“I’ll do it.” The words fell from Paisley's lips.
Chapter 21
On Friday afternoon for lunch, Paxton, Paisley, and Braxton headed to the county courthouse with two witnesses by their side to seal their nuptials. Paisley and Braxton exchanged their vows before a court judge. No other family or friends were present. There was no white dress with a veil or floral bouquet.
This was far from the wedding that Paisley had always dreamed about—except for the groom. Braxton was always the groom in all her dreams. And yet here she was today, marrying the one person she’d always hoped she would get married to, but the emotional connection was missing. Clearly, a marriage of convenience. And as she said I do, she felt empty inside. It took everything she had not to let the tears fall when the judge told Braxton he could kiss his bride and all he had to offer was a peck on the lips, followed by a powerful hug.
“Thank you, Paisley,” Braxton whispered in her ear as he held her. “I owe you more than I’ll ever be able to repay.”
His words sliced through her heart, causing pain more severe than when she’d fallen off the roof of her childhood home and broken her arm. Braxton and Paxton had been playing in the backyard that day, and she’d been trying to prove that she was their equal. They had bet her she couldn’t climb up the trellis. Not only had she done it, but she’d climbed onto the roof and taunted them. But when she’d scurried to the edge to climb back down, she’d lost her footing and fell. Braxton had been by her side within seconds, consoling her as Paxton ran into the house to get their mother.
Braxton had comforted her that day, trying to ease the pain as they rushed her to the hospital. But there would be nothing he could do that would take away her pain or put her heart back together. He’d broken the last string that had been holding it together all these years. Today, she knew he would never see her as more than his friend. She’d sensed it before now, but never let herself honestly believe it.
Hand in hand they exited the courthouse, pushing Emmersyn’s stroller as they headed to the office to meet someone from Bryer and Son’s Construction. Braxton was adamant that they immediately meet with a contractor and start renovations in the office. He wanted to ensure that when and if they had to go to court, they would be ready to show the judge that they were a normal family. Even if they were anything but.
Paisley sat beside Braxton in the conference room. A blueprint of their building was spread out in the center of the conference table and James Bryer, sat across from them. Jim listened intently as he made notes about the renovations they required.
“I’d like to put a half-wall in to separate a portion of my office. I need an area for my daughter to play and rest when she is in the office with me.” Braxton tried to describe what it was he thought he needed.
As Paisley sat listening quietly, she began to sketch on a piece of paper. When Braxton continued to fumble with the words to outline his needs, Paisley came to the rescue. “Mr. Bryer.” She slid the paper she had sketched to the contractor. “I’ll show you my office when we are done, but as you can see by my drawing and the blueprints, this is a simple renovation. We have a newborn that we need to accommodate at the office. My idea is functional and will be easily adaptable as she grows older.”
Jim lifted the paper from the table and glanced at it briefly before setting it down and jotting a few notes in his book. “This is a simple modification. I can have my sons start on it right away and they can complete it in two days. We work after hours so we’ll need access to the office in the evening. You’re welcome to have someone from your staff on-site, but I assure you it truly isn’t necessary. If we agree on the terms, we would be able to start on it at the end of the week if you’d like, so that it would be completed by the time you arrive at work on Monday.”
Braxton glanced over at Paisley in confusion. “I thought we were going to convert my office?”
Paisley placed her hand on his forearm, giving it a light squeeze. “I feel that it would be better to have her in mine. Your position here requires you to meet with potential clients on a regular basis. Having Emmersyn in your office would only hamper that. I rarely meet with anyone, and when I do, I can utilize the conference room. It makes sense to have my office modified.”
Braxton appeared to think about it for a second before deciding that she was correct. “Mr. Bryer, let’s do this. Send the contract to my wife to review and next weekend will be a perfect time to start.”
Paisley winced at the sound of Braxton calling her his wife. She’d never get used to hearing those words come from his mouth. As she sat there listening to him stumble over himself, she knew she’d just signed on to a full-time babysitting job, and not just for Emmersyn. She was clearly going to be the one who kept this family organized. She cringed at the word family.
At the end of the day, Braxton loaded Emmy into his car and headed home. He didn’t invite Paisley to join him; in fact, they’d never discussed their living arrangements. Paisley had just assumed their marriage would entail her moving in. Apparently, she had been incorrect.
As she lay in bed that night second-guessing all the decisions she’d made over the last twenty-four hours, she
