Page 119 of Sing Me Home
“And on that note, we’re going to bring it back to thehappycouple.” Bowen winked at us. “This one’s for you.”
“What Could Go Right” by Thomas Rhett flowed through the speakers.
“That’s what I’m talkin’ about.” I hooked my arms around Charlie’s waist and lifted her off her feet in a twirl.
She tossed her head back and laughed, so happy.
When I set her down, her hands slid up my neck. The gold from her wedding ring was cool against my skin. “Thank you for being a good sport,” she said. “I know this isn’t the wedding you wanted.”
I snorted. “You got that right.”
She scoffed and slapped me on the lapel of my tux. “You’re supposed to make me feel better.”
I crouched down, gazing into her eyes. “I wanted to run to the courthouse six months ago. That’s the wedding I wanted.” I kissed the tip of her nose. “But I love this wedding too. I’d love any wedding, anywhere, as long as it made you my wife.” Then I pressed my lips to her brow. “And it did, Mrs. Dupree-Dupree.”
Her eyes twinkled. “Stop trying to make Dupree-Squared happen.”
I chuckled at herMean Girlsreference. “Never.”
She slipped her fingers into my hair and pulled my mouth to hers. “Actually…” she murmured. “You can have…” More kissing. “Whatever you want…” And a little more. “Since it’s my fault we’re trailer trash now.”
“Hmm.” I gave her lip a nibble. “Camper trash, technically.”
Yup. With the leftover money from Netflix, we’d picked up a used RV to live in. Nothing fancy, but it’d get us through till we could save up for that house we wanted. When Mom caught wind, she convinced Dad to pause their “Pay For Your Own Life So You Don’t Grow Up Entitled” policy and offered us a generous chunk of our inheritance early. Tempting, but nah—we wanted to earn it ourselves.
Luckily, fate smiled on us pretty quickly.
When Opal and Ivy approached Charlie at my first tour stop, offering the influencer deal Millie had coveted, it was too good to turn down. A free engagement ring with matching bands, wedding expenses covered, and a hefty lump sum that was going straight into the bank for a down payment on our future home? You better believe we said yes.
Opal and Ivy was easy to work with, but they made usearnthat money. Not only had they capitalized on our center-stage engagement, but we’d spent months in preparation, and the past week filming all day, every day.
Zara Quinn flounced toward us like a woman on a runway, clipboard in one hand, a tube of lip gloss in the other. “Okay, you two, this is thefinalshot and then we’ll be more gone than your single status.”
She paused in front of me, gave me a once-over, and clutched her chest like she might faint. “For the love, Cash, do you even know what you’re doing to America right now? I swear, if I didn’t respect monogamy so much—and you weren’t so desperately in love with your wife—I’d climb you like a tree.”
Charlie laughed so hard, I thought her pearl buttons might pop. I just smiled, used to it by now. Zara had been like this all week while we’d filmed—dramatic, over-caffeinated, and high-key obsessed with my biceps. Which was funny since today at least, they were hidden beneath a suit jacket.
“All right, our little money maker,” Zara said to Charlie. “Let’s get that last ring shot. Just lay your hand right there.” She pointed to my arm. “No, higher. Higher, babe. Yes. Wrap those French tips around that bicep like you’ll claw out the eyes of any woman who even thinks of trying to steal him.”
Charlie snickered as she adjusted. Zara nearly squealed…at Charlie’s hand on my arm. It didn’t take much with this woman.
“Oh, it’s perfect,” she breathed. “You two are disgusting and I love it. I need you on every billboard we own. Just promise me babies. Lots of babies. I need to know those genes are going somewhere.”
I raised an eyebrow. “You trying to sign our unborn kids, too?”
“Don’t tempt me,” she said, pointing her gloss at me like a weapon. “I already have their headshots imagined. Those eyes.” She pointed at mine. “And her lips and cheekbones. Beautiful babies,” she said, like they were already born. “Now smile like you just realized you married a goddess—and she married a walking jawline. Mm-mm-mm,” she clucked. “Brilliant, choosing the blue diamond.” She waved her hand at the lake down the hill where we’d exchanged vows on the white sand Mom had delivered just for the occasion. “With the water as a backdrop. Could not have planned that better.”
Granny disagreed. When she saw the ring, she shook her head like we’d lost our minds. “Christy got sapphires, Peyton a pink diamond, and now this? What has this world come to?” she said, like Charlie sporting a light blue stone might keep us out of heaven.
Charlie smiled up at me, her reasons burning in her eyes. The blue was for water, obviously. For Hawaii and the kiss in Anna and Blue’s pool. But mostly, for the lake where we’d begun stripping ourselves bare. That was the beginning of the good stuff. The beginning of our forever.
A half-hour later, Mom waved us over toward the guests lining up to get a sparkler.
“You ready for this?” Charlie asked, bright-eyed.
“Mhmm.” I gulped.
Her head tipped to the side. “Are you nervous?”
