As I approached the front door, the concern about this plot grew, which was surprising considering I'd already determined that it was likely doomed.
The front door opened just as we stepped up onto the stoop.
Amelia smirked at us. "Happy wedding day." Her gaze studied us both, and she quirked a brow. "Why don’t you both go back out and come back again, because neither of you looks like a happy camper."
I took a breath and smiled, thrusting my left hand out to her. "Look at the beautiful ring James bought me."
Amelia glanced at it and then looked back up at us. "That's better."
She let us in and led us toward a back room with a wall of floor-to-ceiling windows letting in the bright light from the winter Las Vegas sun. It was unclear to me what the room was normally used for because it was cleared of furniture. In its place were a handful of white folding chairs with ribbons and flowers strewn through the room for decor.
At the far side of the room, Amelia's husband, Max, spoke with a man in a judge’s robe. Vivie was in another corner talking to her other brother and his wife. When she saw me, she arched a disapproving brow.
"Excuse me for a minute, Reyna. I'm going to talk to the judge." James waited for me to respond with my approval, and then he headed over to Max and the judge.
"I'm just going to make sure everything is ready," Amelia said, leaving me standing alone.
Vivie, still scowling at me, walked over. "I really thought we were becoming friends last night."
I swallowed as I realized she was changing her mind about me.
"You didn't tell me you and James were getting married. Here I was telling you what I thought about him, and you didn't say a word."
"I'm sorry. To be honest, I wasn't sure any of this was going to happen."
She frowned. "You weren't sure you were going to go through with your wedding day?" The way she asked the question led me to believe she didn't know this marriage wasn't real.
"Is that why he was being so weird last night? He had cold feet? If that's the case, maybe you shouldn't be going through with this." Her eyes and voice had turned sympathetic.
"No, I'm sure. He's just moody sometimes."
Vivie leaned closer to me. "Are you sure that's all it is?" Her voice was low, and her eyes darted around the room as if she didn't want anyone else to hear. "Sometimes, men who are moody are also volatile."
It took me a moment to understand her meaning. "James isn’t like that." Although how did I know that?
She studied me intently, and I got the impression that she knew firsthand about moody men who were volatile.
I put my hand on her forearm. "Really. His moods aren't about anger. I think deep down, he's an introvert, and sometimes, too many people and too much stimulation make him grumpy. When that happens, he just needs to have time to himself to rejuvenate." I didn't know the first thing about psychology, but it made sense to me.
She put her other hand over mine. "As long as you’re sure."
"I'm sure." I looked over at James and hoped I had an expression that exuded love.
I was introduced to the other group of guests. It wasn’t clear to me how they were connected to Amelia or James, but apparently, they’d been invited to help support the ruse, although based on their comments of congratulations and wishing us a long and happy marriage, I don’t think they realized they were part of a ruse.
Before I knew it, I was standing next to James in front of the judge who was reciting marriage vows. Panic rose as I realized what I was doing. Up until this moment, it all had been a crazy plan. But as I repeated the words the judge asked me to say, everything got real. I was married!
"You may kiss the bride."
I blinked in shock. Had I really done this?
James looked at me, his hazel eyes intense until he cocked his head to the side and his brow furrowed in concern. He pressed his hand to my cheek, and the feel of it warmed the chill in my chest. I closed my eyes, willing my nerves to settle. A second later, his lips brushed against mine. Last night, his kiss had brought an inferno. This time, surprisingly, considering how unsettled I felt, his kiss calmed me. There was a sweetness to how gentle it was.
When he pulled away, he looked at me, arching a brow as if to cue me into continuing the illusion.
I let out a shuddering breath. "We did it."
The guests laughed, and James’s lips quirked up, telling me he was amused by the comment as well. “Indeed, we did.”