Her name suits her perfectly. With her wild red curls, green eyes the same color as her mama’s, and a smile so big and happy you can’t help but smile along with her, she’s a really special kid. She made my heart lighter that night—in spite of the fact that I’d just been through a breakup and that her mother drives me crazy—and she’s obviously Aria’s world. The way Aria’s face lit up with love every time she glanced at her daughter got to me. It got to me enough that for a while I’d almost forgotten what a raving B-word she can be.
“You’re not going to call her a B-word again,” I tell my reflection as I reach for the shower door. “You were raised better than that.”
I’ve been talking to myself a lot since Rachael moved out. I’m going to have to stop that once Aria moves in, or she’ll think I’m crazy.
God. Aria is moving in. With me. This afternoon.
Clearly, I’m already a confirmed nutcase.
By the time I’ve showered, shaved, and located my best suit at the back of the closet, I’ve nearly talked myself into texting Aria to call it off. But then I remind myself of my third reason for marrying the enemy, and go looking for my birth certificate and two forms of I.D.
I need to see the look on Bob March’s face when he realizes Nash Geary, the white trash scum he got kicked out of art camp years ago, is married to his little princess. That a poor, pitiable Geary—the type who works at fast food restaurants instead of owning a small empire of them—is taking Bob’s daughter and granddaughter home with him, and that tonight Aria will be sleeping in my bed.
She will be sleeping in my bed. I’m not giving up my bliss-inducing new mattress to couch it. Besides, it’s a California King. We’ll never have to touch. The two sides practically have their own time zones.
And if she has any objections to that, she can take the couch.
The second bedroom is full of workout equipment, and the third, smallest bedroom is for Felicity.
Which reminds me…
I grab my phone and hit my sister’s contact button.
Raleigh answers in the middle of the first ring. “Where were you last night?” she demands by way of greeting. “I thought I saw you walking toward the rollercoaster, but then you disappeared.”
“Something unexpected came up,” I say, my mouth going dry as I remember I’ll have to lie to her. Aria and I made a deal to keep this just between us, and I didn’t ask for any exceptions, even for my closest sibling.
“Was it Rachael and Lee? I saw them making out by the cotton candy stand,” Raleigh says, the pity in her voice enough to shore up my resolve.
I’m sick of the people I love feeling sorry for me. Marrying a beautiful woman should help with that, even if she is the girl they all know I made a hobby out of hating in high school.
“No, it was something good. Great, actually,” I say, forcing an upbeat tone into my voice. “That’s why I’m calling. I was going to ask if I could swing by and pick up Jason’s old crib this morning.”
“Why?” Raleigh asks.
“You’re done with it, right?” I hedge, not ready to spill the beans. There’s still a chance Aria will back out at the last minute, and I don’t want to give Raleigh, or anyone else, another reason to pity me.
“Of course, I’m done with it,” Raleigh says. “I’m not Alex. I have no secret longing to have a brood the size of Mom’s. Two rowdy boys are plenty for me, thank you very much.”
“Great. I’ll swing by and grab it in a few minutes.”
“But I’m not home,” she protests. “We’re at soccer, and the game’s not over until—”
“That’s okay. I know where it is. I saw it in the garage a few weeks ago when Harry and I were putting the camping stuff away.”
“Okay, fine.” Raleigh huffs. “But you’re being weird. Don’t think that’s escaping my notice, because it isn’t.”
“Yeah, sorry. I’ll explain everything tonight.” I smile, an unexpected flash of excitement zigzagging through my body. Aria living in my house is a reality I’m still not mentally prepared for, but Felicity asleep down the hall, snuggled in her crib, is another thing entirely.
I just turned thirty-one. I know it’s not “old” by anyone’s standards, but I always thought I’d be married with a family by now.
But the years—and the girlfriends—have come and gone and I’ve never felt moved to take the next step with a woman. Even in the early days with Rachael, when I’d been eager to spend as much time with her as possible, it still hadn’t felt one hundred percent right. That’s why I hedged when she issued her ultimatum.