“Yes, you’re being polite. You men only start with charm and politeness when you’re all nervous.”
“We do not,” Oliver said as he came up behind me.
“Not you. Your default is polite. You make paper animals.”
“Oh, like this?” Oliver held his hand out, palm up where a little frog rested.
Sage sighed. “Yeah, like that.” She took it and tucked it in the little bouquet of flowers she was holding. “What do you have to be nervous about? You already married me. Your life is perfect.”
“Of course it is, love.” Oliver slid his arm around her waist. “Maybe you should be off your feet?”
Sage waved him off. “I’m fine. Just a little lower back pain. I’m not used to carrying so much in the front. Don’t give me that look.” She turned to me. “You need to get back in that little office and make sure the music is cued up. We’ve got a wedding to pull off.” Sage rubbed her belly. “Okay, kiddo, give mama a break.”
Oliver hovered. “What?”
“She’s just kicking up a storm.” Sage patted Oliver’s chest. “Relax, Dad. We’ve got some time still.”
The clomp of heels made the three of us turn.
“I found it. Coming through.” Cindy Ford was walk-running down the hallway. Kelsey’s mother was a shorter, rounder, slightly grayer version of her daughter.
The door opened again and a woman with dark hair ducked her head out. “What took you so long? Kels is walking grooves in this ugly carpet. Hurry up.”
“Coming. Make way.”
Mrs. Ford frowned at me. “You should be in the other room, Charles.”
My shoulders tightened and lifted up to my damn ears. “Yes, ma’am.”
“Charles?” Oliver and Sage parroted.
“Even my mother doesn’t call me Charles,” I muttered.
“I can’t call you a word that means trouble.”
I felt my cheeks flush. “Yes, Mrs. Ford.”
“And stop calling me that. It’s Cindy.” She stopped in front of me and smoothed my collar, inching my tie up tighter until I could barely breathe. “This may not be the way I wanted my daughter’s wedding day to go, but you’re about to be family.” She blinked rapidly and sniffed. “Now go back into that room with the judge and wait for my daughter. I have to give her something borrowed and blue.” She disappeared behin
d the door with Kelsey’s sister, Rylee.
I shook my head. None of them understood why I wanted to rush through the wedding. But between the school’s morality code that seemed to only count with the female teachers, and the constant murmurings in town, I just wanted everything to stop.
It wasn’t 1952 anymore, but I was pretty sure none of the matrons in this freaking town got the memo. While I didn’t give a damn about those conventions, I wanted to protect Kelsey from them. She didn’t deserve anyone’s judgment.
This wedding was just a formality, and a legally binding one. She was already mine—as was the baby, same DNA or not. All I could think about was making sure they were with me.
And safe.
I fingered the ring I’d managed to buy last night. Which I wanted to give her before the ceremony, but evidently, that would have to wait. August had the simple white gold bands I’d gotten for the ceremony, but something had niggled at me.
Enough that I’d driven like I was on a track to get to Laurel before the jewelry store closed. And had spent money I didn’t have, and now I was nervous to give it to her.
Christ, I was an asshole.
I nodded to Oliver. “Come on. Before the girls kill us.”
“Yes, go. We’ll be down in ten minutes.” Sage paused at the door. “Go. I’m fine.”