“I know I haven’t been there very long, but I’ve already made some nice friendships among the coworkers on my shift. I don’t want to leave them in the lurch.”
“Then we’ll have to hire a wedding planner to help you get everything done.”
“No. I don’t want one. I’ve heard too many horror stories.”
“Really? Like how many?”
“Okay, one. A friend back home hired a wedding planner. She said the woman kept talking them things and drove up the costs until her parents had to take out a second mortgage to pay for it.”
“I’ll pay for it. Your father doesn’t have to worry about that.”
“We’d better ask him if that’s okay. He’s a proud man, Jason.”
“We could always elope.”
She gave him the stink eye.
Damn, this is becoming complicated.“Okay. How about if we pay him a visit soon. Maybe we can talk to your family’s minister at the same time. I don’t want any media circus, though.”
“So, no inviting Lila, then.”
“God, no!”
Merry laughed and Jason rolled his eyes when he realized he’d been had. Then her expression sobered. “You know what they’re going to think, don’t you?”
“How lucky you are to have such a devilishly handsome and smart fiancé?”
“There you go again.”
“There I go what?”
“Being sarcastic.”
“Who’s being sarcastic?”
She grinned. “Okay, okay. So, they might think that—or they’ll think we’re getting married in a hurry because I’m pregnant.”
He gasped. “You’re pregnant?”
“No, silly! But everyone is going to think I am.”
He kissed her shoulder. “Can’t we just tell them the truth?”
Her eyebrows rose. “That you’re a shapeshifter who might go nutty without me?”
“Hell, no. Just tell them that I’m nuts aboutyou, and I want you to go to Florida with me in February. Tell them I can’t live without you and won’t live with you unless we’re married.”
“Can’t live with me, can’t live without me, huh?”
“You said it, I didn’t. Just remember it’s our decision, no one else’s.”
Merry sighed. “Yeah, I’m just anticipating all the possible problems before they happen.”
“They might not happen. In fact, if you go into it with that attitude you might cause them to ask questions. If you just act happy and excited, they probably won’t question it at all.”
“Yeah, right.”
“Okay, how about this. Let’s compromise. Give your job a three week notice as soon as you can. We’ll get our marriage license on your next day off and we’ll call a minister to book the church as soon as that’s done. Then send out the invitations right around Christmas. Once everything is in motion, I think people will accept that it’s going to happen. If anyone is rude enough to ask if you’re pregnant, say no. And speaking of Christmas…”
