Total pages in book: 21
Estimated words: 19661 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 98(@200wpm)___ 79(@250wpm)___ 66(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 19661 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 98(@200wpm)___ 79(@250wpm)___ 66(@300wpm)
“Even with your adoptive parents?”
“I mean no disrespect, I am eternally grateful for what they’ve done for me. But I wanted more. I want children of my own. Lots of them. I want that cliche nuclear family, Piper. It must sound boring as hell to you.”
She nibbles her lip, twirling a strand of her hair. “That doesn’t sound boring, Luke. That sounds wonderful, actually. But really? Ophelia would have never given that to you. I know her type. Narcissist to the extreme. She wouldn’t have been a good mother in the least and she would likely have used any children she had against you. I think you dodged a bullet, honestly.”
“You’re probably right. And I’m not regretting not getting her platinum silverware one bit.”
“Is that even a thing?”
“Right? I thought the same!”
“Luke, you need a chance at real happiness. With a woman you know will stick by you and not just use you to get ahead.”
“How convenient,” I say as I take her loose hand into my own. I can immediately feel the gooseflesh form under my touch. “Because I think you deserve the same, Piper. And I want to be the man to give you that happiness.”
She’s redder than any rose as I hold her hand. The connection between us is undeniable. “And how do you plan on doing that?”
I take a gander around the church, and how it’s ninety percent of the way to hosting a luxurious wedding. “How do you feel about getting married, Piper?”
She swallows loudly. “Like... now, or eventually?”
“Either.”
She follows it with a loud exhale. “I want it all too. I want a man, I want to get married. I want to be a wife. And I want to be a mother, have a baby. Have a lot of them. The fantasy you described is the same one I have, Luke. I want to get hitched and start building a family. Sooner rather than later.”
I chuckle. “You want to be wed and bred?”
“If that’s how you want to put it, then yes. I’m all for that.”
She breaks eye contact. She’s nervous as hell, not sure where this is going. I’m not either, flying wholly on adrenaline.
“It’d be a shame to waste all this,” Piper says. “It’s really a nice wedding setup. I guess even a mad bridezilla like that woman could put something nice together.”
I cackle. “She did nothing of the sort.”
“Huh? She kept demanding changes. Nothing seemed good enough for her.”
“She just liked to complain. But she chose nothing. She did none of the work in putting all of this together. I chose all this, Piper. I did all the work in making this wedding happen. Ophelia did nothing.”
She smiles. “So what you’re saying is that this is your dream wedding?”
“Ninety percent, yes. You helped a bit too. I trusted your judgment on flower arrangements. And your recommendation for a photographer too.”
“Arnold is a friend of mine. I just like getting him extra work.”
“Would you hire him for your own wedding?”
“Well, yeah, he does very good work. He always leaves me impressed.”
“Do you see anything about this wedding setup that you’d like to change?”
She looks around the church, taking it all in. “Uh, does the caterer have vegan options?”
“Yes. And Kosher and Halal choices as well.”
“Then, no. If I got married in a place like this, I don’t think I’d have any complaints, Luke.”
I stroke my chin, freshly shaved for what was meant to be my big day. And maybe it still will be. “Then what do you think, Piper?”
“What do I think about what?”
“We could get married. Today.”
She’s giving me that deer-in-headlights look again.
It’s adorable, but I have to admit, I’m anxious inside.
I’m a madman for even asking.
But maybe she’s just as mad as I am.
Maybe we’re more perfect for one another than we ever could have guessed.
3
PIPER
Well, well, this escalated quickly.
I give him a thousand-yard stare. He can’t be serious.
“Did I break something in that cute little brain of yours?” he asks, a smile on his face.
“I’m trying to decide if you’re just overearnest or if Ophelia had the right idea about running away from you after all.”
“Well, you heard her talk. Do you think she’s ever right about anything?”
I can’t help but giggle, breaking my composure.
“You want the same things I do, Piper. We’re different sides of the same coin, both wanting to go in the same direction. I feel more kinship with you after talking to you for fifteen minutes than I felt with Ophelia in over a year.”
I grimace. “I’m sorry you had to deal with her for that long.”
“It’ll be worth it if I end up with you.”
Fuck, he’s so disarming. So handsome. I’m blushing like mad and I’m on the verge of making a terrible mistake.
“You said it yourself,” he continues. “It’d be an awful shame to let everything here go to waste. So I say let’s go with it. Let’s take a shot. What do we have to lose?”