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"Okay," Tanner agreed, way too quickly

I shook my head "No, Tanner It’s not that easy You have to take time to think about it Just because it wouldn’t be a traditional e and on paper only doesn’t mean it won’t affect your life in some ways You have to consider all that before you make a decision, and come to think of it, there really is no upside in all this for you, so you’d have to be crazy to agree to it"

Tanner wagged his index finger in the air "And this is why you were never on the debate tea side," he added

"I’m serious," I said "This is serious"

Tanner smiled "I know And I know it doesn’t " It was the first time Tanner had said his name

"Thanks I want to do this for him, but for me too Maybe it’s selfish, but I want to keep a piece of hiht there is the very reason I accept your proposal," Tanner said, "because I want to keep you close to me"

"But it won’t be…"

Tanner raised a hand to stop et it But I have terms"

"What terms?" I asked

Tanner crossed his ankle over his knee "I will accept your proposal and agree to marry you on the condition that you have to try Not at first, I know you’re still grieving, but eventually I want you to try and ether For us For Sarabbed my hand "I pro for o" "I…," I started to argue But then Sa to whore e for protection, as I so unwilling to give a little part of reed "But I need time, Tanner I mean it I don’t knohen I’ll be ready," I said

Tanner kissed the back of my hand and went back over to the kitchen where he retrieved the ring box he’d showed uess this is yours again, then" He didn’t try and get down on one knee He didn’t try to put it on er forhe could have done, because just then, I had real hope that he really did understand why I was doing this And because he understood how i Max was to e a real shot in the future was important to him

I opened the box and stared down at the little dia of the party I went to the courthouse with Tanner and picked up the application to start the process to beco I beca inside, it was the thought of being there for Sa They were the ones propellingilling to do whatever it took to get his daughter back He proved that when he illing to letso where I’d be the reluctant bride was a daunting task I didn’t want to pretend theit wasn’t I skipped over the rows of knee-length sundresses, pausing for a mo,’ and this wasn’t a wedding

It was just paperwork

Business

Family business

I finally decided to pass on the dresses altogether and instead chose a pair of dark jeans and a fitted black V-neck

I was doing this for King I wasn’t ready to be a show pony led around by her halter King would have liked my choice of outfit And the senatorto be tael when I’d lived and fallen in love with the devil

There was a wild part ofI liked who I ith him I kneho I ith hied to King, and no matter where I was or where he was or what either of us were doing, no one could ever take that fron sos That was it But when Tanner and I had finished signing the license and the woman behind the desk handed us our IDs, she stood and slid her chair back against the linoleureat surprise, and horror, she started to speak "Do you Tanner Redmond take--"