“Because money is required to pay bills, and I’m a little short on that at the moment,” I grumbled.
“Well, maybe you shouldn’t have taken that trip out to Vegas,” she snarked, sitting down across from me in my favorite oversized chair.
“I’ll never get out of this thing,” she murmured as she sank back into the depths. “Don’t you know this is bad for pregnant women? I’ll be stuck here, and I’ll have to deliver right here in this chair.”
“Go for it.”
“Wow, you are super cheery this morning. I take it things didn’t go well with the hubby.”
My brows pinched together as I digested her words. “Huh?”
“Well, he’s not here. That is, unless you have him locked up in your bedroom.”
Sitting up, I shoved the hair from my face as my heart rate kicked up a notch. “Say that again?”
“Well, it’s not totally unheard of. It wouldn’t be the first time you’ve left a man in your bed while you?—”
“Not that,” I snapped. “What did you mean, my hubby?”
Snorting, she shifted in her chair. “Right. Pretend you don’t know.”
I didn’t. That was the problem. Jumping up from the couch, I tripped over my blanket as it tangled around my feet, and fell flat on my face.
“Graceful,” she laughed.
I popped up, shoving my hair back once again. “Lizzy, this is serious. What did you mean?”
Her smile slowly dimmed as she took in my distressed state. “Krista?—”
“You said hubby. That was a joke, right? You didn’t mean that I actually got married. You just meant…”
A rushing storm of something that felt like a train running me over filled my head as surprise and pity filled her face. This was no joke. She was serious.
“You don’t remember?”
I slowly shook my head, sinking to my knees as the reality of my situation washed over me. I was married, but I didn’t even remember it.
“Tell me what happened.”
“Uh…” She huffed out a laugh. “I was going to ask you the same thing. All I know is that you showed up in town last night, drunk as a skunk, and you had your husband with you.”
I glanced down at my hand, but it was empty. “There’s no ring. Maybe it’s not real.”
She nodded along with me, but I had a feeling she was just trying to make me feel better. “Yeah, I mean, it’s not like you showed me a marriage certificate.”
I couldn’t believe this. None of this was real. It couldn’t be. “Wait, so I showed up and…and what?”
“Well, you got into town. You came to The Beaver and Boot and announced with your husband that you got married. I’m sure you can guess how quickly the news spread.” She winced. “I would avoid Mom and Dad for as long as possible.”
“But they know.”
Again, she nodded. “I saw them this morning.”
“And? How did they take it?”
“Well, Mom was pretty calm, actually. But she looked like she wasn’t feeling well, so maybe it’s a delayed reaction. And Dad…well, let’s just say he hasn’t hit the roof yet, but I think that’s only because he’s waiting for a miracle.”
Groaning, I flopped down on the floor, burying my face in the rug. This couldn’t be happening. How had I managed to get married and not remember it?