Her Reluctant Husband by Erica Marselas (summer beach reads txt) 📗

to me, glaring. “I hope you know just because I’m doing this, doesn’t mean I forgive you,” he grumbles.

"Why would I ever expect that? The thing is, Alex, I'm also not going to be some doormat you can walk all over. I'll play my part of doting wife for a year in front of Ms. Gandy. Pretending everything is peaches and cream. Then in a year’s time, I will go on my way.”

“With what? Half my shit and half my money that I worked hard for?”

“This isn't about a profit to me, but by then I'm sure we will figure out how to split so we are both happy, while also keeping Aunt Liz happy.”

“You two need to try. Ms. Gandy can smell your bullshit a mile away. I hate to see Bookings trying to turn this land into a strip mall or whatever his plans are, but the thing is, the money from the sale will be beneficial to the town.”

“We get nothing if it gets sold to Bookings?”

He shakes his head. “Besides what was previously stated.”

“We will try then,” Alex says gruffly for both of us.

“Good. The better news is I’m an ordained minister that can marry you right away. You just need to go to the courthouse and get your marriage license.”

“So, there’s really, really no way around this?” Alex pleads one more time. In a way, it’s not just for him, but for me too.

“Not if you want to keep the house and land.”

Alex looks at me, looking constipated and sick. “June, will—Jesus—" he pauses as he runs his hands down his face, “will you marry me?”

4ALEX

 

“June, will—Jesus—will you marry me?” Bile rises in my throat as I ask June Madison, the girl who killed my sister and smells of summer rain, to marry me. I hate that even after all these years she still haunts my mind. She was once the one girl I used to yearn for, who I craved until she did the unforgivable.

Aunt Liz, I love you, but what were you thinking?

“Sure,” she says with a shrug.

I stifle a laugh. “Sure? Really?”

“At least it’s a motherfucking yes. Deal with it,” she grits out and folds her arms back in. “Can you pretend for one second you don’t hate me and I’m doing this for you more than I am for myself?”

“For me? Whatever."

Kelley taps on the desk and grabs our attention. "Alright, you two. Since you only have a week to get married, how about we make plans to make you two official on Wednesday"

“Fine."

“Maybe as a wedding gift, I'll buy you both some boxing gloves.” Kelley sighs heavily as he leans back in his chair. “I'll see you both Wednesday morning. Now please, try to behave and keep the peace.”

“I don’t want to make a promise I’m not sure we’ll keep,” June teases. I narrow my eyes at her, staring her down as she makes her way to Kelley. She leans over to kiss his cheek, and my eyes drift to her plump ass. Fuck. I shake off the momentarily detour and zone back in on her being over the top sweet. “It was good seeing you again, but I’m going to leave before Alex’s glare finally catches me on fire.”

“Run along, and I promise this will be okay,” Kelley whispers to her, but I manage to catch every word. June nods and then makes a quick getaway.

“There's really no way around this?” I question Kelley as he throws his papers into his briefcase. “You have to know as a lawyer and Liz's friend, this is all insane.”

“Alex, it doesn't matter what I think. I'm to fulfill her wishes. You know all she ever wanted was for you all to be happy. You will survive this. Now I have to meet with some other clients, but I think Maggie said she would come over with some dinner for you both.” He picks his briefcase up and then pats my shoulder before exiting.

I head out to my car and grab the suitcase I packed thinking I’d be spending a few nights and now I’m days away from getting married. Throwing my bag over my shoulder, I head up to my old room. First, I stop outside Kathleen’s old bedroom, like I always used to do when I came over. She and June shared this room, so inside has been tainted with her, but I still feel Kathleen’s presence and hear them both laughing inside. It killed me when Liz packed up the room. A therapist told her it was the only way to get over the loss of “both girls.” Which I thought was bullshit. The packed boxes remain in the room because Liz couldn’t officially part with her stuff. Now I guess it’s up to me to eventually figure it out.

I let the thought go and head for my room, tossing my bag to the bed. It’s still the same, much like I expected. Liz always hoped I would come back home, so she preserved it, and I refused to take much more than clothes with me when I left. My old football and basketball trophies line the dusty bookshelves. The pictures I had of June are missing from the wall. I’d yanked them down in my rage after that night—ironically in June—but the paint beneath where they’d hung is still faded.

Moving to my desk, I find one of me and Kathleen. I lift the cheap plastic black frame and smile. Kathleen had to have been only about fifteen in the picture, young and full of life. My heart clenches, knowing I’ll never be able to see her grow up and become something special. I didn't protect her like I promised the day after we found our parents passed. Then I see a dainty hand wrapped around