“Great,” I muttered.
“Come on. Let’s go get some more coffee, see what kind of food I have we can put out for everyone. By this afternoon, everything will be okay.”
“You sound so sure.”
“Listen to me, and listen good, okay?”
I could only nod at his expression, as his hand slid to my hip and he maneuvered himself from my side to my front where his other hand went to my cheek like it was the most natural thing in the world. Like we were familiar with each other and touched each other often, whenever the mood struck.
The warmth from his palm heated my skin, flushed my neck down to my chest. If only…
“Your mom might believe you act before you think, but mine know I don’t. Mine know how serious I took my marriage to Lenora, how badly I wanted us to last forever.”
At the mention of Lenora, my stomach sank, but he continued without pausing.
“I mean this, Gabby. Whatever else you believe today, know this. I wouldn’t have gotten married at the drop of a hat because we were drunk and being silly. We might not ever fully remember what happened last night, but I know, deep in my gut and my conscience, something happened that made us think this was the perfect idea. We might figure out what that something is, we might not, but what I do know right now, is that we’re married. And I take that seriously. No one will give you a hard time. I won’t allow it. You’re my wife, for whatever reasons that came about, and as long as you continue to be my wife, my job is to protect you. Emotionally. Physically. Financially, if you need it. Understand?”
I understood nothing. Not this speech. Not the intensity swirling in his dark eyes or the way his chest heaved with the force of his statement.
“Joey—”
It was all I got out before he tugged me forward and gently brushed his lips over my forehead. A barely there, gone before I truly registered it and yet sparks of pleasure worked their way down my spine, tangled in my stomach and drove deeper until my body felt alive for the first time since I could remember.
A kiss or a touch from Kurt never felt like this.
Never had my body responded so quickly.
I leaned in, rested against him, and then nodded. “Thank you.”
“We’ll figure the rest out as it comes.”
And that sounded like a promise too.
“I just… I don’t understand.”
Sonya Taylor, the matriarch of the Taylor clan was standing next to her husband, wringing her hands together, making me feel approximately two feet tall. They must have already been on their way, a caravan of Taylor brothers and spouses and kids in tow, because they showed up a minute or two after Joey and I headed to the kitchen where Lizzie jumped in and helped us pull fruit out of Joey’s fridge. Joey attempted to chip in, letting us know where to find everything, but Lizzie ushered him out of the kitchen with wide eyes and a whispered, “You might need to go keep Garrett and Rachel company.”
I’d cringed, hating I didn’t have the family who would at least wait and listen before jumping to conclusions of my extreme irresponsibility.
Not that the truth wasn’t exactly what they thought. But damn.
For once, it’d be nice if I was at least given the benefit of the doubt.
Once he’d stepped away, shooting me a look I somehow was able to read asking me if I was okay and I nodded, I turned to Lizzie. “Please don’t ask me questions.”
Fortunately, she hadn’t the time before the doorbell rang, the Taylors descended and all three of their wives helped us finish digging in the kitchen for essentials and what we attempted to pass off as a brunch—minus the champagne for mimosas, if he even had any. Based on their tightened expressions, surreptitious glances in my direction and Joey’s, no one was in the mood for more celebrating.
It was once Joey called everyone into the living room, took my hand in his, tangling our fingers together like we’d been holding hands since our middle school days and declared, “As you’ve seen and as you’ve heard, Gabby and I were married last night.”
The proof of it was with my wedding dress still draped over the couch and our marriage certificate he’d found upstairs and brought down at some point now sitting for all to see on the large coffee table.
“It’s simple, Mom,” Joey said. He slid a grin toward Sonya I imagined had a terrific track record of getting him out of all sorts of trouble. “Gabby and I started spending time together a few months ago, and last night, we decided we didn’t want to wait to start the rest of our lives together.”
He sold it so well. If we weren’t around everyone who knew us best, loved us the most, and knew our tells, I had no doubt he would have been one hundred percent believed.
Except for Garrett.
“Yeah?” he asked, arms once again crossed over his chest, eyes narrowed. “When exactly have you been spending time together because last I knew, we were on the road or playing games and Gabby here was with me on the nights we weren’t.”
Next to him, Lizzie tucked in close, slipping her arm behind his back. She gave me the same questioning look, only half as menacing as Garrett was giving Joey.
“That’s not true,” I said. “There were lots of nights I left to give you and Lizzie time alone. Or nights when you two went out for dinner and baby shopping.”
“So you were sneaking around? What for, unless you knew you were doing something you weren’t supposed to.”
“I’m not twelve, Garrett. Stop making me sound like a disobedient preteen.”
“Then stop acting like it,” he shot back and at my side, Joey’s spine went taut.
“Don’t,” he snapped, leaning forward an inch, but with the way his anger spiked he might as well have been right in Garrett’s face. “Don’t you dare. We already had this talk. You don’t get to stand here and be a dick to her. That’s the last cheap shot you take before you leave.”
Garrett’s mouth thinned, but his anger was as much a living, breathing dragon as Joey’s was next to me.
He leaned back and exhaled, running his hand up and down my back. Whether he was trying to comfort me or soothe himself, I didn’t know.
“Listen, I know you’re all shocked. I know this isn’t ideal and I know, Mom, that you’re at least slightly disappointed you didn’t get to get dressed up for another wedding.”
At that, Sonya smiled, shook her head in an adoring way.
“But I already gave you that, and you didn’t freak out like this when Jason and Tessa eloped to Vegas.”
“That was planned,” Jason pointed out, all blond-haired and burly and standing tall behind Tessa who was tucked into the couch.
Tessa turned pink and sank deeper into the couch.
“So? Doesn’t mean it was a mistake and you didn’t get the third degree.”
“I asked him questions,” Sonya said, but quickly frowned. “Although, in thinking about it, I only asked him one.”
“Are you happy?” Jason said and grinned down at his wife. “And yes, I was. Still am. Best damn decision I ever made. Can you say the same?”
I fought against shuffling on my feet. Damn. The Taylors could be seriously intense, a surprise given how laid-back and jovial they usually were.