Page 31 of She Autumn Be Mine

“Whoa.” Knox held up a hand. “Are you sure you don’t want to marry first and ask permission later? I don’t see him being too keen on you marrying his sister.”

“Yeah. He has two years to get over it, and he can’t exactly drive out here to object mid way through the ceremony,” Colt snickered.

I wasn’t laughing. “This thing started one way. But I intend to do it right, every step from here. I’m only planning to get married once in this life, guys. I gotta do what I can to make it stick.”

Knox clapped a hand on my shoulder. “I could tell at our wedding, you know. Something in the way you two danced. I said to Daisy that night, there’s a lot more to your story.”

There was. More every day and every second I spit with Autumn and the baby. “Next I need a ring. And I need to introduce Autumn and Stetson to my folks.” I blew out a breath. My mother had a velvet ring box on her dresser she’d been saving for me. A family heirloom. That was a whole mission of its own.

“Then what are you still doing on my porch?” Ash practically yanked the half-drunk beer out of my hand like an eviction notice. “Get busy, McCall. You’ve got a wedding to plan.”

“Yes, sir.” I grinned and settled my hat on and headed down the steps past Cash and Gavin, still deep in conversation. I interrupted and asked the sheriff if he knew of any good family lawyers to recommend.

“I know a couple. Call you later,” he nodded.

Carter came down from the porch and walked me to the truck. “Legal fees can add up. Let me know if you need assistance.”

“Thanks. But I’ve been saving for something special for as long as I can remember. Seems like a good time to make a withdrawal.”

“Be expecting a call from Ivy soon,” Colt shouted, his laughter ringing out as I pulled away down the drive.

Three days later, I sat at a table in the visiting room of the Montana State Prison, with two vending machine coffees in front of me. Autumn’s knee worked up and down repeatedly beside me, jiggling Stetson on her lap in his little snap-button western shirt and baby denims.

When they brought Trig to us, he had a pretty terrible shiner on the left eye. He sat down across from us, and even with one eye swollen up, he clocked how close together our chairs were.

“Damn. The kid has grown.” He waved at him.

“Oh, honey, are you okay? Your eye?” Autumn voiced concern.

“Looks worse than it is. Don’t worry, though, I got the other guy good.” That silenced us before we even came to say what we needed to. “Somebody start talking. You didn’t come all this way to gawk at me.”

I cleared my voice, keeping it even, staying brave, as I stated the words I’d practiced with Autumn in the truck. “Trig, I’ve asked your sister to marry me.”

He leaned forward, eyebrows aimed at the ceiling. “What’s that?”

“We’re getting married, Trig,” Autumn confirmed, and her hand found mine on the table, giving it a squeeze. If she was acting, she deserved an award.

“I’d like your blessing,” I finished.

“You—what?” His voice raised, and hands that had stayed flat on the table, curled a little at the first knuckle. The guard by the door shifted his weight, ensuring we all knew he was there. “I asked you to watch over her, McCall. Not fuck around with my—” He stopped and breathed in deep as if that’d help him remain in control.

“He didn’t. We aren’t—” Autumn was quick to defend. “Jake’s only ever been good to me.”

His voice returned to normal, but his eyes flashed on me. “She’s been through hell. You know that. And your answer is a wedding?”

“There’s more,” Autumn cut in. “The Eatons served me papers. They’re suing for full custody of Stetson.”

That took the breath out of him. He leaned back in his chair, staring at the baby gnawing on a toy of his.

“Their case is that she’s alone,” I said. “Unwed. Unsupported. So she’ll have my name, my insurance, a home on the ranch, and the whole town standing behind her when a judge looks at this case.”

The quiet stretched long enough for Stetson to fill it. “Dada,” he announced to the visiting room, reaching over and moving into my arms. A woman two tables over smiled at us.

“Seems Stetson’s given his blessing,” Autumn’s lips flatlined but twitched.

Trig’s mouth gaped wide open, observing it all. “What the hell?”

“Our marriage is actually a smart move if you think about it, Trig. The Eatons won’t see it coming,” I tried to reason.