“Did you like Crissy?” I ask, Hope—who is way too quiet. I haven’t been—for at least as long as I can remember—a nervous man by nature, but I feel like I’m walking barefoot on hot metal here. This morning I was so sure of her reaction. Now, I’m worrying how this might go. Daria spent an hour trying to talk me out of it, and I don’t know the woman well enough to understand why she doesn’t like me, but I do get that she doesn’t like me. So much so, that I feel like it’s driven a wedge between her and Hope. They barely talk lately.

“She seems nice. I like her tattoos,” Hope answers, staring out the window.

“You like tattoos?” I ask surprised, she hasn’t commented a lot about mine, and she has none on her body. It might be a little stupid, but I kind of like that she doesn’t. I like that the only marks on her creamy, white flesh are that of my bites, my marks and I like that if I spank her, then it’s my hand that is outlined.

“Of course I do,” she murmurs, still not turning around to look at me.

“But you don’t have any ink,” I remind her, more because I just want to get her talking.

“You don’t have to wear ink to admire it, Aden. I like your ink a lot.”

“You do?” I asked a mixture of surprised and pleased.

“Yeah, for a while it’s the only thing I liked about you,” she says with frank honesty.

“Thanks,” I mumble, and I’m not pouting. Grown men do not pout, but that did sting.

“To be fair, you were an ass of epic proportions.”

“I’m finding myself hopeful that you used past tense there.”

“I’m trying to be hopeful too,” she whispers and she sounds sad.

“Why do I feel like I’ve done something wrong, and only understand half of this conversation?”

“Maybe you should have let me talk with you this morning.”

“We can talk after, I promise,” I tell her, but I’m starting to worry she’s right.

“What are we doing here?” she asks a little bit later, when I pull up to the Clancy County Courthouse.

“Part of my surprise.”

“I don’t think I like this surprise. Are you serving me with papers? Aden, I can explain—” she starts and her face is so full of panic and worry that I kiss her before she can keep going.

“Hope, honey stop it,” I whisper against her lips, my hands on each side of her face, holding her to me.

“I’m not serving you with papers. I don’t want you out of my life. You and Jack are my life. This is a good surprise I promise,” I tell her praying she sees it like that.

“Aden we really have to talk,” she whispers, and her eyes are shining with unshed tears, her face pale.

“Soon,” I tell her, starting to fear what she has to tell me. I need to finish this before she does. I need this more than I could ever explain to her.

I all but stumble out of the car. I swear to Christ the next thing on my list is getting us a vehicle that doesn’t involve me folding my legs up into my intestines just to drive the damn thing.

I walk over to Hope’s side of the car to help her, but she’s already out and wringing her hands nervously. I stop her by putting my hand over hers. Her face slowly raises to look up at me.

“Aden, I have to tell you something,” she whispers.

“It’s going to be okay, Hope. Stop worrying.”

“But it’s not. Not when you find out. Aden, I’ve been lying.”

“I know,” I tell her, but I do it by walking her inside the building. She stops walking and I have to tug on her to get her started again.

“You know?”

“Yeah, babe. I know.”

“How do you know? When?” she cries, and one of the tears she’s been holding in falls. I stop, bend down and kiss it away, taking the salty residue on my lips.

“It was obvious, Hope. You’re a horrible liar,” I tell her with a gentle smile, trying to reassure her. “My girl wasn’t meant to lie. You’d be horrible at poker, babe.”

“You’re not mad? You’re not upset with me? You don’t want to have me—”

“I want you. I admit it annoyed me at first, but I could see why you did it.”

“You could?” she cries, her eyes going large, and her hand tightening in mine. “Really?”

“Of course I could. I was an ass to you and Jack, Hope. You deserved to get a little of your own back.”

“I can’t believe you’re saying this. I mean, I’m glad. Oh God, I’m so relieved. I was trying to figure out a way to tell you. I’ve been wanting to tell you forever, but I was so scared you would hate me. I don’t want you to hate me, Aden.”

“Honey, I don’t hate you. I love you.”

“You… You love me?”

“Completely,” I tell her, and I’m not sure she realizes I’ve started walking again, bringing her to the judge’s office.

“You love me? Even after knowing what all I’ve done?” she whispers, and her tears are falling harder.

“Can I help you?”

“Yes, we had a one o’clock appointment with Judge Palumbo,” I tell her and she grins. “Go on in. Everyone is already waiting for you inside.”

“Wait? The Judge? I thought you said you forgave me?” Hope cries, her body tightening and I am almost physically dragging her into the next room now.

“There was nothing to forgive, Hope.”

“Nothing to forgive… but—”

“Hope, honey, no man likes to be told his dick doesn’t work, but I get why you did it and I’m not mad. Besides, it doesn’t really matter. I believe we’ve proved often enough that it does work—really fucking good.”

“Aden, I don’t think out of everything you could be upset about, that your dick should be the main one. We need to talk more about this. This affects the rest of our lives.”

“Exactly, which is why we’re here today.”

“I’m afraid I don’t understand. If we’re not here to have me arrested, then why are we here?”

“Arrested? Hope, are you okay? You’re talking crazy.”

“I… I’m not, maybe we should… Aden, why are we here?”

I smile, she’s crazy—but she’s my woman. I open the door and pull her inside. She looks over at Daria and Jack. Daria in a pink pant suit holding Jack’s hand who is wearing jeans and a pink shirt like me. I’m not much on wearing pink, but when Daria said it was Hope’s favorite color, I bit the bullet. The judge’s secretary brings in a small bouquet of pink and white roses with baby’s breath sprinkled in.

“We’re here to get married, Hope… or I guess renew our vows, either way. I just want the memory of you becoming my wife fresh in my mind and I’m going to cherish it.

“Aden—”

“And this time, when I make you my wife, I’m never going to forget.”