Page 122 of Speak of the Devil

“They’re traditions for a reason.” I take a gulp of my beer and scan the deck of the restaurant we rented out. It was only a short walk from the ceremony, so it kept the wedding plan simple.

After we sat with the twins to feed them, my aunt and uncle took them home to put them to bed. They’re great sleepers. Everyone calls us blessed. It’s such an odd thing to say. We’re blessed, even if they didn’t. We have each other. Everything else is gravy.

Receptions are for other people to celebrate—cutting cake, first dance, and whatever else is required of me, I’ll do for Cat. I just want my wife.

“Have you seen Cat?”

“She was with Luna and Maggie at the food truck last I saw them.” He scowls, looking personally offended. “Damn, I’d forgotten how bad music had gotten. This is Top 100 shit.”

I chuckle. “It’s not an issue when we’re on top.” We both turn to see the DJ in the corner, rocking like he’s listening to real music, like ours.He’s not.This singer’s balls haven’t even dropped. “That’s why we make our own music.”

He tosses the trash in a bin nearby. “I’m off to find Poppy.” Grabbing my shoulder, he says, “Congrats, man.” He drags me in like the sap he is and pats my back. I humor him and knock my shoulder against his and pat him right back.

The crowd shifts as trays of desserts are brought out, giving me a view of Cat—stunning in a white dress with no straps, her hair pulled back since the ceremony because of the wind that’s picked up, and wearing shoes with no heel because she intends to dance the night away. Other than when the twins were born, I’ve never seen her happier.

My chest tightens, so I scrub my palm over it. It doesn’t ease it. It never does. Because it’s not about pain but the beauty of living this life with her.

Come to think of it, she was really fucking happy the first time I showed up to her work. And she found some sick joy when we were leaving the divorce meeting. I’ve seen her happy more than anything else. The Grammys don’t matter. That woman, our two kids . . . their happiness will be my greatest success.

I leave my beer on a table and cross the deck, ready to pull her into my arms once again and give her the fairy-tale ending. But then I look to her left.Fuck.

Rushing past guests, I slide my arm around her waist. “Hey, what are you guys talking about?”

She’s barely five foot, if that. My gaze dips to Roberta when she says, “I was just telling her about the funny mixup…”

I shamelessly kiss my wife by sliding my hands over her ears and attacking her mouth. She swats me away. I don’t blame her. “What are you doing, babe?”

“Kissing you.”

I receive a pointed stare and then a smile contradicting it. “Did you forget we’re in public?”

“Nope.”

She starts laughing, running her hand down the front of my jacket. “Okay, I’m not sure what to do with that, but I guess it’s something we need to discuss privately and not during our reception.” Great, that went sideways. Now she thinks I’m intothat when there’s no fucking way anyone will ever see my wife naked.

I take my jacket off and wrap it around her shoulders. Pulling her against my side, I tuck her under my arm. “How long do you want to stay?”

Her hand covers mine, and she looks up at me. “Not long, I promise, and then I’ll be ready.”

Kissing her head, I say, “We can stay as long as you want.”

She turns back to Roberta. “She was just telling me the most interesting story about their online beta program. Apparently, we were part of it. That’s what caused the marriage mess.”

“Is it a mess?” I ask, lowering my hand to get a good grasp of her fine ass. “I see it more as divine intervention.”

Angling against me, she rubs her hand over my stomach, but she’s not sneaky. I know she’s copping a feel of my abs. She glances up at me. “You knew about the beta program?”

Fuck me.

My eyes dart to Roberta, who is cringing for me. Yeah, not the way I wanted to start my real marriage. Roberta shrugs. “I thought she knew.”

“Knew what?”My sweet girl.

“There’s really not much to tell. Does it matter now?”

“No, but I’d like to be in on the secret.”

Roberta’s joy gets the better of her. “It’s so good to be here to witness you guys finally coming together. I knew you two were meant for each other, and now you’re legally married.”

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