Page 62 of Wedlocked

I giggled.

Ben stiffened. “That’s the worst joke you’ve ever told.”

“It wasn’t a joke,” he muttered.

“I’m getting married in two days.” Ben’s voice was quiet and serious.

He was upset. Not in a Bridezilla way either but genuinely.

Crossing the space between us, I wrapped my arms around his neck and hugged him tight, pressing my face into the side of his neck. “We’ll figure it out.”

His arms closed around mine, and his chin rested on my shoulder. Something about that simple gesture made my stomach flip. I was lucky. I mean, I know he was ridiculous, but he also loved with his whole heart. I’d never seen a man run so willingly toward the altar.

“I love you,” I whispered, and his arms tightened.

“There’s a courthouse about thirty miles from here,” Landry told the room. I turned in Ben’s arms to see her gazing at her phone. “I’ll call and see if they have someone willing to drive up here,” she said, immediately lifting the phone to her ear.

A moment later, she was speaking into the line, her mannersmuchbetter than Ben’s.

We all waited quietly.

When she ended the call, her shoulders slumped. “They don’t do house calls. They said you could go down to the courthouse that day, though. Whoever is on staff can do it.”

My spirits lifted a little. “We can do that. We’ll just drive down there. Everyone can come with.”

“They said only three people are allowed in the room.” Landry was sullen. “The office is small.”

I glanced at Matty and Arsen, knowing automatically that they’d be there, but how would I choose just one more out of our family? It felt wrong.

“Hell no,” Ben grumped. “We planned an outdoor wedding out there on that back deck with all our family and a view. I’m not taking you to some cramped office.”

“But it doesn’t matter as long as we get married,” I told him. “We can still come back here and have dinner with everyone like we planned.”

“I don’t like it,” Ben groused.

“We can come stand in the parking lot. When you come out married, we’ll throw some rice or something,” Rush offered.

“Jason, that’s so sweet,” Landry said.

“I offered to marry them and he wants to throw rice, but yeah, he’s the sweet one,” Bodhi muttered.

“It’s not what we planned, but at least we’ll be married,” I implored Ben.

Ben frowned. “You deserve better than that.”

“Let me make a call,” Arsen said, pulling out his phone and stepping out of the room.

“I’ll start breakfast,” Landry said. “Rush, get the eggs. Bodhi, get the bread.”

“I’ll make more coffee,” Emmett said.

“You’d really just go down to the courthouse and marry me?” Ben asked.

“I would marry you anytime, anywhere,” I confirmed. “The place doesn’t matter as long as you’re there.”

He sat in one of the chairs, tugging me into his lap. “Can you blame me for being so eager to marry you? You’re perfect.”

Butterflies fluttered beneath my ribs. Sometimes I wanted to pinch myself because I couldn't believe Ben was mine.

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