Page 13 of The Marriage Sham
“You like it?”
I put it back on the bed carefully and turn around. “I love it, thank you!” He looks surprised when I throw my arms around him, but he must get over it quickly because I feel his arms come around me. He holds me tightly but not constricting, my head fitting nicely under his chin. The hug feels good.
Granddaddy clears his throat and I jump back.
Fen is staring at me again, and I feel my cheeks heat, remembering I’m barely dressed, with no makeup, and I didn’t even brush my teeth yet this morning.
“I have to get to work, but I’ll call you with a time at the courthouse, okay?” Fen touches my arm briefly and steps back. He claps Granddaddy on the shoulder and then leaves.
It takes me a second to breathe normally, and when I look at Granddaddy, he’s looking at me with a big grin on his face.
I roll my eyes and get busy making breakfast.
* * *
Loath to admit it,I’m on pins and needles all day waiting for Fen to call me with the time to meet him at the courthouse. I keep checking the clock and seeing it get later and later. I take it as a bad sign that I have to keep reminding myself this marriage is fake. Feelings can’t enter into it. Feelings would complicate things, and I’m a smart girl. I only let a man break my heart once. Whether he knew it or not then, Fen had a chance in high school but he chose my evil best friend. I can’t let him get under my skin or else he’ll go straight to my heart.
Dark thoughts of Helena (who happens to have sharp teeth and a permanent snarl in my imagination) swirl in my brain, and I get so into the daydream of seeing her again and telling her exactly what an evil witch she really is, I jump a mile in the air when the front door bangs open around 3 P.M.
“Francie?” Fen’s voice carries an urgent tone, so I rush out of the living room to find him poking his head in the kitchen.
“Where’s the fire?” I could say something about the use of that nickname, but I don’t think it’ll get me very far. He seems determined to use it. And quite frankly, it’s kind of cute coming from him.
He spins around and rushes forward to grab my hands. I flinch back as I see he’s covered in dirt. “The courthouse called and they had a cancellation. We can do it right now.”
“Right now? But I’m not even dressed. And you’re…” I eye him with a raised eyebrow.
He frowns. “I’m what?”
I wave a hand up and down in the space between us. “Well, I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but you’re a bit dirty.”
He glances down at himself like he’s just realizing that he rolled in the mud before coming over. A hand brushes at the mess, sending dirt clumps flying onto the tile floor. His head whips up, and he grimaces. “Yeah, sorry about that. I’ll clean that up. I was just at work and I forget dirty clothes aren’t normal to everyone else.”
I stay a good foot away so none of the mess transfers to my pristine outfit, picked out with seeing Fen again in mind. “Do you think you have time to shower while I get dressed and then we go down to the courthouse?”
He runs a hand through his hair, roughing it up and making him even more good looking. Which is interesting since I usually like things perfectly neat and tidy. He shakes his head, pulling me from my thoughts. “Sorry, they said now or we’d have to wait until morning.”
My heart sinks even as I feel like I’ve gotten some sort of reprieve. A delay before the onslaught of Fen. I nod and hope he understands. “Tomorrow morning sounds perfect. Do you mind if we wait so we’re at least clean?”
He smiles, and I clasp my hands together to keep them from wiping the smear of dirt off his cheek. Wondering what his day-old beard would feel like beneath my fingers is a dangerous path I shouldn’t go down.
“Yeah, that’ll work. I’ll go get showered up, and then how about I help make dinner tonight? You, me, and Earl. How about that?”
“That sounds nice.”
Too nice.
