Page 10 of Wildest Forever (Lovelock Bay #3)

I nod, rolling my lips.“It was a shock, but I need to remember the bigger picture,” I sigh as I look down at my pops who is laughing with Tripp and Riggs and my heart warms slightly.

“Is this thing...” she pauses, “between both of you, is it gonna turn into more than a business transaction?”

I shrug a shoulder up as I look down at my new husband.

“No, I don't think so,” I say blasé, because it is the truth. As much as that would be a wonderful ending to our story, I just can't see it panning out that way at all.We want different things.

I think it will stay as it is, a deal between a dying man and a proud one.

He wants to help, swoop in and save the day and my pops gave him the equipment to do it.

“That's a shame,” she sighs, her head tilting as she looks at him. “He is a good kid,” she nods before her eyes trace mine.

“I'm sure he is,” I return her nod with a soft smile. “Has he ever had a girlfriend?” and she shakes her head.

“Not that we have known and we're all a pretty close-knit group.”

“Huh,” I say a little intrigued but then doubt settles into my stomach at why he hasn't.

“It's a him thing more than anything else, he's a hopeless romantic that one.” She sighs, as if memories flash through her eyes. “Wears his heart on his sleeve, desperate to find his girl.”

I lick my lips as I avert my gaze to my husband, his whiskey eyes on me and my heart jolts in my chest.

“Well, I've ruined that now haven't I,” I admit and reluctantly drop my eyes to my fingers that are curled around the stem of my champagne flute, a delicate gold ring wrapped around my finger and my chest is heavy.

“You might be the dream girl he has been wishing for since he was eighteen.”

I scrunch my nose.

“I doubt that very much, I'm more of a burden to him than a dream girl,” I laugh softly and drain the rest of my glass.

We're not alone for long, when a pretty brown-haired girl with a small bump takes her seat opposite.

“I'm Dixie,” she pushes her hand across the table for me to take and I do, shaking them before I withdraw mine. “So, what a surprise this was,” her gaze drifts to Aspen before her blue eyes are on mine.

“Tell me about it,” I swallow down the dryness that coats my throat.

“I mean, you have got lucky with this family,” she smiles softly, her hand rounding the underside of her bump, her lips pressing into a smile as she looks down at the life she is growing.

“Have I?” I find myself asking which gets her head snapping up fast.

“Yeah, you have,” and I don't miss the harshness of her tone.

“Dix...” Aspen says softly, shaking her head in a disapproving manner.

“I think what my sister-in-law is trying to say,” she turns herself to fully face me, “you have got lucky with this bunch,” she gestures her hand down the table lined with Riveras.

“You will never find a more loyal, hardworking, loving family. Sure, they've had their moments,” she winks at me, “but everything they do is for their family, and well, Morgan, whether you like it or not, you’re part of this now. I know this is not what either of you wanted, trust me, but this is the cards you have been dealt. So, you can either go with the flow and go all in or put up resistance making both your lives miserable for however long this goes on for,” she rolls her lips before settling back in her chair and twisting back around.

I let her words play over on loop.

“Exactly what I said,” Dixie rolls her eyes but I can see the playful hint of a smile on her lips.

“Exactly,” Aspen nudges into me and I let out a soft laugh.

“Just don't put your walls up, let him in... get to know each other, just ride out the storm because I promise by the end of it, you'll be real glad that you did.”

A lump presents itself and I find myself trying to swallow constantly to budge it.

I nod, ignoring the way the tears tease at the back of my eyes.

“Trust me, he is a good boy.”

Dixie hums in agreement.

“Now, no tears on the wedding day,” she wraps her arm around my shoulder and pulls me in close which only makes the tears fall harder.

I've never had this. Never had someone looking out for me.

But now I had a whole family it seems, and I was terrified.

“May I...” Pacey's raspy voice pulls me from my thoughts, and I feel the way Aspen's arm slowly slips from my shoulders, her face lifting as she looks at him and gives him a warm smile.

Aspen steps up and nods for Dixie to follow before Pacey is sitting down next to me, his body on an angle, him twisted to face me. Legs apart, elbows resting on his thighs and hands dropped between them.

Silence crackles between us, the soft chatter amongst family fading into the background.

“You doing okay?” he asks me and I give a half smile, tilting my head as I shrug my shoulder into my cheek.“Same,” he admits, a hint of a laugh passing his lips.

“Are we crazy?” I whisper, finally letting myself sink into those whiskey amber eyes.

“Yeah?” he puffs his cheeks out.

The silence is back and I watch as he pushes his hand around the back of his head.

“I mean, I would have finished that sentence with what a story to tell the grandkids but...” and he gives me a slow wink.

I find myself laughing at him, nodding as tears threaten to spill once more.

“This will be okay, Morgan,” his large hand drifts up and cups my cheek and I find myself leaning into him.

“We will be okay, maybe this is what we both needed hey? Maybe this was always God’s plan,” and I find myself nodding again as a tear rolls down my cheek, but he is there catching it with the pad of his thumb before he brings it to his lip and kisses it.

“Now... may I have this dance?” he asks as life with you - Kelsey Hart begins to play through the small speakers dotted around a makeshift dance floor.

“You may,” I whisper as he stands, holding his hand out for me to take which I do, gladly.

Leading me to the open space, his ringed hand slips around my lower back, pulling me close as his other hand clasps mine as we slow dance, and for a moment it's just us, the stars, the moon and the mountains.

But that doesn't last long, Riggs and Aspen, Dixie and Tripp, Dusty and Marsha, a few other couples stand up and when I glance at the table, I see Orla and my pops sitting there and I don't know why but it breaks my heart.

Pacey spins me around slowly before I am pressed closer to him and that's when I see that my pops is leading Orla towards the dance floor, his hand in hers, one on her hip as they dance.

“That's the first time I have seen a genuine smile on her face,” Pacey whispers and my eyes drag to his, lips parted.

“I'm glad he managed to do that.”

“Me too,” he lowers his head, his eyes dropping to my lips and panic sets in as I slip my hand from his and let it meet the other one that is resting on the breast of his suit jacket and push back. It got too intimate and I'm not ready for anything like that.

“Excuse me,” I nod as I turn and walk into our home and lock myself in the restroom.

Once the door is closed, I push my back to it and close my eyes, heart drumming against my skin.

I just needed a moment alone.

It's been a lot, and I am desperate for today to be over and to go back to how my life was before, but uneasiness settles in my chest, it'll never be how it was.