Page 16 of Marrying the Accidental Groom
He tried not to laugh but failed. He enjoyed the way she said his name when she was exasperated.
“All right,” he said, sobering just a little. He led her inside and had her bags sent upstairs. Then they grabbed a table at the restaurant.
“I’m listening. No jokes.”
Juliana crossed her arms, clearly not buying it. “I got something in the mail.”
He raised an eyebrow. “You tracked me across the Pacific because of a letter?”
She hesitated, and something flickered in her expression—uncertainty, maybe. Guilt? “Not just a letter. Official documents.”
“Like jury duty?” he asked, tilting his head. “Because I gotta be honest, you don’t seem like the type to run from civic responsibility.”
“No.” Her voice was flat. “Like a marriage certificate.”
Gideon blinked. The restaurant stirred around them, but suddenly it felt like everything had gone quiet. He was pretty sure he’d stopped breathing.
“What?”
Her jaw tightened. “From Tealua. With both our names. And a very official-looking seal.”
Gideon let out a short laugh, but it died quickly. She didn’t laugh with him. Didn’t even smile.
He rubbed the back of his neck. “You said that was all ceremonial. Symbolic. The guy literally winked at us.”
Juliana didn’t answer. She just stared, steady and serious, like this wasn’t absurd.
“I mean...we didn’t sign anything,” he said, then paused, thinking. “Did we?”
“Apparently, we did.”
“I handed the folder to the customs guy,” she said, voice stiff. “I didn’t know that envelope was in there. I didn’t read it. I thought it was just some touristy keepsake.”
“And now what?” Gideon asked, spreading his hands. “You think we’re actuallylegallymarried?”
She pulled a thick envelope from her tote and handed it over.
Gideon took it slowly, like it might bite him, and flipped through the first few pages. The elegant script. The wax seal. The stamped approval from some kind of island council.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” he muttered.
“Believe me, I’m not.”
He flipped to the FAQ section, then let out a low whistle. “I told you we made a cute couple.”
She crossed her arms again. “This isn’t funny. I didn’t come here so you could make it into a joke.”
“I’m starting to see that,” he admitted, still smiling. “But it is a little funny.”
Gideon looked up. Her face was pinched tight around the edges, her jaw clenched like it was the only thing keeping her from falling apart. And suddenly, he didn’t feel like laughing anymore.
“I’m sorry,” he said quietly. “This . . . is just a lot.”
Juliana’s arms dropped slightly. Not relaxed, but maybe less rigid. “You think?”
She looked like she might hurl her entire purse across the table at him.
He held up a hand. “I’ll fix it. I’ll help however I can. We’ll call the Tealuan consulate. Lawyer. Whatever it takes.”
