Page 29 of Just My Luck

Abel’s eyes floated down my front and back up, snagging on my red lip.

“Morning.”

Nervous, I ran an errant hand down his white dress shirt, noticing he’d even trimmed his stubble. “You sure clean up nice.”

Abel leaned away from my touch and tugged at his collar. He angled his body away and held his arm out for Bug. “Aunt Bug, I think you’ve met Sloane.”

Bug King was the standing matriarch of the King family. It was common knowledge that she was stern and humorless. Her assessing eyes moved over me, and I tried not to squirm under her stare.

I let out a surprised squeak when she pulled me into a hug. “Thank you for doing this for him,” she whispered in my ear.

I watched Abel over her shoulder as he shifted uncomfortably. It seemed the story he’d told her left out what I was gaining as a part of the arrangement. After she released me,Bug moved toward Sylvie and started chatting, no doubt about the impromptu wedding they’d both been thrown into.

Determined to make the best of this, I smiled up at Abel. “Ready for this?”

A small laugh escaped him. “Definitely not.”

I looped my arm into his. “Aw, come on. I told you—I’m going to be the best wife you’ve ever had.”

When I went to step forward, Abel stayed rooted to the spot, and I glanced up at him.

His eyes were soft and warm. “Before we go in... I have something for you.” He adjusted his stance and reached into his pocket, pulling out a simple silver band.

He held it between us as I stared.

Abel cleared his throat. “It was my mother’s.”

My hand flew to my mouth. “Oh, Abel... no. I couldn’t?—”

“It wasn’t her wedding band or anything.” Abel shook his head. “I remember Mom wearing it on her right hand. She never went anywhere without it. For some reason she’d left it on the dresser when she... you know, left us.”

His eyes were steady on mine, but they held a depth of emotion I couldn’t quite read.

“Anyway,” he continued, “I managed to grab it before my dad burned it with the rest of her stuff.” Abel shrugged. “I figured this is probably the only marriage I’m going to get, so... it just felt like you should have a ring.”

My heart thumped and my chest ached for the small, motherless boy he had been.

“It’s beautiful.” I held out my left hand and allowed him to slip it on my ring finger. “Huh.” I smiled and flipped my hand over. “It fits.”

His jaw flexed as he stared at my finger. “We should go in.”

I steadied my shoulders and tried to ignore the weight that slim silver band added to my hand. “Let’s do it.”

Side by side we found our way to the appropriate office, Sylvie and Bug not far behind us. The clerk reviewed our paperwork and gestured toward the seats that lined the large office window. “We’ll call you when it’s time.”

In near silence, the four of us sat in the stiff wooden chairs and stared ahead. Only the sounds of creaking wood and the shuffling of paper filled the waiting room.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the door to the judge’s quarters opened, and a woman filled the doorway. “Sloane Robinson and Abel King?”

We stood before her.

Here goes nothing.

TWELVE

ABEL

Ten dollarsplus a few muttered words later, and Sloane and I would be husband and wife.

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