Chapter 35: Chapter 35

REECE

I was taken aback when Etta agreed to marry me so quickly. I had anticipated her wanting a grand wedding with her brothers in attendance. However, her agreement filled me with joy.

Once we were called into the Clerk’s Office, I would be the happiest man alive.

To prevent any misunderstanding with Wren and to preserve our friendship, I informed him about our impending marriage and asked him to be our witness.

“Meyers and Hart?”

The three of us rose and walked toward the man who had called our names.

“Do you have your documents and a witness?” the clerk asked.

“Yes,” I replied promptly, handing him the documents.

“Have either of you been married before?”

“No,” I responded.

“Fill out this form, and both of you need to sign and date it.”

The form required our basic information, including any former names. We filled it out, signed it, and handed it back.

“Do you want to say vows?” the clerk asked.

I glanced at Etta. “I don’t need to. We already know we love and support each other.”

“I agree.” I kissed her temple before turning back to the man who was about to make us legally married.

“All right then. I need the two of you to sign this, and then I need your witness to sign it.”

The entire process of signing the marriage license took about a minute and was rather anticlimactic. I was content with the proceedings because all I wanted was for her to be mine. However, I feared she might have wanted more and didn’t voice it to avoid bothering me.

“Well, that wasn’t as grand as I thought it would be,” Wren commented.

“But it’s what we wanted.” Etta sounded confident, but I was certain she would have loved a traditional wedding.

“Are you sure?” I asked.

“Yes, Reece. You’re my husband now, and that’s all that matters. Besides, in a few years, we can renew our vows and have our children participate.”

“As long as you’re happy.”

“I am,” she assured me.

“Okay, you guys are getting too cute, so how about we stop that?”

“Do you want to join Etta and me for lunch? We have a few hours before we have to pick up Caroline from Sterling. Our treat,” I invited Wren.

“I can’t say no to free food.”

***

“First night as husband and wife,” I remarked, sitting next to Etta on the couch. I had just put Caroline to sleep, and if all went according to plan, we had at least two hours before she woke up again.

“How crazy is that? Did you ever think we would be here?” she asked me.

“It depends. If you had asked me that a few years ago, I would have said no, but I knew I wanted to be with you since you came back. Something just clicked, and I felt like we were meant to be.”

“My therapist asked if I loved you or if I thought I loved you because it was convenient,” Etta confessed.

My stomach did a little flip. Why was she bringing this up?

“What did you tell them?” I asked.

“That I loved you and that I knew I loved you because I’m happier with you. You make me smile; you put butterflies in my stomach, and I can see a future with you.”

“I love you.” I kissed her lips and walked to my jacket. We didn’t have wedding rings earlier today, and she hadn’t mentioned wanting one, but I had bought a pair. I had placed an order online and asked Wren to pick them up this morning before meeting us at the courthouse.

I took her hand and slipped the ring onto her finger.

“When did you have time to do this?” she asked.

“Last night, and Wren picked them up this morning.”

“It’s beautiful, Reece.”

Etta’s band had a twisted design with diamonds in the middle of each twist, whereas mine was a simple silver wedding band.

“Thank you,” she whispered, kissing me.

***

“The trial is in two days. Do you have any concerns?” Thomas asked Etta.

“I don’t know what to expect.”

“They will try to tear your story apart; they’ll try to twist your words, so think about what you say and how you say it,” I advised her.

“They may even question your quick marriage to Reece, hinting at infidelity.”

I felt bad for Etta. Her life had become so complicated because of one jerk. She wanted what was best for her and for Caroline, but it wasn’t easy.

“They want Reece to take the witness stand, but we are claiming your right not to have your spouse testify,” Thomas added.

“Is that a good idea?” Etta asked.

“I believe it is. What I knew of your relationship with Tyler was hearsay, and they could try to find holes in my testimony.” Thomas and I had briefly discussed this yesterday.

“Do you have any questions, Mrs. Meyers?” Thomas asked.

I loved the sound of him addressing her as Mrs. Meyers.

“Very well, if you have any questions, please let me know. Reece, would you mind staying back so I can discuss another case with you?” he asked.

I glanced at Etta. “I’ll wait for you in your office.”

Once Etta had left, Thomas began to speak. “This isn’t a black-and-white case. Does she understand that?”

“She does. She’s aware that there’s a significant chance he could walk away with time served,” I replied.

“If he gets convicted, that could help us with custody,” I added.

“I agree. I’m just not certain the odds are in our favor for a jail-time conviction,” he said.