Page 63 of Sugar
“I’m actually on my way to her,” I say, turning back to Colt. “Give me a few minutes and I’ll bring her around to say hi.”
I don’t wait for any of them to respond, turning on my heels in the direction of Ava.
My eyes skim along the length of her dark hair as I walk up behind her. “I have something for you,” I murmur into her ear, giving both Layla and Lynette an apologetic look as I pull Ava away. I don’t miss the goosebumps that rise at the back of her neck as she turns to face me, her smile pulling into something more genuine. “You do?” she asks, letting me tug her with me.
When I’m confident that we’re alone enough to avoid anyone overhearing, I hold out the glass for her. “I was hoping I could make a toast,” I say.
She blinks slowly at the drink. “Kasey?—”
“It’s safe,” I promise.
Her eyes rise back to mine, her right cheek pulling with the curve of a new smile. “Okay,” she says, taking it from my hands.
I hold up my beer between us, and give her every ounce of my attention. “I want you to know that no matter what happens between us, I will always be here. I will always stand up for you and support you in whatever ways you allow me to.” My eyes drop to her waist, to her stomach hidden beneath all the lace of her dress. “For both of you.”
She inhales a sharp breath, her hand lifting to cover the place where I’ve narrowed my focus. I lift my gaze to hers and smile. “I mean it, Ava. All my feelings aside, whether we like it or not, we’re family now, and that means something to me.”
Her eyes flutter closed for the briefest of moments, and when she opens them again there’s no mistaking the way they shine. “Thank you,” she whispers.
I hold my beer higher, clinking it softly against her glass. “To us,” I murmur.
She lets out a watery laugh that I feel deep in my bones. “To us,” she agrees. We both take a drink to seal the deal. “Mm,” she hums, peering into her glass. “Is this?—”
“Sparkling apple cider.” I wink.
Her eyes soften. “That was very thoughtful.”
A song ends, and the low thrum of an acoustic guitar plays through the speakers before Keith Whitley starts crooning “When You Say Nothing At All.” Holding a hand out between us, I ask, “May I have this dance?”
The way her eyes flare wide has me by the throat. She glances at my hand as her cheeks tinge the sweetest shade of pink. I love how soft she is when she hangs up that armored attitude and gives me her trust.
She tucks her free hand in mine, and I set both our drinks down on a nearby table.
“Kasey, look,” she breathes out, and I force my eyes away from her to look around the room. The whole bar has gone quiet. Everyone has circled around us, their focus trained on the new bride and groom with rapt fascination. I catch my mother’s gaze in the corner, where she sits at a table with June and Olivia. She eyes us curiously, something deep and knowing in her expression.
I press Ava closer, tucking her further into my body, wondering if the baby growing inside of her can feel me too. If it’s possible for her to hear me as I float my mouth to her mother’s ear and quietly ask, “Do you think they believe us?”
Ava slides her cheek against mine as she pulls her face back to look at me. “Maybe we should give them one more kiss?” she whispers, already watching my mouth. “Just to be sure?”
And then she’s pressing up onto her toes, hesitant and a little unsure. I answer with the slow dip of my head until I feel her mouth on mine, and just like in the church I’m jolted by the sheer fucking force of it.
I reach a gentle hand around her throat, tipping her chin up with my thumb so I can gain better access to her mouth. A low and quiet whimper escapes her as she melts into me, her hands dragging roughly up my back. It’s vibrant and daring, and my stomach curls like smoke.
We don’t stayat the reception for long.
It’s obvious Ava’s exhausted, whether from her pregnancy or the day’s long-winded performance. After the dance we shared in the middle of the bar, our guests became even fiercer in their pursuit of learning our story, hell-bent on pelting us with every question under the sun about where Ava’s been and the progression of our relationship and how we decided to get married so fast. They circled us like vultures, and after seeing Ava flinch when Mayor Moore sidled up beside her, looking like a wolf in sheep’s clothing, I decided to get her the hell out of there.
We stumble through the front door of my cabin in the dark, the relief of the silence settling over us. I reach to turn on the lamp in the corner and watch the way it bathes Ava in a warm, golden light. She turns to me, a tired smile on her face. “I can’t believe it’s done.”
I huff out a breath. “Kind of feels like it should have been harder?”
Her smile grows as she leans against the back of the couch, reaching down to unclasp her shoes. “I don’t know. I think Pastor Brown is really onto something with those counseling sessions. It takes astrongcouple to make it through that shit.”
I hum out my agreement, watching as her fingers pull a thin strap from a silver buckle around her ankle. Before I know it I’m moving, sinking down to a knee in front of her, my gaze rooted on the red lines of irritation that mar her skin. “Why didn’t you say anything?” I ask, my voice rougher than I mean for it to be. When I raise my eyes to meet hers, dark curls curtain around her face, and I’m reminded for the hundredth time tonight that she’s without a doubt the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.
“Say anything about what?” she asks, surprised.
I drop my gaze back to her ankle, lightly grazing a finger along the indentation from the strap. “You were uncomfortable in these shoes, Ava.” Shit, I remember how Melody’s feet used to swell when she was pregnant with the boys, how Brooks would prop her feet up in his lap so he could rub the ache out of them.
