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He would have walked away before he corrupted her anymore. Before he pulled her into the dark shadows that were behind every Hartwell curtain.
The door opened and the kids ran onto the porch. “Uncle Jeremy, it’s time for dinner.” Their munchkin voices rang as they erupted in giggles.
Evie looked at me. “Well?”
I pulled her against my chest, crushing her with a rough kiss. I drank from her lips like they were my last sips of water. Like I was a dying man, fulfilling his final wish. Like she was a life raft that could save me. She purred as my hands covered her body.
The kids started squawking, “K-I-S-S-I-N-G.”
I wanted to tell them to go back inside. I needed time with my wife. I needed to drown out the noise and the doubts. I did that best buried inside her. My cock throbbed for her.
“Jer,” she whispered, feeling how hard I was.
“Shit.” I pressed my forehead to hers. “I need you too. Now.”
She shook her head. “No way. We are going inside to eat the most amazing lasagna you’ve ever had and then we are going to beat my sister and her husband at trivia. And then, when we get back to the townhouse, if we have any energy left…” She turned to see that the children were out of ear’s distance. “…you can fuck me.”
“Damn.”
She tugged on my hand. “Let’s go. They’re waiting.”
I wasn’t ready yet. I grabbed her waist. “I’ll never leave you, Evie. I was just thinking out loud.”
“I know that.” She smiled. “We both have demons to face. But swear to me, no more talk about doing this on our own. You made me believe we’re a team.”
“We are.” I kissed her temple before we walked inside. “We are.”
13
Evie
I looked at myself in the mirror one last time before my father came to walk me inside the main dining room. It wasn’t like the dress I wore at the Magnolia Inn. It wasn’t a full bridal gown, but it was a designer I fell in love with in New York. I felt like a bride, even without the bouquet and the bridesmaids, or the layers of tulle. It was fitted all the way to my heels.
Dad knocked on the door. “Evelyn?”
“Yep. I’m ready.” I touched up my lipgloss and swung the door open.
It seemed less scary to do things this way. I wasn’t a bundle of nerves like my sister was on her wedding day. People should skip the scary ceremony part and jump straight to the reception from now on.
Dad held his arm for me. I wanted to walk into the room with Jer, but this entire weekend was about the Rossi family. I had to take the opportunities to mend fences where I could.
If he wanted to walk his daughter in, I’d let him.
Bella’s was closed for the night. The staff had converted the restaurant into our reception venue. I remembered a wedding here once when I was ten. I had watched the bride and groom from the kitchen window.
We didn’t have to introduce an entire wedding party. This was the only piece of the night that held any pomp and circumstance. As soon as we rounded the corner, I could hear the guests clap. I saw Jeremy standing near my mom.
He smiled as we approached. There was no minister. No Justice of the Peace. It was a simple transfer as Dad handed me off to my husband. Jeremy kissed my cheek.
“You look gorgeous.”
“Thanks.” I blushed.
I had spent the day trying to forget about the conversation we had on my parents’ porch last night. I got it. He was spooked. He was damaged. He was questioning everything around him. His family. Mine. But the one thing I wasn’t going to let him question was us. I dared him to try to pull that shit on me again. We were both wounded for different reasons and the only way to get through life, was together. I needed him in my corner and he had me in his.
“Do we have to dance now or something?” he whispered in my ear. Everyone was watching us.
“No. We can mingle and say hi. I’ll introduce you to the rest of the Rossi family.”
