Page 118 of Sliding Into Love
“You knew!” she said, smacking him lightly.
“Ethan is terrible at secrets,” Jimmy shrugged. “He’s too jumpy.”
Ethan scoffed.
“You’re doing it now?” Laura asked. “Here?”
“Not exactly.” Ethan shoved his hand through his hair, and Laura noted how long it had gotten, waving to his shoulders.
“There’s a courthouse two blocks away!” Ivy still held onto Ethan as if her life depended on it.
A courthouse wedding? Save us,Laura thought, and Jimmy squeezed his arm tighter around her shoulders as if he’d read her mind. But she held her tongue, grateful to be included in the event.
“We’re getting a daughter!” Jimmy quipped, and Laura’s eyes clouded with tears. She waved away everyone but Ethan. She tugged his ear down to her level and whispered.
“This was what I wanted for you.” Her throat was tight. “To be so happy.”
Ethan squeezed her tight before letting her go and taking Janna’s hand.
“Let’s go! We don’t want to miss the reservation,” Frankie said in his rumbly bear voice.
Of course, Frankie knew too,Laura thought, falling into step beside Jase.
When they arrived at the courthouse atrium, Ivy gleefully snatched a number from the machine, despite Ethan gently reminding her they had an appointment. She shoved the tiny slip of paper into a purse, which Laura was thankful to see was considerably smaller than her usual massive tote.
Derek, Isaac, and Lily waited for them in the lobby, all three bedecked in autumn colors to offset the bouquets of cream-colored flowers they carried. Derek looked almost somber beside Isaac’s burnt orange suit and cravat. Laura smiled as Ivy squeezed Lily's arm, exclaiming about not needing flowers.
“Shut up, it’s your wedding day,” Lily said, rolling her eyes. Laura coughed lightly to cover her laugh. “Of course, we brought you flowers.”
Together, the group took up most of the waiting room, but at least they’d only arrived a few minutes before their allotted time.
The wedding was exactly as Laura should have expected and nothing like she would have planned. It was short and sweet, with simple, standard vows, perfect for Ivy and Ethan, who’d stared into each other’s eyes as though no one else was in the room.
Ethan Fisher nearly had to pour his wife into the backseat of the car, not out of drunkenness, but out of exhaustion from spending the day in incandescent bliss.
Hiswife.
He still couldn’t quite believe the words and the frisson of pleasure they caused him.
Ivy peered at him through lowering lashes before wrapping both of her arms around his bicep and throwing her legs over his lap.
“Ethan?”
“Hmm?”
“We’re married.” Her voice was muffled by his arm.
“Yeah, sweetheart. We’re married.”
“Ethan?”
“Hmm?”
“I like being married.”
Ethan chuckled.
“We’ve been married for about four hours.”
