Page 53 of A Chance for Us
She takes the pen, signs, and then hands it to me.
This is something I will never tell my siblings. Let them think this never happened. I sign it quickly, before handing the pen to Patrick so he and Linda can sign too.
Mark grabs it. “And that’s all. I’m going to find my wife, and I’ll see you all at the reception.”
After he leaves, Patrick turns to us, looking exhausted. “Your mother, Linda, and I have a gift for you,” he says before pulling out an envelope and handing it to Maren.
“We don’t need anything,” she says, holding it.
“Maybe that’s true, but I need to give it to you. Open it when you two are alone.” He kisses her cheek.
“Let’s get you seated at the table. You’re worn out,” Linda says as she helps him up.
“It’s a . . . long day,” he says with a smile.
She nods. “Yes, and you will need a week to recuperate.”
They leave, and Maren leans back against the table. After a few minutes of us staring at each other, she sighs. “Well, it seems we might actually be married.”
“It seems it. Maybe.”
“Maybe.”
Maren smiles. “I swear, if there is money in this envelope, it’s yours.”
“I don’t need you to pay me. You’ve already given me a vacation, which I hear you’re coming with me on.”
She looks away, biting her lower lip. “It was Stella’s idea. Until my father passes away, she thought we should keep up appearances as much as we can. Plus, since it’s in South Carolina, I can be close in case . . .”
I nod. “In case . . .”
Maren steps toward me, her hands move to my shirt and she adjusts my collar. “You had a crease.”
“Thanks for fixing it.”
“What are wives for?”
I laugh once. “Now what?”
“Now,” she says solemnly, “we go in there and we have a really fun party. Tomorrow, we go on vacation, and when we get back, we figure out if we’re legally married and I start trying to figure out how I can ever actually repay you for this.”
* * *
“Welcome to the club,” Jack says, slapping me on the shoulder. “You’re a married man now.”
“Kind of,” Grayson says with a smirk.
Maybe not as kind of as they think. “You’re both assholes.”
“We know.”
“Good, as long as no one is confused.”
Thank God that Josh is dancing with Delia and not here to harass me with them.
“Do you need the talk?” Grayson asks with complete seriousness.
“What talk?”
