Page 43 of One Reckless Moment

I took in the front doors as Paige inhaled and pushed them open. Immediately, I heard the whispers echoing off the walls. We walked through the great room and into the kitchen where Michael and Georgia Brooks were sitting at the table.

Georgia spotted us first and jumped up from her seat, wrapping Paige in a big hug.

“Hi, Mama.” Paige sighed into her mother’s embrace.

“My sweet baby,” she whispered, squeezing Paige tighter. When she released her daughter, Gigi turned to me and said, “Come here, Cash.”

I stepped into her hug and she wrapped her arms around my middle. I breathed in her familiar smell and relaxed slightly. As stressful as this was, it felt good to be home.

A throat cleared behind me, and I turned to see Mr. Brooks standing with his arms crossed.

“Sir.” My voice cracked like I was thirteen and hitting puberty.

I wasn’t normally afraid of Mr. Brooks, but right now I’d understand if he landed a punch to my jaw.

“Mr. Leonard,” he said in a harsh tone.

I winced. He never used my surname when addressing me. Then again, I’d never betrayed him before.

Nope, this was new territory for us.

“Dad?” Paige’s voice sounded like she was seconds from bursting into tears. I placed a hand on her back and ran my thumb back and forth over her exposed skin.

“You’re actually married?” he asked, raising a brow.

Guess we’re getting straight to the point.

“Yes,” Paige said easily, since it wasn’t a lie.

He dropped his arms and blew out a breath he’d been holding. I was sure that he was hoping this was all one big rumor that we could debunk when we got here.

“This was really stupid. To run away and get married without anyone even knowing you’re dating is something children would do.”

“Yes, sir,” I said, literally incapable of forming more words than that.

“There is a lot to work out, and a lot to talk about⁠—”

“Like planning a wedding!” Gigi burst out, cutting off her husband.

“A wedding?” Paige asked hesitantly.

“Of course. We may not have been there for the elopement, but I’ll be damned if I miss out on one of my little girls’ big day.” Georgia left no room for arguments.

Paige looked up at me with pleading eyes. She was crazy if she thought I was going to be objecting to any of this. I was not in the position to argue. I wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her into me with a beaming smile.

“A wedding sounds great, Gigi. We were nervous to tell everyone, but now that the secret is out, it’s time to celebrate with the whole town.”

“That’s the spirit.” Gigi beamed. “We’ll have to act fast since you’re only in town for two weeks, but we’ve thrown together more with less. Next Friday will be perfect.”

“Yep, perfect.” Paige was stiff as a board next to me, and I knew she was not happy with these plans.

Gigi clapped. “Perfect. Go see your siblings, and then tomorrow we’ll meet here before heading into town for some shopping.”

Paige nodded and swiftly grabbed my wrist, pulling me out to the back porch. Once the door was shut, she let out a small scream. I stood behind her and tugged her into my chest, placing a soft kiss on her hair.

It was weird; I was acting as Paige’s loving husband, but honestly I was finally able to touch and treat her exactly how I had always wanted. It was a luxury I was taking full advantage of.

Call me a selfish prick, but who knew how long this would last—how long I’d have these opportunities.