by Ginger Sharp
I have to talk to Katie today when I pick her up from the airport. She is flying in early to spend some time with me before her father’s party. Ryan knows that she is coming, but I have to hide her from Olivia up at my house. Katie will be helping her father finalize the details of the vow renewal surprise that he has been planning for years. I will force Katie tell them afterwards.
I dropped Ramón off at school and I come home to make love to Katie. It took me some time to get her completely tired out. I knew if I didn’t, she would be bothering me out in the fields distracting me with her hands all over herself luring me to take her again. We have been on edge lately with her father constantly showing up unannounced. He doesn’t even knock. He just barrels through the door letting himself in. He has come close to catching us a few times. Today he was minutes late from catching us. I just got out of the shower, dressed and ready to work. I stand in the kitchen drinking juice when his trucks come to an abrupt stop.
I holler over to Katie who is still whimpering in bliss, “Katie, your father just pulled up.” She jumps out of bed, grabbing clothes.
She pulls the bedroom door closed behinds her as she runs to the bathroom.
“I am getting in the shower. He will smell your scent on me.”
I nod my head, knowing that we cannot keep this up anymore. All this hiding is making me nervous.
Ryan comes through the door looking around. “Hey, Pedro. Where is Katie?”
I nod towards the bathroom. “In the shower. She is a late sleeper.”
Ryan nods, looking around. “Yes, me too. So, Pedro, where do you sleep at night when Katie is here and your son is too?”
I am feeling pretty bold right now. “I have gotten over that Ryan. I sleep in the same bed as Katie whether it is here or at her house in New Jersey.”
“You are progressing. Maybe you will start touching her when your son is around, prude boy.”
“Come on, Ryan. You know that Katie and I mess around. We have been messing around for years and it is getting quite frustrating.”
“My, you are cranky today. You better stay frustrated. You are my friend, remember that, Pedro, when you are touching Katie. Stay out of her.”
“I know. Katie has to wait until she is married. I know already.”
Ryan shakes his head. “What has gotten in to you?”
I shrug. “I told you. I am very frustrated. I am going out to the fields now before my brothers think I have abandoned them.”
I leave before I say the wrong thing. This has to end, but I am going to tell them if Katie doesn’t the day after the party.
Today is Ryan and Olivia’s party. I drop off Ramón at school and meet Katie at the Cantina to help them get ready for the party, which is after school. I run into Parker, whose new girlfriend, Megan, is here in town. Megan and Katie really hit it off even though Megan is dumb as shit. I have no clue how she got a teaching job in the next district. Henry doesn’t even like the girl. When he substitute teaches over there, he complains about her goofiness. Parker is talking rapidly since he has to get into the school. He asked me to go get Megan from his house later and bring her down to the party. He will bring Ramón with him from school. It sounds like a good plan for me, then I will not have to deal with Olivia’s sweltering stares.
We are at the Cantina setting up, when Ryan comes. Rosalie looks at him. “How did it go?”
He smiles. “She has no damn clue at all. I graded
papers with her last night and I put the grades in the book. She doesn’t even remember what the date is.” Rosalie smiles. “What about the dress?”
He laughs. “She is wearing it now and she is not going to be leaving her classroom. Livi is so sore from last night and she thinks she is getting something she craves tonight. She is all hot and bothered.”
“Eww, Daddy, gross,” Katie shouts, while shaking her head.
I feel that I am blushing too.
Henry has his hand up. “Son, how many times do I tell you I do not want to hear about your romps?”
Ryan walks over to me and pats my shoulder. “I can’t believe you want to wait until marriage. With this family, you have no clue what you are missing out on.”
Henry snaps his fingers. “Ryan, enough already and leave Pedro and Katie alone.”
I flash a smile at Katie and Katie grins hungrily back at me.
He steps back. “Holy shit, you guys had done it already?”
Katie jumps up and looks at him.
Henry chuckles. “The cat is out of the bag. Go on, girl, come clean. Your father will understand, won’t you, Ryan?”
His eyes open really wide. “You can’t be pregnant; you have that thingy in your arm. So, you finally have done it against Pedro’s rules? That is fine with me.”
She shakes her head and I am getting all nervous. I am waiting for her to tell him the truth.
“What is it, Katie? Your birth control failed? Like what happened to Mommy and me?”
She shakes her head no again.
Henry taps his finger on the counter. “Katie, he does not have all day.”
Katie begins to cry. “I do not want to ruin this day for you and Mommy. I was going to tell you eventually. Pedro and I eloped before this year’s summer tour.”
He was angry at first, but now he grins. “That is wonderful, Katie, and do not tell your mother. I will tell her. But why did you elope?”
She steps closer to him. “You are not mad? I thought that you and Mommy did not want Pedro and me to be together. He is moving to New Jersey to live with me soon.”
He leans against the counter. “I knew it would happen many years ago when I saw the love-struck Pedro drooling over my laptop screen. Mom thought you would screw with his head and dump the kid. See it all worked out and you made my day so much better.”
She runs over and hugs her father. He kisses her head. He looks over at me not sure if he is happy with our lying. “Pedro, you will like New Jersey, but don’t you ever touch my car in the garage. I had to pull strings to get Livi to let me purchase that car after what happened to the first one.”
I laugh. I go over to shake his hand. He pulls me into a hug.
He releases me. “So, Pedro, I guess you do know the family secrets and you have not been missing out on anything.”
Henry throws a dish cloth at him. “Stop with the teasing.”
Ryan glances over his shoulder. “I am going to head back home and get cleaned up. I still have to put all of Livi’s clothes back in the closet too.”
Rosalie laughs. “Just be back by noon. Teresa and her husband will be arriving, as well as everyone else.”
Henry calls out to him, “Please shave that face of yours too.” He gives him the thumbs up as he leaves.
I exhale loudly as Katie runs over to me. She jumps up into my arms. We kiss deeply while embracing so tightly.
Henry taps me on the shoulder. “See, Pedro? You lived. He didn’t harm you at all.”
Rosalie comes over, throwing her arms around Katie and me. “See? We are all family now. You two don’t have to hide anymore.”
Katie laughs. “We still have to tell Mommy.”
Rosalie nods. “Ryan will tell her. He is not very good at keeping his mouth shut about anything. You know that.”
We laugh in agreement with her.
We go back home to get ready for the party. I have a hard time pulling myself away from Katie who is lying in bed still panting from our love making. I just want to keep taking her over and over again. I feel different and she can sense that too. The weight that was bearing down on me is gone, lifted away when Ryan learned of our marriage. He is happy for us and it made me so proud when he said that he knew all along that Katie and I would end up together. He accepted that I would care for his daughter. I was the one he trusted.
Katie reaches up touching my face. “What are you thinking about, Pedro?”
I wickedly grin at her. “That I have your father’s consent to do whatever I want to you.
Knowing that he is not ever going to kill me for touching his princess. No more hiding for us. The stress is gone, Katie.”
She laughs. “Yes, we were worried for so long about how he would react. Just amazing, to see him genuinely happy for us.” She gets up from the bed and I look over at her confused about why she is leaving the bed.
I watch her dig through her suitcase. “What are you doing, Katie? Come back to bed. I am not done with you yet.”
She pulls out a small bag then comes back and sits on the bed. “I have purchased us wedding rings. You can remove that one from Cyntia. Once my mom knows, you can wear mine.”
I stare down at my hand at the tiny scratched up gold ring. “Hum, all these years and I am still wearing it. I never noticed it.”
She smiles. “You are lucky I knew that you weren’t married or I would have never come on to you that day at the Cantina. Parker told me, you know. I just assumed you wore your ring for Ramón. I hate to tell you this though. I think you might have to get that ring cut off. I don’t think you are going to be able to get it off.” She opens the ring boxes, putting them down for me to inspect. “I got us platinum. I hope you do not mind. Gold is not my thing. I am too pasty white.”
I laugh as I look down. “That reminds me of Henry’s wedding ring.”
She laughs. “Yes, same designer. I picked out the rings with my father for Rosalie and Grandpa’s wedding. Daddy will like yours too. Daddy and I have the same taste when it comes to platinum jewelry.”
She leaves me to go to the shower. I sit up on the bed trying to take off my old ring. She is right, the old ring won’t get past my knuckle. I slip on some shorts and run out to the barn for metal snips. I cut through the ring then use pliers to pry it open it and get it off. I run back to the house and put my new ring on then I join my wife in the shower.
The wedding vow renewal between my in-laws was beautiful. Ryan and Olivia are so in love. I will do this for Katie someday since we did not get a wedding. Olivia is staring across the room boring a hole right through me like she has been for two weeks now. I feel like she knows, but unsure. A few minutes later, Olivia is pulling Katie into the kitchen. I follow them through the door. Ryan looks worried as Olivia pulls Katie out the backdoor.
Rosalie opens her eye really wide. “You better follow them, Ryan, now.”
I start moving to the back door as Rosalie calls out to me, “No, Pedro. Stay here. Let Ryan handle this.”
I pace around in the kitchen worried for twenty minutes when I see Katie running towards me through the door. She grabs my hand.
“We have to talk now, Pedro. I have something to say and you are going to be so angry with me.”
Katie looks up at me when I hear Ryan walking past us with Olivia.
He calls over to her, “Tick tock, Katie.”
Olivia chuckles.
Katie shakes her head at him. “Jerk.” She turns back to me. “Okay, Pedro, I have to make this quick. We are not married. I messed up. It is not a legal marriage since you were not an American citizen. Mom is going to file for us and I will have Grandpa pull some strings to get it approved faster. Daddy is going to make an engagement announcement. Pedro, say something.”
“Um, I do not know what to say, Katie. So Olivia is fine with us? How did she find out?”
Katie laughs. “She heard rumors for a few weeks when she got home from the tour. She overheard the children talking to Ramón.”
I nod. “I am a little shocked. I guess we get to do this again. Your parents will be so happy to be there this time. Maybe it was supposed to be this way.”
She smiles. “You are so understanding, Pedro. There is more though, you and Ramón have to come back to New Jersey with me to file at your embassy. I have to get him enrolled in school too.”
“We can do that. When do we need to leave by?”
“A few days, I hope that is alight with you. We have to get back inside. I am worried about what my father is going to say to everyone.”
Once we are back in the Cantina, Katie becomes obviously nervous. She bites at her fingers as she watches her father pour drinks behind the bar. A few minutes later Ryan leads Olivia over to us. He winks at Katie before he turns around to face their guests.
He gets their attention then speaks loudly, “So, I have some news with a twist. Katie and Pedro were wedded back in June with no knowledge to anyone but Nick Junior, who took my job of walking her down the aisle. Well, Katie had a little paperwork oversight and their marriage is not legal. So I am proud to announce that Livi and I will be filing the forms for Pedro and Katie to be legally married with a princess wedding to follow.”
Everyone starts laughing and cheering.
“Please raise your glass in a toast with me. To Katie and Pedro, time to get this right!”
Clapping fills the Cantina and Ryan hugs me. He turns to kiss Katie and she pinches him in his side just like her mother does when he teases her.
Ryan laughs. “You are your mother’s clone.” He walks away to allow the others to congratulate us.
It has been a long night for us as I place Ramón in his bed. Carrying a ten year old was not fun, but Katie wouldn’t let me wake him. I think about all the work that I have to do in order to leave with Katie. I will have to speak with my brothers tomorrow. They knew I was leaving eventually and the time finally has come for us to move in with Katie. I am happy and scared at the same time.
We are up in New Jersey for about three weeks. Katie got Ramón registered in school and we are getting in a routine with him. We have some issues in the house because Katie does not have the heart to kick Nick out yet. Nick has been staying away more and more since Katie is no longer out partying with him all the time. I hear noises in the garage and assume that Nick is there. The door pushes open and Ryan comes into the houses ranting.
He sees me standing in the kitchen and points to the garage. “Where the fuck is my car, Pedro?”
“Katie’s has it at work. She has been leaving me her Hummer to drive.”
He keeps pointing. “I asked you to do one thing. Keep my car safe.”
“No, you asked me to keep your daughter safe.”
He nods, knowing that I am right. “What are you doing now, Pedro?”
“I was going to head out to the beach. I am really getting to love that park. I even applied for a job doing patrol.”
“Why would you do that? Just stay here all day.”
“No, Katie can’t concentrate on her cases with Ramón and me here. She needs the house to herself if I want her to stay home more.”
Ryan laughs. “She has her office right over there.”
“No, we converted that to Ramón’s bedroom. We thought it would be best to keep him away from Nick and all the visitors upstairs. Ryan, why are you here?”
He smiles. “Your marriage request is approved. You will have to see a judge here in this town to get the license signed. We also need to pick a date. Get your ass in the Hummer. We are going shopping for a truck and an engagement ring.”
I laugh at him. “Do you think I can get a jeep?”
Ryan laughs. “Sure, whatever you want. Let’s get a ring first. Do this right, Pedro. I want my daughter to get the complete experience this time around.”
“Well, at least we have the wedding bands from that jeweler that you like.”
Ryan smiles. “That is exactly where we are going. To get a matching engagement ring. They will have on file what Katie purchased in the past. Move now.”
That night Ryan pushes Katie and me out from the house. I am freaked out by him wanting to watch Ramón. Ryan is not the best role model with his vulgar mouth. I take Katie in my new jeep to the State Park where I drive on the untouched perfect beach. I stop and turn off my jeep taking in the moonlight on this late fall evening. We snuggle into each other, feeling the night chill off the water. I am a romantic idiot as I wear the new engagement ring hardly halfway on my right pinky finger. She reaches out to hold my hand and notices instantly
the ring. She reaches across me trying to find an interior light. She gets frustrated pulling out her phone to light up the ring.
She gasps. “My god, Pedro, it matches perfectly.” I smile knowing that she is happy. “Ryan helped me. I am not going to lie to you. The approval is done, we need to just pick a date.” I take the ring and slide it on to her finger.
She beams at me. “Six weeks, my trial should be over by then.”
“Sounds good to me.” I pause, shivering because I am cold and also worried about Ramón being left with Ryan. “So I take it that is a yes and you will marry me again?”
“Really, Pedro? I asked you many years ago. Yes, it is always yes.”
I lean down to kiss her.
Pulling back, I look over at her. “Can we go? I am freezing and I am worried what Ryan is saying to Ramón. He might be showing him porn.”
Katie laughs out. “Yes, home. Now!”
Ryan leaves a few days later to go back to Costa Rica. Plans are finalized for the wedding in eight weeks in Costa Rica after our judge visits here. Katie keeps coming home later each night. Her client is taking up a lot of her time before they go to trial. After dinner, Ramón goes off to bed and Katie leads me up to our bedroom. We start enjoying each other as we do before we get overly heated.
She looks up at me. “Oh wait, we need protection now.”
I am confused as I watch her run off to her bathroom. She comes back bringing a box of condoms.
I scowl at her. “Is there something wrong, Katie? Condoms, I do not understand.”
“I had the implant removed a few weeks ago. I wanted to start trying for a baby in January. Doctor said it could take a few months for the hormones to leave my body.”
I jerk up in the bed shocked. “What? Baby. No. You said that you never wanted children?”
She laughs. “What, Pedro? When did I say that?”
I feel my arousal leave me. “When we broke up the first time.”
She laughs. “I was stupid then, not talking right.”
