be so damned sweet we give my entire family a toothache before the afternoon is over.”
“ That’s my girl,” Nash said, laughing as he slammed out of the driver’s side and jogged around to help her out of the truck.
His words made that fluttery feeling whisper in her chest again, but Aria ignored it.
She wasn’t his girl, she was her own woman, and Felicity’s mama, and she was prepared to do whatever it took to defend her little family, even if it meant lying like a dog to the rest of the people she loved.
***
After an initial moment of stunned shock in the wake their announcement—followed by tentative congratulations from Lark and Mason, giddy squeals of excitement from Melody, tears from her mother, and a tight-lipped nod and too-tight handshake for Nash from her father—the afternoon grew progressively more pleasant.
Either she and Nash were excellent actors, or her family was simply so eager for their black sheep to find her hometown happily ever after that they were willing to swallow a ludicrous story about Nash and Aria realizing they’d never fallen out of love and deciding to make up for lost time by eloping.
Whichever deserved the credit—good acting or her family’s eagerness to be deceived—the acceptance of Aria’s new husband went far more smoothly than she’d anticipated.
By the time they’d finished grilling chicken for a late lunch, Mom was letting Nash help her set the table and complimenting him on making Captain so early in his career, Lark was giving Aria the thumbs-up sign behind Nash’s back, and Mason was clapping Nash on the shoulder so often you’d think the two of them had been carrying on a bro-mance for years. Mason was that excited to have Nash as a future brother-in-law.
And Felicity…
Well, Felicity made it clear how she felt about Nash, taking to him with the same warmth and immediacy as she had the first time, giggling when he called her “Skeeter,” following him around the yard showing him all her toys, and insisting on sitting on his lap during the meal instead of eating in her high chair.
The only person who continued to look less-than-thrilled about Aria’s sudden marriage was her father.
Aria wasn’t the least bit surprised when Dad appeared in her bedroom doorway as she was packing a few last-minute items to take with her to Nash’s house
“ Hi, Daddy,” Aria said with what she hoped was a blissed-out-bride sort of smile. “Did you come up to say goodbye?”
“ No, I came up to tell you that you don’t have to do this,” he said, cutting right to the chase, the way Bob March always did. “You don’t have to marry that boy to keep Felicity with you.”
“ He’s not a boy, Daddy. He’s a man and he’s my husband,” she said, turning her attention back to the baby bag, shoving the last of the diapers in the top, not enjoying lying to her father. “I know you don’t like Nash, but I’ve made the decision I think is best for me and Felicity.”
“ I don’t like or dislike him. I don’t even know the man, and neither do you,” he said, coming to sit on the edge of the bed a few feet away. “You wouldn’t have rushed into this if you didn’t need to move out of this house, and you know it. And I know it. And I know it’s…my fault.”
Aria turned to face him, pained by the defeated slump of his shoulders. “Daddy, that’s not true. It’s not your fault.”
“ It is my fault. If I hadn’t pulled that stupid stunt, you and Felicity would still be safe here.” He studied the hands fisted in his lap for a long moment before looking up. “But I’m trying to mitigate the damage. I hired a private investigator to follow Liam around Nashville, see what kind of dirt he can dig up.”
“ Oh, Dad, no.” Aria winced. She’d already caused enough trouble snooping around in Mason’s past a few months ago.
At least now she knew where she got her suspicious streak.
“ He’s a rat, honey, and rats leave trails,” her
“ That’s my girl,” Nash said, laughing as he slammed out of the driver’s side and jogged around to help her out of the truck.
His words made that fluttery feeling whisper in her chest again, but Aria ignored it.
She wasn’t his girl, she was her own woman, and Felicity’s mama, and she was prepared to do whatever it took to defend her little family, even if it meant lying like a dog to the rest of the people she loved.
***
After an initial moment of stunned shock in the wake their announcement—followed by tentative congratulations from Lark and Mason, giddy squeals of excitement from Melody, tears from her mother, and a tight-lipped nod and too-tight handshake for Nash from her father—the afternoon grew progressively more pleasant.
Either she and Nash were excellent actors, or her family was simply so eager for their black sheep to find her hometown happily ever after that they were willing to swallow a ludicrous story about Nash and Aria realizing they’d never fallen out of love and deciding to make up for lost time by eloping.
Whichever deserved the credit—good acting or her family’s eagerness to be deceived—the acceptance of Aria’s new husband went far more smoothly than she’d anticipated.
By the time they’d finished grilling chicken for a late lunch, Mom was letting Nash help her set the table and complimenting him on making Captain so early in his career, Lark was giving Aria the thumbs-up sign behind Nash’s back, and Mason was clapping Nash on the shoulder so often you’d think the two of them had been carrying on a bro-mance for years. Mason was that excited to have Nash as a future brother-in-law.
And Felicity…
Well, Felicity made it clear how she felt about Nash, taking to him with the same warmth and immediacy as she had the first time, giggling when he called her “Skeeter,” following him around the yard showing him all her toys, and insisting on sitting on his lap during the meal instead of eating in her high chair.
The only person who continued to look less-than-thrilled about Aria’s sudden marriage was her father.
Aria wasn’t the least bit surprised when Dad appeared in her bedroom doorway as she was packing a few last-minute items to take with her to Nash’s house
“ Hi, Daddy,” Aria said with what she hoped was a blissed-out-bride sort of smile. “Did you come up to say goodbye?”
“ No, I came up to tell you that you don’t have to do this,” he said, cutting right to the chase, the way Bob March always did. “You don’t have to marry that boy to keep Felicity with you.”
“ He’s not a boy, Daddy. He’s a man and he’s my husband,” she said, turning her attention back to the baby bag, shoving the last of the diapers in the top, not enjoying lying to her father. “I know you don’t like Nash, but I’ve made the decision I think is best for me and Felicity.”
“ I don’t like or dislike him. I don’t even know the man, and neither do you,” he said, coming to sit on the edge of the bed a few feet away. “You wouldn’t have rushed into this if you didn’t need to move out of this house, and you know it. And I know it. And I know it’s…my fault.”
Aria turned to face him, pained by the defeated slump of his shoulders. “Daddy, that’s not true. It’s not your fault.”
“ It is my fault. If I hadn’t pulled that stupid stunt, you and Felicity would still be safe here.” He studied the hands fisted in his lap for a long moment before looking up. “But I’m trying to mitigate the damage. I hired a private investigator to follow Liam around Nashville, see what kind of dirt he can dig up.”
“ Oh, Dad, no.” Aria winced. She’d already caused enough trouble snooping around in Mason’s past a few months ago.
At least now she knew where she got her suspicious streak.
“ He’s a rat, honey, and rats leave trails,” her
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