Page 26 of Six Month Wife

“Sorry, eager to legally bind my assets,” I quip, giving her a smirk.

She snorts softly. “Romantic.”

The justice sighs and pushes her glasses up. “Do you, Adair?—”

“Yep,” she says, equally enthusiastic. “I've got to get back to the store, so no sense in dragging this out.”

“You know, you don’t have to sound quite so excited,” I mutter under my breath, suppressing a laugh.

She leans in, whispering back. “Can’t help myself. I’m a sucker for paperwork.”

The justice of the peace clears her throat pointedly, glaring at us over her rims. “By the power vested in me by the State of Florida?—”

Adair tilts her head. “Do we need rings or something?”

I glance down at my watch, then back at her. “Do you want a ring?”

“Not really.”

“Same.”

The justice finishes, deadpan. “I now pronounce you husband and wife. Please sign here.”

We scribble our names hastily on the dotted line, exchanging a quick, perfunctory handshake. The witness we snagged in the lobby signs. Getting married is a lot easier than I'd imagined.

“Congrats, Dr. and Mrs. Matthews,” the justice says flatly, looking relieved it’s over.

“Thanks,” I reply, offering a sheepish grin. “We’ll try not to make you do this again.”

Adair elbows me gently. “At least for six months.”

“Right.” I nod solemnly. “Long-term commitment.”

We head out into the humid Florida sunshine, marriage certificate in hand, the ink barely dry.

“Well,” Adair says, squinting at me in the glaring sunlight. “Here we are. We did the thing.”

“Married,” I reply, the notion way more bizarre now that it is done than when we were talking about it. I'm married!

“For business purposes only,” she adds firmly.

I smirk. “Obviously.”

And like that, we’re officially, legally, and ridiculously bound together—for richer or poorer.

For the next six months.

7

Adair

The Palm Beach Clubsmells like old money and golf shoes. It’s got that polished, “we’ve always belonged” energy that makes me itch.

Bets sits across from me, all smiles and glowing with that new-mom energy, which is funny because she’s still the same smart, driven woman I used to look up to back in LA.

She’s always had this knack for making everything look effortless. Being a mom is no different. Add that to her badass accomplishments, and she's already crushed. She makes owning a business, raking in the dough, being a friend, and entrepreneur look like child's play, and now mom of the year.

I’m still over here struggling with one of those things. She’d never have a problem keeping a business afloat on an island that's the size of a postage stamp.