The Wedding Pact Box Set - Denise Grover Swank Page 0,324

cheat on me, would you?”

His eyebrows rose in shock. “Cheat on you? God, no, Lib. Never. I respect you too much to hurt you like that.”

“Are you going to ask me the same question?” she asked.

He slowly shook his head, a soft smile on his lips. “I already know the answer.”

“Hey, no worries,” the driver said. “No judgment from me. I’ve seen crazier things happen in this city.” He handed them a bottle of water and winked. “You kids look a little thirsty.”

Noah screwed off the cap and handed the bottle to Libby, watching her mouth as she drank down several gulps. He was still in shock that she’d kissed him. He’d kissed her and it was even better than he could have hoped. How much better would the rest be?

The ride to the courthouse was faster than Noah expected, but they’d finished the water as Paul pulled up to the curb. He glanced at his phone to check the time. 11:05 and he’d a missed text from Gram.

Oh, shit. He’d forgotten all about the dinner reservation.

He helped Libby out of the car and quickly called Gram.

“I’ll be waiting right here,” the cab driver said, starting to pull away.

“My dress!” Libby shouted.

Noah lowered the phone from his ear. “We’re not getting married here, Lib. Just picking up the license.”

“But what if he drives off with it?” Worry filled her eyes. “I can’t get married in black.”

He gave her a quick kiss. “He won’t. I haven’t paid him yet. Come on.”

He heard Gram’s muffled voice. “Noah! Did you butt dial me? If so, I hope that butt’s naked.”

Shit. He put the phone to his ear as he held the door to the office open for Libby. “Sorry, Gram. No, I didn’t butt dial you, and no, I am not naked.”

“That’s a pity,” she grumbled. “Still haven’t made progress with our girl?”

“Actually, we’re walking in to get a marriage license, then off to Little Heaven Wedding Chapel to get married.”

“You’re what?”

A woman at the counter pointed to her ear and shook her head at Noah. “Gram, I’ve gotta go. Thanks for all your help.” He hung up and stuffed the phone into his pocket, ignoring the new round of vibrating. He’d deal with Gram later.

There were two couples ahead of them. The first couple at the counter looked barely eighteen. The girl kept glancing around as if she was waiting for her parents to show up and ground her. Maybe she was.

He looked down at Libby, his chest burning with love. He couldn’t believe he’d proposed. He couldn’t believe she’d accepted. Could it really have been this easy all along?

No, neither one of them had been ready until now.

Next was a gay couple. They looked like total opposites. The man who did the talking was stylishly dressed and had a take-charge personality, while his soon-to-be-husband wore jeans and a soft sweater. But when they looked at each other, the love in their eyes was unmistakable.

Is that what people saw when they looked at Noah and Libby together? He glanced at the clock on the wall. 11:15. He tapped his foot impatiently. He had to make sure her dreams came true. Getting married before she turned thirty was important to her and he was determined to make that happen.

Finally it was their turn and Libby practically bounced to the counter.

“We’re here for a marriage license,” Libby said, the excitement in her voice unmistakable. “We’re getting married.” She looked up at Noah with wonderment on her face, like she couldn’t quite believe this was happening.

He knew exactly how she felt.

The clerk rolled her eyes. “Then you’re in luck. Marriage licenses are what I do here.”

They filled out the form, showed their IDs, Noah paid the fee, and then they were climbing into Paul’s cab. The clock on his dashboard read 11:22.

“We’re going to have to hurry.”

Paul looked over his shoulder, sporting a huge grin. “Don’t you worry. I never back down from a challenge. I’ll get you there with plenty of time to spare.”

“It’s okay if we don’t make it,” Libby said, leaning her head on his shoulder. “If we’re off by a few minutes, it’s okay.”

Noah turned to her and lifted her chin so he could look into her eyes. “No, it’s not. We’ll do this. We’ll make it work.”

He kissed her to show her how much he loved her, but then he realized he’d kissed countless other women. It hadn’t meant anything to him other than a prelude to getting laid. Could