His presence made it impossible to concentrate on anything happening in the service.
Finally, they walked into the foyer. Tessa accepted hugs from people she hadn’t seen since Pop Pop’s passing. They walked outside, and she just sort of followed Gray to his car, something she wouldn’t have thought twice about any other time.
“I’ll take you to the airport to get Heidi’s car, but I’d love to take you to lunch first.” Gray stood next to the passenger door then opened it.
Tessa nodded. “I’d like that.”
She was going to marry him. She knew that. He knew that. Mama Beach knew that.
Maybe he’d bring it up, because she wouldn’t know how to start that conversation.
Lunch tasted great but was quieter than their usual meals. When they reached the airport, he dropped her off near the long term lot but still hadn’t brought up the subject of marriage. Was he waiting for her to do it?
He waited in the cell phone lot for her to let him know she’d made it to the car and found the extra key she knew Heidi hid in one of those boxes.
It didn’t surprise her to find his car in the drive at the farm when she arrived. It did surprise her to find a bouquet of flowers sitting on the coffee table.
“What are these?” she asked.
“They’re for you.” Gray leaned against the door frame going into the kitchen.
“Thank you.” Tessa leaned down and sniffed them. “They’re beautiful.”
“So are you.”
She turned to see him kneeling in front of her with a ring box. All she could do was blink.
“I know this isn’t how either one of us figured this moment would happen, but it would be a privilege to spend my life with you, Tessa Braverman. Would you do me the honor of being my wife?”
He popped open the ring box.
Tessa gasped. “Is that Gram’s ring?”
“Pop Pop left it for you.” He gave her his best smile. “What do you say? Marry me?”
It wasn’t the proposal she’d always dreamed of, but she could think of far worse people to marry.
After another second of hesitation, Tessa nodded. “I’ll marry you.” She held out her left hand.
Gray took it, sliding the ring onto her finger before kissing the back of her hand. He stood and pulled her close to him, wrapping his arms around her.
Being in his arms felt more like home than the farm did. How had she never noticed that before?
Comfortable, sure, but not quite like this.
“I wish we had more time to plan your fairy tale wedding.”
“It’s fine. I never really dreamed about that anyway.” She kind of had, but she’d never wanted a big wedding.
“Do you want to go shopping today?”
“For what?”
“A dress, whatever else you need for a wedding.” He rubbed a hand up and down her back.
“I don’t think I need anything. I’ll borrow a dress from Heidi’s closet at Grandma Vi’s.”
What was that? Was Gray kissing the top of her head?
“You need a new dress or outfit at the very least. I have a suit. Or I can wear jeans and a button down or whatever you want me to wear.”
Tessa held on a little tighter. “I hadn’t thought about any of that. I’ll let you know. Right now, I think I just want to binge something.”
“How about Eli’s show? They dropped the new season this week.”
Gray’s new brother-in-law was the star on a MyBingeFlix show, Management on Mars. Tessa had met him a few times and liked him. “That sounds good.”
Fifteen minutes later, they sat in the big chair, similar to the one in Gray’s apartment.
They’d often sat close to each other, even kind of snuggly, when neither one of them were dating someone else. Never when they were.
Knowing that in a day or two she’d be his wife brought a whole different set of emotions than sitting together usually did.
She stared at the ring on her finger while Gray used two remotes to get to the streaming service. “Are we really doing this?” she asked him quietly.
“Getting married? I think so. I think it’s what Pop Pop wanted. He knew Heidi wouldn’t stay, and that you and I would end up getting married. He wouldn’t have set it up this way if he didn’t think it would end well. He loved you far too much to set it up so you’d get hurt.”
Tessa leaned her head against him. “You’re right. I do love you, you know.”
This time she knew he kissed the side of her head. She didn’t know how she felt about that.
“I love you, too, TessaBear. And after tomorrow, I’ll spend the rest of my life learning how to love you the way a man should love his wife.”
A sense of peace settled over Tessa. It was the right thing to do.
Monday evening, Gray stood in Grandma Vi’s living room in a suit and waited for Tessa to arrive.
Only their immediate families, including grandparents, waited in the room with them. Only Gray’s parents fumed.
He was their third child to get married in the last few months, all on very short notice. No wedding planning. No parties where they impressed all of their friends. No elaborate toasts with medium-expensive wine.
Sure, one of the receptions involved royalty from at least four different countries, but it hadn’t been a large ceremony, and they hadn’t been able to invite their friends and show off. Or spend months bragging about it.
They had spent the last couple of weeks talking about their stay at the San Majorian palace, and how amazing it all was. Gray believed that. He also noticed they never mentioned the fact that Mom committed a felony and wasn’t in prison only because of the king’s mercy. He’d heard all about it from Madi.
Before he could internally roll his eyes at his parents any longer, he heard a car pull into the driveway.
This was it.
Not what he’d expected on his wedding day, but this was the right thing to do. He knew it was. Neither one of them had anyone standing up with them. Missouri didn’t require witnesses to sign the license.
When he saw Tessa, she took his breath away. She wasn’t wearing a traditional wedding dress, but still looked incredible in the flowing sun dress.
Then she smiled at him, and butterflies took up residence in his stomach. He was about to promise the rest of his life to this woman. The weight of it settled on him like a cloak.
Butterflies weren’t very manly though. They needed something else for guys.
Tessa stopped next to him. “You ready for this?” she whispered.
“Completely.”
Mama Beach cleared her throat softly. “Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to witness the joining together of Gray Beach and Tessa Braverman.”
Gray took a deep breath and focused on what was being said, including his own responses at the appropriate times.
In less than fifteen minutes, Mama Beach smiled at both of them. “And now, Gray, you may kiss your bride.”
They hadn’t talked about this. Should he kiss her? Kiss her cheek?
He agonized over it for what seemed like an eternity but was probably just a few seconds, then leaned down and brushed his lips against hers.
So quick and light, he almost didn’t feel it.
“You can do better than that!” His brother was going to get it later.
Gray pressed his lips against hers again, firmer this time, and longer.
The butterflies in his stomach picked up speed. Maybe they were pigeons.
Then he stepped back and hooked Tessa’s arm through his.
“Turn around,” Mama Beach whispered.
“Oh. Right,” Gray whispered back. They turned around, and he offered her his other arm. She slid her hand into it.
“Friends and family, for the first time, it is my pleasure to introduce to you, Mr. and Mrs. Gray Beach.”
The whistle came from his brother. The polite clapping came from everyone else.
His mother whispered something to
his father with a grumpy look on her face, but at least she clapped. His father didn’t.
Rather than walking back down an aisle, their families gathered around them.
There were hugs and handshakes all around.
The families had put together a potluck dinner downstairs. Gray stayed close to Tessa, with a hand on her back or arm around her most of the time. He’d never felt the desire to be in physical contact with her before, not like this.
“Do you want some ziti?” he asked, picking up the serving spoon.
Tessa held out her plate. “That would be great. Thanks.”
He scooped some onto her plate then his. They were the last two to get food and find a place to sit.
Three empty seats beckoned, but they weren’t anywhere near each other, something Gray was not okay with.
“It’s fine,” Tessa said softly. “We’ll sit together at the barbecue in a couple of weeks.” That’s when everyone would bring them presents, since the wedding was on such short notice.
Or so Gray had been told.
No one else seemed to notice there weren’t chairs for them to sit next to each other, but there shouldn’t be an extra empty seat. Who was missing?
Mama Beach walked into the basement living area. Her brows knit together as she looked at them. “Well, this will never do.” She waved her hand at Gray’s parents. “Can you two move to the spots at the other table so your son and new daughter-in-law can sit together?”
Gray was glad he didn’t have to sit next to his parents. His mother glared as she moved, but Mama Beach just smiled sweetly at her.
Finally, they were able to sit down together.
His siblings and his two brothers-in-law sat at the table with them. Conversation flowed fairly easily, though he noticed Tessa remained quieter than normal.
Dinner didn’t last long. There was no dancing. His parents left but barely said goodbye. Tessa’s parents did better but not by much.
Soon, it was just the two of them with Tessa’s grandparents.
“You two don’t want to hang out with us.” Grandma Vi took Tessa’s arm. “The other kids already helped clean up. Go on with you now. The farm is waiting for you to make it your home.”
And with that, Gray and his new wife were outside Grandma Vi’s house. Tessa led the way to his car but he didn’t click the button to unlock the doors until he reached her side. That way he could open the door for her.
She muttered a thank you as he closed it then made his way to his side. On the drive to the farm, she said even less than she had at dinner.
Tessa didn’t even wait for him to open her door when they arrived. She just jumped out and headed for the porch but stopped.
“I don’t have my keys,” she called over her shoulder.
“I do.” He’d had a key to Pop Pop’s place for a long time. After unlocking the door, he turned back to Tessa and swept her into his arms.
She shrieked but grabbed a hold of his neck. “What are you doing?”
“Carrying my wife over the threshold.”
With his foot he pushed the door open and carried her inside. Gray set her down a few steps later but left his hands resting on her hips. “Are you all right, Tess? You seem off.”
She stared at his necktie and didn’t look up at him. “I don’t know what I am. This isn’t what I expected to feel when I got married, not even the last couple of days when I knew it would be to you rather than someone else later.”
Not exactly what he wanted to hear, but the hand he’d been dealt. Gray bent slightly and kissed her forehead. “Go get some sleep. I don’t have to work this week, so we can talk tomorrow.”
“What about you? Almost all of the furniture has already been removed. There’s only one bedroom set left.”
He’d napped on the couch in the living room before. That’s why no one took it. It wasn’t for the faint-hearted. “I’ll manage.”
Tessa finally looked up at him. He couldn’t read anything written on her face except exhaustion. “Thanks, Gray. I love you.”
“I know you do, Tess.” He took her hand and squeezed it. “I love you, too.”
Not the way a man was supposed to love his wife, but Gray prayed that would come in time.
Until then, he’d need to find a way to sleep on hardwood floors.
6
Planting her hands on her hips, Tessa stared at the Beach House. “How long has it been since someone lived here?”
“I don’t know. A while.” Gray searched through the keys on a large ring for the right one. “I know someone lived here for a while when we were kids. I don’t remember who. I think it was just someone Pop Pop rented it to. I’m pretty sure all of his kids lived here at one point, like a starter home. It’s not like it’s been sitting vacant since his dad bought it ninety years ago.”
“I know. I’m just wondering how many spiders there might be.”
Gray chuckled, the sound whispering through her in a way it never had before. Married for four days, and still no closer to figuring this relationship thing out.
He had always been a gentleman. This week had been no different. She had no idea where he slept, except not with her. Her first guess was the couch, but even Pop Pop had known it was so uncomfortable that no one would sleep on it. That meant Gray was probably sleeping on the floor.
Guilt over that ate at her, but she wasn’t quite sure what she was ready to do about it. Sleeping with Gray, despite the rings on their fingers, was a step too far just yet.
Finally, the door to the old farmhouse opened.
“I’m pretty sure Pop Pop had someone come in and clean regularly. Not every week but every couple of months or so. I haven’t been out here in years, though.”
So maybe there weren’t giant spiders roaming about, like the ones she’d read about in Jody Hedlund’s latest medieval-ish series.
That would be good.
Gray walked through the door then stopped.
“What?” she asked.
He stepped to the side to let her in.
Tessa blinked as she took in the sight in front of her. “It’s already remodeled,” she finally stammered.
Dark hardwood floors shone. Walls gleamed. In the kitchen she could see finishing touches that rivaled the ones in the main house.
Gray walked all the way in, leaving Tessa to close the door behind them. “When did he do all of this?” he asked.
“I have no idea.” She wandered through the empty living area into the kitchen. Something on the counter top caught her attention.
“What is it?” Gray walked in behind her as she picked it up.
“It looks like Pop Pop’s handwriting.” She flipped the envelope over and lifted the flap before pulling out a letter in his handwriting. It was dated just a few days before he passed.
Tessa skimmed it before reading more slowly. There was no reason to read it to Gray because he stood close enough that he could read it for himself.
Dear Tessa and Gray,
It is the two of you who now own my farm, isn’t it?
Heidi and Sean, if I was wrong, then I’m sorry. This letter works just as well for both couples, but my gut tells me my dear Tessa and her dear Gray are the ones reading this.
At the lawyer’s office, you were told the house needed renovating. That was a bit of a fib. I wanted you to know hard work would be involved. That’s still the case, just not the hard work you thought.
The farm house and the surrounding land cannot be sold separately from my house. It can be used as a KrazBNB, which will bring in some income for you while you finish your degree and get settled. You will have to redecorate it, though. That’s something the two of you will have to do together.
I love you both. You’ll have a long, gloriously happy life together.
I do wish I’d been able to see you start down the road together, but I am very glad to know that I had a small part in it.
Love,
Pop Pop
P.S. Be sure to check t
he attics of both houses.
She hadn’t noticed Gray wrap an arm around her waist and pull her closer to him. Or the tears that streaked down her cheeks.
“How did he know?”
His hand ran up and down her arm. “I don’t know. Lani said something to me at Savarino’s that made me think there are a lot of people who have just been waiting for one of us to make a move.”
“What do you mean?”
“She said it was about time we went out on a date. I forget what else she said, but something along those lines.”
Tessa leaned her head against him. “I had no idea Pop Pop was hoping there would be more for us.”
On more than one level, there wasn’t more for them, not yet. They were legally married, but the two light kisses at the wedding remained the only ones. They’d talked less in the last few days than they had during any time period since she was born.
She turned and looked at the living room, empty save for an old recliner on a scrap of carpet. “I wonder if there’s any furniture in the house at all?”
“We can look.” With a final squeeze, Gray let go of her and started for the stairs. All four bedrooms were up there.
Tessa followed him up the stairs. The one downside to this house had always been the singular bathroom at the end of the hall.
“Whoa.”
She nearly ran into him as she reached the top step. “What?”
Gray moved so she could see that the upstairs had been completely remodeled. The two bedrooms on one side remained much the same, at least with a quick glance through the open doors. The door straight ahead showed a larger bathroom and only one door on the other side of the hall made her wonder what they’d find behind it.
He motioned toward the door with one hand. “After you.”
Tessa opened it to find the two bedrooms had been turned into a larger master suite, complete with attached bath.
“This is incredible.”
“It keeps the charm of the original,” she told him when she caught a glimpse of the clawfoot tub in the bathroom. “But much more modern.”
“Definitely.”
Small Town Girls Don't Marry Their Best Friends: Contemporary Christian Romance (Beaches of Trumanville Book 3) Page 4