“Are you using a new shampoo?” he asked, hoping to distract her, but truly curious.
“As a matter of fact, I am. It’s strawberry and—”
“Wait, don’t tell me.” He buried his nose in her hair and filled his lungs with air. He was tempted to go further and test the tender skin of her neck with his lips. Instead, he pulled away. “It’s really faint. Strawberry and mango?”
“That’s it,” she exclaimed with wonder. “You never miss.”
“Nope, I don’t.”
“Hey.” Her outraged tone was back, and she squirmed indignantly in his firm grasp. “Put me down.”
“You didn’t mind when Jarrett carried you.” He marched from the living area to his bedroom. “Why would you object when your husband does it?”
“How can you joke about this? It’s a disaster. You have to do something.”
“I am doing something. I’m making my wife follow the doctor’s orders.” Branson smiled. He liked the way the word wife rolled off his lips.
“We can’t stay married, Branson.”
Best not to mention the fact he wasn’t the least bit upset to find they were legally married. She obviously had different feelings on the matter.
“It doesn’t do any good to panic.” His knees found the side of the mattress and he set her gently on the bed. “Stay,” he commanded.
“I’m not a dog, Bran. You can’t order me around.”
He dropped to one knee and lifted her hand, eliciting a gasp of surprise. “Stephanie? Will you please stay off your foot, like the doctor asked? As your temporary husband and caretaker, I’d be immensely grateful.”
“Fine. I’ll stay.” He could hear the grin in her voice and knew he had the upper hand.
He sat on the edge of the bed beside her. “Now let’s talk about this logically. What are the facts?”
“Fact one—we’re married. Fact two—we can’t be married. Fact three—we need to do something about it, like go back to that wedding chapel and have them un-marry us before it’s too late.”
“No… fact three—there’s no such thing as getting un-married. It’s called a divorce, and it takes a while, like months.”
“What about an annulment?”
“Maybe.” Branson had hoped she wouldn’t think about an annulment. He’d done enough research with his upcoming marriage to Carina to know an annulment was quick and immediate, but each state had specific specifications to qualify. Maybe he’d luck out, and they wouldn’t meet the legal requirements for annulment in Nevada. “We can look it up, I suppose.”
“Hand me my purse, so I can get my phone,” she directed. “It’s on this end of the couch. I’ll research it right now. Maybe we can get an annulment tonight.”
“Do I look like your personal servant?” he bantered, though he followed her instructions.
“No, you look like my personal captor, who won’t let me off the bed.”
“Hmm… interesting idea,” he said, as he returned with her purse. “Your personal captor, who keeps you in bed? I like the sound of that.”
“Branson! Don’t be disgusting!”
“It was your idea. And we’re married, so we could give it a try. I never thought about that sort of thing, but if you’re into it...” He should’ve shown a bit of mercy, adding a wink or a laugh to assure her he was teasing. But her sputtering objections and shocked inhalations were too fun to pass up.
“I’m ignoring you,” she announced. “I’m looking up annulments in Nevada. Let’s see. Grounds for annulment. Number one—lack of parental or guardian consent. Nope. Number Two—insanity or lack of understanding. Does it count that I’m going crazy right now?”
“Compared to whom? You’re in Las Vegas, remember?”
“Okay, number two’s out. Three—fraud by one spouse, inducing the other to marry. Don’t think so. Four—illegal marriage due to close relations. You think we might be long-lost cousins?”
“Doubtful. I’m sure my father would’ve told me, since he can’t keep his nose out of my business. My family tree has been plotted back to the Mayflower. You see, my relatives wouldn’t enter into marriage without meticulous research of the genetic line. It’s like breeding a thoroughbred. Of course, I’m living proof that meticulous planning can still produce a botch.”
“A botch. Yeah, right,” she responded, though it was obvious her mind was on other matters. “The fifth one is that one spouse was married to another person at the time of the marriage. But my divorce has been final for years. So, I’m thinking the one about fraud is our best shot. What if Finn committed fraud when he put our names on that marriage license without our knowledge. Do you think that would work?”
“Didn’t it say one spouse had to commit fraud on the other spouse?”
“Yes, it does. Rats! I think we’re stuck.”
He pulled his lips down, in an effort to appear disappointed, though every bone in his body wanted to lift her into the air and laugh and celebrate. Or maybe, celebrate with their lips together.
“It’s no big deal, Stephanie. No one knows about it but you and me. We can keep it a secret until the divorce is final, even if it takes a few months.”
His attorney could find ways to delay the process. And maybe by then, he could prove himself worthy of her love.
“But I’m not good at telling lies.”
“You won’t have to. It’s not like anyone’s going to say, ‘Hey—are you guys married?’ No one’s going to suspect. All you have to do is not mention it.”
“I guess you’re right.” Her tone wasn’t as confident as her words. “But what about Carina? She thinks you’re getting married right away. She’s hoping to get married before you leave here.”
Carina. No doubt, she’d find a way to destroy the marriage if she discovered it.
