by Piper Rayne
My phone vibrates in my pocket and I pull it out to see my mom’s name across the top.
I sigh. Might as well get this over with. “Hey, Mom.”
“Is it true?” My mom has that tone that says she wants all the juicy details. She keeps up with my career extensively.
“How’s the weather in Florida?” I ask, laughing.
“Weather? Come on. Don’t make me beg.” The lightness in her tone helps alleviate some of the despair I felt when I returned to an empty hotel room.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Then put my daughter-in-law on the phone and I’ll ask her.” She laughs.
I shake my head, staring through the huge windows at the skyline of Las Vegas. A view like that should make me feel as though I’m on top of the world, and at one point, it did. Not so much lately. Right now, all I envision is Nikki pressed up against the glass last night when we got back from the chapel. That one memory from last night feels more like a nightmare now, knowing I’ll never be able to experience it again.
It doesn’t seem fair that I have to sit here in this room and relive what we did when she gets to disappear.
“Turns out your daughter-in-law isn’t so fond of being a Stone.”
Out of everyone in my life, my mom has been there for me and always been the one I could confide in. When I started to fight at school, she’s the one who picked me up from the police station and urged me to put my fists to productive use to channel my anger at my father. And she’s the one who saw the good in me when so many others only saw the bad.
“I know I’m biased, but any woman would be, or should be, thrilled to be Mrs. Logan Stone.”
I frown. “Turns out, not her.”
She sighs, and I hear the spoon swirling in her tea mug. “And what are you gonna do about that?”
“What can I do about it? I can’t lock her up or chain her to the bed.” I refrain from telling my mom that I asked her to stay. That would only make me sound pathetic, and I like that my mom thinks I’m a perfect guy.
“Well, what was it about her that made you marry her?”
“Other than the shots of tequila, you mean?” I don’t pause long enough for her to respond. “But I know where you’re going with this and I’m gonna tell you that yeah, I do think it’s a sign.”
A sigh of contentment flows through the receiver. “I know you’ve been struggling with your decision about retirement. This isn’t about you finding another thrill since fighting doesn’t do it anymore, is it?”
That’s the problem with my mom. She can pretty much sense everything that’s wrong with me and isn’t afraid to call me on my shit. She knows me better than anyone.
“I haven’t even decided about retirement. Vince will kill me if I retire anyway. I think the whole marrying a stranger thing… well, I wish I could figure out the reason why I did it.”
“Why? Log, I taught you never to ask why. What is, just is.”
That’s my mom. She believes in gut feelings—always has. She thinks we all have a path in life that’s already set out in front of us. So I know she probably believes that Nikki was brought into my life and I married her on a whim because I was meant to.
“I’m not really into chasing things that don’t wanna be caught.”
She slurps her tea. “Who said she doesn’t wanna be caught? Did she?”
“Her actions spoke louder than her words.”
“You know, I’ve seen you do a lot of fighting in your days.” She pauses as if she’s trying to be dramatic. “I’m not talking about just in the ring.”
I know what she means. Sometimes I feel as though I’ve been fighting for everything I’ve ever gotten my entire life.
“Say what you want and let’s just get on with this conversation,” I grumble.
“I love you, sweetie. You’re my little boy. But you’re as bullheaded as those bulls in the rodeo. Actually, you’re as stubborn as those stupid men who ride the bulls.”
“Gee, thanks, Mom.” Usually she’s much more complimentary of me.
“I know when your dad left us what that did to you.”
“I’d rather not talk about him right now. He has nothing to do with what’s happening.”
She scoffs. “Are you kidding me? He has everything to do with what’s going on. So she ran? I can’t imagine finding out that I married a stranger in Vegas. If she was sitting in bed with you right now, I’d probably be skeptical of her and her intentions with my baby boy.”
I didn’t imagine that my mom’s advice would actually make sense. Usually her advice is more along the lines of ‘listen to your gut, the universe is working for you, not against you, this crystal will bring you healing.’
“The fact that she’s not there with you now and that she thinks that becoming your wife might’ve been a bad decision says she might just be the girl for you.” Another slurp of her tea.
“Seriously? You think she’s the girl for me because she doesn’t want to be with me?” Maybe I was wrong. Maybe my mom has lost it.
“If the girl had stuck around, she would’ve been with you for the wrong reasons. I see those girls when I go to your fights. The ones who hang off you and try to use their bodies to sway you into doing their bidding. You need someone who’s going to challenge you.”
My mom is right. Something about talking with Nikki last night stirred something deep inside me. I have a vague memory of us talking on the balcony before too many drinks blur the rest of the night, but I do remember enjoying myself for the first time in a long time. And the fact that she never backed down about hating my profession, telling me how barbaric it was, was a total turn-on and shows she won’t cater to whatever I say.
“What do you expect me to do?” I ask my mom.
“Well, surely you know her name.”
Yeah, and the fact that she lives in Alaska. Who lives in Alaska besides moose and bear?
“Yeah, it’s Nikki Greene.”
“Nikki—I like it. And where is my daughter-in-law from?”
I lean back into the couch and push a hand through my hair. “A small town in Alaska.”
She laughs. “Alaska?”
“Yep.”
“I’ve never been to Alaska.” Here we go. She’s going to try to swindle me into bringing her if I decide to go up there.
“What do you expect me to do? Am I supposed to go up there and get on my knees and beg her to stay married to me?” Just the thought of me showing up in her town and having the press discover it, only to return home alone… just no. Who the hell wants their heartbroken face all over every media page?
“I don’t think that’s such a bad idea.”
“I’m Logan Stone. Why on Earth should I beg a practical stranger to be my wife?”
“So she should just bow down to you and say how lucky she is? Come back down to reality, Log. You know better than anyone that sometimes you have to fight to get what you want.”
My mom has a point. I got out of the neighborhood by putting every ounce of myself into my fighting. I got to be on the leaderboard of the MMA by continuing on that stride. And I remain on top because I never accept no. So why now, when that same gut feeling is tugging at me, the one I’ve never ignored before, am I not fighting to win her over?
I stare at the ring I’m twirling around my finger.
“Oh… I think you’re thinking about booking the flight to Alaska,” she singsongs.
“Thinking about it.” I have ninety days before my next fight. Maybe in that time frame, I should see exactly what I can do to make sure that Nikki Greene stays Nikki Stone.
“I’ll catch a flight and be up right after you.”
I knew she wanted to go with me. She can be protective.
“Just give me at least a couple days on my own.”
If there’s one thing I figured out about Nikki last night, it’s that she’s not going to be running back into my arms—she might just knee me in the nuts.
“Why?
Are you embarrassed by me?”
“I’ll call you when things quiet down.” I dodge the question. I’m not embarrassed of my mom, but I’m not sure how she’ll fit in up in Alaska either.
“I’m proud of you, son. You’re doing the right thing. Following your heart.”
Once she puts it like that, I want to stomp my foot down on the brakes. Following your heart usually leads to heartbreak. And I don’t want that.
“Thanks, Mom.”
“Call me as soon as I can come up and meet her.”
“I will. I’m not sure when that will be.” I’ll let Mom think it’ll only be a little while. She has a hard time staying in the back seat when I’m driving my own life sometimes, but she means well always.
“I love you.”
“And I love you. Be safe.”
I hang up and twirl the silver wedding band around my finger. My mom is right that I have to go after her, if only to find out why I married her in the first place.
Chapter Five
“I want to get to know you.”
Nikki
Since Molly and I returned to Sunset Bay this afternoon, I’ve been holed up in my house. All my siblings are at Truth or Dare Brewery since it’s the night before tourist season kicks off. Everyone in town uses the excuse to party before our small town gets inundated with tourists. I have to make an appearance, but the fact that my mom has already called me twice and left voice messages to call her as soon as possible tells me she knows. It couldn’t be a worse time for this news to come out since the entire family will be together tonight.
My phone dings again.
Molly: Marla’s on the hunt.
I blow out a breath and stare at myself in the mirror. I’ve done my hair, my makeup, and I don’t look any different than when we left for our girls’ trip. But I am different. I’m someone’s wife.
Me: Coming.
Molly: The Greene bunch are all here and accounted for. Fair warning.
Me: Anyone saying anything?
Molly: Nope, but Adam keeps asking me questions about our trip.
Adam doesn’t do gossip, so I’m sure he has no idea. Probably just making conversation so everyone doesn’t hound him and Lucy about their honeymoon. They just returned as well.
Me: Leaving in a few.
I put my purse crossways over my body and step outside of the house I rent with my sisters and stepsister. It’s across the street from where my mom and stepdad live—the big house on the hill that was passed down to them by Ethel Greene, my step-grandma. I say step, but she’s more my grandma than my own Greene grandma down in Arizona.
Our house is also right outside the downtown area of our small town, so I’m able to walk everywhere, even to work at the radio station. I don’t want to think about returning there tomorrow morning and possibly facing the news about my impromptu wedding.
Couldn’t I have at least married someone who wasn’t famous? If I had, I could’ve slid it under the rug and no one would’ve known a thing. A quickie annulment later and I’d have moved on with my life. Something tells me this mess I’m in won’t make it that easy.
I pass groups of people congregating in the different shops and along the shore of the bay. Everyone waves and says hello. No one says congratulations. That’s a good sign that the news hasn’t reached this far north yet.
Ten minutes later, my stomach is in knots as I open the door of my brothers’ brewery, Truth or Dare. My big family sits around a large table to the left of the bar, and I say my hellos to people as I wind through the crowd.
Molly’s already got a beer for me when I sit down across from her. I lean over and whisper, “Do you think she knows?”
Molly glances at where my mom is with the rest of my family. “She hasn’t said anything, but she definitely wants to talk to you.”
I sit back down on the stool.
“Nikki.” Mom stands, waving at me.
As Mom tries to make her way over to me, a group of people step in front of her. Molly bites her lip, trying to hold back her laughter. I have to think of something and quick.
My brother, Jed, steps up next to Molly behind the bar and hands Molly a stack of empty glasses. “Holy shit, you’re never going to believe who just walked in.”
“Oh God, do I even want to know?” Clara, my stepbrother Xavier’s best friend, asks. “Someone from high school?”
“No.” Jed glances back at the door.
Before I even try to look behind me, my stepbrother Cade interrupts. “Nikki, we pay Molly to work. You realize that, right?”
“Nikki!” My mom frantically waves. Thank goodness for the grandma in the walker Mom can’t get around. “We need to talk.”
“Logan Stone,” Jed says and my eyes bulge at the same time my stomach sinks.
“Who’s Logan Stone?” my sister Posey asks.
“The MMA fighter?” Xavier says.
“No shit!” Cameron, my stepbrother Fisher’s best friend, turns toward the door as panic seizes my body. “Why would he be in Sunrise Bay?”
Chevelle says, “Oh, he’s a hottie.”
That earns her a glare from Cam.
“You know what, Cade, just leave me be. She’s still working, and I need her advice. That’s what bartenders do, right?” I snipe at Cade as though I can ignore the fact that my biggest mistake is about to be revealed in the middle of town for all to witness and gloat.
“Hey, Nik,” Molly says, her eyes growing wide as she looks over my shoulder.
I put up my hand at my friend. Does she think I can’t hear what’s going on? I’m just in denial.
“You just had a girls’ weekend. Why do you need to talk to her so bad?” Cade asks. “Not everything is urgent.”
“Nik,” Molly says again.
I swear I feel him behind me, as if we’re two magnets and his energy pulls at me.
“Nik,” Molly says louder this time.
“What?” I ask, and Molly points behind me.
I’m not an idiot. I know who’s there, but when I turn around, it will become reality. I circle around in the stool to find Logan Stone in a pair of jeans, a T-shirt, and a sweatshirt. He’s similar to how I left him, but he’s clean-shaven now and his hair is styled. He looks good. Too good.
Jed finally lifts his jaw off the floor. “Hey, man, can I help you with something?”
Logan shakes his head, his eyes remaining locked with mine.
“Who is this guy?” Mandi nudges me with her elbow, and it’s then I realize she’d approached me.
“I’m her husband,” Logan says.
The entire restaurant quiets.
He cannot be serious. He had to announce that right here?
“Not really,” I say, looking at all the stunned expressions on my family’s faces.
“Nik,” my mom says, catching her breath as if she ran a marathon to reach me. “We need to talk.”
I glance at her and back at Logan. “In a minute, Mom.”
I rise from the stool, grab Logan’s hand, and tug him out of the brewery.
Let’s just get this over with.
Logan allows me to pull him out to the sidewalk where I confront him. “What are you doing here?”
“You ran out on me,” he says.
“Um… we were drunk. Surely you don’t want to be married to me now that you’ve had some time to think about it.”
He steps toward me. “I thought I was clear this morning that I wanted to talk.”
I inhale a deep breath and cross my arms. “And I don’t. It was a mistake.”
He looks to his right and raises his eyebrows. I follow his gaze to see my family staring at us through the window. I tug him farther down the sidewalk so we’re standing in front of Presley’s bookstore.
“I don’t think it was a mistake,” he says like the crazy man he clearly is.
I throw up my hands. “You don’t even know me.”
He smiles and my stomach stirs with butterflies. It’s a knowing smile. That has
to be how he won me over and got me to agree to marry him. “I want to get to know you.”
I stare blankly at him and he laughs. Why does he seem to think everything is so funny?
“Okay, I’ll admit, we had a good time on the balcony, but marriage? It was a decision fueled by alcohol.”
“True.” He shrugs as if that’s neither here nor there.
“And how did you find me?”
A few people walk by and I hear whispers of my name. It’s only a matter of time now.
“You had to fill your address out on the marriage license.”
I groan. Of course—how did I not think about that?
“If you hadn’t run out, I would have given it to you as a souvenir.” He winks.
I narrow my eyes. “This isn’t funny.”
He holds up his hands. “I never said it was.”
“I’m sure you could’ve found my phone number somehow. You didn’t have to come to my hometown.”
“And you would have answered my phone call?” he asks with one eyebrow quirking up.
He’s right. I never would have answered.
I hear my name called from across the way, and I close my eyes. What did I do in my previous life to deserve this?
“You have no idea what you signed yourself up for,” I murmur to him. I turn to my step-grandma, hugging her, “Ethel!” I nod in hello to her best friend. “Dori.”
“Oh, you’re new to town,” Ethel says to Logan.
He holds out his hand. “Logan Stone, ma’am.”
Ethel shoos him with her hand. “No ma’am. Makes me feel old.” After she shakes his hand, her head volleys between the two of us. “How do you two know one another?”
“We’re just friends,” I lie, my eyes pleading with Logan to go along with me.
“Friends?” Dori says. “That’s not what we heard.” She puts out her hand toward Logan. “Big fan.”
I should’ve known. They probably get together at the Northern Lights Retirement Center and chip in for pay-per-view or something.
