Page 66 of The Billionaire's Wife

“So she said. To Virginia, in fact.” I turned and watched him closely. His expression didn’t betray anything. “To your guest room, actually.”

He nodded and picked up his burger. “That’s where they usually stay.”

“You’re good with that?”

Tristan turned to look at me. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

I broke eye contact and looked down at my food. Did he really not understand the problem or was he playing at something? “You told them we were married.”

“I did. I should have a long time ago. Believe me, I got an earful about that.”

I frowned. His mom—Angie—had been so kind and excited. “Sorry.”

“It’s not your fault.”

“It really is.” I picked up my burger, but my appetite had gone. I set it back down and turned in my chair to face him. “You wouldn’t have married me if I hadn’t been such a mess. You wouldn’t have hidden it if I wasn’t such a mess. And you wouldn’t have had to deal with fourteen years of secrets if I—”

“Stop. You’re wrong all across the board. And I don’t understand why you won’t hear me. I married you because I was in love with you. Yes, you needed out of a bad situation, but I probably could have come up with other ways to help you. Like telling my folks. You know they would have let you come live with them.”

“I…” I tipped my head to the side. “You’re right. Why didn’t you?”

He just lifted his eyebrows and stared at me.

I swallowed. It was starting to sink in. For real. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

“I thought I had time.”

I winced.

“That wasn’t a dig.” He reached out, hesitated for a moment, then took my hands. “I should never have let you go. I have so many regrets, but marrying you isn’t one of them.”

I blinked as my eyes filled, and looked away. “I don’t understand you.”

He laughed and squeezed my hands. “I could say the same thing. Faith.”

He paused so long I turned back to face him.

He caught and held my gaze. “I love you. That was true fourteen years ago. It’s true today. I realize I haven’t always done a great job telling you that, but I hoped you’d see it in my actions.”

“I did. I do.” I pressed my lips together. “You really want to do this?”

“I do.”

I couldn’t stop the flash of memory of the two of us in jeans and T-shirts, ridiculously young, facing a judge in a small room at the courthouse. Tristan had said those words with the same fervor then as he did now.

“Okay.”

“Yeah?” His face split into a grin and he stood and tugged me to my feet. He pulled me into his arms and held me close in his strong, safe grip.

I relaxed into his embrace and nestled my head into the hollow of his shoulder. “Your mom wants us to get married again so she can watch.”

“No.”

I tipped my head up so I could see his face. He was watching me, his expression serious. “Really? It seems like a simple enough thing to do for her.”

He shook his head. “Not happening. I have no interest in the circus that my mother would plan for something like that.”

“She said simple.”

---