Page 48 of Be My Bride

“Practical?”

“Tedious.”

“That’s a big word, Hansley.”

I slant her a really look. “You deserve more than that.”

“No, that’s more than I deserve.”

I frown. “What’s the story?”

“Excuse me?”

“No one talks that strongly unless they have a reason.”

She folds her hands beneath her chin and stares me straight on. “My parents got divorced when I was eight. Everyone in the family thought they’d be together forever, but forever lasted five years.”

“How’d they meet?”

“At a music festival. It was lust at first sight. They hooked up and my mom got pregnant with me so they got married. They were crazy about each other. Until they weren’t. Until the pressures of the real world and the demands of marriage and a kid tore them apart.”

“That’s one case. Marriage doesn’t have to be gloom and doom.”

“Have you seen the divorce rate? It’s not all rainbows and candy canes.”

“It’s not a ticket to eternal misery either.”

“Marriage is demanding. It takes work.”

“Hard work? Sometimes.” I shrug. “But demanding isn’t the right word.”

“You do realize that we’re all wired to be selfish, right? Commitment, respect, self-control, self-restraint—without them, a marriage won’t stand a chance, but those skills don’t come easy. They’re difficult to maintain because they require denying yourself.”

“Is that why you got with String Bean? You were denying yourself all pleasure?”

Her lips press together but not before I see the smile trembling there. “This coming from the man who embraces his player status and refuses to commit to anything?”

“That’s a choice, remember? Not a default setting.”

“Oh really?” She arches both eyebrows.

“Yes, really. My parents were high school sweethearts. They’re still together and as in love as the day they met.”

“That’s incredible.”

“I learned a lot from watching how my father treats my mother, the respect and care he shows her. It’s a two-way street, but the vast responsibility rests on his shoulders. If something’s wrong, he fixes it. He doesn’t blame her. He doesn’t get defensive. He makes it work. And the more he prioritizes her, the more she falls in love.”

“Your parents are only one case though.” She huffs out a breath. “And they’re the exception. Reality is reality. I just don't see marriages lasting anymore.”

“Happy marriages still exist.” I ease closer to her. “And watching my parents taught me something else.”

Her eyes dip to my lips. “What?”

“You can have commitment, respect and honor in a marriage,” I rub my thumb along her bottom lip and gently tug, “as well as passion.”

She swallows audibly and tries to pull her bottom lip between her teeth.

I press my thumb against the maroon flesh and pull it down. “That’s a bad habit.”

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