I sneak a peek at him and watch his lips twitch slightly, as if he’s at least attempting the prayers, and that small effort is enough to reinforce our decision.
He lets go of my hand once we’re done and swallows hard again. “Okay. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but let’s go get married.”
“Okay,” I affirm.
He walks around the car for my door, and I quickly flip down the visor mirror to check my appearance. Then I take the hand he offers while holding my bouquet in the other and let him lead me into the courthouse.
The next fifteen minutes or so are a blur, and I’m grateful Landry’s so thorough in his planning, because those butterflies have started kicking my butt. My hands are trembling so badly that I can hear the rosary beads rattling in my bouquet. It’s all I can do to follow his lead like a lost puppy.
Before I know it, we’re standing in front of a judge and a clerk, holding hands and exchanging rings as we repeat our amended wedding vows. Strange as it sounds, making a promise to respect, honor, and support Landry for the rest of my life feels like the most natural part of all this. He doesn’t waiver when it’s his turn to stare into my eyes and make the same pledge, confirming my suspicions about his inherent goodness, and I choke back an unexpected sob when I realize there will always be some part of me that loves him. How could I feel any other way about the man who’s willing to do this for me?
“By the power vested in me by the great state of Louisiana, I now pronounce you husband and wife.” The judge smiles. “You may kiss your bride, son.”
Landry’s expression shifts to one of terror, killing the warm, fuzzy vibes we had going a second ago. I guess he hadn’t thought this far ahead, though I’ve been lying awake nearly every night since we agreed to our marriage of convenience and wondering whether he’d kiss me at the altar—or the desk, I suppose.
The judge glances back and forth between us, confused by our hesitation, so I lean in and aim my lips at Landry’s cheek. He must have the same idea, because he places a hand on my back and turns his face at the same time I close in, bumping his mouth awkwardly into mine. Our lips meet for a second, barely long enough to consider it a real kiss, albeit a closed-mouth one.
But a moment later, something different flashes across his dark eyes. He takes me by surprise and splays his hand over my spine, urging me closer so he can intentionally press his lips back to mine. I instinctively close my eyes and lean into the kiss, and he tilts his head to the side as he slips his tongue into my mouth. My free hand flies up to his chest as I take him in, but he pulls away abruptly, ending it as quickly as it began.
My cheeks burn after we part, and I roll my lips in, wishing they’d stop tingling. Landry clears his throat loudly and furrows his brow. I can’t tell whether he’s confused or embarrassed but knowing his aversion to any and all public displays of physical affection, I imagine it’s the second. He must have decided we needed to make the kiss look realistic in front of our audience and regretted his decision as soon as I reciprocated too enthusiastically.
“Congratulations, Dr. and Mrs. Reed,” the judge continues, grinning this time. He holds out his hand for Landry to shake, then turns his attention to the marriage certificate sitting on his desk. The clerk shows us where to sign before she jots down her own signature, and the bailiff at the door comes over to fill in the last witness line. I ask the clerk to take a couple of photos with my phone, just in case we need them later, and my heart races when Landry pulls me close to pose as a happy couple again. Then we’re ushered out into the hallway to wait there for the official copies we’ll need to add my name to Landry’s health insurance policy.
“Well, that didn’t take long,” Landry mumbles absentmindedly.
“No, it didn’t.” I glance down at the plain, gold band resting on my left hand. I can’t help the way my eyes immediately water. I know this is what I agreed to, and it’s not like I expected or even hoped Landry would change his mind and want this to be a real marriage. I honestly couldn’t consider this any more than a legal contract, either, despite my admiration of him. But that doesn’t stop my chin from trembling as reality sets in.
Landry shoots me a pitying look, and I lose control of my tear ducts. “Dammit,” he curses under his breath and darts into the nearest bathroom to retrieve a tissue. “You’re already having regrets, aren’t you?” he asks when he returns.
I try to cover up my sniffling and accept his offering. “No, no, I’m fine, just unexpectedly emotional.” I pull away and wipe beneath my eyes. “I hadn’t accounted for trapping my roommate into a marriage of convenience and guilting him into a courthouse wedding when I dreamed about this day as a little girl, you know,” I say with a light chuckle, but Landry stares at me for a moment.
“Daisy …” His voice is hoarse when he finally speaks up. “I meant what I said before. You’re not trapping me into anything, and you’re not a burden, okay?”
I nod, unable to meet his eyes. Then I hear him groan before he reaches out to wrap his arms around me. My body instantly melts into his while my mouth curls up into a smile. A hug and a kiss from him in the same day? I’m on a roll.
“This is the kind of stuff friends and family do for one another,” he continues over my shoulder, reaching up to gently stroke my back.
Friends and family…
It’s too bad my husband will only ever see me as one if not both of those and not as a wife, a partner, or even a lover.
I let out a small whine, annoyed at myself for throwing an unwarranted pity party. I knew exactly what to expect from this arrangement. It’s too late to feel sorry for myself now.
But it’s my wedding day … and I may never get another one.
I cling to him a second longer, indulging in his intoxicatingly woodsy cologne and rugged chest muscles while I can—you know, just in case. He moves my hair over and away from my face, and his fingertips begin trailing lightly over my neck and shoulders as if he’s tracing a pattern. I shiver, and he sighs.
“You okay?” he asks tentatively, probably mistaking that shiver for a sob.
“Mm-hmm,” I squeak out. “You?”
He pulls away to check on me anyway before he answers. “I’m fine.”
“Thank you, Landry,” I breathe.
“Reed?” a voice calls out.
“I guess that’s us,” Landry says with a shy smile, making those butterflies in my stomach flutter around again. He leaves me standing there to retrieve a copy of our marriage certificate, and we’re both silent as we walk to the car together and he drives us home.
