Page 36 of From Grumpy to Forever
It was incredibly sexy.
“I thought it would be nice to have a glass of wine with my wife.”
“Your wife?”
“You are my wife, are you not?” He looked over the rim of his glass at me.
“I am,” I said. “Unless you brought me out here to ask for a divorce.”
“A divorce?” Reid almost spilled his wine. “Why would I want that? Is everything settled with the inn already?”
Immediately, I felt stupid for jumping to conclusions. Reid wasn’t the type of man who would go back on his word. The more I got to know him, the more I could see that he was a solid guy. Dependable. And…well, good. Truly, I didn’t think he’d do anything to hurt me or go back on the deal we’d made.
“I don’t know.” I shook my head. “I think just the way you…well, right before you got here, I was thinking about my cousin and how he’s trying so hard to screw me over and…” To my horror, tears sprang to my eyes.
“Hey.” Reid set his glass of wine down, shifted closer to me on the step, and put his arm around me.
I stiffened for a moment, but his touch was so welcome, so needed, I sank into it and let myself accept the comfort.
“It’ll be okay, Avery.”
“You don’t know him.” Hell, I hardly knew my cousin anymore, if I ever really had. But what I did know of him was that he was an asshole.
“We’re married,” Reid said. “We did it in front of a judge and witnesses. No one can deny that.”
I closed my eyes and inhaled his masculine woodsy scent, letting it calm me before I sat up and took a sip of wine. “That’s true.”
“It sure is.” The corner of his mouth quirked up, just enough to make my chest tighten. He didn’t smile often, but when it did, it hit like a punch. “You’re my wife.”
“Wife?”
“You are.” He shot me a look. “That’s what being married means.”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “I know that. But you don’t usually…well, it’s just…”
“Speaking of weddings.”
“Were we?”
He lifted an eyebrow and blew out a breath. “We need to make an appearance,” he said. “An old friend is getting married. It’s going to be a pretty big deal and?—”
“You want me to go to a wedding with you?”
“Well, if you don’t, the whole town will be talking about it.”
I knew that was true. Not only had news of our nuptials spread almost before I could blink, but I couldn’t go anywhere in town without people introducing themselves and asking questions that I’m sure they thought were innocent enough. But I could see right through them for the nosiness they really were. People were curious about us. I couldn’t blame them.
“Okay,” I agreed with a nod. “When is the big day?” I lifted my glass to my lips. It was one thing to pretend to be married in the privacy of the inn, but going out in public…
“This Saturday.”
I almost spat out my wine.
“As in, two days from now?”
He nodded, and I laughed.
“Do you think we can pull it off?” I said after a moment.
