Melanie squeezed her back and met Tanner’s eyes. “I think you’re pretty special, too. You’ve had a pretty exciting day. I’m glad my best friend is your mom now officially.”
Piper eased back and held up her hand with the sparkly gold band. “We’re married forever. The minister said so.”
“That’s right, Pip.” Tanner gave one of her curls a tug. “You’re a perfect family now.”
“Are you going to be a family like Mom and Dad?”
Piper glanced back and forth between Melanie and Tanner. The silence grew beyond uncomfortable and there was no way Melanie was going to answer that.
“We are already a family,” Tanner explained. “Melanie and I are having a baby.”
“But are you going to put a ring on her finger like my daddy did?”
Tanner raked a hand over the back of his neck, and his eyes darted to Melanie as if silently asking for help. Melanie held her hands up and shook her head. Hell no, she wasn’t about to answer.
“I’d like to know the answer to that, too.” Jade stepped up next to Melanie and gave her a wink. “Melanie has always been partial to emeralds, but she’d never tell you that. Green is her favorite color, though.”
Melanie recalled one night when they’d had girls’ night in and she’d had too much to drink after her divorce was final. Okay, fine, it was a divorce party, but only her, Jade, and Livie were in attendance. Anyway, she remembered stating if she ever married again she never wanted to see another diamond. Neville had bought her the most obnoxious stone, all for the show and the drama. The last thing she wanted in a relationship was flare. She wanted honor, loyalty, love. Was that too much to ask?
“Emeralds are pretty,” Tanner agreed slowly. “Anyway, I need to say bye to the bride and groom and get Melanie home. She’s tired.”
“That dodge wasn’t so slick,” Jade muttered toward Tanner.
“I thought it was.”
He stepped away and went over to hug Livie. Piper was right on his heels and held up her arms to her father.
“You think this little wedding has prompted the two of you to make a major decision?” Jade whispered.
Melanie crossed her arms and watched Tanner from across the wide dining room. “I’m not sure that I’m ready for that.”
“You’re having the man’s baby. You mean to tell me a ring scares you?”
Melanie glanced at Jade. “All of this scares me. I’ve already been thrust into one life-altering factor, I’m not sure I can handle another right now.”
“You better prepare yourself, because that man has more feelings for you than just as his baby mama.”
Melanie couldn’t describe the emotions that rolled through her at Jade’s bold statement. Jade must’ve seen things that Melanie hadn’t. Tanner was a blunt man and he was honest. But he’d never hinted at marriage.
And she needed to get those thoughts out of her head anyway. Yes, one day she wanted to marry and live the dream of happily ever after. She firmly believed love existed. She’d seen it—case in point the happy couple across the room.
Just because she had made a wrong choice and her first marriage was a living hell, didn’t mean she didn’t hold out hope for a man who would love and cherish her.
Was that man Tanner? Only time would tell.
Chapter Sixteen
There’s no way I was born to just pay bills and die.
—Mel’s Motivational Blog
“Then the other office could go over in the opposite corner instead of making that a lobby area.”
Melanie rubbed her head. Livie and Jax opted to not go on a honeymoon, and got right back into the renovations. Time was money, literally. They were paying contractors and Zach was overseeing everything, so they didn’t want him tied up any longer than necessary.
“You can’t keep changing things,” Jax told Livie. “We don’t need another office, so let’s stick to the original plan and have this front area open for the lobby. We all liked the idea of some leather sofas and a few desks and chairs along the wall for work spaces.”
Melanie listened to their bantering back and forth and was glad she’d waited until her stomach settled before she came in. Tanner had left for his shift early and she’d been on her own for her morning sickness. Thankfully, he’d left water and crackers next to her side of the bed.