Page 48 of Married at Midnight

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Death seemed imminent, and perhaps preferable to fishing with Ellie’s dad on Sunday morning.

Not only had Connor been awake for the past twenty-five hours, but he could no longer feel his legs or his feet as he stood in the middle of the Skagit River in a pair of hip boots that did nothing to keep the freezing water out.

It was pitch-black, windy, and cold, and Connor tried to focus on something other than the current that tugged relentlessly at his body. One slip on a rock and his end would be swift. He’d been miserable before, but this experience was climbing the charts of the most miserable days ever.

Instead of being in hell, James Hawthorne stood in the river beside him, laughing. “Don’t you love the rush of early-morning air slapping you in the face?”

“Yeah, it’s awesome,” Connor replied sarcastically.

James didn’t seem to notice as he released yet another booming laugh. That laugh faded a few moments later as Ellie’s father moved closer to him. “Son, other than fishing, I wanted to get you away from Ellie so we could talk man-to-man.”

A chill that was not river induced trickled down Connor’s spine. “About what?”

James cast his fly downstream. “Ellie’s always been a cautious one. So why did she throw all that aside and marry you in Las Vegas?”

“You should be asking Ellie that.”

Ellie’s father turned away from his line. “Oh, I will, but I wanted to hear it from you, too. Why did she marry you in such a hurry after you broke her heart so thoroughly in high school?”

Happy he and Ellie had rehearsed their answers beforehand, he let them rattle off his tongue.

Accepting the answers, James tilted his head. “Then why not give her a honeymoon?”

That’s what James was worried about, them not having a honeymoon? “We didn’t have time for that. My grandmother had a heart attack, and we had to come back to Seattle to help her.”

James nodded. “With her house?”

“That and other things.” Connor kept his answers vague. He definitely needed to fill Ellie in on this conversation so they could sync their stories.

“You’re not toying with her again, are you?”

“Never,” Connor replied, even though he knew the word was a lie.

“Because if you do, I’ll cut you into tiny pieces and feed you to the dog.” James’s features grew hard.

“You don’t have a dog,” Connor replied, his stomach turning.

“The fish then.” James’s face softened.

What could he say that James might believe now, and later when he and Ellie went their separate ways? “I only have Ellie’s best interests at heart.”

James studied him silently for a moment. “I believe you do,” he said, his words no longer harsh. “That’s why we trust you to do what’s right for our little girl.”

That sudden trust scared Connor more than anything the man had said or done. Something in James’s tone told him he wasn’t done yet. “What do you mean?”

“Julie and I talked last night. I haven’t always been the father that Ellie deserved. I’d like to make up for that in some small way.”

“How will you do that?” Connor asked.

“Her mother and I are sending you two on a honeymoon anywhere you want to go.”

“A honeymoon trip for Ellie and me?”

“Talk it over with our girl. I’m sure she’s gathered some ideas over the past few years. Since she didn’t get her dream wedding, we thought we’d at least give her a dream honeymoon.”

“Ellie really wanted a showcase wedding?” Connor asked.