Page 101 of Here's to Now

“We’ll make it work,” I say before Haley can answer. “Besides, aren’t those questions you can askanymarried couple? That’s not a valid line of questioning. You’re grasping.”

“Testing.”

“Huh?”

“I’m testing you two, Gaige.” She smiles widely. “You passed.”

“Dammit, Maura.” Tucker expels a heavy breath. “I thought I was going to have to teach you some manners.”

She turns to him and suggestively wiggles her brows. “You still can.”

“Okay. Nope. No. I’m not listening to this shit anymore. I’m going to find the bar.” Perry throws his napkin down and pushes away from the table, scurrying away as fast as he can.

“We leave at eleven!” Haley calls after him. “What’s his deal?” she asks Dallas.

Dallas shrugs. “No fuckin’ clue, sweetheart.”

Tucker and Maura stand just as abruptly as Perry did. He grabs her hands and hauls her from the hotel restaurant, hollering for us to charge it to his room.

“Why the fuck did everyone decide to leave us with the responsibility of the bills?” I wonder aloud.

Dallas snickers. “You twoarethe only married ones.”

“Yeah, but Hudson’s a dad. Doesn’t that mean he’s, like, the most responsible one?”

“Joey’s not here. You two are.” With that, he stands and starts to leave.

“Hey! What am I supposed to do about your bill?”

“Charge it to Perry’s room. He owes me.” Then he’s gone.

I stare after him, amazed our friends would all ditch us with their bills.

“That was oddly suggestive,” Haley says, staring at the spot Dallas just abandoned.

I nod. “Definitely.”

She goes to take the last bite of her soggy waffle when I say, “Wanna get out of here,wife?”

A smile lights her face and she places her fork down calmly. When she meets my excited gaze, I can see she’s just as eager as I am.

“I thought you’d never ask,husband.”

“So I know this isn’t ideal or anything, but I kind of promised the twins I’d stay the night over at my aunt’s tonight. I forgot about it in the midst of”—I wave a hand between the two of us—“well, all of this.”

Even I want to cringe at me referring to our marriage asthis,and it’s evident in Haley’s eyes she feels the same.

“Oh. Okay.”

She’s upset, and rightly so. We should be spending this time together. Wejustgot married yesterday. But, because we rushed into it, we didn’t talk about any of the obligations we already had lined up. Hell, we didn’t even talk about where we’re going to live, who’s going to pay what bills. I have no idea how we’ll make this work.

“It’s fine, Gaige. I promise.”

Taking a step closer to her, I reach out and grab her luggage from her hands, stuffing it into the trunk with mine.

“Are you sure?” I ask, turning her way and crowding against her. I cup her face in my hands and place a simple kiss on her upturned lips. “Because I can cancel if you want.”

She shakes her head. “No, I’m not going to keep you from your family, although…it would be nice to meet them—you know, since you only told me about them yesterday morning and all.”

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