Page 12 of Forever Fallen

She now had her husband by Friday – and he had dissuaded his matchmaker. This was going to work out. If he didn’t file for divorce, she could always file against him. It didn’t matter who filed with the courts, so long as it happened eventually.

“It’s your divorce, too,” he reminded her. “Let’s find a justice of the peace when we land, and exchange phone numbers or email addresses in case we end up separated. We’ve both gotta be able to remarry someday, right? We can make a few introductions in town, meet a few of my friends, and then part ways… no harm, no foul.”

“This is too good to be true…” Sophie chuckled nervously.

“Right? I’m pretty pleased with this whole thing,” Ryan began, smiling nervously. “You are doing me a solid favor and I appreciate it.”

“Oh, same here – I can’t thank you enough,” she said openly, smiling at him. “Do you have a vehicle waiting at DFW?”

“Nope. You?”

“Yeah, my car is in long-term parking.”

“Can I hitch a ride with my fiancée,” he teased, finally smiling at her.

“Sure,” she laughed, feeling lighter than air and realizing that someway, somehow, this was all going to work out. She could certainly put up with him occasionally for thirty days.

“So, you leave in thirty days tops…” she repeated, trying to confirm it and making sure she didn’t miss any loopholes.

“Technically its twenty-eight days because I need time to travel, and get back to Afghanistan,” he grinned. “I know you’ll be heartbroken…”

“Utterly devastated,” she replied happily, laughing for the first time in days.

CHAPTER5

SOPHIE

Sophie wassurprised at how much easier the conversation was with Ryan once she was able to relax because of the rum and the fact he was willing to help her out.

This was a dream come true!

She couldn’t have asked for a better situation than to have a guy willingly marry her, put up with her for a few weeks, and then leave without any drama or heartache… only to never deal with him again.

Marriage was not something she wanted – ever.

She had flashbacks of her parents yelling as a little girl and that was part of the reason she stayed with her grandmother. They fought like cats and dogs in front of her… and then one day?

Her father left without warning.

The next week her mother died in a car accident on the way to the attorney’s office to sue him for full custody and file divorce papers.

He never responded to the summons by the state for custody and her grandmother took her in. She never realized just how peaceful life could be and the thought of her father returning loomed over her head – along with the set impression of what marriage was.

Control, arguing, and a love-hate relationship.

Nope.

S.F.L. – single for life… until now.

These next steps were a desperate attempt by a scared woman, a small ‘pause’ in her S.F.L. membership… and a way to get her only foundation back. Letting go of that one piece of happiness was impossible to do and she would marry any stranger to do so.

As the plane touched down, she heard Ryan mutter under his breath ‘Navy’as the aircraft bounced hard into the ground twice before settling and the pilot slammed on the brakes to bring it to an abrupt stop almost before taxiing.

It took about another fifteen minutes before they were able to exit the plane and she was glad the effects of the rum were long gone. It was early enough in the day to get to a justice of the peace in Dallas to have the ceremony done and…

“Here we go,” Ryan interrupted her thoughts, taking her by the arm and pulling her out of the flow of pedestrians… directly to a chapel at the airport.

Her eyes about bugged out of her head.

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