He chuckles. “I know it’s not legally bindin’ as long as the marriage license isn’t registered. That’s a fact. What Idon’tknow is why you’re protestin’ so much, let alonereactin’like a cat with its tail caught in a rockin’ chair, about Jude Cooper havin’ your phone numberandchoosin’ to use it, to message hiswife."
I groan down the phone, even going so far as to bump my head on the wall behind my bed. “You’re just as infuriatin’ as the twins. Do you know that?”
He laughs and I can tell he’s smiling. “Isn’t that my prerogative as your big brother? Look, I’m just puttin' it out there, would it besowrong to get to know the man you married—real or not? Ash is standin’ right here and he’s noddin’ too.”
“You could do a lot worse than havin’ Jude Cooper as a husband,” Ash calls out, backing our brother up.
When I don’t reply, he must take my silence as permission to continue. “Did he do somethin’ bad?” Dare asks, his tone serious now. “Did you get the ick or somethin’?”
How can I stay mad when he asks me that. “No,” I say quietly. “He was just?—”
“What?” Asher asks in the background.
“Wait. Am I on speaker now?” I screech.
“Well,duh. I needed a witness in case you told me off for doin’ somethin’ any one of us would do,” Dare replies, defending himself—and rightly so.
I know I’m being ridiculous. I know Jude is a nice guy, a good guy. Agreatone. I just don’t have the capacity right now to put thought into what may or may not be going on between me and my fake husband.Even if kissing him made me feel more anchored than I’ve ever felt before.
“Em? You still with us?” Dare asks.
“Yeah. I’m just…” I try to gather my thoughts. “You told me I wasn’t the only one takin’ part in the ceremony, and I get that. I’m even pretty sure Jude and I were on the same page about the whole thing. I just don’t know why he’s textin’ me.”
“My guess, he’s a decent human bein’ who wants to check in to see how you’re doin’? He asks after you, you know,” Dare says.
“All the damn time,” Ash pipes up.
That stops me in my tracks. “Hedoes?”
“Yep. I won’t pretend to be sure of his intentions, but considerin’ what Dad asked him to do, and the fact he had a prenup drawn up to protect our family regardless of it bein’ real or not, I’d say it’s no secret that he’s a good guy,” Ash adds. “What I don’t get is why it would be so bad to just message him back.”
My brother’s words give me pause.
“There’s just somethin’ about him that… rattles me, I guess.”
“Like that earthquake that shook your brain as a kid?” Ash teases.
“At least I had a brain to shake up,” I shoot back, even going as far as to poke my tongue out at the phone.
Dare chuckles. “She’s totally poking her tongue out at you right now. OK, Em. This rattlin’ he does, is it in a good way or a bad way? Because say the word and we’ll tell him to lose your number and get him to back off.”
“No!” I say a little too quickly. “It’s fine. Just… unexpected,” I make sure my voice is softer this time.
“Remember what Dad used to say whenever we’d ask if we could try somethin’ new?” Dare asks.
“Like rope swing off the Oak tree over the river?” Ash says with a laugh. “That was so bad.”
“Which time?” I pipe up. “When EJ broke his arm or when BJ jumped in right after him and broke his in solidarity?”
“I forgot about that,” Dare says as both brothers laugh. “What I meant was, Dad always said ‘you won’t know unless you try’.”
“I remember it bein’ more like ‘try it or shut up about it’,” Ash muses. “But Dare’s right, this isn’t that different. It’s not like Jude’s goin’ to propose to you again?—”
“Been there, done that.”
“Did the post-marriage runaway bride bit to boot,” Ash adds and I can tell he’s smiling.
Dare snorts. “As far as we see it, what’s the harm in messagin’ the guy back? Worst case scenario, he replies. Oh no, how rude,”