“I am just not used to all this yet. It is going to take me some time.”
Alex nodded, contemplating my words but saying nothing more. The silence was not as comfortable as before this marriage business. I was suddenly longing for my easygoing friendship with him yesterday morning. He seemed to have the same idea as he started a conversation with a partially forced air of casualty.
“My family is going to lose their minds over this sudden marriage. I’m dreading all the phone calls I’m sure will soon start coming.”
“Do you think they’ll like me?” I asked, insecurity welling at the thought of meeting his family. If they looked anything like him, I was sure to pale in comparison.
"What's not to like?" he responded, eyeing me with sidelong glances. "Besides, they are not all that intimidating. They are kinder than one might think. I would bet they will be more caught off guard by the impulsiveness of it rather than the fact that I got married. Just be yourself, and I'm sure they'll love you."
Before I had the chance to respond, we pulled into the main street of the neighboring town, a much bigger town that boasted of shops and more than one restaurant. And it was not as neatly tucked away in the mountains as Voss was.
"I called ahead and ordered a dress for you, a pair of shoes, and anything else you might need. This should be a quick stop. You can change in their dressing rooms."
"How did you get my sizes?" I asked incredulously. "And when did you have time to plan all this? First, the bills, and now you're ordering me clothes?"
"Darling," the nickname took me aback, but he seemed to pay no heed, "I was in your room alone for three hours this morning. Don't think I didn't notice that you got up before dawn. It's not hard to find sizes when your closet is within arm's reach. The rest of it was done on my phone. Now, are you done arguing with me? Can we please go inside?"
I cringed as I realized that this scene in the car was exactly like that of a married couple. He walked around to my side of the car and opened the door.
"It's all been so quick, and I'm still trying to wrap my mind around it all."
He nodded his acceptance as he stretched out a hand to help me out of the low-sitting car.
"I know this is not easy for you. It isn't for me, either. I am trying to make the best of it, okay? Now, remember, you are madly in love with me."
If his brilliant smile had not knocked the wind out of me, the wink he sent me certainly had. I squared my shoulders as he tucked my hand into the crook of his arm, trying to look the part of a blushing bride.
Chapter fifteen
Alexander
“Inowpronounceyouhusband and wife. You may kiss your bride.”
The judge's words echoed throughout the cavernous room, and Agotia’s eyes widened. The day had been a whirlwind. From the second we walked into the shop, we were surrounded by people, which meant fake flirting, constant little touches, and ridiculous pet names passed between Agotia and me.
At one point, it had started to feel like it was the most natural thing in the world to hold her small hand in mine. It had started to feel real.
“You are stunning.”
My compliment to her this morning after she walked out of the dressing room in her simple white dress had been genuine. It wrapped around her curves perfectly, showcasing her flawless figure, and I had stood there, suddenly jealous of the fabric. Her alabaster cheeks had flushed with a pretty pink at my words, and I had savored every second of it.
“I can’t get the zip,” she had explained, giving me her back.
I had been motionless at the little sliver of skin peeking out from behind the dress. I had seen more of her neck in the tee shirts she wore around the farm, but this was different. It had been a moment that suddenly felt too intimate, too personal. But the thought of someone else touching her, even one of the attendants, had me moving towards her until less than a foot separated us.
She wrapped her blond curls up off her neck and then froze. With one hand on the small of her back, I used the other to tug the zipper closed, and without thinking, I pressed a kiss to the back of her neck. Surprised by my actions, I stepped back again, not yet removing my hand from her back. She dropped her hair, and the cascade of curls sent the smell of lemons and the freshness of Norway through me. It was an addicting scent.
“Thank you,” she had whispered, spinning back to face me, shyness in her eyes.
It was the same shyness I saw now as I stared at her with an authentic smile. We had not discussed this moment after her last night's confessions. I could feel her nervous energy bouncing off her as I leaned closer. I squeezed her hand, which the judge had already placed in mine, letting her know everything would be okay. Then I wrapped my arms around her, one across her shoulders and the other supporting her waist as I twisted her into a low dip, blocking our faces from the photographer's view, and pressed a chaste kiss to the corner of her mouth. It was close enough to look like a real kiss, especially with how her arms had instinctively wound around my neck; this was one thing I would not take from her.
Spinning her back to an upright position, the judge announced us as Mister and Missus Alexander Fredericksons, then slid a form across his desk for us to sign. Ten minutes later and a handful of formalities later, we were on the courthouse steps, posing for the official wedding photos that would be sent out to the media and my family.
“You didn’t have to do that,” she told me as the photographer moved us around to stand in another position.
"I want your first real kiss to be with someone you care about. I want you to want to kiss him, not feel backed into a corner about it."
"I think we have got it. That last shot was perfect," the photographer called. "Gosh, how you two look at each other is charming and fairy-tale-like. I hope it translates onto the film."
