The Reluctant Groom

by Kimberly Rose Johnson

  “Sure. As tired as I am, I can’t sleep either. This mattress feels so different from mine.” She placed the mug onto the nightstand then propped a pile of pillows onto the bed and pulled the covers over herself. “Your sister did a nice job with the wedding.”

  “Hailey’s a trooper. Although without Rusty, she never could have made the boxing ring into a stage. I wish my mom would’ve gone to a little effort with the reception. I feel badly about that.”

  “You do?” Her gaze held his. Doubt filled her eyes.

  His stomach knotted. “Of course.” Why would Katie question his desire to have a nice reception? Their marriage might be non-traditional, but he still wanted the best for his bride. He cared about Katie. Surely, she knew that.

  She dropped her focus to the mug. “I know why I can’t sleep, but why can’t you?”

  “I suspect for the same reason.”

  “I doubt that.” She sipped the hot chocolate. “This is good.”

  “Thanks. Today was quite a day. All things considered, it turned out well. Don’t you think?”

  She nodded, keeping her focus on her drink. She still wasn’t acting like the Katie he’d come to know. “Something happened today that upset you. I’d like to help if I can.”

  She tilted her face but not before he saw a tear stream down her cheek.

  His heart broke. “Ah, Katie. Please talk to me. Tell me what’s wrong.” He moved to the bed and sat on the edge beside her.

  She shook her head, still not looking at him.

  “I care about you. I want to be there for you. Please let me.”

  She sniffled and wiped her face with the back of her hand. “Thank you. But I don’t think your mother would approve. In fact, I think it would upset her.”

  He set his mug on her nightstand. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  Silence met him.

  “Katie, in order for this to work, I need you to talk to me.” He touched a finger to her chin and gently tipped her face so he could see it.

  She set the mug aside, pulled her knees to her chest, and rested her cheek on them. “I’ll be fine, Ray.”

  Her eyes shone, but he saw something there he hadn’t noticed before—determination. “I have no doubt. You’re tougher than I realized. But I want to know what happened with my mom. I know something did. She was in rare form before our wedding. And based on your comment, I’m guessing she cornered you like she did me.”

  “She harassed you, too?” Surprise lit her eyes.

  He nodded. Anger surged through him. It was one thing for his mom to question him, but she’d crossed the line if she went after Katie. He desperately wanted to hold his wife but it was too soon. She was like a frightened kitten tonight, and he needed to tread carefully. “What did my mom say to you?”

  “It’s nothing you need to worry about. Believe me. I’ve heard worse, but it hurt coming from her. Even though we’ve gotten off to a rough start, I’d hoped for a good relationship with her, but after tonight, I realize your mom and I will never be friends.”

  Based on what he knew of Katie’s past, he had no doubt, but she shouldn’t have to take garbage from his mother. “How about you let me decide what to worry about?” He kept his voice gentle even though he was frustrated. “Will you please tell me what she said?”

  “I can’t.” Her voice caught.

  “I know it’s difficult, but it’s important. Please.”

  She gnawed on her bottom lip. “She said that I’m a tramp and not worthy of you.”

  He clamped his teeth together. He’d deal with his mother later, but right now, Katie needed him. He blew out a slow breath and nudged her over. “Mind if I share the pillows?”

  She hesitated then scooted over to the middle of the bed. He leaned against the pile of fluffy pillows propped against the headboard and stretched out his legs atop the covers. “Thanks. This is much more comfortable. My mom was way out of line, and I’ll make sure she understands that talking to you like that is not okay, nor will it be tolerated in the future.”

  Katie gasped. “Seriously? You’ll stand up to her for me?”

  “Absolutely.” He shifted to face her and took her hand, cradling it between his. “You are my wife. Maybe we aren’t starting in the same place as most couples, but as my wife, I expect you to be treated with kindness and respect by my family. Especially my mother.” He ducked his head to meet her gaze. “I’ll take care of this.”

  “Thanks.”

  He chuckled. “Why do you look baffled?”

  “I’m not used to people sticking up for me like that.”

  His heart broke. “I wish that wasn’t the case, but I promise from this moment forward, it won’t be. I’m here for you.”

  She nodded and a lone tear slid down her cheek. She palmed it away. “You’re a good man, Ray. I’m glad I married you. I only wish your mom felt toward me a smidgen of what I feel for you.”

  He gave her hand a squeeze before lacing his fingers through it and resting it between them. He needed to lighten things up a little. “You’re close to Brandi’s family. I was surprised her parents weren’t at the wedding.”

  “Yeah. They’re out of town on business and don’t get back until tomorrow. I guess they couldn’t change their plans.”

  “They’re cutting it close to make it to Ian and Brandi’s wedding.”

  “That’s the way they are. Very busy people, but you can count on them to be there for their only daughter.”

  But not for their daughter’s best friend who considered them more family than her own. He heard the unspoken words loud and clear. One thing was certain. He needed to show Katie how much he valued and cared about her. “There’s one thing I’m still trying to understand. Why didn’t you have a single friend other than Brandi at our wedding?”

  “What’s with all the questions?”

  He shrugged. “Call me curious.”

  She closed her eyes for a moment then opened them and turned to face him. Clear blues eyes stared back at him. “If you must know, no one I invited from my art classes showed, and I don’t have any close friends besides Brandi—at least no one that I would invite to my wedding. Happy?”

  “No.” Not even close. “But I think it’s time I let you get some sleep. You’re kind of cranky.” He got off her bed.

  A tiny smile touched her lips. “I’m entitled. It’s been quite a day, and it’s my birthday.” She climbed from beneath the sheets and walked him to her door—she probably wanted to lock it.

  “Why didn’t you tell me it was your birthday?”

  She shrugged.

  He stopped at the threshold. His eyes roamed her body, taking in the curves she usually kept hidden. He touched a hand to her cheek. His wife was beautiful, but something told him no one had ever told her that before. His pastor’s words hit him right then—court your wife, until you both fall in love. “You are so beautiful,” he leaned close and whispered in her ear before pulling away.

  Her eyes widened. “Thank you.” She wrapped her arms around her middle.

  Maybe his pastor had been right, because at this moment, he did not want to spend his honeymoon night alone. He definitely needed to follow his pastor’s advice.

  Katie cleared her throat, pulling him from his thoughts. “I thought you were leaving?”

  “I am.” He nodded. “Happy birthday.” He placed a soft kiss on her cheek. “Sweet dreams, Katie.” He slipped out the door before she could respond. He had a lot of work to do to court his wife and get past the wall that seemed to be holding her hostage.

  Chapter Twelve

  Katie slipped into her favorite pair of jeans, a pastel pink tank, and then her favorite plaid, pink flannel. Today was the first day of their honeymoon. Ray said they’d be doing something outdoors, so she’d dressed with comfort in mind. She glanced at the clock beside her bed—seven thirty. Her stomach growled. She’d been so nervous all day yesterday; she’d eaten very little, and now she was starving.

  A knock o
n her bedroom door brought a smile to her lips—Ray. Although she’d been a little annoyed with all his questions last night, she welcomed his company. She padded to the door still wearing her favorite pig-faced slippers that Brandi had given her for Christmas and pulled the door open. She caught her breath.

  Ray held a large, round tray topped with two covered plates, two goblets filled with orange juice, and a center vase holding a red rose that completed the presentation. “Room service.”

  “Good morning. Come in.” She stepped aside. “I don’t have a table, but we can eat on the bed, I guess.”

  He grinned. “I’ve got everything covered.” He set the tray on the bed then walked out. A moment later he returned. “It’s not fancy, but with a tablecloth I figured it would work.” He carried in a small, metal bistro table. “Be right back.” He returned with two fancy metal folding chairs that matched the table—one in each hand, and a white cloth draped over his arm.

  “You thought of everything. How did you do all of this?”

  “The table and chairs were in the garage. The tablecloth is from my mom and…”

  He had to bring her up. Suddenly she lost her appetite.

  “What? I thought you’d like it. Your room needs a nice place for having coffee and reading the paper. Scratch the coffee, but you know what I mean.”

  She plastered on a smile. “Thank you.” He was right. The table set fit perfectly into her room and gave it a homey feel. “But let’s not use the tablecloth. I wouldn’t want to accidentally spill anything on it.” The last thing Katie needed was to be blamed for ruining something of his mother’s.

  “I hadn’t thought of that. But don’t worry.” He spread it over the table. “We can use it for now and pick up another one when we’re out today.”

  “Okay. Thank you.”

  He added the vase with the rose to the center and brought over their meals while she set up the chairs.

  “I can’t believe you went to this much trouble.”

  “It was no trouble.” He took the covers off the plates with a flourish. “Scrambled eggs, bacon, and fresh peach slices. I make better eggs than pancakes.”

  “It looks delicious.” She’d done the grocery shopping so didn’t worry about the gluten factor. She sat and waited for him to join her.

  He reached for her hand. “Do you mind if I bless the food?”

  She shook her head.

  “Lord, I thank You for Katie. Please bless our lives together and this food. Amen.” He released her hand and unwrapped silverware from a white cloth napkin. “Eat up. We have a full day ahead.”

  He’d asked the Lord to bless their lives together. Hope filled her that they might, indeed, have a love-filled marriage one day. But then his mother’s words hit her again, and the idea went back to a fantasy. How could a woman like that have such great kids? Then again, her own parents weren’t the gems of society, and she’d turned out all right for the most part.

  Ray scarfed down his meal and guzzled the juice.

  “No coffee?”

  He grinned. “I had a cup about an hour ago. Since you don’t drink it, I didn’t make more.”

  “You’re a nice guy, Ray.” She propped her elbows on the table, entwined her fingers and rested her chin on them. “What are we doing today?”

  He lifted a brow and relaxed back. “That’s up to you. I mentioned canoeing, sailing, and hiking last night, but I read in the paper this morning that the tulip festival is going on. We could drive up to Mt Vernon and check it out if you’d like. You didn’t seem overly excited about my other suggestions.”

  “I enjoy flowers. That could be fun. What about the zoo afterward? We could pick up Emily after lunch and take her with us.”

  “You want to go to the zoo for our honeymoon?”

  She giggled. “I like animals. Besides, I thought this wasn’t our honeymoon.” They needed to find something to do that Emily would enjoy since Ray had told her he’d pick her up today.

  “Animals and flowers.” His face brightened. “I like it. But let’s do the zoo another day. I called Emily earlier and told her today wasn’t going to work out after all since our friends are getting married tomorrow, and we have a lot to do. For a little tike, she understood better than I expected.”

  Katie gasped. “I can’t believe I forgot about Brandi’s wedding! Even after she spent all day yesterday helping me. I’m the worst friend ever.”

  He reached out and rested his hand over hers. “No, you’re the second-worst friend. I forgot as well, or I would never have told Emily she could join us.”

  Katie chuckled. “We are quite the pair. Maybe we’re a match made in heaven, after all.”

  Ray raised a brow. “I have a feeling you’re more correct than you realize. I never would have gone through with this if I didn’t sense the Lord’s blessing on us.”

  She’d truly married a godly man. Too bad her mother hadn’t. She cringed.

  “What’s wrong?” His grip tightened slightly.

  “I still need to figure out what to do about my mom.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I know I agreed to meet her for the next two weeks, but I’m not sure to what end.”

  “You catch up. Get some questions answered.”

  “I guess that’s a start, but let’s not talk about her.” This was the first day of the rest of their lives together, and she wanted it to be special.

  “Eat up. Breakfast is getting cold.” Ray removed his hand from hers.

  She tried the eggs and grinned. How was it the man cooked so well and still wasted money going out to eat every Friday? Maybe he could only cook eggs. That would get boring. Even though she enjoyed cooking, she had to admit it was nice having someone else take over. She could get used to being pampered, but it wouldn’t be a regular occurrence since part of her job description was to cook. Wait, was she still being paid to take care of Emily and cook and clean? She didn’t dare ask.

  “You look deep in thought. The food okay?”

  “It’s delicious. I was thinking about how things will be different now that we’re married.”

  A hopeful look lit his eyes.

  “Like my relationship with Emily, for example, is different now that I’m her aunt.”

  “Oh. Right.”

  Was that disappointment in his voice?

  “I think she’s thought of you as an aunt for a while now since you and Renee were friends.”

  She shrugged. “Maybe.” He sure couldn’t take a hint. But she refused to come out and ask if she was still being paid for her services. Stay-at-home spouses didn’t get paid, so she imagined she wouldn’t. She shook off the thought—it was ridiculous to let her mind go there. They were on their honeymoon, and Ray was clearly trying to make their day memorable. She quickly finished eating. “Thank you for this wonderful meal. It was a nice way to begin the day.”

  “You’re welcome.” He stood. “I’ll take this downstairs and clean up. I thought we could leave in about thirty minutes. Does that work for you?”

  “Sure. Would you like help?”

  “Not necessary. See you in a bit.” He stacked everything onto the tray, and before she realized his intent, he placed a quick kiss on her cheek. “You look lovely this morning, in case I forgot to mention it. The slippers are a nice touch.” He winked then left her room.

  Ray stood at the bottom of the stairs in his house holding a bouquet of balloons. Thankfully, the grocery store had a florist that opened early and was able to put it together for him.

  Katie trotted down the stairs and froze as soon as her gaze slammed into the balloons. “Whoa!”

  “Happy belated birthday! I thought after we go to the tulip festival we could find a bakery and celebrate with a slice of cake.”

  “Or a cupcake.” Her eyes twinkled as she eased down the remaining stairs. “I love the balloons. Thank you. I didn’t tell you it was my birthday so you’d—”

  He raised a hand, cutting off her words. “I believe b
irthdays are meant to be celebrated. Don’t spoil my fun.” He had a sudden idea. It probably wouldn’t work to go to Pike’s Place until after Ian and Brandi’s wedding and they’d probably need to take Emily along, but he’d make it work. Courting his wife was going to be more fun than he had realized.

  She pressed her lips together and nodded.

  “Good. Now that we understand each other.” He handed her the balloons anchored with a small decorative sandbag.

  She set them on the bottom stair. “I’ll take them to my room later. Shouldn’t we get a move on if we’re going to have time for everything?”

  He bowed from the waist then offered his arm.

  Giggling, she slid her hand around his bicep.

  His heart soared. Maybe his mom hadn’t done as much damage as he’d thought. Talk about a relief.

  An hour later, they walked along rows of colorful tulips. He pulled out his cell phone and snapped several pictures of his wife among the flowers. Before they left, he bought several stems then they headed back to Seattle.

  Katie sighed from her side of the car. “That was nice.”

  He grinned and slid a glance her direction. “I agree. Why haven’t we ever done anything like that before?”

  “Because you are a workaholic, and I was too intimidated by you.”

  He jerked his head back. “For real?”

  “Yes, but don’t worry.” She grinned. “I’ve warmed up to you now.”

  Thinking about it, her admission made sense. She had rarely spoken in his presence before that night at the diner. “What changed?”

  “You needed me more than I needed to protect myself.”

  “From me?”

  “Not necessarily. More from myself.”

  He shook his head. “I don’t follow.”

  She took a breath and let it out slowly. “I had a crush on you, and I knew you didn’t feel the same way. I didn’t want to do or say anything to embarrass myself. It became a habit to stay quiet around you. I’m not sure what got into me that night at the diner.”

  He glanced her way as he changed lanes to exit I-5. Katie’s face was bright red. “I had no idea. I wish I’d known.” He thought back over the past couple of years and couldn’t recall a single hint she’d dropped about her feelings.