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“Very nice to meet you Lizzie, my name is Wren. Thank you so much for doing this for me.”
“It’s my pleasure but I do have an ulterior motive. I don’t have any witnesses, that’s why we’ve been sitting here letting everyone else go in front of us.”
“Oh gosh, we’d be happy to do it for you too if you want?”
“Yes, please that would be so much appreciated.”
The judge cleared his throat again, silencing the women. He went about his dearly beloved speech and by the power vested in me and then announced the couple as Mr. and Mrs. Rivers, and they were now joined as one and the groom could kiss the bride.
It took Hudson all of a second to grab her into his arms and kiss her like there was no tomorrow. She was breathing heavy when he let up.
“We should probably move; I don’t think the judge is a patient man. Oh, do you mind standing up for Lizzie and her fiancé Micah? They have been sitting here for a couple hours waiting for the opportunity to get married, they just didn’t have witnesses to stand up for them.”
“Oh, yeah we can definitely do that. If she hadn’t helped us, we might have been in the same situation as them.”
When it was time for the judge to call the next couple, they waited to the side. He called Lizzie and her fiancé Micah next so Wren and Hudson stepped forward when he asked them iftheyhad witnesses and rings.
They were such a cute couple and didn’t look any different in age than herself and Hudson. They’d just made new friends. To celebrate, both married couples and their friend Tucker found the closest steak house and ate dinner.
Hudson and Wrenwere so wrapped up in their own happy little world when they drove away from the steakhouse and headed back to Rock Creek, they didn’t notice the truck with darkened windows that pulled out after and followed them at a bit of a distance.
Four
For the next two months,give or take a few days, the couple spent just about every minute together. Hudson taught Wren everything there was to know about the ranch and that included mucking out the stalls for the horses, collecting eggs and cleaning out the chicken coop. He showed her the books and all the bills he had to pay. He also gave her the keys to the extra vehicle he had just in case she needed to go into town.
Because he knew he owed her, he also attempted to explain how they came to need to be married. That when his grandfather passed away the ranch in whole was left to him, however with that responsibility came stipulations he had to meet to become its permanent owner.
The reason he wanted a wife was purely his doing but also in part keeping with the parameters of the will. Hudson had to have children to carry on the namesake and take on the ranch when it was their time, he’d added the wife part because he was raised to do the right thing, in the right order. Wife first, kids next.
Hewasgiven a deadline, he just hadn’t told Wren about it but as far as he was concerned, they were ahead of schedule. The wedding had already happened and he was more than willing to work on the kids part as often as she would let him. He hadn’t expected to have such deep feelings for Wren as quickly as they’ve developed. She hadn’t said as much but he was sure she felt the same.
He had breakfast done but she wasn’t downstairs yet like every other morning. That woman was usually an early riser, even up before him. He’d just take her breakfast in bed. As he ascended the stairs, he could faintly hear a strange noise. He peaked in the bedroom and she wasn’t in bed but he could hear more clearly now, she was throwing up in the bathroom. He put the tray of food on the dresser and approached the half-closed door, knocking softly.
“Wren, hey are you okay?”
“You can come in.”
Hudson pushed the door open and saw his wife down on her knees in front of the toilet, wiping her mouth with a washcloth.
“Oh shit, are you okay? What can I do?”
She started to get up but didn’t have much strength so he helped her up and walked her to the bed.
“I think you should get back in bed.”
“I don’t feel very well. What’s that smell?”
She was turning up her nose at the scent wafting through the bedroom.
“Oh, I made you breakfast in bed, French toast with over-easy eggs and bacon.”
She covered her mouth quickly and gagged.
“I can’t Hudson, the smell is making me sick, none of it even sounds good, I’m so sorry, it was so sweet of you to do.”
He was puzzled but would do whatever she needed.
“Let me get it out of the room.”
