Page 76 of The Marriage Mistake

Jack’s smile was tender. “It’s like I said, Ember. We fit.”

I nodded, unable to speak. He pressed a soft kiss to my lips, then said, “Darby wants to show you her new painting. And then she wants you to try on your dress.”

I smiled and nodded. Spending time with Jack and Darby made my heart feel light. I couldn’t get enough of it.

The following day, at family lunch, Sadie marched me to the bathroom and made me try on the Gucci dress. She produced pins from her bag and went to work.

“I really appreciate you doing this,” I said.

“Don’t mention it!” She beamed at me. “I love it. With Life’s a Stitch still closed for renovations, I haven’t been able to jump into business the way I wanted to. This scratches the itch.”

“Still, you’re doing me a huge favor.”

Sadie shrugged. “You’re family. Now stand on this step stool. We’ll do the hem. Here, I brought some heels for you to wear.”

I slipped my feet into the black heels she gave me, my throat too tight to form words. They were a little big, but they were about the same height as the pair of heels I’d brought with me. As Sadie crouched near my ankles and pinned the hem of the dress up to match my short frame, I tried to hold back tears.

She’d used that word again—family.

And I realized that it was so much bigger than just Jack and Darby. There was a whole network of people in this town who had each other’s backs. People who would do you a favor without hesitation. Dozens of people I could get to know who had already decided to accept me because I was one of them now.

The magnitude of it was overwhelming. I’d never even had one person, let alone thirty. In my wildest dreams, I wouldn’t have imagined walking into a family and being accepted as I was. It was unfathomable. I hadn’t even had to do anything to gain their approval. I just existed, and they nodded their heads and said, You’re in.

By the time Sadie was done and I was back in my regular clothes, I’d regained control over my raging emotions. Well, I thought I had, until Jack accosted me in the hallway. He nodded at Sadie, who had my dress in a bag to take home with her, and pulled me into the parlor where we’d first met.

As soon as the door closed, he kissed me. It wasn’t a polite kiss. It was the kind of kiss that had me pressed up against the wallpaper, his hand slipping down to hook my knee over his hip.

“We shouldn’t be doing this here,” I mumbled against his lips and felt his own mouth curve in response.

“Such a good girl,” he chided. “Always following the rules.”

I pressed my lips together, but a flush of heat went through me. I loved the way he talked to me. Loved the way he wanted me.

“Jack,” I protested, but I didn’t push him away.

“It’s your fault for wearing one of your skirts,” he grumbled, hand coasting up my thigh. “These things drive me out of my mind.”

I giggled. Actually giggled. When I looked up to meet his gaze, there was something in his eyes that made me still. A depth of emotion. Many things unsaid.

“Let’s go talk to my grandmother about that wedding certificate,” he murmured.

Throat tight, I nodded, and I let him lead me out of the parlor and down the hall to Etta Mars’s study.

JACK

Grandma Mars waited for us behind her heavy desk. She wore a navy blouse and matching pants, complete with a pearl necklace and earrings. Her hair was styled, as usual, and her eyes were sharp.

“We’re here for the wedding certificate. We’ll file it tomorrow,” I announced.

My grandmother arched a brow. “How wonderful,” she said, but she didn’t move.

I could feel Ember’s frustration beside me. She lifted her chin at my grandmother and asked, “Why do you hold the certificates hostage, anyway? Seems to me like we should’ve had it from the start.”

Grandma’s face split into a grin, her eyes twinkling with mischief. It was the same look she’d given me when I was eleven and she’d caught me trying to rig a bucket of water above Knox’s bedroom door. She hadn’t taken the bucket down, and she’d told me not to get caught.

Right now all she said was, “You didn’t ask.” She pulled the top drawer of her desk open and took out a large white envelope. “Congratulations,” she told us.

Ember nodded, taking the certificate. “Thank you. We’ll file it in the morning.” She glanced at me, arching her brows.