Abby

Goose bumps formed all over my body. Four months earlier, Travis had taken something from me I’d never given to any other man. I was so hell-bent on giving it to him, I didn’t have time to be nervous. Now, on our wedding night, knowing what to expect and knowing how much he loved me, I was more nervous than I had been that first night.

“Let’s get this out of the way, Mrs. Maddox. This is one article of clothing of yours that I don’t want to ruin,” he said.

I breathed out a small laugh, remembering my buttoned-up, pink cardigan, and the pattern of blood spatters down the middle of it. Then I thought about seeing Travis in the cafeteria the first time.

“I ruin a lot of sweaters,” he’d said with his killer smile and dimples. The same smile I wanted to hate; the same lips that were making their way down my back right now.

Travis moved me forward, and I crawled onto the bed, looking behind me, waiting, hoping he would climb on. He was watching me, pulling off his shirt, kicking off his shoes, and dropping his slacks to the floor. He shook his head, turned me onto my back, and then settled on top of me.

“No?” I asked.

“I’d rather look into my wife’s eyes than be creative . . . at least for tonight.”

He brushed a loose hair from my face, and then kissed my nose. It was a little amusing watching Travis take his time, pondering how and what he wanted to do to me. Once we were naked and settled under the sheets, he took a deep breath.

“Mrs. Maddox?”

I smiled. “Yes?”

“Nothing. I just wanted to call you that.”

“Good. I kind of like it.”

Travis’s eyes scanned my face. “Do you?”

“Is that a real question? Because it’s kind of hard to show it more than taking vows to be with you forever.”

Travis paused, confliction darkening his expression. “I saw you,” he said, his voice barely a whisper. “In the casino.”

My memory instantly went into rewind, already sure he had crossed paths with Jesse, and he’d possibly seen a woman with him who resembled me. Jealous eyes play tricks on people. Just when I was ready to argue that I hadn’t seen my ex, Travis began again.

“On the floor. I saw you, Pidge.”

My stomach sank. He’d seen me crying. How would I possibly explain that away? I couldn’t. The only way was to create a diversion.

I pushed my head back into the pillow, looking straight into the eyes. “Why do you call me Pigeon? I mean really?”

My question seemed to take him off guard. I waited, hoping he would forget all about the previous topic. I didn’t want to lie to his face, or admit what I’d done. Not tonight. Not ever.

His choice to allow me to change the subject was clear in his eyes. He knew what I was doing, and he was going to let me do it. “You know what a pigeon is?”