“You need to get that off the floor. It could ruin the wood,” she chastises.
“If it does, I’ll fix it. I’ve got something more important on my mind.”
“That sounds serious,” she says, worry starting to show on her face in place of the happiness that was there earlier.
“It is, but nothing bad,” I hasten to reassure her, wanting her smile back.
“What is it?”
“I know you said you were on birth control, but I think after what just happened, we need to get married as soon as possible.”
“I… Umm… I said that?”
“Yeah, in our letters. Don’t you remember?”
“Right now I can barely remember my own name,” she says and suddenly she’s avoiding my eyes.
“Carly, we need to get married. If there’s a chance I got you pregnant, I want you to have my last name.”
“I’m not sure I’m ready to get married,” she argues obstinately.
“You came out here to marry me, Carly,” I remind her.
“But we need a little more time to get to know each other,” she whispers.
“I was just inside of you. I’d say that means we know each other pretty damn good. The fact you’ve never let another man between your legs except me says a fuck of a lot, Carly.”
“I’m too tired for you to try and be logical,” she grumbles, clearly pouting.
“Marry me, Carly.”
“When?”
“I’ll call around tomorrow,” I tell her and she nods her head reluctantly. “The words, Carly.”
“I’ll marry you,” she whispers. Those three words soothe an ache inside of me that I hadn’t realized was there. At the same time, it makes me aware of something else, something that I want just as much. I want to hear Carly tell me she loves me.
“Good,” I tell her, sliding into bed beside her. I roll to my back and pull her over top of me, settling her against me.
“You realize being on birth control is supposed to keep you from getting pregnant?” she grumbles against my chest.
“It does, but nothing is one hundred percent effective. Would it be so bad if you had my child, Carly?”
“I think it’d be better if we spent time getting to know each other first,” she hedges, and though she’s probably right, it doesn’t mean I like it. I didn’t plan on it, having kids right away, or even demanding that Carly marry me immediately. But the more I think about it, the more I like the idea of both. I need to make Carly want it too—maybe even make her want to throw her birth control away.
I decide to make that my goal. I kiss the top of her head and close my eyes, listening to her breathing.
“Get some sleep, baby,” I tell her. Slowly she relaxes. I know the minute she drifts off to sleep and I follow her seconds later. A few after that I’m dreaming of Carly carrying our child, and it’s the sweetest damn dream I’ve ever had.
Chapter Fifteen
Carly
“Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Matthews,” the judge says, and just like that I’m married.
I think I smile. I hope I do; I’m still in a type of shock. Stone wasn’t kidding yesterday when he said he wanted to get married. The very next day I find myself at City Hall with the county judge marrying us. “You did good, Stone,” the man says, shaking Stone’s hand in congratulations.
“Thanks, Homer. I’m a lucky man,” Stone agrees and that feels nice, even as I wish I could slink out of here. There’s so much I should have confessed to Stone before I said ‘I do’. The least of all being that I’ve never read all the conversations we were supposed to have, let alone written them. Or that every time I find out something new I’ve “told” him I cringe, because that wasn’t me. But, most of all, I really should tell him I’ve never taken birth control in my life. There’s been no need for it. My hand touches my stomach nervously. I don’t feel any different and I doubt it’s possible to get pregnant after one time, but I do need to confess everything.
“Where are you going on a honeymoon?” the judge asks, and I look up at Stone. He never mentioned a honeymoon. I don’t truly want to have one. Especially since when I tell him the complete truth, he may demand a divorce and for me to leave Alaska.
“We’re going hiking on the Twin Knob trail,” he announces and I try to keep the shock out of my face. Shock and despair. As a waitress, I try to avoid all sports and exercise that require me to be on my feet. Which, really, is all of them, and that’s okay with me. Now Stone wants us to go hiking… for a honeymoon? I thought all the exercise a couple does on a honeymoon was in bed. I was hoping for that kind of exercise… at least before Stone sends me away.