Page 51 of A Surprise Wedding for the Cowboy

Stephanie didn’t think so. “He implied he thought Tate and I were sleeping together.” He’d been kind of rude, actually.

“It’s none of our business.”

“Wait, what? You think that’s what’s going on, too? Because we’re not!”

In the hallway, Jamie chattered and Tate replied in his low voice as they went back to the living room. How was Tate managing Dad without Stephanie there to referee? It would be easier for him with Jamie to distract them both.

“Honey, I support you either way.”

“That’s just it. This isn’t support. This is you not believing me. Not trusting me.”

Mom’s jaw quivered. “There’s no other reason for such a quick wedding.”

“Not. True.” Stephanie all but growled out the words. “Plenty of couples have fallen in love quickly and decided not to wait years to get married. We are hardly the first.”

“I should go check on the roast.” Mom pivoted out of the room.

Stephanie draped the gown over the end of her parents’ bed. They might be offering a public show of support, but it was only to save face. She wanted nothing more than to march out of this house right now with Tate and Jamie and go buy her own wedding dress.

She couldn’t do that. Not to her parents. Not to herself. But at the moment, it seemed like their rift was too deep to mend.

* * *

“You doing okay?” Tate cut a glance at Stephanie as he steered the Lexus away from her parents’ place. She’d been rather quiet all through dinner. Ever since she and her mom had come back down the hallway, actually.

She let out a long breath. “I’m not sure.”

“What happened? Do you want to talk about it?” Man, he felt like he was walking on eggshells. This was all new territory for him… as it was for her.

“So, I fit my mom’s wedding dress.” The brightness in her voice sounded false against the set of her jaw.

“That’s great, if that’s what you want to wear.” He waited a beat. “Is it? Because my offer still stands. I’m happy to take you shopping, or you can make a day of it with your friends.”

“It’s fine. Not exactly what I would choose on my own, but it’s all right.”

He reached across the console and covered her clenched hands with his. “It’s your wedding, not hers.”

“Dada!” Jamie bellowed from his car seat in the back.

“Hey, shorty.” Tate met the toddler’s gaze in the rearview mirror. “What do you think Mama should wear to the wedding?”

“Mama!”

He grinned and retrieved his hand to turn the next corner. “Anything she wants, right, kiddo? See, Stephanie? Jamie agrees with me.”

She offered a smile that didn’t reach her eyes.

“Hey, sweetheart.” Tate softened his tone. He was way out of his depth here. Growing up with three brothers and zero sisters meant he had no clue how to get to the bottom of this. To know what Stephanie needed him to say. “Talk to me.”

She huffed a breath. “My parents think we’re sleeping together. Even when I said we weren’t, my mom didn’t actually believe me.”

“I’m sorry. That stinks, but we know the truth. Even more important, God knows the truth.”

“Right.”

She didn’t sound convinced. How would he feel if his parents said things like that to him? If they weren’t supportive? Mom and Dad didn’t agree on much, but they both seemed to like Stephanie and think she was good for him and for Jamie. They were both totally on board, unless they were far better at hiding their opinions than he thought they were.

Stephanie angled to look at him as he turned onto the county road. “Do you know why it hurts so much?”

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