And every single time, he’d been furious with her for dragging him along into trouble. A sparkle came into Gabby’s eyes, and he was gratified to see it.
“So we just…keep the secret for a bit?” she clarified.
“You okay with that?” he asked. “I mean, people will ask questions once you’ve moved in, but by then, I’m sure we’ll have something sorted out between us. I don’t want to look like I’m lying to my boss—I mean, our reasons for this marriage shouldn’t matter so much to our friends, but my reputation at work matters. If they thought I was scamming the system, or whatever—”
“No, I understand,” she said.
“United front, right?”
“United front.” She gave him a nod. “You sure you’ll be okay with three babies in your house? And me?”
“I’ll be fine.” He’d been prepared for one baby a couple years ago. He could stretch for three.
“I do appreciate this,” she said. “You have no idea, Seth. You’re a really good friend.”
Seth slid an arm around her shoulders, and for the first time today, some physical contact felt natural between them. He gave her a squeeze.
“Now that we have a marriage license, I’ll get you on my insurance right away. I’m sure we can scrape up enough money for the formula between now and when it kicks in.”
“I’m relieved.” Gabby put a hand against her chest and her gaze misted. “I’ve been alone in this, and I don’t think I even realized how worried I was until just now. I mean, to have the basics be almost out of reach… Milk! It shouldn’t bankrupt a woman, you know?”
“You’re not alone in this.” He dropped his arm and caught her hand in his. “It’s a burden shared, right? You’ve got me now.”
She nodded, and he felt a flood of relief, too. They would be okay. Gabby was a good person, and she didn’t deserve to be struggling on her own. Neither did those tiny boys. And for once, he was able to do something—fix something—and feel like he was making a bad situation better for someone he cared about.
They headed down the stairs to the main floor. As he held open the door for her, they were met by a rush of frigid air. It was snowing again—large flakes floating down in lazy pirouettes. Gabby pulled on a pair of gloves.
“How should we celebrate?” he asked.
“I wouldn’t mind a piece of cake,” Gabby said, glancing up at him. “To go, though. I miss my babies.”
Cake. Yeah, that was oddly appropriate. Years ago, they would go out for cake together—normally when Gabby was mourning a breakup from some unworthy boyfriend.
“Yeah, you bet.” Who was he to argue about what helped her feel better? As they turned down the street toward his truck, Seth spotted someone he knew ambling toward them. Heck, they both knew him, but what was he doing here on the one day Seth and Gabby needed a bit of privacy? He instinctively put a hand out to touch Gabby’s arm. But she’d seen him, too.
Taylor Shirk was dressed in a pair of jeans and a fleece-lined denim jacket. A cowboy hat was pushed back away from his face. They’d gone to high school with him, and they’d all known each other for years. He was staring at them with a look of shock on his face. Seth looked down at Gabby—she stood there with the bouquet in one gloved hand. She looked every inch a bride, even in a winter coat. They were in front of the courthouse, after all. He sighed.
“No way!” Taylor exclaimed as he approached. “Is this what it looks like?” Taylor glanced between them, then pointed at the bouquet. “Did you two just get married?”
So much for keeping a secret… Seth exchanged a helpless shrug with Gabby.
“We were hoping to keep it hush-hush for a little bit,” Gabby said with a grimace. “You don’t think you could keep a secret, do you?”
“Me? Yeah, of course!” Taylor laughed. “Wow. I mean, I had no idea you two were even an item. This is a total shock, I gotta tell you. How long were you hiding this relationship?”
“It’s new,” Seth said quickly. “We…uh—we just realized it was the right step, and we took it.”
Not a lie. Maybe this wasn’t going to be so hard, after all.
“Well, about time! Congratulations!” Taylor bent in and kissed Gabby’s cheek. “You, too, man. Really, from the bottom of my heart.”
Seth and Taylor shook hands, and Taylor belted out a laugh.
“But discretion, right?” Gabby pressed. “Taylor? I’m serious. Please.”
“Yeah, yeah, of course.” Taylor nodded enthusiastically. “You got it. I won’t hold you up! Enjoy that honeymoon, you two!”
Seth caught Gabby’s hand again and checked over his shoulder as Taylor went on his way. He was still laughing aloud, shaking his head as he wandered off down the street and then crossed to the other side, but he’d pulled his phone out of his back pocket and was typing into it. Seth tugged Gabby after him and they made their way to where his red pickup truck was parallel parked. Honeymoon. Yeah, technically, that was what this was, but it wouldn’t be like anyone else’s.
“He’s not keeping that secret,” Seth said, opening the passenger side door for her. Taylor Shirk was a good guy, but he was a talker, and he was probably texting the news now. The town of Eagle’s Rest, Colorado, was about to be react.
“I know. I don’t think we’re getting the luxury of time here.”
Seth waited until she’d hopped up into the cab, then slammed her door shut and angled around the truck and got in. The engine hadn’t cooled off all the way, so the air that pumped into the cab as he started it was warm already. Seth looked over at Gabby. Her blond hair was tousled from the winter wind, and her cheeks were pink from the cold. On her left hand was the faint glimmer of that golden wedding band… His mouth went dry.
“What will people say?” Gabby asked after a moment.
“I guess we’re about to find out.” Seth tried to smile. “We’re about to be the talk of the town, Gabs.”
“I’d better tell Mom before she hears it from someone else,” Gabby said, and her expression turned grim. “I just need some time to think up our story. Something that sounds less…pragmatic. We don’t want to be charged with insurance fraud.”
He definitely didn’t want that! But this was a real marriage—maybe a convenient one, but they’d be living together, raising three kids together… How much more real did it get?
“Should we swing by today and tell your mother ourselves?” he asked.
“No. She’s working a double shift at the restaurant, anyway. Tomorrow morning is soon enough.”
“Right.” Seth fiddled with the back of his ring once more with his thumb. It was time to get home and face their new reality.
THE DRIVE FROM Benton to Eagle’s Rest was a quiet one. As Gabby stretched her legs out to feel the heat from the vents, Seth put on the radio to fill the silence. A few honky-tonk Christmas tunes about unrequited love were on various stations. She’d never been a fan of heartbreaking songs, but today they seemed more personal. She’d gotten married today, but she wasn’t in love with her husband.
“Could you change the station?” she said.
“Sure.” Seth flicked the station to an equally depressing song. He stuck it on a talk radio station and