Page 12 of Conveniently Wed
“Well, someone has to be responsible for them,” the circuit judge said.
“I can take care of us both—” Seb argued.
Voices broke out all around then, Seb’s and Matty’s right in the mix, arguing.
Edgar could just imagine his fun-loving, cheerful brother being shackled to someone who would ruin his life. Pretty she may be, but she was a manipulative liar to boot. His naïve brother had no idea what he was getting into.
He couldn’t let that happen to Seb.
“You’re not marrying her,” Edgar repeated. Loud enough to silence everyone around him. “I am.”
3
This day wasn’t turning out as expected.
Inside the jail, with his brothers and her sister looking on wide-eyed, Edgar stood before the circuit judge, new fiancée at his side, ready and willing to get hitched.
Well, not ready.
And not willing, exactly.
He’d planned to stay a bachelor forever.
But he was going to do this.
He took off his hat and put it on the desk. When he looked up, he caught his bride ogling his hair. He reached up.
It was a long, tangled mess. His ma would never forgive him when she found out about this.
He ran a hand through it and shrugged.
Her big brown eyes didn’t lose their slightly wild look.
“Can you give us a minute?” he growled at the room in general.
The circuit judge looked like he would protest, but Matty clapped him on the shoulder and the room’s occupants edged away into the periphery.
His bride looked like she couldn’t catch her breath.
“You gonna swoon?”
Her gaze narrowed on him. “Of course not.”
“You look pretty pale.”
She frowned, that pretty mouth turning down. “Perhaps I’m just overcome with the anticipation of marryingyou.”
The smile that spread across his lips shocked him. And her, too—he could see it in her face.
She crossed her arms over her middle. He supposed she wanted to appear composed or irritated, but the way she held so tightly to her elbows made it look more like she was holding herself together.
Like she wasn’t any happier about this than he was.
He didn’t like feeling sorry for her. “Let’s just get this over with, all right? I’ve got things to do this afternoon. I’ve got a herd of cattle to get on the move. And I know your sister is plumb worn out.”
He had no intention of letting his new wife stay on the ranch permanently, no matter if they were married or not. But he needed some time to figure out what to do with her.
She peered up at him suspiciously. “Will you…seek an annulment?”
