Page 40 of Honeymoon Phase
“You don’t need any more stitches.” She squints as she inspects my face.
“Naw, I’m all set.” I shoot her a wink and she exhales heavily as Edith walks outside to join us.
“Can we take you two to supper tonight to celebrate your happy union?” Edith asks, wrapping her arm around John like she’s used to his bullheaded ways. “We head back to Florida tomorrow, and I would just hate not to have commemorated this day with you both in some small way.”
“Sorry, Edith, we can’t,” Addison says, glancing back at me with clenched teeth. “I have a ton of packing to do.”
“Oh, so you’re moving in together?” John gruffs, eyeing us both seriously.
“Well, yes. That is what married couples do, right?” Addison volleys back.
John tilts his head and eyes me warily. “And it’s a requirement of the business trust.”
“Oh, is it?” Addison replies coyly, walking over to me to hold my hand. She nuzzles into me, and I know it’s all for show, but my damn heart still starts racing at her close proximity. “I didn’t recall that, but no matter because I’m moving into Luke’s place up on Fletcher Mountain.”
“You’re what?” John roars, his eyes wide.
Addison swallows. “Yep. It’s bigger than my place and I thinkit’ll be just perfect for us.” She grins up at me and hesitates before pulling me down to give me an awkward kiss on the cheek.
There are a few seconds of heavy silence before John buckles over, his booming laugh dry and exaggerated as the deep wrinkles around his eyes crinkle on top of each other.
Addison props her hand on her hip, clearly agitated by this reaction. “I don’t know what’s so funny about that.”
John holds his finger up, still laughing and I can’t decide what’s more terrifying, him laughing or him cleaning out his guns. It’s a toss-up really.
He finally recovers control of himself, wiping at his damp eyes. “Nothing funny at all. I can’t wait to hear how you like mountain living in the dead of winter.”
“I’m going to like it just fine,” Addison scoffs and grabs my arm to pull me down the steps. “Come on, Luke. Let’s go.”
“One more thing,” John says, stopping us in our tracks. We turn around and the mirth in his eyes looks damn right menacing. “We need to have a wedding. A proper one.”
“We already did that,” Addison says with a nervous laugh. “I left the marriage certificate on the table for you to see for yourself.”
“But I wasn’t there.” He holds his hands up and shakes his head.
Addison frowns at me and I frown back, not sure where her father is going with all of this. “Dad, it was a spur-of-the-moment thing.”
“I understand that. Young love is unexpected in so many ways.” He loses all humor on his face. “And in a year, you can inherit the lumberyard just like you wanted. What serendipitous timing.”
“Exactly,” Addison says, wrapping her hands around my arm and laying her head on my shoulder.
“But I feel cheated.”
“Cheated how?” She looks up to me like somehow I know what the fuck her disturbed father is up to.
John shrugs and wrinkles his nose. “I didn’t get to walk my little princess down the aisle.”
“Princess?” Addison scoffs. “You’ve never called me a princess in your entire life.”
“Well, I’ve never seen you so... in love before.” He smiles and tilts his head as he points at me and her. “It’s softened you.”
Addison’s face tightens as she glares up at her dad. The two look like a couple of bulls getting ready to charge each other and I glance at Edith, who’s just as freaked out as I am.
“I want to see you in a fluffy white dress, Addie May. I want to take you by the arm and give you away in the traditional sense. You’re my only daughter after all. I feel cheated that I didn’t get to experience that moment.”
Addison lets go of me, her shoulders slumped in defeat. “So what are you saying?”
“I’m saying I want a wedding. A proper one. I’ll pay for everything, don’t you worry about the cost, I know how damn frugal you are. But it needs to be done up right. With a preacher and people in the chairs. I want to see Bullhead spin you around on a dance floor and I want this man here... Luke... to look me in the eyes and ask me for my daughter’s hand in marriage.”
