Chapter 29

Jamie POV

I try hard not to stand over Crystal constantly. I cannot help it. I find myself watching her every move. I know she needs space, but I worry about her and the baby.

I take a leave from work and only handle things that I have to with the firm. Crystal keeps busy planning for the baby and our wedding. She is insistent that we get married before the baby is born. I agree with her.

I wish the court would settle something on Helen before the baby comes. I can see the fear sometimes in Crystal’s eyes. Helen is in jail and will be in prison for a very long time. I think the unknowing of how long or when she might get out is what bothers her the most.

I sit in my office, hiding giving her that privacy she longs for; I pretend to be working when she comes in to check on me.

“Are you busy?” Crystal asks.

“Not really. Do you need something?” I ask her.

“I want to eat; all I want to do is eat. I am going to be too fat for you to marry me soon,” Crystal says.

“That is okay; you are supposed to be fat; you are pregnant,” I say to her.

“That is not funny; look at my belly,” Crystal says, showing me her slightly round belly.

“Oh yes, little miss, you are getting so fat,” I say to her.

“You are an asshole,” Crystal says.

“Well, I thought we could go to the wedding chapel in the mountains and get married unless you want to have a big wedding here?” I suggest.

“Good, can we go tomorrow or today or now, before I get any fatter?” Crystal asks me.

“You want to get married right now?” I ask her.

“Yes, right now,” Crystal says.

“You know there is a small wedding chapel about an hour from here; we could go,” I say to her.

“Call them, call them now,” Crystal demands.

I look up the number on my computer. I call the number. An older woman answers the phone.

“Hi, I was wondering when the next available appointment is for a shotgun wedding?” I say into the phone.

Crystal glares at me and mouths not funny. “Excuse me,” the lady on the phone says.

“Sorry, I was picking at my fiancé. How soon is the chapel available?” I ask.

“We have an appointment today and tomorrow and the next day. We don’t get a lot of business anymore, but we are still up and running. It is just my husband and me. It is nothing fancy,” the lady says.

“Okay, we will be there in an hour. The name is Jamie King,” I say.

I hang up the phone. “Well, little miss, go grab you a dress and let me make an honest woman out of you,” I say to her.

“Don’t make me change my mind,” Crystal says.

“Hey, now, you’re not too pregnant for me to bend over my knee yet,” I say to her.

“You better not, sir,” Crystal snaps back at me.

She is getting feisty, and I love it. Crystal goes up the stairs to get dressed. I am already in a suit. I debate on calling Liam, but she is not in the mood to be around anyone, so I decide not to tell anyone that we are getting married.

Crystal meets me at the door in less than twenty minutes with her hair braided, makeup on, and wearing a cute white sundress.

“I can tell you are pregnant in that,” I say to her.

“Jamie, if you do not stop, I swear,” Crystal says to me.

“Where was all this feistiness when I met you?” I ask her.

“I am sorry,” Crystal says.

We walk out to the garage. I get the key to the convertible. She loves that car. “Do you want to drive?” I ask her.

“Can I drive? You mean you are going to let me drive?” she asks.

“Sure, why not?” I ask.

“You haven’t let me drive since, you know, since I come home,” Crystal says.

“I never said you could not drive; I only said I did not want you going anywhere alone until we knew you are okay to drive, but not once did I say that you cannot drive,” I say.

“That is the same damn thing,” Crystal says.

“Are we going to fight all the way to the wedding chapel?” I ask her.

“Yes, I like me this way,” Crystal says.

“Me too, little miss,” I say to her.

We get into the car. She starts the car and backs out of the garage. She stops, leans over, and kisses me. “Thank you,” she says.

“For what?” I ask.

“For giving me everything I want,” Crystal says.

“I always will,” I say to her.

I kiss her softly. Crystal pulls out of the driveway. We head toward the wedding chapel. I set the GPS, so she does not get lost.

“Do you want me to call Liam?” I ask.

“I text him and Andrea, I did not think you would mind if I did, but I told them not to come or tell anyone,” Crystal says.

“Honey, she is in jail; she will not be bothering us for a long time,” I say.

“What about when she gets out? Then what?” Crystal asks.

“We will deal with it when that happens, but we have a long before that happens. Let me worry about that. I want you to focus on growing a baby,” I say to her.

We pull into the wedding chapel. It is old rustic and looks like no one has been here in years.

“Are you sure you want to get married here?” I ask her.

“If there is someone in there that can make me your wife, then I am willing to go in and get married here,” Crystal answers me.

We walk into the chapel. The older lady I talked to on the phone comes out to meet us. She is tiny with long white hair. Her small husband comes behind her.

“Aren’t the two of you cute as a button,” she says.

She hands me a clipboard with papers to fill out. “Fill this out for your license, and we will get you two love birds married,” she says.

I fill out the paperwork and take it back to the sweet little older lady. She ushers us into the chapel. Her husband performs the ceremony, and we are on our way in twenty minutes.

I walk out of the chapel with Crystal. I take her into my arms and hold her. “Are you happy now?” I ask her.

“Yes, very, and still hungry,” Crystal says.

“I will cook you dinner,” I say to her.

“No, sir, you will not; you are a terrible cook,” Crystal says.

“Okay, wife, then you can cook,” I say to her.

“No, sir, remember I am fragile; my sweet husband can order something or take me out to dinner,” Crystal says.

“How about we invite Liam, Andrea, and Trey over for dinner?” I ask her.

“On our wedding night, you want to have company?” she asks me.

“Just for dinner, and then you can say you don’t feel well, and I will run them off,” I say to her.

“Sounds good, but I am still not cooking,” Crystal says.

“No, I will have something brought to the house,” I say to her.

I open the car door, and she gets in the car. I drive us home as husband and wife.