Page 69 of Fall Over You

“Oh,” I sigh. “The oppression from your darling wife begins early.”

Tyler’s head tips like he’s rolling his eyes, but who could tell with his ballcap pulled that low?

But I can see his mouth, sporting the tiniest smirk.

TWENTY-SEVEN

TYLER

Into the belly of the shithole, or whatever the phrase is.

I face the building I’ve only been into a handful of times in recent years, and with good reason. The Legion Hall of Paint, West Virginia is a drunkard’s haven. Drinking is generally a waste of time and life, and since Ellie was born, I don’t put myself into places where my time gets wasted.

Dread fills me like wet cement, but just before I take the door handle from Jake, Becca leans in. “Give us a minute?”

Jake salutes and heads inside, shuffling to catch up to Darcy.

Becca loops her arms behind my neck, and my whole body relaxes feeling her against me. She strokes her fingers through the hair above my ears and drags a finger down my jaw. “Nervous?”

Well, I guess I am. I’m not exactly a man about town. I keep to myself. I’m friendly with people, but I’m no social butterfly. By contrast, I’m not sure Becca’s ever known a stranger in her entire life. She’s my complete opposite, and now I’m about to marry her. It’s more intimidating than I expected. Still, I nod. This whole check-in is surprising, but very welcome.

“You’re gonna do great. Just follow my lead and let’s have a good time. This is supposed to be the fun part.”

Supposed to be.

The people in our lives are thrilled about this, making everything feel even more wrong and dishonest. We’re lying to people who love us.

And what does it mean that they’re so happy for us? No one was this happy when CJ got pregnant. Was this what it was supposed to feel like? Then again, these are very different circumstances.

I haven’t given Becca enough credit. She owns and runs a farm. She has a circle of people who love and support her. She’s not the girl she was when she and CJ were running around making a mess of their lives. And even at her sloppiest, Becca had it together enough to hold down her trucking job. Couldn’t say the same for CJ.

Becca squishes my cheeks and wiggles my chin in her hand. “Put a smile on these cheeks and pretend for tonight for me, huh?”

I’ve been looking at her face, but I’ve been a thousand miles away. I snap back to the woman in front of me and smirk. “I’ll pretend.”

She rises on her toes and kisses the corner of my mouth, an action that makes my stomach plummet. In a good way. The best way. “There’s that $150,000 smile.”

I laugh and drink her in: bright eyes, broad smile, a glow from within. I’m thinking about sneaking in another one of those test kisses when a voice shouts across the parking lot.

“The happy couple!”

Dusty and his girlfriend, Ronnie, walk our way hand in hand and it’s all getting real. I’m part of the happy couple.

Never been called that before.

Becca leans into my chest and on instinct, I hold her tighter. She shivers, and I remember that she’s not dressed for the weather. I run my hands over her bare shoulders and arms. “Gotta keep you warm. You couldn’t wear something more sensible?”

“Since when have I ever been sensible?” she asks. “And you’re supposed to tell me I look great.”

The truth of what she says hits me hard. Why is my first instinct to give her a hard time? And why about her clothes? She’s almost always well put together.

To this point in my life, I had to see Becca looking this good and know she wasn’t mine to have. I’d mostly trained myself to not even look.

This time, she’s mine. She’s got on this incredible outfit and she’s wearing my ring.

Dusty and Ronnie are almost all the way over to us with Becca’s mom and grandma trailing behind them. I only have a second.

I rake my fingers into Becca’s hair so I can get to her ear and lean down.