“Well, we can’t just go off and get married with no witness, and Dalton isn’t available this weekend.”

“We don’t need them. My family can be our witnesses. I need them present anyway.”

My mouth damn near hit the island. His family? Was he serious?

“Alex! Do you really think having your family go is the best thing for us?”

“Absolutely. I couldn’t imagine getting married without them there.” He stopped and studied me for a minute, his hazel eyes growing darker as he narrowed them while the intensity of his gaze stabbed into me. “You don’t want my family there?”

“Alex that is not what I am saying and you know it. Your grandmother doesn’t like me, so I know she won’t want to be there.”

“Cassie, that’s nonsense. My grandma does like you. She is just a little shy because she doesn’t know you.”

“My ass, Alex, but if you want to believe that, then you go right ahead and believe that.”

Alex took my plate and cleared the kitchen, making sure that everything was put back in its rightful place. He was so meticulous in that way, not wanting anything left out or causing clutter. I watched him, trying to figure out how he could be so blind to his grandmother and her treatment of me the one and only time I had ever met her. Sure, her goodbye was much more welcomed than her hello, but neither could be classified as warm and receptive, and I was having a hard time trying to figure out how Alex couldn’t see that.

When he was finished with the kitchen, he turned to me. “You ready?”

I eyed him, still a little awestruck that he was so oblivious to things, then nodded my head and jumped down from the stool. After quickly throwing on a pair of cut-off jean shorts and a tank top, I brushed my still damp hair into a tight ponytail and grabbed my bag, then headed for the truck. Once again, Alex looked well put together and delectable while I looked like a train wreck.

He took my bag and threw it into the back, then walked around and opened my door. Even when he got on my nerves, his manners never faltered, showing off that chivalry wasn’t dead.

We pulled out of the driveway, the roar of the Ram’s engine belting through my ears. I pressed the button for the window to go down, even though it was well over one hundred degrees. Something about the pent-up irritation brewing between us was making me a little unsettled, and hot air or not, I needed it to provide a reprieve from what I currently had.

Alex reached out and placed his hand on my thigh as we barreled down the road. He knew he had made me mad, but he knew how to ease that feeling, and had worked himself back into my good graces. I couldn’t stay mad at him for long, especially not when that cocky ass smirk graced his lips and those eyes sparkled into my soul the way only he knew how to do.

Letting out a sigh, I threw my head back against the headrest and placed my hand on top of his. My head turned slightly to the left and our eyes met. My heart raced a little, and butterflies went off in my stomach—this was my moment of realization. I was about to become a married woman.

There were still so many mountains to climb, and so many hurdles to jump, but Alex seemed content with it all, and his confidence was slowly easing its way into me. I wasn’t nearly as strong and poised as he was, so whatever he could pass along was welcomed by me.

I fell asleep to soft rock on the radio, hot air blowing on my face, and Alex’s hand blanketed by mine on my thigh. It was the best sleep I’d had in days.

++++

The truck stopped in the driveway of his family home. The familiar surroundings of the neighborhood should have put me at ease, but it didn’t. There wasn’t the overabundance of cars that I had been bombarded with the first time Alex surprisingly brought me over to his family home, but I knew that just on the other side of those walls was a woman who didn’t like me, and I was sure if Alex went ahead and admitted everything that was going on with us, her hatred would come spewing out.

Alex walked around and opened my door, then took my hand and led me out. He brushed a few loose strands of hair from my face before kissing my lips softly. “I love you, Blondie.”

I needed to hear it. After everything that we had been dealing with, and the anxiety of what I thought I was about to walk into, his words soothed my soul.

“I love you too.”

Alex gently flicked my nose, then took my hand in his and walked up the stone path. He took out his keys, once again forgoing a knock, unlocked the door and led me in. I could hear the TV in the living room, but couldn’t see anyone over the cut-out wall.

We walked further into the house, and a loud squeal pierced my ears. Abel ran toward us, bumping into Alex and me. Adriana wasn’t far behind, running after him, but stopped abruptly and screamed at the sight of Alex and me.

“What the fuck, Alex? Knock on a door or announce yourself before you just come sneaking into the house,” she yelled, breathing hard as her hand, now placed on her chest, moved in succession with her erratic breathing.

She punched him in the arm as she bypassed him and wrapped me up in a hug. Her artwork adorned arms held tightly as she damn near squeezed the life out of me.

“How are you, Cassie? It’s good to see you again.”

Adriana was always receptive and warm. I liked her from the moment I had met her, and her greeting towards me solidified that.

“I’m good, Adriana. How are you?”

She let me go, then hugged Alex, who had Abel latched onto his leg like a leech. “I’m good. Just chasing Abel around the house before I take him to the park. What brings you two down here?”

“We have to talk to Mama and Abuelita. Well, you too.”

“Is this about that fucking man calling here? I swear I wanted to reach through the phone and throat punch him. He was pissing me off with all of the questions.”

“You talked to him?” I asked.

“No. I didn’t, but Mama and Abuelita did. I could tell he was asking an insane amount of questions just from their answers.”

Imedla walked out of the back room and engulfed Alex in a hug. I marveled at the youthful appearance she held. She could have passed for Adriana’s and Alex’s older sister, minus all of the tattoos that they had.

“So good to see you, mijo. Why didn’t you tell me you were coming? I would have cooked.”

“Not necessary, Mama. I came to talk to you guys.”

Imelda’s face went from joyful to worrisome in a split second. And with that, the mood of the room changed. “This must be important, Alejandro. What’s this all about?”

Alex swallowed. His eyes shifted to me, then back to his mom. “Where’s Abuelita? I need to speak to her too.”

“She’s lying down. She wasn’t—”

“I’m here and fine, Alejandro,” Guadalupe said through choking coughs. She moved slowly, looking like she was sick and hurting. Her eyes met mine with little to no emotion as she waved her hand, issuing that as her greeting. I smiled and waved back.

“Abuelita, are you okay?” Alex asked. The concern etched in his face ran deep.

“Alejandro! Talk to me. Por qué estas aquí?”

Alex wrapped his arm around his grandmother’s shoulder, then walked her into the living room. Imelda, Adriana, and I followed behind them. He helped her onto the couch, then the rest of us took our seats. Tension was thick, the air was stale, and I was beginning to perspire. The eyes floating around the room all held the same worry.

“Alejandro, does this have anything to do with that man that called here asking about Cassie?” Imelda asked, shifting her eyes from Alex to me, then back to Alex.

Alex nodded his head somberly, looking at me with a blank expression on his face. I could tell this was probably the hardest thing he was ever going to have to do—it was about to break hearts.

“First, I want to tell you all that me and Cassie are engaged, and we’re going to be married.”

Gasps filled the room. Adriana’s smile could have split her face in half while his mom sat puzzled, her eyebrows furrowing. Guadalupe’s eyes darkened, her lips forming into a deep scowl as she settled further into her seat. Thoughts were rummaging around in her head, and I was almost positive that none of them were good.

“Married?” Imelda asked. “Why so soon? Is Cassie pregnant?”

Harsh chokes escaped me. “No, I’m not pregnant.”

“Then what is it? This is pretty fast.”

“Mama, that man who called you was First Sergeant O’Hara. He is the First Sergeant for the unit that I am with. When I met Cassie, she was my student, and the Corps has a strict no fraternization rule that I broke.”

“We broke,” I threw in, hoping to show his family that I was equally at fault and not simply allowing him to take the fall for us.

“So what does that mean?” Adriana asked. The smile that had taken over face was replaced by the same puzzled look her mother held.

“It means Cassie and I, according to the Corps, should have never been together, but we were. We held our relationship in secret, but something happened to Cassie, and now our relationship is out in the open, and First Sergeant O’Hara is going after us.”

I swallowed as I stared into Guadalupe’s dark and menacing eyes. The more Alex spoke, the deeper her hatred for me grew.

“I’m confused,” Imelda said, shaking her head. “What do you mean going after you? Are you going to be in any trouble with your career?”

“If he has his way, then yes.”

Imelda’s hand shot to her chest as she sat back on the couch, breathing hard.

“What sort of trouble, Alejandro?”

“Well, Monday morning is our pre-trial hearing. First Sergeant O’Hara is having us court-martialed.”