“It’s going to take some getting used to that I can’t—” His words die on his tongue when the door is yanked open.
“There they are!” Harlan says, his rugged, tanned facegreeting us with a wide smile. “Come in, come in.” He ushers us inside with a wave of his hand.
We follow behind him, bile churning in my gut. I chew the inside of my cheek, greeting everyone with kisses and hugs before taking a seat on the worn leather loveseat beside Ryder.
I wet my lips as all eyes land on us, tension climbing high in the room, both of our families seated or standing around us.
Ryder takes my hand in his, and even though it breaks one of our rules—no PDA unless surrounded by town gossips—I allow it, letting the gesture calm the war waging in my chest.
“Suéltalo ya,”Mamisays, waving her hand through the air.
I work on a swallow, my mouth dry as I recite the words I’ve been planning to use to break the news to them all night, unable to sleep.
“We’re getting married,” Ryder says, and with his words, all of mine die on my tongue.
Everyone is silent, wide eyes and gaping mouths greeting us. Even Ezekiel, Ryder’s quiet and brooding brother, a man I’ve never quite figured out, has the good sense to raise his brows and bite his lip.
Ry rests a hand on my knee, giving it a reassuring squeeze, but it does nothing to soothe me.
Another couple of seconds stretch on, thick with tension, each one dragging on like an eternity. Then the air shifts, lighter, almost electric, filling my lungs with something that makes my limbs feel weightless. Our families explode in a flurry of movement, leaping to their feet, clapping and shouting, while our mothers’ tears spill over, glistening with joy.
Our fathers are embracing in the biggest man hug you’ll ever see. Mayte is clapping Isabela’s hands together, and Zeke is wearing a warm smirk.
“Thank God!” Bee shouts.
“Por fin,”Mamisays with a wide smile.
“Only took them two decades to get their heads out of their asses,” Harlan agrees.
Before they can take their celebrations further, Ryder speaks up, clearing his throat. “There’s more, and you better sit down for this,” he says.
They all shoot sideways glances around, taking a tentative seat, and quieting down.
I address Ryder’s family first. “I’m sure my parents have told you about my diagnosis by now. I have rheumatoid arthritis, and while it presents differently for everyone, I’ve been ignoring it as best as I can for too long. My joints ache, and it’s becoming hard to do the most mundane tasks, let alone keep up with the things I love, like dancing and riding Penny.”
“So, while our marriage will look real to everyone else, we need you all to know that it’s not.Yet,” Ryder adds, nudging my shoulder with a playful smirk. “Lola’s health is our first priority, always. We know it might be hard to sell to the townspeople that she up and left her fiancé for me, but if we want to evade insurance fraud claims and prison, we’d appreciate it if the truth of our marriage stays under wraps.”
“Of course, Ry, your secret is safe with us,” José assures us. “And maybe Lemmon will let up once she knows about you two.”
Harlan’s lips quirk at the suggestion, and unease stirs in my gut.
“She still buggin’ you?” Bee asks, head tilted toward Ryder.
When we discussed our ground rules for this marriage, he told me that Lemmon had been pretty persistent in reaching out to him, but he had no interest in chatting with his former abuser, and I can’t say I blame him. I feel the same about Russ, though he’s taken our breakup far better than it appears Lemmon had.
“It’s gotten better. Just a few calls and texts periodically. I’ve blocked her number, but I think she’s using a burner phone because the syntax is always the same, but the number changes no matter how many times I blockthem. It’s nothing egregious though. I dealt with her manipulation and belittling for years. I can handle a few text messages,” Ryder explains, but it doesn’t escape me the way Zeke rolls his eyes, crosses his arms over his chest, and huffs. I’m seeing more emotion out of him in the last few minutes than I have in all the years I’ve known him.
“We decided getting married would be good for the both of us. I’d get access to Ryder’s health insurance, and he will hopefully get Lemmon off his back.” I decide to leave out the fact that he feels guilty for ever marrying her; I’m sure they know this without me having to rub it in.
Harlan lets a laugh slip out, shaking his head. “I’m in support of absolutely anything that helps you, sweet girl, but if either of you think for a second Lemmon is going to let up because y’all are married, you’ve got another thing comin’. That girl has been jealous of you since the day you showed up on Rosa Ranch.”
“I doubt that’s true, Pops,” Ryder interjects, but his mom stops him.
“It’s true. That woman is vindictive and conniving. I don’t think you’ll be doing yourself any favors by getting married if you think it’s going to make her go away, but I support the decision anyway.”
How come I didn’t consider that? Ishouldhave, knowing the way she acted at the fair. She’s still the same high school bully I knew and despised.
“Do you agree, Ry?” I ask, my voice a soft whisper as I turn to him.
