“Don’t even start.” Lucy jerked at the hem of her jacket.
William emerged from one of the editing bays with a case of equipment. The black tuxedo he wore fit him entirely too well, amplifying his muscles and encouraging Lucy’s daydream of being a glorified bridal Barbie about to marry a real life GI Joe.
His lazy gaze wandered over her. “You look pretty.”
“Thanks,” she whispered, ignoring the way her cheeks heated at his comment.
“What all did you pack?” He glanced to her oversize suitcase and humor flashed in his eyes.
“Just what I need for a few days.”
“Uh-huh.” He didn’t sound at all like he believed her.
“What does that mean? Uh-huh?”
He stacked her bags near the equipment cases. “It means, sure.”
“You say ‘uh-huh,’ but your tone implies something else.” She smoothed the fabric of her skirt.
“Remind me never, ever to wake you up early again.” He pinched her chin with his thumb and index finger like she was a lippy five-year-old.
“I can’t believe I agreed to marry you,” she huffed.
“The wedding’s barely over, and you two are already bickering like an old married couple. Need me to show you how to handle her?” Anderson asked.
William grinned. “Nah. I got this. C’mon, Snookums.”
“Pet names? Really?” Lucy checked her phone. “I couldn’t get ahold of Jeff to watch Mitzy.”
“Dixie and Simon will stop in and take care of her while you’re gone. I arranged it while you were in the shower this morning.”
“That was a little presumptuous, don’t you think,Snookums?” Lucy asked.
“Probably, but it worked out anyway.”
“Did anyone talk to Bridgett? She didn’t respond to my texts.” Lucy pushed her phone into her purse.
“Stopped by the hospital on the way here. She’ll go home later today.” He reached into the pocket of his slacks and tossed Lucy a ring box. “To make it official.”
“We don’t need to be so old-fashioned. Forget the ring. I’m a woman of the new millennium and all that.”
He shook his head. “My wife wears a ring.”
“Hey, McDimples. We’re not really married. You get that, right?”
She glanced to his left hand. He already wore a gold band.
Lucy removed the lid, revealing pear-shaped sapphires surrounding a massive diamond.
“I can’t wear this.” She held it up. Light bounced off the diamond. “It has to be three carats.”
“Nah, it’s a fake.” He took the box from her, removed the band from the velvet lining, and pushed the ring gently up to her knuckle. It slid right off.
He pushed the ring gently onto her finger again. It dropped back into his hand.
“Shucks, it doesn’t fit. I’m not your Cinderella.”
“It has to.” He pressed it up to her knuckle and squeezed the band so the flimsy metal molded to her finger.
