Feeling like an absolute tool, Trev did because his mother-in-law looked so pitiful that he couldn’t bring himself to be harsh with her again. He spent over an hour sharing the experience and showing her the photos he’d snapped at the various places. Buying rings, picking out the suit, the hotel lobby, the city skyline, and the wedding chapel.

“I can’t really think of anything else,” he said eventually.

“This is perfect. I feel like I was there.” Impulsively, Junie hugged him. “I’m glad you’re my son-in-law.”

That made him feel shitty when their marriage was primarily for show. With Leanne’s city council election campaign kicking off, he lacked the time to dwell on it, though. Trev stayed busy ordering stuff for her; communicating with online vendors; and getting hats, signs, stickers, banners, and posters printed up. As suggested, Leanne rounded up volunteers from the coffee klatch, and Howard Carruthers agreed to let her use the space over the hardware store. It was supposed to be a suite of offices, but he’d had a hard time keeping it rented since the lawyer who used to occupy it left St. Claire. Trev felt incredibly out of place among the retirees and housewives who mostly made up the volunteers willing to devote their precious time to getting Leanne elected to city council.

But nobody commented on his joblessness, and he ended up partnered with Mrs. Carmenian for the canvassing. She went right in for the gossip. “What’s this I hear about you two getting married on the sly? Do you have baby news to share, hmm?”

He stopped walking and almost dropped the bag of election paraphernalia he was holding. “Uh, yeah, we did get married. And no, nothing like that.”

It always suffused him with pride when he saw Leanne’s whole name on the promotional materials—Leanne Vanderpol-Montgomery. Though it made no sense, he felt like a piece of him went with her because she’d chosen his name. He hadn’t told her yet, but he’d quietly decided to take her name too. God, the old man would hate it. That was reason enough to make the change, but he suspected it would also make Leanne happy.

“Well, that’s disappointing. Why did you sneak off, then?”

“I’m not sure what you’re hoping to hear,” he said, as they walked toward the next house in their zone. “There’s no scandal. Why spend twenty grand when you can do it for a few hundred and enjoy a honeymoon in Vegas after?”

Mrs. Carmenian put a hand on her well-padded hip. “When you put it that way, it sounds entirely reasonable. And you don’t have to listen to your families fighting over who sits where and how many vegan entrées are needed.”

He imagined listening to his mother and Junie bicker over font choices on the invitations and shuddered slightly. “That sounds awful.”