Page 37 of One Night Bride
Her parents sat perfectly still, their gazes following our locked hands. Her mother was the first to break the silence.
“It happened again, Jim.”
Chief Waldo growled, turning to face his wife like we weren’t even in the same room. “Did we do something wrong? Raising them?”
Mrs. Waldo shook her head. “I don’t think I pushed them too hard about the marriage and babies thing. Maybe I should have been tougher.”
“It’s not your fault, Susie. I should have been clear on our expectations. I just never thought after raising five daughters, changing diapers, feeding them three meals a day, going to all their sporting events, and funding proms they’d betray us like this.”
“Okay, enough!” Esme ground out. All heads turned in her direction.
“I’m sorry to disappoint you, but the fact is, Remington and I met in Tahoe and got married accidentally. So let’s lay off the guilt trip and move forward.”
Mrs. Waldo tilted her head. “How does one get accidentally married?”
“Unfortunately, there was alcohol involved,” I piped in, earning another glare from Chief Waldo. “Turns out though, I rather enjoy being married to Esme and would like to date her.”
“You do the dating before the marrying, you dimwit,” Chief Waldo groused, his face turning an unhealthy red.
“Dad, please.” Esme leaned across and put her hand on her dad’s forearm. “We realize we went about this all wrong, but give us some space to figure things out.”
“What’s to figure out? He wants to date you, so sounds like the marriage will work just fine.” Mrs. Waldo clapped her hands together. “All that’s left to do is plan the reception!”
I grinned. Esme groaned. Chief looked ready to spit nails.
“I’d like a word outside with you, Remington,” Chief announced.
Esme let go of my hand and stood up, like she’d physically get between me and her dad. It was sweet, but foolish. I could handle myself just fine.
“Dad, please.”
His face softened as he looked at his daughter, and I could tell he was a good father. If I was blessed with a daughter someday and she came home with a stranger she’d married one drunken night, I’d be pissed too.
“We’re just going to talk, sweetheart,” he grumbled, giving her a pat on the cheek.
He stepped around her and I followed him, heading for the front door. There was a huge wood patio there, with views of the ocean that would make a grown man weep. He went all the way to the railing and glanced down before turning back and staring me down. His face was no longer red, but by the look in his eye and the way his handlebar mustache twitched, I could tell he was right there on the edge.
“What’s your last name, son?” he asked, surprising me.
“Roth, sir. My family is from Wyoming.”
He harrumphed and tugged on the waistband of his uniform pants. He walked over to me and crossed his arms over his chest. “Until I get the background report back, I’ll just tell you one thing. Esme and Izzy were about six the first time I took them to a neighbor’s farm and had them ride horses. My shy Izzy took to it like a fish to water, which surprised the hell out of me. I looked over at Esme and she sat on top of that old mare like she was a statue. I went over and her eyes darted from the horse’s mane to my face and back again, wide with fright.”
He paused in his storytelling and I wondered where he could be going with all this.
“I laid a hand on her knee and told her everything would be just fine. She just needed to trust me. I led the horse in a circle until I was dizzy. Esme finally relaxed enough to grin and sway in the saddle. Izzy called out to her across the field and Esme told me she thought she could do it herself.”
I got nervous right about then. I knew a lot about horses and how they can sense the mood of the rider. Nervous riders and horses don’t mix.
Chief looked out at the ocean, remembering. “She galloped over to her sister and wouldn’t you know it? The poor horse strode right into a hole in the grass. She went down hard and Esme flew off with a scream. Of course, we all came running, but I’d heard the snap. The horse limped away and Esme broke her arm.”
His gaze swung back to me and I could have sworn there was a brightness lurking in his eyes that wasn’t there before. “I promised my little girl she’d be okay, and I let her down. That was the last time I ever made that mistake.” He poked me in the chest. “You will make her happy, married or divorced, or I promise I’ll make your life a living hell. One tear on her cheek, Remington Roth from Wyoming, and I’ll have your balls strung up on that hideous statue in the roundabout in town. We clear?”
I swallowed. “Crystal. I promise you I won’t hurt her, Chief. I’m already half in love with her.”
He sized me up before speaking. “I didn’t think you looked like a dumbass.”
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