Could she deal with that?
She briefly closed her eyes, prayed, and waited—for what? An audible voice? A finger writing in the sky? She opened her eyes. She knew God didn’t answer prayer like that—at least, not hers. Which was okay. Maybe that just meant God was letting her choose this one. A pick-your-own-adventure, like those childhood books she used to read. Maybe everything would work out regardless of what she chose.
And marrying Linc was bound to be an adventure.
She drew a breath, looked at him. And mentally turned the page in their story. “Okay.”
The oars stilled again. “Okay?” A frog croaked from across the pond. She’d halfway expected something more dramatic, like lightning, maybe. But nope. Just pond creatures, and Linc’s slightly heavy breathing, like this conversation had cost him something too.
“Okay.” If he wasn’t going to be romantic about it, there was no reason for her to swoon or give an ecstaticyes. Even if a tiny, backdoor part of her heart wanted to. She couldn’t let him know that. Maybe not ever. It would mess everything up, and they had to do this. For each other, but mostly, for Amelia.
So instead, she lifted her chin and held out her hand to shake his, throwing on her sunniest smile. “Looks like we have a deal…hubby.”
ten
The courthouse steps looked taller than usual today.
Linc scowled as he tugged a finger into the tight collar of his blue button-up. He’d worn this shirt for approximately two business meetings and one funeral.
Looks like he was adding a wedding to the list.
Morning sun poured over the downtown building, sending a trickle of sweat down his back. He should have tied his hair up, but the occasion seemed to call for something a little more formal. So he’d left it down, slicked it back.
She’d said yes.
Linc wasn’t in the habit of asking questions he wasn’t relatively sure of the answer to. Maybe he hadn’t been a straight A student over the years, but he considered himself a pretty smart guy overall. Got his business degree with a respectable GPA. Started a successful business from the ground up.
But thatyesthe other night had caught him off guard.
Amelia stood next to him, wearing jeans, a lightweight hoodie, and a suspicious frown. “I still don’t understand this. You guys said you weren’t even dating.”
“Things change.” Linc motioned for her to climb the stairs. “This is the new plan.”
“Marriage is a plan to you?” Amelia squinted at him, the sun highlighting her dark hair.
“What is it to you?”
She shrugged. “How am I supposed to know? Mom never got married.”
But Kirsten was the last person he wanted to think about today. “Come on. Zoey’s inside waiting for us.” She’d left earlier than he and Amelia, with a bag packed to get dressed at the courthouse, spouting something about it being bad luck to see the bride before the wedding.
As if they hadn’t had coffee that morning on the porch already, discussing the fact they should probably try to keep this elopement a secret for as long as possible. Let the three of them adapt as a family before dealing with the town’s inevitable reactions.
He figured they had two, three days tops before word leaked.
Amelia reluctantly began to climb the stairs, huffing. “You didn’t tell me exercise was involved.”
“It’s good for you.” He started after her, feeling a bit of exertion too, which was weird. Was he nervous? He didn’t get nervous. Then again, he hadn’t felt exactly stable since Amelia had appeared on his porch, either. “Endorphins regulate moods.”
She looked at him over her shoulder, lips twisted. “Is that some kind of hint?”
“If you’ll take it, then yes.”
A welcome rush of AC escaped the building as Linc tugged open the front door. The older security guard in a gray uniform nodded, scanned him half-heartedly with a wand. “Need any direction?”
With this brilliant plan of his? Probably, but—too late for that.
Linc shook his head, motioned Amelia to go past him. “Third floor.” Then he added to her. “I’m assuming you want the elevator.”
