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Gina put her hand over his mouth, and she shook her head. “Shut up. Do you think I’m stupid enough not to … ask?”
He frowned. “Did you…”
“No, not all the time. I was so far gone most of the time that I just wanted to feel you inside me. I … I don’t know what is going to happen, Jared.”
“I love you.”
“What?”
“I have always loved you. That hasn’t changed. It is never going to change.” He took hold of her hand and placed it over his heart. “Do you feel this? This is what you make me feel all the damn time. I can’t get away from it, Gina. I love you so fucking much. I was a dick to you. I … you didn’t deserve it.”
“Jared, shut up.”
“Marry me,” he said.
“Wow,” she said.
“Do you have any idea how many times I wanted to ask you to marry me? I have missed you so much. Every day that you were gone, it killed me.”
“Stop it.”
He cupped her face. “I love you so fucking much. I want this town, no, I want the world to know how much.”
“By marrying me?” she asked.
“Yes.” He chuckled and kissed her lips. “Come on, Gina. Give me, give us a chance.”
Chapter Seven
Three weeks later
Gina didn’t know if she could do this.
Jared had always wanted a summer wedding, and after telling their parents she was pregnant, they had also admitted they were going to get married.
The wedding had come as a shock to the town. A lot of women had stopped by the beauty salon to catch a look at the soon-to-be bride. People were a little shocked that Jared had picked her.
A town full of beauties, but he chose her.
Rather than keep their relationship a secret, and their upcoming marriage a surprise, Jared had done the opposite.
She had heard the story being retold so many times. He’d walked into the diner during one of its busy dinner times and announced to the entire room that he was marrying her.
A lot of people were supportive.
“How are you holding up, sweetheart?” her father asked, coming into the back room of her salon.
Jared had been willing to spend a fortune on a church wedding, with all the trimmings, but she refused.
Back when they were kids, Gina had remembered Jared’s wish. That when they got married, it be at the town’s garage, surrounded by cars and family. His love of cars had never diminished.
Gina never had a dream wedding in her mind.
To her, so long as her husband had been Jared, she hadn’t cared about where or who married them.
Their best friend, Phil, had taken the necessary tests and had obtained the certificate to be able to perform the wedding. With Jared announcing their wedding to the town, he’d also told them where it would be, and that if they wanted to, they could attend.
So, today, roughly four months pregnant, she was going to marry her childhood sweetheart. The town rebel. The guy she once hated, but had always, without a doubt, loved.
“I’m fine. Has he made a run for it?” she asked.
Arthur laughed. “Nope. For once in his life, that boy has been early.”
“Early?”
“Yeah, standing there waiting and all.”
“Oh.” Gina looked down at her dress. “How do I look?”
“A little filthy?”
“Dad, come on.”
“You look stunning.”
She put a hand on her stomach. “Are you disappointed in me?”
“Honey, you went away and found yourself. You came back home, showed me what an amazing woman you are, and found the love of your life again. How can I be disappointed in that?”
“I’m getting married four months pregnant.”
Her father walked toward her and pulled her in for a hug. “And you are glowing. I have nothing to be disappointed in. I’m going to be a granddaddy.”
She smiled, feeling the tears come to her eyes.
She had picked out a beautiful white dress, not expensive because the bride from Jared’s dream wedding wore steel-toe capped boots, which she wore. The dress was torn, to show them off as well. Grease stains on the hem, and around the body, but also, her hair wasn’t perfect either. Some grease was also on her cheek.
Gina had taken great care to look the part of his ideal bride.
As she did so, she remembered the boy who had told her his secret. She smiled fondly. To her, it was another reason why she loved him so damn much.
How could she not?
“I think it’s time,” Gina said.
Her parlor wasn’t too far from the garage, but as they got closer, she was shocked to see the turnout from the town. People made a passageway for her to walk down, and music began to play.
Claps surrounded them, and as she got to the entrance of the garage, she looked up. There was Jared. He wasn’t dressed in a tuxedo.
“You have to marry me, Gina. You can’t say no.”
