"Parker?" I pressed.
"He only invited the minister."
My jaw fell open. "I had to have a white dress for that? I just sat up there fussing with makeup no one is even going to see?"
With hunched shoulders, he continued his meal preparations and didn't face me. "I apologize, Miss Kinsley, but I don't know anything else about it."
"What the hell?"
"Parker, I . . ." Fastening a pair of emerald cufflinks as he entered the kitchen, Burke trailed off when he spotted me. "You look lovely."
"I could wear a paper bag, apparently." Despite my efforts, I couldn't hoist myself up off the banquette seat to yell at him properly. Seeing me faltering, Burke approached and helped me up. "Are you ashamed of me or something?"
He'd let me go the second I stood on my own, and now took a step back. "What? Not at all."
"Then why is this a secret ceremony?" I demanded.
Burke glared at Parker for a second before facing me once more. "I know you don't like Anna, and I'm not speaking to my parents, so that didn't leave me with very many choices without creating a scandal."
"In other words, the socialites aren't invited because I resemble the Michelin Man, and they'll know this is a shotgun wedding. You could have at least allowed me to invite my friends and family." The volume of my protests rose as my irritation grew.
Sighing, Burke scrubbed his hands over his face. "I've explained to you the dangers of involving your friends—"
"We both know that's crap. Maddie is capable of joining the freaking crime syndicate, and she's a mere woman," I said in a scathing tone. "Why can't my friends come around if they're aware of the super dangers lurking around every corner?"
"Because I don't want them here!" he exploded.
Biting my lip to keep the tears from falling, I offered him a bitter laugh. "What do you know, you are capable of telling the truth."
"Look, Kinsley, we're constantly surrounded by people who pull us in different directions." With extreme care, he rested his hands on my shoulders. "Just this once, I want to be alone with you."
"It's just the two of us every morning and every evening, but your solution to wanting alone time is to live closed up in our bedrooms away from each other."
Dropping his hands as though burned, he moved farther away from me. "Please, Kinsley, I'm trying to make an untenable situation bearable."
I snorted, realizing I was crying again. "Do you even hear the words coming out of your mouth? Do they roll around for any length of time in that blockhead of yours before they spew all over me?"
He pinched the bridge of his nose. "I didn't mean it the way it sounded."
"I already know marrying me is the last thing you want, as you have done an excellent job of proving it."
Leaving Burke staring after me, I waddled out of the kitchen.
At least he gave me a few minutes to collect myself before knocking on my door and opening it without waiting for a response. "The minister is here."
"Fantastic." With a balled-up tissue, I dabbed under my eyes.
His brows went up, forcing me to look down at the long-sleeved ecru dress I'd chosen. Had I spilled something on it? "I'm surprised you didn't change into sweats and a hoodie."
"I assume you're going to have pictures taken, and I thought I could pretend to look like a radiant bride. Eventually, our son will see them, and I'd rather he think we're in love than know the truth."
"Kinsley, I could—"
"Don't you dare say another word. I can't take it if you lie to me to spare my feelings."
Closing his mouth, he offered his hand, and we descended the stairs together in silence. A handful of guards who I now recognized stood as witnesses, which I thought was the most depressing thing I'd ever seen.
When the time came, we said the words without much inflection. A photographer took our picture, and Parker brought out a cake for us to pose behind, hiding my enormous belly. I was impressed by its beauty, but I mostly just wanted to eat it. The baby made me hungry all the time now.
