Page 9 of Cowboy's Christmas Wife

“Well, groomie, let’s make you wedding-perfect, okay?” Forty minutes later, Daryl left the salon with a fresh cut. He walked back down to the courthouse, nodding to people as he went. For being sleep-deprived and not at all sure about what he was about to do, Daryl felt surprisingly light.

When he reached the courthouse, his sister was already there. They shared the same dark hair color, but hers was board straight and flowed down her back. “Are you out of your mind?” she yelled at him as he came closer.

“Calm down,” he said and looked around. There were people milling around, but shoppers rarely came down as far as the courthouse. Still, he pitched his voice lower so that what he was going to say wouldn’t carry. As succinctly as possible, he explained the situation. “We’re just helping each other out,” he finished.

Georgina stared at him for a moment and then smacked him on the shoulder. “Moron,” she said, but then she pulled him in for a hug. Daryl patted at her back, awkward.

She let him go just as Laura walked up with Jeanette Carlton, who was carrying Lily. He knew her sister, Sally, but Daryl didn’t know Jeanette all that well. Considering she was a few years younger than him, she couldn’t have been a fully-fledged lawyer for all that long. He hoped that she was good at her job. They were going to need every advantage they could get, he was sure.

Laura had traded her sweats and tank top for a light pink dress that, by all definitions, was simple; it had long sleeves, hugged her waist, and flared around her hips. Still, she looked heartbreakingly beautiful. “Laura,” Georgina said and hugged her. “It’s been too long.” Whereas a lot of older sisters might ignore their younger brothers, Georgina had loved bossing him and Kyle around too much to be bothered by the idea of playing with “little kids” who were, respectively, four and seven years younger than her. That meant that she’d ended up feeling like a surrogate big sister to all of his friends, too.

Laura looked genuinely happy to see her and hugged her back hard. “I’m glad he called you to come.”

“She hit me,” he supplied.

Laura glanced at him. “Are you trying to tell me that you didn’t deserve it?”

Before he could respond, Georgina laughed. “Oh, you’re going to fit right in.”

Laura’s happy grin slipped just a little, but she didn’t say anything. “Daryl, Georgina, you know Jeanette. She’s been my rockstar lawyer.”

Daryl shook the woman’s hand. He could feel her scrutinizing him, and he hoped that she liked what she saw. “You’re a rancher, right?”

He nodded. “Yes, ma’am.”

“Cows?” Daryl nodded again. “That means you’re out of the house for a lot of the day, right? Are you expecting Laura to be your housekeeper?”

“Jeanette—” Laura started.

“I don’t mind doing my own laundry and cleaning up. I’ve been doing it myself for years. Laura can do whatever she likes,” Daryl cut her off. “If she wants to get a job, she can, or if she wants to stay at home with Lily, she can do that too. I’ll support her either way.” It was the right answer—the only answer given what Laura had been through with Clark—but he was surprised by how much he meant those words. He would make whatever she wanted possible for her. She deserved it.

Jeanette nodded her approval, and the four of them went into the courthouse. The application process for their wedding license took less than ten minutes—which surprised Daryl—and then they were herded towards the courtroom. There was another couple ahead of them, but the clerk assured them that it wouldn’t take long.

Daryl and Laura sat together and waited. When it was their turn, Laura seemed to freeze to her seat until Daryl took her hand and threaded his fingers through hers. They stood and walked down the aisle to where the justice of the peace stood; Jeanette and Georgina trailed behind them. “Are you ready?” the justice asked with a smile on his face.

Daryl nodded. “We are.” He glanced at Laura. “Right?”

She looked at him, locked her eyes on his, and nodded. “Yeah,” she said. He felt her squeeze down on his hand, and he held onto her just as tight.

The justice had them look at one another. “Look at the person you’ve chosen to spend your life with,” he said. “Give them this moment to be fully present.”

The ceremony was quick, a little more than five minutes, but for that whole time, Daryl kept his eyes on Laura. He took in every bit of her face and registered even the smallest of changes as they repeated the vows the justice prompted them to say. “Do you have the rings?”

Laura held up the ring that Daryl had given her the night before, and when the justice looked at him, he dug into his pocket to pull out the leather band that he’d crafted. Laura raised an eyebrow, and he gave her a little shrug. “I made it this morning in the shop.”

“Perfect,” the justice said. The ceremony was over after they exchanged the rings. “I now pronounce you husband and wife,” he said. “You may kiss your bride.”

Oh, shit, Daryl thought. They hadn’t talked about this. Laura’s lips began to dip down into a frown, and Daryl shot forward and caught it with his mouth. He meant for it to be a quick peck, but her mouth was soft and plush beneath his own. She sighed, and they stepped into each other for a fraction of a moment before breaking apart. He couldn’t help but smirk a little internally to see her eyes glassy with want.

They walked out of the courthouse holding hands but let go when they stepped into the light of day. Georgina gave them each a bone-crunching hug before she had to head home. “Can we start the paperwork for a new hearing?” Laura asked her friend. Her words put a damper on his good mood. It was a reminder that having a wife was a means to an end—and that itwouldend, as soon as possible.

Jeanette eyed them. “Yeah,” she said. “We can do the paperwork to request to have Clark removed from the trust.”

As they walked to her office, Daryl wondered how much Laura shared with her lawyer about their arrangement. It wasn’t illegal to marry someone for convenience—people got married for all kinds of reasons without issue—but he kept his mouth shut regardless. Just in case.

SIX

After filling out paperwork at Jeanette’s office, Daryl suggested that they go to a celebratory lunch at Ed’s. Though she was weary, Laura agreed. Whether subconsciously or not, she had been avoiding going into the diner since coming back to town. She didn’t know if many people would recognize her—it had been hit and miss—but she had been avoiding it all the same.

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