Page 13 of Conveniently Theirs (Viva Las… Oh, Sh!t)
twelve
Josh
“ S o where’s the car?” Devin spreads his hands and turns in a circle. “Don’t tell me you misplaced our rental.”
“I… uh… didn’t have a choice about leaving it. The guy who married us took the keys. I didn’t argue, I’d had a lot to drink.”
“I appreciate how he kept you and Kendall safe. But where’s the car now? Some chop shop?”
Not sure why Devin is getting so bent out of shape over this, I turn toward the wedding chapel entrance. “I’ll go check with the chapel staff.” At the door I’m met with a huge ‘Closed until 3pm’ sign. I stride back to face Devin’s scowl. “Or not.”
“Hey guys,” Keni calls. She’s wandered away and stands at a tall fence separating two small parking areas, peering between the slats. “Is that our car? I don’t really remember anything about it, but maybe?”
I grab Devin’s hand and we join her at the fence. “Yep, that’s it. Wonder why it’s in this other chapel’s lot. Shit, we don’t have time to wait until three to figure this out.” A tiny throb starts in my temple and I rub at the irritation.
“You okay, hon?” Devin gently pushes one of my hands away to soothe a caress at my temple. My eyes drift closed.
“Mmm. I really did drink too much last night.”
Keni wraps an arm around my waist. “Not much sleep either.”
Devin steps back and the loss of his warmth and his touch is like a punch in the gut.
We—the three of us need to figure out what’s happening between us.
Keni and I have had a great start. Devin and I are solid.
Our discussions about a woman joining us should make our current situation at least feel like a step in the right direction.
But is it?
His physical reaction to watching Keni and I having sex didn’t surprise me.
Neither did his admission he wanted to join us.
He’s always been willing to try something new and is inventive with our sexual play.
What I don’t know is if the power of his reaction was due to a specific woman.
He’s keeping something from me, and with his current mood and actions I know he’s been holding his secret for some time.
At the center of this are his true feelings toward Keni.
If she’s not the woman for him—how do we deal with the situation?
Become a foursome? A somewhat rotating sets of two?
Would Keni be able—willing—to handle that?
Shit. I’m not sure I could. My dreams have only included a throuple.
Devin, Keni, and me. I can’t imagine any other arrangement. Any other lifestyle.
We’ve got to get away from the bright, over stimulation of Vegas. Find someplace quiet and peaceful to talk this out. No way can we end today without having at least part of this conundrum settled. Get part of this puzzle solved.
“Look, there’s the guy who did the ceremony,” Keni says, pointing through the fence toward an older man exiting a vehicle. “And he’s the one who took the keys. Let’s go.”
“Let me take care of this,” Devin says and moves quickly in front of us as we circle the fence. “Meet me at the car.”
The old guy sees us and waves. He greets Devin with a friendly grin. After a short conversation, he enters his colorful chapel, returning half a minute later to drop a set of keys onto Devin’s palm. After another wave, he disappears inside.
Devin’s half way to the car when the locks click open. I crack a door to allow some fresh air into the vehicle. When he reaches us, Devin rests his ass against the trunk and twists the key fob between his fingers. “We need to go back to the hotel.”
Leaning her hip next to his, Keni shades her eyes to look at him. “Why?”
The key flips a few more times. “I need to take a look at your marriage certificate.”
“We don’t need to go back. I’ve got it in my purse. I didn’t want to… I just… needed to keep it close.”
His smile is tight but honest. “I’m glad you did, sweets. May I?”
She digs through her bag, quickly producing an envelope. I move closer as Devin removes the single sheet, turns and flattens it against the warm metal. All three of us lean forward. I’m not sure what I’m supposed to see and I’m the first to straighten.
“Devin, talk to us.”
He returns the certificate to Keni and waits until she’s safely tucked it away again.
After blowing out a harsh breath that rachets my rising anxiety he jerks a thumb toward the neighboring chapel.
“That’s the place where I made the fake marriage deal.
The proprietor was pretty shady. Not like the guy who kept you from driving drunk.
Being not of clear mind is probably how you ended up at the wrong wedding venue. ”
“And that means—?” Keni prompts.
“Well,” he drawls. “Congratulations. This means the two of you are one hundred percent, completely, utterly, and most important, legally married.”
After a second of stunned silence, laughter bursts from Keni, deep, loud snorting laughter. The kind I know she hates. True to form, she covers her face and bends forward.
“Keni?” Devin rests his palm between her shoulder blades. “You okay?”
“Yes,” she gasps before her laughter continues.
The worry in Devin’s eyes spurs me to action. Sometimes when she gets caught up in this kind of laugher, she can’t stop and starts hyperventilating. I crouch in front of her and ease her hands from her face .
“Keni, darlin’, take a deep breath for me.” Cupping my hands around hers, I hold the bowl shape carefully over her mouth and nose. “Pretend you’re gonna kiss me and pucker up. Now breathe in. Slow. Good girl. Out just as slowly. Very good.”
Thankfully she knows the routine and really doesn’t need my coaching. Going through the process is more to ease Devin’s concern. Holding her gaze I breathe and she matches the in and out of my breaths. I nod at each exhale.
Devin crouches next to us, his hand hovering close to Keni as though he’s afraid to touch her.
Thinking back, I realize he’s never experienced this kind of incident with her before.
I reach for his hand and use it to replace mine in cupping the flow of Keni’s breaths. “She’ll be okay. Just needs to relax.”
Forcing our hands down, Keni takes two long, slow breaths. “Sorry. It’s just so much—everything that’s happened the past couple of days. Thank you for helping.”
“I don’t understand.” Devin stands and stares into the distance before meeting her gaze again. “No, I do. We threw so much at you. You’ve been through—ah, sweets. I’m so sorry.”
The exasperated look she gives me before she stands gives me an odd sense of hope .
She pokes Devin in the chest. “Don’t worry about me, Devin Reed. Yeah, these days have been interesting. Maybe I’m a little shell shocked by it all. Maybe the lack of sleep after drinks, and wine, and—oh my god—champagne doesn’t help.
“Although, you have to admit having a fake wedding that turns out to be real is hilarious. Maybe not. I don’t know.
Seems like it should be the other way around with the wedding ending up not real.
” She snickers, covers her mouth and takes a slow breath before resting her palm over the spot she’d been poking.
“My laughter got out of control. It happens sometimes. More people probably hyperventilate during panic situations though. No, I’m not in a panic over this. Josh can show you the best way to help me recover. It’ll be okay. Okay?”
After a moment he nods and glances at me. “We need a new environment.”
Oblivious to his statement, Keni continues, “In fact, you know Josh and I being really married might be better. We won’t have to lie to Uncle Harold. Anything that has to do with being a legal couple will be much easier. Don’t you agree?”
Still holding my gaze, Devin answers. “Yes. Much easier. Now, we need someplace to relax. To discuss going forward from here. I did a little research. Trust me?”
My man is always prepared. That’s a part of why I love him so deeply. He keeps my scattered thoughts and ‘ooh shiny’ brain centered when it needs to be. There is—and forever will be—only one answer. “Always.”
With the gas tank filled and a Styrofoam cooler of snacks, water, and sodas, Devin drives us northwest out of the city.
Once we’re away from the congested traffic and the flatter desert stretches to the distant mountains he turns on the radio, effectively curtailing any serious discussion.
That’s fine with me—for now. My headache’s returned so I lean back and let the two in the front seats chat about the landscape.
The hum of the tires and the soft voices of my loves wrap me in comfort and I fall asleep.