Page 22 of Falling for the Forward

“A debt-free divorcée with a nice fat bank account, though,” Mara says.

“Right. Is that enough of a reason to do it?”

Harry answers as he walks back in from the kitchen. “That’s for you to decide, babe. Mara and Dex would do it and I...don’t know about me. I might, but I can’t be sure.”

I sigh softly. “The money would be amazing, but I’m also really attached to the girls. If I don’t do this and they have to move to Alaska and live with their dad...it would be really hard on them.”

“But there’s no guarantee of anything,” Dex reminds me. “You don’t know for sure that if you do marry him, they’ll get to stay here, and you don’t know that if you don’t marry him, they’ll have to go to Alaska.”

“But what do you guys think?” I look between Dex and Mara. “As attorneys, do you agree with the advice Carter’s attorney gave him?”

Mara shakes her head. “I’m not qualified to give you an opinion on that.”

I laugh. “But you have an opinion on literally everything else? Evenmy socks.”

She shrugs.

Dex considers before answering. “Michelle Maroni is the best family law attorney in the Cleveland area. She’s an absolute legend. If she thinks it’s a good move for him, it is.”

“But that doesn’t mean you have to be the one he marries,” Harry points out.

I walk across the small room and back again, thinking. “I don’t want to be in debt for the next decade or more. And if I don’t do it, I’ll lose my job as Carter’s nanny. If he has to show the girls aren’t being raised by nannies, he can’t keep me.” I take a breath in and out, my heart racing as I realize which direction I’m leaning. “I love the girls, too. I can’t stand the thought of some stranger marrying him for the money and treating them like crap. So I guess...”

Mara jumps up from the couch, clapping and squealing. “My best friend is gonna be a pro hockey wife!”

“Are you sure?” Dex asks me.

I nod, imagining Olivia, Charlotte and Hallie’s expressions when we tell them the news. It makes me smile. “I’m sure.”

“Then we have a wedding to plan!” He looks over at Harry. “Gay man party-planning superpowers, activate!”

“We’ll have to do it indoors, obviously,” Harry says. “I’m thinking fall neutrals? Bring the outdoors in?”

“Perfect.” Dex flips to a fresh page in his notebook, the pro/con list forgotten. “We’ll need to go dress shopping immediately and secure hair, nail and makeup appointments.”

“You guys, this isn’t going to be a real wedding,” I remind them. “We just do a quick formality at the courthouse.”

Dex and Harry laugh.

“Have you met us?” Dex asks. “No fucking way are we letting our girl have some dreary pantsuit wedding at a courthouse.”

“No fucking way,” Harry seconds. “You’ll have at least a hundred dozen flowers, the best food money can buy and a tiara.”

“Maybe a vintage pearl one,” Dex says, writing in his notebook as he says it.

“I don’t know if Carter will want any of this.”

Mara scoffs. “Don’t give him a choice.”

“Because it’ll be so great to marry a guy who’s scowling at me during the ceremony.”

“Trust me, if you tell him he doesn’t have to do a thing but show up and pay the bills, he’ll be thrilled.”

“Tuxes.” Dex is still talking while writing. “We need to know if he has one and we’ll need bridesmaid dresses for all the girls.”

“And me, asshole,” Mara says.

“Wait, bridesmaids?” I silently plead with Mara for help on this one. “I think that’s a bit much.”

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