Page 50 of An Engagement Pact

THE LAST EVENT OF THEconference is a casual brunch from eleven to one. We eventually get up, shower, and dress in time to go down and catch about an hour of it.

We say goodbye to the friends we’ve made—most of them groggy from hangovers—and then we head back up to pack and clear our room by our late checkout time.

Our flight takes off at four Vegas time, so it’s very late when we land in Charlotte and drive the hour back to Green Valley. We’re both tired and quiet, but Dan asks if I want to spend the night with him since his apartment is closer. I’ll need to move in with him for a few weeks since we’re officially married now, but since we didn’t want the nuptials to look planned, I didn’t bring any of my stuff over to his place before we left for Vegas.

I have no reason not to accept the invitation to spend tonight with him, although I do send Esther a quick text so she’ll know where I am when she wakes up in the morning.

He’s already in bed when I finish getting ready in his bathroom. I’m oddly fluttery as I crawl into bed beside him.

When I meet his eyes in the light of the bedside lamp, we smile at each other.

He kisses me lightly before he turns off the light. We settle under the covers together, him wrapping his arms loosely around me.

And that’s it. We go to sleep.

We’re married now, and nothing has felt more right to me than falling asleep in his arms.

Nine

THREE WEEKS LATER,I wake up in Dan’s bed when my alarm sounds.

Often I wake up just before it’s supposed to sound, but I slept all the way through this morning. The high-pitched sound is startling and grating.

With a grumble, I reach over to the nightstand to turn it off.

“Mornin’,” Dan murmurs from beside me.

I’ve been basically living with Dan since we returned from Vegas. I haven’t moved all my stuff out of the Emersons’ place for real because it’s a lot of work when the marriage will be over in just a few weeks, but otherwise we’ve been acting like the married couple we’re supposed to be.

I like it. A lot. It’s felt intimate and domestic spending most of my time over here and sleeping beside him every evening.

“Hey, sorry about that.” I have to get up at five forty-five every weekday morning, but Dan doesn’t have to wake up nearly so early. I hate when I fail to catch my alarm and wake him up.

“No worries.” He’s been lying on his back, and he turns his head to smile over at me. “I’ve been half-awake for a few minutes now.”

“Oh, well you should try to doze off again and get a little more sleep. It’s ridiculous to get up at the crack of dawn if you don’t have to.”

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