I don’t disagree with him. It is a huge deal. Her as my wife is everything that I’ve ever dreamed of. “Okay, whatever you want. Three, five, seven, don’t care as long as by tonight, we are married.”

“Talk about shotgun wedding,” Kallie says, turning around and walking into the house.

“Are you going to tell her?” Jacob looks at me, and I just look at him. That is such a loaded question, and I don’t know how or what it means. “Are you going to tell her that you love her?”

“I was going to ease into that,” I say.

“Usually, you ease into the I love you and then you get married.” He laughs. “But I’m not even going to lie, this is exactly like you two.”

“What does that mean?” I ask, and he just shakes his head.

“Both of you in love with each other, but both of you too chicken shit to admit it.” His words are like a kick to my stomach.

“She doesn’t love me,” I say. “You heard her yourself; marrying me is a nightmare.”

“How can you be so smart yet so dumb?” he asks, and I’m about to answer him when the door opens, and Ethan comes running out.

“We’re going to have a wedding,” he says, jumping up and down and clapping his hands at the same time. I call it his excited dance. “Kallie just said that I have to walk Mom down the aisle since no one in the world loves her more than me.”

“Yeah.” I nod at him.

“She says I have to put on my Sunday best,” he groans and gives it the thumbs down.

“What are you guys doing standing around?” Kallie says from the door. “We have a wedding to plan.”

“Dear God,” Jacob says. “She just used her ‘I mean business’ voice.”

“That’s not good,” Ethan says now. “That means no one will have fun.”

I smile at all of them, walking inside to take a shower. When I get out, I’m ushered out of the house and put in the truck. “You can’t see the bride on your wedding day,” Jacob says.

“I saw her an hour ago,” I point out.

“Listen to me, and listen to me good.” He leans in and points at my face. “This shit that you just pulled has everyone teetering on a fine line of crazy. My mother called me and she has all the flowers settled,” Jacob says. “Olivia—don’t even ask how—found someone who is going to send over a one-of-a-kind wedding dress from some designer on a television show. Charlotte and Billy are gathering whoever they can to cook the food. Casey has someone coming in with decorations, and I’m not even going to tell you everyone in town who is stepping up for her.”

“Does she know?” I ask, and he just shakes his head.