“You know, now that we’re married and all, we should probably live together, right? How do you feel about llamas? You do have plenty of space.”

  He wasn’t sure she was serious. “Uh, Honor.”

  “I’m joking. But it was fun to see your face go all pale like that.”

  He took a couple of long swigs of his beer, then said, “Dammit, Honor. I do not want to clean up llama shit.”

  She tilted her head to the side and gave him a curious look.

  “What?” he asked.

  “Oh, nothing.”

  It was definitely not nothing, but since she didn’t want to give up what she’d been pondering, he got up and went to the kitchen. He pulled out the appetizers he’d made and brought them into the living room.

  “This looks tasty,” she said.

  “It’s not fancy. Just some cucumber-and-cheese-stuffed cherry tomatoes, shrimp tarts and a caprese salad.”

  “They look fancy to me.” She picked up a tomato and popped it into her mouth, then sighed as she swallowed. Before she said anything else, she tasted the tarts and the salad, so he took a couple bites, too. Not bad.

  “You are good at this, Owen,” she said.

  He laughed. “I can follow a simple recipe. There’s nothing hard about any of these.”

  “Still, you went to the trouble to make appetizers and I appreciate it. Most guys I know would throw pretzels into a bowl and call it a day, if they even did that much.”

  “Then you’ve been dating all the wrong guys, Honor.”

  She shrugged. “So I’ve been told.”

  “See? Now you’re married and you don’t have to worry about all those wrong guys anymore.”

  Her lips curved and she pointed her finger at him. “Ha. Funny. But speaking of us being married, I have a question for you.”

  “Sure.”

  “Does it feel weird? I mean, I know we’re only technically married, but do you feel . . . I don’t know, somehow different? Or is it just me?”

  “It’s not just you. And it is different. Maybe what we did was reckless, but we still did it. It’s not like I’m going to go out on a date with anyone while we’re married.”

  “You won’t?”

  “Hell no. That would be . . . I don’t know, cheating or something.”

  Her lips quirked up in a smile. “I like that you think that way, Owen.”

  “Why? Were you going to just go about your business like normal?”

  “No, of course not. Though I should probably cancel that date I have on Thursday.”

  He gave her a deadpan look. “You aren’t serious.”

  “I am totally serious. I do have a date. I just forgot about it. But I’ll of course cancel. I wouldn’t even think of going out with Stan—or anyone else—while we’re married.”

  He made a disgusted face. “You’re going out with Stan Berger?”

  “I was.” She lifted her chin. “And what’s wrong with Stan?”

  “Stan’s an asshole. Treats women like dirt. Good thing I married you so you don’t have to find that out for yourself.”

  “Like I couldn’t have figured that out on my own. What would women do if men weren’t around to save them,” she said, rolling her eyes.

  He leaned back and sipped his beer, figuring this would be one of their men-versus-women arguments. “I didn’t say I was saving you, did I?”

  “No, but you did intimate that I couldn’t figure out whether or not a man was good for me.”

  “Hey, you’re the one who agreed to go on a date with Stan Berger. Has the dating pool for women emptied out or what? He’d be the last one you should pick and you know it.”

  She lowered her gaze, and oh, man, did he know that look. She was irritated.

  “Oh, and now you’re choosing the men I date?”

  “Well, I am your husband, after all.”

  She gave him a look and her mouth opened to speak, but then she burst out laughing and said, “This whole conversation is ridiculous.”

  He was glad her irritation had turned to something else. He definitely liked that her fuse was short. “Yeah, it is. Because our situation is ridiculous.”

  She took a sip of her wine, then snacked on more appetizers, studying him while she did. He had to admit he wasn’t sure whether he liked her staring at him like that; it made him feel like she was going to find something lacking in him.

  “You know,” she said after she wiped her fingers with one of the napkins he’d provided. “I can see how this married thing would have its advantages.”

  “Like what?”

  “For example, I can start turning down dates with all the wrong men.”

  “You could.” He definitely liked that idea. He’d watched her date loser after loser for years. And he hadn’t liked it at all. Not that he’d had any say in who she went out with.

  “Second, you can cook for me.”

  He laughed, then looked down at the platter in front of them. “This can hardly be considered cooking, Honor.”

  “Close enough. And third, you can kiss me more often. I really liked that kiss you gave me in Nevada. I was kind of sad when you turned me down in New Mexico.”

  His stomach tightened, because he sure as hell had no complaints about her third observation. “You know damn well why I turned you down in New Mexico. But if you want to start some kind of kissing routine, I’m game.”

  “Excellent. We’ll start after you feed me dinner.”

  “There’s a bossy side of you I hadn’t noticed before.”

  She lifted one shoulder. “You should have figured that out before you married me.”

  Also a pretty damn funny side to her, which he’d always known about.

  He got up and held out his hand. “Come on. We’ll refill your wineglass and you can help me.”

  “I’d love to. As long as I don’t have to cook anything.”

  He laughed. “Promise.”

  He grabbed the appetizer plate and they went into the kitchen, where he motioned for her to take a seat at the kitchen island. Then he got out the salmon, brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes.

  She looked up at him. “I love all of these things.”

  “I know.” He slanted a smile at her, then cleaned and sliced the sweet potatoes and put them in a pot of boiling water on the stove. He prepped the salmon and laid it in a basket, and sliced the brussels sprouts and poured balsamic vinegar and honey on them before tossing them into the oven.

  “Let’s go outside,” he said, reaching for the basket that contained the salmon.

  He grabbed his beer and she took her wine. He held the door open for her and they stepped outside.

  It was still spring, but the day had been plenty warm, which made him grateful for the covered patio. He turned on the grill and adjusted the temperature, then took a long pull from his beer, watching Honor as she stood at the edge of the patio and surveyed his land.

  “You have so much space out here,” she said. “And I love all the shady trees. But there’s still plenty of sunlight over on the west side.”

  “That’s where I put my vegetable garden.”

  “You did? What did you plant?”

  He thought about it, doing a mental inventory. “Tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, green beans, lettuce, peppers, potatoes, onions and several herbs.”

  “Wow. That’s a great start.”

  “Oh, so you’d add to it.”

  “Of course I would. You probably need a dog, too.”

  “In the vegetable garden?”

  “No, silly. A dog, in your life.”

  He coughed. “What? Why do I need a dog?”

  “So you won’t be alone. Dogs are great company. I like dogs.”

  “Then why don’t you have one?”

  “I have plenty. Erin brings Agatha with her to work every day, and sometimes Puddy tags along, too. Brenna and Finn have Murphy. There are days where three dogs are underfoot.”

  She’d smiled when she said that. Obviously, she loved her sisters’ dogs. “And you love it.”

  “I do.”

  “Then why not get one of your own?”

  “I . . . I don’t know. Dad has really loved everyone’s dogs and he and my mom have talked about getting one. That would be enough, I think. And I guess another reason is that I don’t have my own place yet. When I’m living somewhere on my own, I’ll definitely have a dog.”

  He put the salmon on the grill and made sure the heat was low enough, closed the lid, then picked up his beer and took a seat next to her. “What kind of dog?”

  “Excuse me?”

  “If you got a dog of your own. What type of dog would you pick?”

  “I don’t think I’d care. But it would have to be a rescue.”

  “Of course.” He liked that she wasn’t choosy, and that she didn’t want to go to a breeder, which wouldn’t be the way he’d want to do it, either. Not that he was considering getting a dog or anything.

  He got up and dashed inside to turn the heat down on the potatoes and take a look at the brussels sprouts before heading back outside to check on the salmon.

  “How about you?” she asked. “What kind of dog do you like?”

  He looked over at her. “The kind that comes fully housebroken.”

  She laughed. “Wouldn’t that be nice. Though a lot of dogs from rescues are already house-trained.”

  “Is that right? You must be doing research.”

  “Maybe a little. There was this really cute dog I saw last week. She’s probably already been adopted.”

  So she’d been doing more than a little research. “Show me.”

  “Really? Okay.” She got out her phone and went straight to a link, pulled it up and handed the phone to him.

  The dog was brown and black with one floppy ear and an adorable head tilt. Definitely cute, but Owen had no idea what breed the dog was.

  “Her name is Bettie,” Honor said. “She was abandoned by her former owners, who I hope suffer painful boils on their asses for the rest of their natural lives.”

  He busted out a laugh. “You’re vicious.”

  “Whatever. They deserve it. Bettie’s super friendly and sweet and housebroken and just needs someone to love her and give her a home.”

  He looked up from her phone. “Have you been to see her?”

  “Maybe. She’s the best dog, Owen.”

  “You should adopt her.”

  “I don’t know. I just don’t think I’m ready yet.”

  Or maybe she was scared that she was ready. He didn’t know.

  He handed the phone back to her. “She’s a really cute dog. And from the looks of the page, she’s still available.”

  She gave him a hopeful look. “You could adopt her. You have so much amazing space here. Bettie would love that.”

  “You want me to be your dog adoption proxy?”

  “I would never ask you to do that.”

  “Except you just did.”

  “Okay, maybe. But she’s a very good dog, Owen. And you need someone.”

  Yeah, he needed someone, all right. He just wasn’t sure that someone was a dog.

  Fortunately, dinner was almost ready so they brought the salmon inside, and he pulled the brussels sprouts out of the oven and put the cooked sweet potatoes in to broil while Honor grabbed him another beer. He got out plates and utensils and Honor set the table while he got the sweet potatoes out of the oven and brought them over.

  “This all looks amazing,” she said. “Thank you for cooking dinner for me.”

  “You’re welcome. I hope you like it.”

  They dug in and ate. Owen was happy with how everything turned out.

  “This is incredible food,” she said in between bites. “The salmon is tender and full of flavor. These brussels sprouts are delicious, and I love sweet potatoes so much. And the best thing is the whole meal is healthy, too. You’re doing an excellent job taking care of yourself.”

  “Thanks. I try. Though I do need a good greasy hamburger every now and then.”

  She gave him a smile. “Who doesn’t? My downfall is cake. Any kind. I have a sweet tooth like nobody’s business.”

  “I’ll bet you enjoy doing wedding cake tastings with your clients.”

  She laughed. “I don’t hate them, that’s for sure. And, of course, at the weddings I have to taste the wedding cake to make sure our vendors are providing the absolute best to our clients.”

  “It’s the least you can do.”

  “That’s what makes me the best wedding planner in the state.”

  “And so modest.”

  She lifted her fork toward him. “That, too. Why don’t you tell me about the attorney?”

  “She’s in Tulsa, so no one around here knows her, or knows of her. She seems confident and smart and I liked her. I think you will, too. When we have a Zoom call with her, we can discuss our options.”

  “Sounds good. Do you have questions you want to ask her? Like, anything specific? I brought my notebook so I can jot some things down; that way we’ll be prepared.”

  “Oh. I guess timing of everything is my number one. Like, how long the annulment will take from start to finish.”

  She got up, grabbed a notebook out of her bag and came back, flipped it open and looked at a sheet she’d already written on. “That was on my list as well. What else?”

  “I’m curious about the process. And if any of it is public.”

  She gave him a questioning look. “Public?”

  “Yeah, you know, like if a petition for annulment has to be published in local newspapers or something. I mean, it’s not like probate where someone could object or has a right to claim, but I just figured we could ask anyway, especially since we want to keep this low key.”

  “Oh, good question. I’ll write that down.”

  “What about you?” he asked after he swallowed another bite. “What are your questions?”

  “My main one was asking the difference between annulment and divorce. Of course I know the difference, but I’d just like her to walk us through each one.”

  He nodded. “Understood. It’s good to be fully informed.”

  “Anything else?” she asked.

  “Uh, I’ve got nothing right now, though I’m sure more questions will come up when we talk to her.”

  She took a bite and swallowed, then a sip of the water she’d poured herself. “Oh, I have another thing. I think we should find out what’s on the record after the annulment. Can anyone look it up in court records, or is it like we were never married?”

  “Hmm. Interesting question.”

  “I thought so, too.”

  They discussed a few other items while they ate, mostly minor details, and then she said, “Shoot me any other questions you think of, and I’ll add them to the list.”

  “Great.” He wanted to sound cheerful about their annulment, but for some reason he’d rather not discuss it at all.

  And the reasons for that . . . well, he’d rather not think about that, either.

  After dinner she helped him clean up. He did cook for himself as often as he could, though most nights he worked at the brew pub, so he’d make a sandwich or a salad to eat on his breaks. But when he was home he typically cooked healthy meals. Doing it alone sucked, but he’d gotten used to that. Having Honor here to eat with, and having her by his side doing dishes was . . . nice.

  Really nice.

  And also reminded him just how alone he’d been.

  After they finished cleaning up, he asked Honor if she wanted a refill on her wine.

  She shook her head. “I’ll just take more water, thanks. Just one glass is my limit these days. At least until I know for sure if I’m pregnant or not.”

  “Oh, right.” He might not be driving, but he’d had a few beers and that was more than enough for him for a night, so he fixed them both glasses of ice water and carried them into the living room. They took seats on the sofa and he turned on some soft music.

  “If we were really married, where would we be right now?” she asked.

  He leaned back on the sofa. “Probably on a beach somewhere.”

  She took a sip of her water and placed the glass on the coffee table, kicked off her shoes, then curled her legs behind her on the sofa. “I’d like to be on a beach right now. I could use a vacation.”

  “Want me to take you on a honeymoon?”

  She tilted her head. “What would you do if I said yes?”

  He shrugged. “Take some time off and take you someplace warm.”

  “Right. And how would we explain that?”

  “I don’t know. Would we have to explain it? And who would we have to explain it to?”

  “Fair point. For you it’s easier. For me, a little less so since I have family that’s always in my personal business.”

  “You’re an adult and they don’t need to know all your business.”

  “That’s true. Not easy, but true. So what tropical island should we honeymoon on?”

  He liked playing these what if games with Honor. “Your choice.”

  She thought about it for a minute, then said, “I’m going to say no to Aruba since that’s where you were going to go with Erin on your honeymoon.”

  “A good call. Though in the end neither of us went there, so it’s still an option.”

  “Maybe. I’ve always wanted to go to Hawaii.”

  “Which is where Erin and Jason went on their honeymoon, so I’m going to say no on that one. I wouldn’t want to copy her.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Fine. How about instead of a sandy beach we do Europe instead?”

  “I could get into some German beer.”

  “And I would love to see England and France. All that amazing food and wine. And shopping.”

  He nodded. “Okay, we’ll take a trip through Europe instead.”

  “Sounds ideal. If you’re this agreeable about everything, we should have an easy marriage.”