by Teri Wilson
Oh, my gosh.
Her pretty dress fluttered the third time it happened, and that’s when she knew for sure—her baby had just kicked. Their baby.
“Avery, sweetheart?” Finn prompted.
She looked up and found her husband-to-be and the judge both watching her expectantly, waiting for her to say something.
She inhaled a shaky breath, and for the first time since the awful phone call with her father, she felt like everything might just be okay, after all. She’d needed a sign, and she’d gotten one. A sign more perfect than she could have dreamed of.
She fixed her gaze with the man who’d just pledged to love, honor and cherish her in sickness and in health, for richer and for poorer, and did her best to forget that she was definitely the latter at the moment. She was completely dependent on a man she barely knew, a man who just might have the power to break her heart.
“I do,” she whispered.
And against all odds, she meant it, because the moment the baby moved, she’d stopped playing pretend.
* * *
They’d done it. After spending the past few months actively avoiding the altar, Finn Crawford was a married man.
He bit back a smile as he maneuvered his truck off Great Gulch’s Main Street and onto the highway that led to Rust Creek Falls. There was no logical reason for the swell of elation in his chest. He’d practically been forced to beg Avery to marry him, and according to her terms, the marriage was hardly something to celebrate. Finn had no doubt that if Oscar Ellington hadn’t acted like the world’s biggest jackass, his daughter wouldn’t be wearing Finn’s ring.
But there it sat on the third finger of her left hand—rose gold, with a stunner of a center stone. He’d bought it on impulse at an antiques store across the street from the B&B. Avery’s eyes had grown wide when he slid it onto her finger in the courthouse, but she’d yet to ask him where it came from. Finn wasn’t altogether sure whether her silence was a good thing or a bad one, but every so often he glanced at her in the passenger seat and caught her staring down at the ring, toying with it with the pad of her thumb.
Married.
The beautiful woman sitting beside him was his wife, and she was pregnant with his child. Overnight, he’d gone from being free and single to being a husband with a baby on the way. He should be terrified half out of his mind or, at the very least, somewhat concerned about Avery’s sudden insistence on a chaste relationship.
So why wasn’t he?
From the moment she’d looked up at him with tears in her eyes and whispered the words I do, he’d felt nothing but pure, unadulterated joy. He’d worry about the details tomorrow. For now, he was content to let himself believe that he was ready to be a family man.
“Where are we going?” Avery frowned at the scene beyond the windshield as the truck rolled into Rust Creek Falls. “You just missed the turnoff for the boarding house.”
Was she serious?
“That’s because we’re not going to the Stricklands’. We’re going to the Ambling A,” Finn said quietly.
Avery said nothing, but instead of toying with her wedding ring, she hid her hand beneath the folds of her dress.
Finn tightened his grip on the steering wheel. “I want to introduce my family to my wife.”
Avery blinked at him. “Now?”
“Why not? The baby will be here in a matter of months. They may as well get used to the idea.”
She shook her head. “We’re still keeping the baby news to ourselves for now, right? I’m concerned that once the news is out, it will be all over town.”
Finn’s shoulders tensed, but she had a point. One thing at a time. Plus, he’d already given Rust Creek Falls enough to gossip about since he’d moved to the Ambling A. If the busybodies in town knew Avery was pregnant, their marriage would be reduced to nothing but a shotgun wedding.
Isn’t that what it is?
Yes...no...maybe.
He wasn’t sure of anything anymore.
“Okay, we still won’t say anything about the baby.” He took a measured inhale. “For now.”
“Good.” Avery nodded, but she was visibly nervous as they turned onto the main road leading to his family’s ranch. She wrung her hands until her knuckles turned white.
Finn wanted to comfort her, but he wasn’t sure how, especially when he caught sight of the numerous vehicles parked in front of the massive log home. Maximilian’s luxury SUV was situated in its usual spot, as was Wilder’s truck. But four more automobiles were slotted beside them, which meant Logan, Xander, Hunter and Knox were probably up at the main house, as well. What the heck was going on? Were they having a party in his absence?
He shifted his truck into Park. “It looks like we’re about to kill six birds with one stone.”
Beside him, Avery closed her eyes and took several deep breaths. When her lashes fluttered open, she glanced at him and shrugged. “Yoga breathing. It reduces stress and anxiety. It’s also supposed to be good for the baby.”
Finn smiled, then took her hand and gave it a squeeze. He also decided right then and there that they couldn’t spend their wedding night at the Ambling A. Avery was right—they needed to be thinking about what was best for the baby. Staying under the same roof as his nutty father and the rest of his nosy family wouldn’t be healthy for anyone, much less his unborn child. They’d get in, make their announcement and get out. Maybe they’d even head back to Great Gulch and that beautiful four-poster bed.
No sex, remember?
He sighed as he climbed out of the truck and slammed the driver’s-side door shut. No sex. They had a deal. A completely ludicrous deal, but a deal nonetheless.
He had to give Avery credit—she put on a good show. When he pushed open the front door to the big log house, she greeted Maximilian with a big smile and a hug, just like a proper daughter-in-law. As luck would have it, not only were all five of his brothers situated around the big dining room table, but Xander’s wife, Lily, and Knox’s other half, Genevieve, were there, too. Hunter’s daughter, Wren, had a bandanna tucked into the collar of her T-shirt and was digging into a big bowl of chili. Logan’s wife, Sarah, sat beside her, bouncing a giggling baby Sophia on her lap.
Finn’s attention lingered on the happy nine-month-old, and his chest squeezed into a tight fist.
“Son? Everything okay?”
Finn blinked and dragged his gaze back to Maximilian. “Everything’s fine. Great, actually. What’s going on? I haven’t seen the main house this full in a while.”
“We’re all about to head down to the fall festival for pumpkin bowling, so Lily put on a pot of chili first.” Maximilian planted his hands on his hips. “A few of us tried calling you, but your phone rolled straight to voice mail.”
Right. Because he’d been a little busy getting married and all.
“Pumpkin bowling?” Avery grinned. “That’s a thing?”
Logan nodded. “Sure it is. It’s like regular bowling, only with a pumpkin instead of a bowling ball. It’s taking place on the big lawn at Rust Creek Falls Park, and Dad has grand plans to beat us all to smithereens.”
“Not going to happen.” Genevieve shook her head. “I’ve been practicing.”
“Seriously?” Lily laughed.
“Oh, she’s dead serious.” Knox slung an arm around his wife and kissed the top of her blond hair. “G never kids about pumpkin bowling.”
“Aunt Genevieve has been helping me, too,” Wren said around a spoonful of chili. “She said we need to put Grandpa in his place.”
“Oh, did she now?” Maximilian crossed his arms while the entire room collapsed into laughter.
“No worries, Dad. We have some news that might take the sting out of the fact that the family has been conspiring against you.” Finn slipped his arm around Avery’s waist and pulled her close.
The room grew quiet
until the only sound was the scraping of Wren’s spoon against her bowl and the pounding of Avery’s heart as she nestled against Finn’s side. Only then, at such close range, could Finn tell that her smile seemed a bit strained around the edges. Forced.
Because after all, they were only pretending to be happy newlyweds. The only thing real about their union was the baby on the way.
“We’re married,” Finn blurted.
So much for finesse.
He’d intended to say something more poetic, but Avery’s stiff smile was messing with his head. What had happened to all the heat that had been swirling between them since she’d thrown herself at him in the pasture? He couldn’t look at an ear of calico corn anymore without feeling aroused. He wanted her so much it hurt. And he knew...he just knew...that Avery still wanted him, too.
“You’re what?” Logan glanced back and forth between Finn and Avery.
“Wait. This is a joke, right?” Hunter let out a nervous laugh.
Xander and Knox exchanged stunned glances. Wilder and Hunter just stared, no doubt wondering if they must be next, considering that all of Maximilian’s sons seemed to be falling like dominoes, one by one.
“Avery, sweetheart, is this true?” Finn’s father set hopeful eyes on Avery. The pumpkin bowling conspiracy had apparently convinced him the entire family had it in for him. Probably because he deserved it after all the meddling he’d done in recent months.
Every head in the grand dining room swiveled in Avery’s direction, and Finn’s gut churned; he hoped against hope that none of his family members could see through the charade. He wasn’t sure he could take it if they could, especially when Logan and Sarah, Xander and Lily, and Knox and Genevieve seemed so blissfully happy.
It was painful enough to know his wife didn’t plan to share a bed with him, but it would be beyond humiliating for his brothers and his father to know it, too.
But in answer to Maximilian’s question, Avery beamed up at Finn as if he’d hung the moon. Gazing into those warm brown eyes of hers took him right back to Oklahoma—the night that had changed both of their lives for good. And with a lump in his throat, he realized that if he could have gone back in time and done things differently, he wouldn’t have changed a thing.
“It’s true. Finn asked me to marry him last night, and we just couldn’t wait. We went to the justice of the peace this morning,” Avery said, the perfect picture of a blushing bride, radiant with happiness. Finn would have sworn on his life she was telling the truth. “I’m a Crawford!”
Chapter Ten
I’m a Crawford.
The full consequences of what Avery had done didn’t fully sink in until she said those words and watched Maximilian’s face split into an ecstatic grin.
There was no turning back. The ring was on her finger, and now they’d shared the happy news with Finn’s family. She was no longer Avery Ellington. She was Avery Crawford. Mrs. Finn Crawford.
“Well, I’ll be.” Maximilian let out a jubilant whoop that was so loud it shook the rafters of the extravagant log cabin his family called home. “Welcome to the family, darlin’.”
He scooped her up in a big bear hug, and before she knew what was happening, Avery was being passed from one Crawford to the next, each one gushing with happiness over the surprise news. They were all so excited, so welcoming, that Avery had to remind herself that she wasn’t truly a part of the family, despite the change in her last name. She and Finn were figuring things out, that’s all. She’d married him to ensure that he would truly be a part of his baby’s life, despite her father’s attempts to cut him out entirely. He didn’t honestly think of her as his wife, and she certainly wouldn’t be standing in the grand main building of the Ambling A with Finn Crawford’s ring on her finger if she weren’t pregnant with his baby.
Her daddy would see things differently, though. The fact that she’d traded the name Ellington for Crawford would be an unpardonable sin, regardless of the fact that she’d been disinherited. Oscar Ellington had put something terrible in motion when he’d cut her off, but nothing that couldn’t have been stopped. One phone call—that’s all it would have taken to undo all the pain he’d caused.
But this...
This couldn’t be undone.
“I must say, I’m surprised.” Wilder narrowed his gaze at Finn. “You swore up and down that wild horses couldn’t drag you to the altar.”
Avery’s ribs constricted, but she glued her smile in place.
“Things change, brother,” Finn said, and his gaze found hers and he sent her a knowing grin.
Things change.
Did they? Did they really?
“How adept are you at bowling, Avery?” Genevieve arched a brow. “Do you have much experience handling pumpkins?”
Finn shook his head. “Don’t get any ideas. The lot of you already outnumber Dad by a good amount. You’re going to have to trounce him on your own.”
He reached for Avery, and his fingertips slid to the back of her neck, leaving a riot of goose bumps in their wake. “Besides, it’s our wedding night.”
Her stomach immediately went into free fall.
Their wedding night? She hadn’t thought that far ahead. Since telling Finn about the baby, she’d pretty much been operating on a minute-by-minute basis.
“Won’t you two be taking a honeymoon? I can make a phone call and get the jet down from Helena in two shakes of a lamb’s tail.” Maximilian dug around in the pocket of his Wranglers for his cell phone.
“Oh, there’s no need for that,” Avery said before Finn could take him up on the offer. “We’re not taking a honeymoon quite yet. Right...darling?”
She cast a pleading glance at Finn.
Darling? She was calling him darling now?
The corner of his mouth quirked into a half grin. “Right, love.”
Love. As endearments went, it was a good one. A great one, actually. She practically melted into a puddle right there in the Crawford dining room, because again, she couldn’t quite keep track of what was real and what wasn’t.
“Maybe it’s a good thing we’re all heading out, then.” Knox bit back a smile.
“Don’t be an idiot. We’re waiting on the honeymoon, but we’re not spending our wedding night under the same roof as all of you.” Finn rolled his eyes and punched his brother on the arm.
Knox winced as he rubbed his biceps. “Point taken, but where exactly are you going?”
Finn hesitated, because as Avery knew all too well, he was completely winging it. It was the briefest of pauses, but it gave Maximilian the perfect opening to swoop in with a grand, romantic gesture.
“You’ll stay at Maverick Manor. The honeymoon suite!” He jabbed at the screen of his cell phone. “I’ll take care of the reservation myself, pull some strings if I have to.”
Panic shot through Avery. She couldn’t spend the night with Finn in a honeymoon suite, of all things. Not if she had any chance of sticking to the arrangement they’d made.
“What’s Maverick Manor?” she asked, even though she dreaded the answer.
“It’s Rust Creek’s newest hotel. Rustic, but upscale.” Hunter grabbed a coffee carafe from the marble-topped kitchen counter where a huge blue Le Creuset enamel pot sat, surrounded by bowls of chili fixings. He gave a thoughtful shrug while refilling his cup. “It’s quite beautiful, actually. The lobby has a stone fireplace that’s so big you can stand upright in it, and the entire back side of the building faces the mountains.”
“It’s so romantic, Avery. Honestly, it’s the perfect place for a wedding night.” Sarah sighed. “You’ll just love it.”
Avery glanced at Finn—at his big broad shoulders, at his capable hands, at the mouth she couldn’t seem to stop kissing at the most inappropriate times. Then she shifted her attention back to her father-in-law, grinning from ear to ear.
W
hat bride would turn down the honeymoon suite at the most extravagant hotel in town?
A pretend one. That’s who.
Avery was suddenly exhausted. She’d been married all of two hours, and reminding herself not to fall in love with her husband was already becoming a full-time job. Maybe it was a good thing she was unemployed.
“Thank you, Maximilian. That’s so kind of you.” She took a deep breath. How hard could it be to spend one chaste night in a luxurious room with Finn? It wasn’t as if the bed would be heart-shaped. Would it? “Maverick Manor, here we come.”
* * *
Avery had no idea what Maximilian had said to the staff at Maverick Manor, but whatever it was had everyone falling all over themselves to welcome her and Finn in grand romantic fashion.
“Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Crawford,” the front desk clerk gushed the instant they’d set foot inside the lobby.
They hadn’t even introduced themselves, which had Avery wondering if Maximilian had gone so far as to send photos in preparation of their arrival. Finn’s father was definitely over-the-top, so she wouldn’t put it past him. Then again, Rust Creek Falls was a small town, and everyone within a one-hundred-mile radius seemed to know precisely who Finn Crawford was...because they’d dated him at some point.
Avery forced a smile and tried not to imagine the effusive blonde with the Maverick Manor badge pinned to her cute denim dress sharing a candlelit meal with her husband.
“We’ve prepared a lovely stay for you,” she said, and to her credit, she didn’t seem overly familiar with Finn. Thank goodness. She must be new in town. “Tomorrow, we’ve got you booked for a special couples’ massage overlooking the fall foliage on our new pool deck.”
“A couples’ massage?” Avery blinked. Apparently, a heart-shaped bed was the least of her worries. “That won’t be necessary. We’re checking out tomorrow morning.”
