“Oh! Zach is asleep right now. I can give him the change of clothes if you’d like.”
“No thanks. I’ll give them to him myself.”
I pull out the key to his office and put it in the lock, turning it. I walk inside, closing the door in her face. I turn around and survey the room, and my husband is on the couch, sound asleep. I see his phone plugged in beside him, so I know he set the alarm. I hang his clothes on the door and place his toiletries on the table before walking over to his desk and sitting in his chair. I pull out my Kindle and start reading. I’ll just wait until he wakes up.
His alarm goes off about fifteen minutes later, and I watch him as he rouses from sleep. He sits up and looks around, his eyes landing on me.
“Good morning,” I say.
“Good morning. I’m happy to see you, but what are you doing here?” He stands up and walks toward me.
“Since you spent the night here, I thought I would bring you a change of clothes and some toiletries.” I motion to the hanging clothes bag and the other bag on the table.
He notices and closes the space between us, kissing me on the lips.
“Ewww. Morning breath.” I push him away.
“You’ve never minded before.” He comes toward me again.
“That was because we had the same morning breath. My mouth is clean today.” I push him away again. “I’ll let you freshen up, and then we can smooch all you want.”
His lips meet my forehead. “Thanks. I’ll be back. Don’t leave.”
I watch him as he picks up his things and walks to the door. Right before he walks out, he turns around. “Thank you so much. I love you.” He continues out the door, leaving it open.
I turn back to my Kindle and continue the book that I’m enjoying. There’s a knock on the door and I look up. Catherine is standing at the door.
“Yes?”
“Is Zach in here? I just wanted to thank him for last night. And this morning.” She clasps her hands behind her back.
Okay, this is how she wants to play it. “He’s getting changed. I’ll let him know that you dropped by.” I return to my book.
“He told me last night about how you got married. It’s such a shame that he’s stuck in the mistake he made. He told me that he would never have married you if he were sober.”
I feel my indifference slip a bit before taking a deep breath and putting it back in place. “Oh? What else did he tell you?”
“Not much else. We watched one of those old sci-fi movies. He told me about how he came to love them. All in all, it was a nice dinner.” She smiles at me.
“Don’t you have to work today?” I ask.
She nods.
“Don’t you think it would go over better if you showed up looking clean, instead of like you did the walk of shame?” I ask.
“I look the same as your husband. Think about it.”
She turns and sashays out of the room before I can come up with a retort. That little bitch better watch her mouth.
I seethe while I try to get back into my book. I don’t even notice Zach come back into the room until he kisses me on the forehead again. I look up at him and pull away.
“What’s wrong?”
“You had dinner with that intern bitch this morning?”
He rolls his eyes. “I was about to leave and go through a drive-thru on the way home, and she was still here and was having a problem with the assignment she was given. I helped her, and it took a couple of hours. I mentioned that I was going to find something to eat, and she asked if she could come. We just had dinner and came back.”
“Where you told her that marrying me was a big mistake, and the story of your sci-fi addiction. She also insinuated that you did more than have dinner together.” I stand and put my Kindle in my purse.
“Where are you going?” His arm goes around my waist.
“I’m going home. I warned you about her, and you haven’t listened to me at all.”
I pull out of his arms and walk to the door. He steps around me and closes the door before I can walk through it.
“You are not leaving. We are going to talk about this.” His arms go around my waist, and he leads me to the couch. He leans in to kiss me again and I turn my head.
He grabs my hand. “I’m sorry. She’s cool, so I didn’t think about your warning. It was the last thirty minutes of the movie when I noticed it was on, and I watched it until it was done. When I finished, she asked me about it and I told her.”
His fingers touch my chin and bring my face around to his. “I told her the story of us getting married, but I told her the only mistake I made was not being sober enough to remember it. As soon as we got back from the diner, I came straight to my office and locked myself inside. She wasn’t with me, I don’t know what happened to her after that.”
“When I came in, she insinuated that she was just coming out of your office.” I look down at our connected fingers, then back up at him, “I’m sorry I’m being unreasonable about this. I literally haven’t seen you for more than half our marriage. Then she comes along, and even though I warn you about her, this happens. Please don’t let yourself be sucked into her bullshit. I’ve already been left at the altar—I don’t want to add a divorce to the mix.”
He kisses my lips softly. “I’m sorry. You shouldn’t have to worry about anyone else, and I’ll make sure that I’m aware of what she does. I promise. Are we okay?”
“We are. Just be careful, because next time I’ll beat that bitch down right here in your office.”
He chuckles and lifts me onto his lap, hugging me tight.
“Noted. I love you, wife, and I’m thankful you brought me new clothes. I feel refreshed and ready to go.” My arms go around him, and we stay like that for a few minutes.
"How much longer is this project going to take? We've never been away from each other this long, even when we were just friends." I relax in the comfort of his arms.
"We're ahead of schedule, so another couple of months. I'll be able to lighten our work schedule in the next couple of weeks, though. We'll have Sundays off as long as nothing happens. Do you want to stay with me today?" He kisses the top of my head. "You can keep me company."
"I would, but I'm not in the mood to deal with her today. If she looks at me wrong, I will hurt her," I half-kid. "Since you’ll be at work all day, I'll go up and spend the day with my parents and brother. I'll see you tonight, or in the morning."
He lifts my face and looks into my eyes. "Good idea. Please be careful, and please text me when you get there and when you're on the way home."
I nod, and he holds me tight again. We stay that way until there's a knock on the door.
"Just a minute!"
He helps me get his leftover things together, and gives me a long, deep kiss. When we part, he mumbles against my lips, "I love you. Don't forget that. Don't let anyone tell you any different."
I smile and pull back out of his arms. "I love you too."
He opens the door, and Catherine is standing in the doorway. She looks less rumpled. "I'm sorry, I didn't know that you still had company. I just want the assignment for today."
"I'll have Enrique bring it to you when he comes in, and then he can help you do it as well," Zach's arm comes around my waist, his fingers splaying out on my stomach, showcasing his wedding band. He pulls me back to him, and I notice her expression change just a little bit.
"It's okay. I don't need his help. You helped me last night," she says.
"This assignment is different, so you'll need some help," he tells her.
"But I've done everything already. I’ve been through all of it," she argues.
"You also went through the project that I helped you with last night, but I was still here until three a.m. helping you with it because you couldn't figure it out. Maybe you need a little extra help." His tone is stern.
Her head hangs as she agrees, walking away. I turn in his arms and look up at him. He leans down and kisses me again.
<
br /> "I love you. Be careful."
"Love you too. I will."
I hesitantly back away and give him one last meaningful look before making my way to my car.
I make the ride to my parents’ house safely and smoothly. I text Zach to let him know that I made it safely, and he texts back immediately. I check on Rafe first. He’s doing a lot better and expects to go back to work in the next couple of weeks. He’s moving back into his apartment next week. I’m so happy for him. I know that although Mom and Dad are caring, he’s a very independent man and being babied only irritates him.
After I convince my mom that my marriage to Zach wasn’t a drunken rebound mistake, she’s happy for us. She keeps asking me about the wedding, and of course I don’t remember much, since I was blackout drunk. I show her the DVD and she actually cries. She goes on and on about how beautiful it is and how she wishes she’d been there with me. All I can do is look at her like she’s crazy. I wasn’t even there, and I was there!
We have an early dinner and I catch up with their lives. My mom has got a part-time job in the office at the high school, and she loves it. My dad has moved to another department at his job. They are both loving life right now.
After we’ve finished dinner, I head home. I send my husband a text telling him I’m on my way, and he immediately texts back telling me to be careful. I guess our talk triggered something in him.
I make it home and fall into bed, exhausted.
***Zach
I watch her walk down the hall and onto the elevator. I don’t think she realizes how vital she is to my life. Always has been, since the day I met her.
I walk back into my office and get everyone’s assignments ready for the day. As they trickle in again, I hand out their assignments. Enrique arrives, and I give him an assignment and tell him that Catherine will be with him from now on. He smiles and walks in her direction, and I get to work. A couple of hours later, I receive a text from Rigby telling me that she’s arrived at her parents’ safely.
Instead of eating lunch today, I need a nap, so I lock my door and sleep for an hour.
I feel refreshed for the meeting in the afternoon. Everyone arrives at the meeting on time, and we get all the work done this week organized, and find that all our hard work has paid off. We are actually a month ahead of schedule. I tell everyone that we’ll be able to take tomorrow off.
We finish the meeting, and I send everyone home for the day. After everyone has left, of course, Catherine knocks on my door. I look up.
“Yes?”
“I just want to say I’m sorry if I’ve cause any problems with you and your wife. I didn’t mean any harm. Is that why you assigned me to Enrique?” She’s twirling her hair, her wide eyes trying to draw me in. Now I see what Rigs was talking about.
“I assigned you to Enrique because you suddenly needed help with an assignment that you’ve been doing every day since we started this project.” I set my paper down in front of me.
She steps into the room, coming closer. “Can’t you help me?”
“I don’t have the time to babysit you, so I assigned you to someone who can. If you need anything from now on, you go to Enrique. Go home and get some rest. Have a good night.” I look down at my paperwork.
“Okay, see you on Tuesday.” She walks out the door.
Thankful, I get back to work. When I finally finish, it’s ten p.m. My phone chimes with a message from Rigby telling me she’s made it home. I tell her I’ll see her later, then get my paperwork done and head home. When I walk into the bedroom, she’s fast asleep.
I take a shower and climb into bed with my woman, pulling her close. For once I don’t lay my head on her chest, I wrap myself around her, cocooning her to me.
12
Rigby
The next few weeks go by quickly, and I’m able to spend time with my husband. Having him back with me at nights and on weekends has been awesome. I feel like I have my life back. My contract with the real estate company ends, and my house doesn’t sell. I decide to go with a company recommended by Lindsey. Lindsey loves them and tells me they sold her house in less than sixty days.
When I meet with the new agent, she tells me the main reason that my house hasn’t sold is that the price is too high. She shows me the graph of comparable homes in my area and the prices. My house was listed at a much higher price than any of those houses. I think the other agent told me my home would sell for a higher price because she wanted the listing. I lower the price on my house and list it with the new agent.
I notice immediately that I have more interest in my house, and it is shown a lot more. I’m very happy with the results. I’ll make sure to do my homework next time.
Work has been easier since I came back with the contract for Valerie Designs signed. I’m caught up, and my stores are doing well. I’m using the time to check all my paperwork and make sure all the Is are dotted and the Ts crossed.
Tonight I walk into the house and take off my shoes. I make my way through the living room to the stairs, and jump when I notice Zach’s parents sitting on the couch, “Goodness! You scared me.” I put my hand over my heart.
“Sorry about that. We got back about four hours ago and wanted to be here to meet you as soon as you all walked inside. We really need to talk to you,” Ramona says.
“No duh! My main question is why you haven’t answered any of our calls. All we’ve received has been the odd text saying that you’re okay. Zach will be home in about thirty minutes, and I need to change clothes. I’m going upstairs.”
“Hold on.” Ramona holds out a bunch of bags. “We brought a few things back for you.”
I snatch the bags quickly, holding them to me. “Thank you. But I’m still mad at you.”
I see Steve’s lips twitch, and I run upstairs, hearing their laughter behind me. I know they’re going to take us out to dinner, so I take a quick shower and match a pair of pants to the maroon sweater I find in one of the bags. I’m putting on my shoes when Zach walks through the door.
He kisses me, then takes in the bags on the bed and smiles. “A bribe, huh?”
“Probably, but I’m still holding them being gone against them.” I stand and accept another kiss.
“I’m going to take a quick shower and get dressed, and then I’ll meet you downstairs.”
“I’m not going down until you do, so I’ll wait.”
He smiles again. “Nice sweater.”
“Shut up.”
I comb my hair and put a little makeup on my face, then I watch my husband get dressed. The way his muscles flex makes me want to take off my clothes and have my way with him right now. Damn his parents for showing up tonight.
When he’s ready, I grab my purse, and we walk downstairs together and face his parents. We stand in front of them, and they follow suit and get to their feet.
“What we want to tell you will be better over dinner,” Steve tells us. They signal the limo, and it pulls around to the front of the house. We climb inside and the driver takes off.
“Where have you been? I feel like I at least need to know that much.” Zach’s arm comes around me, and I lean in to him.
They list the places they’ve been in the last eight months, and end with, “We didn’t come home because we were avoiding you.”
“We know that, and we know that you were at our wedding. We have the DVD. We need to know why you were avoiding us,” I say.
“You’ll find out shortly,” Steve says.
Zach nuzzles the spot behind my ear, and I close my eyes. He works his way down my neck until Steve begs, “Please. Not in front of us.”
Zach lifts my chin and kisses me. “Later,” he breathes against my lips.
The rest of the ride to the restaurant is completed in silence.
We pull up to the restaurant, and the valet opens the door for us, helping us out. Of course, I knew that we would end up at some fancy restaurant. At least I’m not underdressed. Zach takes my hand, and I follow him into the rest
aurant, where we’re seated immediately. The waitress takes our drink order, then walks away. We wait for Zach’s parents to start talking, but all they do is make small talk until at last our drinks have been delivered and our food order has been taken and the waitress sets our food in front of us.
“When are you going to tell us what’s going on?” Zach says.
“Right now.” They look at each other, and Ramona starts. “The day you were supposed to get married, we found out that I had some long-lost great-uncle we didn’t know about. He died and left a will for the youngest son on our side of the family, to inherit his money.”
“And there’s a lot of it,” Steve says.
“Come to find out, it’s you,” Ramona states.
“What does that have to do with you being at our wedding and then disappearing?” Zach leans forward in his chair. This is getting good, so I take a bite of my food and chew while they continue.
“There was a condition to the will. You had to get married and stay married for six months in order to get the money. We called you a few times, but we kept getting your voicemail. We finally called Stephanie the next afternoon, and she told us what happened.” Ramona touches my shoulder. “Not really sorry about that. He wasn’t right for you.”
Why didn’t anyone tell me that while I was trying to fall in love and get married to him? Our family.
I stop mid-chew. “Wait. You called my mom?” She nods.
“And she knew why you were trying to get hold of us?” She nods again, raising her eyebrows. Son of a— My mom knew all along and didn’t say anything. She has a lot of explaining to do.
“When we finally found you two, you were at the bar, three sheets to the wind and talking about getting married anyway. You had a whole bar full of people trying to talk you into it. We just helped them and pushed it along. We’ve always known that you two belong together. We knew it wouldn’t be a hardship for either of you.” Steve takes a bite of his food.
“We set everything up and pushed you through. It really wasn’t hard. You two love each other anyway. Stephanie and Rob watched your wedding on the computer. We had it live-streamed for them. The next morning, we went to the courthouse and made sure that anyone who got your file would tell you that you would have to stay married for six months. You could have gotten an annulment the same day if you’d needed to. They just have the three-month sign up to deter people.” Steve takes a sip of his wine before taking another bite of his food.
Married. Wait! What? Page 46