In the Heart's Shadow

by T. L. Haddix

  “He reminds me of my dad. Maybe it’s wishful thinking,” she said, her chin propped on her hand, “but I don’t think so. Something about his eyes. Why didn’t they ever try to find me, Galen?”

  “I don’t know.” He hugged her gently, then left his arm around her waist. “I find it hard to believe that a cop wouldn’t look for his son, though.”

  “Yeah, so do I. We’re probably going to end up going down there, aren’t we?”

  That she was still referring to “we” gave Gordon a little bit of hope. “I think it wouldn’t be a bad idea. We need to go to Manchester first, though, and then go see Maggie.”

  “I know. I’m dreading it and looking forward to it. I want to know. I need to know. And I’m not stopping until I find out. Not this time. She’s lied to me for years. I’ve suspected, but suspecting and knowing are different things. That’s hard to take.” She closed the lid on the laptop and rested against him, putting her arms around his waist. “I guess we need to talk, huh?”

  Gordon leaned back against the couch, drawing her with him. “Yeah. That’s my fault. I apologize. I could have had better timing.”

  Stacy’s hand, which she’d rested over his heart, flattened against his chest. “Does that mean you’ve changed your mind about marrying me?”

  “Not in the least. It means I should have been more patient. You’ve got a lot going on right now without me adding to your burdens.” He covered her hand with his, then brought it to his lips to kiss her palm.

  “Huh. So I guess you don’t want my answer, then.”

  Every cell in Gordon’s body locked up. “You have an answer?”

  “Not if you don’t want one.” She shrugged.

  Pulling back so that he could see her face, he tried to read her expression, but couldn’t. “I don’t know if I want one or not. Not if the answer is no.”

  “And if it isn’t?”

  Gordon couldn’t find words. He stared at her. “Stacy…”

  “You really want to marry me?” she whispered.

  He nodded. “More than anything.”

  “Okay. Then yes, I’ll marry you.”

  All he could do was lift his hand to her face. He thought he had heard her words, but he wasn’t sure. “Yes?” he asked hoarsely.

  “Yes.”

  “Really?”

  She smiled. “Really.”

  “Today?”

  The smile turned into a laugh. “You are persistent.”

  “I’m just—yeah. I guess I am.” He couldn’t apologize, because he really didn’t feel sorry. All he could process at the moment was that she’d said yes.

  Stacy rose up on her knees and straddled his legs, lacing her hands together behind his head. “What if I want a big wedding? Church, dress, flowers, all that?”

  He tried to hide his disappointment. “Then we’ll wait.”

  “But you don’t want that.”

  “No. I don’t. However, I’m not the only person in this relationship. I want you to be happy, start to finish. If you want a big wedding, that’s what we’ll do.” He couldn’t wait another second to kiss her. The kiss was more intimate than any they’d shared. When it ended, he was smiling. “You said yes.”

  “I did. And I’ll tell you what. If you can arrange it, I guess I wouldn’t be opposed to eloping. We can have a nice reception once all this crap dies down.” She rested her forehead against his and closed her eyes.

  “Why did you say yes?” he whispered. As much as he was tempted to take her answer and run with it, he needed to know that she really was okay with the idea of eloping.

  “Because I love you, and I want to be with you. It’s very simple when you think about it. And something Maria said to me. You never know how much time you have left. Anything could happen. You know that all too well.”

  “Yeah.” After another soft kiss, he let his head fall back against the couch. “I thought I’d really screwed up. Thought I’d scared you off for sure.” When she nipped his throat, he jerked and sent her a scolding look.

  She answered with a wicked grin. “Nope. Though you did scare me a little, you didn’t come close to scaring me off.” Moving off his lap, she gestured to the papers. “The prenup?”

  “Yes. It’s a standard agreement. Basically, we fill in the blanks and get it notarized, and it’s good to go.”

  She picked up the document and swiftly read through it. “Looks pretty straightforward. I don’t like this part about alimony. If something happens, I don’t expect anything from you.”

  “Well, sorry. That’s non-negotiable. You can donate it to charity if something happens.” Gordon wasn’t going to budge on that point, and he crossed his arms over his chest to make his point.

  Stacy narrowed her eyes. “I don’t want you thinking that I’m marrying you for money. Period.”

  “I know you’re not marrying me for money. I’ve never thought that. If I did, if I even had an inkling that’s what you were after, I never would have asked you in the first place. Stubborn woman.”

  She huffed, but she didn’t argue any further. “Okay. It’s fine. Let’s do this.”

  Gordon started to relax. “I want to fill it out and then send it to Chase, have him look over everything. For protection for both of us.”

  “You know he won’t be able to keep his mouth shut about this. And I’m not saying I would blame him for blabbing, but he won’t be able to not tell Annie, at least.”

  “I think he’ll definitely tell her, and if we ask, it won’t go any further. You’ll tell Maria, I’m assuming? And Wyatt?”

  Stacy nodded. “She’ll probably tell him. She knows you proposed. They’re both clams, too.”

  “Then let’s get this filled out and sent over to Chase. I’ll call my friend and see when she can get us in. Probably this afternoon sometime, if I had to guess. Do you have a dress? Or do you want to go get one? And we’ll need rings.” He stood, holding his hand out to her.

  She stood, as well, and followed him to the office. “I can probably find something to wear at one of the nicer department stores. I don’t want a fancy ring.”

  “That’s fine. As long as it’s a ring and I put it on your finger, and as long as you’re happy, I’m happy.”

  Her eyes grew round. “Oh, crap. Your mother-in-law. What are you going to tell her?”

  Gordon sat at his desk. “I’d like to ask her to be one of our witnesses, if you don’t mind. If you do, though, we’ll tell her when we go there this evening for dinner.”

  “Won’t this blindside her?”

  He rubbed his face. “I don’t know. I hope not.”

  Stacy pursed her lips. “I think you’d better call her first. If she wants to be there, that’s fine with me. I don’t want to cause her any distress.”

  “Okay. As soon as I get this to Chase and call my friend, I’ll call Sandra. Are you ready to head to the mall?”

  “I will be. What do you need from me?” she asked as he pulled up the prenup document.

  “Your legal name.”

  When Stacy hesitated, Gordon looked up at her. Her cheeks were red, and she was cringing. “You have to have that?” Her hesitancy made him realize that in all the months they’d known each other and after all the things they’d talked about, he’d never heard her mention her full name. As a matter of fact, as he thought back, he realized she’d been deliberately avoiding having to tell him.

  “Yeah, I do.”

  “And Chase will see it?”

  “He will.”

  She tugged at her hair and cursed, surprising him. “If you laugh, you’ll spend your first night as a married man on the couch.”

  Her words immediately tickled Gordon’s funny bone, and he smiled. “That’s practically begging me to laugh, you know. Come on, it can’t be worse than Galen.”

  “Oh, you don’t even—yes, it can.” After another curse, she finally told him her name.

  Gordon blinked. “Anastasia? Your name is Anastasia?” He covered his mouth and
coughed.

  “Anastasia Victoria Kirchner. It’s a ridiculous name. I’ve even thought of changing it legally. I just never have gotten around to it.”

  “It’s a big name for such a little body. Anastasia?”

  She groaned. “Apparently, my sainted mother was going through a royal phase when she had me. Anastasia after the lost Romanov duchess, and Victoria after the English queen. You’re laughing.”

  Gordon couldn’t hold back his amusement. “I’m laughing at your reaction, not at your name, Anastasia.”

  “Watch yourself, buddy. You don’t have a ring on this finger yet. You still have to sweet-talk me, at least for a few more hours.” She wiggled her fingers at him, and Gordon grabbed her hand, pulling her into his lap.

  The chair creaked in protest, but he didn’t let go. “I plan on sweet-talking you until we’re in our nineties, lady. I’ll have you know that right now.” Holding the back of her head, he placed fast, hard kisses across her cheeks, forehead, and chin. He used his other hand to tickle her ribs. Before long, she was shrieking.

  “I love you,” he told her as the laughter died down. “I never thought I’d say that again, but I do. And you aren’t second-best or my second choice, so don’t ever think that. I love you so much.”

  Stacy’s eyes were soft as she touched his face. “I love you back. I still half expect to wake up tomorrow and find out this has all been a dream.”

  After a series of kisses that threatened to turn into more, Gordon reluctantly sat her on her feet. “If we’re going to get married today, I need to take care of these calls.”

  “I’ll go twiddle my thumbs, then. Unload the dishwasher, take out the garbage… something. I’m not used to not having anything to do.” After one last kiss, she headed down the hall.

  Once the updated prenup was ready, complete with their names, he e-mailed it to Chase. He followed the e-mail with a call, but got Chase’s voicemail. After leaving a message, he called the judge who owed him a favor. She was able to see them at three, which gave them just over five hours to accomplish everything they needed to. Gordon figured it would be close.

  His next call was to Sandra. “Hey, how busy is your afternoon?”

  “Not terribly busy. I’ve got everything ready for supper, all I have to do is pop it in the oven. I figured I’d do meatloaf, if that’s okay. Why?”

  After taking a deep breath, Gordon told her that he’d proposed. “She said yes.”

  “Oh, Galen. I’m so happy for you. Congratulations, sweetie.”

  “Thanks. But I was kind of… Well, we were thinking of getting married today. I’d like it if you were there.” His words were met by shocked silence, and he hurried to explain. “We can’t wait. I can’t wait. I feel like I need to get a ring on her finger now. Please say something.”

  “I don’t know what to say, quite. This is sudden. You know what people will think.”

  He gave a single nod. “I know. And that’s something we’re going to have to deal with. But neither of us wants to wait.”

  Sandra chuckled. “Apparently not. When is this supposed to take place?”

  “Judge Harrison’s chambers, three p.m. Shelby County. I figured we could get our license right before and then maybe come out, spend some time with you. I can show Stacy around while you cook, since I know you hate to be disturbed in the kitchen.”

  “Are you going to dress up, or are you going the jeans-and-T-shirt route? I don’t want to out dress the bride and groom.”

  He smiled with relief. “We’ll be dressed up, assuming Stacy can find a dress on such short notice. I still have most of my suits here, since I didn’t need them in Leroy. So you’ll be there?”

  “With bells on. Have you picked out rings yet?”

  “Nope, that’s one of our stops.”

  She told him the name of a jeweler she liked in Louisville. “It’s close to the mall there.”

  “That’s where I’d planned to go.” His phone beeped, and Gordon saw that it was Chase. “Listen, I have another call coming in. I’ll call you when we get closer to the time, okay?”

  “Sounds good. Bye.”

  When he answered Chase’s call, the other man laughed. “Is this a joke? Or are you pulling a Beth and Ethan?”

  “What do you think?” Gordon stood and stretched, feeling anxious.

  “You’re serious. When did you propose? Or have you yet?”

  “This morning. And we’re planning on getting married this afternoon.”

  Chase was quiet for a couple of beats, and then he laughed again. “I’ll be damned. Whose idea was the prenup? It looks fine, by the way.”

  “Hers. She insisted. And I need you to not tell anyone, save your wife, about this. We’re flying under the radar for now.” Knowing Chase’s sense of humor, Gordon figured the price of silence was going to be something significant, but he was wrong.

  “I can do that. Are you happy about this? Are you both happy about this?”

  “I am, and so is Stacy. She said she feels like she’s dreaming. I feel the same way. Do me a favor, and don’t wake me up.”

  Chase’s smile was evident in his voice. “You’re not dreaming. You’re wide awake. Congratulations. So do you need witnesses to this blessed event, or are you sneaking in to some justice of the peace? Because I can get Annie, and a nice bouquet, I’m sure, and be there.”

  Gordon walked out to the kitchen, where Stacy was puttering around. “Chase wants to know if we’d mind if he and Annie drove down for the wedding.”

  She flushed and pressed her hands to her throat. “If they want to be there, I’d be honored to have them.”

  “Did you hear that?” he asked Chase.

  “Yep. What are her favorite flowers and colors?”

  “Soft pinks and peonies. She likes roses, too.” He leaned against the counter with a wink when Stacy narrowed her eyes.

  “Okay. I’ll call the boss and let her know, swear her to secrecy. One thing—you promise me that I’ll get to be there when you tell Beth? I want to see her face.”

  Gordon laughed. “It’s a deal. I’ll text you the address. Thanks, Chase.”

  The other man brushed the thanks aside. “De nada. See you this afternoon. Hug Stacy for me.”

  “What was that about pink peonies?” she asked as he slipped his phone back in its case.

  “It’s a surprise.”

  After printing the final version of the prenup, they headed to the mall. Gordon was surprised when Stacy found a dress within an hour in the second store they went into. When he told her that, she looked at him, puzzled.

  “It’s a dress. It isn’t rocket science. I either like it, or I don’t. It fits, or it doesn’t. I guess I got lucky, because I love the dress, but I think it’s ridiculous to spend weeks and weeks looking for the perfect dress. I found the perfect man. The dress is incidental.”

  He stole a kiss upon hearing that, all the while marveling at her efficiency. He hadn’t meant to consciously compare her and Mallory, but the thought was still there. Mallory had taken nearly a month to find the dress she wanted.

  After stops at a few more stores for the accessories they would need, they headed to the jeweler. Stacy was nervous, and he did his best to make her feel more at ease. Clad in jeans and T-shirts, they attracted some raised eyebrows in the more high-end store, but Gordon shrugged off the stares. When the saleswoman approached, her smile stiff, he cringed inwardly.

  “Hello. Can I help you today?”

  Squeezing Stacy’s hand, Gordon answered. “Yes. We need wedding rings.”

  “Oh. Congratulations. What sort of rings were you thinking, or do you have anything in mind yet? Is this your first time looking?”

  He and Stacy exchanged a look, and she answered. “It is. And I’m not sure what I want. Do you know?”

  Gordon moved his shoulders. “I have an idea, but let’s see what you like first. We’ll need to make sure we look at rings you have in stock,” he told the saleswoman. “We can’t wait f
or a special order, unless it’s something she really likes.”

  Stacy frowned up at him. “I told you—I don’t want anything fancy or overstated. Elegant, subtle. Nothing flashy.”

  “That doesn’t mean ‘stock item,’ necessarily,” he responded. “Let’s see what they have.”

  They’d discussed who was going to pay what before going in the store. Stacy had insisted that she would buy his ring, and Gordon countered with the same argument. After a little back and forth, she’d agreed to let him buy her ring.

  “When is the happy day?” the saleswoman asked as she led them down the row of sparkling cases.

  “Today.” Gordon answered with a winsome smile, one he knew showed off his dimples. When the woman only blinked at him, he wondered if he’d lost his touch.

  “Oh. Well, I guess you don’t have time to wait for a special order. These are our most affordable options, as far as wedding bands go.” She pulled out a flat of plain gold rings and set them on the counter. “We do have a six-month financing program—”

  Stacy held up her hand. “We’ll pay cash. And I don’t mean to sound rude or impertinent, but we want rings that are going to last. Eighteen-carat gold, maybe platinum.”

  When Gordon raised his eyebrows, she shrugged. “Just because I don’t wear much jewelry doesn’t mean I don’t know the good stuff. These rings are an investment, not a whimsical purchase to throw away in a few years.”

  He scratched his fingers across her shoulders in a light caress. “Yes, ma’am. Then why don’t you find what you like, and we’ll follow you?”

  The saleswoman was slightly taken aback, but she recovered nicely when Stacy moved to the cases in the middle of the row and tapped lightly on the glass.

  “Those, please.”

  The bands she was looking at were definitely higher grade and were very close to what he’d had in mind, Gordon was happy to see. But as she tried them on, her eyes kept sliding to the next case.

  “See something you like?” he murmured.

  She flushed. “I… maybe.”

  He threw her words back at her. “It’s an investment.”