Page 39 of Wed to You

Her eyes narrowed, partly because she didn’t believe him, and partly because she thought it was mean of him to tease her like that. A man like Jagger didn’t fall for a woman like her. He’d already said so when he proposed. “You don’t believe that.”

His head jerked back slightly. She stepped away from him and began walking along the bank.

“The point is,” He caught up with her, walking beside her, “this doesn’t have to be hard. At least it’s not for me.” He took her hand and pulled her to a stop.

“I said I’ll do it and I will.” She pulled her hand from his grip, not liking that his touch muddled her mind.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a ring, thrusting it at her. She looked at the ring, sitting in the palm of her hand, and her chest tightened. This engagement wasn’t real, but still. “It’s pretty.”

“If you’d rather we make a big deal by shopping for one together, we can.”

Gee, thank you,hung on her lips, but she bit her tongue. Of course, this wasn’t going to be a romantic proposal. But it was barely civil. Tears threatened, and she turned to look over to the river where Kaden was making lightsaber noises while swinging a stick.

“It’s my grandmother’s.”

Her head whipped back to look at him. This was a fake marriage. She shouldn’t taint an heirloom with that. “Jagger, we can’t use this.” She held her hand out for him to take the ring back. “I don’t need a ring. Many women don’t have engagement rings.”

“We need this to look real. This will do it. It’s the only ring I have right now. If you don’t like it, we can shop—”

“It’s beautiful but it should go to someone you love.”

He ran his fingers through his hair. “I have this ring instead of my father because my grandfather knew he’d never really love anyone or give it to someone worthy. At this point, I’m not certain I’ll never find someone to love, but I’m sure you and this situation, keeping Kaden, makes you worthy.” He plucked the ring from her hand and slipped it on her left ring finger.

She looked at it, her heart hammering in her chest even as her head told her it was fake.

Jagger held her hand in both of his and brought them over his heart. “I’d like to tell Kaden too.”

A little dazed, she nodded.

“You okay?”

She looked into his crystalline blue eyes and mustered a smile. “Yes.”

“Can we go on the rides now?” Kaden ran up to them.

“Sure thing, champ. Just one thing before we go get sick on the rides.”

“I won’t get sick.”

“Here. Come sit with us.” Jagger took Kaden’s hand and led him to a fallen tree. He lifted Kaden to sit on it, while he stood in front of him. He turned his head back, his brows lifting in a “join us” expression.

Shaking the surrealness of the situation from her brain, she stood alongside Jagger, wondering how he was going to explain this to Kaden.

“What would you think if Miss Beemer came to live with us?”

“Really?” Kaden’s eyes widened with joy.

Jagger nodded. “Yes. She says she’ll marry me and we can be like a family.”

Kaden looked from Jagger to Chelsea and back again. His blank expression suggested he didn’t quite understand.

“Will she be my mom?”

Chelsea’s breath hitched, feeling pleased and yet guilty at the idea. Kaden had a mom. A mom who wanted him back.

“Well, no. She’d be your niece. She’d be with us. Like a family.”

Kaden nodded. “Okay.”

---