Total pages in book: 104
Estimated words: 97836 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 489(@200wpm)___ 391(@250wpm)___ 326(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 97836 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 489(@200wpm)___ 391(@250wpm)___ 326(@300wpm)
“Your sister told me you were in Vegas this weekend, and then an outsider—” She nodded at Silas. “—no offense, sir, came around asking for directions to the mayor’s office, and I said to Bo, I said, ‘You mark my words, that boy got married out there.’ And I have to say your mama would scold you for not telling us, wouldn’t she? But then again, I’m glad you’ve finally decided to settle down. Now, who’s the lucky lady?”
I stared at her.
Silas shifted next to me. I glanced over at him, and in the split second I realized he was still holding my hat, Janice Godfrey, who’d walked in after us, gasped. “It wasn’t a woman! It’s gotta be that man standing next to him. Congratulations, sweetie!”
“N-no,” I began, feeling my face heat at the lie. “See—”
Aunt Blake laughed at Mrs. Godfrey. “Man? Honey, don’t you remember him and Eden dating all those years? Way’s not gay. If he was gay, I’d have expected him to join my Foster on those trips to the gay bars in Billings he thinks I don’t know about—”
“A-aunt Blake, that’s not… Silas and I, we…” I stammered, wondering how this was racing out of control so quickly. Thankfully, my sister popped her head out of the kitchen.
Her eyes were creased in confusion. “Way? You did it? You married Eden?”
Mrs. Godfrey stepped up to Silas and patted his shoulder with her hand. “No. He married this man. At least…” She frowned. “Waylon, tell me you didn’t marry poor Eden and then kiss this man only two days later in an alleyway?”
“Kiss?” my sister and aunt asked at the same time.
This couldn’t be happening. This wasn’t happening. I glanced over at Silas in hopes he’d have a solution to this horrific situation, but he was impossible to read. The man simply stood there, taking it all in like a silent damned observer, like he was waiting for me to tell him how to play this. He’d picked the wrong time to follow my lead, though, since I didn’t have a lead to follow.
Mrs. Godfrey nodded. “I saw them kissing on the street less than five minutes ago. I didn’t take Mayor Fletcher for a cheater.”
“He’s not a cheater,” Sheridan snapped automatically. And, god, I loved her for that. She was as loyal as they came. She didn’t deserve to think the worst of me.
“I didn’t cheat,” I said. “I… I didn’t marry Eden.” Truth. That was the truth.
Silas shifted closer, his arm brushing against mine. I wanted to go back to fifteen minutes earlier and change the chain of events, but even in the midst of my panic, there was a part of me that would have mourned the loss of the world’s hottest kiss in that alternate scenario.
“But you didn’t marry this man, either, did you?” Sheridan asked with a teasing grin, crossing her arms over her chest. She clearly expected the answer to be an unequivocal no.
The entire place was paying attention to the drama Aunt Blake had started. Judge Whiteplume would undoubtably find out about my marriage to Silas at some point, and I couldn’t bear him knowing I’d lied about it to the entire town. All I could think was that my father had been a liar. The previous mayor had been a liar. If there was one thing I prided myself on, it was scrupulous honesty, regardless of the cost.
I felt my fingers go numb.
Silas turned to me and spoke too softly for anyone to hear. “It’s okay.”
I wasn’t sure why he’d say that since none of this was okay, but I appreciated the sentiment nonetheless. My heart galloped in my chest, and my boots felt rooted to the floor. “I… er… that is. Uh…” I pressed my lips closed. I’d never been a stammering fool. Waylon Fletcher was known for having confidence for days. If I didn’t have it, I at least faked it.
“Yes,” I said, suddenly knowing what I had to do. “Yes, I got married in Vegas.”
I felt Silas shift again, only this time, he moved slightly away from me. I reached over and took his hand, squeezing hard in hopes he could interpret the warning in it. “I married this man. Silas C-Concannon.” Thank god I remembered his last name after only a half beat of hesitation. “And, he… he’s… here in Majestic now. And we’re… together. Married. For real.”
Which was, in fact, the truth. Even if all of those words could have been interpreted in wildly different ways.
“For real?” Silas murmured under his breath.
I squeezed his hand to the point of pain. “For real,” I hissed.
Everyone in the cafe went silent for a moment before the place erupted in a combination of congratulations, confusion, and criticism.
My sister’s eyes narrowed as they flicked back and forth between me and Silas. I quickly did calculations in my brain to figure out how to play this so that my entire life didn’t come crumbling down on top of me more than it already had.