When my wife and daughter were killed in a car accident, it nearly destroyed me. For months, I was a complete mess and let everything fall by the wayside—my friends, my family, and even my job. I was overcome with insurmountable grief and couldn’t focus on anything except the pain. I missed meetings and deadlines, and I didn’t even care. I just wanted to shut myself off from the rest of the world and pretend like I’d died right along with them. Knowing I was struggling, Langley stepped up to the plate. She’d worked overtime, taking up my slack and catching mistakes I’d made, including submitting a crucial report that I’d forgotten to send in. That one report could’ve affected a huge merger between two of the biggest tech companies in the state. If she hadn’t been there, if she hadn’t filed that one simple report, I could’ve lost it all. All those years I’d spent busting my ass to be the best lawyer in the city would’ve been in vain. I owed her big, so when she came to me about her custody suit, I promised that I would do whatever it took to make sure she didn’t lose her children.

I knew all the judges in town. I knew how they ticked. After years in the courtroom, I knew what it took to win. When it came to Langley’s case, there was only one judge who concerned me—Judge Randall Avery. He was set to retire in a few months, and I was hoping that Langley’s case would skirt across his desk. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen.

I could still remember the look on Langley’s face when I told her the news. Worry filled her eyes as I said, “Avery took the case.”

Her voice trembled as she asked, “That’s bad, right?”

“I’ll be honest with you, Langley. It’s not good. Avery’s not like the other judges in town. He’s old school and believes that a mother’s place is at home with her children, not working on her career.”

“But, times have changed. Doesn’t he know that?” she grumbled.

“He’s set in his ways, Langley. Everybody knows that, and to add salt to the wound, he thinks children are better off in a two-parent home, regardless of the circumstances. So, Dick…” I cleared my throat. “I mean Richard … has an advantage over you since he’s remarried.”

“But, I’m their mother! And I’m good to them. I love them with all my heart. They should be with me.”

The concerned look on her face tugged at me in a way I didn’t expect. At that moment, I was willing to do whatever it took to set her mind at ease. “You’re absolutely right. Children should be with their mother, especially where you are concerned. We just have to find a way to make him see that.”

“But how?”

“I’ll figure it out,” I assured her. “I won’t let him take your kids, Langley. I give you my word.”

On our first day in court, my worst fears were confirmed when Avery was not only listening to the bullshit Richard’s lawyer was dishing out, he was actually buying into it. Even though he hadn’t said the words, I could see it in his eyes, and I knew there was nothing I could say about Richard or his new bride that would change his mind. We were going to lose, and I had to do something to buy us some time.

Since we were stuck with the hard-nosed judge, I went to Langley and suggested that we get married. I knew it wouldn’t be easy, but there were worse ways to win a case. Something about Langley got to me. In fact, nobody affected me the way she did. I felt human when I was around her, like I wasn’t the monster that everyone else saw in me. Over the past year, that feeling had been growing, and maybe it was selfish, but I needed more of what she was giving me.

As soon as Langley accepted my proposal, I made arrangements for the wedding of the century. I wanted everyone, especially the judge and her ex-husband, to believe that the marriage was legit, so I spent a fortune to ensure that everyone believed that we were two people who were in love, and by the time it was over, I was almost believing it myself, especially when we shared our first dance.

I was surprised how quickly I became lost in the moment. I couldn’t help myself. She felt so damn good in my arms, and I was helpless to resist her. I was captivated by the warmth of her breath on my neck, the alluring scent of her perfume, and the way her body felt like it was made to be next to mine. Damn. When the song came to an end, it took all I had to let her go. No matter how hard I’d tried, I couldn’t stop thinking about her, so I decided to go to the one place where I could focus best. I headed to the office and tried using work to clear my head. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen. As I sat at my desk, thinking about everything that had transpired over the past twenty-four hours, my younger brother Tucker came knocking at my door.

He stood in front of my desk with an angry glare and barked, “What the hell are you doing here?”

“I’m working. What the hell does it look like? What are you doing here?”

“I was on my way to the gym when I saw your car in the parking lot. Why aren’t you on your honeymoon?”

“Shouldn’t you be at practice or something?”

“Don’t avoid the question, Colton,” he grumbled. “Why aren’t you on your honeymoon with Langley?”

“Some people have to work, Tuck.”

“Oh, for crying out loud! I have no idea how in the hell you managed to talk a chick like Langley into marrying you, but you did. Now, you have to actually try to act like you give a shit about her, or you’re going to fuck it all up.”

While I was relieved to see that he’d bought into our little wedding charade, I wasn’t exactly happy that he was calling me out on not doing right by Langley. “I’m not going to fuck it up. Besides, it’s not like she didn’t know what she was getting into when she agreed to marry me.”

“You keep thinking like that and you’re gonna send this marriage right down the shitter.”

“I think that’s a bit of an exaggeration.”

“No. It’s right on point. Please tell me you have something special planned for her.”

“Look, I don’t need to hear any shit from my kid brother … who’s not married, might I add, nor has he got a clue about relationships or how to make them work,” I barked right back.

“You’re right. I don’t know anything about marriage, at least not yet, but I know enough to know that you don’t leave your new wife the day after you get married so you can go work. Damn.” He ran his hand through his hair with an aggravated sigh. “I’m worried about you, Colton. You marry this chick out of the blue without telling us anything about her. Hell, we didn’t even know you were seeing her, much less planning to make her your wife. And now, you’re acting like it’s no big deal.”

“I didn’t even know until I asked her.”

“See. That’s my point. Are you sure you’re really ready for all this?”

I couldn’t blame him for being concerned. Four years ago, my entire life was turned upside down. My wife, Hannah, was taking our daughter, Morgan, to the doctor for a routine check-up, and as they crossed an intersection, a drunk driver slammed into the side of their car. They were both rushed to the hospital, and even though the doctors tried to do everything they could to save them, neither survived. It was then that I started shutting everyone out, protecting my heart by making everyone around me, including myself, believe that I didn’t have one. Everyone bought into my cold, harsh demeanor—everyone except Langley. From day one, she saw past the bullshit and refused to let me intimidate her. I respected her for being strong enough to stand tall under the pressure while having the compassion to understand why I was so fucked up. Tucker was right. She deserved more than I was giving, but I wasn’t ready to admit that to him.

I shook my head. “No idea, but I’m doing what I can.”

“Just don’t fuck it up, Colton. She’s got kids, and …”

“I know, Tucker. I know. I’ll handle it.”

As he started walking towards the door, he turned back to me and said, “If you’re not taking her on a honeymoon, you should at least do something nice for her tonight.”

“Okay,” I grumbled. “I’ll think of something.”

“And don’t stay in this damn office all day. Go spend some time with her for Pete’s sake!”

“I’ve got it, Tucker. Now, go! The sooner you get out of here, the sooner I can get done here and go home,” I growled.

With a nod, he walked out of my office and slammed the door. Once he was gone, I tried to focus on my work, unfortunately, that didn’t happen. I thought about everything that Tucker had said, and while our marriage was a complete sham, I needed everyone around us to think that it was the real thing. If Tucker wanted to know why we weren’t on our honeymoon, I was certain that others were equally as curious. Knowing I couldn’t afford to have people asking questions, I gathered my files and shoved them into my briefcase. As I headed out of the office, one of the partners, Matt Caldwell, called out to me.

“Hey, Colt. Surprised to see you here today.”

“Yeah, well … not for long. I’m on my way out. Just had a few things I needed to take care of on the Carter case,” I lied.

“That was some wedding last night. You outdid yourself, and man … Langley looked beautiful.”

“That she did.”

He slipped his hands in his pants pockets as he casually asked, “You two got special plans for a honeymoon?”

Damn.

“We’re still working out the details,” I lied.

“If you need me to cover for any of your cases, just say the word. I’ll be glad to help,” he offered.

If it was anyone else, I would say it was a kind thought, but knowing Matt like I did, I knew he was just kissing ass, hoping to get a step ahead. I started walking towards the door, and answered, “Thanks. I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Congratulations, Colton. You got yourself a good one with Langley.”

Just before I walked out, I told him, “Yes, I did.”

As I headed back to the house, I found myself feeling irritated by my newfound predicament. I’d brought this whole mess on myself, but justified or not, I was feeling on edge as I pulled up in the driveway. I sat in my car and took several deep breaths, trying to collect myself before I headed inside. When I finally walked into the house, I found Beatrice sitting at the kitchen counter. She was still in her little, red flannel pajamas, and her curly hair was down around her face. She had a crayon in one hand and an oatmeal cookie in the other, and as soon as she saw me heading in her direction, she sat up in her chair and smiled. “Hi, Mr. Colton. I’m making you a picture for your refrigerator.”

And just like that, my bad mood started to falter. I walked over to the counter, and when I looked over her shoulder, I saw that she was drawing a picture of man wearing a suit. When I noticed the dark hair, I realized it was a picture of me. “Looking good, kid.”

“It’s you.”

“I see that, but you’re missing my beard.”

“That’s because I don’t like your beard,” she replied innocently.

“You don’t?”

She shook her head as she bit her bottom lip. “It makes you look a little scary. I like you better without it.”

“Scary?” I ran my hand over my chin, tugging at the bristles of my beard. “You really think so?”

“Umm-hmmm. And it makes you look kind of old.”

“Old? Really?” I asked with surprise.

“Yes, sir, but just a little. Not like Santa Claus kind of old.”

Damn. The kid knew how to hit a guy where it hurts. She looked up at me with those dark eyes of hers, and I couldn’t help but smile. “Gee … thanks, kid.”

She studied me for a moment before she asked, “I’m sorry. Did I hurt your feelings?”

“No, Beatrice,” I told her as I opened the refrigerator. “You can’t hurt my feelings, because I don’t have any feelings to hurt.”

Just as I reached for the jug of tea, she laughed. “That’s funny.”

“Why’s that?”

“Everybody has feelings, Mr. Colton.” She stood up and handed me the picture she’d been working on. “Even you.”

I glanced down at the picture and was surprised to see that she’d added my beard. When I looked back over to her, she was walking towards the stairs. “Thanks for the picture, Beatrice.”

She turned back just long enough to say, “Don’t forget to put it on the fridge, so everyone can see it.”

“You got it.”

I walked over to the refrigerator door and as I reached for a magnet, I took a moment to look at my portrait. There was something familiar about the man in the drawing, something that gave me a strange feeling when I looked at it. As I stood there staring at it, I suddenly felt overcome with emotion. After several moments, I realized that the man with big, dark eyes, a thick, bushy beard, and a goofy grin used to be me. It had been so long since I’d seen that side of me that I’d almost forgotten he even existed. I missed it. I missed having a reason to smile, a reason to be truly happy, and I wondered if I would ever have it again. I was lost in my thoughts, when Langley walked up behind me. “It turned out pretty good, don’t you think?”

Trying to collect myself, I cleared my throat before I replied, “The kid’s got talent. She made me look good, and that’s saying something.”

“I think she did a great job with your beard.” She snickered.

“What is it with you two and my beard?”

“I like your beard. It makes you look … distinguished.”

“Um-hmm,” I scoffed.

“Seriously. I like the beard.” As I watched the corners of her mouth curl into a smile, I found myself thinking of the kiss we’d shared the night before. There was this moment, just before our lips touched, where I felt the world stop spinning, and for an ever-so-brief moment, anticipation hung in the air. It was just a moment, a mere blink, but it was so intense I could feel it pulling me towards her. When our lips finally touched, that feeling didn’t dissipate. Instead, it grew stronger as I felt her warm, soft mouth pressed against mine, and when I finally released her from our embrace, I had to fight the urge to reach for her and kiss her all over again. I felt an unexpected connection between us, and I couldn’t help but wonder if she’d felt it, too.

She pulled me from my thoughts when she said, “I wasn’t expecting you until later. I thought you had a meeting this morning.”

“Wrapped it up early.” I sat down on one of the stools and asked her, “You get settled in okay?”

“We’re getting there.” She reached for the pot of coffee and poured herself a cup. After taking a quick sip, she said, “The kids love their rooms, especially Ian. He’s always wanted a room of his own.”

“Good. I’m glad to hear that.”

“I really appreciate you doing all this. I know it’s a lot to take in, especially with the kids, but I’ll do my best to keep them out of your hair. And—”

“Langley.” When her eyes met mine, I continued, “It’s fine. The kids are fine. You’re fine. I like you being here, so stop worrying about it and try to make yourself at home.”

“Are you sure?” Concern filled her eyes as she asked.

“I’m sure. Besides, it’s not like this is going to last forever. We just need to get through this thing with your ex, stay married long enough for Judge Avery’s retirement to take hold, and then we can part ways and pretend like none of this ever happened.” Right after I said that, a strange look crossed her face.

“Okay.”

I stood up, and as I headed towards my room, I offered, “We’ll go to dinner at seven.”

“Dinner?”

“Yes. We’re newlyweds, you know. We’ve got to act the part, so we’ll go have dinner at one of those trendy places where we’re sure to be seen,” I explained.

“Oh. Okay. Should I make a reservation?”

“You think we’ll need one?”

“It’s Saturday night, Colton.” She sighed. “We’ll definitely need a reservation.”

“Alright, then, make a reservation.”

“Where?”

“Ladies choice,” I told her as I headed down the hall. I could care less where we ate dinner. It was all for show, or so I thought.