Chapter 22
This was all going so fast. It had only taken five minutes to drive to the courthouse. Another twenty to fill out the marriage application. Ten for them to process it.
And now here she was, walking into a sparsely appointed courtroom next to Benjamin, who was carrying Max.
Summer had spent hours—sometimes entire days—as a child dreaming about her future wedding. She had imagined herself in a dress fit for a princess, her hair swept off her neck, a gorgeous bouquet of flowers in her hands—and her very own Prince Charming beaming at her from the end of the aisle.
Instead, she was standing here in cutoff shorts, sweat matting her hair to her neck, her fingers clutching the paperwork they’d been given. Sure, the face of her imaginary Prince Charming had been awfully similar to Benjamin’s face. But in all of her dreams, he had married her because he wanted her. Because he loved her. Not out of necessity.
But it didn’t matter. They weren’t doing this for love. They were doing it for Max. He was the only thing that mattered.
“Benjamin Calvano and Summer Ellis?” a judge with silver hair and glasses called from his bench at the front of the room, and Summer nearly turned and bolted.
But Benjamin grabbed her hand and called, “That’s us.”
They reached the bench, and the judge looked from one to the other of them, then to Max.
“And is this young fella your best man?” he asked Benjamin.
“Absolutely.” Benjamin grinned at the judge as if getting married was something he did every day.
“All right. I see that you don’t have rings?”
“Not yet,” Benjamin said before Summer could answer.
“And have you written your own vows?”
“Uh no.” This time Benjamin seemed a little uncertain. “Coming here today was kind of a spur of the moment thing.”
The judge looked at both of them over the top of his glasses, and Benjamin pulled Summer closer, as if trying to convince him that they were really in love.
“I see. Well, then—” The judge took off his glasses. “This should be quick and easy.”
Summer let out a shaky breath.
“It’s nothing to be nervous about,” the judge reassured her. “Are you ready to begin?”
“Let’s do this,” Benjamin said cheerfully, and Summer managed a mute nod.
The judge picked up a piece of paper and read, “Marriage is a legally binding contract that must be entered with mutual consent.” He lifted his head and turned to Benjamin. “Do you, Benjamin Calvano, take Summer Ellis to be your lawfully wedded wife?”
“I do.” Benjamin’s voice was strong and sure, and it flipped Summer’s heart upside down, even though she knew it wasn’t real.
“And do you, Summer Ellis, take Benjamin Calvano to be your lawfully wedded husband?”
“I do.” The words came out as the faintest whisper, but apparently that was good enough for the judge.
“Please repeat after me.” He was facing Benjamin again. “I, Benjamin Calvano, take you Summer Ellis to be my wife.”
“I, Benjamin Calvano, take you Summer Ellis—” Benjamin turned toward her, and Summer caught her breath as his eyes met hers. “Take you Summer Ellis to be my wife.”
Oh, she wanted this to be real more than she’d wanted nearly anything in her life.
“To have and to hold from this day forward,” the judge continued, and Benjamin repeated it.
“For better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, for as long as we both shall live.” Benjamin repeated the rest of the vow, his gaze so serious and unwavering that Summer had to look down.
“Repeat after me, please, Summer.” The judge said the first line, but Summer couldn’t make her lips move. She couldn’t do this to Benjamin. She knew he was willing to do anything for Max. But what would it mean for his life?
Benjamin squeezed her hand and offered her a reassuring smile.
The judge repeated the words, and Max squirmed to get down from Benjamin’s arm, where he’d been waiting so patiently, and suddenly Summer knew what she had to do.
For Max.
“I, Summer Ellis,” she repeated the judge’s words, her voice only shaking a little. “Take you Benjamin Calvano, to be my husband.”
She recited the rest of the vows without stumbling, until she got to the final words. She hesitated, then said, “for as long as we both shall live.”
She swallowed roughly as the judge said, “Please join hands. Ah, you already did.” He smiled indulgently, as if they really were newlyweds. “By virtue of the authority vested in me and in accordance with the laws of the state of Tennessee, I pronounce you husband and wife. Congratulations.”
Summer blinked from the judge to Benjamin. “That’s it?”
“You can kiss if you want,” the judge said with a chuckle.
“Oh.” Summer felt all of the blood in her body rush to her face. That wasn’t what she’d meant. She’d only meant to ask if their wedding was really done—if they were really married—after less than five minutes.
But Benjamin waggled his eyebrows at her and stepped closer.
She had time only for a nervous, breathless laugh before his arms curved around her waist and his lips brushed against hers, light and gentle and so . . . perfect.
It was over almost before it had begun, and Summer accidentally sighed as he pulled away.
“My turn!” Max cried, and Summer bent over to let her nephew give her a sloppy kiss that entirely erased the feel of Benjamin’s lips from hers.
Which was probably for the best.
“All right, I just need your signatures on the marriage license, and you’ll be all set.” He handed Benjamin a pen, and he signed it with a flourish, then passed it to Summer.
She quickly scratched her name onto the license, then dropped the pen as if it were on fire. The full weight of what she had just done crashed over her.
The judge signed his name to the certificate as well. “And it’s official. You are free to go.”
“Thank you.” Benjamin scooped Max into one arm, then crooked the other, as if waiting for her to take hold of it.
She rolled her eyes. It wasn’t like this was a church, or even a real wedding—but she took his arm anyway. And they exited the courtroom as husband and wife.