Page 28 of The Bourbon Bargain

I shiver and lick my lips under his continued stare. Before I can overthink it more, Mama catches my attention and waves us over to resume our rounds of introductions. I rise from Hayes’s lap and draw him up with me to go to her. His hand is firm and heavy on my low back as we cross the room and I thrill to his touch.

“I saw that look, angel,” Hayes whispers into my ear before we reach Mama. “Be a good girl and I’ll fuck your tight pussy while telling you exactly what kind of vengeance I can exact for what she did to you.”

I feel my mouth make anOof surprise as my lady bits tighten along with Hayes’s grip on my hip. I have to compose myself quickly as Mama takes my arm and steers us to a group of people waiting near the dining room doors.

“Judge Whitaker, this is my new son-in-law, Hayes Olsen,” Mama says when we run into Alex’s parents. She seems to take great pleasure in introducing Hayes as her son-in-law to guests, which surprises me. She must not mind the pairing as much as she says she does. I think she will eventually have to get over the fact I made a choice for my life that she didn’t have control over, and it didn’t turn out the mess she expected without her guidance. It’s about time we learned to be less codependent of each other, even if she would prefer we always stay attached at the hip. I’m ready to be my own woman, free from her dictatorial ways whether or not she is.

“I have heard so much about you, young man.”

Hayes reaches out, offering his hand. “All terrible, very bad things, I’m sure,” Hayes responds with a clever smile.

The Judge chuckles and turns to me. “Hello, Paige darling. I heard you visited Alex in New York recently. How is sh—hedoing?“ he asks as he hugs me, tripping up on the pronoun swap Alex has made. He’s trying, though, and has been working on it for Alex’s sake. I’m sure it’s difficult for the Judge and Mimi, Alex’s mother, to embrace this change after almost two decades with their child assigned a different gender than the one that felt the best for Alex. They’re very open and at least trying, which I appreciate on Alex’s behalf.

“Alex is living his best life, and New York suits him,” I say, happy to provide the update. “I’m sorry he couldn’t come home for Hanukkah. Work seems like it’s keeping him busy these days.”

“You know how it is for young people,” the Judge says, conspiratorially, as if I am not a young person myself. “They get busy and their families have to let them go on adventures, really get to know themselves without their parents being the wiser.”

I sure hope Mama is listening and sees other parents let their kids live their own lives.

We are called into dinner at that moment, and the crowd begins to meander toward the Fairchild dining room, where Nanny Fairchild sits at the head of the long table, as regal as a queen in her black lace dress and pearls. I pull Hayes along the table, heedless of the place cards telling us where we will be sitting, because I know where my place is—at the end of the table nearest to Nanny to keep her company.

Nanny prefers not to mingle before dinner, and always gets seated first to avoid the headache of schmoozing.

Ahh, there it is. I spot our names as I get closer and see Mama has still managed to keep my last name as Fairchild on my card. I haven’t made a move to legally change my name yet, and I’m not sure if I will. Hayes hasn’t mentioned the change, but he does call me Mrs. Olsen fairly regularly, so I will have to feel him out to see what his thoughts are on the matter. Keeping the Fairchild name going in some way is important to me. I may have lost the legacy, but I won’t lose my name as well.

“Hello, Nanny!” I bend and hug the septuagenarian around the shoulders, feeling her pat my arm in response. “I would like to introduce you to someone very special.”

“Hello, honey, it’s nice to see you. Is this the new husband I’ve heard so much about? Hayes, I’ve heard is your name. My, you’re a tall one, and handsome as the dickens. Oh, Paige dear, you did well.”

Hayes smiles warmly. “Mrs. Fairchild, it’s a pleasure.”

“Paige has never brought home a boy, let alone a husband. You must be something special. Now, would you like to hear about Paige as a little girl? She was quite the awkward child, probably why her mother put her in all those cotillion and finishing classes, to school out the gangly limbs and penchant for slouching.” She pokes my ribs with her cane, and I yelp, jumping away with a laugh.

We settle in and Nanny regales Hayes with stories of my childhood, trying to embarrass me every which way with some of the things she comes up with in the hours-long dinner. My cheeks are sore from smiling by dessert.

As after dinner cocktails wrap up and guests begin to make their exits, I squeeze Hayes’s hand under the table and lean my head onto his shoulder. Nanny is no longer here to entertain us, having been whisked off by her caretaker around ten when she began to fade from the exertion.

“Getting tired, honey?” Hayes asks, placing a kiss on my head.

It is nearly midnight, and that’s kind of my limit when it comes to social events.

“A little. I want to show you something before we leave, but we have to slip away without Mama and Daddy being the wiser. Let’s say our goodbyes and then make a quick exit.”

“That sounds promising. Lead the way.”

We say our goodbyes to the Whitakers and make our way to Mama and Daddy, who are saying goodbye to guests.

“Mama, Daddy, thank you again for making this dinner such a special part of my life. We’ll see you for Christmas brunch tomorrow, right?” Hayes and I asked to have brunch with my parents at our new house. Wewill spend all of Christmas in Savannah, and head back to Atlanta for New Year’s to possibly meet Hayes’s parents, effectively splitting our holidays. There’s a lot to being a couple I had never considered before Hayes swept into my life and made me part of a pair.

“Of course, Sweet Pea, we can’t wait to see your new house,” Daddy says, kissing my cheek and straightening to extend his hand to Hayes. “Son, take care of my baby. Merry Christmas.”

I feel a fierce, crashing love roll through me at him calling Hayes son. That is a huge step forward and an indication of his respect and approval. I hadn’t thought it possible, given Hayes’s recent procurement of our business and me running off with him and getting married without their blessing.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to bring some of the food Mathilde is preparing for tomorrow? You don’t have to make everything yourself.”

I indulge Mama’s worry.

“How about you bring your delicious biscuits and sausage gravy? It’s not Christmas without them, and I think that would make the perfect addition to what I have planned.”

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