Chapter 1 Tying the Knot

“ P lease don’t take this the wrong way, sis.”

Here it comes. The knot forming between Jillian Harris’s shoulder blades grew tighter. Criticism was the one thing she could always count on receiving from her family. They never failed to toss in a little unwanted advice and wrap the whole shebang in thinly veiled disapproval — their famous triple punch served straight to the gut. She was honestly surprised it had taken them this long to complain about how quickly she and her fiancé had gotten engaged.

“I just need some assurance you’re not making the biggest mistake of your life.” Her sister, Julie, paced the office like a general preparing for battle. “Second biggest mistake,” she amended in a more severe voice. “Or is it the third? I’ve lost count.” She was three years older than Jillian, college educated, and a successful accountant — three things she didn’t hesitate to rub in her younger sister’s face every chance she got.

Ever since Jillian had dropped out of college to work full time as an ER receptionist, Julie had treated her like a total failure in the career department. The fact that she was about to become the first sister to get married was probably going to become yet another bone of contention between them. Julie treated everything like it was a competition.

“I love Dave.” Because of their whirlwind romance, Jillian wasn’t sure what it would take to convince her family of that. It was true, though. She was ridiculously in love with the man she was about to marry. It felt like she was living inside the pages of her own real-life fairytale — one that came with a prince of a guy and a three-story townhome that felt as big as a castle compared to the studio apartment she’d been renting for the past several years.

Julie twirled in her direction, making the long skirt of her crushed red velvet maid-of-honor dress wrap around her ankles. “Oh, come on, Jillian! You also love floppy-eared puppies, fuzzy kittens, and chocolate mint ice cream.” Her blonde hair was pulled back in a bun with sprigs of white baby’s breath tucked into it. Long wavy tendrils dangled past her pearl teardrop earrings.

Ice cream, huh? Jillian knew it was a subtle reminder that she was packing a good twenty pounds more around her waistline than Julie was. It was partly due to her pregnancy and partly due to the cravings she’d given in to since becoming pregnant. Going on a diet after the baby was born was high on her to-do list.

“Feel free to add yourself to the list of things I love.” She spun back to the dressing mirror her fiancé had parked in the corner of his office for her benefit. She eyed the ivory wedding gown and the lacy hem that draped all the way to the floor. It would’ve pooled around her ankles, creating a tripping hazard, if she hadn’t worn the highest heels she owned. “I happen to love you, Mom, and Dad very much.” Though you try my patience every second we’re in the same room.

She cocked her head sideways, trying to decide if the empire waist of her dress made her normally curvy figure look fat. Until a few weeks ago, she hadn’t realized there was such a thing as maternity wedding gowns. The one she’d purchased online was looser than she would’ve liked, something she’d amended by adding a white silk sash beneath her bosom. She probably could’ve gotten away with ordering one size smaller.

“Quit trying to change the subject.” Julie moved across the room to stand with her in front of the mirror. “Getting married is a big step, one I hope you’re ready for. Come on, Jillian! None of us knew you were even dating anyone!” She made it sound like an accusation.

As a rule, Jillian told her perennially cranky family as little as possible, so she didn’t bother defending her decision. “Like I said, it happened pretty quickly.” She reached around her back to make sure the white sash was still tied in a perfect bow. It was.

They were standing beside Dave’s desk on the third floor of the building that housed his law practice, Heart Lake Legal Services.

“Exactly how long have you and Dave been dating?” Julie pressed.

It was a question Jillian had been dodging the entire twenty-four hours her sister had been in town. However, she knew she couldn’t keep the details of her relationship with Dave Phillips a secret forever.

“One month,” she sighed, knowing her answer wouldn’t appease her sister at all.

Julie’s gasp felt like it filled the room. “Are you serious?”

“Yes,” Jillian snapped. Her patience was thinning quicker than usual. She blamed it on her pregnancy hormones. Now that she was five-and-a-half months along, it was easy to blame just about everything on them.

She took a deep breath, struggling to hang on to her temper. “We started dating Christmas morning, got engaged on New Year’s Day, and here we are.” Whether her sister liked it or not, she was about to get married. Not soon enough for me! The minutes on the retro chrome clock perched on Dave’s desk were ticking past with painful slowness. The sooner they were married, the sooner her disapproving family could return to Albuquerque. They’d moved there shortly after Jillian’s graduation from Heart Lake High. To this day, they hadn’t forgiven her for her refusal to relocate with them.

“Jillian,” Julie groaned in a voice one might use on a toddler about to get in trouble.

“Julie,” Jillian mocked in the same tone. She glanced toward the door, torn between worry and hope that their mother would stop by to deliver some last-minute motherly wisdom before the wedding. It probably wasn’t going to happen, though. Since her return to Heart Lake, Nell Harris had been giving her younger daughter the infamous silent treatment. Jillian had spent the last twenty-four hours trying not to care, but it still stung.

Especially with the number of demands her mother had been sending through Julie — not the least of which was her insistence that the wedding venue needed to be changed.

Though Jillian knew it was unusual to get married in an office building, she’d begged Dave to keep the ceremony small and private, and this was his way of doing it. It helped that he owned the place. His law practice took up the entire third floor. He rented out the lower two levels to other businesses.

Julie’s expression grew mutinous. “One month isn’t long enough to get to know somebody, as in really get to know them.” She flicked a hand irritably toward her sister’s blooming belly. “How in the world did you explain your condition to Dave?”

“By telling him the truth.” Jillian lifted her chin, wishing there was a law against engaging in family squabbles on a person’s wedding day. It wasn’t as if telling Dave had been optional. She couldn’t exactly hide her pregnancy from him — not even if she’d wanted to, which she hadn’t.

“ All the truth?” Julie pressed in a nasty voice.

Alarm trickled down Jillian’s spine. She quelled a shiver. “What’s that supposed to mean?” She was a forty-nine-year-old woman, for crying out loud, more than capable of making her own decisions.

“It means I do your taxes, sis.” Julie’s expression adopted a glint of glee. “Or have you forgotten that I see every expenditure, every receipt, every?—?”

“I haven’t forgotten.” Jillian had tried to forget, but it hadn’t worked. It was her cross to bear that her older sister basically got to spy on her every move through her debit and credit card transactions.

“Then it should come as no surprise that I saw the $60,000 deposited into your account last summer by the surrogacy firm in Dallas you’ve been hobnobbing with.”

“So?” The trickle of alarm running down Jillian’s spine grew a bead of perspiration.

“So, I’m assuming you told Dave the same cock and bull story you’ve told everyone else about trying to become a single mom before your biological clock ran out?”

Jillian gave a reluctant nod, though she didn’t consider the partial truth to be an outright lie. She’d simply omitted one important detail, a detail she hadn’t considered to be anyone else’s business but her own.

“The only problem with that story is that a woman in your shoes would’ve normally visited a fertility clinic, not a surrogacy firm.” Julie clicked the details off on her perfectly manicured fingers. “Furthermore, the mother-to-be would be paying the firm in question, not getting paid herself.”

“Furthermore?” Jillian rolled her eyes to cover her burgeoning agitation. “Seriously, Julie. I preferred you before you went to college and started using big words.”

Julie’s lips tightened. “That’s not an answer.”

“You didn’t ask a question,” Jillian pointed out, knowing it would only make her sister angrier.

“Does Dave know the baby isn’t yours?” Julie demanded icily.

“The baby is mine.” Jillian lifted her chin, feeling like her sister was dangerously close to crossing a line.

“How’s that possible?” Julie spat out the question.

Jillian glanced again at the clock holding down a stack of papers on her fiancé’s desk. “We don’t have time to get into it right now.” It wasn’t a story she’d planned to tell her family. Ever. She was still deciding if she was going to tell Dave, since he already knew everything he needed to know. Everything that mattered, at any rate. He knew that the baby growing inside her belly would be born into their family, share their last name, and be theirs to nurture and raise.

Even though it hadn’t started out that way.

Julie shook her head in disgust. “If you haven’t been perfectly honest with Dave, you might want to come clean before you tie the knot. I know that’s not something you want to hear right now, but?— ”

“You’re right.” Jillian gritted her teeth. “It’s not.” Which didn’t change the fact that her sister was correct. It was only a few minutes before her wedding ceremony was about to begin, but…

Oh, who am I trying to kid? She blinked back the sting of tears, knowing there might not be a wedding ceremony if she came clean about everything. Admitting the truth to Dave might throw her in an entirely different light with him. It was one thing to present an image as an independent and self-sufficient woman voluntarily undergoing fertility treatments. It was another thing entirely to admit she’d farmed out her body as a surrogate simply because she’d needed the money.

Do I really have to admit it to him? To anyone? Dread swam through her as she pondered her options. Until she’d met Dave, her life and her decisions had been hers alone. Well, hers and God’s, anyway. That was about to change, though. In a matter of minutes, her life was about to be joined with someone else’s. His.

It was particularly unsettling to discover that her nosy sister already knew more about her deepest secrets than the man she was about to marry. That wasn’t right. It just…wasn’t.

“Fine,” she sighed, spreading her hands as she turned to face Julie. “I’ll tell him everything.” She narrowed her gaze at her sister. “But only him.” So bug off!

A flash of elation appeared in Julie’s blue-gray eyes that were nearly an identical shade to her own. “Good idea! I’m glad I thought of it.” She marched toward the door and threw it open. Since Dave’s office took up the entire third floor, the elevators opened into the waiting room outside his office. “I’ll go get him for you. Unless…” As the silver doors slid open, she paused in front of them with her hand pr essed against the side of the elevator entrance to keep the doors open. “I mean, it’s unlucky for the groom to see the bride before the wedding.” She turned to face Jillian, still holding the doors open.

If there’s even going to be a wedding after what I’m about to confess to him. Jillian gave her a hard look. “I’m not superstitious.” Nope. Her troubles had exactly zero to do with bad luck. Every cent of the debt she’d wracked up over the past thirty years was entirely her fault — from her student loans for the business degree she’d never finished, to the money she’d lent a friend who’d never paid her back, to her maxed-out credit card from the tires she’d recently replaced on her car. The $60,000 payment from the surrogacy firm had put her bank account back in the black, but just barely.

Julie pasted on a smile as she took a step backward into the elevator. It reminded Jillian of the Cheshire Cat. Long after the elevator lurched upward to the rooftop courtyard, she could still see her sister’s empty smile hanging in the air.

Why can’t you be happy for me? Though Jillian turned back to the dressing mirror, she was no longer worried about whether her hastily purchased wedding gown made her look fat. She stared into space, wondering if Dave was still going to want to marry her after what she was about to tell him.

The arm counting off the seconds on his desk clock felt like it had picked up speed. Time was moving much quicker now than she wanted it to.

Maybe she’d been a little hasty in allowing her sister to goad her into a last-minute confession like this right before her wedding. Maybe she didn’t owe anyone an explanation for the events leading up to her pregnancy. Maybe …

The elevator dinged a warning of its pending arrival. Then the doors slid open again.

Dave stepped out, frowning. The ivory tuxedo he had on did nothing to tame the ferocity of his broad shoulders, well-corded arms, and military-style buzz cut. His brown gaze swept the room with the same intensity he’d used thirty-five years earlier as a running back on the Heart Lake High football field — back when he was dating far more popular girls than Jillian had ever been. It blew her mind that he’d gone this long without getting married. It made her heart ache to realize that what she was about to share with him might send him running straight back into bachelorhood.

His gaze darkened as it landed on her. He strode her way without preamble. “So, this is it?” he growled. “You’ve changed your mind about marrying me?” His tanned features were etched into stark lines of misery.

“What?” The air seeped from her lungs. “Of course not!” She stared at him, aghast, wondering what in the world her sister had said to him.

Cautious hope warred with the misery in his gaze. “Then why are you delaying the wedding?”

“Because my sister said something that made me realize...” Jillian bit her lower lip, scrambling for the right words. “She made me realize there’s something you deserve to know before we get married.” Oh, this is hard! She closed her eyes and added shakily, “Assuming you still want to marry me after you hear it.”

Dave’s hands closed over hers. “Open your eyes,” he commanded in a low, hoarse voice.

She did. His nearness made her catch her breath. Dave was fifty-three, a seriously hot version of fifty-three. Up close, his presence was downright overpowering .

“Whatever you’ve gotta say to me,” he continued in the same gravelly voice, “I need you to do it with your eyes open.”

She nodded. It was a fair request. The only problem with talking to him with her eyes open was that it was harder to breathe. “I love you,” she whispered. It wasn’t what she’d intended to say. It had just slipped out.

His shoulders relaxed. “I love you, too.” He used their joined hands to tug her closer.

Her swelling abdomen bumped his middle, making the baby kick.

His expression instantly softened, filling with wonder. “That’s never going to feel any less like a miracle.” He wanted a kid as badly as she did, which she considered to be a miracle on top of a miracle.

“I agree.” His words made her eyes brim with emotion. “I can’t believe I ever imagined — not even for a second — that I could give my baby up.” Her voice rose to a higher, uncertain squeak.

A few seconds of silence passed between them, during which it dawned on her that his expression hadn’t changed.

“You don’t look surprised,” she noted in a hesitant voice.

“Babe, I know what a surrogacy firm does.” He shook his head in bemusement at her. “Didn’t have to go to law school for that.”

She drew a deep breath. “So all the time I was pretending to be an independent, forward-thinking, twenty-first century woman who could raise a kid by herself, you already knew the ugly truth?” It was both mortifying and soul-cleansing to get that off her chest.

He snorted. “You are independent and forward-thinking. You’re also brave, kindhearted, and so beautiful inside and out that it takes my breath away.” He leaned closer to nuzzle a sensitive spot of skin beside her ear. “Every single time we’re together.”

She wanted to melt into him, to accept everything he was so generously offering, but she hesitated. She needed to be sure he understood exactly what he was getting into. “Dave, I initially signed up to become a surrogate to pay off my student loans and a few other debts.” She was embarrassed to admit that a woman her age still had student loans — for a degree she’d never finished earning, no less. It hadn’t been easy getting ahead on a receptionist’s salary. Lack of money was the sole reason she’d dropped out of college. She’d always planned on going back someday, but she’d never succeeded in saving up enough for that.

“Okay.” He nuzzled his way down the side of her neck, drawing a sigh out of her. “Is that it? Or is there anything else you think I need to know before we get married?” There was a teasing edge to his voice that did crazy things to her heart.

“That’s pretty much it, I guess.” She couldn’t believe he was shouldering her news so calmly. Something warm and wonderful settled deep inside her. After a lifetime of criticism from her family, it was an incredible feeling to be sharing her innermost thoughts and misgivings with someone who wasn’t poised to rip her to shreds afterward. “Yes, there was a part of me that desperately wanted to know what it felt like to carry a baby inside me before my biological clock ran out, but my decision was mostly mercenary. I needed the money, and serving as a surrogate was the opportunity to make twice my annual salary in nine months.”

“Pretty sure I’ve made it clear how I feel about starting a family with you.” He drew back a little to give her a searching look. “Are we done here?”

“Almost.” She swallowed hard. “I just didn’t want you going into this with any wrong ideas about who you’re marrying.”

Humor flashed in his gaze. “I’m a pretty good judge of character, Jills. Comes with the territory of being a lawyer.”

She smiled through a sheen of dampness. “You’re probably wondering how I got to keep the baby, which isn’t normally the case in situations like these.”

“Yep.” His expression grew cautious. “Figured you’d get around to that part, eventually.”

“The surrogacy contract fell through. I’m not sure what went wrong.” She might never know. “The company couldn’t offer many details due to client confidentiality. I had to sign a bunch of legal documents to keep both the money and the baby.”

His jaw tightened. “May I have a look at the paperwork you signed?”

“Now?” Her heart constricted at the thought of further delaying their wedding ceremony. According to the clock on his desk, it was supposed to have already started.

“Later today is fine.” He released her hands to enclose her in his embrace. “Slogging through legal paperwork may not sound very romantic. But as soon as you say I do , you’re gonna be mine to protect. Both you and our baby. Understanding exactly what’s in those documents will help me do that.”

Our baby. It was the first time he’d referred to her unborn child as theirs instead of hers. The tears Jillian had been struggling to hold back started dripping down her cheeks. “You’re truly the best thing that’s ever happened to me, Dave Phillips.” He made things like love and loyalty feel as easy as breathing. Maybe it was because he was so easy to love and so worthy of her loyalty.

“Right back atcha, babe.” He dipped his head over hers for a kiss. It was slow and tender, overflowing with adoration and helpless longing.

For reasons she might not ever fully understand, he loved her deeply. In moments like this, it was impossible to doubt his feelings for her.

“Dave,” she murmured, when he reluctantly broke off the kiss. “I need to ask you something else.” While her pride was in shards on the floor, she might as well get her other biggest fear out in the open.

“Anything, babe.” He brushed his hard mouth against hers again. The warm, silky drag of skin against skin drew another sigh from her.

“Why me, Dave?” Heat crept across her cheeks. “You’ve dated far classier, more educated women than me.”

He gave a huff of surprise. “I haven’t dated as many women as you seem to think I have.”

“Why?” Their appearance in the rooftop courtyard was already several minutes overdue, but she wanted to know. She needed to know.

He shrugged. “My mom has been married no less than five times. Widowed by my dad and divorced from the last four. My best friend, Gil, spent thirty-something years in a rotten marriage. Guess I didn’t see any point in putting myself through the emotional wringer like that.”

Sympathy constricted Jillian’s throat. His answer to her question was yet more proof of just how seriously he took the lifelong commitment they were about to make to each other. “Which brings us back to my question. Why me, Dave? What does a high-powered lawyer like you see in a lowly receptionist like me?” She’d been dying to know for the entire month they’d dated, and now felt like the right time to clear up that mystery.

He gave her an incredulous look. “What we do for a living doesn’t define us, babe.”

She couldn’t have disagreed more. “It kind of does.”

“We can spend the rest of our lives debating that, if you’d like.” A dry chuckle escaped him. “Right now, the best answer I can give you is this. You’re the first woman who made me fall in love with her.”

She joined in his chuckling. “ Made you?”

“Yep.” His expression softened again. “Whatever you did to me, I was powerless to resist it. Still am.”

She shook her head at him, still laughing. “I’m not sure what I did.” There was nothing else he could’ve said that would’ve reassured her more.

He sobered. “You’re the most honest person I’ve ever met, Jills. I think this conversation is proof of that. And honesty is very important to me.”

The tension between her shoulder blades uncoiled. “I was worried I might scare you away with my honesty.”

“Never!” He cuddled her closer. “You’re also the most genuine woman I’ve ever met. Until a month ago, Gil was the only person on the planet I trusted implicitly. Now I have you.”

She reached up to touch his cheek, reveling in the sincerity ringing in his words.

“You’re about to become my wife. My family.” His eyes crinkled at the corners. “My closest friend for life. Gil’s probably going to be jealous.”

Though she knew he meant it as a joke, she didn’t smile back this time. She was too busy mustering the courage to voice one last concern that had just popped into her head. “I also want to make it clear that I don’t need to become a stay-at-home wife to be happy. As much as I appreciate your offer to let me quit my job?—”

He drew back, scowling. “I thought we agreed you’d turn in your resignation yesterday.”

“I know we talked about it, but?—”

“But you didn’t do it?” His eyebrows rose questioningly.

“Not yet. I’m taking some vacation days this week.” She had a ton of them saved up. There hadn’t been many reasons for her take time off before meeting him.

“Fine.” He didn’t sound too happy about it. “That’s something else we can debate later on. But if you think for one second I’m going to let my pregnant wife wear herself to a thread on the night shift, you’d better gear up for our first knock-down-drag-out argument.” His smirk took the sting out of his threat. “Right after our wedding.”

She wrinkled her nose at him. “You’re only saying that because you know I wouldn’t stand a chance against you in a debate, esquire.”

“Guilty as charged.” His voice was dry. “How about we reach a compromise and skip the arguing altogether? Just find something else to do besides the nightshift, okay?” He covered the hand she still had pressed to his cheek. “I don’t care what it is. Go back to college, if you want. Take online classes. Write a book. Start a podcast. Adopt a whole litter of kittens. Anything that makes you happy that doesn’t force us to live like two ships passing in the night.”

She leaned closer to touch her lips to his again. “If that’s your way of saying you want to spend more time with me…”

“Yes, please.” He kissed her back, lingeringly. “As much as possible. I’m sick and tired of coming home to a big, empty house. ”

The disgruntled note in his voice made her heart sing. “I’ll turn my resignation in tomorrow,” she promised.

“What’s wrong with today?” he grumbled.

The elevator pinged to announce a visitor. The doors rolled open while Jillian was replying. “Well, for one thing, we’re supposed to be getting married.” Correction. By now, they were supposed to already be married.

“David Bowen Phillips!” His mother’s imperious voice pierced the room. “Is there a reason you and your bride aren’t already on the rooftop?” She stomped into the room, waving them toward the elevator. “I think it goes without saying that everyone else is growing impatient.”

“Then why’d you say it?” Dave muttered beneath his breath. He raised the volume of his voice so she could hear what he said next. “We were just finalizing the details of our prenup.” He pivoted with Jillian to face his mother.

“As if!” Eloise Phillips gave an unladylike snort. According to Dave, she’d refused to give up her first married name through all four of her subsequent failed marriages. “We both know you don’t believe in prenups.” For such an outspoken woman, she was awfully tiny — a few inches shorter than Jillian, with a perfectly nipped-in waistline that curvy girls like herself had always envied. Instead of a dress, she was in a shimmering pantsuit of lacy, champaign colored silk. Her white hair was cut in a sassy, chin-length bob, and the diamond choker circling her neck probably cost more than Jillian made in a year. Make that several times over.

“Why don’t you believe in prenups?” Until this very moment, it hadn’t entered Jillian’s mind to discuss the pros and cons of drawing one up for them.

Dave started to speak, but his mother interrupted him. “ Because if my son felt he needed to protect himself from you, he wouldn’t be marrying you.”

“Oh.” Jillian wasn’t a hundred percent sure what to say to that. “I’m not exactly bringing much in the way of assets into our marriage.” She gave him a worried look. “Maybe you should reconsider drawing one up.” Was it too late?

“No.” His voice was firm.

“Dave,” she protested softly.

“The answer’s still no.” He gently guided her toward the elevator.

“See?” Mrs. Phillips spread her hands. “There’s no point in arguing with a lawyer.”

“That never stopped you,” Dave pointed out irritably as he mashed the button with the up arrow.

“I said there was no point.” Eloise Phillips shook her head at Jillian with a see-what-I-have-to-put-up-with expression as she joined them inside the elevator. “I’m speaking from experience. Hopefully, you’ll have better luck with him.”

Dave kept an arm around Jillian as they ascended to the roof, wondering why his mother had bothered showing up for his wedding. So far, all she’d done was gripe — about how turbulent her international flight had been, how sparsely furnished his townhome was, and how little there was to do in their hometown of Heart Lake. Interestingly enough, she hadn’t griped about the fact that he was getting married on the rooftop of his office building. Nor had she uttered a single word about the fact that his fiancée was pregnant. The first time she’d laid eyes on Jillian a few days ago, however, had been priceless. He was going to relish the shocked look on her face for, well, the rest of his life.

While his mother oohed and aahed over Jillian’s wedding dress in a voice that sounded unexpectedly sincere, Dave contented himself with the fact that the woman of his dreams was about to become his bride. It was enough. More than enough. Shoot! It was everything. He was ridiculously fortunate to be marrying a woman he was so deeply in love with. They were unbelievably compatible, too. She’d squashed his loneliness right out of existence and transformed him into a happy man.

Which was why her request to see him before the wedding had nearly stopped his heart. He’d been terrified she’d gotten cold feet and decided to call off the ceremony, something he wouldn’t have been able to bear. In the short time he and Jillian had known each other, she’d become vitally important to him, second only to his relationship with God. He couldn’t wait to be her husband — to love, protect, and cherish her, and somehow convince her she was worth every last one of those sentiments.

It killed him that she didn’t seem to have a clue just how much she meant to him. Her “just a receptionist” comments never failed to make him wince. After meeting her family today, he was beginning to understand where her low self-esteem came from. It was something he intended to change as soon as possible, starting with that blasted college degree she seemed to think would make such a difference. If she truly wanted letters after her name, he was going to make sure she got them.

The elevator doors rolled open, revealing six faces that reflected a wide range of expressions. The off-duty Justice of the Peace he’d hired to perform the wedding ceremony looked relieved. Gil and his pregnant wife, Bliss, also looked relieved, while visibly burning with curiosity. Jillian’s parents looked downright irritated by the delay. And unless Dave’s instincts were off, which they rarely were, Jillian’s sister looked disappointed. He made a mental note to invite the Harris family to visit as infrequently as possible after he and Jillian tied the knot. Never, if he could get away with it. No one needed that kind of toxicity in their life.

The white-haired Justice of the Peace got right down to business, waving them forward to come stand in front of him. Then he dusted the sprinkling of snow flurries off the lapels of his plaid overcoat. “Let us begin,” he said simply.

Dave had no less than four outdoor heaters blasting, but they didn’t stop the winter breeze from swirling across the rooftop, bringing more snow flurries in its wake. Jillian shivered. Not caring what anyone else thought, he shrugged out of his tuxedo jacket and draped it around her shoulders.

“Thank you,” she whispered with such a grateful look that it made his heart ache. Apparently, she wasn’t accustomed to folks going out of their way for her. That was something else he intended to change, starting now.

Since their wedding wasn’t a church wedding, there was no inspirational message delivered and no scriptures read, which was a bit of a bummer. Dave would’ve preferred to pay for a stinking big church ceremony with all the trimmings, but Jillian had begged him to trim down the festivities — way down. Like a lot of small towns, Heart Lake was a hotbed of gossip, and her pregnancy was already stirring no small amount of speculation. He had no interest in feeding that beast. On the upside, their small, private ceremony was allowing them to get married all the sooner.

After officiating their vows, the Justice of the Peace pronounced Dave and Jillian husband and wife and produced the marriage certificate for them to sign. There were no kiss-the-bride summons or welcome-to-married-life speeches. It was just over. Though Dave had paid in advance for the man’s services, he discreetly slipped the guy a tip before he headed for the elevator. Not a big one, since his no-frills performance didn’t feel like it warranted it.

Gil was the first person to step forward to congratulate them. “Nice going, late bloomer.” He slapped him affectionately on the shoulders.

He delivered a much gentler hug to Jillian. “Keep him in line, Mrs. Phillips. He’s a handful.”

“Now you tell me.” Jillian gave a delicious trill of laughter, while turning the prettiest shade of pink. “Let me guess.” She tipped her face up to Dave. “It was in the fine print?”

“You bet your boots it was, babe.” He claimed her mouth for a very thorough kiss that left her cheeks an even deeper rose.

Bliss enclosed Jillian in a hug next. Her dark, shoulder-length hair fanned around her shoulders. “Be happy together,” she said softly. She looked stunning in a winter berry cocktail dress and faux fur wrap. Both were loose fitting. Like Jillian, she was expecting.

“We already are,” Jillian confessed in a breathy voice. “So much that it scares me a little.”

While Dave inwardly debated if his new bride’s comment should worry him, Gil stepped closer to mutter in his ear, “She means she’s happy. Quit psycho-analyzing everything.”

Dave covered his relief with a snort. “Am I that transparent? ”

“Only where your wife is concerned,” his best friend assured. “The one chink every man is allowed in his armor without losing his man card.”

“Good to know.” Dave watched his in-laws move determinedly in his bride’s direction. They looked impatient enough to elbow Bliss out of the way if she took too long.

With her usual level of graciousness, Bliss gave Jillian another quick squeeze hug, then returned to Gil’s side.

Dave’s shoulders tensed as he watched Jillian’s mother sidle closer. Now that he and Jillian were married, he wouldn’t hesitate to dive into their conversation and perform an extraction if things got dicey.

Nell Harris was sporting a simple navy pantsuit over a plain white turtleneck sweater. It wasn’t exactly mother-of-the-bride apparel. Her dyed red hair looked unnatural and garish. So did her heavy makeup. “Well,” she gestured at her younger daughter with two heavily be-ringed hands. “You’re married.”

No congratulations. No well wishes. Just a statement of the obvious, followed by the stiffest hug Dave had ever witnessed. It barely qualified as a hug.

He watched with raised eyebrows as Jillian’s father edged closer. He was wearing a solid black suit that would’ve been ideal for a funeral. Though he didn’t say anything, he enclosed his younger daughter in a tender hug.

She briefly closed her eyes, looking like she was trying to soak in his sparse display of fatherliness. “Thank you for coming,” she whispered.

Thank you for coming? Dave couldn’t believe her parents’ presence at their wedding had ever been in question. It shouldn’t have been. The fact that it had made him sad.

Julie Harris was the last family member to greet his bride. She gave Jillian an air kiss and murmured, “Guess you finally one-upped me on something.”

Are you kidding me? An incendiary burst of rage left Dave imagining himself tackling her to the ground and throwing her off the roof. Instead, he slid an arm around his wife and tucked her against his side. “Y’all can head on to the restaurant. Jills and I will follow behind you.” Yeah, it was a dismissal. He almost didn’t care if his words offended anyone.

Julie recoiled, looking put out. “Oh, great! Another delay.” She made no attempt to mask her sarcasm.

Instead of answering, Dave pivoted with Jillian, turning their backs on her malcontented family. Enough was enough! He waited until he heard the elevator doors open and close behind them before announcing, “Whoever’s in favor of changing the restaurant, raise your hand.” They weren’t actually heading to a restaurant, but Jillian didn’t know that.

Five hands shot into the air, including Jillian’s and his mother’s.

“You do realize I was kidding?” He waggled his eyebrows at Jillian, hoping to drag a smile out of her. The way her family had left the courtyard had taken the wind out of her sails.

“I wasn’t,” she sighed, lowering her hand.

Her words assured him that her spine was still intact. “Name the place, babe, and I will happily notify your family of our change in plans.” He winked at her. “In an hour or two. Or maybe next year.” How he wished it was that simple! Unfortunately, her family was already on their way to add the finishing touches to a surprise wedding reception for her.

“Same restaurant, please.” Jillian’s smile looked a little forced. “But let’s order takeout and enjoy it at your place instead.”

“Our place,” Dave corrected quickly. Since they were headed home, anyway, he no longer needed to come up with an excuse to take a detour there. “No prenup, remember?” The darker side of him reveled in the thought of showing off their three-story townhome to her annoying family. With any luck, Julie would feel one-upped all over again. It would serve her right!

Gil pulled the brim of his Stetson lower and made a rally sign as he nudged his wife toward the elevator. “We’ll head on to the restaurant to pick up everyone’s orders. Text whatever you want to Bliss.” Pretending to take their orders was part of the cover story for the big surprise they’d planned for Jillian — not just a wedding reception but also a baby shower. They were wrapping them into one event, since it was unlikely they’d get their families on the same continent again anytime soon.

“No need to text.” Mrs. Phillips briskly followed after Gil and Bliss. “I’m well aware of how my son likes his steak.” She made a pfft sound, slapping the air. “And the fact that he and my new daughter-in-law usually split a platter.”

Though Dave appreciated her playing along with the surprise, her response made it sound like they had a close mother-son relationship, which they most certainly did not. It irked him that she would even pretend that they did.

“That’s a pretty big observation for someone who’s only been in town for a week.” His eyebrows came together as he finished the sentence inside his head. After being gone for the past thirty-something years . He didn’t say it out loud, not wanting to start a verbal duel with her on his wedding day.

His mother made another lighthearted pfft sound. She was in a much better mood than he was accustomed to enduring over their infrequent phone calls and his even less infrequent visits to her in Italy. “Where do you think you got your investigative skills, son?”

From my attorney father, of course! “Where indeed?” He shook his head in amazement at her retreating shoulders as she joined Gil and Bliss in the elevator. It was as if she’d swallowed a happy pill or something.

“Alone at last.” He didn’t hesitate to gather Jillian close as soon as the doors rolled shut. “New idea. Let’s blow this popsicle stand and start our honeymoon right away.”

They had plane tickets to depart for Hawaii in the morning.

Jillian slid her arms around his neck. “What’ll you do if I say yes?”

“Don’t tempt me.” He hovered his mouth over hers. It wouldn’t take much urging to convince him.

She melted into his kiss.

He took what she offered, never dreaming just how badly or how soon he’d be wishing he’d driven them straight to the airport.