Page 69 of When I Should’ve Stayed (Red Bridge #2)

Clay

The sun is just starting to come into my bedroom window when I blink awake. And when I look down, I find a naked Josie curled up beside me, her head resting on my shoulder. Her hand rests on my stomach and right there, in its rightful place, is her engagement ring nestled on its left ring finger.

I finally got my wife back.

I glance at the clock, and I see it’s only a little after nine. I wouldn’t be surprised if Josie doesn’t wake up for a few more hours. See, when you spend over five years apart from the woman you love, the night that you finally are back together, you end up having a lot of sex.

I’m talking a lot, a lot. I’m not certain what time we fell asleep, but I know it was at least four in the morning.

I grab my phone from the nightstand and quietly scroll through missed texts and calls.

Norah, Bennett, Marty, Eileen Martin , and several other people who witnessed us kissing at the reception are more than a little curious about what’s going on.

Nosy bastards. For now, I choose to ignore them, and I quietly scroll through some news articles.

I’m tempted to get up and head to Melba’s bakery to grab us some donuts, but when Josie starts to stir against me, I glance down and find her green eyes looking right at me.

“Morning,” she says, a sleepy smile already on her lips.

My wife stayed.

“Morning.” I smile and press a kiss to her forehead. “I was thinking about getting some donuts from Melba’s.”

“Now, that sounds kind of perfect.” She leans up to press a smacking kiss to my lips before hopping out of bed and heading into the bathroom.

“Though, I should probably warn you,” I call out toward her. “I’ve got a shitload of messages from half the town.”

“Oh God!” Josie exclaims. “I can only imagine what all those busybodies are saying. Surely Pete and Mayor Wallace are milling about CAFFEINE, trying to see if I’m in there.”

“Eileen Martin’s message is demanding an interview,” I update her, and her laugh echoes in the bathroom.

“That woman is so predictable.” The water switches on. “Just so you know, I’m using your toothbrush.”

The mere idea of that urges a big-ass smile to my lips.

“Maybe we should skip Melba’s and just, like, drive somewhere outside of town?” I suggest, and Josie doesn’t hesitate to agree.

“Yes, please!” But her words come out all muffled around the toothpaste because my wife is using my toothbrush to brush her teeth in my bathroom because she’s here .

Thank fucking everything.

“Quick question,” she says and peeks her head out the door. “So, you didn’t actually file those divorce papers, right?”

Her silly smile makes me laugh. “Fuck no.”

And my response makes her crack up. “Good.”

Yeah. We’re still married. But one day soon, I’m going to marry my wife again.