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I wrap my arms around her and hold her for just a minute. “I love you, future Mrs. Riggins.”
Her hands cup my cheeks. “I love you too, Mr. Riggins.” She smiles, a beautiful smile that lights up her face, and that’s when it hits me. This beautiful, incredible woman is going to be my wife—next weekend. I glance over at Madeline. She’s looking at us like we’re crazy, but she’s still shoving in eggs. She’s wearing more than she’s eating at this point. This is my life, my future, and it’s never looked so bright.
Chapter 26
Wren
Today is my wedding day. This isn’t my first wedding, but I can say with absolute certainty that it’s my last. No, I can’t see into the future. However, I do know that I will never love a man the way that I love Marshall.
“Knock, knock,” a deep voice says outside our bedroom door. “Wren, it’s Royce.”
“Come in.” I smooth down my simple white silk dress that stops at the knees.
“You look beautiful,” he says once he’s entered the room. He comes to my side and kisses my cheek.
“Thank you.”
“I have something for you,” he says, handing me a manila envelope.
I take the envelope and carefully pull out its contents. I read over the paperwork as tears blur my vision. “I know you said you were in no rush for these, but I thought today, being your wedding day and all, you might want to give this to him as a wedding gift.”
“How did you manage to get these so fast?”
“We have an attorney on retainer. We call, and he does what we need.” Royce shrugs.
“Thank you for this. Please let me know what I owe you or him or whoever.”
“Wren.” He reaches out, resting his hand on my arm. “You don’t owe anything. You’re a Riggins now. That means if you need the family attorney, you get his services just like the rest of us. Free of charge.”
Tears burn my eyes. “You think he’s going to be okay with this?”
“I know he is. He loves you and that little girl. He’s already ecstatic to be making you his wife. When you give him this—” He shakes his head. “When you give him legal rights to his daughter, his entire world is going to be in alignment today.”
“You called her his daughter.”
“Isn’t she? She might not have his name or have Riggins’ blood in her veins, but she’s still my niece.” He leans down and kisses my cheek. “I’ll see you out there.”
Royce leaves, and I’m alone. I read through the papers one more time before placing them back in the envelope. I slide them under my pillow to give to him later. Needing something to calm my nerves, I grab my phone, yes, my new phone that Marshall bought the day after I agreed to marry him. I open up my email and find a message from the accounting department at Riggins Enterprises.
Dear Ms. Wheeler,
This is just a friendly reminder that your weekly payment for Madeline’s day care costs are due. If you’d like, we can set this up via payroll deduction so it's not a worry for you.
Regards,
Susan Harris
Account Manager
Riggins Enterprises
I read the letter three times, and I can’t seem to make sense of it. Instead, I dial Marshall. “Hey, beautiful,” he greets me. “You ready to change your name today?”
“Yes,” I tell him honestly. “Hey, I was checking my email and got one from Susan Harris in accounting.”
“Okay?”
“She was reminding me that Madeline’s day care hasn’t been paid. I thought that was part of my position?” I ask him.
“Fuck.” He curses.
“Marshall?”
“Look, at the time, I knew you’d argue with me. I knew you’d been struggling, and I wanted to help you. You do get a discount, but I’ve been paying the difference.”
“What?” My mouth falls open in shock. The realization that he’s been lying to me all this time takes root in my mind. “Are you kidding me? Why would you do that? She’s my daughter. She’s my responsibility.”
“No,” he says, his voice stern and his tone angry. “She’s my daughter too. I have every right to do what I did.”
“No, you did not. You lied to me.”
“Because I knew you’d fight me on it.”
“I don’t even know you.” I battle to keep my tears at bay. How is it possible for my heart to ache with love for him and with the pain of his betrayal?
“Baby, listen to me.”
“No.” I end the call and toss my phone on the bed. It immediately rings, but I don’t look to see who it is. I know it’s Marshall. How can I marry a man who lies to me? How will I ever know if he’s being truthful? My heart cracks in two. I can’t marry him. I can’t go through with this.
The thought of losing him and his family tears me in two. Reaching behind my back to unzip my dress, I freeze when the bedroom door flies open. It’s Marshall. He’s breathing heavy, his tie is askew, and his hair looks as though he’s run his fingers through it a thousand times.
