Wyatt stopped bitching and started coughing when his father finally pried Jules off him, holding her off her feet while she struggled. That was no small feat. Jules was nearly six feet tall and solid muscle.
When she dropped to her feet, all three of them stood there breathing hard. Clay was standing in the doorway, just watching them have a family meltdown.
Jules flipped her long hair back from where she was bent over, clutching her waist, and narrowed her eyes at Wyatt. “Did you really marry her?”
“No, I stuck the ring on my own finger,” Wyatt said sarcastically.
His father held up his hands in a form of surrender. “Wyatt—”
“If you’re gonna say something negative ’bout my wife—”
His father gave him a long look. “Nah, I ain’t gonna say anything bad ’bout her. I don’t really know her, do I?”
Wyatt caught the underhanded jab and arched an eyebrow. “Can’t really blame me for keeping it a secret. Look what happened when you did find out.”
“I think I’m being very understanding under the circumstances.” His father’s voice was calm, but Wyatt could hear the underlying anger. “Can we go downstairs, have a cup of coffee, and discuss this?”
“What’s there to discuss?” Wyatt snorted. “Not like I’m going back on it. I’m a man of my word. I promised Tabitha till death do us part, and I meant it.”
“How ’bout your living arrangements?” His father gave him a hard look. “Have you thought ’bout where you’re going to take her and set up shop?”
“Well, no, but—”
“This is a big house. Maybe y’all could live here until you find something more permanent.”
“What?” Jules turned their father. “You’re just gonna accept it?”
“He made a commitment to this girl.” Their father shrugged before he cast another quick glare at Wyatt. “A really big one.”
Jules choked. “But—”
“Why doesn’t she like her?” his father asked Wyatt accusingly. “That makes me very apprehensive.”
“’Cause she’s crazy.” Wyatt let out a manic laugh as he lifted a hand to his sister. “You saw what just happened.”
Jules went after him again, but their father caught her before she could attack. He wrapped a large arm around her waist, holding her back. “Calm down! I wanna know why you don’t like this girl your brother married. Give me a solid reason before we go starting something with him again.”
“She makes him stupid.”
“But what has she personally done to make you dislike her?”
Jules paused before she rolled her eyes. “Well, nothing, but—”
“Tabitha’s actually a very nice, responsible woman, and she has loved Wyatt unconditionally for a long time,” Clay cut in, reminding them he was still there. “I’m inclined to agree with Wyatt. It ain’t nice for y’all to be judging her ’cause of where she came from. That’s like judging me.”
“That’s very true. It’s unfair.” His father surprised Wyatt by sounding genuine, which made the first flowers of guilt blossom inside him.
He sighed and gave his father a look. “I didn’t mean to call ya an old man in Chicago.”
“It’s all right.” He shrugged and looked from Wyatt to Jules. “Most days y’all make me feel old.”
“I’m sorry,” Wyatt said solemnly. “And about what happened back when we were kids—”
“We’re just gonna pretend you never mentioned it.” His father cut him off with a stern look. “If I heard something like that, we’d be dealing with a lot bigger crisis than you going off half-cocked and getting hitched.”
That seemed to give Jules pause, and it was obvious his father left out that part of their confrontation in Chicago. Her eyes were wide and horrified. Even from across the room, he could feel her fear for him.
“Maybe coffee is good,” she whispered.
Wyatt nodded in agreement. “Fine.”
“Well, okay then.” Their father turned to leave without another word.
Clay, Jules, and Wyatt hung behind when he walked down the hallway. It wasn’t until they heard his footfalls on the stairs that Jules reached out and hit the back of Wyatt’s head. “You told him?”
“I knew it,” Clay growled. “I fucking knew it.”
“You’re married now. Fine.” Jules leaned down, putting her face in her hands and speaking into her fingers. “I want you to promise me you’ll never get stupid for her again. That you’ll be the man our father raised you to be.”
Wyatt gave his sister a long look. “What you don’t seem to realized, Ju Ju, is that I’ve tried my entire life to be that man. They’re just really big shoes to fill.”
Jules dropped her hands and gave him a half smile. “I guess it’s a good thing you’ve got huge feet. Am I supposed to say congratulations?”
Wyatt laughed. “It’d be nice.”
Jules threw up her hands in defeat. “Congratulations, Wy Wy.”
Tabitha turned the ring on her finger. She pulled it off and tilted it toward the sunlight filtering in through Wyatt’s bedroom window. She studied the inscription, feeling a smile tug at her lips despite everything.
July 19, 1999 Forever
“Having second thoughts?”
Tabitha looked up at Wyatt, and her smile grew wider. “No, just trying to figure out everything. I still haven’t told my mama yet. I think she’s doing better and—”
“Tab—” Wyatt started.
“Don’t. I know,” she whispered and looked back to her ring. “How’d your family take it? I noticed you waited till they were all gone to come and pick me up.”
“Nah, they were fine.” Wyatt’s smile was strained, but Tabitha pretended not to notice, especially when he said, “My dad offered to let us set up camp here till I can buy us a house. I reckoned it’d probably be a good idea to take our time and find a place we both liked.”
“Really?” Tabitha stared at him in surprise.
“Yeah.” He pulled off his T-shirt and then crawled into bed next to her. He propped his head in his hand and stared at her. “What’d you think?”
Tabitha looked at her ring, feeling the insecurities well up inside her. “I dunno if I’d be comfortable here. Jules doesn’t like me, and—”
“She likes you fine,” Wyatt argued.
Tabitha rolled her eyes in disbelief. “Gimme a few days.”
“A few days.” He frowned, and the hurt was obvious in his voice. “Why?”
“I’m just waiting for the right moment. If I tell her wrong, she’ll start drinking more, and—”
“She’s always going to drink more,” Wyatt said in a gentle but firm voice. “You know that, Tabitha.”
“Who will she have to take care of her if I move out?” Tabitha spoke her biggest fears without looking at Wyatt. “I feel like I’m abandoning her.”
“Is she a nice person?” Wyatt asked her with a wince when she looked up at him. “Has she ever done anything that gave you an indication she is deserving of all this devotion you have to her?”
“She’s sick,” Tabitha said in misery. “She’s very sick, Wyatt. You have to be gentle with people who are ill like my mama is.”
“Oh God.” Wyatt looked past her and stared at the wall as if searching for patience. “You know there are groups for children of alcoholics. Maybe—”
“No,” Tabitha said before he could finish.
“I don’t want fight with you.” Wyatt took the ring from her and then picked up her left hand and slid it back onto her finger. “What if we took a honeymoon? I got some sick time.”