Oh, no.” She turned her attention to Jared. “He wouldn’t really do that, would he?”
“Oh, hell, yes. He can be a bastard when he wants to be.” Jared laughed and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “Stop worrying. I’m not going to do anything he could arrest me for.”
Sky looked from one face to the other and shook her head. “Are you guys mean to each other all the time?”
Martin looked at Jared in shock. “Mean? Sweetheart, this is how we show affection for each other.”
They all turned when the door opened behind them, and Abby and Terry walked in. Abby went directly to Sky and handed her a bouquet of wildflowers before hugging her.
“I’m so glad I got to be here for this.”
Sky felt some of the tension that knotted her stomach ease. “Would you stand up with me as my maid-of-honor?”
Abby wiped a tear. “Oh, absolutely. I’d be honored.”
Sky visibly relaxed. She watched as Terry went to stand beside Jared, and Martin got his robe on.
Things went very fast. Before she gathered a complete thought, Martin was saying Jared could kiss the bride.
Sky was startled when Jared lifted her off the floor and pressed his lips to hers. Everything seemed to stop as sensations raced through her. The kiss quickly got out of control.
Martin cleared his throat, then did it again when it didn’t get through to them.
“Jared, if you don’t stop, I really might just have to put you in jail for indecent exposure.”
Jared pulled his head up. His eyes stayed on her face and watched as the stunned look seeped away from her.
“Sorry about that, Baby.”
Sky took a step back after he set her on the ground. A flush of embarrassment began to mix with the passion. She couldn’t look anyone in the eye.
Abby pulled her into her arms. “You two are going to be just fine. Just trust him, and relax and enjoy,” she whispered in Sky’s ear.
Sky nodded. “Thank you, Abby. You being here made me feel better and calmed me.”
“You’re a sweet child,” Abby said and gave her another hug.
Jared pulled Sky back against him as he talked to Martin and Terry.
“You both need to sign the certificate, Jared,” Martin said and handed Jared a pen.
Jared signed and then handed the pen to Sky. He knew they’d had the ceremony, but he wouldn’t relax until the official license was signed. His eyes flew to her when she gasped. He watched in confusion as she raised her hand out in front of her. A look of awe masked her face.
“What are you doing, Baby?”
“Where did ... how did I not feel?”
“What?” he asked in confusion.
“The ring. I don’t remember you putting it on my finger.”
Jared raised her left hand to his mouth and kissed her ring finger.
“I know it went pretty fast,” he said and grinned. “You looked pretty bewildered the whole time.”
Sky held it out in front of her. “Jared, it’s beautiful.” It was a simple white-gold band with diamonds all around it. Her gaze went to his hand and found a thick white-gold ring on his finger. “Where did you get these so quickly?”
“I bought them the last time I was in Dallas.”
Sky looked at him in amazement. “But mine fits perfectly.”
Jared kissed her on her temple. “Because we were meant to be, Baby.”
Sky turned to him and gave him the first real smile, making his heart seize.
“I’d like us to stay in town and get some shopping done.”
Sky finished signing and handed Martin the pen. “That would be fun.” She turned toward Abby. “Did you give him the list?”
Abby and Jared looked at her.
“For what, Sweetheart?” Abby asked.
“For groceries. Jared said we’re going shopping.”
Jared pulled her to his side. “It’s not that kind of shopping.”
Sky looked at him, confused. “What kind are you talking about?”
“Clothes for you.” He regretted saying it in front of everyone when she became visibly embarrassed. “And I need your help with picking out a few shirts for me.”
Sky relaxed a bit and nodded. Everyone started saying their goodbyes before walking out. They waved as Abby and Terry drove away. Sky grew increasingly uncomfortable as the seconds passed.
Jared waited for Sky to settle a bit before walking down the street, but she only seemed to get more agitated.
“Babe, let’s go down the street and look in some of the stores. I bet we can find some things you like, and we can always look online, too.”
Sky clutched his hand and concentrated on keeping pace with his much longer legs.
They went through three stores before Jared sat her down on an outside bench so he could see her face.
“What’s wrong? I know there have been some things you showed interest in. Why didn’t we get those?”
Sky clutched her hands on her lap.
“Jared, I should have told you, but I’ve never shopped before, except a few times in the grocery store with my father. I’ve lived a very secluded life. My father let me go to public school when I could, the library, and the store a few times, but most of my life was spent at home.”
“Did you ever have any friends?”
Sky twisted her wedding band around her finger.
“In my senior year in high school, I had a boyfriend. My father found out after we had been together for two months.”
“How were you able to see each other if your father was so strict?”
“The library. My father would drive me there and watch me go into the library. I waited until he was gone and slipped out the back, where Robert waited.”
“How did your father find out about your relationship?”
“He came into the library. I had left my book in his car. When he couldn’t find me, he flew off the handle. He tried to look around town for me, but we always went to the lake fifteen minutes away.”
“What did he do when he got you back?” He wanted to know but was afraid of the answer at the same time.
“He ... I was beaten that night. He’d hit me before, but never like that night. The next day, we loaded up and moved.”
Jared unclenched his jaw. God, he wanted to get his hands on that bastard.
“Did you ever get a chance to talk to Robert again?”