Page 52 of After the Vows

“Sophia shared her lunches with me. I don’t know if Lily figured out what was happening, but Sophia’s lunches grew until she basically had enough food for two.”

I don’t ask why she didn’t tell anyone. I’ve seen enough abused kids in my job to know it’s not a simple question with a simple answer. A manipulative parent can make the child feel as if it’s her fault she’s being punished.

“Okay,” I murmur as I wrap my arms around her. Her knees buckle and she melts into me. I’ll be her strength whenever she needs it. “I’ll go to drunk poker but I’m not getting drunk.”

She pushes away from me. “It’s not your choice to get drunk or not. It’s about your poker skills.”

I waggle my eyebrows. “Don’t you worry. I’ve got the skills.”

Her eyes flare but she clears her throat and steps back. “You’ll have to prove it.”

I motion toward the door. “Let’s go.”

Lily and Jack’s house is less than five minutes from mine. Nothing is far in Smuggler’s Rest. I was afraid I’d find the small town suffocating. But it’s not. I glance over at Chloe. It’s intriguing.

“Awesome!” Weston hollers when we enter his parents’ house, which is already crowded with most of Chloe’s family. “I win the jackpot.”

I glare at him. “Stop making bets about me.”

“Don’t get your panties in a twist. It’s just a bit of fun.”

“It’s fun at Chloe’s expense. Not okay.”

“Chloe?” He raises an eyebrow. “You’re worried about the wild child?”

Chloe cringes next to me. She doesn’t enjoy being referred to as the wild child. What she doesn’t enjoy, she doesn’t have to endure.

I squeeze her shoulder before stalking toward Weston. “I told you to stop referring to my wife as a wild child.”

“You don’t have to call her your wife in this house. Everyone knows the marriage is a sham.”

A sham? I growl. Our marriage is not a sham. It’s real. Chloe and Iaremarried. We said our vows, we exchanged rings, and we had our first dance. It’s real.

“Do you want me to choke you out again?” I ask instead of arguing with him about my marriage. My marriage is not his business. It’s no one’s business but mine and Chloe’s.

“I am loving this!” Sophia shouts.

Her boyfriend, Flynn, wraps an arm around her and hauls her close. “Don’t encourage them.”

“Weston is my big brother. I’m legally obligated to root for him getting his ass kicked.”

“He’s also my best friend,” Flynn says.

The door flies open and Nova rushes in. “Am I late? Am I the last one to arrive? What did I miss?”

“Weston and Lucas are about to throw down. It’s so romantic.” Maya sighs. “Lucas is fighting for Chloe.”

Chloe marches forward and shoves me away from Weston. “Enough. No one’s fighting for anyone.”

Jack clears his throat. “I don’t know. I think Lucas should have to fight for you.” He narrows his eyes on me. “Lucas didn’t ask me for your hand in marriage.”

Aw crap. I didn’t realize how close Chloe was to Jack and Lily until fifteen minutes ago. Had I known, I would have asked him for her hand in marriage.

“No one is asking anyone for my hand in marriage. I am my own woman and I can make decisions for myself,” Chloe says.

Paisley pushes her glasses up her nose. “I have to agree with Chloe on this one. The practice of asking a woman’s father for her hand in marriage is anachronistic at its best, patriarchal at its worst.”

“I think it’s romantic,” Maya says.

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