thing, but it didn’t feel right for her not to have one.
And maybe a part of me imagined that this was for real.
No. I couldn’t let myself go there. I had to keep this marriage in perspective ... No imaginings. No complicated feelings. I had to do this for Katie. I couldn’t afford it to be for any other reason. I could tell by the way Whitney talked about her life in L.A. that whether she realized it or not, she missed it. Southport could never keep her. So, while she was doing me a huge favor, this was never meant to last.
Just as well. The woman had broken every piece of my heart once already. It had never fully healed from the last time she crushed it. I wasn’t in a rush to hand it over to her again to do the exact same thing.
If I was so worried about her hurting me, how could I go through with this?
I could hear Katie laughing with my dad downstairs. Her childish giggles made me smile. I would do anything if it meant making sure that kid had the life she deserved. So, I steeled my shoulders and locked away my heart. I would marry Whitney Galloway, and I would build a life for my kid that Josie Robinson could never dismantle.
“I always pictured you getting married in a church. Dressed in a tux with a flutist playing in the background. Not at the town hall,” Mom grumbled, straightening the skirt of her floral print dress. She had insisted on buying a new one for the occasion. “Even if it’s a load of bull, it requires a nice dress,” she insisted with a frown.
I hated disappointing my mom. I knew that for all her complaints, she was only worried. And I knew she wanted more for me. She thought I was shortchanging myself. But I wasn’t. This marriage would hopefully give me exactly what I wanted. Peace of mind. I put my arm around her and kissed the top of her head. “Hey, I’m wearing a suit,” I pointed out.
Mom pulled away and looked at me, giving me the maternal once-over. “I guess it’ll have to do.” She smoothed her hand down the front of my jacket, tucking in my tie. She patted my cheek. “You do look handsome.” She squeezed my hand, and the heavy brick in the middle of my chest shifted slightly.
This would work out. It had to.
“We’d better get going. We’re meeting Whitney and her mom at 2:00.” I put the ring in my pocket where it sat next to the wedding bands I had purchased from the internet. Thank you for two-day shipping. I only hoped I got Whitney’s size right.
We went downstairs to find my dad giving Katie a piggyback ride around the living room.
“Dennis, look at you! Your shirt is untucked, and is that coffee on your pants?” Mom scolded.
Dad looked down at himself sheepishly. “It’s fine.”
“Your son is getting married today. Even if it’s all a big lie, you should still look presentable,” Mom went on, and I tried not to roll my eyes. She was the queen of passive-aggressiveness.
“Come here, my little bug,” I said, holding out my arms so I could take Katie from my dad. My daughter launched herself at me, giving me a noisy kiss on the cheek. She was dressed in a pink frilly dress, with her dark hair pulled up into pigtails.
“Dada, pwetty.” She patted the skirt of her dress with a big grin.
I lifted her into the air and swung her around. She giggled and waved her arms. “High!” she squealed, and I tossed her up, catching her quickly before my mom could have a panic attack.
“You look beautiful, Katie Bug,” I said, letting her down once she started wriggling. She twirled in her dress.
“Come on, Katie. It’s time to go. Do you have your basket?” Mom asked her.
“Basket?” I wondered aloud as Katie picked up a small wicker basket from the coffee table. “What’s in there?” I peered inside.
“Fowers,” Katie announced, taking a handful of fake rose petals and tossing them on the ground in a pile.
I looked at my mom, who was quickly sweeping them up and putting them back in the basket. “I thought Katie should have a part in this wedding, or whatever it is. She’s why you’re doing this, after all,” Mom insisted while fussing around all of us, making sure we passed her sniff test.
I felt choked up at my