“This town is weird.” We didn’t have shit like this in Maine. Just big cement boots and a giant statue of Paul Bunyan. “I’ve had one full day of you as my wife and it’s been perfect.”
“And now a new year together,” Hope said and gave me another kiss.
The crowds swelled on the streets. They came from the casinos in masses and made their way to the sidewalks.
I flicked my wrist and checked my watch. “We’re getting close.”
“Thirty seconds,” came a yell from the top of the Bellagio steps.
The countdown started and, as the crowd crushed in around us, Hope stood in front of me and let me wrap my arms around her as she rested her head on my shoulder.
“Two,” she whispered against the loud yells.
“One,” the group of people yelled, and then the streets were drowned in screams and cheers.
“Happy new year.” I pulled Hope up to me and tipped her head back, giving her a kiss to start the new year with a bang.
We jerked apart when the first explosions shook the air all around us. Fireworks lit up the sky in every direction. I turned Hope around in my arms and put her back to my chest to watch the show together.
What a great way to begin the rest of our lives.
7
HOPE
Istomped my boots on my parents’ front doormat.
No one had shoveled off the porch even though the snow storm ended days ago. Hale was slacking. What kept him so busy that he didn’t have time to shovel off their porch before our parents returned from the cruise?
As the youngest boy, Hale was a suck-up. Normally he’d have the whole place spotless and no snow to be seen besides the grassy places. Something fishy was going on. Hale wasn’t being himself lately. He hadn’t even threatened Chance’s life for getting married to me. He never even tried to blackmail me.
Chance stopped me on the front porch before I opened the door. He swept a few strands of my brown hair over my shoulder and gave me a quick peck at the temple. “It was lovely being your husband for the last five days.”
I pushed him away and laughed. “It’s fine.” On the outside, I acted calm and confident but my stomach did a twist as I threw open the door with a flourish. “They love you.”
Hale wasn’t being his normal overprotective self, and that had me worried. Maybe he was saving it up to beat up Chance when he saw him face to face. With my older brothers, you could never be too sure. They liked to surprise you.
They might have an ambush waiting for us in the living room.
“Hello,” I called as I stuck my head in to glance around before I let Chance risk his life.
My parents had arrived home from the cruise that afternoon, and Hale said I had until seven to tell them, but then my mother sent out a family text that she wanted to see us all for dinner. It seemed coordinated. A dual attack from two sides.
“Are we going inside?” Chance whispered behind me.
I straightened up and opened the door to the empty living room. “Yes, duh.”
My suspicions grew as we walked into the vacant room. “Mom?”
“Is that you, Hope?” my mother’s voice came from the kitchen.
“It’s me, and I brought Chance with me.”
She popped her head out of the doorway. “Oh, Chance, it’s so good to have you here. Did you have a delightful holiday?”
“I sure did,” he said and glanced at me with guilty eyes.
My mother was going to see right through him. He had to get his shit together and lock it down.
