“The hospital called earlier to let me know they are releasing my mother this afternoon. Do you mind if we stay and help with that?”

Rachel lifted her eyes to his and shook her head. “Of course not. I’m happy to help in any way that I can. I need to call Mason and tell him I won’t be back until…when exactly are we going back?”

Cole climbed into bed beside her. “I know you remember last night.”

“Ahh, which part?”

Reaching across the sheet, he looked down to where his finger was now playing with her pierced navel. “The part where you said you would marry me.” Lifting his eyes to hers, he arched a brow. “Do you remember that?”

Rachel pretended to think it over while her insides were twisting from anxiety. “I seem to recall something like that being discussed.”

As he moved closer, he questioned, “Oh, you do, do you? Well, that’s good, but if you didn’t, then I have a very convincing eye-witness.”

Rachel was coming to find that she loved this side of him. This playful, lighthearted side he switched on was a complete contrast to the fire simmering in his eyes.

“Oh? So, if I chose to maybe…oh, I don’t know…plead the fifth?” she asked as a giggle escaped her mouth.

He rolled on top of her with narrowed eyes and a growl. “Then, you will suffer the consequences.”

Rachel wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled herself up to gently bite his bottom lip. “And what might those be?”

“A lifetime of sexual favors,” he informed as he reached between them to remove his towel, “to be performed by you, for me.”

“In that case,” she teased, arching her hips to rub against his delicious hard-on.

“Yes?” he asked as he thrust against her.

Pressing her lips to his, she smiled. “I plead the fifth.”

* * *

If someone had told him a week ago that he would be standing in an office while a little gray-haired man in a tweed jacket was punching in his information for a marriage license, Cole would have said, You are out of your fucking mind.

As it happened though, he was currently standing at an old desk in the county clerk’s office with a man in tweed asking him his last name.

“Madison. Cole James Madison.”

“And the young lady?” tweed asked.

Cole looked over his shoulder to see Rachel pacing with his phone to her ear. She was dressed in a pair of casual jeans and a red sweater that hugged every curve she had and made her inky hair stand out in stunning contrast.

“Langley is her last name. Rachel Catherine Langley.”

As he said her name, Rachel turned to face him with a serious frown.

Cole knew Mason was giving her a hard time on the other end of the phone, and the funny thing was that he was upset she had gone away with someone she hardly knew without mentioning it to anyone.

Yeah, he’s definitely going to go postal when he finds out exactly what is about to go down.

“Mason, listen to me. I am an adult. I had to leave suddenly. I called as soon as I could.”

Cole turned back to the tweed and handed over his driver’s license who took down his information and then handed it back. That was when he heard her say softly, “I love him.”

Moving to face her, Cole felt his heart pound faster at her admission, but it was quickly followed by annoyance.

She replied into the phone, “Well, you better get over it and quick. I don’t understand what the problem is. Do I need to remind you that you went missing for weeks, and I didn’t give you shit until the very end? Look, we’ll be back on Sunday. Have Sarah look after things for me. Give her a bonus out of my pay. I. Don’t. Care. But work it out, Mase. Please?”

When Cole stopped in front of her and flashed his driver’s license, she opened her purse and wallet and gave him hers.

He mouthed, Everything okay?

She smiled up at him and nodded, rolling her eyes, as she covered the mouthpiece. “Mason’s just being Mason.”

“Want me to talk to him?”

“No. I’ve got this, don’t you worry. I think I’ll leave the talking to you when we all meet Monday night for dinner, counselor. That’s when things will get interesting.”

Holding up a finger to signal Mason was back, she said into the phone, “I’ll be back on Sunday, and I’ll see you at dinner on Monday, okay?” She closed her eyes and nodded. “I promise. I love you, too. Give Lena a hug for me, would you?”

Looking up at him, she started to laugh. With a sassy wink, she promised Mason, “I won’t hug Cole for you, okay?”

Cole shook his head, and before she hung up, he couldn’t help but smirk at her last words to Mason.

“But I’ll kiss him once for Lena.”

As she quickly disconnected the phone, she let out her version of what Cole could only assume was an evil laugh.

His future wife was a little minx, and he loved her for it.

21

Married. Wedlock. Matrimony.

A union between two people who love one another.

No matter which way it was described or how she looked at it, she was—

Oh, holy shit. I, Rachel Langley—

Scratch that. I, Rachel Madison, am now a wife! And not just anyone’s wife, she thought as she looked over her shoulder to the large bed in her cramped bedroom. I’m Cole’s wife.

Turning back to the mirror in front of her, Rachel examined the woman staring back. She didn’t look any different…well, except for the bright purple streaks she had reapplied last night at Cole’s request.

No, the woman staring back at her was exactly the same. Except now, she felt like she had found a missing piece, a piece that had been so well-disguised she had almost overlooked him.

Zipping up the hoodie she had pulled on to pair with her yoga pants, she walked around to the side of the bed where Cole was lying as peaceful as she had ever seen him. With his eyes closed and his dark lashes kissing his cheeks, his face took on a boyish quality that was lost when those serious magnetic eyes were open and focused.

Awake, he was a powerful force that she couldn’t resist. Asleep, he was a peaceful picture she wished she could emulate.

This weekend had been a whirlwind of emotions for both of them, and just like Rachel, he seemed to be exhausted from everything that had taken place.

* * *

“This is you and Cole when he was five,” Rachel told Lydia as she pointed to the little boy in the image holding a young woman’s hand. He was peering up at his mother with a smile reserved only for the young and innocent.

It was incredible to look at the man standing on the other side of this virtual stranger and realize that the boy and man was one and the same.

“Cole was my son?” Lydia asked her.

Rachel felt a lump catch in her throat as she raised her eyes to silently offer Cole any comfort he might need. He, however, was focused on his mother, and Rachel could see the pain etched across his features.

“I don’t remember,” Lydia confessed, shaking her head.

Rachel watched Cole sit down beside his mom as she turned to face him. Rachel almost fell apart as Lydia voiced her confusion.

“Where is he? Is he okay? He’s so little.”

Cole reached out and took her hand. When he held it firmly in his own, he placed two white wax paper squares in her hand.

Caramels.

“It’s okay, Lydia. He’s okay. In fact, he is the happiest he has ever been.”

Rachel looked over the older woman’s gray hair, and when her eyes met Cole’s, she could sense the heartache, but she could also see the gratitude and love he had for her.

“You like caramels, right?” he asked his mother as he tore his eyes from Rachel’s.

“Yes. Yes, I do. How did you know?”

That was when the mischief came back into his eyes as he winked at both women.

“Lucky guess. After all, who doesn’t like caramel?”

* * *

“Not worrying about tonight, are you?”

Cole’s lazy deep voice jolted Rachel back to reality. Focusing on her—wow, husband, who was now sitting up in her bed—Hang on, is it now our bed?—Rachel watched him run a hand through his messy blond hair.

“Nope, not at all,” she answered.

“You’re a terrible liar, Mrs. Madison.”

Hearing him say her new name out loud sent a shiver down her spine, and looking at him naked in her bed for the first time made her thighs tighten.

“I’m not lying.”

“Yes, you are. When you lie, you get a frown line here.” He indicated the center of his forehead.

Rachel felt herself doing exactly that.

“It’s okay to be nervous about telling everyone,” he assured her as he moved out of the bed and walked toward her. “These are the people you love and care about.”

Scoffing a little at that, Rachel shook her head while she wrapped her arms around his neck as he encircled her waist.

“These are people who are going to not only give me hell, but they’ll also possibly kick your ass,” she said as seriously as she could.

Rachel felt Cole’s chest shake as she looked up into his laughing eyes.

“I’m glad you find this so amusing, husband.”

“Oh, I like that,” he drawled.

“Yes. I can tell,” Rachel sassed, pushing her clothed hips against his naked ones.

“Say it again.”

“I’m glad you fin—”