Total pages in book: 43
Estimated words: 40275 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 201(@200wpm)___ 161(@250wpm)___ 134(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 40275 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 201(@200wpm)___ 161(@250wpm)___ 134(@300wpm)
His warm lips meet my forehead, his hand releasing my jaw to run up and down my back when he pulls away, his eyes wide, and I practically see the thought bubble over his head.
“We need to get married,” he says, wild eyed, settling me on the hay bale as he spins in a circle, eyes darting around. “Now.”
“Wait, what? I—”
He drops to one knee, grabbing my hands in his, his chin low, my heart in my throat as he looks up. There are tears on his cheeks.
“Marin…you will marry me.” His voice cracks as I screw up my face.
“You mean…will you marry me?”
He shakes his head his hair falling over his forehead. “You will marry me. I’m letting you know.”
“Wow.” I chuckle at how fitting his anti-proposal is, given his bossy nature. “So, if you were asking, I would be saying yes. But, you’re not asking.”
“Right.” He nods, grabbing my face and pulling it to his, his tongue invading my mouth in a long, warm kiss before he pulls back and stands, tugging out his phone. “I’ve got it all set up,” he says, tapping the screen. “It’s all legal and binding.”
“What is set up? What do you mean, legal and binding?” I ask, then perk up. “We need a selfie.” I smile, turning into a side pose. He’s been taking my pictures all day every day and it’s better than modeling for some stranger, but the pictures are darn good if I do say so myself.
He holds up a finger, stepping back, holding out the phone then turning so I can see the screen.
“Hello?” A woman in her forties I’d guess comes on the screen. “Mr. Ray?”
“Yes, we’re doing it. Can you do it now?”
What in the what is going on?
The woman nods as he turns the phone so I’m showing in the little square at the bottom of the screen.
“Go to the form link I sent you, both of you can sign with your finger at the ‘X’s’. Then, we can proceed.”
More tapping on the screen, then Davis sits next to me, holding out his phone. “Sign here.” He says as I blink and look from his excited eyes to the screen.
“It’s a marriage license. Sign it. She’s going to marry us. Now.”
He reaches for my hand, tucking my fingers into a fist, then pulls out my index finger and points it at the screen as my jaw falls open and a beam of sunshine cuts through the dust in the aisle and lands on the phone.
“Marry…” I say, swallowing. “I’m getting married?”
“Like I said, it’s all legal. Virtual weddings, they do them now and I spoke to the officiant earlier.”
“But I’m getting married? Right now?”
He nods. “You can have whatever kind of wedding you want with whoever you want. But, that’s the celebration, it can come after. I don’t want you pregnant and not married to me. You’re mine now, I need that to be true in every way. You’re my soulmate. I know it. I’ve had happily ever after going on in my head since I saw you that first night. Be my wife, baby, I love you now and always and forever. We’re going to make it official and fuck. Then, then we will celebrate.”
He uses his finger to sign his spot on the electronic form, then waits for me as the woman in the background shuffles something, breathing quietly.
If you are happy, I am happy. I’m with you always, Marin.
It’s like a whisper on a breeze that flutters into my ear. It’s my mother’s voice. I know it as well as I know anything and as Davis holds his breath, brushing the backs of his fingers across the tear on his cheek I nod and swipe my signature on the phone.
“Yas!” Davis’s arm wraps around me, pulling me up next to him as he holds the phone at arm’s length. “Okay, let’s do this.”
And just like that, I’m Mountain Marin, married to her mountain man.
chapter twelve
Marin
My tears are wet on my cheeks as I hug myself, remembering Stevie screaming.
How did I end up right back in this God-damn truck?
One minute I was watching the sun glint on the beaded sweat across Davis’s abs and the polished blade of his ax, listening to the logs split and thinking of how he would want a shower when he came back inside and I was going to join him. It’s been close to a week of heaven and now this?
This?
Only, ten seconds after he hopped on the tractor and drove into the woods to pull out another felled tree, the front door flung open and an iron grip circled my upper arm, my feet shuffling on the wood floor as I was dragged out the front door.
Grandpa must have been watching to be sure Davis was out of earshot