Page 15

CHAPTER

FOURTEEN

FORD

The moment I arrived home from our Canada trip, I hopped on a plane to Ohio. I hate feeling rushed, but we have to make this legal as soon as possible so her procedure will be covered. And Amber got a referral with a respected surgeon in Virginia, and her surgery is now scheduled for next week. Next week. If I’m being honest with myself, marrying this woman doesn’t make me that nervous, but her having work done on the most important part of her? That terrifies me.

The way my palms are sweating is almost enough to gross me out. I slide my hand into the pocket of my dress pants. My fingers find the old, gold coin that’s nearly smooth now from my hands feeling the lines and grooves. I run my thumb over it as I walk through the crowded Cincinnati airport and out to the parking lot to find Amber’s unreliable car. A car we won’t be taking to D.C. with us, a point I still need to make Amber aware of.

When Amber spots me, I swear I see her shoulders relax as she breathes a sigh of relief. And that fact that my presence can do that to her, give her peace, makes my own heart feel like it’s beating a little funny .

“Ford,” she says, her voice sounding watery. “Aren’t you a sight for sore eyes.”

Before I can stop myself, I wrap my arms around her in a tight embrace. She hugs me back just as fiercely, like she needed the hug just as much as I did.

She sniffs as I hold her, and I feel the tears soak through my shirt. “It’s all right. I’m here now.”

I swallow, thinking of a little joke I could make. Is this a time when a joke is appropriate? But then again, sometimes Bruce and Colby make jokes at the wrong time, and everyone seems to love it. I decide to go for it. “Or are you crying because I am here and I’m about to become your husband?”

Her tears turn to laughter and her shoulders start shaking. I blow out a breath, thankful I made her laugh and not the opposite.

She pushes away from me and looks up to meet my gaze. I’m momentarily struck dumb by her glossy green eyes and how I could lose myself in them. Looking into the depths of those emeralds is how I imagine it would be to frolick around a lush, green meadow would be.

“Yeah, poor me, marrying a handsome athlete.” She snorts ungracefully, but it’s adorable. “You do realize most women would cut off their right arm to trade places with me, yeah?”

I grimace. “That was…graphic. I’m not that great.”

She looks down, noticing that my arms are still loosely draped around her shoulders. “Is this okay? Hugging…touching?”

I laugh. “Yes, Ambs. I don’t mind hugs, not from people I know well. There are still touches I hate, like someone tapping on my shoulder.” I shiver at the thought, and she chuckles.

Amber moves away from me and reaches out to open her driver’s side door. “Well, it’s cold. And our time slot at the courthouse is in forty-five minutes. ”

“Right,” I say, gently moving her away from the driver’s side door. “I’ll drive, if that’s okay.”

“Are you kidding? I can’t remember the last time someone chauffeured me.” She peeks in the back seat, checking on Nella in her car seat, before meandering around to the passenger side. “This married thing is the best.” She winks and I roll my eyes.

If she thinks me driving is spoiling her, then her eyes are about to be opened to a whole new universe. Because I’m about to spoil the hell out of this woman, the way I’ve always wanted to.

We arrive at the Cincinnati courthouse fifteen minutes early, which is good, because I had no idea how much longer everything takes with a baby. When Amber and Nella came to visit me in D.C., we didn’t have a schedule to follow, we just hung out. But today, we have an important appointment, and Nella is bound and determined to make us miss our own wedding.

She has been changed, nursed, and burped, and I can tell by the frown lines Amber is getting frustrated. She’s wearing a really pretty dress that I didn’t notice until she took off her coat. It’s a rosy-pink velvet, and it looks soft and warm for winter, but the material clings nicely to her body. The shoulder now has a large drool splatter on it from Nella, but not even that takes away from her beauty. Her red hair is up today, in some kind of whimsical braid that circles around her head.

“I’m so sorry, Ford,” Amber whispers, bouncing and trying to get Nella to calm down.

“Don’t apologize. She’s a baby, and we’re on her schedule.” I pause. “Can I try?” I ask, reaching out for the unhappy baby girl, her cheeks red and splotchy from crying .

Amber shrugs and hands her over. I place my hands right under Nella’s armpits and she dangles there, staring at me for about two seconds, before she starts crying again.

A happy couple comes out of the room where we’re headed next. They’re smiling and holding hands, then they kiss passionately, ignoring the hallway full of people.

Nella cries louder, and they pull away from each other and shoot me and Nella an annoyed glance.

I snuggle her into my chest, and whisper against her head, “Wow, Nells. How rude. Have they never seen a crying baby before?”

She grunts, as if agreeing with me. Her big green eyes look up and meet mine, holding my gaze for a long moment. It’s funny how she can look just like her mother, but there’s something wholly different about her. She’s entirely her own little person with her own personality.

“Can you believe the nerve of those two?” I whisper again since she seems to like it. “As if they’re more important than you.”

She makes a gurgling sound, with her mouth full of drool.

“You, Nella, are the most important person in this building. I don’t think they realized that.”

She coos in response.

“Take comfort in the fact that I, Ford Remington, know how important you are and that your demands must be met—and met immediately.”

Nella grins, reaching for my face and grabbing at my chin.

Amber laughs softly, and I realize she’s been watching us and listening intently this whole time. “I see how it is. You two already ganging up on me? Teaming up?”

“Never,” I say, looking into her eyes. “The three of us, we’re a team. No man—er, woman—left behind.”

“Amber Park?” A middle-aged woman, her hair pulled into a low bun and dressed in a black pantsuit, calls from the doorway. I’m assuming the double door behind her leads to the justice of the peace.

“That’s us,” Amber says, lifting an eyebrow as if giving me one final chance to escape.

I hold out my free arm to her, and she slowly drapes hers through mine as we walk into the room where everything is about to change.

We follow the lady with the bun into the large courtroom, and the judge is already standing at the front of the room. The woman looks at the door and then back at us. “Will you have any witnesses? Or would you like me to stay and witness?”

“Does the baby count?” Amber teases, her voice sounding strained, like she’s nervous.

Of course she’s nervous, because she’s not in love with me. This whole situation is probably way more nerve-wracking for her. I’m marrying the woman I love, and I don’t have to have surgery. Therefore, I’m not nervous. My chest feels tight, and I want to comfort her, but I don’t know how, so I just continue silently holding Nella, who’s still playing with my chin and thankfully, not crying.

The woman laughs softly. “I’m afraid not. No matter how adorable she is, she’s under eighteen. But that’s okay, I’ll stay as witness. I’m Susan, by the way, Judge Carter’s assistant.”

We smile and she ushers us to the front of the room to stand near the judge. “Well, aren’t you all the cutest family,” the older gentleman says, his grey hair swept neatly to the side and his black legal robe perfectly pressed. “I’m Judge Carter,” he smiles. “I’m assuming you’re Amber Park,” he looks at Amber, and then glances over at me. “And you’re Ford Remington?”

“Yes, sir,” I answer .

His eyebrow quirks. “You look familiar…” He taps his chin with his index finger. “Do you play hockey?”

Amber laughs. “I can’t take you anywhere, Ford. Isn’t the wedding day supposed to be all about the bride?”

I feel my cheeks and ears heat. The total lack of anonymity is something I’ve never gotten used to—and probably the hardest part of being in the NHL. The good outweighs the bad, but there are still times I hate that I can’t hide and be invisible.

“Yes, I play for the Eagles,” I respond. “But today is all about my beautiful bride.” I wink at Amber, something Colby does to Noel a lot, and she seems to like it.

Amber beams at me, so she must be okay with it.

The judge laughs heartily. “Good man. You already know how marriage works, my boy. Happy wife, happy life.”

Amber bats her lashes at me, and I hold back a laugh.

We go through the basic vows of a wedding ceremony, and I realize we don’t have rings. The Judge smirks, probably thinking we couldn’t wait to marry each other and forgot rings because we’re too in love to think straight. He’s probably right, on my end, but not on Amber’s.

Judge Carter wraps up the vows and announces, “It’s my honor, by law of the state of Ohio, to pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride.”

My brain goes a little hazy, and for whatever reason, I look down and notice Nella is still in my arms. I think I was so distracted by the ceremony I didn’t realize I was still holding her. She gives me a gummy grin, then I glance back at her gorgeous mother. Who’s now my wife. And I’m supposed to kiss her.

Amber moves toward me, bringing her small hand to my cheek, then leaning in and kissing the other cheek. The scent of her skin and her shampoo nearly knocks me off my feet. When she pulls back, I have to blink a few times to remember where I am. And for the disappointment to sink in that I had an opportunity to kiss this woman, and I missed it.

I mean, the cheek kiss was nice, don’t get me wrong. But having my lips pressed against her pillowy soft ones, so pink and glossy? With her feminine scent dancing around me? Ugh. Damn it, I want that kiss. I want to go back in time and start the ceremony again. To grab her and kiss her and see if it was as good as I know it would’ve been.

“Congratulations!” Susan says, coming toward us with paperwork to make this all official.

Amber signs the documents, then takes Nella from my arms so I can sign them too. I instantly miss the small weight and the warmth of her little baby self. It was oddly comforting, like a tiny weighted blanket.

Nella instantly starts fussing, and Amber sighs. “I guess she only wants you today.”

I sign my name on the documents, then turn and look at the red-haired mother and daughter duo. Something inside my head—and heart—throbs at the sight of them. My heartbeat now thrums with the word, mine , as I look at them.