Page 43 of Sweet Wicked Vows
The day Lola’s father got on a plane was the same day it rained lemons. Harry Juniper had never left the state of Kansas, never mind got on a plane.
“Speaking of home,” Lola said. “Now that you’re married and all, does that mean you won’t be coming to spend Thanksgiving with us anymore?”
“Hell to the no.” I shook my head. “Why would me being married stop me from coming and spending time with your family? Do you think I am going to miss a chance of getting a slice of your dad’s pecan pie? Plus, I have to defend my reigning championship in the annual pumpkin toss.”
“You cheated last year. I know it and so does everyone else.”
I popped a piece of red velvet into my mouth. “Prove it.”
She laughed. “Whatever, we all know the truth. I guess we’ll just have to set another place setting for your husband… gosh, that still sounds so fucking bizarre. Your husband. Yourhusband.I don’t think I’ll ever get used to saying that.”
Bizarre for her and she wasn’t the one wearing a wedding ring.
My entire life had been flipped upside down and twisted into something I no longer recognized.
“Has it gotten any better between the two of you?” Lola finished her glass, nibbling at a piece of frosting.
“Only time will tell.” I exhaled. “Neither of us wanted this.” His brother had a lot to fucking answer for. “If Jaxon was willing to be open and meet me halfway, I feel like we’d have a chance of being civil with each other.”
“He’ll come to his senses, if not, I can always threaten him with an ice skate. Those suckers are sharp.” She turned back to the cakes. “You’re going to have to pick a flavor. Go simple. Salted caramel or chocolate, they are always crowd favorites.”
“I hate chocolate cake.” I grimaced. “Chocolate by itself, yes. Why ruin it by infusing it with cake?”
Lola rolled her eyes. “You, my beautiful friend, are a freak. It seriously concerns me that you don’t like cake, especially chocolate. Chocolate cake is bliss.” She scooped frosting from a slice and sucked it off her finger. “Better yet, what flavor does Jaxon hate—we can order that.”
“Personally, I’m not a fan of cake either.”
We both nearly broke our necks looking behind us.
There in his monochrome glory was Jaxon.
Moisture vanished from my mouth. His creaseless shirt’s collar laid open, and his sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, giving us the perfect view of his inked thick arms.
In his hands were two to-go cups.
“I thought you had business to deal with in Ontario?” I tried tosound unfazed at his sudden appearance, and the strange rush of heat between my legs as my traitorous mind remembered exactly where beneath his shirt he was tattooed. “When I didn’t hear anything from you, I assumed you weren’t coming home yet.”
“I didn’t know it was required of me to check in with you.”
“Of course you didn’t,” I scoffed. “It’s not like we live together or are, I don’t know.. married.”
“Did you need something from me while I was gone? I left your copy of theAmexfor all the event planning. Benny also was here if you needed a driver or security. I gave you his number. If there was something else, you could have easily got in contact with me.”
“I messaged you. Several times without a single acknowledgement.” I rolled my eyes at his lack of response. “The point is, Jaxon, it’d be nice for you to keep me in the loop. I’m not asking for a full run-down of your day-by-day itineraries, just basic things like when you will and won’t be home.”
“I don’t see how that’s necessary.”
It was like pulling blood from a damn stone. “Because I’m yourwife, Jaxon. We’re about to announce it to the whole fucking world. We’re days away from everyone knowing that we legally tied ourselves to each other. I think it might be a little bit of common courtesy for you to just let me know where you are in the world and when you’ll be home so whenever someone asks me, I don’t look like an idiot who doesn’t have a clue about the man I married.”
He didn’t say anything, remaining standing in a frozen position with a mix of a scowl and confusion written all over his face.
“It’s called respect,” I seethed. “It goes both ways.”
Lola cleared her throat. “I’m going to nip to the bathroom, leave you two to catch up.” She practically ran from the table.
Coward.
“Why didn’t you tell me you were flying back?”