Page 19 of Ropers Can't Tie Knots
Showing Gabe the slip, I ask if he’s free, and he enthusiastically nods. “I’d love to be there, Christine. Hunter or I will get back to you in a day or two.”
We exit the registry office, a marriage licence tucked into my pocket and a slip of paper for a 4-H meeting in the other. Gabe is quiet until we step outside.
“Thank you for that, Hunter. I appreciate it, but I have one question before we go to that meeting.”
“What’s that?”
He pauses on the sidewalk with me, and I turn to face him.
“What the hell is 4-H?”
Throwing my head back, I laugh. “I’ll fill you in. But first, let’s get this wedding done so I can get out of this fucking suit.”
The courthouse was busier than normal for a Wednesday afternoon, but Riley used his contacts, and we had a firm place in line.
In twenty minutes, I’d say I do to a man who I knew liked teal and was raised by his sisters, but never had a pet. Which is the sum of what I know about Gabe, aside from him being a lawyer.
“I know this is…you know, an arrangement,” Gabe whispers next to me, “But I asked Riley to take care of a few details like it’s a real wedding. I hope you don’t mind.”
“Uh…not like I can say no now, right?”
Gabe smiles sheepishly. “No. But that’s your heads up. Here come Riley and Jackson.”
Riley and Jackson each carry a small clear box and Riley, in all his romantic planning and romance-loving mode, audibly gasps when he reaches us before pulling me into a hug.
“You look simply amazing, Hunter. Thank you for letting us be here for this.”
“Yeah, you’re welcome.”
He opens the box and pulls out a beautiful corsage before handing it to Gabe. It’s a trio of white roses and baby’s breath secured with teal ribbon and my lips betray me, smiling as Gabe steps forward to pin it to my suit jacket.
“Surprise,” hemurmurs as his fingers work to secure it to the material. “I didn’t know your favourite colour, but I knew mine. Probably a good thing because weddings shouldn’t have black flowers.”
“Thank you. It’s pretty. I’ve never worn flowers before.”
Jackson passes one to me that’s identical and after I take it, Gabe turns it over in my hand, showing me the giant-ass pin. “Riley can do it if you’re not sure. It’s okay.”
“Is it? I feel like I’d stab you and that probably wouldn’t be the right way to start this off.”
Gabe motions for Riley, who steps forward and pins the flowers to Gabe like he does it in his sleep.
“There. Now that’s two grooms who match.”
“Davis and Burke? Please come inside.”
“It’s show time,” Gabe says and grabs my hand before pulling me forward with Jackson and Riley behind us.
It’s not fancy in the room. A man in an ill-fitting brown suit stands to the side of a desk. The clerk arranges us with Jackson beside me and Riley beside Gabe before sitting at the small desk with our marriage license.
The justice of the peace reads a non-denominational passage that Riley chose because it was a simple reading about the power of love and union or some other bullshit I couldn’t give a flying fuck about. Gabe still holds my hand with a smile on his face as he listens, and my mind wanders.
While I can see the appeal if you believe in love, thiscanbe a moving ceremony. Nothing is forever, though. People die and people leave. It’s just the way things are in life. Even for our charade, this feels too muchand—
“Hunter? Just repeat I do.”
Shit. I wasn’t even paying attention, and it’s rather important to say those two words. Can I ask him to repeat the question just to be sure? It’s like signing a contract before reading all the fine print.
“Sorry. Yeah. Uh…I do.”
