okay?
Me: Yeah. Lexi just woke up, so we stopped to feed her and get some
food ourselves.
Aaron: Good. Have a safe trip.
Me: Will do.
I’m sliding my phone back into my pocket when the girls make it back to the table. “All better,” Kinley says, sliding into the booth with Lexi on her lap. “I thought I would just hold her while we eat. Give her a break from that seat.”
“I can take her,” I offer.
“I don’t mind.” She grins at Lexi as she sits on the table. She’s loving the attention. The waitress comes back and we order. I make Lexi a bottle at the same time and push it across the table to Kinley. My little girl, who is all crazy arms and legs with excitement, immediately settles down once she starts to eat.
Kinley eats one-handed. I offer to take Lexi, but she just smiles and says she’s fine. We hang out for about twenty minutes after we’re all finished eating, letting Lexi get a break from the seat. When she starts to get restless, we know it’s time to move on.
“Want me to drive?”
“I’m good, babe.” We are already three hours into our total eight-hour drive time. Five hours to go. Depending on how Lexi does will determine how many stops we’ll need in the future. So far, my girl travels like a champ.
“Aaron texted me,” I say once we are loaded back up and on our way. “He just wanted to make sure we got on the road okay and to say have a safe trip.”
“He’s surprisingly doing really well with all this.”
“Yeah, I mean, I’m sure it has to be weird his best friend marrying his little sister and with the circumstances and all,” I admit.
“He knows this is what’s best.”
My phone rings before I can answer. I see it’s my attorney, Mr. Fields. “Hello.”
“Evan, I’ve been doing some research. My paralegal has it documented Misty insisted, on the record, her parents never wanted to have anything to do with Lexi. This should help your case.”
“That’s good, but I told you they don’t have a leg to stand on. I’m getting married this weekend, so their claim that she doesn’t have a mother is null and void.”
“But you don’t have to get married. I think this is the piece we need.”
“I know I don’t have to. I want to.” It’s true. I want to marry Kinley. Not just so I can keep my daughter, but for reasons I cannot allow myself to think about. I know she’ll be leaving once this all blows over, and I’ll need to be able to let her walk away, but the thought already causes panic to set in. I don’t know how I’m going to do that.
“Oh, I just assumed—”
“Yeah, well, you shouldn’t,” I fire back. I didn’t tell him we were doing this for Lexi. The less people who know the truth, the better.
“Did you think about that pre-nup?” he asks.
“No, no pre-nup. We’ve talked about this. I’m driving us there now. Anything else you need to tell me?”
“Evan, I wish you would reconsider.”
“No,” I practically growl.
“Fine, have a safe trip.” I don’t wait for him to say anything else before ending the call.
“You know I’ll sign anything you want, Evan.”
I drop my phone in the cup holder and place my hand on her thigh. I always have to be touching her. “That’s the thing, babe. There is nothing I want you to sign except for the marriage license.” No truer words have ever left my mouth.
Chapter 36
McKinley
We made it. We only had to stop one other time for lunch. We changed and fed Lexi, ate, and then went to the mall. We walked around for a bit, stretching our legs. They had a play area that was not busy at all considering it’s Monday. I laid out a blanket on the couch in the center of the mall and let Lexi stretch and play. She loved it. After that, we loaded up and drove the rest of the way. So here we are. I’m nervous as hell. Our parents are close, so I’ve known Evan’s parents my whole life, but seeing them this time is different. Now I’m not just McKinley, their son’s best friend’s sister and their friends’ daughter. I’m here to marry their son.
Evan pulls into the drive and shuts off the car. Before we have a chance to get out, his mom is rushing toward us. “Prepare yourself, Lex. Grandma is about to unleash some major